I've absolutely loved this place for years and cannot recommend it enough if you want to try Viet cuisine. The overall mood is so chill, making it the perfect comfort spot to unwind, relax, and just enjoy a fantastic meal. The pho here is top-tier with a rich, deeply flavorful broth and fresh ingredients, but honestly, the staff is what makes it really special. At this point, it feels less like a standard restaurant transaction and more like visiting close friends; the waiter lady is always so warm, welcoming, and genuinely attentive, even during rush hour and she is the only person working. Me and my husband specifically enjoyed the Thai Tea, which rivaled other drink places, which had a deal to buy 1 and get 1 free! Do yourself a favor and check them out if you're in the area. read more

I've been coming to Pho Pioneer for quite some time now. Before COVID, there was a pho spot closer to the mall off the freeway, sharing a parking lot with Lucille's. Unfortunately, they didn't make it. After we came back off of lockdown, I remember driving around a two mile radius near the Cerritos Mall trying different places. They were open, but none of them served oxtail pho which is my preference for the nutrient density. Then I found Pho Pioneer, and I couldn't have been more impressed from day one. I'm a pretty low key, chill person. I prefer speakeasy vibes, quiet spaces, and traditional spots and this place checks every box. The service is great. The woman who runs the restaurant has always been incredibly sweet and welcoming. It makes a difference when you feel genuinely appreciated as a customer. I also love the art and photos on the walls, and the fish tank is a whole experience on its own. There's nothing quite like eight creepily beautiful fish judging you while you're sipping pho and recovering from a cold. Pho Pioneer has become one of my go to spots, and I'm grateful I found it. read more

Overall unimpressed with the restaurant. The building itself inside is falling apart, there are fans everywhere because there is no AC, I felt like I was in Mexico with no air conditioning. The food was mediocre and I ordered a large pho, but it came with 3 half pieces of meatballs and about 5-6 thin slices of beef. The Bun was also similar, lacking meat and protein. The eggrolls were so thin and lacked meat inside. In addition, upon arrival I see that it received a B rating. I wouldn't come back. read more

Ordered a chicken Banh Mi, pretty good, the meat was tender and flavorful. I wish they would've added more chicken. The bread and pickled veggies were fantastic! Don't forget to add that chili oil sauce. SOOO GOOD! I also had Vietnamese iced coffee. Not the greatest. Do not recommend the coffee. Total price was $15 read more

Pho Pioneer - Vietnamese Near Me - Artesia, California

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I was craving a banh mi sandwich, and this place was close by. First, the sandwich wasn't even cut in half. By no means am I lazy, and I know I can cut it myself, but it was surprising since long sandwiches are usually cut in half. Second and more importantly, there was barely any chicken. There were only 5 tiny pieces of chicken in the entire sandwich. I honestly felt cheated out of my money for the amount of chicken I received. After my experience, I read multiple reviews mentioning that their items also came with very little meat. Don't recommend going here. read more

Pho Pioneer - Banh mi - Vietnamese Near Me - Artesia, California

Pho Pioneer was such a pleasant surprise. We were literally the only two people in the restaurant on a Sunday, which caught me off guard--but it ended up making the whole experience feel intimate and romantic, and I loved that. We ordered the spring egg rolls and the house special pho with rare steak, meatball, tendon, flank, and tripe--everything was flavorful and comforting. The service was friendly and welcoming, which made the experience even better. I love finding hidden gems, and Pho Pioneer definitely feels like one. Would absolutely recommend it to any pho lovers and would happily come back again! read more

Pho Pioneer - 19. Pho House Special - Vietnamese Near Me - Artesia, California

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I love coming here for pho. I get the veggie pho with tofu and veggie broth. It has a large seating area and friendly staff. I've been coming here for years. read more

