Special oil chili pepper best with pho on the side. Always ask for rare steak on the side or not either way the thin slice of beef can't go wrong. read more

Pho Ca Dao Grill - Vietnamese Near Me - Escondido, California

It's a local Vietnamese chain that satisfies. This location is a head scratcher because it used to be a long closed-down rundown building in a bad part of town. Inside however is a totally different experience. Pho Ca Dao has a pretty standard menu and the quality was pretty good. It's a little pricy considering the location. Egg rolls and chicken are their best options. Pho was fine.. - Service has always been an issue at all of their locations. This location will bring to the table whatever dish is ready. While I do appreciate hot food, it sucks when there's a ten minute wait between the first plate to the table and the last... - Brisk takeout business.. read more

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Food great service is getting worse. I come here often minimally once a month. Today I couldn't make it to the location so I called in and asked my spouse to pick up my order. Maybe they aren't the correct demographic for their restaurant, but my spouse was treated poorly, on the phone I was quoted ten minutes and we waited closer to twenty to be dismissed, dirty looked and force to wait another twenty three mins. It was a one soup order today I don't understand what we did to disrespect anyone but I don't think we will be back any time soon. Completely has made me feel a certain way about how we are treated. read more

Delicious pho! Their meatballs and filet mignon were good, but the rare steak was cut too thick so it got a bit chewy. (We had it at their other location) There's only one pho restaurant in north county that we know has super thin cut rare steak And that's the only place we like so far for rare steak. The wings were a bit sad because they're dry. I could tell from the look already because they weren't plump. If there's a person who's tried wings in various random places, that would probably be me, oh maybe my son too coz he's just like his mom. Delicious crispy noodles. The gravy and topping were good and the noodles were fried well in the shape of a nest. The funny thing was the name of the dish. It's so long that our server had a hard time saying it hahaha Very Nice environment. Modern, hip, totally a cool hangout spot with a full bar. They've got interesting cocktails on the menu that look very tempting! Definitely not your old school rundown Vietnamese restaurant. Hope they'll do well in Escondido! read more

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The food here is great. It taste good and the portions are abundant. The service is great as it is accommodating and fast. The ambiance is clean including their bathroom. I would highly recommend this place to anyone looking for a good Vietnamese place. They also have vegan options and lots of side orders you can do. read more

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The GOOD: same quantity food priced 25-30% less than their main Escondido competitor, Pho Saigon. Staff is uncommonly cordial, even offering ice water if you're waiting for takeout. The BAD: broth base of their Pho Ga was undeniably bland and tasteless. The purported "peanut sauce" for their Classic Vietnamese spring rolls - which one expects to be mildly sweet, supremely nutty, moderately thick concoction - was instead water thin and vinegar sour, without so much as a hint of sweet, peanutty goodness. Bottom line: while I so wanted to like this place due to the lower prices, multiple visits have now proven you're better off paying more at the consistently excellent Pho Saigon a block away. read more

3.5 stars Dishes range from $13-15, a little pricier than other Vietnamese spots in the area but the restaurant is cleaner and more modern than other spots. I was a bit disappointed because I didn't receive any peanut sauce with my fresh spring rolls. I got them with grilled shrimp and I didn't get shrimp in every bite :( they were pretty sizable though and the mint was very fresh! The bao is large but the grilled pork is cut into pieces instead of one big slice. I also wasn't a fan of this because it's just the steam bun and pork, no veggies, toppings or sauce. My cousin said the PCD fried rice was bomb, though. The beef broken rice was also as expected! The fish tank is inside is very nice! Something good to look at when you're waiting for your food. The hostess was very knowledgeable of the entire menu. They also have military discount! read more

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Came in at 8:34pm and I wanted to place a to go order. Staff told me they close at 8:30pm. Google and their front door says they close at 9:00pm. That is very misleading. It's unfortunate because I actually enjoy their food read more

Pho Ca Dao Grill - Hours - Vietnamese Near Me - Escondido, California

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Will never understand how theres bad reviews on this place. Come here religiously 1-2 times a week naturally became a usual customer. Lemongrass beef pho , egg rolls & chicken pho is our go to everytime. Food always has awesome flavor and service is always welcoming and anything asked for is delivered. Will continue coming here! read more

