Food is always great and service is usually quick and servers are nice. I've been coming for a few years and will always recommend it

Service is unfriendly. Portions are less than average. Ambiance is ok. It is not expected in a place like this.

Just no , everything that we order was absolute trash down to milk tea. Food tasted old and not good.

This place made me fall in love with vientamise food. Im not into asian food at all other than orange chicken, (lol i know!) so i gave a shot to this place which is my boyfriend favorite and tried their pork sandwich. Omg!!! Was just AMAZING. And the egg rolls Delicious! Their customer service is great too. I can say now that I am a vietnamise food lover. Can't wait to go back! read more

Don't order via Yelp. Call it in if you must. The restaurant has no idea how to handle online orders. Took an hour to make, and was missing 3 items. Called, was passed around to 3 people, and was hung up on twice. Terrible service. read more

I am sadly writing this review as a person who once thought this place was excellent over the course of about 10 visits, but I'm afraid the quality has declined recently. I dined in today and ordered a small #P2, which is the "Filet Mignon" bowl of pho. It is supposed to be one of their signature bowls of pho. I ate only half the bowl, leaving a lot of meat, and left disappointed. Every single slice of "filet mignon" had at least some gristly fat attached to it. I had to spit four semi-chewed chunks of beef into napkins. I personally have a thing for meat quality, and I hate excess gristly fat in my food. I am well aware that fat is a key source of flavor...but I will not accept gristly poorly trimmed fat that you wince on when biting down. Look, if Arby's can deliver tender sliced roast beef without gristle, a cut of "filet mignon" shouldn't have such weaknesses. I think the broth here is quite good, and the sides (basil, peppers, etc.) are always plentiful and fresh. But now I feel like I can only order the chicken pho due to the poor quality of the premium beef. That's a shame. My memory of my first visits is that it did not used to be that way. And, the service here has always been a bit lacking. Today, I had to ask a teenage girl for my check, after she repeatedly walked past my table (upon which my credit card was sitting) without stopping. Pretty clueless. I live in Santee and I really want to like this place, but they need to improve their game. read more

Taking our family out is always an adventure no matter where we go. This morning we went to pho ca dao off of mission gorge. Place is very roomy for kids and workers are very welcoming and friendly. Ordered two small pho and a large. Ordered a side of spring rolls and egg rolls. Very delicious. We are always open to try new places and this place was a good experience. read more

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Pros: service is friendly and quick, in fact everyone's very attentive. Cons: the vegetable they bring out for pho's just not fresh. Majority of them are wilted and have discoloration. Pho's on the saltier side. The noodle tastes grainy and powdery compared to good quality rice noodles. Spring rolls are dry and unimpressive. I had fantastic vietnamese food while living in Vietnam as well as visits to good viet restaurants in many places including SD, but this restaurant could use some improvements on food quality. read more

Pho Ca Dao & Grill - Chargrilled shrimp pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Santee, California

One of my favorite Pho places in San Diego! Great prices and pretty decent quality. Came here on a Saturday night at 7pm and there was a short line. We only waited about 10 minutes before we were seated. Even though the whole restaurant was packed, they were able to service all tables and get people in and out pretty fast. Most of the people who work here speak Vietnamese...that's when you know a pho place is for real. I grew up in San Diego, tried lots of pho places there, and am Vietnamese. Those relevant facts about myself make this review very legit. Unbeatable prices! I like the Pho here because they do not skimp on the meat, green onions or noodles. Even though I ordered the small, I still wasn't able to finish all the noodles. I normally get the Com Thit Nuong or the Pho Tai Nam. the Com Thit Nuong comes with rice, grilled pork, picked vegetables, fish sauce, and a bowl of beef broth.....all for $7. For a Vietnamese place, the service is excellent! Service is not a core tenet in the Vietnamese food industry, so it always bothers me when people complain about the bad service in Vietnamese places. It's a very culturally insensitive comment as restaurants in Vietnam actually do not accept tips and their only perceived responsibility is to bring out the food. They do not see it as their duty to ask you about how you're enjoying the food. If you don't like it, don't come back or take the initiative to say something. It's that simple. There's also a senior citizen discount which my parents rave about and make sure they get each time they come here. I'm pretty sure they use MSG, but that's pretty standard when it comes to pho places. read more

