This place is fucking legit! When I first heard of Pho La Jolla, I thought I was going to roll up to some gawdy place where old ladies were chilling with their poodles (THE KIND THAT WEAR SHOES ON ALL FOURS) and white folks slurping their American pho where the raw steak is replaced with ground beef and the sriracha is substituted with a mixture of Grey Poupon and Heinz ketchup. Thankfully, I was wrong! Besides lacking the jeans and Budweiser shirt wearing waiters, Pho La Jolla is a pretty authentic, hole in the wall (for La Jolla) pho joint. The pho is slightly pricier than normal (I usually pay $4 bucks for my pho), but the location is great for me since I work up here. The selection of dishes is awesome and they even have vegetarian options! I will definitely come back for more lunches here! read more

REALLY LOW QUALITY & DANGEROUS. I have had food poisoning for 2 days now because of their nasty pho, my heart rate is a little concerning because it has been elevated for a several hours now & I keep sweating. STAY AWAY FROM PHO LA JOLLA. I have been nauseas, weak & dizzy for 2 days & can't eat anything after going there. My head is also throbbing. read more

I'm pretty sure this is one of the worst pho places I've ever been to. Not only does the pho taste gross, but they also charge you for EVERYTHING! (besides the water) I think the reason any person would ever want to come here is because he or she is a ucsd student and its in a convenient location next to campus. For me, I'd rather drive a little more and go to pho cadao in miramar or pho sabien in PB. TAKE IT FROM ME PPLZ! dont eat here! the soup is NOT good. It doesn't even taste like real pho. Also, they charge you for sliced onions and cilantro... WHO DOES THAT. foolish mortals. Basically, if you want to pay a lot for food that tastes like poo, then by all means, eat at Pho La Jolla. I really hope this place goes out of business. jeeeesh. im never coming here again. NEVER! PS. the service here sucked too. can this place just get any worse? read more

I'm diggin on this place....Pho-sho yo! The Pho has always been consistant for me, and that's consistant good....It's not as good as Momz, but Pho-sho (I did it again!) I mos def think it's better than the few pho places I've been to in Santee and Mira Mesa not to hate on them though....I've rocked the tripe, rare steak, meatball, and seafood pho's....My friend has had the vegetarian and we've done the egg rolls and always leave the place stoked....I've done take out plenty of times as well and I don't feel skimped anymore or anyless on the grub....Service is aight, the crew is always friendly--butt when it gets busy you can feel the pockets of chaos some, it is what it is, butt all in all i'm diggin on this place for my fix when i'm feenin.... Btw, parking sooooooooooo sucks in that lot....and in the street, and in any possible real estate in the vacinity when it's busy butt that's not w/in their control....After fighting for parking, makes you wanna have a cold beer and a big bowl of....Pho-sho yo! read more

When you're the only pho place in the UTC, I would think you've got a license to print money. This place is packed to the gills and parking in the lot is next to impossible. You can just hit up the village mall and walk over. I'm a big believer that competition drives improvement and this place doesn't have much, hence, the food is really below average. The broken rice and pork chops were just barely edible. The pho was average with a bland broth and shredded noodles. bummer. The spring rolls were a surprise, tasty and crisp. Overall, just go 15 mins down to Mira Mesa and get some real Viet food. read more

Rude staff, actually hung up on me when I called. I wanted to ask simple questions and they LITERALLY hung up the phone. ~ I have eaten here once and will NOT return. ~ Overpriced for a salty version of what they are trying to market. Meat is NOT fresh and obviously re-heated. read more

"Meh. I've experienced better." describes this place perfectly. If you're going to have pho in the name of your restaurant, you better put out some good pho if you don't want to disappoint your customers. Since Pho La Jolla has no competition in the immediate area, like most places in UTC, it gets away with selling 2nd rate pho to the community. I got the #1 Special, but the title of the dish lies. Soup was not particularly flavorful, and lacks any semblance of richness or meatiness that good pho soup should have. This was obviously NOT made by somebody's mom, which is what good soup should taste like. On the plus side, the bowl is well balanced. The meat was correctly proportioned to amount of noodles and you do get a little bit of each type of meat, but good food is so much more than just proportionally correct main ingredients. In summary: am I full? Yes. Am I satisfied? No. read more

