I'm a local who tried this restaurant for the first time and ordered the rare steak and brisket pho and it was delicious. A generous portion and one I would order again . They have a Hoisin Sauce at the table that I added a little in each bite and that I've never tried before and loved it . Mary is the owner and she's funny and lovely to talk too. read more

When you're in a time crunch and want hot soup to warm yourself up, this place will do. If you're in search of flavor and to fulfill a real pho craving, this is not the place for you. Service of food was excellent but the overall service wasn't that great, they tell you where to sit, you can't choose. Soup was fresh but the broth needed salt and the meats in the beef pho weren't the best, too much fat and chewy ligament (The yellow throw away kind, not the tender one you would expect). Also I read in another review the fried tofu was good, it wasn't. It was not crispy and the dipping sauce was fish sauce with honey and chili which Didn't make a good sauce. read more

My husband and I were nervous to eat here due to all the bad reviews. We were pleasantly surprised. He had the shrimp pho. I had the vegetable pho with chicken broth and tofu. The broth was very tasty. There was a good amount of noodles and veggies in mine. We also enjoyed the spring rolls. All in all a good food. read more

Pho Dreams - Vegetable pho with chicken broth and tofu. - Vietnamese Near Me - El Segundo, California

So I order the combo that has everything in it like tripe but I explicitly say no tripe please. He obliges but also doesn't write down my order. Awesome. I have been to plenty of pho restaurants where this was always accommodated for. Anyway... So I see my chopsticks are pretty tattered/splintery so I ask for new chopsticks and the server gentleman makes fun of me the way say an uncle or older brother/cousin would...we have a good laugh and I just "deal" with the chopsticks. My order came out and it's TRIPE CITY in my bowl. I tell guy, "hey I ordered this with no tripe"...he jokingly (but seriously) says "oh can't you just pick it out?" and I'm literally looking him in the eye for a good 5 seconds...then he realized I was serious. So he yells in the direction of the lead server. The lead server walks up and looks at me with the dirtiest stare and reluctantly yells out to the kitchen and they bring me a new bowl of pho with no tripe (I ate half of it...the idea of the possibility of getting my order spit in had really dawned me at that point). She brings me a spoon and aggressively sets it down on the plate that the bowl is on top of...for a phony pho spot the broth was pretty decent so they've got that going for them, I guess. Go to Saigon Dish in Lawndale for real Vietnamese cuisine. Worth the drive. read more

The food was ok, but the service needs some help. I ordered a tea and never got a refill. The restaurant only had My group and a another group. Also I ordered a shrimp and yam appetizer and only 4shrimp but a bunch of yams. It was good it just needed more shrimp. The pho was good ( not great but good) and I liked the steamed veggies option to add on. I would have given it a better score if the service was better. All and all its a ok place for lunch but if you love Pho like me you can find a better one. read more

Eh... usually the chicken pho comes with white meat only.. but apparently not at this location. Also the broth was very salty and lacked with the amount of noodles.. this place is ok, nothing special. read more

I've been here twice and each time I was disturbed by the environment I was in. First time, one of their workers was playing TV in an Asian language so loud, I couldn't hear myself think and ruined my dinner. second time, another employee was having a conversation on her phone and was yelling so loud that her daughter was trying to shush her. She refused to shush and I had to cancel my order and leave. They have an utter disrespect for their patrons and have gotten way too comfortable as a restaurant. The whole place looks dirty, as well as their bathrooms: which is representative of how they treat their food. Nonetheless, I will not be back. read more

This place is the best place in El Segundo. Hands down, no contest. All the other pho within a 7 miles radius have either tasted over salted or had processed meat. I feel like other people leaving bad reviews just don't know any better. This is one of the better Asian restaurants in El Segundo, and the only Vietnamese one. I'm biased because I've known the owner for a while, but I waited to give a thorough review until after I tried more of the menu. The pho: light broth with lots of herbs and comes with condiments. Remember that pho is supposed to be a bit plain so you can season it yourself. Meat is very fresh and tender. Misc: Tofu fried rice! So good. Tofu is lightly fried and full of flavor. Yes, there are vegan and vegetarian options. I wouldn't be in here multiple times a week if it wasn't good. They have improved everything since first opening last year. Try it before you knock it. Or don't, and I'll have it all to myself. ;) read more

