Delicious, great service, cute mural walls! We came in around 9 pm tonight, we were starving. There were a lot of people inside, but we were seated and able to order right away. The food was tasty and hot. I ordered fried tofu with vegetables and my friend got pad thai. Everything was fabulous and so flavorful. There's plenty of vegetarian options. The air conditioning was wonderful on this humid night. read more

Pho Xe Lua Viet Thai Restaurant - Vietnamese Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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My family used to frequent this restaurant almost every week when I was a kid. I practically grew up here. My mom and aunts knew the owners. But they have since sold and under new management. Decades later I feel the urge to revisit and it's smaller than I remember. I'll chalk it up to being a small kid memory. The decor is indeed dated and needing a lot of tlc. I heard the food was still good so what the heck let's give it a try. The new owners/workers are definitely not Vietnamese. The menu is huge and included a lot of non Vietnamese dishes. We ordered 2 bowls of noodles and they are huge portions. At first glance they are a watery bowl of rice noodles. I was not impressed. But upon my first sip of the soup I was pleasantly surprised. All that flavor was still there. (They must've also inherited the recipes from the previous owners) Although the quality of meat and veggies were not cooked with the broth they still managed to maintain the flavors so I'm impressed. The beef was tough and blocky so were the carrots. I couldn't finish my portion so I took it home and to my mistake the noodles did not travel well. They became a mushy mess. So I'm very torn. I very much enjoyed all the flavors but the quality was a bit disappointing. read more

Pho Xe Lua Viet Thai Restaurant - Beef noodle soup - Vietnamese Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Mediocre food -- thin, lukewarm pho in a filthy restaurant. Waiter condescendingly told me my credit card was declined. He then realized that everyone's card declined because their payment system was down, and frantically begged me to get cash at a nearby ATM. Never returning. read more

Came here for a late lunch on a weekend and it wasn't busy. We ordered a bbq beef with egg on rice (#208) and it was delicious. The meat portion is sufficiently big and the meal was about $14. The place is clean and the bathrooms are clean. I'm excited to come back for pho! read more

Pho Xe Lua Viet Thai Restaurant - Vietnamese Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Came here around 3 pm on a sat and it was pretty empty. We got seated immediately. The server was nice and the food was really good! I shared this dish with a friend for only $13 and it was so so so filling for the both of us. They accept cash and card at no surcharge. read more

Pho Xe Lua Viet Thai Restaurant - Vietnamese Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

We stayed in Hummelstown and took the train into Chinatown. One of my friends is allergic to MSG, so we had to choose our restaurant carefully. She was craving Thai food, while I was in the mood for pho. The restaurant was able to customize her Pad Thai, making it MSG free, adding extra veggies, and including a little tofu for protein. She enjoyed it, but when I sampled it, I noticed a stronger tomato flavor--probably from using more ketchup instead of sweet chili sauce, which overpowered the dish for me. My pho, on the other hand, was excellent. I ordered a large bowl with tendon and flank steak, and it was super flavorful with plenty of noodles. Since I'm cutting back on carbs, I shared some of it with the group. Service was good, and since we arrived early for lunch, it wasn't too busy. A heads-up--the bathroom had the typical sewer smell you sometimes find in Chinatown restaurants, but that was expected. I will come back for the Vietnamese dishes but definitely not the Thai... read more

