Pho Thanh

This place was renamed «phở Tay do» however, phở Tay do is also now closed. This place is no longer in business. I really liked eating phở there, especially after 5pm. It was happy hour and phở was only $ 4.95 for large!

The restaurant reviewed below has moved It is called something else now. We tried it anyway…
The phở broth almost is very good but the service and the chicken inside the phở were not. The chicken was boiled with the skin on in the phở broth. Gross & rubbery.
I say there was Poor Service because the woman (owner I assume), was rude & seemed annoyed when requests were made (plate, fork). The lemon tea was overly sweet and when we asked to switch it for plain, she was inflexible.
Would definitely not return. Even though it was the best phở broth I’ve had in SD.

Phở Thanh is a destination place for me and one of my foodie girlfriends. She and her boyfriend love phở and tried a lot of different places until they found this place. I am a phở lover, too, and she turned me onto Phở Thahn. I don’t go anywhere else now. Unfortunately, I moved to Texas a year ago, but I’ve been coming back regularly and that’s the first place I want to go, and I want to go multiple times each visit! Their phở broth is so much more flavorful and complex than the others I have tasted everywhere else. Their fresh spring rolls are amazingly fresh and good — but I ask them for mint because they don’t have mint in them, which I love. Also, their pork bahn mi (vietnamese sandwiches) are just wonderful. I’m in a rut because I can’t venture out now, because I love these menu items so much.

When ever we are on this side of town, Phở Thanh is one of our favorite places. They have very solid Vietnamese food and the phở is very good, southern Vietnamese phở.
The fresh spring rolls are very good, fresh and good sized.
We also get great, friendly service in here. At nighttime we are among the few round eyes here, so I guess that counts for something too.
In any case, if you are in the neighborhood, drop in, Phở Thanh won’t disappoint.

I have never been to this place but just wanted to write a response to Sonny P.‘s review… OC and LA is better… maybe nightlife but not food. OC’s phở depending on where you go is garbage and LA is even worse so to generalize that OC’s bad phở is better than the best in San Diego… you must like a very bland tasting phở. Anyway good luck with that.

Phở is always good everytime I go. It’s also pretty cheap! I went with my roommate and we ordered to large bowls, a soda, and a thai tea w/​boba and it only came out to $ 14.65!
I usually get the #11 which is I think rare steak and flank?
It looks like a hole in the wall place on the outside but the inside is pretty nice and decent.

the kick it spot. HA. sike.
This place is GREAT for groups. My friends nd I hit this place up at LEAST once a month… yeah. we’re the usuals. haha JK. (Well the waiters know us. so i guess we are)
They have a great staff, great food and pretty decent pricing.
They’re atmosphere is light and easy. Come in hi-​tops or hi-​heels what ever floats your lil boat!
HAPPY HOUR is the BIZ. I’m not the one every paying but I know its cheap haha. Its $ 5 a bowl big or small or something along those lines. They also service rice, vermicelli and few other Vietnamese dishes.
Try it. You won’t regret it.

This indiscrete slice of Vietnam is pleasant and enjoyable… if you’re into Vietnamese soap operas showing continuously on large plasma TV’s. If not, then maybe the food can change your mind. Packed with tasty spices and fresh fishes and meats, the meals are enough to get you to come back for more. Make sure you bring your appetite because the servings can be overbearing.

This place brings out your food quickly. And it is clean! They seem to take care of this place.
I don’t go often, since I don’t live in the area. But it’s not bad. Their smoothies/​slushies are kinda weird though. I got a sour sop smoothie and they put way too much ice when they make them. I know no one goes to a phở place to get smoothies … but whatever.
Still, very good.

Hmmm what do just-​right-​not-​too-​tender-​and-​not-​too hard noodles+flavorful broth+crispy bean sprouts+subtly-adding-to-the-flavor-bay-leaves+slurpy yummy noises = a very happy phở-​indulging me.
I’ve been going to phở places since I was a very young child and this one of the best (not to mention friendliest and CLEANEST OMG) that I’ve been to.
Thumbs up to their strawberry smoothie with boba. hmm yummay.

I like coming to this place, It has pretty good food, and I always come here with my family on Saturadays most of the time. The drinks are pretty good, and there’s boba which I like, hehe. Anyways, I like the rice dishes with bbq pork, and egg, I like sunny side egg, and the other egg too. yummy, and ive tried the other stuff as well which is good. Pretty good deals, and it’s always good to share and try out other dishes :]

This review right here
Is lettin’ all the Unilocalers know
What I like talk about
You know, the finer things in life
a heh heh heh
Check it Out
Oooh fish sauce so delicious
I think I’m such a big big fan of it
when I ordered that big com thit rice dish
I was like this rice plate is so delish
Right in the midsts of the urban lots
is this crazy lil bit nam spot
and when I tasted the phở broth
I felt like I was Livin’ La Vida Loca
They had mum like yuck, yuck, yuck
Chicken thighs like what, what, what
All night long
I wanna go Phở Thanh
I like it when the egg rolls goes
Dunk dunk dunk dunk
Baby make your ngoi cuon go
Dunk dunk dunk dunk
Baby it’s a big show
At Phở Thanh Thanh Thanh Thanh Thanh
I like it when the egg rolls goes
Dunk dunk dunk dunk
Baby make your ngoi cuon go
Dunk dunk dunk dunk
Baby it’s a big show
At Phở Thanh Thanh Thanh Thanh Thanh