Disclaimer: I ordered take-out so service does not affect my review. I live down the street so I decided to give it a try even though the menu prices are insanely steep for Vietnamese food. I placed a to-go order for the shrimp spring rolls and the pho tai nam (rare steak, well done shank). Total was $17!!!! The spring rolls were ok. Thinner than I'm used to and only 2 per order instead of 3 like most other places. Also, the peanut sauce they came with had a really weird consistency and was super oily which was not appetizing. The pho was mediocre. It definitely isn't the best I've had, but it would get the job done. I think it's fine if you really want pho and can't spare the time to drive farther, but I would much rather drive to Lawndale or Gardena to experience even better tasting pho, a larger menu and much better price point. read more

Their Pho deserves all the stars. It's fresh, aromatic and flavorful. It's served extra hot! they give you plenty of fresh herbs on the side and it's fantastic whether you eat it there or get it to go. Don't order anything else here though. Other dishes like noodles and rice are bland and strange but who cares? It's called Pho dreams and that's all you should get there. You can't tip on card so always be sure to take cash! read more

I want to like this place. The workers are friendly and always around to service the tables and the food comes out quick. Its just that the food is not good. The pho broth doesn't have the depth it should. The steak and rice was mediocre as well. Egg rolls were lacking seasoning. If you work in ES, then sure, come here. Otherwise go to Saigon Dish in Lawndale. read more

most of the pho has two size. Apparently, the difference between the regular and large sized pho is that the large size pho has extra noodles. I'd rather not pay $1 more for extra carbs. The pho itself was okay, but nothing remarkable. i had a pho dream, which was $10. soup/broth was very light and oily... it is the only pho restaurant in the El Segundo however, i had way better pho than this from so many other pho restaurants nearby South Bay and Gardena. read more

Not sure what people are talking about regarding service as my wife and I had a great time talking to the owner about the finer points of Vietnamese food. Maybe the perceived lack of service and a language barrier say more about the reviewer than anything else. In addition, the portions we received in our order were perfect. My wife ordered the veggie pho and the yam/shrimp fries, loved them both and had enough for seconds. I had the fried shrimp rolls and the Korean short ribs and rice. The shrimps rolls were great but the short ribs fell a little short. My meal also came with a soup that saved the whole meal as it was wonderfully full flavored and amazing. We will definitely come back when in El Segundo. read more

Pho Dreams - Vietnamese Near Me - El Segundo, California

I love this place, everything I've had here is fresh and flavorful.The pho is authentic and there are many varieties to choose from, huge portions, great service and prices, too. read more

Very yummy!!! Great vegan pho with lots of flavor, also loved the vegan fried tofu. Very affordable too. Would go back for sure! Got so much food for a very cheap price. read more

Like Yelper Paul S., I too am giving them an extra star since this is only their 4th day being open. I want to be supportive of our local businesses but they need to work on a few things if they want to stand a chance at survival. First and foremost is the broth. Pho can only be as good as its broth and this one needs a LOT of work. It was bland and the only flavor I could muster from it came from the shit I threw in it - hoisin, siracha, chili garlic and pepper sauce. I think the ingredients were pretty fresh but that only gets you so far. Please get your broth up to speed, guys. The service was slow and inattentive. There appeared to be a least four or five staff on duty while we were there yet there were tables waiting to be bussed, waiting patiently for minutes for their check or - like us - just waiting on someone to drop menus off. We never got refills on our water either. I know that's minor but it's part of the basic stuff people come to expect. Hopefully, they'll address these things as they begin to work the kinks out. I want them to survive provided they get their broth dialed in. I'll give them a few more weeks and keep tabs on these Yelp reviews to see if progress is made. In the meantime, it's back to Gardena/Lawndale for my pho. read more

Pretty good pho in uptown El Segundo. We stumbled in here for lunch a few weekends ago and enjoyed what we had. The little guy enjoyed some spring rolls too. Everything was fresh and the service was quick and polite. Prices were reasonable. Luckily for us we walked over and did not need to park. I am not sure if they have their own lot, but you should be able to find something on the street with a couple minutes of searching or luck. read more