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My daughter returned from Vietnam last night. With her posts of the wonderous food she ate, I knew what I wanted for lunch. As luck would have it, before walking over to Chinatown we struck up conversation with a woman from Vietnam. She suggested we try Nha Hang. So we did! (Apparently, the place goes by different names. Look for "Nha Hang" on the sign.) The sole person working the dining room -- waitressing, bussing tables, packing to-go containers, taking payment -- was friendly and solicitous, doing her job with aplomb. When we were leaving she said, "I haven't seen you before." It was clear from her interaction with patrons, that the restaurant was filled with "regulars," primarily Vietnamese. I had no intention of ordering pho, but when I saw most everyone eating it, I joined the crowd. My bowl of soup, the smaller of two sizes on the menu, was massive and arrived piping hot. Like too hot! I doctored up the broth with some chili, adding of course the requisite sprouts and Thai basil leaves. Delicious! T ordered com: BBQ beef, shredded pork and steamed egg on rice. You can choose from over a dozen variations. I tasted the beef and was impressed with the flavor and texture. BTW we ordered spring rolls mistakenly thinking they were summer rolls, but no matter. They were crisp, lighter than Chinese egg rolls and albeit fried, weren't greasy. Three to an order. The restaurant accepts credit cards, with a $15 minimum purchase. Note that they're closed Wednesdays. read more

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We were visiting Philly for the weekend and wandered into Chinatown craving some pho. While driving around, we found Pho Xe Lua Viet Thai Restaurant and decided to give it a try. I ordered the special pho, while my wife went with the beef pho, and we shared some crispy spring rolls. The food was decent--nothing particularly memorable, but it hit the spot. The pho broth was solid, but not the most flavorful we've had. What really stood out, though, was the service. Even on a busy Sunday afternoon, we were seated right away, and the staff was attentive and friendly throughout our meal. Overall: If you're in Chinatown and want a quick, no-frills pho fix with great service, this spot will do the job. read more

Pho Xe Lua Viet Thai Restaurant - Vietnamese Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I have heard about this place for years. I finally tried it since I usually go for Vietnamese on Washington Ave. Inside is a no frill interior, but the service was really good. We ordered grilled pork with broken rice, and grilled pork bun with minced shrimp on a sugar cane. The flavours were really good, and they also give you plenty of food. I really enjoyed everything about my food, will definitely come back. read more

Pho Xe Lua Viet Thai Restaurant - Grilled pork with broken rice - Vietnamese Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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I've been here twice. The fried rolls were okay, but their beef pho is delicious! It's a great price for a big plate of pho. I was able to share my pho with someone else and we both were filled by the time we were done. I'm looking forward to coming back especially in the cold! read more

Pho Xe Lua Viet Thai Restaurant - Vietnamese Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Loved coming here and trying some pho in Philly. I'm from the west coast so the favor is different here but still delicious. I got the pho chin, the broth wasn't oily or overwhelming. Just perfect and the portions here are huge. My favorite was the bun rieu. I was surprised they had big pieces of pork in the soup. And there wasn't big chunks of tomatoes. The broth was also a lot more red than I had before. But it was still very tasty. I would skip out on the egg rolls next time .it was just okay. read more

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I really wanted to love this place for it's incredibly large menu of several types of East Asian cuisine, it is also very inexpensive, but I think it's important to know a few things about what you're walking into. First, this is Chinese owned, you're not going to have the authenticity of a Thai or Vietnamese restaurant. I consider this more like an Asian diner--a huge variety of options, but you're not going to get the best quality if you order something like a pasta or steak. The food is edible, but the seasonings, spices and flavors are off. I ordered the pad thai and it was incredibly tangy-sour and orange, also made with pho noodles. I also ordered the Vietnamese bun (noodle salad) which was more authentic, but felt like it was very basic. Tables next to me ordered noodle soups, which definitely looked better. Looking back, I'd go somewhere with fewer options that specializes in one type. I was really hungry and really craving Asian food/couldn't decide between Thai and Vietnamese, so this felt like the best option. I'd stay away from the pad thai and stick with the noodle soups or rice dishes if you come here. read more

