We have been visiting Pho Cali for over 10 years. We visit many times per year. Checking recently on yelp and I was so shocked to see the reviews and ratings. I have to say these are not honest. We have never had a bad dish. We order fresh pork and shrimp spring rolls 5 stars! Chicken fried rice 5 stats! Shrimp and pork bun #78 5 stars! They have the best Nước Chấm and peanut sauce! I've been to many different Vietnamese restaurants and I've had to guess what I'm eating but not here. Fresh ingredients and clean! Owner or whom I assume is and staff. They always remember us and what we order. We feel valued and they are never rude. My only complaints and not weighing on my rating. Prices. I think they can be cheaper. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Music. It's always so quiet inside. I think they should always have music while open.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Otherwise I would not change a thing. read more

Best of Sarasota!! Always a great place for take or dine in!! Always friendly!! [[HIGHLIGHT]]Love the atmosphere, it's a Sarasota classic.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Pho Cali - White chicken 57# - Vietnamese Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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Great PHO, best I've had in Sarasota. Keep it up! Consistency is one of the biggest issues in the food scene around here. Twice I've gone here and twice I've been very happy. read more

The Best Pho don'tcha know is at Pho Cali! We also had spring rolls, those were great. The Diet Coke was also excellent for quenching my prodigious thirst. read more

We've been eating here for years and years. We bring all of our out of town friends and family here when they come visit too. This restaurant has been a mainstay on Sarasota Main Street for as long as I can remember. The Chicken Pho is always phenomenal w/ the homemade egg noodles -item #58 on the menu- and the homemade lemonade is a must have! We always order the pork fried egg rolls as an appetizer. read more

Pho Cali - Pork Fried Eggrolls - Vietnamese Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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If you're ever in the mood for hospital food but don't feel like checking into a hospital, Pho Cali has you covered. The once-great flavors have somehow disappeared, replaced with dishes so bland you'll wonder if taste was an optional ingredient. The service? Well, let's just call it 'meh'--not rude, not warm, just there. And the owner? Let's just say arrogance doesn't season the broth any better. Honestly, it's sad to see the standard drop so drastically. If you're sick, tired, and craving tasteless food, congratulations--you've found your spot! read more

We use to really like this place when they had the duck dinner and boba. The duck is still on the menu but they don't have it. We keep asking & checking hoping they might bring them back. Also, there's no soy or sracha sauce on the table like in the past. You have to ask for it. [[HIGHLIGHT]]And there are fewer customers, why? The best thing is it's quieter & you can usually get a table without a reservation.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] It's unfortunate to see the quality go down. It's OK but we remember when it was really good. read more

How can one cook produce the large menu singlehandedly Owner is rude Goto other nearby pho restaurants read more

As soon as we walked in the door, we knew we had come to the right place. Though it is a no-frills, minimalistic establishment, the food is 11/10 delicious and the awards hanging on the walls confirm it. Our server had a no-nonsense, honest attitude about him and pretty much told us what to order and he had great recommendations. We enjoyed the shrimp spring rolls, pork pan fried dumplings, and chicken pho ga accompanied by Singha beer. We really enjoyed our meal here and would definitely come back! read more

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Pros: Good authentic asian flavors. The pho broth was rich and the meat tender. Spring rolls were flavorful and the peanut sauce was on point. The interior was clean and lively. Cons: only one bowl size for pho. whipped cream on thai iced tea was hard to dissolve and made the drink too heavy. The bean sprouts still had their brown roots attached. read more

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Pretty good A few days ago we went to a Vietnamese restaurant in Tampa and I ordered their Pho with beef broth, rice noodles, and rare beef. I realized I didn't know much about eating Pho. After watching a few videos the next day, I felt ready to try it again. Fast forward a couple of days, and we headed to Pho Cali this evening for more Pho. So now I'm a newly minted expert. Well, maybe not, but I did much better by using my chopsticks and oddly shaped spoon together. Didn't even drip anything on my clothes this time. I had also learned about the basil, sauces, and the lime. I ordered the same entrée as I had in Tampa. Unfortunately, the experience, now that I know what to look for, wasn't as good. We both agreed the broth wasn't as rich this time. Instead of squeeze bottles of sauces, I got a small dish with a small amount of sauce. I'm sure I could have asked for more, squeeze bottles would have been better. Then I could have put some in the Pho and had some in a dish to dip my sliced beef in. The twigs of basil looked sad compared to what we had in Tampa. Instead of lime, we got lemon. read more

