Chef's Pho & Grill in San Marcos is a hidden gem that captures the perfect mix of traditional Vietnamese flavor and modern comfort. From the moment you walk in, you can tell this restaurant takes pride not only in the food but also in the atmosphere. The space is bright, clean, and well-organized, with a calm energy that makes dining here both relaxing and enjoyable. The menu offers an incredible variety--pho, rice dishes, noodles, sandwiches, boba drinks, and more--so it's easy to find something that suits your taste. Each dish feels thoughtfully prepared, with fresh ingredients and balanced flavors that stand out. A must-try appetizer is the shrimp spring rolls with peanut sauce. They arrive fresh and neatly wrapped, with crisp vegetables, perfectly cooked shrimp, and that creamy, nutty peanut sauce that ties everything together. Light yet satisfying, they're a great way to start your meal. Another standout is the pork sandwich (Bánh Mì), which feels like a labor of love. The baguette is toasted just right--crispy on the outside and soft on the inside--filled with tender, flavorful pork that's marinated to perfection. Add in the pickled carrots, cucumber, jalapeños, and sprigs of cilantro, and you get an amazing balance of savory, sweet, and tangy flavors. Each bite is a perfect mix of texture and taste, making it one of the best Bánh Mì sandwiches you'll find in North County. Don't miss the fried rice, a fragrant and well-seasoned dish that's both comforting and rich. The only minor drawback is that the protein--such as chicken, shrimp, or beef--comes separately. Still, the quality makes it worthwhile. For drinks, the boba teas are superb--smooth, not overly sweet, and made with fresh tapioca pearls that have just the right chew. While parking can sometimes be tricky, Chef's Pho & Grill more than makes up for it with its excellent food, friendly service, and welcoming atmosphere. Whether you're craving a quick lunch, a cozy dinner, or a refreshing drink, this place is absolutely worth a visit. read more

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Service was nice. Very quick and friendly. Not too busy. Parking lot is busy though, so we just parked a bit further. I rarely comment good things about the bathrooms anywhere, but their bathroom was very clean. Went in there to wash my hands and came out actually feeling cleaner rather than dirtier (like at other places). The soap and paper were well stocked. There wasn't a nasty odor and the floors were clean. I'm impressed! This place is also one of the few pho places that I've been to with egg crepes. I was also impressed with the generous meat portion in their pho. Their water was nice and cold. Didn't taste like tap. Only little thing is that their napkins are difficult to grab at the table when too fully stocked. Would I come back here? Yeah! I'm going to bring more people here too! read more

Chef's Phở & Grill - Vietnamese Near Me - San Marcos, California

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One of the few spots in San Marcos where you can find Banh Xeo. It's consistently golden, perfectly crispy, and packed with flavor. Other entrees I've enjoyed: The Bun Rieu is incredibly savory. The Bo Kho (Beef Stew) is so tender and goes really well with the bread for dipping. For appetizers, the beef spring rolls are great for something fresh, but the egg rolls are the way to go if you want a satisfying crunch. I always pair my meal with the Taro Milk or Thai Iced Tea. Both are creamy and the sweetness is spot on. Service is consistent and the food comes out fresh. I have yet to try their Banh Mi, but based on everything else I've had here, I'm sure it won't disappoint. read more

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Nice & warm seating and lighting. Clean bathroom inside. Beautiful menu. The yellow shrimp curry noodle soup is amazing. Easy 4.5/5. Spring rolls were great as well. But the crab noodle soup had a very strange and pungent smell, not very pleasant. Overall a good place, cant wait to try more or the menu! read more

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The service and food was great!! Highly recommend. The restaurant is nice and clean, even the restrooms. read more

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I have always order for delivery from this restaurant, I have never been to it. However they do not disappoint me. All 4 times I have ordered from here my Pho has been perfect. They always pack all the ingredients I need and the food is warm. I really enjoy ordering for delivery from this place. read more

Chef's Phở & Grill - Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - San Marcos, California

Solid, typical pho spot. Nothing super fancy, but it hits the spot when you're craving a warm bowl. The broth had good flavor and the portions were satisfying. I like that they open early for lunch -- makes it an easy go-to when you want pho before the usual rush. Service was good and efficient. Overall, a reliable neighborhood place I'd come back to when I'm in the area for pho. read more

