Pho Express

What the phở? Three twanky five for a bahn mi sammich? Toto, we’re not in Midtown anymore. We’re in the ‘burbs, where these *should* be cheaper.
You’re more than likely paying for the modish ambiance. Bright orange walls, cool lighting and flat screen tvs. It’s definitely not your average hole-​in-​the-​wall Vietnamese restaurant.
My mom and I came here a few days ago. She was giving me the bahn mi gossip of all the local restaurants: which places are under new management, which ones hiked up their prices, which ones have shady service. (I told her she needs to start Unilocaling.) So we tried Phở Express based on her friend’s recommendation.
We ordered six sammies to go: 3 pork, 2 chicken and 1 tofu. The waitress told me that they don’t have tofu bahn mi on the menu, but would use the fried tofu from one of the dishes to add to my sandwich. Works for me. They were thin, shrivled slices of tofu. Oh how I longed for the thick and «meaty» chunks from Givral’s. I will say that the bread was fantastic. Better than Givral’s, which, though very large, I find too tough.
The place had a steady crowd of people dining in and placing to-​go orders. And the staff was friendly. But what threw me off was when one girl was bussing a table. She was using her bare hands (sans gloves) to scoop out leftover phở into a bin. Then, when a woman asked for a highchair, the worker stopped what she was doing and used her bare hands to grab it. That poor baby was putting her hands all over the sides and handles where the woman grabbed it with dirty hands. The mom didn’t seem to mind, and I’m sure those highchairs aren’t the cleanest things in the world, but it’d be great if workers were a bit mindful of what they touch after handling already-​eating food.

This is one of those places you tend to notice as you drive by, but soon forget because well there’s no flashy sign, it’s not located with any other big name places, it’s in a strip mall off of a busy highway, but if you’re in the area you should stop by if you’re in the mood for some phở.
It was gloomy and it was starting to sprinkle, the perfect weather for some hot soup. I decided to try Phở Express instead of heading out towards the other spots I usually go to on the NW side of town because it’s actually closer to my house than the other spots and I’m not a fan of driving in the rain. My boyfriend and I walked in and well let’s just say service isn’t the high point of this place. No one greeted us, but we just assumed it’s like some other places where you just seat yourselves. So we sat by the TV b/​c a basketball game was on. As soon as we started walking to the table, a waitress came out and gave us two menus.
The menu is very simple and they offer the basics compared to some other Vietnamese restaurants. We decided on the fried pork spring rolls to start our meal and an iced coffee w/​condensed milk. The spring rolls were really good and I wanted to order another one, but I knew that the phở would be coming out soon and since I know I’m not a big eater I decided to pass on that thought. My bowl of phở came out… I ordered the one with everything… from tendon to tripe to the fatty goodness of meats… and was very satisfied. It hit the spot perfectly. There were plenty of noodles and meat but I wish there was more broth (my favorite part). It was a good size serving and the price was perfectly cheap… my kind of place! My boyfriend ordered the spicy beef soup which was also really good and came with an assortment of meats plus liver (how I love liver). The liver was cooked well and didn’t have that usual bitterness because my boyfriend was able to eat it and he usually will not eat the liver.
The food is great (the reason for the 4 stars) but don’t expect the best service. It took a little bit for the waitress to fill our water glasses when they were empty. Also when you’re done, just go up to the cash register it’s easier than waiting for the check at your table. Despite the service, I’ll still be back for more foodie goodness, maybe I’ll just do take out next time.

This little gem is tucked away in a little strip mall (one of way too many) on this strip of Hwy 6. I found it as a drive-​by looking for something for lunch and decided to try my luck — I am glad I did!
The Phở was really, really good and although they didn’t give you much meat, there were more than enough noodles and the prices are really low. You get a lot for your money. The crispy spring rolls are very good and not greasy and the barbeque pork spring rolls are fantastic — almost as good as Mai’s, which is my measuring stick for excellence in bbq pork spring rolls.
The problem was with the service and lack of cleanliness. My table was clear, but it was not wiped down enough. The table beside me stood with dirty plates, etc. through my entire stay. They either don’t have enough staff, or weren’t paying attention, as it took longer than it should have.
The food was excellent, though, so I will definitely be by again if I ever get over to that side of town again.
You know, to check out all those AWESOME strip malls from hell!!! This part of Hwy 6 is the rebirth of FM1960 chaos.