Pho Cali - Pho with beef broth, rice noodles, and rare beef - Vietnamese Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

The quail was surprisingly good and I would recommend. The pho on the other hand had a fragrance after taste that was okay. The service was good and my water was refilled. [[HIGHLIGHT]]And the restaurant itself was clean.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Pho Cali - Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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Pho snob checking in. Broth is delicious. Extremely flavorful. The ingredients from basil, meats and noodles were very fresh. For the amount it cost, it can go for just a bit more noodles. Very small amount of noodles for a big bowl and lots of meat. We also got the appetizer platter with all the fried goodness plus a summer roll. We loved it and all the dips that came with it. It's pricey, but it's in the tourist area so I understand. But the flavor isn't a tourist trap, it's the real deal. read more

Very sad, used to love this place, it was always expensive, but you felt it was kind of worth it However now, unfortunately, with all of the transition, the quality is not what it was. [[HIGHLIGHT]]I'ts not really clean either unfortunately[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Would love to see them turn it around and bring back the same quality and cleanliness of the original owner[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Started off with the fresh shrimp spring rolls, then ordered their house special broken rice, and then coconut chicken. All the dishes were terrific, and I highly recommend for authentic Vietnamese food. read more

Pho Cali - fresh shrimp spring rolls, then ordered their house special broken rice, and then coconut chicken. - Vietnamese Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Went here for the first time last week, and came back 3 days later because it was so good. Really enjoyed the #75 (chicken stirfry with fried egg noodles) and #48 (rare beef pho). read more

Stopped by for lunch with a group of five. The space was generic. The staff were pleasant. The food was very good. I had the pho with flank steak, rare steak and meatballs. It was very good. The rest of our party ordered more pho, a vermicelli bowl, chicken fried rice and chicken with broccoli. Everything was good. Pho Cali was a pleasant surprise. Its a great change of pace. read more

This was such a nice find for a vegetarian in Sarasota! Trying to find something here can be tough. This spot offered the ability to make their Pho with veggie broth and I was so excited, especially since the food I have had here has been lacking. I think the dish was pretty good, not the best I've had, but it was good! My daughter also loved it so that was a big plus. Service was fine, we came around closing so I think they were working on that, but I wasn't a big deal. This place is a cute hole in the wall and if you're looking for something different in Sarasota, this is a good choice. read more

First time stopping in for a late lunch (2PM). I'd give this place a 3.5 due to a few factors. It's downtown so great location and tons of parking everywhere. The food was actually quite good and tasty. The trio of fried rice had the right amount of seasoning and the Pho had fresh grilled pork and shrimp - Yummy The negatives were the atmosphere - I get that due to COVID, there are no menus, but why would you put a 4-6 page menu under the plastic covering on the table. We literally had to walk around the entire round table to see the whole menu. Not optimal and doesn't make sense. Duh! Service - the main manager there was just rude and a hot mess. The rest of the staff were very nice, but clearly "afraid" of him. Communication skills completely lacking. I appreciate fresh and good quality food but wow it took almost 30 mins to make 3 of the same dishes and 1 fried rice. Prices are a bit expensive given that they are downtown so understandable. I'll try it again, but boy do they need work on some things here. read more

Pho Cali - Trio fried rice. It has it all and was delicious - Vietnamese Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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Broth/flavors? Amazing. Portions? Plenty. Service? Quick. Bowl to put a to go order in? Needs work lol. Some of the people ordering to go orders are in hotels. I improvised but def have been to places that accommodate soup to go orders better. read more

Pho Cali - Rare steak pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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Had dinner here after a long drive from Atlanta. We tried house special Pho and vermicelli noodles bowl. Pho broth is really rich, bold and flavorful. Pork and shrimp vermicelli was delish and hit the spot. The restaurant was very clean. Service was fast and friendly . It was a really good, tasty home cooked meal. read more

