Pho Saigon — Restaurant in Woodlawn

The place seems like a genuine Vietnamese-family-run pho restaurant with student/young adult aged wait staff. As a Vietnamese-American, it's comforting to be able to order in Vietnamese and to have the server understand me, something that's becoming more and more rare in pho restaurants in Baltimore and in Maryland. The place was surprisingly packed for a Sunday; every table was filled by 6:30pm. Other than the fact that our drinks were always topped off, service was the big let down here, so much so that it became a point of conversation between my party and the adjacent two parties. Tables of four are connected end to end in a line down the middle of the restaurant. Not the most romantic experience, but it definitely felt a traditional experience you might encounter in a street restaurant in southern Vietnam.

The restaurant seems relatively over-staffed as there were anywhere from two to four wait staff standing around the countertop where the cash register meets the kitchen. Our orders were taken after the orders of two tables that had arrived and been seated after us, which was surprising despite the number of staff we saw just standing around. I was initially impressed when our server didn't write down our orders. Unfortunately he forgot our hot tea until after our meal (not a huge deal and nothing to cry home about).

The food came out in intervals. Our party ordered two bowls of pho and a beef com tam dish. My pho came out first, the second came out six or seven minutes later accompanied by the busboy repeatedly asking my friend if he had ordered and if he was sure that he didn't get the number 9 (he ordered a large number 7 with extra noodles), and the rice dish came four or five minutes after that. While it provided a traditional, home-style feel, it's kind of an industry standard that you bring all the entrees out at once so that your busboy holding a bowl of pho is constantly going around to every table insisting that somebody at some table had to have ordered a number 9. The party to my right were visibly upset at the slow, inefficient pace of the service, and told us, "good luck!" as they left. I think the fryer had gone down for the day and those folks were craving some fried food (or something like that) so I'll assume that party's dissatisfaction and the hectic air was in some way caused by that.

The pho, served in very large green bowls, was really rather nice, and I think a lot of the other reviews reflect upon the quality of the food. The restaurant also has some sort of man-vs-food type of challenge where single guests could take on finishing two pounds of meat and two pounds of noodles of pho with the prize of not having to pay (if you're into that, of course). Large, diverse menu with a good number of traditional Vietnamese restaurant dishes and soups. It's such a shame that the service was the most memorable part of the experience, and hopefully things are better early/mid afternoon when the restaurant is less packed.

Fine food when it comes down to it, but with shoddy service and a panicked atmosphere coupled with what looked like servers just standing and watching. Unfortunately we will not...

Long post, but so worth it! I had the pleasure of popping up on this gem while doing Door Dash. I waited in the restaurant for the customer’s food. It was a Saturday mid day. The restaurant was packed, diverse, and family oriented. I always wanted to try Pho. The manager/owner Kenny was very attentive, we talked about what I should try, he recommended great food, and told me that he hoped to see me soon. Last night around 8pm. I dined in alone. I haven’t been here in a couple of weeks. I was seated immediately and the waiter came out within one minute of me sitting. I ordered my appetizer, and my food. The food came out with 8 to 10 minutes. It was hot, and very delicious. I would give it a 10/10. The owner, came over to ask me about the food and I provided him with my feedback. He says, you look familiar. I told him that I met him two weeks ago doing Door Dash. He told me that he remembered and asked me did I want to try one of his drinks. I said, sure. I would love to. It was soooo good! We chatted for a few, and I told him I can take the check. He told me that it was on the house. I was puzzled. I never get anything for free. I told him that I want to leave a tip. He declined and told me next time. Excellent customer service, great atmosphere etc. it always good to be kind to people and it doesn’t cost anything. I wanted to support his business because I saw how well he treated others. Please support this business. His wife Snow who was also helpful. Sorry, I didn’t...

Update: 1/1/2025

Recently, Pho Saigon added a vegetarian menu that is AMAZING! We've tried #s 321, 324, 327, and 328 - two "beef" noodle soups and two "pork" and noodle dishes. All of them were delicious and distinct, and they used fresh vegetables, amazing complex soups, and a large variety of fake meat ingredients. The roast pork is insane - I know it's not meat, but it looks uncanny and tastes delicious! Additionally, their Vietnamese coffee is now available with soy rather than dairy. Everything else remains top notch, and this addition will help them become a staple within the vegetarian community. I would now highly recommend EVEN MORE than my already-high recommendation. During the summer, there was a papaya salad with "beef" curls that I could not stop eating - worth a trip just for that if you're in the area during the summer months!

Cozy and colorful interior with booths and family-style tables. As a regular, I come in and my order is usually told to me (it's the same 95% of the time). The iced coffee and tea are delicious and served in to-go cups in case you don't finish. The vegetarian pho option is wonderful, and the vegan banh mi is also delicious. I easily customize the pho (great if you hate cilantro or onions) and I can order extra tofu. The staff is easygoing, friendly, and helpful; they remembered me even after my first visit - the next was 7 months later! They're very busy on the weekends but...