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Pho Papa gets a lot of hype, but my experience didn't fully live up to it. [[HIGHLIGHT]]On the plus side, the outdoor seating is a nice touch, especially if you want a more relaxed, casual vibe.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Service was quick and efficient, which I appreciated. The meat itself was tender and clearly good quality, so they're doing something right there. That said, the broth was a letdown for me. It leaned too sweet and had a darker profile than I prefer, which took away from that clean, balanced pho flavor you expect. The bigger issue though was the portioning. I ordered a special and it came with no meatballs which was odd for a "special dac biet", and the amount of meat was surprisingly small. It honestly felt like there was barely any protein in the bowl. You could clearly see a lot of noodles, which is not what you want with pho. At most other spots, the meat is layered generously on top to the point where the noodles are almost hidden. That wasn't the case here. Overall, it's a decent spot with good service and tender meat, but the broth and portion size need work. I'd come back if they fix the balance and start being more generous with the meat.
My and my parent's favorite pho spot in the bay and SJ. Always go to 1. Phở Đặc Biệt for them and 9. Phở Chin for me. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Best broth with easy service and nice interior and exterior seating.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Also large servings for the price point and never disappoints, I always look forward to this coming home.
It's a decent spot to get some pho in San Jose! Seating is pretty cramped and there can be a long waitlist on the weekends, but it's worth a visit! The broth can be on the oily side, but the flavor is good! Light and not too salty. They are really generous with the portion of beef! Almost more beef than noodles!! The beef rib special is yummy and high quality! The two of us shared this and it was FALL OFF THE BONE tender!
Pho Papa is good! But..... I got the #1 and wanted to sub the tendon with the meatballs, and didn't know I was going to be charged a sub fee. I know you could add it for additional price but damn! I should just said no tendon. It would've been nice for the server to ask. They also charge a 3% fee for card so cash is preferred for this place. I got an order of the hanh dam which I like putting sriracha over it. Super good. Besides the substitution issue, everything was fine. Didn't realize pho got super expensive over the past couple years. After paying card for 2 small bowls of pho (1 with substitution) with the hanh dam, the total after tax was $43.24! Without tip! Wow. I tipped $8, but but no pho is ever worth paying over $50.
Growing up, I've usually had Pho Papa as take out but for this visit, I dined in with my friends. I ordered a small (#4) Pho Tai, Chin with flat noodles. The broth was good and clear, but nothing spectacular. I liked that they were generous with their meat though! The sizing was also the perfect portion for me. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The restaurant is pretty small/cramped, I think I elbowed the people behind me a few times (sorry!).[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]There were a lot of little flies flying around and a few spiders/cobwebs in the window corners.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]
Finally got to try Pho Papa in January. When my dad was still alive he raved about this place whenever he went up to SJ to visit. My partner and I finally got to try it and it was very good. Broth and meat were good and the fresh noodles were yummy! [[HIGHLIGHT]]Store was clean and staff was fast and efficient![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Simple, delicious and yummy! Highly recommend!
I came here on weekend since I wanted some pho. It was a good sign when I saw on the menu they only serve pho. I got the small Phở Đặc Biệt which came with thinly sliced beef, brisket, flank, tendon, fat brisket and fresh noodles. I also got a side of their beef rib. The food came out pretty quickly after ordering. The broth itself is a little sweet for me on its own, but they have fish sauce and lime to help balance it out. The meat quality was good and a big portion for a size small. The beef rib was much bigger than anticipated but it was also delicious. Overall, this is good pho. Will come back here again.
5*! Food was great! I got the small size #1 and there was generous amount of toppings. The portion was more than enough. It was flavorful and soup was very warm. Perfect for cold weather. I love the tendon a lot. They only serve pho and not a lot to choose from. But I think their pho is really good and that's all we need :p Service: fast and casual. Typical pho place. The food came pretty fast after ordering [[HIGHLIGHT]]The shop has tables inside and outside. Everything was pretty clean and tidy when I visited.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Will return!
