Pho Viet

This place has gone so far downhill since they opened. I have been a loyal customer since the beginning, when their service was fantastic and the food consistently delicious. Went there yesterday and, for the first time, had something there that was so bad I couldn’t eat it. Avoid the special «snapper stew in clay pot.» About six small lumps of dry fish with a very salty brown sauce on it. No veggies, not even enough of the sauce to put on rice. Just the fish. For eleven bucks. I’m not a picky eater but couldn’t manage it at all. When the waitress came to the table to pick up our dishes she asked how the food was. I told her that my dish was not good and she just shrugged and walked away. What a ripoff. I won’t be returning.

Delicious, fresh food! This is my go to place this side of the bridge. The price is right and the service… eh, it’s ok. Quick on the take out too

Difficult to find, but if you do you will be rewarded with good food and attentive service. I knew as soon as I walked in and smelled the mouth watering aromas that this would be awesome and I wasn’t disappointed. The inside looks much better than the outside. You can tell the owners care. I had a combination clay pot and it was really good.

This restaurant has very average food and service. The staff is probably over-​worked and underpaid, as they seldom smiled. I had the spring rolls $ 6.50, and they should have smaller orders for solos. What can I do with six spring rolls. I had the most popular Special Phở $ 9.00, and the meat was inedible for me. Tough as shoe leather. I asked to avoid the tripe, which they did. Broth and noodles were fine as was the taste, but $ 9.00 is a lot for Top Ramen. I would not drive ten miles to find another place, but this one is just adequate and nothing to get too excite about, unless you have no familiarity with higher quality Phở. I should probably have had the vegetarian Phở.

This is the second time I’ve eaten at this restaurant, due to the fact that I don’t live in the area. I ordered the bun bo hue, I thought it was really good. I ordered the small, but it was a lot smaller than what I’m use to. I could’ve easily finished a large, but overall it is a good phở spot!

I have been to several Vietnamese restaurants and this one has been my least favorite. The spring rolls (non fried ones) were kind of bland and the vegetarian soup that I ordered tasted like Ramen noodle soup with some noodles and vegetables — nothing interesting. Maybe I ordered the wrong dish so if you go here do not order vegetarian soup or the spring rolls. However the people there are so so very kind.

This is such a great place to get a lot of food without worrying about budget. The portion to size is always really great. I’ve been coming here for almost a year now, and I’ve stayed in love with this place since my first visit.

Just off the 101 in San Rafael and in between several dealerships is nestled this little Vietnamese place. I unexpectedly came across it one day while trying to make a u turn.
It is a gem. Authentic dishes, awesome appetizers and at a reasonable price.
I bring my family and co-​workers here often. Try the spring rolls. They’re pretty loaded and inexpensive. Friendly staff, good atmosphere and a local following.

Laid back, super casual Vietnamese dining experience. Apathetic service, Vietnamese yelling from the kitchen, and a very extensive almost repetitive menu. (See pics)
The food was good, I had the thinly sliced beef phở, which is probably the most gringo thing to order, but that’s what I wanted. Next time I will try something else. The broth was tasty, the noodles were great, the meat was fine, and the sides (lime wedge, bean sprouts, fresh basil, and jalapeños) were fresh.
The Vietnamese coffee was strong, just like I like it.
I will go back to try more. Until then, it’s a good place and a pretty good deal ($ 8.75 for a bowl of phở).
Fun seating in raised table area. (See pics)

First time here, and very pleased with the experience!
Food: SO GOOD. To start off, I had the spring rolls. The dipping sauce was really good! For my meal, I had the vegetarian phở, which was exactly what I was craving. It comes with carrots, broccoli, tofu, and mushrooms — yum!
Setting: It’s kind of hidden towards the back end of the strip, but it’s actually very roomy and had lots of seating inside. There are cute raised booths on the left side, which I would recommend for a date night.
Service: Took a little while to get our orders in, but once the waitress took our orders, the food came in fast! They’re also really good about refilling your water glass.
Would definitely come back again when I’m in town!

It’s ok. It isn’t terrible but it isn’t great either, and since there are few options in the area I can’t slander it that much.
So the inside is spacious from how it looks from the outside. Well spaced for the area. There are a few tables that are sectioned off as well so if you want less distraction from others (e.g. date, business, loner??? xD), or you have a small child and limiting their area to run this may be somewhat beneficial.
The service wasn’t good, the cleanliness wasn’t good either. Came to find that the table was sticky upon sitting down so it was not wiped down very well after the last guests had sat there. There was a mixup of orders, servers did not know which dish was which when they came to the table (this is basic of any good service), and there was a lack of knowledge of who ordered what (also basic, but I don’t expect it from places like this). Is this far outside of the expectation of an Asian restaurant? Honestly, if you eat in enough hole in the wall Asian restaurants this happens quite often so I can’t really fault that much haha. Can’t really condone it but out of necessity of already being there and laziness, I had to accept it all the same.
The portions aren’t crazy but they’re okay for the price. I had the lemongrass curry tofu which was somewhat tasty to me. I feel like the sauce could’ve used a heavier dose of spices to make it more palatable. Bland is safe but it isn’t really enjoyable either to be honest. Also, the lemongrass wasn’t really noticeable aside from the occasional strand that was not removed from it making a few bites here and there difficult.
Of what I saw from the rest at the table, a few rice dishes with beef, and one person that had ordered the phở. It was commented that the beef was tasty, although one person had mentioned that it was a tad bit dry. The vegetables that were served with the rice dishes were disappointing to say the least. Chopped lettuce and tomato. It’s a rice dish, not a deconstructed sandwich. Ah well, I didn’t order it thankfully.
The phở looks decent from a distance, and they had the condiments to go along with it. I would’ve asked for more of the side vegetables to throw into there but I’m mostly vegetarian anyway so I love extra of that stuff.
Bottom line: All in all, if I’m reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaally craving it and I have no will to travel then I’d probably eat here again. If I was just hungry without direction, I would probably never eat here again. I’ll go to a place that is wholly enjoyable if I’m going to spend the money on going out somewhere.