My first Pho . Located in the Santee mall that has had multiple business go under. Inside completely remodeled and very clean, greeted soon as you open the door. Told them I was getting it to go and they still sat me at a table and gave me a water as I waited. The menu is lengthy somewhat confusing , but first time always is . The menu does have pictures in the front cover which helps understand what you are going to get. They have 3 different types Pho , Com Tam , Bun? Went with the Pho, and decided to get the P1 with is rare slices of steak, well done brisket, flank, tendon and tripe. Also got a side of egg rolls. Food came out very fast , and was surprised , when they handed me a cardboard box of food . They broke the Pho down into its dry and wet components. Got it home and basically built my own Pho. They gave me garnish of sprouts, Thai basil, lime , jalapenos and a little thing of thick sauce. Had the egg rolls first , very crispy and tasty, came with a dipping sauce of seemed to a vinegar based sauce slightly sweet , good complement to the rolls. ( http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/pho-ca-dao-santee?select=cXMZnpothWmzSON5A1aFIA#cXMZnpothWmzSON5A1aFIA) Massive bowl of Pho !( http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/pho-ca-dao-santee?select=cXMZnpothWmzSON5A1aFIA#oNIux9nNskrrz5g4YW58yw ) Then I added all the extras to it, Christ. Nothing to really to compare it to but good flavors and noddles . Wasn't a big fan of some of the tendons and tripe , sting ,tuff and chewy. Next time will just get the thin sliced steak. Good cheap plentiful meal . read more

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We have lived and traveled all over and love good Pho. This is the best I've had in San Diego and especially here in Santee. I recommend this place to anyone. Great food, outstanding service and nice clean restuarant. Don't miss V5! read more

I've rarely ever ventured out of the usual Vietnamese fare - pho is a standard, bun dishes are always a good standby, spring rolls are good for a light meal and since I seem to have wheat allergies, banh mi's just A-OK. One night I was craving Vietnamese but wanted something beyond the usual pho. Lo and behold, Pho Ca Dao has an "ethnic" selection for the adventurous foodie. I chose to have V.17: Bun Mang Vit, aka Duck and Bamboo Soup. The description sounds mouthwatering enough: "Chicken-based broth cooked delicately with essence of bamboo shoots and a variety of different spices simmered to perfection. Served with thick rice vermicelli garnished with scallion, onion, hot mint and cilantro along with duck leg meat, cube of poached congealed pork blood and bamboo shoot". Wow. When I told my server I wanted that, he gave me a skeptical look. And a warning. Like, "You sure gurl?". He offered that I first try a sample, because the smell and the taste of the bamboo shoots may be off-putting. Hey, I'm AZN, dawg! I know what that would taste like. But I still opted to try a sample - you know, just to be sure. I think it's really nice that they've explicitly put on the menu that you may request a sample so you don't have to regret what you've ordered. It turns out I liked the soup very much! Very, very much. It did smell and taste weird at first, but yeah - it truly is an acquired taste. The broth had a spiciness to it that tickles the throat - must be the ginger. Bun Mang Vit is the perfect cold-weather, I-have-the-flu dish - although just to clarify, I didn't have the flu when I had it. This is one get down and dirty dish, too. There's duck leg meat that you have to pry away from the bone, and that strip of congealed pork blood that tastes awesome with some hoisin sauce or nuoc cham. Served with lettuce, basil, bean sprouts, jalapeño and lime, it's a dish made in heaven. I seriously can't wait to have my next bowl. read more

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UPDATE: Updated my 4-star rating to a 5-star. They have consistently been friendly and super fast when I've gone in. If you walk in and order take-out, it usually takes only 5-10 minutes for them to prepare it! And they always have you take a seat and bring you cold lemon water to drink while you wait. Their customer service & food quality is top notch. read more

Dinner 9/4/2021. Wasn't crowded when we got there. Found an ant on the table. All of a sudden it started to get crowded and we noticed every one else was getting their chicken wings. We never received ours and cancelled the order. Ordered spring rolls and wanted the sauce without the crushed peanuts. Still had peanuts. Simple fix though. Had better spring rolls. Our pho was fine. Will not return. read more

