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

Their Veggie & Shrimp Pho is delicious being my favorite choice there. It's usually easy to find parking space nearby. read more

As a 'tourist', my family and I tried this restaurant (and we've had our share of Vietnamese cuisine). We felt the food was good but priced slightly higher than other Vietnamese establishments. The worst part was the female host. When we walked in, there was no 'hello', no smile, no 'thank you' throughout our meal. When we asked her a question, she acted like we were asking her to do us a favor. The other 2 male workers were very hospitable. Sadly, her poor attitude left a bad taste in our mouth. read more

Trash Owner. Came with 4 people. Try to support the Vietnamese owner. Got treated like low class people. First, $16 for a bowl of tasteless with 3 - 4 tiny slices of beef? If you want to die with MSG, eat at this place. They used SUB-PAR ingredient or vege or rice or meet. They threw the food to your table. We asked some questions about the food and they said, Don't ask, just order. WTF they thought they are. Food Rate 5/100 scale. Worst of the worst ever in my entire life. Stay away or you WILL DIE BY FOOD POISON read more

Hadn't been here for a while because of Covid. Wow! As delicious as always. The coconut lemongrass chicken is amazing. Also, the fish in a clay pot is incredible. The most tender and delicious fish! The owner is so nice and friendly. We had a great meal! Thanks Pho Cali! read more

I didn't think Pho Cali could be better. I've been here so many times for #91, Pad Thai, Pho, vermicelli bowls, Fresh rolls, pancake, etc. Today I had the best meal yet. Coconut Shrimp vermicelli bowl with onions and peppers. #117c for those who order by number from menu. I am not kidding when I say that this might be top 10 all-time meals for me. I could sleep peacefully if this was my last meal. I can't tell you how much I love love love this place!!!! read more

The special Pho was good. Quick lunch crowd. Clean n nice place. Not cheap. But not a whole lot is in this day and age.

2020 it was OK. The value, did not exceed the cost. The taste is very good, portion was small. We had the fried appetizer, which was good. It was a nice amount of food. But it was overpriced. I guess that's what happens when you're on main street. That's OK. If you like Vietnamese food, you may want to give it a try. I got a primo parking spot. That's why we ate here. For the entrée if it just would've been a little bigger. Just about two dollars overpriced for each item. read more

Firstly the food is authentic fresh and delicious. The service was swift and plenty of servers were around to help. Mostly I want to say that these are honest hardworking great people. I left my gift from my husband at the restaurant in bag with no markings. They held it and kept it safe until I figured out that I had left it there. I will be back again and again to support this delicious and wonderful business. read more

Good location, quick service, and yummy food. Pho Cali is a must try in the Sarasota area. You know a place is good when the whole restaurant is packed during lunch time :) Food: pork chop rice dish with pickled veggies and cucumbers. I was sad it didn't come with a fried egg - bo luc lac/ shaking beef: Came on a salad bed and with a side of rice. Well cooked and flavorful read more

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This is the best Vietnamese restaurant. We been going there for years and we travel 45 minutes just to eat there. My favorite is the Beef Stew under the authentic dishes. My wife loves the #76 salad and the Pai Thai. My mother in law loves the Pho with the chicken leg. The service is fast and the dishes are hot. Harrison is very friendly and is always willing to help you with your order. read more

An authentic Vietnamese restaurant in Sarasota! This is the real deal. I walked by the kitchen and saw all the giant metal bowls for mixing massive quantities of food like any Asian cook uses (not me), hand mixing I'm sure, no utensils large enough to stir what's in there. Kitchen looked very clean too, which was a plus. I swore I'd never eat at another Pho or Vietnamese restaurant after some frightening experiences and stories back home, but Pho Cali can be trusted as far as I know. There's no frills with this place. Simple decor, tables and chairs, simple service. Come in, order, eat good food and go. Expect lines at lunch peak hours. People love the pho here, but my very favorite is #38 (beef salad) and #79 (pork with vermicelli) . The meat is so flavorful, charred just right and salad is light with not too oily dressing. If you like traditional Korean kalbi, I'd pass on #33. It's good, but not the same hint of sweet among other flavors. A favorite of most diners is #53C, so if it sounds good to you, I'd check that one out too. read more

