Please tell me you opened a new location drove to your restaurant to find out you closed down.
Hanny K.
I've come here a few times and the experience gets increasingly more disappointing. Today hit a threshold that compelled me to share my grievances.. Welp, looks like the place closed, so I'll hold my thoughts back. I will say, the owner was great with people and one friendliest I've met at a restaurant. Really wish the best of luck to him and his future businesses.
Diana L.
I was raised in Little Saigon, CA, so moving away from really good Vietnamese food was something I had to anticipate. I've been looking out for decent Vietnamese food since moving in and this definitely does the trick. Is it the best pho I've ever had? No. Did it hit the spot for days I'm feeling homesick? Absolutely. I ordered the deluxe pho which would be the equivalent to a pho dac biet. It didn't have all the bells and whistles of a traditional pho dac biet, but I had to manage my expectations as the Vietnamese community here is not as large. The broth flavor was delicious but the meat was a little dry and over cooked. Ambience was casual as this place was more like a take-out restaurant than it was dine-in. The service was great! A young man helped me navigate the menu and shared some of his favorites, including chicken pho. I would definitely return if I'm in the mood for some comfort food that is close to me.
Ashana T.
The pho was so delicious and hot! The team was very efficient and attentive. I ordered the vegetable pho and the flavors were on point.
Uyen N.
Broth, meat taste good. The noodle is a little chewy and little vegetables given. As a Vietnamese, I'm happy with this quality in this location. But if they can improve, that's even better. Areas for improvement:- more veggie and more varieties like "ngò gai", or "ngò ôm" if a customer requests- softer noodles - more of hoisin sauce, chilly sauce and chilly oil (sa tế) - this is maybe greedy but I would love to have options for add on: egg soup (trứng trần), or beef blood soup (chén nước tiết), etc Anyhow, this restaurant is so far so good. You should try!
Shamiah C.
I always get chicken pho and it's super light yet filling. You get your noodle fix and some protein. My nutritionist would be proud.
CharonMoon
After consulting with the kitchen, I was told that the pho could be made both vegan and gluten free. Unfortunately all other vegan options relied on using regular(wheat based) soy sauce as a replacement for fish sauce. I appreciate that they went through the trouble of trying to find an option for me, rather than just telling me no. While this was my only option at this restaurant, I was pleasantly surprised at how delicious it was! Typically, I find veggie pho to be bland, but this one was very flavorful. They used lots of spices to upgrade the broth from a basic vegetable stock. The veggies added to the soup were also fresh and crisp tender. They also gave me sriracha to add an additional kick, if needed. I would definitely come here again.
Jorge H.
Food is fantastic. Lots of great flavors and a friendly staff. Will be returning for more!
JJ D.
Atmosphere: We ordered Secrets through a delivery app during COVID lockdowns, so we did not get to see the atmosphere of the restaurant. Service: Echoing the first section, we did not experience the service in person. Food: We ordered the steak pho and the Durham Deluxe Pho. For the price, the portions were tiny compared to what you can get at authentic pho restaurants. To add, the broth lacked any flavor and richness, resulting in a very mediocre, bland bowl of pho. The meat options on the menu were also pretty limited in general. The Durham Deluxe Pho should have had the best variety in meats, but we were disappointed at both the quantity and quality of the meats given. Overall: Secrets provided a very small, mediocre pho that did not leave us satisfied at its price point. Although we ordered and ate our food delivered, we do not feel a great need to visit in person and would rather go find a more authentic Vietnamese restaurant.
Henry F.
This place is affordable and has really good pho for the prices. Definitely a hot spot for me and my friends!
I'm kind of surprised by all the good reviews. The grilled pork vermicelli bowl had very little flavor. Where is the salty acidic fish sauce? Who ever heard of spring rolls and noodle bowls in a Vietnamese restaurant with literally no cilantro or mint or other herbs? This just made me miss San Jose.
Kay Williams
Restaurant seems overpriced for the amount of food. They could def do better.General Tso Chicken (Half eaten): Good Flavor and chicken was very crispy even after a 15 min drive home. Vegetables were overcooked and not really there. Look at previous reviews to see the amount (8/10)Char-grilled Pork Vermicelli: Pork was super tender and marinated well. (7/10)Honey Glazed Shrimp Vermicelli Plate: only 4 shrimp, for the price I expected more. Not worth the price (5/10)Singapore Noodles: absolutely no flavor what so ever. (2/10)
Denis M.
I thought this might be a Vietnamese restaurant but I was very wrong. As a first time customer, I had a taste for some pho but I was horribly surprised. This was an extremely mediocre broth with very little attention to the flavorings or the accouterments that usually come with a proper pho. I did not see anybody behind the counter, or in the kitchen, that looked like they'd ever been out of America. Give this a miss. Overpriced and so unoriginal - this was to Vietnamese pho what Taco Bell is to Mexican cuisine! Not worth the time. Buy a good packet of Ramen noodles and save $12.
Daniel N.
This is a nice little restaurant near duke university. Didnt get the ph, but this pork rice plate is really good! It is kind of what you expect, but the staff is wonderful and would reccommend! Would try the pho next time i am here though
Lydia C.
we went there to get pho but there was literally no pho on the menu.. other food was good but that was very weird
Please tell me you opened a new location drove to your restaurant to find out you closed down.
