The food here is great! We've been here quite a few times, my son loved his kid's size pho with steak. I had the pho with rare steak and brisket, while my wife had the pork belly rice dish. All were on point, soup broth was flavorful with a nice compliment of basil/sprouts/lime/jalapenos. We're going to try the banh mi next! read more

It's a fast food pho, good service and fast. Broth was ok!! Good place to try was around the area and it was cold. Will come back to try their band mi!! read more

We had dinner last night for my husband's birthday and we had a great experience with the food, the service, drinks. It was such a nice and clean spot. The food was amazing, the black milk tea so yummy! We are definelty going back! I think we found our new grub spot! Oh and lastly we thought it was affordable specially for such big portions. read more

Pho Play - Pork belly bun - Vietnamese Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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The bahn mi is outstanding! I must repeat for impact that the Bahn Mi is phenomenal. Yes the pho is tasty and delicious! The noodles are also another great option. The whole menu is statistically outstanding. Life provides options and opportunities, don't miss out on your chance to enjoy the delicious delivery of flavor to your tastebuds that the Bahn Mi provides. read more

There are a lot of weirdos in CV that say there are too many noodle restaurants here, but clearly they cannot differentiate between noodles from Panda Express, Shumi Ramen, and Pho Play. Not all noodles are created equal. I've tried the Lemongrass Beef Vermicelli Bowl which was a really generous portion with lots of greens, but the beef was lacking a bit. I didn't taste the lemongrass and it just wasn't as flavorful. I did enjoy the pho a lot. I got mine with flank and tendon, and the tendon was incredibly soft... maybe one of the best I've had in pho. It practically melted in my mouth--how it should be. I also like how the pho comes in a takeout container where you can just pour the broth into. No need to use (and wash) your own dishes. read more

The first time I went was shortly after they opened. Pho was OK. Decided to try a 2nd time tonight. Pho broth is SO bland. I'm disappointed because I want to like this place. I'll try it again for the vermicelli plate, but when "Pho" is in the title of your restaurant, you gotta get that right. read more

Deeeeeelicious. Great atmosphere n awesome FOOD. Authentic taste 3x we've gone. Cool for kids and the Ben Mai is filling. A must Go To in CV read more

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Excellent. This time had food delivered. Usually we eat there except I had a total knee replacement and not feeling comfortable enough to go there. I will order delivery again. Very pleased with how they packaged the pho soup, everything packaged individually. Good idea Ate the rest the following day with all the stuff. Usually when you have leftover pho the noodles disintegrate. Thank you for always providing the best food read more

If i could rate this place lower than one star, i definitely would. The people who work here are so RUDE, i don't think I've ever been treated with such disrespect. I asked simple questions to the cashier, their name was Jed, about the dishes once i was seated and she was so hostile and it almost seemed as if i wasnt wanted there. I know i wasnt being rude even though I definitely could have. I know for a fact she snatched the money out of my hand. i didnt I don't recommend coming here at ALL. Also, there is such a lack in diversity, i understand that this may be a viet. food based restaurant, but from the way they treated me, A PERSON OF COLOR, it seems like there is not only discrimination to their customer base, but their hiring statuses as well. I specifically asked Jed if i could speak to a manager and was offered to speak to the owner, Dina, after being rejected a numerous amount of times by saying "she was too busy" and they didn't even attempt to check if she was or not. Dina, im unapologetically saying that your staff is not a staff that should be wanted, do better. I'm not happy. read more

Pho play is over priced. The ordering and seating method diverts from most pho restaurants in which you get into a line to order before you are seated, I observed many people fumbling over the process as they entered the restaurant. The service was okay, they brought the food as expected but didn't do much follow up, we had to flag them down for some additional requests like a dish to dip things, water, and to go containers. I ordered a Vietnamese coffee for $3.50 and this is all I got, half a mason jar, which I do not think is worth nearly 4 dollars. I also ordered a pho play bowl. The broth was unremarkable for the price of $11, I expected more flavor and meat. I also ordered a pork belly banh mi, the pork belly is tasty but the sandwich is otherwise pretty standard at $8. The ambience and decor is beautiful, but for the cost of the items I expected them to focus more on the content of their food and taste. I would much rather drive a few cities over to San Leandro and eat at Joe's pho which is absolutely delicious and reasonably priced. read more

Pho Play - $3.50 for half a mason jar of Vietnamese coffee. Absolutely absurd. - Vietnamese Near Me - Castro Valley, California

The seafood pho is delicious. Chicken spring rolls and egg rolls are excellent appetizers. Banh mi pork belly and chicken sandwiches are huge. Ambience is nice with soft jazz music and plenty of seating. read more