WOW. We were craving pho and a friend recommended this spot. We didn't really know what to expect but once we tried the first sip of the broth - WOW! There was so much flavor and we loved that there were soooo many green onions! Since we went on a Saturday - it was busy. We waited for about 30 minutes for a table for 2 but it was definitely worth the wait! Once you're seated - the menu is simple (which makes it so much easier to decide for those indecisive like me!)
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very yummy pho! i found the broth to be very flavorful, and i loved how at the table there was everything that we needed (chopsticks, sauces, napkins, etc). [[HIGHLIGHT]]the setup of the restaurant is very nice.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more
1 year ago
9 months ago
Its pho at breakfast time! What's not to like about that? The service was fast and the food delicious. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The only complaint is how the seating arrangements were placed. I was elbowed in the back twice, by accident, by the person directly behind me ( if we had both leaned back, we would have flunked heads due to the lack of chair backs).[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more
Pho Papa is a solid option for pho and Vietnamese drinks in the area. The only food option they offer is various pho with different cuts of meat, along with a few menu items that are side dishes. I wasn't blown away by the pho, but the service was good and the bar for pho is high in the Bay Area. The Vietnamese iced coffee I had was great. There's ample parking and seating here, though both are a bit cramped. There is an option for outdoor seating on a dog friendly patio. read more
2 years ago
Pretty decent pho place with good service. I would have gotten the brisket and flank (#11) but they were out of flank. Instead I just ordered the #9 which was just the brisket. I wasn't a fan of the broth but everyone else at my table enjoyed it, so it's personal preference. They gave a good amount of meat and the noodles seemed fresh. Worth a try but personally I prefer other places. read more
Pho Papa is such a staple in San Jose. It's the place to go to for pho. One downside is that their selection of meat is quite limited, BUT! The meat they offer is a lot more high quality compared to other places Another downside is that their pho dac biet (special) doesn't come with beef balls! Which is so odd because I swear all other pho dac biets come with beef balls. REGARDLESS, the pho is still very yummy-the meat is tender and soup is flavorful Service is pretty typical/average compared to any other Vietnamese restaurant. Small restaurant, but plenty of seating inside. Be prepared to wait during weekends!! read more
1 year ago
My favorite pho place ever. 10/10. The workers are really kind and can speak English or Viet. The service is also really great and fast. I always get their thicker noodles and is my go to whenever I am in SJ. The interior is very nice and very clean. I love the wood aesthetic. read more
2 years ago
A lot of my friends who reside in San Jose say that Pho Papa their favorite restaurants to eat pho so of course I had to try it out! What I like about this restaurant was how the restaurant setup was cozy and comfortable, featuring wooden booths and stools. As for the pho, the broth was rich and aromatic, with savory, sweet, and herbal notes. I swear it could heal you from a cold haha. In addition, the noodles and the meat were fresh. My mouth is watering just by writing this review. read more
2 months ago
The broth tastes really rich yet wasn't as fatty as a lot of places. I liked their noodles and they gave a solid amount of meat that also wasn't too fatty. I appreciated how much green onion they give in their bowls. A pretty moderately priced pho place that will definitely leave you full! read more
actually might be some of the best pho ive ever had, at least in the bay area, and this coming from a viet botn and raised in westminster/gg or oc in socal. very quick and attentative service. nice and clean interior and vibes for eating and chatting with a meal. one of the most fragrant and cleanest tasting pho broths ever. i love how the noodles were a good chewy texture for me and the soup honestly saved me from my hangover. a struggle to recommend or gatekeep this place haha read more
Parking is really easy in front with a large parking lot. Inside is a standard Vietnamese pho atmosphere very comfy. We got our food pretty quick after ordering. Pho papa broth on their pho is super tasty and rich. I love Vietnamese dessert also! It's a herbal drink with jelly! Definitely a good place to go to! read more
6 months ago