Pho Pioneer - Veggie pho with tofu - Vietnamese Near Me - Artesia, California

Came here to try out a Vietnamese spot I haven't had before, and was not disappointed! Arrived at 8PM on a weekday so it was pretty slow and quiet, maybe only one or two other parties. Of course, that means we got a lot of attention from the server who always made sure we were taken care of. The food came out, and I was surprised at how big the portion for the plate was, especially for only $15. It tasted great, had no complaints. The rare steak phone got was great as well, maybe a little more on the lighter and milder side, but that's what the hoisin sauce is for. Will definitely be coming back again! read more

Pho Pioneer - 42. Rice Combo # 1 with Pork - Vietnamese Near Me - Artesia, California

Big clean restaurant with big parking lot. Fast, friendly service. We had the chicken pho and the rare steak pho. Broth was delicious. The veggies served on the side were fresh. The prices were right so we'll be back for more. read more

MY FAVORITE SPRING ROLLS EVER. Controversial, buuuut I truly dislike mint and chives in spring rolls. Luckily, I don't have to worry about that here. Their rolls are fresh and come with a surprise crunch inside which I'm pretty sure it's just a rolled fried wonton wrapper. SO. GOOD. I've never had it served like that before but now I can't imagine a spring roll any other way. The peanut sauce is hearty and pairs perfectly. Most days, the spring rolls are enough to fill me up for a quick lunch. But when I'm extra hungry, of course I'ma order some pho. It's consistent, reliable, and the broth is rich and flavorful. The noodle to broth ratio? Perfection. I've also tried a few of their banh mi sandwiches. The bread is always my favorite part, crunchy on the outside, warm and soft on the inside! Definitely recommend. It's an authentic pho spot, it's not aesthetic, it's just straight up good food. Depending on who's at the counter, I experience a little bit of a language barrier but it doesn't take away from the great service they try to provide! read more

BEST pho in the Norwalk Cerritos region. Truly! I am a pho aficionado and have tried every restaurant within a 5 mile radius of my house; this is the one to beat. The broth is exceptional and freshly made. The chicken in my pho is always perfect; never chewy. I come here once per week with no intention of stopping anytime soon. Don't sleep on this place! read more

The veggie and chicken pho are the best in town!! The price is very affordable and the service is stellar!! They have all vegetarian options and meet options for both diets and are very respectful! read more

I got takeout chicken pho from here. Had to wait a little for the food to be done when I got to the restaurant. Everything was packaged well though I was surprised that the bean sprouts and jalapenos that came with it didn't look very fresh and definitely didn't last till the next day for when I was going to eat leftovers. The broth was good and there was enough chicken though was surprised at the lack of freshness (maybe this is just a take-out issue though). read more

One of the best pho places I've been to. The broth is very flavorable by itself. Our server was so sweet too. Extra points for the fish tank that my niece really loved! Definitely worth checking out!! read more

It's Saturday, 11am and it's ghost town. Doors locked. Not open at all. Help says it's open , but it's not read more

Pho Pioneer - Doors locked - Vietnamese Near Me - Artesia, California

I'd arrived from a very long flight from overseas and had a craving for something better than flight meals, and found this place on the drive back home. Reviews seemed very good, the place looked nice, simple, and casual, and with all the raving over the food, everything looked and sounded pretty good to me. As expected, the place was actually empty when we got here in the mid afternoon....great!....no crowds. The whole time we were there, we were attended to by a nice, friendly, and helpful young lady. Ok, so I know this is a pho place, but I had more of a craving for their Pan-Fried Soft Egg Noodle with Seafood....my wife ordered the Grilled Meat Vermicelli Noodles.......and just for kicks, we ordered the Spring Rolls with grilled tofu and the Veggie Eggrolls. So, I can't speak for my wife's vermicelli, but she said it tasted ok. My pan-fried soft noodles with seafood.....well, lets just say it was served super hot off the wok. Other than that, the noodles were ok, but .....eeerm, where's the "seafood?" I got 5 pieces of shrimp and a couple little slices of squid.....would have been nice to get a better variety of seafood. Very plain. The spring rolls and egg rolls were quite good too...especially the egg rolls, although pretty skinny, had a wonderful crisp skin that was fried just perfectly......would have been nice to get more filling though. Overall, I wouldn't say that what we'd ordered was the best we'd ever tasted, but it definitely satisfied our hungry stomachs......especially for me after having just survived a long 19hrs of inflight meals. It was ok. read more

