My friend was sorely disappointed, especially since she had told me how good the phö is here. I'll explain why later. I arrived first and was seated immediately and two glasses of water and two menus were brought. So far, so good. First misstep: I asked for separate checks and that isn't what we got. We sorted it, but as I never carry cash I was glad my friend happened to have enough for half. Spring rolls were delicious, just enough crispy goldenness on the outside and the interior brimming with the tiny bits of meat and veg you expect. A small bit of julienned carrots and two bits of iceberg lettuce completed the presentation, along with the vinegar dipping sauce. But the phö was disappointing for a few reasons. First and foremost, there was hardly any meat. My friend said she doesn't like the fatty pieces and removed hers each time she encountered one but I wasn't keeping track, of course. As we finished, I commented that although I didn't expect a LOT of meat, I only got 7-8 thin slices. She said she didn't get any! All she got were a lot of fat gobs and gristle. She also said she has eaten there several times and never had that before. So maybe it was just an off day, but still :( All of the condiment sides (bean sprouts, etc.) were crispy and fresh. She got pickled onion and that was good. But tbh the broth was not very rich. And with so little meat, it really was just ... disappointing. I try to be fair and would give them a second chance, but with so many new places to try, I seldom circle back often. read more

Pho La Cay - Parking lot. Lots of food choices nearby - Vietnamese Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

I always enjoy my experience at Pho La Cay. The pho is consistently good. Delicious broth with a good noodle to meat ratio. The staff is friendly and efficient. Great place to get your pho fix. Cozy and clean restaurant. read more

Coming from Baltimore, this restaurant is far better than any other Vietnamese restaurants I've been to in the city! We ordered pho, phnom penh soup, and beef date soup, loved the broths and toppings, with an affordable price. Service was great (pro tip, thanks to our server, you can get both egg and rice noodle in your soup if you can't make up your mind). Definitely will come back! read more

Pho La Cay - Vietnamese Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

A most pleasant surprise. Chose Pho La Cay from many listed in Yelp. The place was clean, the staff was efficient, and and the food was excellent. read more

My daughter and I love this restaurant. It has become our go to pho restaurant. The broth is so delicious and flavorful while still being beautifully clear. The service is friendly and helpful. It is also beautifully decorated. read more

The service at this place was really good and my pho was pretty tasty. The only reason I am not giving them four solid stars is because of the lackluster peanut sauce and small Summer roll. I make summer rolls at home and the ones I make at home have more ingredients than what they gave us at this place. I would recommend that they rethink how they put together their summer rolls, and add some flavor to their peanut sauce read more

Visited pho la cay for the first time and really liked their pho! Ordered a small pho - their noodle was chewy, perfectly cooked. Broth could've had more depth but was generally satisfied, not watery like some spots. My only thought is their portion was pretty small. The small size pho was really tiny, I expected a little more food for a $12 pho. It was slightly bigger than the size of my fist (see picture). Ended up paying $2.5 for extra noodles - good news is, the portion for extra noodles was very generous. I think they gave me more noodles for the side of noodles order than the small size pho I ordered lol. Also ordered spring rolls, they tasted good but again, on the smaller size. Place was very clean, spacious. Service was great - attentive and fast! Overall pretty satisfied with the visit and I'll definitely be coming back! read more

Pho La Cay - Small pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

This place is so good that it's Friday, so I decided to go back and bring with me some coworkers for some team building lunch. They got a grilled chicken vermicelli, pho with shrimp and chicken, and I got a M1 noodle special. That M1 is amazing!! It had everything yummy in a bowl: crispy pork crackling, shrimp pancake, fresh shrimps, pork slices m, rice noodles m, crispy garlic chips in a savory delicious broth. We also got some spring rolls. Everything was amazing, the food and service super stellar! We can't wait to go back! read more

See all

I got take out from Pho La Cay a few weeks ago and I can still remember how flavorful and crispy that roasted quail appetizer was. You see it and you think it's small, but it is really packed full of flavor in every little bite and I was pleasantly surprised. The lime juice that came with it was totally unnecessary in my opinion. The summer rolls were standard but good and came with a nice peanut dipping sauce. The Stir Fried Rice Noodles Combination was yummy - hard to go wrong with fried noodles. Not mind blowing but good flavors, easy to eat, comfort food. The spicy papaya salad was interesting! I normally get more of a sweet version of this, but spicy is not bad. Initially it was a little weird but it grew on me the more I ate it. The grilled shrimp on top was pretty hearty. Overall, I enjoyed the food here and would come back again! read more