Chef's Phở & Grill - Vietnamese Near Me - San Marcos, California

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The food tasted delicious. HOWEVER, I got food poisoning right after eating here and so did my toddler. I have had food poisoning 3 days now. I have never had such horrible pain. Unfortunately, I have to give it a 1 star. read more

Only been here for the to go orders. We've gotten pho twice to go. They didn't have much options and the pho is quite pricey, as this is university student pricing. Comes to almost $20 a bowl! Crazy. We got the special pho, comes with everything. The meat quality isn't that great and they give you the least amount of veggies possible. The broth tastes more beefy and no pho spices. The place is catered to ripping off students. Too bad it's the closest pho to my house, when I'm desperate, it's an easy drive and pick up. read more

Food: Ordered rare steak pho . One size only. Large enough to share a bowl. Additional toppings is an additional charge. read more

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Service is great and fast, love the aesthetic of the place very nice, clean. Food is 10/10! Love the Pho here and the Thai Tea! this is my favorite spot in the area read more

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Great tasting Pho, but the waiters here are spectacular at there job. They do little acts without you having to ask that make all the difference. Chefs Pho Combo has been my go to here! read more

Chef's Phở & Grill - Chefs Pho Chef's Combo Pho (to go order) - Vietnamese Near Me - San Marcos, California

I am a Banh Xeo aficionado. Most Vietnamese restaurants don't offer it. So when I found this in my area, I was very excited! I started with my favorite beverage, a perfect iced vietnamese coffee with a generous amount of boba. When they brought out my entree, my eyes popped. It is the most gorgeous crepe in all my travels. And very tasty too. It came with the plate of fresh basil, mint, carrot, and romaine lettuce and a very nice fish sauce. I have one big complaint, and I expressed it to a server. The romaine leaves were fairly small AND they sliced them in half! What?! I also had to request more lettuce. Banh Xeo is not date night food. It is to be played with by lettuce wrapping the ingredients and dipping in the sauce and gingerly cramming it in your mouth before it falls apart. Their lettuce prep made it almost impossible to eat. Using a fork is cheating! It's a simple fix to make this meal heavenly. I hope they do that. read more

Chef's Phở & Grill - Banh Xeo (w/extra lettuce) - Vietnamese Near Me - San Marcos, California

I recently dined at Chef pho and ordered their curry, which was priced at $17. I was really looking forward to a hearty meal, but I was left quite disappointed. The portion was so small that it felt more like an appetizer than a main course. For that price, I expected something more substantial. I love a good curry, but I don't think I'll be returning for this dish again. Definitely not worth the money. Flavor was just decent. Not worth the price. read more

Chef's Phở & Grill - Chicken Curry for $16.95 - Vietnamese Near Me - San Marcos, California

This place was so cute, great area and prices being in a college town, I love how they offer student discounts, our hostess was the sweetest lady ever she even asked if we had anything to prove we were students to save us some money! Ambiance is cute too classic pho place decorations and it was very spacious I wasn't expecting it to be as big inside, Food was great as well, you can never go wrong with a classic pho and they have many combos to choose from. It was also nice to see that the menu wasn't too large you're given options but it wasn't overwhelming, also I wish I had tried these drinks they look amazing, never been to a pho place with a drink menu that looks that good! read more

This is a review of their banh mi only for take out. We got one special and one chicken banh mi. The bread to filling ratio is very uneven. There is so much bread that we just left half of it uneaten because the bread is also just very dry. The fillings were sparse and nothing special. There's also one giant piece of cucumber down the middle of each sandwich that seems to be there just to take up room. The special sandwich had very very little pate and a thick spreading of mayo. Service was okay for take out. read more

Chef's Phở & Grill - Vietnamese Near Me - San Marcos, California

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Great quality food, fast service and consistent experience whether dining in our take out

I stopped by for lunch. My first thought walking in was that it smelled like yummy food and they have a cute decor. The service was really good. They greeted us as soon as we walked in and let us choose our table. They took our order as soon as we were ready to place it. I ordered the grilled beef spring rolls and the build your own pho with beef broth, rice noodles, and chicken. I also ordered thai tea with boba. Everything tasted really good and fresh. The portions were large. I ordered beef broth but feel like I was given chicken broth. It was still good but I would have preferred beef broth. The thai tea was sweet and the boba was okay. Not as chewy as I prefer it. It was an overall good lunch experience! read more