The first time I was introduced to Pho Ca Dao, I dined in with family. Ever since then, I was hooked. This place just does it right. It has quickly become my go to spot for the delicious soup we all know and love. Lately, I order out. And I know what you're thinking, take out noodle soup? You would think it would be soggy, room temperature regret in a Styrofoam cup. Envision cup of noodles. Well, not if it is made to order and packaged correctly. You might also think that they might skimp on the veggies, but I got a freshly bagged assortment of bean sprouts, limes, jalapeños, and basil. They also, upon my request, add white meat chicken and they bag it separately so that it doesn't just blend into the broth...it actually is quite high quality meat, and I'm picky when it comes to chicken. While standing at the counter, waiting for our order, my wife and I were handed a glass of lime water each, even though we weren't dining in. That's service! We didn't even ask! It is rare that you can order take out and feel like you brought the restaurant home. Well done, Pho Ca Dao! You have yet to disappoint me. read more

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This is our go-to place for Pho! We always call ahead and order takeout. People are very friendly, there is a language barrier but they are easy to understand. Always get our order right and Prices are very reasonable! Egg rolls are also delicious! Side Note: Parking is terrible!! Multiple businesses in a small parking lot, just be prepared to wait for a parking spot. read more

I write this with a heavy heart. This place was once so loved by myself and my family. I've been a customer since day one. The customer service used to be the best in all the city. You could count on it. Not sure what has happened in the last few months. Sadly, the service has been horrendous. My family dined there about two months ago. The lady taking our orders, agreed she knew what we ordered. We checked several times. Our order was brought out and everything was wrong. The man bringing the food brought bowl after bowl, over and over not what any of us in our large group ordered. Each time we tried to tell him, he's roll his eyes, say something rude to us and aggressively grab and slam items. As of this were our fault. Today, I decided to give this place another try, the food is always so tasty and huge staple to my family. My son and I came in, we waited as nobody greeted us. We continued to wait. Two families paid at the counter before we were helped. Finally a younger man came out of the area with menus.. said to pick any table. We did. A group of girls came in just behind us. We sat excitedly to eat knowing my son had a doctors appt that we were headed to just after. We waited about 10 min. They rebel who sat after us, was given waters. We were not even approached once. 5 more minutes passed, I looked to ale eye contact twitch the guy behind the counter, and he was causally drinking a smoothie. I grew frustrated given the town constraints. He then walked out and over to the girls who were sat after us, and took their order. Fed up, and totally disrespected, I grabbed my son, walked out and told the guy we didn't have the time. He didn't care in the slightest. It's sad, but it's time to go elsewhere!!! read more

My sister lives in Santee so we always stop by when we are in the area! I've been coming here for the past 4 years and the quality of the food and service have not budged a bit!! The pho here is so yummy I personally got the rare steak one and my sister and boyfriend got the spicy beef stew!! Quality and taste are so PHENOMENAL!!!!!!!!! Really, the places near me don't even compete. This is home Vietnamese cooking at it's finest and you MUST (if you like spicy stuff like me) ask for the chili oil and PUT THAT GOOD STUFF INTO YOUR SOUP. It's a huge game changer and definitely gives me the best spice kick that I so desperately crave!!! And the THAI TEA IS AN OBLIGATION. The boba is so yummy, soft, and NOT hard and gross. It was so good, I can't for our next visit down to Santee to come eat here once again!!!! read more

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Cuc is our favorite waitress, we only go on nights she's working. She is sooo sweet and knows our order. Always a family fav that all 3 of my kids can agree kFast regardless of how busy, friendly (usually) and inexpensive. One of our weekly dinner spots. read more

Pho Ca Dao & Grill - Vietnamese Near Me - Santee, California

Horrible serving, does not understand English clearly, noodles are all soaked and puffy, spring roll's veggies are not fresh at all, could smell the dish washing soap in the food. Worst pho house I have ever been. read more

I've ate here at least 6 times in the past 2 months. The food is amazing, cheap and the service is out standing. Want a cheap, fast and friendly eat? Try this place! A large bowl of Pho and green ice tea, I'm out the door with tip at about $10. Their "P1" is Hearty and MMMAAASSSIVE! see pics posted read more