Pho Ca Dao Grill - Vietnamese Near Me - Escondido, California

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I generally do not write a 'review' when I have not had the food at the place. While I have been to other locations which I enjoyed, this location left a sour taste in my mouth. We stopped by to grab some food and give this location a try, when we walked inside we, after a couple of minutes we were greeted and asked if we wanted to order food. I said yes, that would be great. We were then asked if it was for there, or to go. Upon stating that we would love to eat there we were told "Well then you are going to wait for a long time" While, I am more than happy to wait and by no means would I ever be demanding to be seated... the restaurant was less than half full. I understand staffing issues and other things may be the culprit behind having open tables that are not being used, and I would happily have been ok with a "Ok great, it's going to be a 30-40-minute wait, or sorry we are not seating any more tonight" "Well then you are going to wait for a long time" to me is the same as someone saying "you may as well go" it was a very unwelcoming experience, enough to want to write this, and rate this based upon the experience and not the food. read more

A place you need to go and stop. Customer service was great and the food yummy. The indoor is a calm and relax atmosphere with a nice soft relax sound of music. read more

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I typically prefer to avoid coming to this chain but it was raining and this was close to the area that are we are staying at. The menu is very straightforward, all in English. I like that they kept it simple. I went with my usual pho chin which is the thin steak but cooker. I don't like to get the rare version. But my husband did. The pho broth was actually good and had a strong flavor profile. It came with the standard vegetables, bean sprouts, limes and Thai basil. Overall good pho. read more

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I have ordered from the place multiple times. This time, however, my delivery contained a large piece of plastic from a prep bag. There needs to be better quality control in the restaurant. I hope management/owners take note, as the food is generally good, and I'd love to continue patronizing the establishment. read more

I finally stopped in to see what it is all about. I have seen these in various locations throughout the San Diego area. Today was cold and rainy so soup was forecast; and since my usual go-to in the area has now moved or closed, I decided to go a block or two further and try this place. Had to have my soup. Pho Ca Dao Grill was at best, ok. I got there just before the lunch crowd gathered so there was minimal waiting. The food came right out. The Pho was just below proper service temperature (@210 F) as evidenced by the slow time it took to cook the rare lean steak that is part of the PCD (Classic) Pho #1 makeup. It was almost hot enough, however not my expectation for a broth-type soup is that you should need to blow on it. No blowing needed, but it was just barely satisfactory for my desire. This location had a service robot I thought was interesting. I inquired with the (appeared to be) owner and asked if the robot has paid for itself by eliminating a server or runner. His answer was that it saves his (the owner's) back. Ok, although I saw a much, much younger server using it for carrying plates to their destination table as the machine uses domino-looking codified plaques on the ceiling to direct its course. It then returns back to its station nearby the kitchen. Hmmm, interesting; all the while the server was making herself look occupied by straightening a table or two as she monitors its course to its destination. In other words, it appears to be slower than a server would deliver. Whatever, I'm not hating . . . just observing. It could cause delays if the place ever gets really busy. My experience today was limited to sitting and trying the Pho. I didn't check out any bathrooms, patios or various menu items; I Just wanted my soup. This place was decent with no real concerns or comments other than the temperature of the soup. Pho Ca Dao Grill was nothing special and I don't know if I will be returning unless the wife wants to try it out or I am again in the area and need of my soup. Dicks read more

Pho Ca Dao Grill - The sign from the parking area. - Vietnamese Near Me - Escondido, California

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Excellent service and delicious Vietnamese cuisine with a robot bringing your food to your table then a waitress or waiter serves it to you. Inside and outside seating is such a nice ambiance. read more

We loved It the food was fresh and the kids Loved the noodles and chicken I got The chicken broth and it was perfect Service Was Good place was Clean they brought waters with lemon with out asking for it that's excellent in my Book read more

I wasn't feeling well but no restaurant nearby had chicken noodle soup. Until I found Pho Ca Dao! I ordered the chicken pho and it blew my mind! The warm aromatic, spices in the broth was so amazing that I had to Google how it's made. It was seriously that good. Order it! read more