I've come here a few times and the experience gets increasingly more disappointing. Today hit a threshold that compelled me to share my grievances.. Welp, looks like the place closed, so I'll hold my thoughts back. I will say, the owner was great with people and one friendliest I've met at a restaurant. Really wish the best of luck to him and his future businesses.
I was raised in Little Saigon, CA, so moving away from really good Vietnamese food was something I had to anticipate. I've been looking out for decent Vietnamese food since moving in and this definitely does the trick. Is it the best pho I've ever had? No. Did it hit the spot for days I'm feeling homesick? Absolutely. I ordered the deluxe pho which would be the equivalent to a pho dac biet. It didn't have all the bells and whistles of a traditional pho dac biet, but I had to manage my expectations as the Vietnamese community here is not as large. The broth flavor was delicious but the meat was a little dry and over cooked. Ambience was casual as this place was more like a take-out restaurant than it was dine-in. The service was great! A young man helped me navigate the menu and shared some of his favorites, including chicken pho. I would definitely return if I'm in the mood for some comfort food that is close to me.
The pho was so delicious and hot! The team was very efficient and attentive. I ordered the vegetable pho and the flavors were on point.
Broth, meat taste good. The noodle is a little chewy and little vegetables given. As a Vietnamese, I'm happy with this quality in this location. But if they can improve, that's even better. Areas for improvement:- more veggie and more varieties like "ngò gai", or "ngò ôm" if a customer requests- softer noodles - more of hoisin sauce, chilly sauce and chilly oil (sa tế) - this is maybe greedy but I would love to have options for add on: egg soup (trứng trần), or beef blood soup (chén nước tiết), etc Anyhow, this restaurant is so far so good. You should try!
I always get chicken pho and it's super light yet filling. You get your noodle fix and some protein. My nutritionist would be proud.
After consulting with the kitchen, I was told that the pho could be made both vegan and gluten free. Unfortunately all other vegan options relied on using regular(wheat based) soy sauce as a replacement for fish sauce. I appreciate that they went through the trouble of trying to find an option for me, rather than just telling me no. While this was my only option at this restaurant, I was pleasantly surprised at how delicious it was! Typically, I find veggie pho to be bland, but this one was very flavorful. They used lots of spices to upgrade the broth from a basic vegetable stock. The veggies added to the soup were also fresh and crisp tender. They also gave me sriracha to add an additional kick, if needed. I would definitely come here again.
Food is fantastic. Lots of great flavors and a friendly staff. Will be returning for more!
Atmosphere: We ordered Secrets through a delivery app during COVID lockdowns, so we did not get to see the atmosphere of the restaurant. Service: Echoing the first section, we did not experience the service in person. Food: We ordered the steak pho and the Durham Deluxe Pho. For the price, the portions were tiny compared to what you can get at authentic pho restaurants. To add, the broth lacked any flavor and richness, resulting in a very mediocre, bland bowl of pho. The meat options on the menu were also pretty limited in general. The Durham Deluxe Pho should have had the best variety in meats, but we were disappointed at both the quantity and quality of the meats given. Overall: Secrets provided a very small, mediocre pho that did not leave us satisfied at its price point. Although we ordered and ate our food delivered, we do not feel a great need to visit in person and would rather go find a more authentic Vietnamese restaurant.
This place is affordable and has really good pho for the prices. Definitely a hot spot for me and my friends!
Restaurantji Recommends
I'm kind of surprised by all the good reviews. The grilled pork vermicelli bowl had very little flavor. Where is the salty acidic fish sauce? Who ever heard of spring rolls and noodle bowls in a Vietnamese restaurant with literally no cilantro or mint or other herbs? This just made me miss San Jose.
Restaurant seems overpriced for the amount of food. They could def do better.General Tso Chicken (Half eaten): Good Flavor and chicken was very crispy even after a 15 min drive home. Vegetables were overcooked and not really there. Look at previous reviews to see the amount (8/10)Char-grilled Pork Vermicelli: Pork was super tender and marinated well. (7/10)Honey Glazed Shrimp Vermicelli Plate: only 4 shrimp, for the price I expected more. Not worth the price (5/10)Singapore Noodles: absolutely no flavor what so ever. (2/10)
I thought this might be a Vietnamese restaurant but I was very wrong. As a first time customer, I had a taste for some pho but I was horribly surprised. This was an extremely mediocre broth with very little attention to the flavorings or the accouterments that usually come with a proper pho. I did not see anybody behind the counter, or in the kitchen, that looked like they'd ever been out of America. Give this a miss. Overpriced and so unoriginal - this was to Vietnamese pho what Taco Bell is to Mexican cuisine! Not worth the time. Buy a good packet of Ramen noodles and save $12.
This is a nice little restaurant near duke university. Didnt get the ph, but this pork rice plate is really good! It is kind of what you expect, but the staff is wonderful and would reccommend! Would try the pho next time i am here though
we went there to get pho but there was literally no pho on the menu.. other food was good but that was very weird