GOI CUON BBQ PORK SPRING ROLLS: -- very small circumference -- no carrots, more basic on veggies -- pork not as charred as the best renditions RATING = B+ BUN CHA GIO THIT NUONG VERMICELLI: -- fish sauce very mild and not stanky which is nice -- needs more char on pork -- a good rendition overall -- fried egg rolls are quite good RATING = A- Booth seats need a better wipe down. Food comes out fast. read more

The biggest complaint I had with this restaurant is the portions. My son ordered the rice with pork chop and egg rolls. The pork chop was paper thin and very small. When I asked the server about the size of the pork chop, she even agreed it was small. And then to charge approximately $18 for this is simply highway robbery. Never coming back here again. read more

Pho So 1 - Rice with pork chop. The pork chop was paper thin and tiny. The egg rolls and fork is there to compare the size. - Vietnamese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Pho So 1 is known for not using MSG in their dishes. The food came out quickly. If you order pho, the sides of bean sprouts/basil/lime are already prepped and in the fridge. Since it's been in the fridge, the veggies are slightly discolored and not as fresh as if they were made to order. The pho was good and pretty average. There's plenty of parking in the front lot. read more

Pho So 1 - Combo pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Pho So 1 is a great local Vietnamese restaurant that offers a variety of noodles, Pho, rice dishes and desserts. Everything tasted hot and delicious. The staff were friendly and attentive. Food came out in 10 minutes. Ambiance is casual, cozy and cafe like with many tables and booths. Highly recommended if you don't want to drive to Westminster or Garden Grove. read more

Can never go wrong with Pho So 1 the service is always amazing, the food always tastes fresh, and the music is always good. The pho dac biet is on point I love the tendon its always good size and the steak is a good cut, the bahn mi here is amazing, the spring rolls and egg rolls are definitely top tier. I have tried everything from the salt and pepper wings, the fish sauce wings, the calamari, the pork chop rice with the meatloaf, and it has never disappointed me. I have been coming here since it opened and I will continue driving 15 minutes to get here verse going to the one thats 2 minutes from my house. read more

3.5 stars Plenty of parking. Food was good. Service lack, bad communication. Servicer did not come check on us. The place was clean and quiet. read more

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It's the closest pho place to us. We tried a few times and consider it not only convenient but they have great flavor soup stock for pho. I think that is a good sign for a pho restaurant. read more

The stir fry was AMAZINGLY TASTY!!! Never seen such a good amount of flavor. Julie our hostess was very friendly and sweet answering all our questions and offered to ask the cook. I loveddd that there was no loud music that you can't have a conversation. My daughter had the rice noodles with shrimp, it was soooooo good, she enjoyed every bite! Definitely coming back and recommending this place read more

Pho So 1 - Stir fry vegetables, steamed rice and shrimp so yummy - Vietnamese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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This place is so underrated! I got the large combination pho and they were really generous with the noodles and beef. The broth tasted so clean and good! They don't use any msg and the pho tastes very homey. 100% would recommend. read more

Pho So 1 - Combination pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Food okay. Service super shorthanded. Ambiance spacious and clean. Came here Friday night with my dad and was semi-packed around 6pm. Menus and taking our order took a while. We understood it was shorthanded so we remained patient. We both ordered small phos. Was not digging their veggies served prepacked and saran wrapped with spoon onto a plate. Pho broth was okay and definitely small. Not sure if we will return but we will see! read more

very tasty and good portion. I always order the oxtail pho and it never disappointed me. the space is also clean but if they are busy there might be a little bit of wait read more

Food, service and ambiance was all amazing! Love this place. Perfect for the cold weather to have some Pho... can't go wrong with anything you order. read more

We ordered the large rare beef pho and lemon grass chicken. They barely serve any bean sprouts and no mint with the pho. Lemon grass chicken was plated nicely and I liked the pickled cabbage side, but the chicken was so dry I couldn't eat it. We will not be back. read more

Pho So 1 - Lemongrass chicken - Vietnamese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Always enjoy the food here. We go on weekends after a trip out with the kids. Lots of selection on menu, though we tend to stick to our usuals. Friendly staff and quick service. read more

Pho So 1 - Appetizer: Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings - Vietnamese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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This is my first time trying the Beef Pad Tai, and it was so delicious My daughter always had the chicken pho with rice noodles. The mango smoothie is very refreshing. Really friendly staff and very fresh food. Remember to do random acts of kindness as it will make everyone feel wonderful. Happy Yelping, and please follow me for more awesome reviews read more

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Been here a few times now. Heres the rundown: Good - Ox tail pho is really good. Nice & tender. Broth is flavorful albeit a bit oily - Comfy seating benches were added Not good - shrimp rolls small and bland - shrimp cut thin - table chopsticks slippery and hard to use - bad tap water - service average, young friendlier than old servers - pho spoons kept in fridge with the pho toppings make them wet and cold - above average-prices , was told they relocated from Irvine so guess they brought Irvine prices Overall its average for me read more