I got it delivered, so I'm not factoring that in , in terms of freshness. The food was ok. Nothing I would rave about. Heat level was a 1-2, which is unusual for a Vietnamese restaurant. I hoped for more spice and really a lot more flavor. Not met, folks. Sorry. Stop catering to the US palate and serve what you consider authentic food of your country. I'd like to taste that. read more

First time going to this location. The decor was great! One would expect to hear soft asian instrumental music playing. Instead, we were greeted by classic 70s and 80s rock music. It was great! It was not the dinner hour, therefore not busy. We were seated quickly and water was brought to us without asking. That was a plus. Prices are about 1 to 2 dollars above what other Pho places we've been too charge. The portions are more than other Pho places also. Definitely worth the 2 bucks more, as I had leftovers for the first time. An autobot is used to bring out one's meals. A server follows the automotive to serve your dishes. The food was excellent. We don't drink, therefore did not partake in any of the drinks offered. There appears to be a wide selection. We will definitely e going back. read more

Pho Ca Dao Grill - Broken rice, pork, egg meatloaf, shredded pork rind, and a bowl of miso soup. - Vietnamese Near Me - Escondido, California

Our new favorite Pho restaurant. Clean restaurant Excellent service Reasonably priced menu items Good portion size Delicious food I have no complaints, we throughly enjoyed our dinner here and will be back. read more

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The food is always fresh and so delicious. We come here often and it's never let us down.

I have only been here twice but shoot I know I will be visiting more coming all the way from Fallbrook just to fill my belly with delicious comfort pho and great service. Only thing I would note (which is not at all the restaurants fault) was the crackheads outside whom may scare away present or future customers. As I was enjoying my delicious Pho I saw a lady fighting out front with her blanket, as I started drinking my tea I almost spit it out because she came in front of the window and I thought she was about to use the restroom in the bushes on the side of the restaurant directly in front of the windows in front of me‍ this is probably just a "situation" that just happened but maybe enforcing the no loitering a bit more (at least during business hours) will be great. I was going to buy the lady lunch but she did look like she was tweaking so I changed my mind. Other than this little situation we Love this place! It is beautiful and clean on the inside and outside and definitely has a cool, fancy sports bar and grill feel to it. Definitely a great spot to bring your friends and family. read more

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I've always enjoyed the rancho Bernardo location and this location has the same quality. Nice staff that is helpful and accurate.

Me and my coworker got lunch here on Sunday 8/11 and from Monday until now have had the worst food poisoning ever. I ordered the chicken vermicelli bowl and she ordered the chicken pho, both of us have had to check into the ER for bad food poisoning. Have missed work for 4 days now, never again. read more

Placed a one item order to go at 12:47pm it is currently 1:25pm and I have been waiting for my food with no sign of it coming out. They told me 20 minutes over the phone, I come In, the restaurant is empty and.my food is not done after waiting an additional 20 minutes inside the restaurant, I can clearly hear them talking in the back. Guess customer service is not a priority. read more

New menu, same bad service. My family ordered the garlic rib eye plate, #1 combo w/ rare steak on the side, carb omelette soup, egg rolls, surf n turf spring roll and cold Viet coffee. The rolls came out first and were delicious. The rib eye next and then the bad service. First, the server brought out hot vs cold Viet coffee. Second, our soups came out 15 mins after the rib eye so by the time my son finished his plate, my wife and I started ours. We went around noon but lunch rush happening. My #1 was wrong, no rare on the side. The server offered to return my bowl and get another which was a terrible deal since it took 15 mins to get my bowl out. The servers weren't attentive to their mistakes and lack of customer service. I had to ask for Sriracha, more water and to go boxes. The overall taste was average and the service below average. read more

Pho Ca Dao Grill - Can you spot the fake Sriracha? - Vietnamese Near Me - Escondido, California

