I've been here probably 10 times over the course of my undergrad at Tech. It's progressively gotten worse. Food is not flavorful, not cooked well usually, and overall isn't worth the money. Last time I had pho all my noodles fell apart within minutes. Today I ordered take out and the flat noodle dish was quite literally soup, was not the combo I ordered, and had little to no flavor. The bun combo is good. But also... if you're messing up a bun combo goodluck. Their spring rolls used to be super good. Now, they're measly, don't have noodles in them, and are overall a disappointment. Service isn't anything great either. Short, unfriendly waitresses. Also I could hear the chefs in the kitchen blowing their noses and sniffling the entire time my food was being made (only one other person was there) and I can't say that helped my appetite. Go to I Love Pho instead.
Lila
Says they’re open till 8, but stop taking orders an hour before then. Always rude, there are better pho places in town. Just don’t bother with this place.
Ayla N.
The food is 2 stars but the reason for me giving 1 star and not 2 is due to the service. I've had a handful of bad experiences with waitresses here. They are almost always hostile, rude, and dismissive. There are plenty of jobs out there which don't require above average communicative skills, so if you are not a people person you shouldn't work in the service industry. I ordered fresh spring rolls and thought the pork tasted rancid, not to mention the fact that it was discolored, so I politely asked for them to be taken back to the kitchen. They refused to take the spring rolls off of my tab. I'm not going to argue over $5, but I simply will not be returning to this restaurant and I will recommend literally any other Pho place in Lubbock above this one. To the owners of Pho Cali, you should re-evaluate most of the people you hire to be on the floor as it is not just one person who has made me feel uncomfortable while eating here. Also, I'm aware of the supply-chain shortages that America is experiencing so I'm not necessarily surprised they wouldn't have basil, mushrooms, baby corn, carrots, etc. but it would be considerate to let your costumers know that before they place an order- like most other decently run restaurants have been doing during this time.
Tim Moralez
This is my favorite Pho in town. They give you a nice plate of bean sprouts and cilantro that you can add yourself to taste. The large bowl is huge and it runs about $12. They have several different options for the Pho as well. I get one with steak, meatballs, and brisket. They also have some of my favorite fried rice. It is different than any I have at different places. Not sure what it is exactly but it reminds me of lobster fried rice.
Socorro Carrasco
It was alright up until the point the server did the best to avoid me when I ran out of drink. And her partner saw me try to get his attention. I even spotted her take a back rout to go to the restroom to avoid me. The egg rolls were alright but too small for a five dollar order. I ordered the large pho with tendons, brisket, meatballs, add steak. It came out tasting stale that came from the meat and made it's way to flavoring the soup. I didn't finish my meal. I've never been so disappointed in a meal. It's also stupidly priced for the quality. I won't be back at this establishment.
JoHannah Holguin
We go there regularly for the spring rolls and the bun bo hu (spelling?). They never disappoint. 10/10 every time
Jachob Taylor
This place is overpriced and has small portions. I tried placing orders over the phone and the staff that answers will not take the order unless you know the specific number on the menu and not the name of the meal that you want. The items that you do receive look nothing like what is portrayed on the menu. Save your money is Saigon Cafe which is located across the street is not open because they are the only Vietnamese food that is worth eating in the Lubbock area
Steve C.
Tried this place out with the family yesterday. When you walk in, there is a sign asking you to be nice to the staff, as they are short-handed. The young lady that was waiting tables was extremely nice, and did a good job. Only issue was that she was by herself covering all the tables. There were other employees that came out, but one of them just sat at a table. I could tell she was frustrated, but she kept on working. Good for her! Food was okay. Egg rolls were good. Pho was good, but more blandly seasoned that I thought it would be, particularly the meat. I know part of the deal with Pho is adding things to it. Just would have preferred for the meat to taste better. It was pretty good overall. Pricing seemed a bit steep, IMO. I know everything is expensive right now, but it seemed too high for what you get.
Autumn F.