Pho Cali - #38 in back and #33 in front. - Vietnamese Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Something to explore before the classical guitar concert in Sarasota. We have decided to stop by the downtown area of city of Sarasota. Follow by Rachel M review 2013, we decided to visit this place. The location is great in the downtown of City of Sarasota. We have sat down and order our food. We have inform our server we have concert on the way and we have 40 minutes to dine. Our appetizer came with less than 7 minutes. we have ordered the house special appetizer. It contains 2 fresh rolls with vermicelli noodle wrap with broil shrimp in the rice skin roll, 2 wonton skin wraps and deep fried, and 2 fried shrimp spring rolls. the appetizer is great and tasty. The material is fresh. Our main course came in 5 minutes after the appetizer. We have order the quail fried rice and Vietnamese Pho with different type of slice beef and tripe and tendon. The pho is delicious with the broth prepared correctly. The quail fried rice is delicious and they are prepared in the high BTU wok. The Quail is deep fried with sweet soy sauce. Although they are not as the standard we have in Tampa, but they delicious enough to eat. It is finger licking good. Overall the service is fast. We are in and out the restaurant within 40 minutes and arrive to the concert with 3 minutes to spare. read more

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Best chicken curry EVER! The service was excellent. You wouldn't expect such great food in a tiny place like this. The staff was beyond friendly as well!!! Everyone at the table thoroughly enjoyed their meals. I would recommend the chicken pho, and the chicken curry! For sure the best Vietnamese food i've ever had. read more

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

Great pho! We try to find a pho restaurant to go to wherever we live/travel. Sarasota's Pho Cali is an excellent addition to our list! We absolutely enjoyed our late lunch!! read more

The food tasted very fresh, they have a huge menu, and the service is fast and friendly. We went on Saturday for lunch and it was very busy (maybe farmer's market over flow) and had two different kids of bun and soft drinks for $27. The only bad thing is that it was hard to find a parking spot on Main street. read more

Pho Cali - Bun with shrimp paste tofu and chicken - Vietnamese Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Good location with many public parking. Restaurant is clean. Staff was friendly and welcoming. We ordered 2 Vietnamese Crepes/pancakes which is a crispy crepe type with shrimp, bean sprout, onion and served with vegetables dipping in fish sauce. Two thumbs up. The crispness of rice flour mixed in turmeric powder gives you a mouthwatering color of yellow and the combination of shrimp and bean sprout are just perfect. - Second dish was Lotus root salad with shrimp dipped in mixture of fish sauce. Excellent taste. The balance between the sweet and sour of dressing was also perfect. - Finish our meal with a bowl of Pho. What can I say. Pho Cali, you have made our day. Lol. We'll definitely be back for more. read more

Pho Cali - Lotus root salad with shrimp - Vietnamese Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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I'm from California and have eaten lots of pho. This place tops them all. The broth is so flavorful with hints of cilantro and Thai basil. The meat extremely tender and well seasoned. For appetizers we had the fried oysters. Fried perfectly with light batter, tender and juicy on the inside and crunchy on the outside. Also served was Papaya Slaw: shredded papaya with spicy beef jerky on taro chips which was delicious! Whenever I'm in town ( I have family here) I will most certainly come back! The staff was wonderful and friendly and welcoming. Thanks for a wonderful meal! read more

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We shared takeout with our son and his girlfriend and really enjoyed it. Got a pancake stuffed with various meats and veggies, a couple different curries and a noodle dish- everything was very good. read more

The food was tasteless except for the bottle of salt they poured on it. It was also horribly expensive for small portion. The service was sub par, and the male working inside (possibly owner) asked me rudely as I walked inside, what do you want? Normally I would never go here, but I went because it was recommended by a Viet Namese woman. Awful food and rude service. read more

I didn't order well, yet still very good and enjoyable. I had combo stir fry and had entree envy when I saw servers taking plates to other tables. Will go with another option next time. read more

Love this place. Their lemongrass vermicelli bowl is the my favortie dish in Sarasota. I get it with vegan (no fish sauce) and with tofu. I also like their coconut-lemongrass options. read more

Pho Cali - Many delicious vegan options. This Lemongrass tofu dish is my favortie dish in Sarasota. - Vietnamese Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Very good crowd for Saturday lunch. The eggrolls were delicious. PH with veggie broth was sweet to the taste. Bún with veggie eggrolls was delicious but be sure to ask for soy sauce otherwise you'll get fish sauce. read more

Pho Cali - Vietnamese Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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The wonton soup was about the best I've ever had. The mixed stir fry with noodles had fresh vegetables and spiced just right (I had them make it spicy). Will come back again and again! read more

Had the Pho Tai Bo Vien (rare beef and meatballs). I was disappointed in the dirty broth and could taste the impurities in it. Presentation was nice and the rare beef was great, but the soup was not hot enough to quickly and fully cook the beef. The barely cooked beef and the impurities in the broth contributed to an ok bowl of soup. As for the fresh rolls...on the skinny side, but flavorful. Overall, the meal was not worth the expense. 1 order of spring roll and 2 bowls of pho = $34.00 or $36.00 = way too much! read more

