Pho Xe Lua

Huh, I’ve never paid attention to the name of this place. I always just referred to it as that «phở place in Hong Kong Supermarket.» My BF tells everyone that this is the best phở in Atlanta, and I have to agree. The broth is just on a whole ‘nother level than other places. It is flavorful and fragrant. Their complimentary garnishes for the phở are always fresh. The service is lightning quick and their menu is very extensive. I usually favor phở tom (shrimp phở) but this place doesn’t have it. Instead, I usually get phở bo vien (beef meatball phở). The meatballs are very good and have little to no chewy bits (hate those, I assume they are tendon).
Phở Xe Lua is just a consistently good, no-​frills place to get an amazing bowl of phở.

Surprising that Phở Xe Lua doesn’t have a single review considering it’s been around for a while (at least over a year) and it was the AJC’s pick for best phở in 2010 (
). Phở Xe Lua is located at the food court inside Hong Kong Supermarket on Jimmy Carter Blvd.
This is a pretty solid phở joint. Fellow Unilocaler Kevin C. and I tried it out last Thursday evening. While we were the only customers for the night, the phở, ingredients, and sides were tasty and fresh.
Phở Xe Lua has 20 different types of phở. No matter which phở you order, the prices are the same:
Small: $ 5.95
Large: $ 6.95
Extra Large: $ 7.95
You can order the phở with virtually any combination of eye round steak, brisket, meatballs, chicken, flank steak, fatty brisket, tripe, and skirt steak. I ordered what I always do, an XL phở dac biet (phở with everything). At Phở Xe Lua, and most authentic phở shops, this means all the items I just listed except for the chicken (all the beef parts, basically).
The extra large bowl is plenty big and rivals the biggest XL bowls at other phở shops around town (What the Phở included — I think they have a pretty big XL). Prices are comparable to what you’d find on Buford Highway, maybe a little higher. You can also order fresh spring rolls with shrimp for $ 2.50. Like other phở places, chopsticks, spoons, hoisin sauce, Sriracha, and chili paste are provided at the table.
The phở broth was clear and fragrant. The garnishes (onion, spring onion) and sides (bean sprouts, culantro, basil, jalapeño, lime) were fresh. The noodles were tough and compact at first, but tasted fine after giving it a few more minutes to soak and mix in the broth. Overall, it was a very satisfying bowl of phở and I’d come back for more.
As mentioned previously, Phở Xe Lua is located inside the Hong Kong Supermarket food court, so don’t expect a restaurant experience. Instead, you’ll be dining next to other food stalls and the supermarket’s produce section. Most major credit cards are accepted.