Fast service, delicious broth and excellent meat. What else can you ask for from a pho restaurant. read more

Pho Saigon Pearl - Beef pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Irvine, California

Came in with 4 of my friends, service was beyond terrible. I'm used to Garden Grove service but this was worse! Noodles were not fresh at all, meat was very dry, and the soup you can tell was days on days old. They brought lemons instead of limes for pho and when I asked if they had any limes, they said it the same thing and to just use it, What? They never once came to refill any of our waters and when they saw that I came in with a friend that wasn't asian, they only gave us forks and not chopsticks until we had to ask. Our server was literally sitting at the table behind us EATING, while our water glasses were empty. Overall, I would NOT recommend coming here. Pho - 3/10 Rice Dishes - 4/10 Service - 1/10 Cleanliness - 7/10 read more

Years ago I wrote an unsavory review of Pho Saigon Pearl. Today I decided to give them a second chance with an order of a rice dish (pork), spring roll, and Tri-color dessert. The rice dish was decent and I thought to myself, "great, it's time for a good review." But it went downhill from there with the dry pork in the goi cuon and an unfamiliar dipping sauce that I normally would have expected to contain hoisin sauce. But the brutality of the Tri color dessert is what compelled me to write this review. Absolutely horrendous. Zero flavor. Not even sweetness of any kind. And look at the clumped up mung bean. I'm guessing it's older than the Perry topsider boat shoes that I used to wear with my corduroy OP shorts from the 80s. NEVER again. read more

See all

I really wish I would have read reviews before coming here. We were seated by a friendly host but the server was so unpleasant. He brought waters to the table, I said hello and he said nothing. He just dropped them off and left. He then came back and asked what we wanted. And that was the last we saw or heard from him. Not once did anyone check on our table. I almost left cause he made us feel so uncomfortable. Like we were inconveniencing him. I ordered the shaking filet mignon which was labeled as a favorite. It was 95% mushroom and onions with 10 little cubes of really hard steaks. I mean hard. The rice was also very stale and flavorless. The picture I took I had already taken a few bites. The beef spring rolls were super dry. My husbands pho was also meh. I completely understand that I could have said something but I never send food back. It was still somewhat edible. I have been to several Vietnamese restaurants and the food is always so good. My husband always says "it's so hard to mess up Pho" but this place will forever live as the place that really messed up pho. You can tell that this place stopped caring about the quality of food, customer service and what other reviews say. Do not waste your money here. read more

Pho Saigon Pearl - Supposedly the fan favorite. But - Vietnamese Near Me - Irvine, California

Driving home I needed to use the bathroom, i had so much coffee while driving home from Beverly Hills to San Diego. I made a quick stop in this Mall and when I came back to my Car I didn't see my Family, they called me and they were already sitting at this Restaurant " PHO SAIGON PEARL " The Menu seemed to have a lot of good choices, so it was fast for us to decide which one to order. I had # 29 the Combination Fried Rice and my Son had the # 21 the Rice Charbroiled Marinated Pork chop, my wife had # 52 the Vermicelli w / eggroll, grilled meat and shrimp. My Fried rice was delicious and a generous amount too. My son's # 21 ,The Pork chop was Tender and well-marinated. But I saw my wife's face with a not-satisfied reaction and she explained why. I took some from her plate and she was right, it's a pretty plate of food, but her Noodles are hard, her shrimps and eggrolls are really chewy, like bad , feels like very old already. But the most turn off for us was when our Water got delivered to us, the server is HOLDING our glass of Water on the RIM of the glass where our mouth will be touching it when we drink it, even with a straw after seeing that we don't want to drink the glass of water the server delivered to us. After eating there we immediately went to a nearby food place to buy our bottled drinks. . read more

See all

The food was okay. The service was fast and our server named Ky was very helpful and very accomodating. The place was nice and clean. read more

See all

I give this place 2.5 stars. Dined here for the first and last time over the weekend. I wanted to try some place new while I was shopping at Irvine Spectrum. I was seated almost right away, but the male server was less than pleasant. I asked if he had any recommendations. He replied, "Well, what do you want? Noodles or rice," in a less than friendly tone. Anyway. Food is mediocre; edible, but not enjoyable. The chicken lacked flavor and beef was closer to the medium rare side, which was very chewy. They had indoor and outdoor seating, but the door was wide open making indoor seating just as chilly as outdoor seating. read more

