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    Pho La Jolla

    3.1 (1.2k reviews)
    Closed 10:00 am - 11:00 pm

    Order Pho La Jolla Takeout or Delivery

    Pho La Jolla Photos

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    PHO LA JOLLA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Pho La Jolla

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    Bernadette S.

    Our friend was staying nearby and didnt have much time, so we decided to meet here since it was a block away from their lodging. It wasn't bad. But it wasn't that good either. Im not sure if it was just an off day, because while we were eating, they had a steady amount of customers doing take out and quite a few people dining in. Got the #3 and the broth was just so so. Also got a grilled pork banh mi and that was just so so as well. The pork was chewy and the "house sauce spread" looked like mayonnaise. The staff were really nice. Lots of seating inside. Unfortunately i don't think we would return here.

    Karishma H.

    SoOoo Good Pho Real! The service so very good! Prices are great! Food quality is extremely excellent!! I'd recommend swinging by here if you're in the area! Restaurant is very clean and kept well!

    Sarah K.

    If you're looking for authentic vietnamese food, this isn't the spot you're looking for. we got the bun bo hue and filet mignon skillet. The bun bo hue did not taste like bun bo hue. it kind of tasted like watered down broth with chili oil. we got it with rare steak and tendon and the rare steak had a funny taste to it. they also only gave us 2 pieces of tendon. it was really disappointing so if you are someone who loves vietnamese food, you will be very disappointed. the filet mignon skillet was questionable. there was no pate and the seasoning was not authentic. it was also a really small portion for the price. if you're in a pinch or looking for late night food, maybe this could be for you. but don't expect anything authentic or flavorful

    1. Pho Special Combination
    Wendy A.

    Cute little pho spot next to the Sheraton La Jolla. It's not busy so there was plenty of space. They provided water in a tall metal cup and the pho came out very quickly. I would say it's pretty good but nothing to write home about.

    Deluxe F2 Fried Rice - Special Combination
    allison r.

    Came here with my family after the aka Jolla Symphony. It was 430pm so the place was practically empty and parking was super easy. We ordered 15. Bún Bò Huế, two 7. Rare Steak & Beef Meatballs, the 14. Tom Yum & Veggie Soup and the Deluxe Fried Rice with Shrimp. All the food came out quick and hot with all the sides. Everything was DELICIOUS! I would highly recommend!

    Sunny S.

    Food was pretty tasty. Their combination spring rolls were delicious. Service was self ordering on iPad and food brought to you. When paying they start with 22% tip, I was tricked paying that as there is not much of a service being provided that justify 22%.

    Matty A.

    My sister and I recently visited Pho La Jolla--it's become a cherished tradition to get Vietnamese food either right before or after she flies out of San Diego, and this is officially our new go-to spot! This restaurant truly is a cultural icon in La Jolla, serving absolutely phenomenal, high-quality Vietnamese cuisine. We were lucky enough to meet the owner, Tammy, and her husband, and sitting next to them and hearing about their 17 years of building this successful, fantastic business was such a highlight. We took their suggestions on food, and everything was fantastic! From the crispy fried spring rolls and refreshing fresh spring rolls to the perfectly seasoned wings and the truly amazing rib pho, every dish was a winner. It was all seasoned and cooked to perfection. Thank you, Tammy and husband, for the incredible hospitality and the wonderful food. We can't wait to come back. Everyone must try this place--it's more than just a restaurant; it's a staple of the community!

    Top is special pho, bottom is bun Bo hue

    Ok, so there are many mixed reviews about this place on all the platforms. Let me break it down for you: If you are American, or you are living near UCSD with no car and you need a Vietnamese fix: This is the not bad and probably the best for you, while having the pho fl. If you are Viet, or you have a car: This is not the place. Lower your expectations. The bun Bo hue had no pork blood, and the special pho had no meatballs. The flavor was pretty watered down, yet had the herby taste. You can decide if it is worth going.

    Suite front
    Emmett T.

    Pho La Jolla is another one of the student-oriented businesses in the Villa La Jolla Plaza south of the UCSD campus. They close at 10 pm every day which is conducive for the night owls. If you come in the evening, then open parking spaces are likely, but forget about it during daylight hours. The seating capacity in the dining room was sufficient for around 60 customers. A limited time menu card along with a two-sided laminated menu sheet was placed at each table. Noodle salads (bun), fried rice, egg noodles, and beverages were listed on one side. The other side displayed the pho, appetizers, steamed rice, and banh mi sandwiches. The weather has cooled off considerably so on this evening I selected one of the 17 bowls of pho which was a Seafood mix of fishcake, fishball, squid, and shrimp. A standard platter of garnishments (basil, bean sprouts, jalapenos, lime) was provided on the side. My bowl took about 15 minutes to prepare which seemed long considering only two other parties were seated. The traditional rice noodles were clumped in the middle of the broth which was not appealing. There were two pieces of each seafood item. The broth didn't have a depth of flavor like other Viet joints in the Convoy District or Little Saigon. Prices were $16.95 and up for all of the pho varieties that contained a protein. That seemed high especially if the primary customer base is the campus residents. I gave three stars for the quality and price of my food at Pho La Jolla.

    brisket pho
    Fumie W.

    so happy they let me order brisket pho, although it's not on the menu. the pho is pretty simple, which met my cravings for a nearby pho spot. i think this is one of the only pho spots in UTC/la jolla. pho comes out fast.