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Came here after a doctor appointment and was seated right away. The gentleman who helped me was very kind and helpful. The restaurant was clean. I ordered veggie egg rolls and they came out hot and crispy and were really good! I'd recommend this place. read more

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I had the pork vermicelli plate with egg roll. It was delicious. I asked that it be done at 630pm. I arrived a little early and it came out fresh and piping hot at exactly 630pm, which I appreciate. Everything was perfectly cooked, and there was plenty of meat for each bite. It was light and so flavorful. I'm glad this place is around the corner from work! read more

The food is really good. The spring rolls are delicious, and they have more options than most locations. The service is always quick and they check on you often. The decor and TV is set up well to not cause a disruption. read more

Ordered take out pho with brisket and it was so good!! I was nervous because of the mixed reviews but the broth and everything tasted authentic. I've had a lot of homemade pho, and this tasted close enough. I honestly have no notes about what to change so definitely a 5/5. I do believe this place has changed recently (unsure if it's the recipe or ownership), but it definitely got better! So maybe don't trust the reviews from too long ago, as of May 2025 this place has legit pho read more

LOVE!!! great service and food. I would recommend to others. Great place to meet for lunch or dinner

My favorite spot to eat with my boyfriend! The pho is always so good and the spring rolls are super fresh. We come here all the time. read more

Chef's Phở & Grill - Spring Roll, No Meat Pho Your Own Way - Vietnamese Near Me - San Marcos, California

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Worst service I've ever had. Younger lady never checked on us, ignored us, had to ask for our check and didn't even want to bother asking for a box so we left our food. Terrible experience. I'll not be back. read more

Their menu DESPERATELY needs descriptions. First, their menu for pho is very limited which for a pho place is not okay. I asked if they had tofu pho and they said it was under the "veggie pho." Again, their menu lacks description so from the name you wouldn't know it was tofu. I was clear I wanted something non meat based. How the waitress described it didn't sound appetizing so, I asked for the crab noodle soup which you would expect to have - crab. The crab noodle soup came with a mountain of MEAT and tofu and no crab to be seen. When I asked about the crab and why they didn't tell me it had meat they said "yes it comes with meat and tofu and crab." Again, NO description so no idea it came with it. I tried it and it is the worst tasting pho I've ever had. The broth tasted extremely fishy and the "crab" was foam like. I sent it back and requested simply fried tofu. Somehow it was more disgusting than the pho. It had zero seasoning and tasted like I was chewing a cardboard box. AVOID THIS PLACE. Avoid this place if you have any dietary restrictions or simply want to know what's in your food. read more

Chef's Phở & Grill - "Crab" noodle soup - Vietnamese Near Me - San Marcos, California

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The pho and spring rolls are great here! it reminds me of my mum's thai food! plus their service is good and the ambience is very chill :))

They updated the recipe recently! Holy cow, their pho is amazing here! Best bowl I have had in some time!!!! So my previous go to pho place changed owners and it hasn't been the same. So I have been trying new spots and I have been here before previously and the pho was good, but the tripe and meat were cut a bit too thick with the chefs combo pho. They recently changed their recipe and have some new chefs and they made the pieces thinner but not too thin. And the broth changed as well, it's SO MUCH more flavorful! I talked to one of the waiters and he said they have been listening to peoples feedback which is great! Definitely my new go to spot now!!! read more

If you're looking for amazing pho--this ain't it. If you're desperate, starving, or stuck in the area, then this is the place for you! Highlights: - pleasant and friendly staff - spacious restaurant and seemed clean - food wasn't offensive Lowlights: - their menu - their pho Their pho broth lacks complexity; it's too light and is almost devoid of any beef broth. It doesn't have the umami that makes pho unique. The noodles were overcooked, yet the soup was tepid (not hot enough). I'm assuming it's because just it sat with the noodles in it until it cooled off. The menu is a total circus show - Your average person has no clue what is in some undescribed dish called "chef's special." Maybe not everyone is thrilled when they find the stomach lining of a cow in (tripe) in their soup. You may want to rethink adding at the name of the animal & parts you are serving - all the pictures of the dishes in the menu are unidentified As in, they don't bother ID what dish they're showing you. Any Asian restaurant knows to caption photos so you know what you are looking at. Not Chef's pho, let it be a complete mystery! Good luck figuring out what you're going to order. There's about two choices of pho, including the mysterious "chef's special" and "vegetable." Or perhaps you want the "beef stew," because everyone knows about that one Vietnamese stew with the beef in it!? Three stars, only because the staff earned it. I actually feel sorry for the waiters having to explain to every customers what all the entrees are. read more