When i was young and i thought of pho it was to cure my hangovers, then you realize it's a breakfast food, then it makes more sense about the hangovers. Fast forward 20 years and probably a thousand bowls later we are at this point where we see a grill location where pho is not the headliner. Yes it's a pho ca dao location, but they put a much greater emphasis on the menu and offerings, showcasing things other than pho. Their latest location, like with each that came before, is different than any other. Almost for a different demographic, for a different need. Classic or MY PCD pho with meatballs is my go to. I'm a big fan of tripe, tendon, rare steak and meat balls. Please don't just put hoisin and sriracha into the broth without tasting it, it almost never needs it anywhere and those are really dipping sauces too. Bruise your mint to open it up. Deep, rich, and storied is their broth, you don't build an empire on murky or weak soup. The short rib pho lacked a little texture on the bone, wasn't a rich as you would expect from say Shank & Bone in SD or Madame Vo in NYC. I'm not a fan of broken rice in my fried rice. And i find it a little lacking and now with the uncle roger revolution showing the world what really good fried rice is, it's just hard to order it outside of making it yourself. The secrets are out. The shaken lemongrass beef is excellent, get it with rice and an extra baguette. I found the baguettes better for dripping than for their bahn mi. The bun bo hue lacked the shimp paste and lemon grass accents to the pork, the pork is the main focus, not the beef here. Could use a skim. The spring rolls are overpriced and one would expect a perfect roll every time, I used to live in orange county, so the bar is pretty high. The dipping sauce needs more vinegar for balance. Vietnamese style salt & peppering is different than Filipino and Australian. Would have been better served without the jalapeno and adding lemongrass. MSG is our friend and super necessary. I'm not going to get into the low proof liquer used in places without full liquor licenses, but they clearly didn't just do the the bare minimum like many places, it's just never been a successful venture. The decor is great, probably my favorite, the music isn't too loud, the service is good. It's part of the experience, not just service for the starving and hungover. Prices are for the most part fair. On the rare chance i'm out this way, i recommend PCD's latest location. read more

Picked up order, left great tip, . Got home and they out no condiments or any sauces for my food. Not happy

This is our favorite local pho spot! Service is always so kind and the menu selection is great for those new to or familiar with Vietnamese cuisine. Our favorite thing about PCD is the cat robots!!! They have the cutest expressions. The ambiance is chill and the music selection could surprise you. One night it's TikTok hits, another night it's 80s music. Either way, it's always a great dinner for us. read more

I ordered off grub hub and I ordered sliced rare steak pho but EXTRA LARGE. I'm not blaming my driver I wouldn't know the difference between xl and regular unless I ate there myself and who knows if she has or has not tried it. I usually have my husband pick up my order and I order the same thing I've always gotten way more with my pickup order VS my grub hub delivery order. They gave me a regular price pho w rare steak instead of what I paid extra for. I guess I will just have to go back to ordering from pho Saigon since they are consistent read more

Omg, what an amazing customer service, the place is so awesomely clean relaxing atmosphere. The servers give real smile, not a fake one or force out of them. Soooo clean. Now let's talk about the food my Steak Pho 5***** made perfectly, coconut grilled shrimp fried rice wow. Fried egg rolls you really taste the authenticity of it. Love it, a place for me to drive up and seat again with family friends and enjoy every moment . So come on down, come and see it for yourself, try it for yourself and you will understand why I gave this place a 5. Love it read more

Pho Ca Dao Grill - Vietnamese Near Me - Escondido, California

We just came here today and I'm actually pretty surprised. I've been to PCD when it was just only one location in City Heights where it was more traditional and not how it is now. They totally revamped their menu. What throws me off is that they pride themselves to be authentic on their menu but the whole menu is in English. Luckily.. I know what everything is by reading the description, so no problem. I was excited to see all the things that are on the menu. I didn't know what to try. I'm use to their old menu where it was either pho or com tam (broken rice). I tried the crab omelette soup?? It's called bun rieu in Vietnamese. And I have to say it was PRETTY good. My mom makes it better but the crab was on point. The broth was flavorful. I would definitely eat it again. We got kids bun for our son (vermicelli noodles with grilled pork) I was also surprised on the portion of this! There was a lot of meat as well. It was good. Our 2 year old enjoyed it very much. Dad got the classic pho, most places call it dac biet. He enjoyed it, only complaint was that they didn't put enough tripe for him. Will definitely come back! Also service was spectacular. I'm Vietnamese and I'm use to poor service at Vietnamese joints. But nope they had good food and good service. read more

Pho Ca Dao Grill - Bun Rieu - sorry I forgot what it's called on the menu. I think it's crab omelette soup? - Vietnamese Near Me - Escondido, California