Pho Xe Lua Viet Thai Restaurant - Noodle salad - bun - Vietnamese Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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I was born and raised in Philly Chinatown and have been eating here for as long as I can remember. It's been a whole decade now and even though me and my family have moved right outside of Philly, we still drive that long distance and come here to eat because it's never changed. The fresh smell of their noodles brings back nice childhood memories. Their food has always been great and their broth is absolutely delicious. Me and my siblings always clear the entire bowl and leave nothing behind. Their spring rolls are a MUST TRY because it's always very crispy and steaming hot when they serve it to you. The drinks are amazing especially their fruit smoothies because they use actual fresh fruits so their drinks end up having a lot of flavor. The staff here are very nice that we even managed to get along with some of them. You can rest assured that you WILL get what you paid for because they fill their bowls to the brim. There's always going to be a good amount of food in each of their dishes so feel free to order whatever you crave. Couple tips: Try to eat AT the place to ensure that your food is fresh and good. Take out for the most part isn't really good because your food is literally just sitting there until you get it or until you open it up and eat it. USE THEIR SAUCES!!! Or make your own sauce with the ones provided. Always makes a difference when I dip food in it or mix it with the soup. Don't be afraid to come with a big group of people. They have an upstairs seating area too but I guess if you're coming with a lot of people just let them know in advance before entering. This is Chinese owned so it's more like a casual Asian restaurant but the food is definitely worth a try because it's affordable. read more

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Long night out and needed some revitalization. Saw this resturant in Chinatown and decided to stop by. Service was good, and definitely had an extended menu in regards to Vietnamese authentic dishes (saw some frog on there) which I don't normally see around my way. Food was okay, wasn't anything spectacular but got the job done. read more

Pho Xe Lua Viet Thai Restaurant - In the area for some Vietnamese! Iced coffee egg rolls, banh cuon, curry, pad thai, pho, rice dish. This place has it all! - Vietnamese Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

To be fair, we didn't have their pho, which seems to be what they're known for. We ordered delivery, and felt pho would be more difficult to eat. However, all the things we ordered were far below expectations. Mostly just texture with no flavor. read more

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Quick standard pho shop Reasonable taste and price for the size. Small entrance so harder to find but opens up to a reasonable size shop read more

Pho Xe Lua Viet Thai Restaurant - Vietnamese Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

It was a very cold afternoon and I wanted some comforting food. After checking Yelp I found this place out of the beaten path. This restaurant was very authentic and the service was excellent. My husband and I started with the spring rolls and we were both very pleased. They were super crispy, juicy and a very nice size. I had the large beef pho and I was shocked by huge it was. I can't even imagine getting the Xlarge. The broth was delicious and there were plenty of noodles and bean sprouts. I was very happy with my pho and couldn't even finish the whole bowl. read more

In Philly for a conference, debated whether to camp out at the Hershel's for some pastrami Ruben or go light with Vietnamese pho. It's a bit windy and the temperature was kinda cool, so pho it was. I walked to Chinatown looking for Xe Lua and passed by pho Cali - another place that I visited quite often in the past. The place was on the smaller side. Half full - a table of student, a table of tourists, a couple of tables of other locals. One person taking orders and serving. Thank god no one is ordering a tableful of dishes. I order fried spring rolls with a large bowl of gai nam sach. The rolls were a large side. I prefer smaller ones that were deeper fried. The pho was really nice. Good amount of pho. Plenty of meats. I felt really good after the bowl of pho. Thank you and will look to come back for some more in the future. read more

Food: The pho here is okay tbh. I think the selling point of choo choo is their price point. At 14.75 for an X large bowl, it's a good amount of food for two people to share. The portions are huge. Service: The service here is standard. I think this place is Chinese owned. I've never heard any of the staff speak Vietnamese Ambience: The ambience in here is pretty lively, there's always a couple of people here when I'm eating. read more

Pho Xe Lua Viet Thai Restaurant - 108. Medium Rare Beef and Beef Balls Rice Noodle Soup - Vietnamese Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Good food and good service. We had pho and grilled pork ball. Very laid back and relaxing place

Stopped by on a Tuesday evening for dinner with a friend, and we were seated promptly. We were a little indecisive on what to order, but the server was informative and helped me choose a vermicilli dish with a few dietary substitutes! Both our dishes were delicious and large portions! Highly recommend the vermicilli noodle with chicken, it's super flavorful, fresh, and generous with the chicken. Overall great place and will be coming back! read more