    Sofie P.

    Le Tran + Thinh Tran: we had had about 20 people come and everyone thought it was absolutely phenomenal. The restaurant was nice with great ambiance, the food was out of the world, and the service was amazing. We ordered Bun Rep, Pho Suon Bo, Pho Ga, Fried Chicken, and more. The coffee and boba that they had were also very delicious. 10/10 highly recommend!!

    Rare and well cooked steak pho.
    Francisco D.

    Pho La Jolla is located down the street from UCSD. It might be the closest pho shop to the college campus students. I remember it used to be the pho shop all us students went to back in college. Its been many years since I ate here, so I decided to stop by and try it out. Oh gosh is it awful. So so awful... I wanted a shrimp and pork spring roll for an appetizer. Nope, they didn't have it. I looked around the menu and noticed many other dishes were missing. Ok... So i went right tonordering the rare and well done steak pho. The soup was barely hot enough to coook the steak. Still had a lot of red showing. The broth was tasteless and the pho, stiff. Not much to say about the staff and service. Not much to comment about the restaurant atmosphere. Its get in, eat bad pho, and out you go... Pretty bad...

    Zuli M.

    Can be busy during lunch time but service is always good. Food is good. I wouldn't go out of my way to eat here but if I'm in the mood for pho and close by, I will definitely stop by.

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    2 years ago

    Broth was delicious! Definitely will come again. I love the friendly environment and delicious pho.

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    Thysy T.

    Thank you for the review. Hope to see you again soon!

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    2 years ago

    Great Pho. Reasonable prices. Tables clean. Staff very nice and pleasant. Been here multiple times. Very consistent!

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    Thysy T.

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    2 years ago

    It is a watered down version of the Vietnamese foods catering to La Jolla population. I'm not going to come back here again.

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    8 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    Thysy T.

    Thanks for the review! Hope to see you back here soon.

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    4 years ago

    Will not be going here again, chicken in the soup was super dry rubbery like it was a week old, poor quality

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    4 years ago

    This place really fell off. More expensive and worse food now. Bad service, they need more help in the kitchen and for cleaning.

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    Page 5 of 30

    Pho La Jolla Reviews in Other Languages

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    4.0
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    TLDR: It's good ramen at a respectable price. I think they understand what people want in ramen,…read morethe items outside of ramen, and what they're willing to pay for. Tantanmen: As a person who isn't a big tantanmen fan, I was shocked that I enjoyed this. The spice level was tolerable, and the saltiness level was okay, until you get to the bottom 3rd of the bowl. You get good portions and meat to noodle ratio, so it's worth it. Tonkotsu Ajitama: Creamy with a touch of saltiness. I love a good tonkotsu ramen, and I think this is a good introduction to tonkotsu. I'm glad that they have a bunch of options so people can customize how they want their tonkotsu ramen. Pork Paiko: It's not a katsu, but it gives that vibe. I think this is a good thing to pair with the ramen. I think the vibe is different enough from the chashu, where it's worth ordering. Chicken Paiko: it's chicken katsu with a different vibe. The batter has more body and is a different vibe compared to their fried chicken (karaage). Although I think the pork paiko is better, people who prefer chicken can rest easy knowing this is good as well. Fried Gyoza: I don't know what to say. It's a fried dumpling. It's not remarkable enough to be considered amazing, but it wasn't bad either. The good kind of average in general. Fried Chicken: It's a decent fried chicken at a good size. I just hope they can maintain the size, since many establishments have a hard time maintaining chicken quality after a while. Service: You pay first before being seated, and most of the stuff is self-service, so the interaction is really just when ordering and when they drop off the food. Ambiance: Classic ramen shop. Well lit, smells good, and located in an upscale mall.

    Looking for a great spot for Michelin star ramen you come to Menya Ultra. The location here is nice…read moreand the staff very friendly. You do pay for parking but there's lots to do at the Mall. Today I had the spicy miso ramen and the okonomiyaki fries. Everything was good. Ramen is spicy but not overly. Great place to meet up with friends. There's plenty of seating inside & out. Came on a Saturday afternoon and surprisingly we got a seat inside. Lots of options for appetizers and noodles. Prices are pretty reasonable. Also Bonus, Costco has the gift cards for sale. Enjoy!