The food are terrible. Service sucks. Drink sucks. First time here and will never come back! Don't come. read more

Pho La Jolla - Vietnamese Near Me - La Jolla, California

Pho in the UTC area? I was a bit dubious at first, but after being turned away once because the place was PACKED, I decided that I wanted to see for myself. ...And it's actually decent pho! I thought it was delicious. As a side note, for those who like/dislike cilantro, they put it in their pho. Yes, it is more expensive (like by $1-2) compared to the places on Convoy, but if you live out here in UTC, it's worth it if you're short on time and gas. Or lazy (like me). =P Sometimes all you want is a bowl of pho. And now I don't have to drive very far to get it. And that makes me feel happy and warm inside. read more

Okie dokie. A lot of strong feelings about this place. My confusion isn't over the fact that this place gets 3 stars...it's over the sheer HATRED expressed by those who don't like it. Anyway, 4 stars is my opinion but I just want to make a few (fairly) objective statements about Pho La Jolla. - The eggrolls are the bomb (whoops, that wasn't objective). - Service is VERY good and quick. - This place is pretty popular. While many may (and do) say that it's because of the close proximity to UCSD, keep in mind that Yummy Maki Yummy Box (3.5 stars on yelp) and the International Market & Grill (4 stars on yelp) are right next door, and those places are never packed the way Pho La Jolla is (at least not in the 30+ times I've been in that area). Do people just have higher standards for Pho? And if so, why do they keep going back? *confused* - The meats are thinly-sliced and don't normally have much (if any) fat on them. I pay very close attention to this since I hate fatty meat and have had to tear off a ton of fat at many of the "authentic" pho joints. - All bowls of pho cost $6 or $7. Use your own judgment as to whether it's overpriced. - I noticed a review further down that asserts that the broth tastes like dishwater soup. After reading that, I went to Pho La Jolla and spooned up some broth from my pho specifically to check the accuracy of that rather bold statement. I can safely say that the broth does NOT taste like dishwater. Maybe not perfect, maybe a little salty, but far from anything even remotely reminiscent of dishwater. In summary, I am a Pho La Jolla fan and admit it freely. Sure, I come here because it's close...but I wouldn't come if I didn't enjoy myself. read more

Very happy that they have vegetarian options. Not too happy with the price. The last time I came here, I got the vegan chicken banh mi and it was really good! Probably one of the best banh mi I've ever had while being a vegetarian (close to 8 years now since I was 14). The vegan chicken was pretty good, and their vegetables were fresh. The service was a little off though. A waiter took our order, and when we got up to pay, the cashier told us the price to something we ordered was different to what we originally thought. It'd be nice if the waiter told us before we order that there would be a price increase for vegan spring rolls (I think it was that...). Other than that, the location is close to campus, and parking isn't so bad. The banh mi was good. I doubt I'll get anything else though. read more

I always come back here because it's convenient and delicious! Their pho bowl is excellent! The broth is flavored to my liking and the noodles are cooked to the right texture. Most of all, there's tons of meat in the #1 and it tastes fresh and delicious. This place is worth it :) read more

I have been waiting over 15 minutes after the manager sat me outside...due to bringing my service dog. I asked for water 3 times before finally getting a glass. Six people were served inside before he came back out. Worst service ever! And the food was a pho-flop read more

This review is only for the bun thit nuong & goi cuon tom.** I came here because it's just a short walk from my hotel and they only offer takeout. It was easy to order, and it was out fast! I was excited to try the bun thit nuong, but it didn't really satisfy me. The ingredients were fresh, but their charbroiled pork didn't have that delicious fresh grill flavor. It had a more sweet marinade. Their goi cuon tom was good and fresh but their peanut sauce did not wow me. It was a little too sour. The gentleman working today was awfully sweet though. read more