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I came in yesterday and got my usual P11, but I noticed that the flank steak was extra fatty and I think there might have been some tripe in there. I think I got the wrong order. I've eaten those before, but it made the pho very oily and some of the flank was chewy. I also wanted to mention that I've noticed when I pick up my food, the guy from the kitchen sets it on the counter. The other employees up front don't even look at the food and let it sit for a few minutes before calling the customer up. It's happened to me a couple times where I had to wait an extra 2-3 minutes for nothing. I don't mind, but someone who is in a rush probably wouldn't appreciate it. I will still be back because the rest of the meal was good, but I'll be trying a different combo next time. Hopefully they can earn that star back! read more

We walked up. There was one person waiting in front of us. No one addressed us for five minutes. We finally asked an employee if we should just put our name on the list to which she said yes. One minute later a party of three walks up and walk in, they are greeted and sat down. By then the other person in front of us left. We complained, they said sorry and immediately sat us down. We waited 20 minutes and no one ever took our order. Needless to say we just left. We will NEVER spend our money there again. read more

I'm not usually a fan of chain type restaurants, but this is seriously my favorite Pho spot!! The Charbroiled, lemon grass beef pho is seriously out of this world! They are the only pho place I know of that offers this specific dish. Sometimes I even make the extra drive, specifically just to order this. The staff is super friendly, the food comes out quickly, and the restaurant is clean. I often times order to the pho to go, and it's ready within 10 minutes. They package everything perfectly, and put the noodles/meat in a separate container so that it doesn't get soggy. read more

If I can leave 0 stars I would. I love ca DAO on El Cajon blvd and thought this place would be the same. I was disappointed in the service. They don't acknowledge the customer and the waiters look like they all hate their job. And when you ask for something it's like they're upset ya asked don't come here. You'll leave upset that you paid for cold food and horrible service read more

Fresh ingredients, fast service, reasonable rates...this low marketed pho restaurant sits quaintly in the corner of a otherwise overlooked strip mall with difficult entrance points and poor signage. Worth the effort of playing Frogger to get into the lot and playing Indy Jones in locating this treasure in the rough. A large bowl of fantastically prepared pho will more than fill you and is a great introduction for someone who may have never enjoyed the journey of eating such an amazing broth. read more

Pho Ca Dao & Grill - Seafood w/Chicken Broth Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Santee, California

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2 1/2 - gave it a 3 because of the egg rolls I've eaten a ton of pho (one of my fave things to eat) and I'm sad that this place disappointed me, especially since I love the other Pho Ca Daos and I've been waiting for this location to open for a while since there are very few pho places in Santee. I've been here twice already so I will just combine my reviews. Of course I got the pho. #8, which is my "usual" Pho with rare steak and brisket. When I got my pho, it looked pretty standard, but I was wondering why the soup broth was so light in color. It was because it lacked flavor! Ahhh! How disappointing! I think that's pretty much what makes the meal! On the other hand, they were very generous with the meat portion. But the broth!! :/ The other time, I got the bun bo hue. It was alright. A lot of more flavorful than the pho. What I loved was the egg rolls. And what is nice is that you can get half an order (3 egg rolls). The dipping sauce it comes with is sooo good! And the egg rolls are nice and crispy. I ended my second visit with a thai tea. One of the worst thai teas I've ever had. It was way too sweet, sugary and creamy and did not taste like thai tea I guess not enough tea. It was not enjoyable at all. Overall, I would go to another pho place if I could, but considering the lack of pho locations in Santee, I might end up coming back since I love pho so much. Maybe they are still working out some stuff because it's still fairly new? I really hope the pho gets better! read more

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This was my first time here. I was having a hankering for some late lunch Pho. It was after 2pm and was seated immediately with a glass of ice water. The server was quick to take my order. A sm.(it's what I ordered)Pho and 1/2 order of crispy egg rolls. The server was not personable at all. Both items arrived hot and the veggies were fresh for the Pho, but a little wilty for the eggrolls. The Pho was tasty. Overall my experience was decent. I would visit again with friends but not a must have. . read more

Pho Ca Dao & Grill - Rare beef Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Santee, California