Phở-​get all of the other phở restaurants, this one is the best!
I’ve been going here ever since I moved to San Diego, and I would have to say this is the only place I choose to get my phở. I have been to many other phở places, but I just keep coming back here. The waiter pretty much memorizes my friend’s and my order. The place is nice and clean. Good prices. If anyone if familiar with The Phở Hung restaurants in Portland, OR… well I guess the owner of Phở Thanh is related to the owner of Phở Hung. When I lived in Portland, Phở Hung was my favorite phở place. It’s super awesome that there is a place just like it here in San Diego.

WHY IS THIS EGG ROLL SOOOO SMALL!!! *chants mama slut*
WHY IS THE MEAT IN THIS BO KHO SO TOUGH? ?? *proclaims mama slut with a mouth stuffed with beef tendons*
«PHO…no meat… more noodles. failure.»
oh my… mama. I feel bad for restaurants when I dine with my mother. Why? She’s like a judge for american idol… and the restaurants are her first round contestants! But one thing is for sure… she knows food and she doesn’t hold back on the critique.
The cha gio was microscopic. They were stingy on the fish sauce. The phở noodle/​meat ratio fails compared to other joints. And the bo kho… well you better have real teeth. My grandma’s dentures literally fell out.
The redeeming factor? The bread is made fresh daily and is freaking deliciously soft yet crispy. Oh, and it’s clean. But a destination eat? Move over Phở Thanh.

Good solid Phở, Bun and Summer rolls.
This place is relatively new on the Phở scene and compares favorably to the more traditional places on nearby El Cajon Blvd.
Portion size for the money is outstanding and the place only gets really crowded during the winter months. It’s clean and the service is attentive and authentically vietnamese, so don’t look for translations if this is your first foray into the land of Phở.
Firm rice noodles submerged in a meat-​based broth garnished with cilantro, onion and your choice of meat and seafood. They have all of the standard accompaniments, like sprouts, mint, and a myriad of sauces with which to personalize your dish. Is this heaven?
I’ve also tried the lemongrass chicken and pork over both the egg and rice noodles and both are excellent.
If you’re in the area on a cool day, there’s not much better.

My favorite all-​around San Diego phở place. The staff is super friendly and fun to practice my few words of Vietnamese on. I’m not real hung up on cleanliness, but this place shines in that area compared to some others.
Very tasty broth, good fixings and spring rolls. The only thing I don’t like is if I order iced Vietnamese coffee, it comes already made in a plastic cup instead of in the little press where I add it to the milk and ice myself.
I would really give it four and a half stars if I could.

I love this place. The large bowl of phở is only 50 cents more than the regular and you get so much! I think the only time I wasn’t completely satisfied was when I ordered a Avocado shake, and he made me taro. But he did replace it and did not complain about it. It was okay with me, but I go there fairly often. I like how it’s clean, too. Unlike Saigon! (GROSS) But try here for lunch or dinner.
Boun-​bo-​que is really good for spicy noodle soup! Best time for phở is on a cold day :)

Holy Hell. I’m so confused.
How can I go from an intense dislike of a place to wanting to make love to a bowl of their soup? All within the period of a few months…
I used to go here a lot when I first started working in the area. Its a 2 minute walk from the office, it accepts credit cards, it has a pretty sizable menu, etc. But after a few weeks of trying this place out I gave up on it because I just never liked their phở. I mean, props to them for offering duck phở, but it just never worked for me. The spring rolls were always good enough, but when I want phở, I want PHO. But, something changed (either in me or in their kitchen, yo no se) and I went here recently after a long haidus and have been dreaming of their broth ever since.
Seriously, I didn’t put any sriracha, no sugar (ya, wierd I know) nothin. This broth is ridiculous in that «this can’t be real» kindof way.
Phở Thanh is nice, almost too nice. Its huge, its nicely decorated, and sadly, nicely empty. I fear for its survival but I’ll gladly lend my student loan money to support its cause.
So, do me/​your tastebuds/​the world a favor and try this place out.
*Current Fav Phở place!*

I have had many wonderful meals here. The phở tai nam is hot, delicious, rich, and filling – and that’s the small bowl.
The whole-​fried talapia tasted like it was caught the minute I ordered it – fresh. The fried fish is served with a side of steamed rice, a crispy-​fresh salad, and a side of ginger fish sauce. Delightful to the extreme.
The rice and chicken plates are plentiful and tasty. I have to take at least half of these plates in to-​go boxes.
Bottomline: one of my top three Vietnamese restaurants in SD, serving authentic food, served and prepared by very friendly and accommodating people.

Very delicious phở! I’m not very adventurous when it comes to eating Asian meats, so I usually just get phở with no meat. Even without meat, the bowl of phở here is very filling with the generous, and fresh portion of bean sprouts and herbs they provide. Broth is very fragrant, and not greasy.
Fresh spring rolls are also delicious as are the rice noodle bowls! Also, a plus on service for keeping my water full!