Pho Xe Lua Viet Thai Restaurant - 300. BBQ Chicken on Vermicelli - Vietnamese Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I go here almost every weekend and every person I have brought to this place has loved it. I always get the 102 Pho Tai and it has never disappointed. Service is always fast and the portions are well sized but cheap so you can take home leftovers . 10/10 would recommend. read more

Pho. Received the wrong meat choices. It's OK. Enjoyed it anyway. Also got the fish sour soup. Was good. Portions are generous. read more

Nice lil restaurant serving mixed cuisines on their menu. Lots to choose from on your preferences, and family style tables with rotating center are a nice addition. Some of their dishes have huge generous portions for a good price. Others are a bit bland. Pho could use some more flavor and spices to increase the appeal. Overall it's pretty good. read more

Pho Xe Lua Viet Thai Restaurant - Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I came here with coworkers midweek on a cold gloomy & perfect for pho kinda day. They had a nice big table for us and were pretty prompt in taking our orders. Everything came out quickly even though they were fairly busy. I was impressed that someone brought out more dumpling sauce (they thought we weren't given any originally) a little bit after we got the dumplings. I did think it was odd that every order of pho didn't get its own plate/side of toppings but we were able to share. The pho was great, the dumplings were okay, prices were mostly reasonable (lychee drink was pricey for what I received IMO) and I look forward to going back. read more

Pho Xe Lua Viet Thai Restaurant - 501. Spring Rolls 014. Lychee Drink - Vietnamese Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Classic pho joint here in Philly. Service was great. I was able to catch a waiters attention each time I needed to and the food came out quickly. The shrimp summer rolls were a little on the basic side; the sauce wasn't anything special and it could've used some more herbs in my opinion. I ordered the classic pho bowl, 101, and realized half way into the bowl that I forgot to take a photo. The beef was very tender and the broth hit the spot; comfort food. Nothing fancy, just a bowl of pho and sometimes that's exactly what you need. read more

Pho Xe Lua Viet Thai Restaurant - 504. Shrimp Summer Rolls - Vietnamese Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

This is one of our go to restaurants in Chinatown. The service was good and it was very fast for a late lunch. They had removed my fav dish off the menu and this was dissapointing, a veggie curry dish. So I ordered a rice noodle and tofu and veggie dish instead, which was good but too much soy sauce on it so it overtook the flavor. My hubby ordered pho with meat, which he also said was good, but not as flavorable broth as he remember or had elsewhere. I hope they return more of the curry dishes to the menu as it appeared all but the curry chicken was removed. I will go again. read more

This has been my favorite pho place since my college days (10+ years ago). As a Philly area local, I've been around looking for noodle hotspots and to this day, this is still the default pho restaurant I take everyone to who's from out of town! I've tried every pho bowl at least once, and really enjoyed medium rare steak. Well done steak is really chewy which I'm not keen on. I personally love tripe and flank, but if you enjoy tendon, you have that option too. And if you want more than 3 toppings, you can add more for an extra cost. There is a $15 minimum for credit card, so bring cash if you're splitting the bill with a friend or know you'll be spending less. read more

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This is the perfect place on a cold and rainy day. The portions are HUGE and the value is great. Service was fast as well. So happy I found this place. I ordered #101, which is the basic rice noodle soup with medium rare beef and various fixings. One thing I really enjoyed was the tripe. It added a chewiness to the bites. Must add a bit of sriracha to the broth to give it a kick. Broth was so rich and they gave generous portions of beef. read more