Food is bad. I was served rotten old pork chop! Customer service is really bad! Owner is a rude j****
Leah Edwards
I have been ordering the same thing from their menu since 2018 with no problem until the last few months. Suddenly, every time I order it they come up with some excuse to refuse to make it and want me to order something that is already made. If I wanted Pre-made food I would go to McDonald’s. In the last two months they have gone from 5 stars to 0 stars. Such a disappointment!!!
Always enjoyed the food here. I’m mostly reviewing because Google doesn’t let me respond to reviews and someone said they were upset the meat was raw and how they would never eat here because of that…That’s literally how Pho works. Raw meat + Hot liquid = Well done cooked meat. If you order to-go you will get raw meat so that your meat isn’t over cooked in the boiling soup while it gets to you. Also you’d get less soup that way.Put noodles in bowl, add raw meat in a bowl, pour hot soup over the bowl. That’s how it works. So don’t read that review and think it’s like “omg how could they” it’s like literally how it works, it’s supposed to come raw. Don’t hurt a business by leaving a bad review when it’s your ignorance not their mistake.
Terra Kaneer
The waitress made us wait to get drinks or take our order until the next guy came on shift. I should have left right then. We got no refills, the wrong order all in all it too 20 mins to take our order and 45 for everyone at our table to get their food. The waitstaff is VERY rude. This used to be my favorite spot.
Andy N.
I heard from my friend that this was one of the best places to get pho in Lubbock, so I went ahead and gave it a try. First, the spring rolls were the smallest I have ever had. They barely had any filling, and it felt like the majority of what I was eating was the rice paper. The egg rolls were the same; they were also tiny but the filling was good. But when it costs $5 for three spring rolls or egg rolls, I expected them to be bigger with more filling. As for the pho, the broth was a bit watered down and didn't have as much flavor as I hoped for. In addition, there were barely any noodles or meat in comparison with the broth. If the ratios of filling to wrap/broth was fixed, this place would do very well.
Just M.
Rude consumer treatment, food not worth it. Owner will disrespect and point fingers at you when you try to explain. Don't waste your money on this restaurant. RUDE PEOPLE
Danielle P.
The best customer service especially during lunch hours for how understaffed they are. I've always had the best experience and the food is my favorite pho in town.
I've been here probably 10 times over the course of my undergrad at Tech. It's progressively gotten worse. Food is not flavorful, not cooked well usually, and overall isn't worth the money. Last time I had pho all my noodles fell apart within minutes. Today I ordered take out and the flat noodle dish was quite literally soup, was not the combo I ordered, and had little to no flavor. The bun combo is good. But also... if you're messing up a bun combo goodluck. Their spring rolls used to be super good. Now, they're measly, don't have noodles in them, and are overall a disappointment. Service isn't anything great either. Short, unfriendly waitresses. Also I could hear the chefs in the kitchen blowing their noses and sniffling the entire time my food was being made (only one other person was there) and I can't say that helped my appetite. Go to I Love Pho instead.
Says they’re open till 8, but stop taking orders an hour before then. Always rude, there are better pho places in town. Just don’t bother with this place.
The food is 2 stars but the reason for me giving 1 star and not 2 is due to the service. I've had a handful of bad experiences with waitresses here. They are almost always hostile, rude, and dismissive. There are plenty of jobs out there which don't require above average communicative skills, so if you are not a people person you shouldn't work in the service industry. I ordered fresh spring rolls and thought the pork tasted rancid, not to mention the fact that it was discolored, so I politely asked for them to be taken back to the kitchen. They refused to take the spring rolls off of my tab. I'm not going to argue over $5, but I simply will not be returning to this restaurant and I will recommend literally any other Pho place in Lubbock above this one. To the owners of Pho Cali, you should re-evaluate most of the people you hire to be on the floor as it is not just one person who has made me feel uncomfortable while eating here. Also, I'm aware of the supply-chain shortages that America is experiencing so I'm not necessarily surprised they wouldn't have basil, mushrooms, baby corn, carrots, etc. but it would be considerate to let your costumers know that before they place an order- like most other decently run restaurants have been doing during this time.