Yum yum in my tum tum. The pho is the bomb, but the staff is what makes this place so great. Also really enjoyed the the shrimp and pork spring rolls. :) read more

Pho Cali - Vietnamese Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

I didn't think I would get good pho in Sarasota. The place won't disappoint. Wait is a bit long and the place is packed. Portions are large so come with an appetite. read more

Pho Cali - Hu tieu pho ga - Vietnamese Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

The owner is rude, disrespectful, never came over to ask how the food was, meanwhile greeting and asking other customers how everything was, I haven't been there in over two months because of his attitude.. food is good, not great.. Will never go back. read more

Service was excellent, food was tasty, just not sure why the lunch special prices are still so high for not huge portions. Wish there was a 4.5 star but just didn't have that 5 star experience. read more

Pho Cali - beef short rib lunch special and pad Thai house special - Vietnamese Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

One of our most favorite restaurants in Sarasota. The service is always very friendly. There is usually a wait, but it tend to always go quick. The Pho is always on top of its game, and the chicken dish my fiancee gets is always spicy just how he likes it! This is a must try! read more

The worst thing about Pho Cali is they close for what feels like FOREVER in the summer. The food is always fresh and delicious (try the quail and shrimp fried rice or the Pho Tom, or the vegetable pancakes). The servers remember us every time and treat us like family, even bring us our usual drinks when we walk in! The owner is always available, the grand father (we secretly nicknamed "the bouncer") smiles and keeps things moving. The chef runs a tight ship and Pho Cali is just a great hole in the wall kind of place. DON'T GO! You will just make my wait in line longer. ;-) read more

Came for dinner. It was busy. Lots of return customers. Ordered shrimp and pork spring roll. They were good. Then ordered the seafood pho. It was pretty good. Thought it could have a little more in it but still good Nice place to go. read more

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

Happy holiday NOT. We walked in their were 6 available tables . We waited n waited they totally ignored us at the front door. They were walking right by us . Totally NO EYE Contact ! Goin on 15 minutes we were hungry !! I walked down the isle they were cleaning another table . The guy roughly n RUDE I can't seat you. We are too busy. No eye contact two second response to GET LOST. NEVER again ! Happy holiday is right . Good bye read more

Craving for pho, we found this place on Yelp. It is located right on the main street where all the hips are. We parked at the public parking garage which is free for 2 hours and walked one block. We were seated quickly. Ordered pho with brisket and rare steak and beef friend rice. Both dishes were delicious. For two dishes and iced tea, our bill came out about $36. It was pricey $13 for the bowl of pho and $15 for the fried rice, compared to other vietnamese restaurants. Portion was small for the price. read more

Pho Cali - Fried rice with beef & Pho with rare steak and brisket - Vietnamese Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Great food, friendly staff and a breath of fresh air for this area in Sarasota. We visit yearly during the holiday season but this was our first visit to this restaurant, wish we knew about it sooner! The food is authentic, served quickly and is very reasonably priced for the area. A good sign was that this place was PACKED on a random Wednesday night. We didn't go to crazy on what we ordered, some pad thai and beef meatball pho noodle soup. Everything was great and we left absolutely stuffed and with leftovers. This will be a new go-to spot during our yearly visits! read more

***WARNING*** I just spent the last 3 days sick like a dog after eating lunch here and taking and extra meal for dinner from this restaurant and I know it was the food because it was all I had to eat that day and just an hour after lunch I started feeling colicky and after I ate the dinner within an hour I had cramps and started sweating and feeling sick and end up with diarrhea for 3 straight days. This is the first time visiting this establishment and is also the last time. Another thing is that I agree with the others reviewers that the owner is rude and lacks the courtesy needed to run a restaurant. read more

Can't comment on the food, they weren't open. We came by at 730pm and store was closed with no explanation. 6 other people came by at the same time. Nothing. Store sign says 9pm. Good luck getting food. I have to add one Star because No Star is not an option. read more

Great food. We live near Siesta Key and will always go out of our way to go get anything from this restaurant. The lemon grass chicken and coconut lemon grass chicken are to die for. Their many pho options make it hard to choose , but it doesn't matter because they're all great!!! My wife and I have traveled all over south east Asia and this place brings us back every time. Yummy read more

excellent chicken pho AND my lemongrass chicken also very very good - I asked them for extra vegges, which they happily provided. this place is the real deal and the food is real Vietnamese and excellent - we had a great meal and will def come back read more

Pho Cali - pho chicken !! - Vietnamese Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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Ordered the chicken fried rice with extra chicken. Very pleasantly surprised. Will be back if I am ever In Sarasota again. So, not likely. read more