I wanted to love this place, but Unilocalers have unfortunately steered me wrong. Don’t get me wrong the phở is okay but I find myself having to add a ton of extras to make it flavorful, the broth has a funky after taste and the last two times I’ve had really old & gooey looking add ons (the cilantro, bean sprouts, etc) :(. The service is nothing special and I find the food very so so. My friends have had the beef broth phở and find it great though, and the fried rice is nice. The only thing I really love from this place is their taro shake with boba. Awesome!

This place has good, cheap Vietnamese food in a weird «mall» that’s off the beaten path. Their iced coffee comes mixed together (tasted fine, different presentation that other places).
I’ve always found parking and they accept credit/​debt cards. I’ve been there lots and I know I’ll go again.

I live in San Rafael now with only 3 phở options. Phở Viet, Yu Shang and Saigon Village. Have not been to Saigon Village but Yu Shang had tastier broth and noodles; stretchy/​chewy good texture but didn’t have enough noodles and large bowl was not so large. Phở Viet on the other hand had a bland broth with noodles that were crunchy hard easy broken, its ok but no chewiness. Fried spring rolls still tasted potatoee from 2012 the first time I visited.
I have a feeling Saigon Village might be the best of the 3 in San Rafael since they serve banh mi as well. We will see tomorrow.

Yay — having found Phở Viet, I know have one less reason to go to the city when I’m craving some Vietnamese food.
I only tried the phở, but that was enough to convince me that I will be back again for more. I ordered the combination phở, which has a bit of everything (including tendons and tripe ;-) For «dessert» I ordered the Vietnamese drip coffee which, when poured over ice, hit the spot and refreshed me for the rest of the afternoon.

My husband and I decided to be adventurous and try some Vietnamese food one afternoon and were so blown away by this establishment. Both of us were craving something warm and PHO sounded delicious, and it was! The broth was incredible. I got the vegetarian minus tofu and extra veggies, and I would gladly get this again and again and again!
I do have to say the service was not that great. It was lunch time and was very busy on the weekend. Even so I’m giving it 5 stars because the food was that good.

5 Star: BBQ Quail Special was absolutely delicious! Every bite offered equal parts comfort and excitement.
Phó Gá was piping hot, smooth, and sweet. The perfect soothing dish. *Hot chili oil available by request.
Ambience was elegant and exotic. Not what you would expect from its exterior, nor from its Marin location. Quality Vietnamese food with fun, oriental décor.

About average cheap Vietnamese cooking. I’m a BIG fan of VN cuisine, eaten at every VN restaurant in northern CA at least once.
Now this one… Hard to find in a super-​crappy commercial row along the east Francisco boat harbor. Inauspicious location and the low class storefront also does not inspire confidence. The interior is a bit more encouraging, the dining room is not a terrible dive, but Gary Danko this is not.
Menu is voluminous. Includes all the usual Vietnamese suspects. But is missing a few of the Saigon area dishes that I so cherish like the crispy Ban Xeo salad omelet.
I rate the food 3 stars because the flavors were pretty tame. No chili spiciness coming out of the kitchen. If you want heat it’s in the chili sauce jar on the table.
I ate four dishes with my lovely wife. It was a lot of food. She and I enjoyed the $ 28 meal.
I moved from San Rafael 10 years ago up to the Sonoma Valley. The 3 major Vietnamese restaurants in Santa Rosa do make more delicious food than Phở Viet.

PHO-​NOMENAL!!!
Let’s not PHO-​GET we’re talking about Marin. For this area, an authentic Phở restaurant is as authentic as finding dim sum in Marin County.
I remember when the rumors spread about this place opening… heard it from the nail salon ladies — oh yes, they talk. Everyone was anxious for them to open, and I knew exactly where it was (formerly India Village). I like their daily specials, and we don’t always come for phở. I like my rice places and clay pots. They also have a great seafood menu, along with a good selection of vegetarian dishes for those who like tofu.
They have a decent selection of tapioca drinks and cold beverages, in addition to the ever-​so-​popular Vietnamese hot/​cold coffee. The interior is pleasant, the restaurant is clean, and staff are delightful. I know where to get my fix on for Vietnamese fare in San Rafael. Congratulations to the Lam family for a job well done!

Family owned diner, friendly staff couldn’t wait till they opened! Fresh spring rolls fried or paper thin with tofu and fresh lettuce. Ice coffee available anytime. Daily specials that can’t beat the price. Best is the phở comes small or large and pork chops pan fried.
Come check it out. Price can’t be beat!
Open thru the week till 9pm. Plenty of seats and clean !!!