If 0 stars was an option, it is what I would select. Worst Pho I have ever had! If you've EVER had Pho before, you will know what a horrible representation of the fantastic Vietnamese dish they serve here. Sadly the ONLY Pho place in UTC, which is why I tried twice, really hoping it would have improved the second time, only to be once again disgusted at having overpaid for a far below-par wanna-be Pho. :( Their salad was also awful, not willing to try more items to dislike... If you are a Pho-lover, be warned! If you have never had Pho, don't ruin it by making this your first place! read more

Affordable, casual, and decently prepared food that is perfect if you're looking for something different. It's a very popular spot judging by how busy they were when I went in for lunch. For what it is, Pho La Jolla is a good place to go if you're in the UCSD area and crave some Vietnamese. read more

Pho La Jolla - Vietnamese Near Me - La Jolla, California

Come here only if you want MSG in a bowl and non-existent service.

Pho La Jolla is one of the very few pho places in the UCSD area. Perfect if you don't have the time to drive to Kearny Mesa or just want a quick snack. Here's a list of notes from the three visits I've had: - menu had selection of appetizers (egg rolls, shrimp rolls, chicken salad), entries (chicken bowls, pho with rare/well-done steak slices, tofu, or just veggie), and dessert (thai tea with boba, bean dessert, jasmine tea) on it - food came in with fresh mint, cilantro, basil, bean sprouts, and sliced chili peppers - pretty filling, good quality, fast service, not the cheapest pho but still reasonable The place is located in a gray-ish commercial building and not the most inviting one, but don't let that bother you. It's hard to find better value in that area! read more

Wow, I can't believe all the negative reviews. I guess that is why I don't rely on Yelp very much, they seem to be way off for me. I love this place! I eat here once a week sometimes more. My favorite dishes are #4, Pho with rare steak and flank, #52 Bun with egg rolls and grilled beef tenderloin and the #87 the grilled beef tenderloin sandwich. The ingredients are all very fresh and the meat is not fatty like many other places. The Vietnamese sandwiches are amazing, they use fresh bread from a French Bakery. I took a co-worker here and he commented that it was the best sandwich he had ever eaten. I have tried many other Pho restaurants in San Diego (haven't been to L.A. so I can't comment) and this place beats all others, even those on Convoy. This is the food to which I compare all new restaurants that I try and I haven't found one that can match. read more

Hmmm...I am full blown Vietnamese and I love this place. I always get the #1 pho here and the #50 vermicelli with grilled chicken and egg rolls. I really like the pho, especially the meats. The meats are really tender and thinly sliced, unlike a lot of other (more authentic) pho joints in clairemont which I find most of the meat too tough and thick. The grilled chicken here is the best IMO. It is so juicy and tender where as most other places the chicken seems dry. The chicken pieces are big and juicy. Love it! Yes it is more expensive here than Mira Mesa and Clairemont but I dont care. It is yummy in my tummy. read more

They deserve zero stars . Every person working in this establishment (all males) is so rude and impatient and not a welcoming environment whatsoever. Wannabe male Latin Rupaul diva attitude servers - really, see for yourself.! It was our first time here and we will never return. The worst service ever.! Every person working there has a bad attitude. There was plenty of seating when we arrived and the server pointed to a specific table for us to sit at and said we must sit there "in the middle". Very meager with basil , jalapeños and sprouts . There was literally 3 slices of jalapeño on the condiment plate and I asked for a side of jalapeños and I got 3 sliced jalapeños on a plate. In the middle of eating the wannabe Rupaulcito brought us our check. Rude AF. That's why you got the skimpy tip - I really wanted to leave zero tip but too classy to do that. Worst experience ever . Avoid at all costs - you've been warned . read more