Pho La Cay - Crispy quail appetizer - Vietnamese Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

See all

Wonderful extensive menu full of delicious foods. I had takeout once before but today was my first time eating in. It was a popular place for lunch but our meals came out very quickly. We shared a spring roll appetizer and I had a chicken curry and sweet potato vermicelli dish. It wasn't very spicy but it was very delicious. My friend had the pho and loved the broth. Very tasty! Service was good and speedy! We will be back. read more

See all

Great food with delicious flavors! The vermicelli bowl didn't have much noodles but had plenty of pork which was flavored well, and the pho had great broth. The space is clean and the servers were attentive. Def will be back! read more

Pho La Cay - Small pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

See all

Came here on a Saturday night for dinner with friends. I heard this place had the best pho for the area. Pho La Cay: the best broth ever. It is a bit spicy but I still added Sriracha in mine while eating. Super flavorful. P4: this broth was flavorful as well. Not sure i'd say it's the best pho I've had but it was good. They give a good amount of sprouts and jalapeños to add to your soup. Decent serving sizes and prices. Service was okay. read more

Pho La Cay - Pho La Cay - Vietnamese Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

See all

Lovely inside with nice decor. We were seated and got our drinks quickly. Ordered 2 apps and pho and all came out in a timely manner as well. The quail app was really crispy and had a lot of flavor. I loved it and would order again. The Summer rolls were a bit small but they were filling and pretty good. I got a large bowl of pho. Broth tasted like it had been cooked for hours and it was plentiful. Service is good and pricing is about right. Lots of parking and it's not on the main road but located in the back behind buildings so there's some privacy. read more

See all

This relatively new pho place is located inside a newish shopping center in Columbia. Everything we ordered was Super delicious with great service. Both the regular beef broth and spicy broth was very tasty. And Lots of parking. Very convenient. read more

See all

No wait time to seat if you're there before dinner time. The wait time after you order depends on what food you're choosing that time. Our order this time: Pho Tai, large, as delicious as always with fresh ingredients all are perfect in bowl. Rice dishes: R1, crispy fried chicken with tomato rice and ginger sauce: the chicken is truly crispy and crunchy skin and the ginger sauce is differently delicious. Stir Fried Noodles MX1, crispy noodles with seafood, meatballs and vegetables topping. This is always our favorite, the noodles stay crispy and very light while you're eating them. Ask for liquid pepper or spicy oil to eat with all, especially the fried chicken and the noodles. *I always bring my own hot peppers, fresh and raw, to eat with soup or any dishes, but this time I forgot so the owner offer the liquid pepper. The liquid pepper taste hot and spicy, perfect for the food. 5 Stars for food and service. 5 Stars for seating spacing experience, if it's not too crowded they will let you seat with great distances, but we never there when it's too too crowded. read more

Pho La Cay - R1 - Vietnamese Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

See all

My boyfriend and I tried this place after our favorite pho restaurant closed. Safe to say that this one is our new favorite! The broth was flavorful, portions were big, and the meat was high quality. I'd recommend coming here! read more

The high rating is just surprising because this place is a miss for pho. I got a small P4 and it was quite small. Barely any meat or noodles. The broth was just salty and lacked depth and richness. I have never not enjoyed a bowl until now. read more

Pho La Cay - Vietnamese Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

The first moment I felt a serious chill in the air, I knew I needed some pho. I decided to try Pho La Cay because it isn't far from home and I also wanted to try a place that was new to me. When I arrived, I was able to choose a table that I wanted to sit at. I ordered the summer rolls without the pork and a bowl of pho. The summer rolls were just okay. They didn't have much flavor without the peanut dipping sauce. The pho, however, was delicious and just what I needed on a chilly day. The service was good here as well. I don't have any complaints. I'll definitely be back for my pho fix or to try different items on the menu. read more

Pho La Cay - Summer rolls - Vietnamese Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