This is my favorite Pho in town. They give you a nice plate of bean sprouts and cilantro that you can add yourself to taste. The large bowl is huge and it runs about $12. They have several different options for the Pho as well. I get one with steak, meatballs, and brisket. They also have some of my favorite fried rice. It is different than any I have at different places. Not sure what it is exactly but it reminds me of lobster fried rice.
It was alright up until the point the server did the best to avoid me when I ran out of drink. And her partner saw me try to get his attention. I even spotted her take a back rout to go to the restroom to avoid me. The egg rolls were alright but too small for a five dollar order. I ordered the large pho with tendons, brisket, meatballs, add steak. It came out tasting stale that came from the meat and made it's way to flavoring the soup. I didn't finish my meal. I've never been so disappointed in a meal. It's also stupidly priced for the quality. I won't be back at this establishment.
We go there regularly for the spring rolls and the bun bo hu (spelling?). They never disappoint. 10/10 every time
This place is overpriced and has small portions. I tried placing orders over the phone and the staff that answers will not take the order unless you know the specific number on the menu and not the name of the meal that you want. The items that you do receive look nothing like what is portrayed on the menu. Save your money is Saigon Cafe which is located across the street is not open because they are the only Vietnamese food that is worth eating in the Lubbock area
Tried this place out with the family yesterday. When you walk in, there is a sign asking you to be nice to the staff, as they are short-handed. The young lady that was waiting tables was extremely nice, and did a good job. Only issue was that she was by herself covering all the tables. There were other employees that came out, but one of them just sat at a table. I could tell she was frustrated, but she kept on working. Good for her! Food was okay. Egg rolls were good. Pho was good, but more blandly seasoned that I thought it would be, particularly the meat. I know part of the deal with Pho is adding things to it. Just would have preferred for the meat to taste better. It was pretty good overall. Pricing seemed a bit steep, IMO. I know everything is expensive right now, but it seemed too high for what you get.
Food is bad. I was served rotten old pork chop! Customer service is really bad! Owner is a rude j****
I have been ordering the same thing from their menu since 2018 with no problem until the last few months. Suddenly, every time I order it they come up with some excuse to refuse to make it and want me to order something that is already made. If I wanted Pre-made food I would go to McDonald’s. In the last two months they have gone from 5 stars to 0 stars. Such a disappointment!!!
Restaurantji Recommends
Always enjoyed the food here. I’m mostly reviewing because Google doesn’t let me respond to reviews and someone said they were upset the meat was raw and how they would never eat here because of that…That’s literally how Pho works. Raw meat + Hot liquid = Well done cooked meat. If you order to-go you will get raw meat so that your meat isn’t over cooked in the boiling soup while it gets to you. Also you’d get less soup that way.Put noodles in bowl, add raw meat in a bowl, pour hot soup over the bowl. That’s how it works. So don’t read that review and think it’s like “omg how could they” it’s like literally how it works, it’s supposed to come raw. Don’t hurt a business by leaving a bad review when it’s your ignorance not their mistake.
The waitress made us wait to get drinks or take our order until the next guy came on shift. I should have left right then. We got no refills, the wrong order all in all it too 20 mins to take our order and 45 for everyone at our table to get their food. The waitstaff is VERY rude. This used to be my favorite spot.
I heard from my friend that this was one of the best places to get pho in Lubbock, so I went ahead and gave it a try. First, the spring rolls were the smallest I have ever had. They barely had any filling, and it felt like the majority of what I was eating was the rice paper. The egg rolls were the same; they were also tiny but the filling was good. But when it costs $5 for three spring rolls or egg rolls, I expected them to be bigger with more filling. As for the pho, the broth was a bit watered down and didn't have as much flavor as I hoped for. In addition, there were barely any noodles or meat in comparison with the broth. If the ratios of filling to wrap/broth was fixed, this place would do very well.
Rude consumer treatment, food not worth it. Owner will disrespect and point fingers at you when you try to explain. Don't waste your money on this restaurant. RUDE PEOPLE
The best customer service especially during lunch hours for how understaffed they are. I've always had the best experience and the food is my favorite pho in town.