Taste: 2/5 The eggs rolls were very good. The spring rolls were small, and only two came with one order (which would've been fine if they were normal size). The spring rolls were too dried out as well. The pho was terrible because the broth was bland and the noodles were super bloated. The vermicelli noodles were also bloated but the flavor was not bad (small portion though). Many of the items were super... "American" and not authentic. My guests ate a stir fry lo mien type dish and the beef stir fry and they were mediocre (and crazy amounts of onions). Presentation/Ambience: Food was not presented well but not dirty. The ambience was nice. The decor is very nice 4/5. Service: 2/5 (Average; not rude but slow). Temperature: 4/5 Value: 1/5 Overpriced. $9 for a small and $10 for a large (normally a medium at the pho place we go to in Gardena). Overall, I'd only go here for the appetizers... I rather take the drive out to Gardena to get authentic pho. It is a very Americanized/over-priced vietnamese restaurant. The owners may be new to the restaurant business. They lacked attention to detail. For instance, no place to put tip on the bill, no individual plates to eat off of when eating your appetizers, forgetting to give utensils, not taking barcodes off the plates, and plastic wrap off of the coconut drinks. I'm disappointed because I really wanted a good vietnamese restaurant to go to nearby. Okay for the locals but not a restaurant for a foodie. Update: Angry comment left by the owner: FYI: don't compare Gardena to El Segundo buddy. We have million dollar homes coming compared to 400k. What that means: our rent is higher. We are sorry we can't offer u $5-6 dollar pho bowls. It's called cost of living. Will not be coming back due to this comment. He also left terribly rude comments to my husband. Disappointing considering I know many families in El Segundo as a teacher. Average pho places are about $8-9 for a large but usually with hefty portions. I stand by my review but I update service as 1/5 for the harassment. This is not how you gain customers. What a pho nightmare. read more

This quaint little pho restaurant is perfect for a lowkey date night. Two large (and I mean LARGE) bowls of pho for $22, you can't beat it. Plenty of meat and noodles to fill the bowl as well. Easy to take the second half home for lunch the next day. Very friendly staff who make the experience enjoyable as well. Becoming our regular spot for pho. read more

This review is soley based on Customer Service. I really try to support my local establishments. But it goes both ways. I walk in to pick up an order today. No acknowledgement. At least 3 workers right in front of me at the counter. A lady working does everything to not make eye contact. No, "I'll be right with you" or anything. I'm pretty much made to feel invisible. Finally, after about 5 minutes of me standing there. She just points at me without saying anything. Really? I guess I need to keep going to Lawndale for my Pho cravings. read more

2 stars as this is their first day. Otherwise 1 star. Some confusion is expected and I really wanted to welcome them to the neighborhood. First, my wife ordered what she thought were Vietnamese crepes. They weren't what she expected and did not look appetizing enough to try. They looked like slices of spam. They were good about it and took it back. She then also ordered Pho. My Pho came. First thing I noticed was the broth wasn't super hot. Usually it is to accommodate the additional peppers, mint, sprouts, etc. No biggie. The huge disappointment was the broth. I've never tasted anything so bland. Tasteless. No amount of hot sauce, hoi sin, chili could save it. It did highlight how important broth is to Pho! Everything in the bowl was tasteless. This guy asked us how it was. I struggled to not to insult them on their first day. He pressed and I told him. I also told him I felt bad being honest about it. The fellow explained there were too many chiefs and not enough Indians to make things run smoothly. It didn't explain the most tasteless pho ever. Imagine tasting plain noodles in water. That was how it tasted. I felt bad telling him why I wasn't eating it. My wife couldn't eat hers as well. I asked for the check as a courtesy, expecting them to take them off the bill.(we ordered nothing else). Any other restaurant would have taken them off the check. I certainly didn't expect them to charge for this mess. While I never send a plate back, this time I would have, but I felt bad for them on their first day. They charged us full boat for these dishes too lousy to eat. I mentioned he was charging us anyway? Yes. I did mention we were off to find somewhere to eat. Of course we won't return. Not a prayer. read more