Once upon a time, I was in love with this place. I came here nearly every weekend for two years, and on cold winter days I would hike all the way down Villa La Jolla on foot to eat here between classes. It was always one Pho, large, with rare steak on the side. Even for a guy it's quite a lot of carbs, but I would always finish it and slurp down at least 2/3 of the broth. It was a love affair of the devastating sort- addictive yet destructive. I would walk into the store full of anticipation, but walk out feeling half-addled with strange mixture of satisfaction and self-loathing. The sodium and MSG left my face bloated, my mouth dry, and my stomach with an unseemly protrusion. I swore time and time again, that this time would be the last time, but it was to no avail- the body wants what the body wants. Then, one summer, I moved away and began spending my weekends in Mira Mesa. I thought nothing could match up to the noodles of Pho La Jolla. I tried several places grudgingly, but on weekdays would still come back to Pho La Jolla, feeling a bit traitorous. That was till the weekend I tried Pho Cow Express. For the first time, I realized that this was what real Pho broth was supposed to taste like- meat. It's suppose to taste like molten, liquified meat, with a rich, full-bodied flavor. Oh, the contrast. Once you've had the best you can never go back. I wish I could say that was how things ended between us, but sometimes I can be a real scumbag and will go crawling back here for the tasty grilled meat entrees or tasty, albeit over-priced, banh-mi (~$6, normally). I wouldn't get the Beef Stew ($8) from here though, the seasonings are way off, and the toppings are sparse. read more

DON'T GO!!!!!!!!!!!!! - Broth has no flavor - They said I couldn't have egg noodle with tendon and tripe since "it's not allowed" - never refilled our water - hair in my noodles - charged me for an extra rice place we didn't order - charged me an EXTRA $1.00 for asking them to not include flank in the flank, tendon, tripe combo.... Uhhh Absolute trash place read more

The Phó Tai was good. I haven't had this good a broth in a while. I live in Austin, Texas and most of the broth is just ok. So I was happy to have a nice clear broth that had tons of flavor. There are a ton of noodles, we had takeout but not enough broth in the takeout bowls. They included chopsticks, but that might have been the DoorDash folk and not the restaurant I'm not sure. The sauce that came with the Phó was also good. Never put chili sauce in my pho before so I was open to try and it was good. It doesn't taste like traditional Phó but it's good and hit the spot. The fresh spring rolls... I'll skip in the future. Also didn't like the sauce. The fried rolls are better. But they had an odd texture. read more

I ate dinner here tonight with friend and fellow Yelp reviewer, Larah M. I once lived in the La Jolla Village apartments located behind this shopping center, but Pho La Jolla wasn't around back then. This was my first time eating here. Immediately upon entering, I noticed two things. First, the restaurant seemed to be doing good business, especially considering the bad weather we had. On a night like tonight, I would think many people would choose to dine in rather than venture out into the rain. Yet, the placed appeared to be 80% full. The second thing I noticed was that a good portion of the diners appeared to be Vietnamese. I took these both to be positive signs. The restaurant had a very simple decor, which I kind of liked. The tables and chairs were plain, and the walls were mostly bare. Larah commented that it was "utilitarian" and I agree. Even the name, Pho La Jolla (what and where), is very utilitarian if you think about it. We shared some egg rolls which I thought were very tasty, if a little on the greasy side. The Pho I ordered was the "number 1". I didn't have time to read what it was, but it was good and filling. I think I enjoyed it more than the Pho at most of the other Vietnamese restaurants I've been to. I noticed some reviewers complained about the prices being high. My pho was $7.50, which seems very reasonable to me. Most of the other dishes were even cheaper. Julia S. wrote that people who like the food here don't know what real Vietnamese food tastes like. She could be right -- I'm no expert on Vietnamese cuisine and I eat Vietnamese only a handful of times a year. Still, I enjoyed my dinner. read more

I have a lot of experience with Vietnamese food and I am rating this balanced because it is difficult to give an equal comparison of all of the various Pho and Vietnamese places that I have been to from one visit and one dish. The dish that I had: seafood noodles were a solid 4. The vegetables were crisp, fresh and crunchy, the flavor was excellent with many seasonings. Service was friendly and attentive with smiles and nice people. I will definitely come back here when I am in the area. Have had better Pho, but it would not be easy to find better at this price. read more

Tried this place out for the first time tonight. I was skeptical at first because of the ratings on here but I honestly don't know what these people are talking about. Pho La Jolla has delicious pho (the broth is amazing), fast and great service. Prices are reasonable. I'm very picky with where I eat pho--usually San Diego has failed me with good pho restaurants--and to know that there is an awesome pho place right next to UCSD is a dream come true haha. Definitely recommend. read more