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Nice decor and it's clean. Friendly service. Ordered the lemon grass bun bo hue (one of their specials), eggrolls, pho bo vien, and pork rice plate. The bun bo hue was not spicy at all and lacked lemon grass flavor. The eggrolls were wrapped nicely. The pho was just ok...... The rice plate was a bit on the salty side. We only received on small veggie plate for our noodles that was to be shared between two people. I'm all for prob control, but I had to ask for another plate. It was definitely a portion for one bowl. Flavors are lacking, portions are small, and it's a little on the pricey side for what you get. read more

Omg! So....good. Pho, broth full of flavor and not salty. The boa bun , yummy. Favorite is pork belly. I've been here 4+ times read more

HUGE bowls! I ordered the veggie pho bowl, Thai tea, egg rolls, and the chicken bao buns which were quite tasty. Thanks only gave 3/5 stars since the service was dry and not very friendly. Additionally, I'm not sure if there was MSG in the broth but I had a terrible headache after eating. The pho was tasty and so big that I couldn't finish it. read more

Pho Play - Veggie pho, Thai tea, egg rolls, and chicken bao buns - Vietnamese Near Me - Castro Valley, California

This place is fairly new. I was told they make great sandwiches. So I decided to give this place a try. The sandwiches are Gigantic. I ordered the lemongrass beef Banh Mi and I am very happy. Delish!! I also order a 24oz This Iced tea. Yummy' The restaurant itself is very very clean and the staff is super friendly. I will be coming here again. And the price is very reasonable. This is my new go-to for Pho. read more

YUM! This is such an improvement from the BBQ place they used to be here before. Seriously! Good food, huge portions. Almost too huge. I think next time we'll share one, especially with the kiddo. I still think we'll visit downtown for Pho but it's nice to have a closer option, where we can just walk to shopping or other things afterward. read more

Vermicelli portions are huge! Got grilled pork and it was really good. Bf went up to get more fish sauce at the counter but it wasn't the same as what was served for the vermicelli. read more

Pho Play - Vietnamese Near Me - Castro Valley, California

This review is coming from a Vietnamese person. Pho Brisket and Flank is pretty decent. Very similar to home style cooking flavor. It does lack a little aroma such as cinnamon, but I do taste the star anise. Meat was plentiful, but not enough noodles for an Asian person. The Grilled pork and chicken combo from my wife lacked a lot of flavor, but then again this is made for Castro Valley so I can understand why. Very modern and nicely designed interior. I think there is room for improvement such as different size of pho bowls, more flavor in grilled meat. read more

We have been coming to Pho Play for years but no more. We purchased (2) Bahn Mi pork sandwiches and eggrolls. This was close to the end of the evening, and it was to go. When I arrived home, I opened one of the sandwiches, and the meat was very dry and tough, which is rather uncharacteristic. We kept the other sandwich in its wrapper still sealed. I plan to contact the restaurant the following day, but was unable to do to work. When I called them this afternoon to let them know of the experience the lady who identified herself as the manager, accuse me of trying to rip them off. I attempted to explain, all I wanted to do was let them know that the sandwich was not up to their normal standards, and come down tonight and purchase two bowls of pho. I hadn't even asked for a refund when she began to become incredibly defensive. I told her this is no way to treat their clientele, and she really didn't care. I don't care who you are, you can have an off night, but they don't seem to value their customers. I will not be returning. read more

Friendly staffs and quick service. Pho, shrimp spring rolls and vermicelli dish was good (I didn't take photos), and we ordered banh mi togo which was surprisingly good!!! AND IT WAS HUGE!! I'm very glad they choose to open in Castro Valley. Worth trying it out. :) read more

Pho Play - Vietnamese Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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I don't eat pork or beef, so pho restaurants don't always work for me. Pho Play plays nicely with different food requirements by offering choice of chicken, beef, pork, or vegan broths. You can also choose rice or egg noodles. It's a flat $1.50 for adding a generous amount of veggies. VERY clean place. It was a good place to relax while I waited for my husband to finish his workout at the gym (right next door). So I'm happy. There are plenty of sauces, lime wedges, cilantro, and green onions if you like more of those (I do). Also, if you prefer a rice meal, they have those too - and even have brown rice available. Yay! I'll be back. read more

Pho Play - Taken from the back pointed toward entrance. There are more tables than this photo shows. - Vietnamese Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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Their Bun bo hue does not have pork blood. The soup is good but I wasn't able to taste all the different ingredients in there. The seafood noodle broth is very good. Comes with a couple big pieces of scallops read more

