M3J Bánh Mì & Pho — Restaurant in West Covina

⭐ Shoutout to Steve at KingSell Phone Repair for fixing my phone and recommending this spot—best tip ever! KingSell is right next door to M3J Bánh Mì & Pho, and since Steve eats here every day, he told me we had to check it out. So glad we did!

I came in with my little one today since her favorite food is pho, and after getting my phone fixed we were both hungry.

At M3J Bánh Mì & Pho, I met the owner, Steven (different Steven!), who told me he used to be an engineer working on airplanes before opening this restaurant about two months ago with his wife. What makes him truly special is his heart: he keeps prices intentionally low to help feed the community and provides free meals to the homeless every single day. When we walked in, I noticed a homeless man in a wheelchair outside, and Steven explained that whenever the man wheels back and forth in front, that’s his way of signaling he’s hungry—and Steven makes sure he gets a meal. That kind of quiet, consistent kindness really touched me. Steven seems like the type of person who would give the shirt off his back, and meeting him inspired me to want to do more for others too.

💡 The food was absolutely incredible.

I ordered the brisket pho with double brisket, and it was perfect—rich broth, tender meat, and so comforting. What’s unique here is the $5 soup base (you can choose chicken, pork, or beef!) and then just $4 for your protein. Doubling the brisket for $8 was such a great value and totally worth it.

Steven was so thoughtful and even gave us extra noodles for our pho at no charge. That meant a lot, since my daughter and I usually share one large pho and she doesn’t eat much—I normally have to pay for extra noodles elsewhere, but here it was just given with kindness.

I also had the $5.75 grilled beef bánh mì, and wow—the bread was so fresh and crispy, even late at night near closing time. Steven bakes it fresh, and it really shows. Honestly, you just can’t find bánh mì at this price anywhere else—and with this level of quality, it feels almost too good to be true. Easily one of the best bánh mì I’ve had.

We also tried the $10 fresh rolls (you get four big ones, super fresh) and the $10 fried rice combo with pork, chicken, and shrimp. Everything was flavorful, fresh, and made with care.

The restaurant is spotless, the bánh mì prices feel like pre-pandemic pricing, and the overall value is unbeatable. Our whole bill—including a 15% tip—came out to about $54. Plus, I scored a free milk tea for signing up with their rewards program, and Steven even gave us a jasmine milk tea with boba on the house.

And the menu still has so much more I can’t wait to try: the other bánh mì flavors, the egg rolls, the wonton soup, the porridge, the rice and salad combos, and the smoothies (all of their drinks are only $3 for a small and $3.50 for a large!). With prices like that and food this fresh, I’m definitely going to be a regular.

✨ Steven is not only the owner but also the chef, and you can feel the love he puts into everything. I told him how fresh and wonderful the food was, but honestly, it’s more than just the food—it’s the feeling. He makes you feel like family, and that means so much.

We’ve officially found our new pho spot in West Covina, and I can’t wait to bring my husband here on our next detour. Thrilled to support Steven’s small business—this place is a gem, and I highly...

The prices here are GREAT! I got a combination pho with a drink for $10.98 including tax! Unfortunately, you don't find prices like that very often around here.

Food: 4 stars - pho broth was decent. I would not say it was great. I felt I needed to add some hoisin sauce for more flavor, but I prefer to have a broth stand on its own. However, it was good enough to quench my pho craving..and at that price I will definitely be frequenting this place. If the broth had a deeper flavor I would have rated this place a 5-star, but since I have already decided to return, I will try it again - many more times, I am sure - and hopefully I can update my score to a 5-star.

Service: 5 stars - on top of the great prices, the customer service was excellent. The man at the counter explained the menu options to me in detail, suggested a popular selection, kept checking on me throughout the meal, and offered me a free sesame ball when he saw me eyeing it (which was fresh & delicious). You can tell he is very concerned with customer satisfaction and that goes a long way in my book.

Atmosphere: I gave 3 stars because I would consider this place a "hole in the wall" - small, clean, quiet, and quaint. I prefer these kinds of establishments sometimes so I was perfectly fine with the atmosphere.

Please give them a try and support small...

For me, the báhn mi here was exactly what I grew up thinking báhn mi, a delicious flavorful sandwich that’s affordable. This restaurant delivered. I’ve had báhn mi in Vietnam, France and England, and I would say the flavors of their grilled pork were right up there.

For the price, the friendly service, and the quality— the spring rolls were delicious as well, I highly recommend them.

If you need good food at great prices, definitely...