See all

TLDR: After a few years being closed due to the nearby gas line explosion and Covid, Pho La Cay is back and better than ever! Superlative pho both with both traditional and non traditional accompaniments. Banh mi sandos are also not to be missed. Service is always fast and friendly. Vibe: 4/5. Simple, clean restaurant with several 2 tops comfortably spaced out around the room. I have been here on several occasions at various times and it has never been overly crowded. Service: 5/5. The wait staff are attentive, friendly and quick to get your food out. Food: 5/5. Easily the best pho in the area. The broth is super clean, accenting the subtle hints of star anise, pork umami and fish sauce in each slurp. What really takes these bowls of pho to the next level are the unique toppings available. Besides your standard pho offerings of ribeye, shrimp, and brisket, they make combos utilizing fried shrimp crackers, bbq roast pork, quail eggs and fried shallots just to name a few. They also serve several varieties of banh mis that should not be missed. Proteins include traditional headcheese, lemongrass beef/pork, pork meatball and marinated tofu. All are served on fresh crunchy french baguettes with pate and pickled veggies. read more

Pho La Cay - "M2" seafood/bbq pork pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

See all

I had a hankering for some pho and I did a search online and it looked like Pho La Cay was open so I called to confirm. I was told they reopened yesterday, 5/20/21, after having been closed for over a year due to a gas explosion. When we arrived to the parking lot, we didn't see any signage from afar so my husband thought they relocated. We took a closer look and there is currently only a banner on the window. Masks are currently required and the menu options are currently limited to the appetizers, pho, grilled dishes, and rice dishes. My husband and I both ordered small phos. He ordered the eye-round steak and I ordered brisket and flank. We both agreed that the broth was more flavorful than at other local pho restaurants. We also ordered spring rolls and I ordered an ice coffee. I enjoyed both. I really wanted a taro smoothie today, but it's currently unavailable. Our server said it would probably be another month before it becomes available. Because it was only the second day since they reopened, the restaurant was empty which meant better service for us. Our server was friendly and attentive. She came by and asked if we needed anything and at check out asked how the food was. She was very polite and thanked us for our patronage. Happy to have them back in business and we look forward to making them our pho replacement in the area. read more

See all

Decent pho in the Columbia area! Service was pretty fast considering how busy it was on a rainy day. It definitely hits the spot and the location is pretty clean. Not the best pho in Maryland but does get your craving satisfied read more

Pho La Cay - Vietnamese Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

Hubs and I stopped here on the way to Ellicott City. Showed up on the later side of lunch (after 1), thinking it might be less busy, but we were wrong! Was a bit chaotic, but we landed a table. Hubs and I both ordered the rare beef and flank steak. It was good, not great, but fish sauce and lots of jalapeños made everything better. Service was spotty, as busy as it was. Don't know if I'd go out of my way to come back, but this place was OK. read more

Take out place in a fancy restaurant. Nice Environment. Food was good. I asked for their best and got a crispy chicken with rice. They called it Maryland Chicken, Crispy chicken was good but was missing spice. No extras. You get what you order. read more

See all

Very simply one of the tastiest bowls of pho I have ever eaten. Not sure if this is controversial, but I didn't even add any toppings that I usually would have at any other place. The broth was just delicious by itself and it had enough flavor alone. Next time I'll definitely try some appetizers too read more

Pho La Cay - P4 small - Vietnamese Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

This is my go to Vietnamese food places. Pho, my ideal comfort food plus all the other entree. I have never had a bad meal there. Their Cha Gio and Chim Cut are my two favorite appetizers. Their Pho broth is delightfully flavored. No string MSG taste and not too salty. The meat cut are fresh and vegetables are fresh. Very thankful they survived and re-opened after the mall explosion! read more

I highly recommend their Maryland chicken dish and their banh mi. The chicken was a nice new treat as far as Vietnamese food for me. Crispy and delicious. The tomato rice with their pepper sauce (on the table) was absolutely delicious too. Their Banh mi is crispy with the right amount of meat and perfect amount of veggies. read more

Ambiance was enjoyable, Courteous and Friendly Service, and Food (Beef Stew Noodles) were Great!

A friend and I cane to Pho La Cay to try a new Pho restaurant. We arrived behind two bigger parties 8 & 5). These Asian families were received warmly. When it was our turn, the manager (?) looked at us and rolled his eyes. My friend wanted to check that she ordered the correct rolls. She went to our server and tried to ask him to check. He rolled his eyes at her!! As we were eating, the staff started sweeping around us!! Others started putting chairs on top of the other tables. It was BEFORE 8:30!! We had had it when they put chairs up on the tables directly next to us as we were finishing. So annoying. So disgusting. The food was okay. I've had better pho at other restaurants. We also had beef noodles that tasted too fishy. We love umami, but the fish was too strong for this dish. The servers did not come around to refill water glasses. I had to get up and ask one of the servers. I will not be returning to Phoenix La Cay. If I could give zero stars, I would. read more

Located in a newly renovated location next to pub dog. Plenty of parking. Ordered the pho on this cold day which is puuurrfect. The service was quick like most Vietnamese restaurants. It comes with fresh bean sprouts, jalapeño, basil and limes. Swimming in some water which was not that desirable, wish it was drained more (-1). The pho broth tasted authentic but could have amped up on the traditional spices. The noodles were nicely tender. The meat quantity was a bit skimpy but fresh and tender. I also ordered an iced Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk and this was on point. read more

Great food and customer service! I left with a full stomach. Definitely a great spot to grab a quick bite before continuing the day.