Pho Cali - Grilled pork and shrimp vermicelli noodles bowl - Vietnamese Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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I called at 8:30 for a carry out order and they wanted a CC number?! I have ordered here many times before and never had to provide a CC number for my CO order?! So, I merely say I don't feel comfortable giving my CC info over the phone would be right in. I arrive at 8:45 and they tell me that they are closed?!?! Your hours say 9:00?! I'm not following & the staff was rude :( There are too many option for good food in this area, don't waste your time here. They don't care ‍ read more

I've eaten too many Pho, this is the most expensive one, the taste is very ordinary, the portion is very small, I strongly don't recommend it read more

RACIST. the most heinous service and experience i have ever had. The owner is extremely rude to begin with, but his white-worshipping antics make the experience just that much scarier for Asian patrons. our server & the owner of the spot told us 'you aren't the only people in the restaurant and many people ordered ahead of you' when we asked where our appetizer was. (The caucasian party that both sat and ordered the same appetizer AFTER us was miraculously BEFORE us in this line of orders). He then came by and yelled loudly at us for using the dipping sauces 'wrong' for our appetizers (it is perhaps uncommon knowledge that you can use the dipping sauces on the appetizer you ordered however you would like). Every. single. table. that was seated after us & ordered after us was promptly served before us. When we went to ask why we were being ignored, he shouted expletives at us and told us to leave the restaurant. The cherry on top was being flipped of by this man on our way out. Truly a uniquely horrific experience. If you read any other reviews, you will know we are far from the only ones with this experience. Avoid at all costs. read more

Pho Cali - Vietnamese Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

We didn't get any spoons, folks, chopsticks and napkins. When food was came out, we had to ask for chopsticks, then had to ask for napkins and they made fun of us at the cashier... how rude. read more

Pho Cali - Because of bad service, and they didn't deserve to have tips. - Vietnamese Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

On our first night arriving in Sarasota I craved for a hot bowl of pho, and Pho Cali seemed like the obvious choice. We ordered seafood crispy noodles and Hanoi style vermicelli, both were excellent that we came back the following night. They provided hand sanitizer at the entrance. The staff all wore masks, and they went out of their way to make our meal more enjoyable, high bonus points in my book. And yes, you guessed right, I totally forgot my pho craving after I saw the pictured menu. What can I say? A girl can only eat so much in one (or actually two) meals. For reference, I'm Vietnamese. read more

Pho Cali - Stir fry seafood (with crispy noodles) - Vietnamese Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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Back to our all times favorite restaurant. The one olace that we must visit every time we are in Sarasota. Everything is just so delicious. Today, We had Pho Tai, Pho Tom Cay, Crispy Noodle, and Sweet and Sour Soup. Everything were so delicious and cheap as always. Great service. read more

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To start, the food is NOT bad. I've only had the Pho Ga and the spring rolls here so far, but I've been there three times total. The issue with this place, frankly, is management. They are pretty rude. I had to ask for the basil, lime, sprouts, sriracha, and hoisen sauce. I'm from a big city in the Northeast, and have been eating Pho for a couple of decades now and these items are standard to serve with Pho. (It's a cold winter go-to so at leat three or four times a month, I'd order from a few of my favorite places.) When I asked for these items, the manger rolled his eyes pretty hard and looked disgusted. On the way out, I asked a waitress if these things are usually served with the soup and she said that they were. The only difference is that my orders were take out, not in-house. Several of my colleagues have confirmed that the manager (owner?) isn't pleasant and that you have to normally request normal garnishes for to-go orders. read more

Delicious, authentic pho. Very reasonable prices, and very quick service. Our go-to spot for pho!

Broth was too sweet. Bean sprouts were not fresh. Overly priced. Would not go again. Not authentic. As a chef I am very disappointed. read more

Pho Cali - Sliced rare steak - Vietnamese Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Was down for a business trip and my colleagues and I had a HUGE order from here to pick up and have a working dinner with. The food was all AMAZING, the working dinner turned into dinner before getting back to work, because we were all trying different parts of different dishes and commenting on how good it all was! Management had everything we needed for a feast out and were quite polite when we picked it all up. Great stuff all around! read more

Popped in here about 8.45pm tonight on a whim and these guys were awesome. So helpful and kind. Service was fast (I did take away). Got home and had an awesome GIANT pho bowl, which was delicious. Also they had great covid safety measures going on inside. Will go back for sure! read more