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Let me start by saying, I love Pho Ca Dao. This location sucks though. This is the second time I've sat and waited for over ten minutes and never got acknowledged. Your same servers and cooks kept walking by us without even seeing if we needed anything. Our menus were closed and we were patiently waiting for service. The other table near us had to actually get up and ask the front for something pertaining their meal. I never actually get upset with businesses unless your are doing an awful job and tonight I did. I don't think you guys should have this location running if you're going to have constant horrible service. Maybe you should dispose of your staff now and find a new one because they SUCK. read more

Just discovered this restaurant and it's going to definitely be on our regular rotation. Their pho is delicious and the ambiance on the patio is really pretty, relaxing, and safe! Service is always friendly and attentive!! Their bloody marys are one of the best I've had! read more

Have to admit, this was my first time in a Pho restaurant. I had a general idea of what to expect, i.e.: noodles in broth with a variety of ingredients. But I didn't realize how expansive the menu would be and how I should order and eat my choice. So my friend and I did an eenie meenie, miney mo and chose our entrees. She went safe and did a cooked beef with veggies and I chose a duck, but passed on the pork blood option. Our Pho came with a side plate of veggies and herbs, like Thai basil, parsley, onions, bean sprouts, lettuce, etc. We both liked our choices but found the broths quite bland. I ended up adding quite a bit of sriracha to mine. As I said, we didn't know what to expect, and since there was an abundance of sauces on the table, I am going to assume that was expected. This restaurant is very clean, there are many tables to choose from and the service is very fast and polite. Our server never asked if we had any questions, but I going to assume (again) that they are used to a clientele that does not need hand holding and do not think they need to do this. All in all this was a pleasant experience and will definitely have to come back with someone who understands the choices better. I would like to try something a little more adventurous, who knows, maybe I will choose to add the pork blood next time. read more

We waited over an hour and a half for our food through grubhub and they hadn't even made the food when we called. Absolutely ridiculous.

Usually this place is correct with their orders but today my husband ordered a soup and a bah mi through GrubHub. The wait time for our food was over an hour and when it finally arrived there was no bah mi even though they charged us for it and it was on the receipt. They aren't taking outdoor seating due to the Covid restrictions so you'd think their to go orders would be precise but I guess not. read more

Their service has been gone way bad during this pandemic, Cashier is VERY rude , they constantly ignoring customers either for pick up or dine-in and food is not as good as before. This place was my #1 place to go for Pho in Santee, but not any more. Hopefully owner reads yelp reviews and try to improve their services. read more

Love this place. It's clean, staff is attentive. Food is FRESH and abundant. Prices are more than reasonable. We've been here many times and have never had less than a 5 star experience. They do take out if you want to order ahead. I ordered a build your own meal (choose 3 entrees). I got BBQ chicken, a pork chop and 2 egg rolls with broth and rice. I asked them to substitute the rice for veggies. They brought me veggies and rice (due to my Type 1 diabetes I try to eat lower carb. My splurge was the egg rolls). If you haven't tried Vietnamese food, you should! !! read more

Pho Ca Dao & Grill - Yummy freshness! All this for 8.25! - Vietnamese Near Me - Santee, California

Food is excellent, but the service is always soooo slow and unfriendly. That acct like it's a bother that we are eating in their restaurant.

I like their food. But their customer service SUCKS!!! Most of the waiters and waitresses are RUDE AF!!! Management needs to check their workers to have at least a better attitude towards their customers. read more

I got food poisoning, I've been here before and this third time I thought it be as good as previous times. As I arrived there seemed something wrong and as I sat down I caught to an awkward smell of dirty or old water I looked to my partner and we both confirmed the smell we didn't pay attention we though maybe the team was cleaning something. So we ordered and as our food arrived the Pho did not look as usual there was a big piece of bone with weird meat that looked disgusting. The next day while I was at work I felt so weak and a bad heartburn as the illness aroused I began to get shivers and a real bad stomach ache. I had to call off my day at work. This is unacceptable for a restaurant that claims to have an A. This restaurant should be inspected again. read more

Highly recommend for good food and great service. The tall, curly haired, Hispanic young gentleman was great. He was very attentive to our table and well mannered. My family and I will be going back to this place real soon! read more

Great food for a reasonable price . Nothing like soup on a cold rainy day . Healthy and fast!