Pho 75 — Restaurant in West Falls Church

You have to enjoy beef noodle soup of any cuisine...if you do, you'll love Pho75...by the way, that's all they sell is authentic Vietnamese beef noodle soup called Pho. Yes, they do sell a chicken version that my wife eats but that's not the real deal. I have lived or worked in this area (Falls Church) for decades and there is a huge Vietnamese community with lots of places that sell Pho but this is the best. The place isn't fancy at all, cash only, you might have to sit at a long table with other folks, and even wait a little as you smell what's coming making you hungrier... but all worth it! There's about 16 or so varieties of meat combinations to put in the basic broth & noodle combo. I'm a generic American guy and not adventurous enough to put on some of them but they have the wild and tame for all tastes. I'll share how I eat it, which I think is the Northern way - I make a spoon full of the hoison (like thick plum sauce) and the hot sauce to dip the meat for each bite. I think it ruins the awesome broth to pour in those sauces directly to the bowl (I think the Southern method?). You get a large plate for sharing of this basil (I believe), sliced jalapenos, lots of sprouts, and some lime. I usually put in the pepper slices and a full basil sprig and then use chopsticks to stir everything around. Depending on your meat, a few come undercooked (pretty raw) but the broth is so hot that the stirring around cooks it all and spreads the flavor of the spices you just put in; it also gives you a chance to mix the noodles and meat. Then add your sprouts - they're fresh and they cool down your soup a bit. Then just before I'm ready to eat, I'll squeeze around the lime. I use Chip to pick up the beefand dip it in spoon with the sauces, pop that in my mouth, add some noodles and my other hand has a spoon for having the broth. The noodles are initially really long - no way I know of to eat them initially without biting into them and the rest falling back in the bowl (maybe not a first date place?) but later on you can make a spoonful of everything. We did use scissors (they have them) to cut up the noodles for our kids when they were younger. And you can just get broth and noodles - often for the kids. Think sliced onions soaked in vinegar is another delicious side you can purchase - just throw enough on the top for a few bites and add more as you eat. Drinks: young coconut juice/water or Vietnamese iced coffee (sweetened condensed milk with it) - both delicious. Awesome experience! Just my way above, plenty of other ways I'm sure - just nobody to tell you what to try initially so this is my way...tweak to your...

So, I went to Pho 75 today on November 4, 2016. I go to a ton of restaurants all over the U.S. From American to Asian food and so forth. Tonight I felt like some nice Vietnamese Pho. So, I asked a couple of my friends where was the best place around the area of falls church, while I was in the falls church area, you know? So, I went to a surprising 4.5 star rating Pho 75. First things first, I asked the server if this table is okay, and he started-in a way screaming at me. So, I just sat down. The service was terrible. I was waiting 10 minutes for my server to come. The food was decent, I'll tell you that, but my server was just plain old rude. Every time I asked him for simply anything, he just stared at me, for 5 seconds, and just walked away. This is just pure terrible, I thought in my head. And the knockout punch- oh, this one stopped my appetite. I finished eating, not even halfway done with my Pho. There was a cockroach on the wall. Right next to me. And do you know what the worst part was? I asked my server, and it looked he didn't give a single chance of caring. I was like, "what kind of business is this????". The manager didn't seem to care at all, as well. All I know now, is never again. Never again will I ever come to the worst dining experience I've had in...

Food was outstanding! Definitely the best Pho I've had in my life and the most authentic. The menu is basically Pho with different meat choices (chicken, eye round, tendon, brisket, flank, meatball). The soup comes with the meats you pick, cilantro, noodles, scallions, and a communal topping plate with bean sprouts, jalapenos, basil, and lime wedges. Hot sauce and hoisin sauce on the side per usual. The bowls are not half full of broth like some places- once you add toppings your bowl will be overflowing with delicious food.

I had excellent French/Vietnamese coffee that you pour over ice, with condensed milk on the bottom. My wife had "young coconut" which is tender young pieces of coconut in coconut water. Very good.

The menu is in English and Vietnamese. Half or more of the patrons are Vietnamese. Honestly the service wasn't impressive since everyone is so busy moving back and forth and many workers don't have the best English. I recommend ordering everything you need beforehand unless you want to wait a while. They only accept credit cards but do have an ATM.

I'm not a Karen or ken so the service doesn't bother me. 5 stars for the amazing food. We visit family here every year and will be coming back every time...