Pho Saigon Pearl - Vietnamese Near Me - Irvine, California

⁃ Vibes: Chill, semi-outdoor, casual ⁃ Crowd: not terribly crowded even on weekends ⁃ Menu: Typical Vietnamese restaurant-level selection ⁃ Value for price: 3/5, on the pricier end and not the highest quality ⁃ Service: 4/5, quick ⁃ Parking: It's at Spectrum...lol Came here on a Sunday night in the midst of a serious pho craving. The ambience is interesting- cute indoor/outdoor seating with a view of Spectrum, but they play quite loud electronic music? We had the combination pho and chargrilled pork banh mi. The former was decent, but the broth was not very flavorful and there was not a lot of meat included. The latter was very bread-heavy, with minimal meat or sauce added. Did this satisfy my pho craving? Yes...but there are much more fulfilling Vietnamese places to try if you're willing to drive further North. read more

Pho Saigon Pearl - Combination pho, chargrilled pork banh mi - Vietnamese Near Me - Irvine, California

I always go to the one on Alton and Jamboree so I figured this one would be just the same. Not even close. Seriously i came at 430 pm we were the only ones in here. Two employees out front talking then messing with their phones. Standing there. Then finally took the order. Food took forever to come out. I finally ended up asking where the food was. He says coming. Then proceeded to go back to talking to the waiter. Water never got refilled not even once. And when i say the food took forever im serious. I actually asked twice and he says coming but it never came. 30 minutes late for some bun. I mean Bun is cold dont even gotta heat it up. Worse service ever read more

Pho Saigon Pearl - Empty water cup lol. Stayed that way our entire time here - Vietnamese Near Me - Irvine, California

Great pho ! Tastey ! Fast service! Good arrived so quickly! Highly recommend this restaurant. read more

Pho Saigon Pearl - Vietnamese Near Me - Irvine, California

This place was really really good. I was surprised....mostly because I assume any restaurant in a mall is kind of a half a$$ restaurant that just missed out on being a weird a$$ restaurant in an airport. But I gotta give it is to Pho Saigon Pearl. Service was chill. On point but didn't lurk over you, a little tight inside but it's spread out nicely. The food was awesome!! We didn't order much but what we got we loved. My wife got the chicken pho. The chicken was quality and tender, the noodles were cooked perfectly. But the real star was the brothe...good lord, it was good. Subtle umami flavored chicken brothe with ginger, cilantro and a number of other great elements. It all came together perfectly. I got, one of my all-time favorite dishes...Cornish game hen boyyyyyy!!!!! This bird was primo!! Cooked perfectly with a marinade that was amazing. Crisp on the outside, tender on the inside, came with an awesome rice...that's all I ever need. Oh!! Also, despite being in irvine spectrum...the prices were really good. We'll definitely be going back!! There was a lot more on that menu that I want to try. B-Walk ADHReviews read more

See all

Not too far but close enough to get a pho fix. The broth isn't very clear but the taste is there! Service was lacking but they were friendly when we finally got their attention. We had outdoor seating and high chairs and were comfortable at a small table. A bowl of 3 meats was under $17 and the kids meal was worth it. The shaky beef was average. Food was decent. It was a tad salty but my kids enjoyed it. read more

See all

I came here with some friends for a friday lunch. There was no wait and pretty much no one there which probably should have been a sign. I got a #11 small with rare steak, well done beef brisket, and meatball. The pho arrived within 10 minutes of ordering. Taste wise, it was average, not good but not bad. The real problem was the rare steak came already well done. It was dry and tough. There were also no meatballs in my pho. The beef soup was not as strong as I would have liked. The only upside was that they at least gave a decent portion of brisket and steak. Overall, disappointing but expected. I would not recommend it. I rather drive farther out and get decent pho in garden grove/westminister instead. read more

Pho Saigon Pearl - #11 rare steak beef brisket and meat ball - Vietnamese Near Me - Irvine, California

See all

Great pho! Has a good flavor, the meat had a little more fat than other places but overall really good The service is very slow. Had to ask three times for more water and jalapeños. read more