So this place has changed quite a bit. I got my usual #3 Rare steak, people were nice, finished food, then a little movement caught my eye. It was a roach that decided to pop out of nowhere and scuttle across my freaking table. Ew. Gross. What made it worse? After I jumped from my table and stood there for a few minutes trying to grab someones attention they wanted 1) Proof that I did indeed saw a roach, and 2) Have us pay for the meal... So I told them where the roach was (and it was still there...I swear it flipped me and the waiter off before creeping under the table). The waiter then said, "I guess you will be wanting that check then." I asked him if he was really going to make me pay for a meal after a roach crawled across the table. He looked at me for a minute, went to the back, came out after a few seconds and said no. I feel ill. Damn you little roach. This was the only pho place near by. read more

Hidden around the Rock Bottom, Mobile gas station area. You probably won't stay too long because the seats are very hard and your ass may mold into a square, but that may just help your productivity on a work day, right? As far as the food: We had some soup and a chicken/shrimp combo. The chicken was cooked well and the shrimp were cleaned (don't ask the about the comparisons). The real treat was the soup - #11. It was awesome and I will be back for that meal, which I miss already. You can get it without tripe, which is hard to 'stomach' for gringos new to Vietnamese grub, but you have to try this soup. The service was fast and we had both meals for lunch for around $20. Definitely worth a try. read more

Best pho you can get!!!!!! :) cozy place for a date. I can't get enough of this place!! I always get the veggie pho and it is full of diff types veggies and it's a great portion size. read more

Pho La Jolla - Vietnamese Near Me - La Jolla, California

I am a Pho fanatic. In fact, there's a tacit understanding among my former college roommates that if I had a choice on where to eat for dinner, we were going to get pho. (Half joke Half serious). Pho La Jolla, being the only pho place near UCSD campus, was our go-to spot because we were unwilling to trek to Mira Mesa for better pho. This also meant that Pho La Jolla was satisfactory - - we were willing to eat this rather than drive another 20 minutes (and another 20 minutes back). Pho La Jolla is no different than any other pho places. The broth is average and doesn't have the sweetness of typical pho broths. The meat is also just average. Because we typically took pho to go for dinner so we could watch NBA games at home, the noodles were always clumped up. However, the soup is ALWAYS pipping hot even after we take it home. This is a HUGE plus. Pho La Jolla is also extremely prepared for take out because they have special noodle bowls. Anyway, I don't promise that you'll have a foodgasm here, but if you REALLY need your pho, this isn't the worst place to stop by. read more

Been going there for years since I was a student at UCSD. Over the past 2 years, they started to charge for satay sauce, no other place does that! There's no small portion available, you have to order large only and it's way too much for me to finish. You can tell that they're penny-pinching everything. I will not go back to this place ever. Done with the place. read more

When I'm sick, there's nothing else that provides comfort like pho. Unfortunately, I don't live in a pho restaurant, so the prospect of driving out to Mira Mesa or Convoy (while suffering from a horrible fever, aching muscles, burning sore throat and chest-rattling coughs) is rather unattractive. Pho La Jolla to the rescue! It's only a block away from UCSD, making pho-acquisition a quick and easy trip. The general populace seems to agree that the pho here isn't first rate by a long shot; the servings are small but the prices are inversely proportional :( This generally rings true for most places near UCSD, so it should come as no surprise. The place is clean though, and the service is prompt. Here's a protip for those who are suffering from colds, flus, bronchitis, and excessive thriftiness: order your pho to-go, and they'll give you almost 2x the amount of broth you'll need, so you'll have enough soup base left over to make your own noodle dish. Add some more onions to help your immune system while simultaneously pleasing your stomach! read more

This was my first time trying pho and it was pretty good! Of course, I'm no expert but I thought my pho with rare and well done beef was flavorful and the regular portion was huge. I can't tell you if it's a good deal because I don't know what a bowl of pho runs normally. The bean sprouts and basil were fresh as were the cilantro and green onions in my soup. The food came out in a flash, which was nice. I'm giving it three stars because I had to flag someone down to get a drink refill and because I waited about ten minutes to get my check. I probably could have flagged someone down for that, too, but I figured I'd wait to see how long it took. Also there were some fruit flies buzzing around my table. read more