Pho So 1 - Ox Tail Pho - Tasty but pricy - Vietnamese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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Good pho!! There was no one there when we went. The service was fast and friendly. The vibes are family friendly. read more

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To whom may concern, I had the most terrible experience at your restaurant tonight and I don't think is fair to punish your business for 1 person that dropped the ball. Please contact me, I had to walk out, I would like to come back and try your place for the first time, hopefully a more pleasant second visit. uribed17@gmail.com read more

My favorite local place for pho. Good food, good service, and good ambiance for a quick to normal night out to eat. I come about once every week or two. Price is reasonable. Serving is reasonable. Is it the best food? No. Is it the best service? No. Is it the cleanest? No. But it just hits the spot for me. I don't mind waving down the waiter when I need something. They are kind and responsive enough for me. Bland? I do eat more bland than most people, so maybe? I really enjoy the pho, pad thai, and fried squid. Bahn mi is a pass for me. Don't know much about the other dishes... I'm really stuck on the pho. This place's turnover feels just right. Busy enough where all the tables may be occupied, but fast enough where there is always one table leaving. We have never had to wait but have seen the place full frequent enough yet rarely anyone needing to wait for a table. Pho from Sup noodle bar is slightly better. But they have long wait, pricier, and farther by a good amount. I still rather eat here easily for my family. If we have out of state foodie guests, I would probably take them to Sup if they insisted on pho for whatever crazy reason. read more

Food was delicious! Our first time here and definitely not our last. Service was great and everyone is so friendly! Highly recommend getting #13 and #27. Can't wait to come back! read more

Pho So 1 - #27 - Vietnamese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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Great spot for Vietnamese comfort food - pho! The broth was flavorful and even tasted better with fresh (flat) noodle. The spicy beef noodle (bún bò Huế) was great too. All of us finished our portion to the last drop of the broth! That's how good the meal was. We also ordered Grass Jelly in Coconut milk and Avocado smoothie. So good! One tip, despite the name, the grass jelly came with half and half milk, so we asked for extra coconut milk. The staff was really nice and explained to us that the default was half and half milk, next time if we want coconut milk, just mention that to them when ordering. To make up for the confusion, they remade the drink with coconut milk and even gave us extra coconut milk to out in the previous one. The drink tasted better in coconut milk since it's how it is in Vietnam. Avocado smoothie was perfect! It was light and creamy, not too sweet. The ambiance was nice and great for lunch. We would definitely come back to try more dishes from the menu. read more

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Pho So 1 has been such a tried and true restaurant for me and it has taken me out of the trenches more times than I can count. Despite inflation, the prices are still decently priced and the food is always amazing. The food is always ready when you order it and it's always piping hot. I absolutely love ordering pho with rare steak, well done brisket & flank. Nothing has ever disappointed me here. The restaurant is extremely clean and they have an awesome lunch special for additional egg rolls for $2. This is my favorite Vietnamese restaurant in Orange County and for good reason! (21/100--2023) read more

Pho So 1 - Vietnamese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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I hate having to give this place a bad review but the atmosphere and the service made a huge difference in my experience. It's quiet with no music and all you can hear is other people eat, the service truly truly sucks. Young guys that have NO customer service experience and no desire to help the customers. The food was decent, could use a little more flavor. Do not think I will be going back, definitely not worth it read more

I'm not super picky with pho so I judge it based on simple criteria - how many meatballs do I get when I order the meatball pho? Does the broth remind me of my childhood Chinatown pho dinners? Are the noodles bouncy and chewy? The answer here are a lot of meatballs and yes with Pho So 1. It gets the job done well and the pho held over deliciously for takeout. A regular for $15, not bad. The portion was good. read more

I was genuinely impressed by this place! The first thing that stuck out to me was the fact that it was supposed to be MSG free! Really? I had a hard time believing that. And after trying the food, I still have a hard time believing that, but in a good way! Meaning that it tasted so good that it's hard for me to believe it's still MSG free! The menu has just about every single combination of pho that you can imagine. And they even have beef back rib, and they also have oxtail! It looks like a family run joint and they seemed very happy and gracious that my friend and I visited and served us w genuine (almost shy) smiles! The spot itself was really chill, booths and tables as you can imagine a fairly standard setup for a restaurant. It was nice and clean. Will most definitely come back here!!! read more

Pho So 1 - No MSG and page 1 of 2 of Pho choices - Vietnamese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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I'd call this spot: the quick, clutch pho bowl nearby. You know when you're just craving a hot bowl of broth-y noodles? I was big time; this Pho house was a great little local spot to stop and enjoy a bowl. I ordered the beef broth veggie pho bowl. My little dinner was reasonably priced and was served quickly. The staff is happy to serve, even as late as we got there, they did not hurry us out of the place- I really appreciated them letting us finish and leave comfortably. I wouldn't say this place stood out knock your socks off, but i would recommend it for a quick, fresh bite, and May come again. read more