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Favorite pho place ! I've been to many and I always come back to Pho pioneer , the staff is always friendly and welcoming and the pho broth is AMAZING read more

Pho Pioneer - Chicken Pho and spring rolls - Vietnamese Near Me - Artesia, California

Pho Pioneer had great ratings, and was surprised when inside it felt like a 70s hotel. I suspect that the business has been here for decades and kept afloat but the delicious food. Ordered the 20 Pho with Rare Steak and the broth had rich flavor. The beef was thinly sliced and very tender. It did include fewer noodles than other places. Grilled Meat spring rolls were enjoyed too. The dipping sauce is thinner than most peanut sauces and I really like that, felt less heavy too. I was expecting the 44. Diced Galic Beef, French Fries w/ Rice to be like French beef cubes, but the sauce itself had a spice kick to it and I liked that, came across as less salty. The meat itself felt a bit old (not good quality). This was on a bed of garlic noodles and these were good with the sauce, though the French Fries weren't as good of a pair. Lemongrass tofu had barely any flavor, on top of butter rice which was as described. Grilled Pork and Eggrolls with lettuce wrap were fun to make and all components had a strong flavor. Pork pieces were awkwardly large to try to add to the wrap though. read more

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Rainy Sunday in SoCal. Very busy today, and they seemed to be thoroughly understaffed. It did not surprise me that it was packed , people had to actually be seated at tables that had not even gotten cleared yet! The food here is really well done: the takeout options for pho is just a large size. Broth and noodles with raw meat are packed separately, plus a bagful of bean sprouts, basil and cilantro. The largest crispy spring rolls are served in threes or five per order. Side of pickled daikon and more rice noodle plus lettuce leaves for wrapping. Dipping sauce is included in a separate container. I also got a soft egg noodle with chicken and vegetables dish that I enjoyed, similar to most chow mein at other Chinese restaurants but less of that five spice blend flavor. Quiet spot overall even with a television tuned to a football match. Larger tables for groups of ten available. I like the flavor here. My server was very apologetic for the long wait that she was even turning down the tip I left. I personally don't think there was any reason for blame other than it was a busy day. Also: please be kind to your servers! They are working hard to keep us fed! read more

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Good service and great pho. The broth is the best and the pricing is fair for the quantity of food you get read more

Pho Pioneer - Fish tank - Vietnamese Near Me - Artesia, California

My first time here and this place is DELICIOUS. Service was fast and friendly! The lady who helped was super sweet! Okay, so I had the spring roles and pho with well done steak and beef. I DEVOURED! I enjoyed witnessing local usuals because the lady actually conversed with them this place deserves more customers and recognition!! I wish I would've taken photos!! I'll come again for photos and another delicious dinner!! read more

We came into Pho Pioneer because it had some of the highest reviews in the area. It took a minute to get sat even though many tables were open I assume because they were very behind on bussing and such. The inside was very plain, with some sparse decorations on the walls and two fish tanks that seemed to be very badly maintained. Once we were sat, our table turned out to be entirely sticky as though it wasn't really cleaned, and it took a long time before our order was taken. Once it was, we proceeded to wait over an hour for our food. Once the food came out, it was all wrong. We had ordered two types of beef pho, a stir fry seafood dish, and a chicken wing appetizer. What was eventually brought out was two bowls of chicken pho. The family seemed nice but they didn't seem super interested in making it right. Once they brought out the correct beef pho, they only then informed us that they didn't have the seafood or the wings, and that essentially they really only had pho. While I understand things can run low or run out, I think it was odd that we were only informed of this an hour after we ordered and had waited, and after two dishes came out so we couldn't really leave. When my dad questioned this, our waitress simply continued to insist my dad "tries" their pho. Because of how tiresome the situation became, he settled and ordered a pho. Once the pho came, it was incredibly disappointing. The broth tasted very artificial and salty, and the meat portions were very very small. Honestly, I am doubtful that the reviews can be this high if the service/food are typically like this, so I suspect there may have been a specific issue that day. Regardless, the way the situation was handled wasn't really fair and I could see several other tables having similar experiences that night. I wouldn't return to this restaurant for pho as there are many options in the area. read more