TL;DR - Mediocre pho. Slow service, but friendly. Like many have said, the pho isn't very good here. The broth doesn't have much of a taste; it's watery and bland. The portions are also a bit small compared to other pho restaurants, especially for the price. At most places, $7 gets you a large or extra large bowl. Here, there's only two sizes and the large is $10, which is more comparable to a small at other restaurants. The staff is very friendly, but a bit slow and disorganized. I'm gonna chalk this up to them being a new restaurant. If you're in El Segundo and want pho, then I guess there's not much of a choice. If you're willing to drive a bit, then I highly recommend Saigon Dish in Lawndale. It is probably the best pho I've had in the South Bay. I hope the owner and staff read these reviews and improve the dishes, otherwise the restaurant might be short-lived. Edit: The owner decided to respond through a compliment ----------- For your review of: Pho Dreams FYI: pho is subtle aroma and flavor buddy. We certainly shall take your input, but realize that the most places offer you something you may not understand. 5-10lbs of bones for 100 liter pot. The ultra flavor comes from sticks of butter and plenty of MSG. They will deny it obviously. But think about it: the broth is just beef bones, cinnamon, fish sauce, black pepper....in a huge pot. The flavored are subtle till msg and sticks of butter are added. MSG causes cancer. Surprised???? ----------- Whatever the case may be, you should probably offer something your customers would want. I've never heard of a proper pho broth being subtle or flavorless. Regardless, most Americans probably want a more flavorful broth, so your dishes should probably be tuned to your locale. Side note about MSG: do some research before claiming it causes cancer. It has largely been debunked by most scientists and researchers. The FDA has a GRAS designation for it. It's a substance that's prevalent in nature. read more

Pho Dreams is all right as a neighborhood pho place, the only one in El Segundo. The pho is good, though not really any better than a bunch of other places I've been to in town. Prices are a touch higher, maybe a dollar or so, compared to other neighborhoods with lower rents so that's understandable. Service is always cheerful and generally fast enough. They have a full, typical Vietnamese menu including lots of types of meat in pho, bun, banh mi, etc, so there's basically something for everyone in a group. My friends like it quite a bit so I do return here frequently enough - I suppose that says something. read more

Yummy!! So happy to have these beautiful clean flavors here. Bun (vermicelli noodles) was great and very fresh. I walk by a lot and smell their meat grilling out back. It's intoxicating! Looking forward to when they decide to add banh mi to the menu. read more

The pho is extremely average to below average. The service is way below standard. The restaurant literally had only 1 other table occupied but she wouldn't let me sit somewhere else (I didn't want to sit in my table because it was right by the door with the door open and I was cold). She said I couldn't sit somewhere else "because it sits 4" and I was by myself. Did I mention the restaurant was near empty?! I suggest don't come here and go to either Saigon Dish or Pho Show for pho instead. Both have AMAZING pho and are 10 minutes away. read more

I can't believe there is a Pho place in LA that serves horrible pho and has horrible service. We had found this place via Yelp since it was near LAX before our flight. My party and I arrived but had trouble finding parking. We were seated immediately and orders were placed. We all ordered pho but they messed on 2 of our orders. The broth is heavily sweet and not savory. Adding the basil leaves didn't help much. On top of that service was not be found. These teen waiters here just sit on their phones not paying attention to their customers. And after reading other yelpers recents reviews it is a must pass on this place. read more

They make your food faster than McDonald's can give you a big mac. So if you're in a rush and need your Pho, then go here. However, it's not the best tasting Vietnamese food. I had their main vermicelli meat dish and nothing tasted very fresh to me. I wouldn't take a date here, but if I needed Pho and was in El Segundo, I'd go here by default. read more

Vegetables were not fresh. Nice place though, a bit pricey for their shakes $5 for avocado.

Decided to try their pho and it was comparable to others. Delicious veggies and iced green tea (can have free refills with this drink, just ask)! Had the delicious shrimp spring rolls but the wrapper was too rubbery. Not sure if that's an indication of freshness. Also the peanut sauce looked different compared to other restaurants but tastes good! I recommend and will return! read more

Pho Dreams - You get 2 shrimp spring rolls with one order. - Vietnamese Near Me - El Segundo, California

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Came in for my lunch break and was seated right away. Service was quick and efficient. Ordered a small shrimp pho which was delicious. Wish it had more noodles, but it was a decent amount for my lunch (I'm fairly small). I'd also suggest the cooks to peel the entire skin off the shrimp to make things less messy when eating. Overall good experience and I will be returning. Took a Vietnamese iced coffee to go as well! Tasty. Was in and out fairly quick, but didn't feel rushed to have my meal. read more

Good pho with flavorful broth. Great option for lunch The Thai iced tea is ok but not the best. Prices are good, egg rolls are great.