Came here with a few coworkers and we were all trying this place for the first time. When you walk in you line up to order and pay for your food first and then find a table to be seated. Fortunately it wasn't too busy at the time so we were able to find a table. I got the combo vermicelli with pork belly and lemongrass beef. I liked that it came with an egg. I also got their matcha green Thai tea with boba. The vermicelli, although was visually pleasing to the eye, did not meet up to my taste expectations. The meat was tough and not as flavorful as I expected. I wasn't a fan of the drink either. I could taste the matcha and the Thai tea, but personally I found the taste to be a little off. It also quickly got watered down by all the ice. read more

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This place is amazing!! Food is great, atmosphere is great and the owners/staff are the kindest people. Highly recommend. Side not the Vietnamese coffee is soo good! read more

This was the worst experience... actually, I've had worse than this but this is pretty bad. I ordered egg rolls and rare steak pho. Got home, all excited to eat some pho on this rainy day. Ate my egg rolls first, which were good but nothing to write home about and also tiny. And only 3. 3 and tiny tossed in a greasy little bag that I almost threw in the trash because I thought it was condiments. That's how tiny. On to the pho. Such a disappointment. SUCH A DISAPPOINTMENT. The meat smelled old, looked old, tasted old and disgusting. Not only that, but it was chopped into strips like it was meant for a carne asada burrito but just slopped together into a bowl. The broth was good but the meat totally destroyed my meal. I couldn't even finish it. I started to take out all the meat since they combined everything together into one bowl (minus the broth) but noticed that the spoiled meat was just bleeding all over the noodles. Ughk. So mad. Never going back... and this was my first experience. Oh yeah, the meat was strangely colorful AF! read more

Pho Play - Vietnamese Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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I've been sick with the flu all week. I swear Pho Play's chicken broth got me on the road to recovery faster then the meds combined. If anything it helped warm my tummy. The staff always had my order waiting when I sent my husband for the pick up. My only advice would be to get on DoorDash or Uber eats. read more

Now my pho intake has been rare lately since I hate taking naps and MSG just puts me to sleep, but praise to Pho Play for being the first place in while to not inject me with umami anesthesia, and being the 2nd restaurant in the Bay I've eaten at with a name that contains innuendo (I'm talking about you, Morning Wood.) This place is rustic. They took into deep consideration that your food pics need to blend into social media feeds. It's a very modern pho spot. Very bright.. very white... very neutral. A couple of communal high benches up front and smaller tables in the back. Menu is off to the side, cleanly laid out (sorry I hate crowded and outdated menus) but can you imagine a pho menu so simple they could just plaster it on the wall? Record-breaking. I took to the basics for you all and ordered a steak+meatball pho and pork belly bao to go. I'd say prices are worth your quality, and the ordering process is so simple that you order beforehand. Pretty clever that this method doesn't chance your impression of service. Food-wise, I'm absolutely satisfied. Even for a to-go order, the assembly was good and everything looked so fresh. Not even a speck of purple on my basil. Sometimes pho spots will give you a grocery haul full of beansprouts but it was just enough here. The broth on its own was herby and savory. No sweet umami Magic here. There was quite a lot of broth leftover which would've overfilled my bowl so I reserved it to make congee or just add more noodles/etc for the next day (can I say "cheap college foodie hacks?")The steak was incredibly fresh and meatballs were average. Bao are definitely worth it here and come in twos. They're stuffed to the brim! Though my only complaint was that the pork belly was a little chewy. They were hefty and I was extremely full. It's a quality spot just tucked away in a Castro valley strip mall. read more

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Definitely a different take on your usual pho restaurants. I'm not used to ordering and paying first but oh well. Not gonna lie, the inside looks really nice. And their representation of their food is also really nice. Just a bit pricey and I feel like that's why their prices are a bit high. They put way too much ice in my Thai tea but it was good Thai tea none the less. I had the beef broth rare steak and tripe. They put very little tripe. I was disappointed and the steak was just okay. Eating here was just an okay experience. I wouldn't come back unless a friend wanted to try it out or I wanna take a nice picture of my food -.- read more

Pho Play - Beef broth pho with rare steak and VERY LITTLE tripe. Hubby got the bbq beef ribs which was good. - Vietnamese Near Me - Castro Valley, California

It's pho, yes... But to start off, you have to order and pay at the counter...can't even relax and sit down to look at a menu. The noodles tasted too mushy Broth was a little bland I rather drive a little further and go to Saigon house in San Leandro But I can see why people would come here out of convenience read more