We ordered Vietnamese eggrolls, grilled pork and the house special pho. All tasted good and authentic. The grilled pork is not what I expected. Still it's good. The lady that served us was so sweet and always checked on us if we need anything else. She also told us the Thai tea was bogo when I ordered one as my dessert. The place is clean and quiet. read more

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Not sure why this place has such good reviews. The restaurant appears quiet and gloomy. The menu was sized down and portions seemed small. I had the regular pho tai sach and let me tell you, this is my go-to order so I order this all the time. They gave very little tai and a lot of brisket meat instead. I did appreciate how piping hot the broth was though! It was around $13 for a "regular" bowl. Overall, it's okay if you're craving pho but I've had better. read more

Pho Pioneer - Vietnamese Near Me - Artesia, California

Our go to place for our favorite sandwich - bahn mi's. The bread is the key to a good bahn mi and theirs is always fresh They also have a special buy 2 and get free thai tea!!! They've been here for years but a bit hidden so give them a try and you won't be disappointed. read more

This is my second time here, I think this place offers great value! First time I had their beef pho, which for $12 it's plenty good and comforting. Hard to find that quality for price these days. This time I'm trying their spring rolls (tofu and shrimp) which were so refreshing on this randomly warm winter day. Again, huge and for a great value too. definitely check this spot out if you're in town read more

Pho Pioneer - Vietnamese Near Me - Artesia, California

I've been to this place a couple times now and tried many different drinks, pho, and appetizers. This place is so good, the popcorn chicken and fried calamari have great crunch, batter, and sauce. The young coconut drink, avocado smoothie, and all the other drinks I've tried so far are great! I love the pho here, and I'd definitely recommend coming here! The person here is very nice and welcoming and the restrooms are clean. read more

I had the Pho House Special to go. Comes with super hot broth, noodles, meatballs, beef, and belly. Plus japaleños, cilantro, bean sprouts and Thai basil and half a lime . Sriracha packet and Hoisin sauce packets. It's best when hot . I love this place because it's nice and quiet. As a solo eater it's perfect. But there is enough tables and space for a big parties of 20+ people. They people are also really nice. I've only ordered the pho from their menu, so I at least can say that's delicious and worth the price. read more

Pho Pioneer - Noodles , pho house special beef . Togo - Vietnamese Near Me - Artesia, California

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Good food good service nice customers service and good food ..... I give 5 stars for this food.....................,,.,..................,...................................love springs rolls and pho I would like to introduce friends and family come here always read more

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Wanted to try a new pho place and found this one! It's on Pioneer with all the other incredible ethnic options in Cerritos/Artesia. We came on a Saturday afternoon and were the only guests. Parking was ample in the lot. We got the Appetizer Sampler, Beef Pho, and Bun with grilled pork and egg rolls. By the way, the appetizer sampler is the same food as the bun! read more

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5/31/23 Our 1st time here and immediately thought, there's room for improvement & it would not replace my favorite spot from less than a block away. I would give it a strong 3.5 stars. Hubby was not especially impressed. The prices are fair, yet the portions are on the meager side. By chance we both ordered the same #19 Special Pho, w/o tripe for me. The tendon was tough & chewy-unless that's what you prefer. I am used to the soft chewy kind that other pho places offer. The noodles are plentiful but NOT as "bouncy" or what most would describe as al dente. The both was flavorful although I would have preferred it to be piping hot. Not certain but I taste the onions from other places to be more crunchy & fresher tasting at other oho places & I had to ask for more because there was very little served with the pho. Service by "Kate" was cordial, she looked like a demure presence but with an easy smile and she was friendly. I would be curious to probably give them another try but w/o my hubby lol. The restroom looked decent, clean & fairly well maintained. read more