Clean, pho, breakfast, open early. Just throwing out some key words so someone can find this review. I was looking for pho at 9am and this place did not disappoint in being opened. Right when I walked in, I was surprised with how clean the restaurant was and loved the simple interior with wooden tables and stools. As far as the food goes, it wasn't the best but it was still good. At $16 for a small bowl, I wish I waited until later until lunch for something bigger. Service was fast. read more
5 months ago
I came with my family while I was visiting San Jose. We stopped by for lunch during probably a bad time, lunchtime. The wait was long and we were a party of 5. My aunt already knew what to do so she placed her name down as soon as we arrived. There is outdoor seating but it was cold so we opted to sit indoors. Indoors is small and tight. I ordered #13 which was beef flanks, and tendons. Order came out rather quickly and there were 2 plates of veggies: bean sprouts, basil, jalapeno peppers and lemon. They also give you a mountain of white onions! You don't see that often! My uncle ordered cooked bean sprouts but they were not cooked. In fact, I think all they did was lightly blanched it and called it a day. When ordering there were 2 options: small or large bowl and thin or wide noodles. I like small thin noodles (regular kind) but there is more pho in the bowl. To each their own but the small bowls are pretty filling. Really enjoyed my bowl of pho and I can see why they have a long wait. Bowls were delicious but there is a lot of MSG added to the broth. I'm normally not sensitive to MSG but when there's too much, I can definitely taste it afterwards. And no, I didn't drink the broth. Some cons for this place is that as soon as we sat down, handed the menus, not even 5 minutes passed and they were asking what we'd like to order. That was a sign that they have a lot of regulars. We told the 1st server we weren't ready and about another 5 minutes passed when a different waiter asked us what we'd like to order. I get that they're busy, but give your customers a chance to look at the menu first! There is no charge for hot water but there is a charge per cup for tea. We opted for hot water. Overall, they are good for lunch or dinner. Customer service is what you can expect at a Vietnamese restaurant. Not the best but not the worst either. Can't go wrong with pho and portions are large enough. If I'm in the area again, I'll stop by for some good pho. read more
2 years ago
This is located on Capitol Expressway, in the same plaza as Boiling Crab and Thien Huong Sandwiches. First timer here and it was actually recommended to try this because of their beef rib special. For me and my sister, we got 2 pho tai & 2 beef rib special. I love that they gave so much green onions in the pho. The broth was pretty flavorful and the noodles were cooked nicely. The beef rib special looked great for the pictures but I didn't think it was worth the $7 because I had to strip it off the bone to throw it into a takeout container and realized that it wasn't much meat. I would come back for their pho and skip out on their beef rib special next time. read more
Recently visited pho papa again and was surprised to find I had not reviewed pho papa on yelp yet. Pho papa is, in my opinion, one of the best pho places in the area. I've been here countless times and the quality is consistent. The soup is fragrant and flavorful and noodles are well made too. I do think that the price of a bowl is rising really fast though - Pho Papa has always been on the expensive side and they keep raising the prices. I get it's to keep up with inflation but it's getting really pricey :/ read more
2 years ago
The best pho I've tried in the Bay Area! Soup was really good. Meat was very tender. Noodle was ok. Service was ok. FYI- they don't have egg rolls/ cha gio. We set outdoor right by the road so it got loud time to time. There was a bit of await during lunch time on Sat. The parking lot was pretty full. read more
3 months ago
1 year ago
Found my new fa write pho spot! What other place you know where you can get a beef rib on the side!...and the food was ready and at my table in 3 minutes flat read more
7 months ago
2 years ago
One of my favorite pho places in the area. Location: There is plenty of free parking near the restaurant as it's in a plaza. However, the restaurant itself is pretty small. All the tables are sat pretty close together and is not really suited for big parties. Food: Their food size and portions are good for the price. I especially like the short rib you can get on the side. The broth that comes in the short rib is the best but honestly all their pho broths are pretty good. I also like how they have fat noodles as an option. Always a plus when a pho spot offers far noodles. Service: Sometimes, depending on the time and day you go, you might have to wait to be seated. But they usually take your order right away and the food comes out pretty fast. Overall, I really do enjoy eating here . read more
