Phở No 1 - Reviews

This is my definite go-to spot for some soup pho, BBH, or bun rieu. The staff are always very nice to us when we come in; they actually know our order by heart, almost. Parking is a little hard, and this place only accepts cash!

I usually visit this restaurant several times a year when I’m in the neighborhood. The food is fine: hot, edible, and clean. The service is minimal—the waitress brought glasses of water and food to the table, but no refills were offered, and she didn’t check up on us. All utensils and napkin dispensers are self-service. The prices are competitive, and portion sizes are standard. Unfortunately, I had a bad experience. We had 5 people, and the waitress automatically added her tip to my bill. She refused to give us a breakdown of the subtotal, taxes, and her tip amount, repeatedly stating the total was $89 with tip and walking away. When I asked for more clarification, she just read off the items ordered and curtly asked, “what don’t you understand. That’s what you ordered, ” before walking away again. In the past, with 6 people at the table, I was allowed to determine the tip amount. I’m unsure if there has been a change in ownership. There was absolutely no miscommunication, as we spoke in her language. If the waitress had been transparent and less curt, I would have given her my normal tip percentage, which is significantly more than what she demanded. I recommend the food here, but I do not recommend the dine-in experience.

When you're not feeling too well and need some hot and soupy goodness, try out this hole-in-the-wall family restaurant that specializes in Vietnamese pho ga (chicken noodles). If you feel adventurous, go with the chicken and intestines, which consists of very small strips of chicken and thinly sliced gizzards and liver. You also get your choice of regular pho that gives your mouth some springy chewing satisfaction, thin vermicelli style, or slurpy knife-cut style noodles. It sticks to your ribs, clears your sinuses, and is friendly to your wallet. The place is not where I'll bring a first date; it has bare bones walls and sounds echoing all over the place. The service is brisk but sufficient. Only metered street parking is available, and you will feel pretty lucky if you can find a spot within a block of this restaurant.

My experience at this restaurant was disappointing. The services were bad, and the portion of the food compared to the price was not worth it. I highly do not recommend this place. For this price, there are tons of options in SF with better price, taste, and services.

My experience at this restaurant was great! I picked up some grilled BBQ beef with vermicelli, and the meat was tender with awesome flavors. The noodles were fresh and delicious, and the meats and noodles were of high quality. The staff were friendly. This was my second time picking up food from here, as I drive by this neighborhood on my way to work.

My experience at this restaurant involved trying two dishes: the Bun Bo Hue and the Pho Dac Biet. I would definitely recommend the Bun Bo Hue. It even has the stinky shrimp paste, which makes it taste even better. This is one of the better places in the city to get the Bun Bo Hue.

My experience at this restaurant was decent, though it didn't offer anything particularly memorable. A notable benefit is their early opening at 10 am, which is great for those eager to eat before the typical lunch rush. I tried the Seafood Pho, which was basic. Unfortunately, the broth lacked depth of flavor, and the noodles were slightly overcooked.

My experience at this restaurant was centered around their chicken pho, which is a go-to when I'm feeling unwell. It always hits the spot. A key point to note is that it's cash only unless you opt for online ordering. Regarding service, it's alright, especially if you remember that Pho is considered fast food, not fine dining. The food itself is excellent, earning a perfect score.

I wanted to try something new, but my experience at this restaurant was far from satisfactory. While I spent $41 on two dishes and a side of dumplings, the terrible service I received made it definitely wasn’t worth it. After taking our order, the server snatched the menus and threw them on another table, which made me want to leave immediately. When we were paying, she snatched the money without a word of thanks or goodbye. I will never coming back here again.

My recent experience at Pho #1 was mixed. I tried their garlic noodles for $14, which were just okay. Unlike the waitress's claim that they were better than PPQ's, I found Pho #1's version to be greasy and lacking a good garlic flavor, with the addition of sliced onions. In contrast, PPQ's garlic noodles offer grated parsley, a hint of butter, and a side of lettuce and pickled carrots for a more balanced contrast. However, the beef at Pho #1 did have a good wok flavor. The reviewer noted that the restaurant seemed to be struggling, with only one indoor customer at 6 pm on a Monday, leading to a concern about its survival. Despite the food's shortcomings, the people at Pho #1 are nice. Previously, during the 2020 lockdown, the restaurant was boarded up. In 2022, they reopened for indoor dining. Earlier take-out visits for vermicelli dishes were decent. A previous order of black pepper beef noodles for $14 was pleasing, with a good black pepper taste and wok flavors, indicating the chef did a good job. Service was fine during that visit, with only one other party present.