Nice portions and great food presentation. Area is very clean and Friendly. Food was flavorful and filling. Would come back for sure. read more

Pho Dreams - Chicken papaya salad. - Vietnamese Near Me - El Segundo, California

Just so horrible the food is ok. But the service is so bad it's the worst service Iv ever had. Just rude is a nice way to put it. After coming here 4 times I decided NO MORE!!! I honestly can't believe this place is still in business. This is my first bad review and I hate writing it but people just need be treated better then this place treats their customers. I asked for a fork once and I got the most nastiest glare ever. read more

Stumbled upon this place when in the area. Got some beef pho to-go. Was super great and easy for a lunch pick-up! Highly recommend

Just another pho place. Nothing special by any means. I don't think it's a place I would return to. Food was okay -- I got the pho dreams special.. I think that's what it's called, broth was good But then I had the worst stomach ache afterwards. Also for the fried shrimp. Tiniest dish I have ever seen. Not worth it at all. Service is below average. read more

Had take out here once and ate her once. 3 stars is the average for both occasions. When I ate here, my friend and I ordered the chicken pho and veggie pho in beef both. Both were delicious! I was a huge fan of the chicken pho. The inside is warm, not too fancy and reminds me of eating at home. Great fast service too! Take out didn't take too long either but my boyfriend and I ordered the wrong things: fried lemon grass tofu with veggies and rice: it seemed like a vegetarian steak gone dry, was not a fan Veggie stir fry with rice noodles: also not a fan, lots of veggies and tofu was tasty but overall the noodles were a little bland for my taste Bun with pork and shrimp roll: I've had better but this was the favorite of the 3 dishes that we ordered take out. Wish the noodles had more veggies and the meat was more flavorful. I'd recommend sticking to the pho here. It's great that's actually in el segundo as there's not many vietnamese places in the southbay. read more

I love their vegan pho, loaded with veggies and tofu it's almost a whole meal before you even get to the noodles. They have authentic Vietnamese beer too! read more

My friend and I came here the third day they were open, at around 2 or 3 pm for a late lunch. The owner was super friendly and apologetic for the disorganization but honestly, I didn't see any. He explained that the name of the restaurant came from his wife, as it has always been her dream to open a Vietnamese restaurant. We sat outside and ordered some of the best pho we both have ever tasted. She's half Malay and has dined all over the world, and I've had pho in Boston, NYC, Denver, Salt Lake City, and Perth. The broth was really excellent and the owner gave us an extra special kind of mint to put in on top of the other veggies. We lingered chatting delightedly over the food and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The price I thought was very reasonable and service was quick. Edited to remember: Right! For my drink I had an actual coconut. I drank the chilled coconut water and then ate the coconut. God that was good. I wish I can return soon but alas, I was only visiting the area. Next time I come to LA I'll be there. read more

Probably the worst pho I've ever had - rare beef with meatballs the meatballs and beef were great but the meatballs were a joke - maybe one and a half meatballs cut into tiny pieces - I'm used to several in a large order but at least they were tasty. The broth on it's own was also perfect - not too watery or salty, but the ruiner of all things was the noodles. They looked perfect enough but one bite and they were raw (is that the right word?) Insert the correct terminology for tough and not easily chewable - I'm not sure what went wrong but they were not right. Not even letting them steep in the hot broth made them easier to eat. That left me picking out meat and sipping on the broth around the noodles. Please don't get me started on the sad limp sprouts and mint. I'm also docking a star for the sad excuse for shrimp spring rolls. Tons of lettuce and mint with the tiniest of shrimp and no seasoning to be had - drowning it in the (I'll admit excellent) peanut sauce didn't help. Just bland. I took three bites and threw them out. read more

I've had Pho before, but was impressed by the sweet tasting broth at Pho Dreams. The waiter explained the 8-hour soup making process and ingredients they add for this unique flavor. I liked that they gave us a pamphlet showing the herbs and their functions in the dishes. My wife sampled the basic pho with steak, while I braved the spicy soup with larger noodles. They served us the traditional additions to add to the broth (sprouts, cabbage, peppers, etc) and told us how to dip the meat into our desired spices and sauces, which was helpful. My spicy concoction caused a constant running nose, the only downside to my choice. I also enjoyed the Vietnamese iced coffee-- strong, potent, with just the right amount of sweet. I hope this place grows and lasts. read more