Love pho and this is the only (good) place to get it in UTC. Really, I think this is just as good as other (more highly ranked) places in Mira Mesa and Convoy. It's a little bit more expensive than those, but I suppose rent is a little higher in UTC too. I eat here almost once a week. Pho is great. Banh mi are great. Haven't tried much else. I wouldn't drive from somewhere else just to come here, but I also wouldn't drive from UTC out to those other places to save a couple bucks. read more

The last time I came here, I ordered a number 1. Pretty standard choice, the big bowl of pho broth with pho noodles, tossed with a bunch of raw meats that you cook up in your soup, with basil leaves and lime wedges that looked like they had been sitting in the fridge for too long. It was alright, and had I had a Yelp account then, I would've given the place three stars. But, and I say this seriously, the last time I came here, I was bewildered. You have to understand, I have tried a lot of pho places. I have even been to unpopular, "true authentic", restaurants that serve non-French influenced Vietnamese cuisine. This place trumps it all. I ordered three egg rolls, and noted that when the egg rolls came out they were hot. Like, I could hear, and see the oil on the egg rolls sizzling. I burned the roof of my mouth (ow!) But I loved the appetizer despite the biological setback. The pho noodle soup came out. Like the egg rolls, the soup came out very fresh and VERY hot (not spicy, I'm talking temperature) and the noodles were still cooking a little (biting into it within the first minute kind of had that "al dente" texture to it, which some people like but isn't really Vietnamese authentic, this isn't Italy!) The soup dish was served with basil leaves so fresh that before picking the leaves off the stem you could smell the lavish fragrance that the leaves provide. The lime wedges looked so fresh that the juices were leaking off each wedge of lime (by the way, extra credit points here to the establishment for serving BIG limes, unlike other pho places that give you a lime so small it would be pathetic to call it a lime). And finally, the yellow bean sprouts that served as the bed for the basil and lime were so fresh that when I sampled just one sprout, raw, I enjoyed a fresh crunching sensation, like biting into a fresh piece of lettuce, with water dripping from the crispness of the lettuce's texture. Service was amazing here. I am used to pho places where the servers speak little English, but our server appeared European descent and as such, spoke perfect English. (By the way, if you watch True Blood, our server looked like Eric, from the show). Our server was courteous, re-attended us with fresh iced water when we needed it and promptly delivered us the check while asking if we'd like anything else. The decor here deserves a mention too. This restaurant, to my knowledge, has undergone some renovations in the past. The restaurant's decor looks very comfortable, with warm lights eminating from the orange glow of the the lamps they use to illuminate the restaurant's table. All in all, this pho restaurant is a place I'd go back to. 5 out of 5 stars. read more

I really prefer other pho places BUT they are also farther, mostly on Convoy or in Mira Mesa (Pho Cadao!) For an urgent pho after a long night of shenanigans Pho La Jolla does hit the spot! Egg rolls are decent and the pho is okay Their fried rice though, is GOOD. The fried rice raises this review from a 3 to a 4. read more

Shoulda known better, this is a pho place for non Asians.. they don't even offer Chili Oil for food or their soup. I Should have went to Miramar road or mira Mesa read more

It's about time La Jolla opened up a pho joint. Unfortunately, Pho La Jolla is average at best. There's nothing particularly memorable about the pho broth except that it's not very greasy. Pho portions are small and they scrimp on the amount of bean sprouts and basil, too. The customers next to me ordered the charsiu banh mi, which looked really hearty and delicious. Maybe I should have ordered it instead. If you're craving pho, go to Pho Hoa Linda Vista instead. You'll feel much more satisfied. read more

Sorta ok. Sketchy discomboobulated service ;eventual water , pho; kind -sorta -hot, limp tired greens,, good only- 4 in the hood, ; but the real deal is go to Pho Ha Noi-, worth the drive to Miramar, never underestimate, perfect Pho awaits! read more

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