Pho Cali - Vegan Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Came in around 9 pm on a weekday with no expectations, just hungry for a meal after a long day. Aside from being very rushed by the servers (they closed at 9:30, so I understand we were late and close to closing time, but still I would have appreciated not being quite so rushed through our meal), their pho broth was absolutely delicious. Very thick and savory with a scent of star anise. We got the Pho Tai and Pho with steak and flank, and both were hot, a good size, and good portion of noodles. Came with a single plate of bean sprouts, Thai basil and Serrano chili peppers between two people but they gave us more bean sprouts when we asked for more. My only comments for improvement are wishing we weren't rushed as much by servers, and I think they should give paper or actual copies of the menu out to customers. For some reason the menus were under the glass on every table, which seems a good idea initially until you realize the menu is like 6 pages total with 3 on each side. So you can't read upside down the 3 pages that are opposite you. Bottom line: try not to go too close to closing, and come be pleasantly surprised by pretty good Viet food in the middle of Sarasota FL. read more

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They accommodated my seating for 1 request. Pretty busy at lunch. Food came out quickly. Got the chicken pad Thai and added mixed veggie for $3 more. Good flavor, but borderline salty. Def doesn't need anything more, but maybe a bit of chili for heat. Dish enough for two people. Look forward to bringing half home for me...or hubby to try. Wait staff timely. Clean establishment. Would come again to try the pho. read more

Pho Cali - Vietnamese Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Highly recommend!!! What an find... very friendly service and food was great! we had Crispy Egg rolls for an appetizer, Mixed Veggie Pho , and Pho Hai Vi (Seafood Combo) so fresh and so tasty - definitely coming back!!! read more

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Excellent Vietnamese food. Even though they specialize in Pho (almost all tables were having Pho), we decided to get rice dishes. I got the pork chop (nicely grilled, nicely marinated, great texture, not too thick, not too thin) and my BF got the beef and broccoli (also nicely seasoned and tender). Service was OK, not stellar, but the food was worth every penny (even though it was a bit high for an Asian restaurant) read more

Pho Cali - Pork chop - Vietnamese Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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We made a special trip to eat at Pho Cali. This was our third visit, and each time beforehand we had enjoyed the excellent food and service. This time our visit was for lunch, and the food was very mediocre. We are both vegetarians. I had the vermicelli noodles with tofu, and my wife had the rice with tofu (and a large amount of unexpected broccoli). Neither of our dishes was prepared very well. They were both very plain dishes, and the food was very unappetizing. We were surprised that the meal was so much less than we had expected. We will explore other restaurants on our next visit to Sarasota. read more

DO NOT COME HERE! - THE WORST. My mother and I came here together. The service is horrible we had to flag a server down. We got shrimp spring rolls and it was the most confusing inedible combo of flavors. We each took one bite and could not eat anymore. Every single wait staff including the owner came over and acknowledged the untouched spring rolls and did not take them off the bill. We also got the dishwater pho which tasted like dirty dishwater and was vile with lumpy noodles and soggy meat. This place is ridiculous we were one of 3 patrons during dinner time. absolutely awful. Don't waste your time there are better options. Don't put money in that creeps pocket. read more

The Vietnamese crepes are my favorite thing on the menu. So light and crispy! We also had some spring rolls which were tasty too. Great meal and reasonable for downtown Sarasota. read more

Food is pretty good, though not authentic. Service is absolutely horrible. The server (who seems to be the owner) was extremely rude. Details below. 1. Getting menus. When we asked him for the menus, he said they were already on the other tables," expecting us to see different menus scattered across different tables ourselves. 2. Question about menu. When ordering the pho, I saw the 'rare beef' on the menu and asked how rare it was. He snapped back with "it's all cooked, nothing is rare!" This just made me confused. 3. Ordering appetizers. We ordered appetizers and for party of 4 he only gave two plates. When we asked for two other plates, he scolded us: "we don't have enough plates for four people!" So, we asked to order more appetizer, and he replied, "it's too late to order because the main meal is coming!" Our experience was one of the worst we encountered. We were treated like we were worthless. Completely rude and terrible service. read more