Went with my daughter on opening day, the line was long. I was very excited about this place as CV has another pho spot that is flavorless and mediocre.. (it rhymes with Pentz Satay and i dont reccomend it ). So all the food we ordered at pho play was fresh and delicious. They made a couple mistakes but it didn't matter. The broth was great, the pork belly was great everything was good. We have been back again since and will continue to do so. Long as they dont change anything. I highy reccomend giving it a try. read more

Finally a good pho place in CV. I had the shrimp pho which wasn't bad, but my husband's grilled plate was delicious. Even better was the baguette used for banh mi. I'm a very picky banh mi person and this was 10x better than Lee's. The bread was ultra soft and flavorful, and the chicken was cooked perfectly. Ambience was clean, light, and modern. Quick service! Next time I'm ordering the pork belly bao bun and taro milk tea! read more

Best pho ever! Their broth is seriously delicious. It has a great flavor with small droplets of fat noticable from the top that make the broth yummy. Their rice noodles have a pleasant texture. Perfect blend of soft but sturdy to create a good mouth feel. I've tried the Pho Play, Rare Steak, and Brisket Steak. I would recommend the Rare Steak first, Pho Play second, and Brisket third. They are all very good though. Looking forward to trying more! read more

New place...with new place wrinkles. Broth a 4...service a 2. Broth was flavorsome, but not hot enough. In 5 minutes it was luke warm. Really bad form...may be new place issue. One size bowl with good amount of noodles. Extra veggies $1.50. Overall too pricey for what you get. You come in, read board, order and then sit. They do have written menus...easier to read and seems to have more items. I suggest you look at those when deciding. Hot tea served with a glass tumbler? What's up with that? By the time I could touch it, it was not hot anymore. So the purpose of hot tea was lost. I may come back to try other things...just won't expect great service. They tell you where to sit....when I moved it created a minor stir. As there was only a few patrons, I think the staff reaction was unwarranted as I only moved over one table. When I explained the other table was dirty...they had attitude about it. Really? Even if you think i was wrong just rewipe table and move on. Speaking of that...later they Did clean another table with cleaner so strong it choked me. Unappealing. I hope they find a happy medium on this. read more

I really want to like this place and go there sometimes despite the fact that I am not crazy about their pho. The broth doesn't taste the most authentic in my opinion. Their sandwiches are big and enough for two people. They are ok. read more

I was disappointed in our order. 2 out of 4 items were completely wrong. The rate beef pho had no flavor except for all the onions in it. The spring rolls were ok and the peanut sauce barely had a peanut flavor. I won't be going back unfortunately. read more

First impression was good. Went there a few times after hoping to get the same good buns. Cold, very little chicken (one two inch piece in one of the buns). Pho always lukewarm and not piping hot like it should be. Probably won't be coming back. Plenty of other good Vietnamese options in the area. Bao Bun w Chicken was super tasty! Pho came out fast, almost too fast. Would have been nice to get our bun and rice plate at the same time. My wife was eating by herself for about 10 minutes to avoid her soup from getting cold. Condiments with pho were very small. Service was good. Restaurant new and clean, wish the music was a little louder. Kind of embarrassing to hear ourselves talk loud as it was very quiet in the room. I hope they stay busy! read more

I'm not a huge fan, but You might love this place! Pros: All of their ingredients are super fresh and seem like they are very high quality Cons (for me). I tried their chicken vermicelli and there just isn't enough seasoning. I wanted more 5 spice, or more something - it's not what I am used to. The chicken itself seemed like higher than average quality though. I tried again and ordered Bahn mis for a small group - we tried the chicken, pork, shrimp, and tofu. All of them were very very, very sweet (like weirdly sweet). The pickled veg was super sweet, as was the marinade for proteins, and the sauce that went on the bread. We doctored them up with a few different vinegars and more Siracha, but be aware that this Bahn Mi is different than most other Vietnamese restaurants. read more

This review is long overdue! We've been pho play fans since they opened up and especially during shutdown, it's now our weekly takeout spot. Ordering online is easy and the food is always delicious and fresh with generous portions. read more

I love everything here except the pork belly. It's too thinly sliced and almost chewy. But everything else is amazing. Especially the beef lemon grass Bao appetizer! And the teas are delish as well! read more

Pho Play has great Pho, Bao Buns, and Egg rolls. It's a little on the pricer side in terms of Pho, but well worth the slight extra cost. The pho taste great and doesn't leave you feeling too full. They also have good milk tea, but unfortunately they were out of boba. The staff is great, they are very kind and patient. This will for sure be a go to for good Pho. read more