The food was tasty and quick service for casual restaurant. Especially shrimp fried rice was filled with many shrimp and super filling :) read more

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I ordered two servings of White Meat Pho with extra noodles to go from Chef's Pho & Grill. I called in the order and was impressed by how efficient and kind the staff were. The order was ready quickly, and when I arrived, they greeted me promptly and made me feel genuinely valued. The Pho itself was absolutely delicious--perfectly seasoned and packed with flavor. A wonderful experience from start to finish! read more

Restaurant located across from CSUSM. Easy parking and big menu to select from. Can't go wrong with any of the items. Great service from the staff. They are attentive and helpful. The food was right on with flavor and portion. Lots of table and seating overall good experience. read more

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They added a few more items to their menu since I've gone last. My boyfriend got the rare steak pho. Clean place and the servers were really nice! I got the bun Bo hue and it was delicious! They give you extra shrimp paste/chili oil on the side with it. Definitely will be back soon! read more

First time eating here. Had the Chef Special Pho and it was amazing. A great new find.

Service was decent. This review is for a Saturday morning, not quite busy yet. We ordered grilled pork vermicelli bowl with egg rolls, rice and grilled pork and the chef's pho. I can't speak for the pho since my husband ate it. Here are my thoughts on the food: 1) Do NOT get the egg rolls. It's overpriced, came out so overcooked (like it was cooked previously, put in the freezer, brought back out and cooked again). You can't even see what's inside because it was dark brown and almost black. It was extra hard to chew through and between my three kids and I, we only finished half a roll. 2) the grilled pork was ok flavor wise, but it was dry and tough to chew. 3) the vermicelli noodles is what I had a problem with- It was definitely not fresh cooked that day because it was cold and hard, the texture of what you would get if you had refrigerated the noodles overnight and brought it out to heat up the next day. Only problem is they don't heat it up to where the noodles are tender enough to eat. read more

The food was average and was very expensive for what I got. Ambience was fine. Service was good.

I ordered the Beef Stew Pho and Grilled Beef Spring Rolls. The spring rolls are some of the best Ive had, very flavorful and delicious. The beef stew was amazing, large portions of meat carrots and noodles, super tasty! The service was exceptional, very attentive. The place is clean and tidy, seating was comfortable. Highly recommend. read more

Chef's Phở & Grill - Vietnamese Near Me - San Marcos, California

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Wow, did this place go downhill or what? I don't know if they change owners or something, but even their menu has changed. To the other yelp user that mentioned about their menu lacking description, that's true. Under beef noodle soup it's hard to even understand what combination is provided. And then I also requested a small bowl of pho & he basically told me there's only one size now, which is a large. I wasn't that hungry so I didn't want all that food so I just switched over to a children's pho. It literally was a tiny bowl with mostly noodles and a few slices of beef for $8.95. The broth lacked depth, it tasted water down compared to how flavorful in the past. After this, I'm definitely not willing to come here again when there's other choices in San Marcos. read more

This is my favorite Pho place for lunch dates and dinner for the family. I love how they remodeled inside, everyone is very friendly, and the food is so delicious. Definitely try their banh xeo! read more

Tried this today for the first time for lunch today. I ordered chicken vermicelli, with extra egg rolls to go (they didn't give me my extra egg rolls) Service- I received a text when my order was ready. It was pretty accurate from the time he gave me over the phone for pick up. When I went inside to pick up order. The server seemed real occupied with a portable payment machine. Wasn't really friendly , or didn't greet and let me know he'll be with me. Professionalism/ customer service was mediocre. Food- It was good.. nothing spectacular. I paid for an extra side of egg rolls and didn't receive them, which was disappointing. read more

Chef's Phở & Grill - Vermicelli with chicken/egg roll - Vietnamese Near Me - San Marcos, California