We were in the area and found this pho spot that has outdoor seating and allows dogs. It wasn't that pleasant as another table had 2 dogs that just kept barking at us half of the time. There was no wait as we got here around 3:30. This is located in a plaza so there's decent amount of parking. Ordered the combination pho and it was just ok, nothing special. The broth was a bit on the sweeter side, meat was ok, and noodles were slightly over cooked. read more
One of the best pho restaurants in San Jose. I've gone here many times, but haven't stopped by for a while. Revisited recently a few days ago and can confirm... I missed eating pho here! I wasn't feeling so great that day and the bowl of pho warmed my soul. What we ordered: #1. Pho Dat Biet - includes rare steak, well done brisket, flank, tendon, fat brisket, and well done flank. If you don't know what to order, you'll never go wrong with the dat biet. You get a little bit of everything to try. Pho Papa has truly nailed down their broth. It is a clean broth enriched with SOOO much flavor. The meat is nice and tender. They always put a TON of green onions on top, which I appreciate. If you like a thicker noodle, make sure to ask for banh tuoi. #2. Dat Biet Suon Bo Papa - this is their beef rib special. If you want extra protein, add this to your order. The meat is basically fall off the bone. Very tender and is a great addition if you're looking for more. Tips: - Order hanh dam (white onion with vinegar) to eat with each bite. TRUST. It will elevate your pho! - If you're still looking to add more protein, you can order a side of Bo Vien (meatballs). I actually really like their bo vein here and would recommend (not pictured) :) Once you eat Pho here, it'll be hard to eat Pho at other places in San Jose. So good! Give it a try! read more
3 months ago
1 year ago
1. Writing your name on the list & wait to be called. 2. Lady comes with menus 3. Lady comes back very fast to take order while you're still trying to decide but that's ok, you quickly pick one & hope it's the right one 3. Food comes out quick & you eat Typical pho restaurant with indoor & outdoor seating so plenty of seats. Menu limited though but covers sufficient toppings but tells you they focuses on the pho. I think the soup tastes pretty clean & refreshing. Ordered 2 large pho as we usually split with our 2 kiddos, but the noodles ratio to soup was a bit off so we actually had to order a side noodle. Big bowl of soup to what appears to a reg size noodles. Ordered side rib to try which is very tender but I don't think worth 7.55 as many places include this as their #1 special that costs like 2 more. The meatball pho surprised me with the quantity! Usually places cuts them I half and you get like 4 whole pieces but these are whole pieces. The coffee was a bit bitter, could used a bit more condensed milk but tolerable and very strong. Overall good pho but I'd try somewhere else if I'm the area. read more
7 months ago
8 months ago
1 year ago
**FYI: this review is not regarding PP's food. I never made it past looking over it's menu** Pho Papa was recommended and since we were semi in the area and needed to think of something for dinner, we made the trip out. While there is seating indoor and out, we went with dining inside since the weather was just too cold to be out & about. Seating indoor is met with benches that give no back support and toting around a toddler in tiny spaces with hot, bubbling soup coming and going was a super NO-NO for me. The menu is pretty small but I guess that's a good thing for anyone who doesn't like to be too overwhelmed. The pho broth aroma lingering in the restaurant was lighter than I expected and that was just another sign for me to hit the exit. 2 stars IMO. Space was just too cramped and claustrophobic for me. Aside from that, the employees seemed to be all over the place. The lack of service aside from them bringing out the menu was just a sign from the universe that we needed to go elsewhere... read more
More info about Pho Papa
1611 E Capitol Expy
Ste 206
San Jose, CA 95121
Evergreen
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(408) 270-0600
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Ask the Community - Pho Papa
Do you have any vegetarian pho and vegetarian options?
No. This place is not vegetarian friendly.
What's the best soup I am sick so that's why I am asking?oh sorry to be pacific for cold and fewer?
they put so much MSG not good for your health ok
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Pho Papa - vietnamese - Updated July 2026
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