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    Pho Cow Cali

    4.2 (9 reviews)
    Closed 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Updated 3 weeks ago

    Pho Cow Cali Photos

    PHO COW CALI ATMOSPHERE

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    Exterior ...the manager show fix the poster
    Henri V.

    Pho Cow Cali has its OG located in Mira Mesa and now opened a branch here in La Jolla and it was my first time visit. There's a two hour free parking at the parking structure on Villa La Jolla, which is the opposite end of the restaurant building on Gilman. This restaurant is super casual as it's catering to the majority of the dining crowd being the students and faculty of UCSD. Upon entry the regular staffer greeted me and I told him I have my service dog and I prefer to sit inside since it was a cold and cloudy day. He proceeds to walk me to a table, but I asked for a booth towards the back of the restaurant. The interior looked clean as expected for a new restaurant. I ordered my usual: shrimp spring rolls and Pho Filet Mignon. The server named H was super cool as was all the other young staffers. After ordering, it was probably 2 minutes later that the entire order was presented, which I was shocked how quickly it was. When I tried to pick up one spring rolls, they were all stuck together, the wrapping which was a bid harder and chewier than I expected which meant it was prepared earlier and not super fresh. The pho broth was ok, not bad but not the best I've have because it was missing more herbaceous flavors, so it lack depth and aroma. The filet mignon meat wasn't extraordinarily tasty, in fact it had zero taste. The condiments on the table specifically the chili paste had a plastic spoon to which downgraded the experience more. Why can't they have a stainless steel spoon and NOT this tacky plastic spoon..ugh! After attempting to eat the spring rolls and a few sips of the broth, I couldn't and didn't want to eat the rest and had it all to go. Was so disappointed that this Vietnamese restaurant which is popular in Mira Mesa, where I never been to, is such a hit there but the food I tasted were not flavorful. Perhaps the flavors were minimized to suit the general Americanized palate, who knows, but not good. The aggressive, argumentative behavior from the elderly curmudgeon staffer who accosted me was unprofessional. His behavior left a really negative impression I don't want to experience and sadly, the subpar food matched the negativity. There are so many Vietnamese restaurants that serve fabulous pho soup, so what happened here?? It's my first and last time here. For Pho Cow Cali, It's a NO!!

    Main entrance
    Emmett T.

    This Vietnamese restaurant has opened up a branch on the UCSD campus after exclusively serving the Mira Mesa community for many years. The shop debuted a little over three weeks ago in the Pepper Canyon complex which is a short walking distance from the Gilman Parking Structure. It's a fairly straight shot when you are coming northbound on Villa La Jolla Drive and reach the structure where there are paid visitor parking spaces for $2.25 per hour. A tablet was placed outside the entrance to enter your party name on the waitlist if necessary. I came on a weekday afternoon before the dinner rush. There was no wait, however the seating capacity was at least 80 percent filled. A multi-page menu was given to me as I was escorted to some countertop seating along the western facing windows. Three pages were dedicated to the pho offerings, but I was looking for a bowl of vermicelli noodles (bun). The ten varieties were priced between $13.25 and $14.80 each, depending on which and how many proteins you wanted. My selection was the Grilled Shrimp & Grilled Pork. The rice noodles were topped with shredded lettuce, cucumbers, bean sprouts, mint, pickled carrots, daikon, and roasted peanuts. Four pieces of grilled shrimp and at least a half dozen cuts of grilled pork sat on top of the mound. A cup of vinaigrette fish sauce was provided on the side. I was pleasantly surprised at how quick the order was prepared after a worker took my order on a tablet. It could not have been more than five minutes, and it was certainly faster than their flagship location in Mira Mesa. The amount of food in the bowl was good for the price which is great for students on a limited budget. For the efficiency of service, cost, and quality of my meal, I gave a 4.5 star rating for my visit to Pho Cow Cali.

    Menu from their website
    Khaing Z W.

    Very convenient location for UCSD students and those near medical campus. It's located in pepper canyon West residence building.

    Pho and Rice Vermicelli with Pork and Shrimp

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    28 days ago

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    1 month ago

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    1 month ago

    Good price + yummy pho! Very attentive waiter with glasses/semi long hair always filled my water great service!

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    Pho Cow Cali - vietnamese - Updated July 2026

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