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    Mendocino Farms

    Mendocino Farms

    4.2
    (965 reviews)
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    After my appointment at the Veteran Affairs we passed by here at Mendocino Farm La Jolla…read more Our first time here so we just picked which one looks good and sounds good on the menu board. We picked PERUVIAN STEAK SANDWICH, a seared steak tossed in Spicy aji amarillo sauce, then their CHIMICHURRI STEAK BACON; it's a seared steak and applewood-smoked bacon, and also got their SMOKEY BBQ BRIOCHE SANDWICH , this one is a smoke Pork burnt ends with BBQ sauce. Every sandwich we had tasted good, but i like the most the Chimichurri Steak & Bacon, it's more to my palate, not too sweet or not too spicy. Service was quick our sandwiches were done quickly, plenty of staff go around checking the tables and greeting the customers. Parking is easy, with lots of spaces.

    I ordered take-out at 9:00 a.m. to be picked up at 11:45 a.m. The order was for 10 people, and I…read morewas bringing it directly to a business meeting. When I arrived at 11:45 a.m., the take-out counter was packed, several people deep. The woman from the counter came over to check on me and let me know that my order was in line but would take about 20 minutes. I let her know that I had arrived on time for the order I placed, but unfortunately, they were slammed and running behind, so all I could do was wait. My order ended up not being ready until 12:30 p.m., which made me extremely late to the business meeting. I will say the staff was working hard in a tough situation, especially with so many orders and people disappointed by the wait times. However, the system is clearly not well-equipped for specific order times and high volumes. I do not recommend ordering from here for time-sensitive lunches. If you do, pre-order for an earlier time and be prepared to wait.

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    Sipz - Clairemont

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    Here for work from NJ and bookmarked this place for the plethora of vegetarian options…read more A friend and I were the first ones in and after deciding on a few dishes to try, the friendly staff were more happy to answer questions. Firstly- the portions are huge! Salt and Pepper Tofu - Crispy chunks of tofu and broccoli with lots of flavor. This is a dry dish so the tofu stays crispy all through. Mongolian Crispy "Beef" - Amazing umami flavor. I got halfway through eating top to bottom before I realized the crispy short rice noodles were at the bottom! Advice: Mix it as you get it before eating. As we were finishing what we could of the meal we could smell fresh baked goods. I went to get a box for leftovers from the back counter and saw trays of fresh baked cookies on the counter. Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin, and the one that had my attention- Funfetti with an Oreo in the middle! When I asked if they had any ready up front they insisted I have one of the hot fresh ones out the oven! No pic of the cookie, it didn't make it far! Wish we had places like this near me in NJ.

    Large vegan menu. Ordered & definitely recommend the delicious refreshing Lychee slushy & a big…read moreslice of Ube Coconut cake- yum! Also had Pad Thai, large bowl, very eye appealing, good with slightly chewy vegan Chick'n strips. Too many large chunks of onion for my taste as I'm not an onion fan, I prefer mild scallions on mine. My personal preference, if I order again I'd order without. A nice filling lunch, Took 1/2 to go. Good selection of individually packaged vegan sliced desserts in front pastry case ready to go. Fast service easy parking.

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    Counter area
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    Mongolian Hot Pot

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    Second time in SD and was really feeling hot pot. Stumbled across this spot and it did not…read moredisappoint! Their broth, meats, sauces, sides were all on point and we ended up eating like 7 orders. 6 of which were mine lol The staff are also really helpful and check back on you at a good pace. Restaurant is also super clean with positive vibes all throughout. Definitely will be back

    I've been to Mongolian hot pot before years ago with my kids and ex-husband, and it was always a…read moregreat experience--even with a mix of different tastes and diets at the table. Going back recently with my oldest son (now 24) brought back that same energy, but honestly, it was even better than I remembered. At first, I'll admit the price--around $40 per person--felt a little high to me, especially as someone who's vegan. I assumed this would be more of a "meat-lover's spot," but I was completely wrong. The vegan options were abundant, fresh, and incredibly satisfying. I left absolutely stuffed. While you're waiting, there's a self-serve bar with salads, sauces, and add-ons. The cucumber salad stood out immediately--so unique and flavorful that I went back for seconds. The wood ear mushroom salad was another surprise favorite. On top of that, there's a wide variety of sauces you can mix and match, which makes the experience feel really customizable and fun. We each got our own hot pot since I'm vegan and my son isn't, but we still shared some sides. The selection is impressive--tons of vegetables, plenty of plant-based options, and, of course, a wide array of meats for anyone who wants them. It really feels like there's something for everyone. What I love most is the experience itself. It's interactive, relaxed, and a little more personal since you're cooking your food right at the table. I went for lunch this time, but I can already picture coming back for a date night--it feels like the kind of place where you can slow down, connect, and enjoy the process together. Honestly, it might even replace our usual ramen nights.

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    Pho La Jolla - vietnamese - Updated July 2026

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