See all

- server was not very friendly - pho was mid. I got #12. My friends all agreed that the broth wasn't very flavorful. It felt watered down. The noodles weren't quite the right texture. They also weren't very generous with the meats - got a free coke, which is cool, but it was also pretty watered down - I did like the egg roll and dipping sauce though read more

Oxtail soup is small and full of fat - 2 oxtails and probably 80% fat. Egg rolls were good hence the 2 stars. Service is also almost nonexistent. Won't be back. Save your $$ and drive to Tanh Binh in Lake Forest instead. read more

Pho Saigon Pearl - Oxtail full of fat - Vietnamese Near Me - Irvine, California

Food was not good today. We've been here before in passing and it was okay but everything tasted pretty bad and greasy today. The rice plate was very salty and rice seemed old. Egg roll is okay but still made me feel kind of sick. The meat in the pho was tough and not very good quality. The broth was flavorless, tasted like boiled water. Service was quick and good but probably won't be coming back. read more

Pho Saigon Pearl - #22. Rice with Grilled Shrimp and Egg Rolls - Vietnamese Near Me - Irvine, California

See all

Great place for pho. Live the filet mignon and bahn mi. My friend always gets the shrimp and beef spring rolls. Prices are reasonable and they have great customer service. I just got a you g coconut as well and liked it a lot. read more

My Yelp review from the first 3 min of sitting down. A waiter who may or may not be seen in the entrance picture is the reason for my rating. He was rude from the beginning. He saw that we were a party of 5 and immediately sat us in the front where everyone else was sitting inside with air conditioning. He brought us 5 waters and I asked for an extra cup of ice to where he looked at me as if I asked him for his number. He took about 4 seconds before he rudely said, "give me a minute." I took a picture of where we got sat and everything changed from there. Not sure if it was the Owner or manager, but, Tam saw what had happened I guess and took over the rest of the way. The food came out relatively soon. We had spring rolls for an appetizer but the peanut sauce it came with tasted like ketchup with a hint of olive. We ordered 3 vermicelli noodles, 2 pork 1 beef. The protein was had flavor but was chewy. The waiter who also kept looking at me, really just ruined the vibe making it almost hostile, even tho we all were having a good time. Tam, if you read this, you were great, and this is the only reason I'm giving a 3 star. Some training needs to be provided here for some servers. read more

Pho Saigon Pearl - View of the entrance of this facility. - Vietnamese Near Me - Irvine, California

See all

I love pho and it's always delicious for something soothing down the throat Food was great Staff could be friendlier but were nice enough Located at Irvine Spectrum amongst the bustling shoppers, it's a fun atmosphere Would go back again for pit stop craving if I am shopping read more

Pho Saigon Pearl - Vietnamese Near Me - Irvine, California

See all

Sir didn't even wait for me to comeback and put my food away after I payed it took me less than 2 minutes and my food was already under another plate read more

Went here one time with a guy I used to date, and honestly I don't think I'll ever come back again. Unless my friends want to. We got Pho one time to share, since it's a lot of noodles for one person. Yeah the Pho is good, but costumer service is terrible. The server guy who work there at night barely greet us. No personality whatever so ever. We got our order and didn't even say enjoy. They didn't even say thank you. Please come again. I think this will be the last time I'll ever go there. read more

Restaurant is conveniently located next to the entry 3 sign. I ordered grill beef rice. The beef was tender and well seasoned, however, it is a bit too sweet for my taste. It almost felt like I was eating KBBQ. Before I ordered my food, I called the restaurant to check if the beef was charbroiled and the server said: yes. For that, I was a bit disappointed because it was charbroiled at all. I liked the restaurant's decor. As I was waiting for my food, I found myself enjoying the decorations. It felt quite cozy to me. I was really happy that I found this place. I just wished the beef is charbroiled. read more

See all

I liked: $14 Beef bánh mì $17 Pho đặc biệt I've had this before and I'd say the quality has gotten slightly worse. Still #goodeats but with a slight quality decrease and the higher price tag, I'd rather spend the 30 minutes to go to garden grove. If you can't make the drive, this is fine. Very convenient việt food. I'd sooner get the bánh mì as it's freshly put together and the warm bread is very soft. We sat outside and there's plenty of tables and is a good space to catch up and chat. read more

Pho Saigon Pearl - B2. Grilled Meat Banh Mi - Vietnamese Near Me - Irvine, California

See all

Best pho in town! The egg rolls were crispy and the charbroiled pork was cooked to perfection! Plenty of seating and conveniently located.