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Was somewhat excited for this franchise to open up in Escondido since it was gonna provide more choices for Vietnamese restaurants. Was also hoping for something exceptional given they just opened. But to find my Hue Spicy Noodle soup to just have a half a slice of meatball and a sliver of meat is not a good thing for a grand opening.. Spring rolls are fairly well sized, same with the egg rolls.. but the salt and pepper wings tasted and looked a little pale.. I understand it's their version but I feel it was lacking taste despite it being butter fried.. Some minor issues also obtaining my take out order too but it was easily resolved by the staff's courtesy.. The food was the important part.. read more

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Pho Ca Dao is by far my favorite pho chain. Owned by wonderful humans and always have great service, decent prices, and phenomenal food. I can't visit without ordering egg rolls AND spring rolls, and always get an iced Vietnamese coffee. read more

What?!! I'm so sorry pho ca dao, I didn't realize I haven't updated the review! Best bahn mi hands down! Best pho hands down! Service little too attentive. Lol. I wouldn't eat pho/bahn mi anywhere else! read more

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My husband and I have gone twice now during their soft opening. The first time we both had their pho and calamari. The calamari is the best calamari I've had in a while! It was perfectly crispy, the breading didn't fall of, the seasoning was delicious, and the calamari tasted really fresh! Not like some other places where it's pretty obviously frozen quality. The pho was also delicious and the only down side is that it's so big! Lol. I couldn't finish the entire bowl. The noodles were delicious and there was plenty of meat. The broth was also very flavorful! The 2nd time we went, my husband had the BBQ banh mi. He said the meat was delicious but the sandwich was pretty dry as if it needed some kind of sauce or more sauce. Then we had the firecracker shrimp and they were really tasty and very fresh as well. Overall we've found our new favorite place! read more

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I had to do a double take at the price bc damn inflation hasn't hit pho ca dao yet :) the portion was so big that i felt as if it was a never ending pho bowl. I liked how they gave chili oil to eat with pho. I never ate it with pho before so it was different. The employees were nice and the restrooms were clean. read more

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Pros: Love the remodel (former location of Mi Guadalajara), the interior designer did a nice job Very attentive, kind staff Attractive food presentation We enjoyed everything we ordered Clean restrooms Fair pricing for generous portions Cons: Not a big deal, spring roll wrappers need to be fully moistened or else they are inedible We will definitely return ! They have patio seating, as well. read more

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Very good Pho, loved it! A lot better than what I have out here in the Antelope Valley.

Came in at 7:30pm on a Saturday right before 4 of July. It wasn't crowded but there were around 3 other parties there at the same time as us. When we left at around 8:20pm, there were a few more people coming in. I went with my parents and we sat in the booths. Those booths were VERY nice and comfy! Very new still. The cushion behind the head I thought was great. I ordered the Sizzling Ribeye & Egg / Bánh Mì Bò Né & Trứng ($14). My dad got the Classic Pho / Phổ Đặt Biệt ($10.50). And my mom got the Classic Broken Rice with Pork Chops / Cơm Tấm Bì Chả và Xường ($13). The food came out super quickly. It was like 10 minutes or so. The Sizzling Ribeye & Egg at first I thought was going to be pretty small when I saw it. But it did satisfy me at the end. The egg was good but I wish the yolk was a bit more runny. I wanted to dip my bread into something but wasn't really able to. It wasn't as good as one that I've tried in Orange County. I probably wouldn't get it again. It came with a little bowl of broth so that was nice. The Pho was pretty good. I had a little taste of my dad's. He said it was good as well. The Broken Rice was good too except my parents thought that shredded pork in it was a bit too sharp/savory/strong. My dad was thinking they forgot to add sugar. The outdoor space looks pretty nice. Maybe one day I'll check it out. The payment I thought was a great concept. They use Clover which is like a version of square so the server just turns it over for you to insert or scan your credit card and you tap in the tip yourself. And you can also get your receipt texted or emailed as well rather than getting a paper receipt. Not really important but I thought it added a nice new digital touch. Overall I had a good experience. The atmosphere is cute and it's very clean because it's new. I would come again and probably get either Pho or try their Vermicelli/Rice Noodles. read more

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