Excellent Pho broth. The best I've tasted in a long time. Attentive service too. The serving sizes were smaller but packed an outsized punch as far as quality and taste. So you're left feeling happily full vs stuffed but curiously unsatisfied. read more

Best pho in the area! Easy take out experience and the pho and accoutrements were packaged individually. Love the attention to detail and the toppings were bountiful and great quality. The Pho La Cay with spicy broth was SO good. Great heat level and the accoutrements were so fresh. The regular portion was quite filling. The spring rolls were also hot and crispy. Looking forward to my next visit! read more

Smallest pork chop I've ever seen save your money. They should be ashamed to call themselves Vietnamese restaurant. Never again. read more

Pho La Cay - Two bites into my pork chop was the smallest piece I've ever seen. Save your money. - Vietnamese Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

Authentic Pho! Hands down some of the best broth outside of nyc! We tried the P3 & P4, and the B2. The grilled pork was plentiful and delicious. I highly recommend the grub here as recommended by my brother. The restaurant itself is located in a quiet strip mall with ample parking. Clean inside with lots of tables. We ordered to go and the broth was scalding hot when we returned home, always a good sign. read more

It was ok. The papaya salad wasn't my favorite. It could use more of flavor. The summer roll was bland and missing something. It wasn't terrible just wasn't as tasty as my other go to restaurants for Vietnamese/asian cuisine. The people and service was really nice though. They were super friendly! read more

I found this restaurant on Yelp while in Columbia and wanted a vermicelli bowl. It's in the Stanford complex at the end near a few other restaurants. The restaurant was nicely decorated and staff were super friendly! I learned that the owner uses recipes from his parents, grandparents- family recipes. I ordered a Bahn Mi Sandwich and a combination bowl with pork,beef, and an egg roll. Bowl: The meat had so much flavor and the sauce was perfect. Sandwich: Came with a small dipping bowl of veg broth that was so flavorful and rich! I am sure their soup is amazing! Meat was well seasoned -wish it had a little more meat but very delicious ! My server, Karen, was from our area and went to same high school. She was so helpful and shared a bit about how this restaurant began and about her dad using his family recipes. A must visit if your in the area!! read more

Pho La Cay - General sitting area - Vietnamese Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

Bland, Bland, Bland. The must do well Crispy rolls were soggy on the inside and Bland. The G1 bbq was uninspired, cold and bland on spongy, tasteless cold rice. Never going back. read more

The food was delicious and true to Vietnamese cuisine! The wait staff were helpful and attentive. Prices for apps were very high, the cost was my only concern. read more

Best Pho in Columbia, MD! I got a Pho #8 Large. The broth is a sweeter than the others, and great on its own. The contents plentiful. For those who like to sauce their pho, in addition to hoisin sauce and siracha, they have a chili garlic sauce too. The bahn mi here are cheaper in price, but you get what you pay for. A little light on the protein. read more

Pho La Cay - Outside - Vietnamese Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

Pho La Cay has good food and service. The portions are fitting and the price is good. I came here for dinner and decided to get a vermicelli bowl and spring rolls. I'm a huge fan of Vietnamese springs rolls; they're one of my favorites. I typically get an order as an appetizer and then get an extra order to eat with my vermicelli bowl. I was elated to see there was an option that came as a combo that offered 3 options for a bowl. A choice of pork, beef, chicken or spring rolls. My go to is pork so I asked for pork and spring rolls. The waiter said I can double up on one so I decided to double up on the spring rolls. My meal was highly enjoyable. The pork was delicious and the spring rolls were on point. I typically ask for extra fish sauce, however the portion wasn't as big as I normally see which wasn't an issue. I was able to finish my bowl in the one sitting. The restaurant vibe was cool. The food came out in a good time. I was actually impressed the appetizer came out and by the time I was done with that; my main course came out. [chefs kiss]. read more

See all