Pretty good food. On a hot day, there was no AC, which made things a little uncomfortable. The music was dance and you could really hear it in the bathroom. Came here with a group of 8 and had no problems getting seating. I tried the #52 - vermicelli with grilled shrimp and egg rolls. It was pretty good! Egg rolls were nice and crispy. Mixing it all together had a lot of textures. But the flavor of the sauce was quite bland. I'm used to the sauce having a nice punch, either from sourness, sweetness, saltiness...something! But this sauce was pretty one-note. Service was pretty invisible. read more

Nice environment. Tried their garlic noodles and they taste like they're missing something -- probably garlic. Their spring rolls are good but the sauce could use some work. Overall good spot, but the flavor was lacking and left us disappointed. Second time coming here. Previously ordered one of their rice plates and it was pretty good. Nice sit down area. Friendly. read more

I didn't think this place would be THAT bad. But it is. I couldn't eat the pho. I don't eat bad pho. If the pho is going to be bad, at least have good service. My soda chanh xi muoi was too sour, def didn't have enough sugar (where's that layer at the bottom?). read more

Pho Saigon Pearl - Soda Xi Muoi - Vietnamese Near Me - Irvine, California

See all

First time trying this place and I would say this place was ok . I had better pho than this place. The Service was pretty bad , they were pretty rude and seemed like they were annoyed with my party . The pho was ok for what it's worth but it won't make me want to come back to eat here again . I wanted to give this place like a 3 and a half but Yelp doesn't have that option. Thanks for the meal but it would be nice if your workers wasn't so rude it'll be a different story . read more

See all

The food is amazing! I have been here for three days in a row now, ordering the same three things. Friendly staff. Quick serving of food. Clean bathrooms. Soft background music. Prices are very reasonable. Friendly hint: don't wait outside for a hostess, just walk in and waove Enjoy! read more

Pho Saigon Pearl - Vietnamese Near Me - Irvine, California

When I went this place server was friendly and me and my husband sit outside of table together. We were excited to get pho since i been craving for it. We ordered pork spring rolls, egg rolls, and #10 combination pho small size and large size. Pork spring rolls and egg rolls are really good! And my husband large size of pho was okay but as soon as he drinks broth, he said he smells burnt, but when I ate mine it was minor taste of burnt so i was okay but broth was kinda bland. It was all good and went smoothly, but while i was about to finishing eating, i found black hairs like picture i posted like lashes literally stuck in the tendons. The problem was service. I was trying to understand this situation like not making any problem about this. I was just tell server to tell kitchen to be careful and pay attention more to clean up the tendons that way other ppl wont experience same thing like me also, sometimes when restaurant prepared a lot of ingredients it may unintentionally occurred. But then as soon as i told him first thing he said was "it's normal" i was like you guys can clean up well but he said we can't because it's inside of tendon skin so they won't know so they can't take hairs off. I thought it was kinda weird excuse and his attitude, but i was like okay. But then after like few mins later that old guy server brought his phone and showed me the picture of hairy tendons. He tried to correcting me like look at this pic it's normal so i thought he seems too much so i asked him back "would you eat that hairs if you find out in your soup?" He was saying different things so i asked him again and he said he would eat it also he said other ppl will eat it too i was like omg I WONT NEVER EVER EAT THAT HAIRS. I was so glad that I found out that hairs before i eat that. He ended up said sorry for trying to correcting or convincing me but not about hairs came out of tendons. I've been going to the diamond jamboree location for a long time ever since 10 years. As a tendon lover, i always order tendons whichever pho places i been to. even if i was went to many different pho restaurants, I NEVER HAD EXPERIENCE ANYTHING LIKE HAIRY TENDONS UNTIL TODAY. So my husband searched for me i read that black hairs actually stuck in the tendons a lot but other restaurants put their more time to taking off since customers don't know about tendons are hairy it might disgusting them. So I highly DON'T recommend this place, but if you have no choice then, get pho without tendons. Eggs rolls are good. Also one tip, order soda early not like in the middle or end of your meal since it's refillable but 4 dollars. Overall nah, i won't eat their foods again. read more