Pho So 1 - Beef broth vegetable pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Really good and fresh Vietnamese food in Lake Forest! The grilled chicken vermicelli was really delicious and a huge portion, so I took over half of it home. Great service too :) read more

Pho So 1 - Vietnamese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Pretty decent late dinner pho option. Had the large Dad Biet and enjoyed it. The spring roll and cha ciao hit the spot too. Typical pho house that is clean, comfy with plenty of close parking outside and fast and reliable service. The condiments were very fresh too and loved the basil which was very fresh and packed with flavor. read more

This is our favorite pho place in OC! The owner and staff are crazy nice, so fast, and the food is always on point. We always get the same items (fresh spring rolls, #17, #24) and end up paying about $50 for a family of 4. It's always busy but the service is lightening fast! Can't say enough great things about this place! read more

I live in Capistrano area and don't want to have to drive 49 minutes out to Westminster for good pho and authentic Vietnamese rice dishes so I discovered this place over the summer and only come here for all of our pho cravings! They are super friendly and their food is amazing. If it were to my kids they would consistently choose this spot for food whenever deciding what to eat. I like the space this restaurant provides especially for bigger groups. read more

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We thought we'd try out a different pho restaurant from our usual. We were pleasantly surprised by the flavors of our meal. I ordered a beef pho. The broth was rich with spices and the beef was delicious. My husband ordered bun. He felt like it all was fresh and tasted great. We will for sure be eating here next time we want pho. You have two new customers. read more

Local staple for a semi-quiet place for lunch or dinner. The only authentic Vietnamese egg rolls I can find east of Irvine/Lake Forest area. Pho is good but sometimes the noodles can come out too starchy. Love the variety of options and service is always quick and easy. read more

Very clean, great service. Pho was good. A little skimpy with the bean sprouts and mint but the broth was clean and flavorful. read more

Stopped by for a quick lunch and ordered the basic Vietnamese food, Pho Tom (shrimp) and Cha Gio (egg rolls) to determine the quality and taste of their food. The soup was clear and hearty but could've been a little bit more hot while the noodles and shrimps were cooked perfectly. The person who took my ordered and who took out my food were different but the service was quick and good. When the pho came out I knew immediately that they forgot my egg rolls since it's an appetizer but wanted to see if it would come out later. It didn't. When the server brought the bill to me sure enough the egg rolls order was added so I had to correct it. Other than that, the restaurant is clean and big. Note on the side, when you pay for the bill, you need to go up to the register. Also, you have an option to use either the wooden disposable chopsticks or plastic reusable chopsticks, which was nice. read more

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The establishment is clean and quiet. Came after looking at Christmas lights with my two young kids (1 & 2 ) and I cannot thank them enough. Everyone was attentive and so helpful when my 1 year old kept waiting to play with chopsticks and throwing it on the ground. The restaurant states they do not add msg and I believe it! No headache after eating and my kids were happy with the noodles. The broth was clean and honestly it's decently priced. read more

Great food, no msg and soup is made from scratch with beef bones. The ambiance is good, place is very clean. The servers are all very friendly and cordial. We like everything on the menu especially their pho. read more

Red flag #1: the teenage waiters gave us the bill while we were still eating. Not even halfway through our course. Red flag #2: the teenage waiters rolled their eyes at new customers who walked in. Red flag #3: the teenage waiters were rushing us to eat, and the other customers, and it wasn't even close to closing time! Point is they need to be more professional and nice. I don't know if that was their summer job but they need to get it together. read more

It's not the best, not the worst, but average at best. The prices are steep for what you're getting. If you are going for Pho, you might as well go for Ramen for the same price. When you see a fridge full of saran wrap pre-packed veggie add-ons and coffee with no clear markings, you question the integrity of the items served. It might be a good idea not to have that visible from the dining area. Normally, I would have walked out if I wasn't so hungry then. The pho broth was okay, but the protein quantity was small. They bring out very small pre-packaged saran-wrapped bean sprouts with no mint leaves. I don't see myself returning to this establishment as they take away the Pho experience completely with shortcuts. First impressions are lasting impressions read more

The food comes out SUPER fast. I wondered at first how pho could be tasty without MSG but it was delicious. I had the thin sliced rib pho (31). It was tasty as regular pho is, but I didn't feel super sleepy afterwards and my clothes didn't smell like a pho restaurant, so the no MSG was great! The server was really friendly and accommodating. There's a good number of seats inside too. read more

Theres not many pho options in Lake forest, so I am happy that this is here! However, you can get great pho not too far away in Westminster or even in Irvine. The service is quick and the restaurant smells amazing. However, you will not get 5 star service here! You may need to walk up to the counter to pay or add items to your menu as they will not check on you during your meal time The broth did not feel as flavorful as the other places that I love, but it is still a great serving size and bowl of pho. read more