Pho Pioneer - 5/31/23 1st time here!! Need pho for comfort, again:)) - Vietnamese Near Me - Artesia, California

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Hidden gem with great food and great customer service. We have been coming here for about 8 years now and I don't see it stopping anytime soon. We always start off with the shrimp spring roll that comes with the sauce on the side that is amazing! But of course the star and what you came for is the Pho. Now in all honesty I'm not the biggest Pho phan I am more of a ramen fan but this place has changed my mind. My go to is the Pho house special. Now or $1 or so more you can get the large but honestly the regular size is more then enough. It comes out pretty fast but is always super hot and delicious. Perfect for those cold winter days. I recommend everyone come try this place out especially if you are a Pho fan, you will definitely become a repeat customer like my self. read more

My girlfriend recommended this spot for our Pho craving and it did not disappoint. It truly was a hidden gem as we were the only patrons during the Sunday lunch hour. The hostess was super kind and welcoming and the place was clean and cozy. The Thai Tea was a BOGO item and it was creamy and refreshing. The Spring Rolls thick and delicious. The Vietnamese Egg-rolls were freshly fried and crunchy. The garnishes for the Pho were fresh produce: green, fragrant basil, spicy jalapeño slices, crunchy bean sprouts and juicy lemons. The Pho was phenomenal. The bone broth was light, aromatic and full of flavor. The thinly sliced beef and noddles were cooked perfectly and the portions were huge for a two person lunch date. I definitely want to come back and I hope they see more business, especially in the same business center as Nilly's Burgers. Pho Pioneer was simply delicious. read more

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First time coming here, the lady that serves your food is such the sweetest person. Nice service, chill environment. Would recommend, the pho. I really liked it. read more

Pho Pioneer - 28. Pho with Well-Done Steak and Beef Brisket - Vietnamese Near Me - Artesia, California

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Great little pho place. Pretty bare bones in terms of the interior, but the food is very good and the service was nice. Short vegetarian review: Vegetarian pho was tasty. Filling and full of veggies and tofu. No complaints. I think there are a few other vegetarian options as well, so if I try other things, I'll update the review. Parking was easy. read more

Pho Pioneer - Vegetarian pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Artesia, California

My Daughter got the Chicken Pho I got the the Seafood Pho Absolutely Delicious Thai tea 2 for 1 Strawberry Smoothie read more

This is my go to pho place in Cerritos. I have been coming here for years and have been loyal. The people are so friendly and nice. It is definitely family owned as I see the kids doing homework there at night. We have become regulars and they always repeat our order just in case we want to change it up. I would get their combos they offer with a bowl of pho and spring rolls. My boyfriend likes getting their cornish hen. read more

Sunday. 2:15pm Outside: small plaza with lots of parking Inside: dark, dated. A lot of seatings Food: pork sausage spring rolls, pho with brisket, vermicelli with grilled pork egg rolls. The husband didn't enjoy the pho. My vermicelli wasn't bad but the grilled pork could use a little more flavor. Also, the fish sauce was lackluster. I had to use the whole bowl to give my food some flavor. See photo for spring rolls - where's the beef (old BK commercial reference) - pork in this case. The thin strip of pork sausage was laughable. The dining area was dark - not good ambiance dark but gave more of an old, dingy dark vibe. Everything was sticky - the sauce bottles, table. The bathroom was surprisingly decent and clean. Good service from our waitress. read more

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Waiter was friendly. The inside had poorly maintained fish tanks that looked very dirty and had a bad odor. The food wasn't bad but it was mediocre at best. Not a terrible experience but wouldn't go back especially when Pho 2000 is down the street. read more

Food 5/5 Service 5/5 Atmosphere 4/5 Price is very reasonable and the pho taste super yummy. The broth here is really good. Not salty soup. Also, spring rolls were fresh too. First time here. I'd definetly coming back here when I craving pho. I came here around 8 PM. It was not crowded. No waiting at this time on the weekdays. The server was super sweet and nice. read more

Pho Pioneer - Vietnamese Near Me - Artesia, California