See all

I went to the other location and they were so nice and the food was good, but I was pretty disappointed by their service and the food. It wasn't flavorful like the other location, and staffs seemed that they didn't work. Very poor service...I would recommend their other location if you're craving vietnamese food! read more

Dropped in during a lull while only 1 other group was seated inside. Ordered some spring rolls and pho to go but when I got home, I opened my bowl and only got 2 pieces of tendon, 3 strands of tripe, no bean sprouts, lime, basil, or sauces. Pretty sad for a $15 pho. :( Broth was bland but spring rolls were decent. Giving 3 stars instead of 2 because the server was friendly. read more

Pho Saigon Pearl - Vietnamese Near Me - Irvine, California

i've been looking for a new pho spot and let me tell you this place does not miss! i really enjoyed the broth and overall the pho had a really nice flavor to it. service was super quick. read more

Pho Saigon Pearl - 11. Pho with Filet Mignon Rare Steak - Vietnamese Near Me - Irvine, California

A very solid Vietnamese restaurant. We didn't expect much since it's at the mall but we've been pleasantly surprised at how good the food is. When ordering takeout they are always super quick and prompt! read more

I love this place for their egg rolls, spring rolls, and their banh mi. But on this visit, I decided to not only get my usuals but also other items I've been curious about and I was definitely happy with all my choices!!!!! This is located at Irvine Spectrum all the way at the end. I always loved their charbroiled pork patty spring rolls because not only is the roll itself really yummy but even the sauce is addicting, I always leave it empty. Here's what my friend and I ordered: -EATS- Wok-seared shaking filet mignon Tempura Prawns Pan-fried chicken wings Vermicelli with grilled shrimp, egg rolls, with pork Charbroiled pork patty rolls Combination soup Chicken Banh Mi Special combo Banh Mi -DRINKS- Lychee on ice Thai iced tea Vietnamese iced coffee My new favorite appetizer was definitely the chicken wings, such good flavor and perfectly seasoned and fried. Would get this again. I didn't care for the tempura prawns, the description sounded yummy but it was just okay for me Lychee on ice was literally lychees with ice!!!! When it came to the table, I was like, oh no, I'm gonna need to order a Thai iced tea to go better with my food. This drink was more like a dessert. I won't get it again. It tasted yummy, but just doesn't pair well with the food. Everything else was delicious as usual, vermicelli, banh mi and spring rolls! Oh and the shaking beef was so tender, I'm glad I tried this too and it did not disappoint. read more

See all

I wanted to try this location as have only been by the other one. The location itself was a bit secluded from the rest of the spectrum but overall was nice. The food came out pretty fast and was pretty good. Portion sizes were very nice as well. Service was pretty decent, the ordering was a bit slow but nothing to knock them down a whole bunch. Overall a great Vietnamese place to eat at the spectrum. read more

Pho Saigon Pearl - Pho with well done brisket and chicken - Vietnamese Near Me - Irvine, California

Horrible service. Food was not worth the money. Tomato just mushed in my mouth and felt like it was soaking in chemicals. Will never come back. read more

A solid pho spot inside of Irvine Spectrum! During a time when it's hard to find a meal for under $30 per person, Pho Saigon Pearl is a go to quick, filling, and affordable meal. Their pho noodle soups have a rich broth, and are accompanied by your usual side of bean sprouts, fresh basil and fresh jalapeños. A small bowl will run you $16 (which I know some of you are going to say is pricey, and I don't disagree but... inflation, what can we say ‍) Their interior dining area is fairly small with about 6 tables total however they also have a outdoor covered patio which is perfect for warm summer nights. During this visit I ordered the lemongrass beef vermicelli bowl, hold the vermicelli, and instead subbed with all veggies. I have to admit I was curious to see how generous they would be with the veggies and they did not disappoint!! For $15, it was a very generous portion, not only the veggies but the protein as well! Service was great, waiters are very attentive and, they are extremely polite If you live near the spectrum, don't sleep on this pho spot! read more

Pho Saigon Pearl - #53. Vermicelli with Meat Sauteed in Lemongrass (I subbed the vermicelli noodles with veggies and they did not dissapoint!!) - Vietnamese Near Me - Irvine, California

Not good, mediocre pho and service is lacking. Drive 5 more minutes to lake Forest to enjoy better pho places.