Pho Xe Lua Viet Thai Restaurant - 101. Special Xe Luan Medium Rare Beef Rice Noodle Soup - Vietnamese Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Went here for my birthday lunch and it was everything I could have wanted . I called beforehand to confirm the rice noodles were gluten free (other Vietnamese places in the area did not understand my question of "are they gluten free? Is there wheat? What are the ingredients?" so I couldn't risk it) and they were, so I made my way over. I surprisingly got a parking spot right across the street from it at around 1pm on a Thursday, but you might not be as lucky during the dinner crowd. Our server was kind and straightforward, and when it was time for the check and boxing of our Pho's she swiftly packaged leftovers in a BPA-free container. I got the bun bo hue- a favorite of mine, since it is pretty spicy, and full of pig feet (gives the broth a full, meaty flavor) and steak. Finally, the mood is relaxed yet still a few notches above "typical take-out only restaurant", and there was a live huge crab in a tank to entertain us during the meal. read more

Pho Xe Lua Viet Thai Restaurant - Bun Bo Hue (spicy pig feet and steak) #130 - Vietnamese Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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A solid not great Pho joint in Philly chinatown. The XL bowl is about a large size in major Pho cities - Orange County, Seattle, Dallas, Houston.. Broth is rather light. Noodles - a lot (not good). Meat content - just OK. For the special, no meatballs... a FYI. read more

My wife and I stopped here for lunch. We both ordered the Large Beef Noodle Soup. We both thought it was very good. But, it's quite large. I'd say next time we get an Extra large and just share it. Staff was friendly. Atmosphere is basic which is fine. Definitely will return. read more

I've heard good things about this spot before and one of my friends had been here once before too. It's a very casual dining spot. The food came out pretty quickly and the portions were huge. Not everything we ate was our favorite, but clearly it was made with experience and quality. we ate our full. It was very easy to sit and chat for a while. We paid about $40 among 3 people. The staff also speak both mandarin and English read more

Pho Xe Lua Viet Thai Restaurant - 304. Minced Shrimp on Sugarcane, BBQ Pork and Spring Roll on Vermicelli 209. BBQ Lemongrass and Chicken on Rice 109. Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

First, the interior of this place is great-- they have this v quaint landscape painting wallpaper and a cool mirror in the back. Came w a group of 6 for byo and they were super accommodating! Service was amazing. And loved the food, i got the garlic pea shoots and added tofu and they were super generous w both. Wld def come again read more

Pho Xe Lua Viet Thai Restaurant - 625. Stir-Fried Snow Peas Leaves - Vietnamese Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Pho Xe Lua Viet has tasty food that is good for the soul. The shrimp pho (130D) is a good option for pescatarians and is filled with the fluffiest, large shrimp I've ever had. The soup is very flavorful and the bowl is huge! (I put my hand for scale.) I wish there were more veggies in the soup, although there was a great amount of noodles, but I found the romaine lettuce in the soup very strange. The BBQ pork over rice was flavorful but it was more bone than we would have liked. The egg was unique and fluffy, a mix of an omelette and a steamed egg filled with vermicelli. Lastly, the spring rolls were crisp, but I wish there was more flavor to them. The portion of the pho was great value but everything else was lacking, in my opinion, compared to the price. The service was fast and quick originally but definitely be ready to flag someone down if you need the check, more water, etc. The interior is casual and bright. Note should be taken there are stairs that can't be skipped to get into the restaurant. Also there is a $15 credit card minimum. read more

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My favorite Vietnamese restaurant in the NY city. A resturant where you can enjoy the authentic taste of Vietnam. The workers are hard work so everything quick to rotate it. They have enough space to welcome customers so you do not have to wait for a while. read more

Pho Xe Lua Viet Thai Restaurant - Vietnamese Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I'm literally watching my associate use your finger to scoop up the remaining sauce, it's that good.

Stopped in after a day at a local museum. There is street and nearby parking lots. Family friendly. Large menu. I love the food here and the staff are very attentive. I ordered the shrimp vermicelli special and it was so delicious. I also had an order of pork gyoza; so tasty. Haven't been here in years but stopping in reminded me that I need to cross the bridge more often. read more

Never a disappointing time at choo choo. Consistent pho since I was a kid to now. I always bring my frIends here if we want pho in chinatown. Fast service, clean establishment. Make sure your pho comes steaming hot! Tastes the best that way. $10-12 after tip for a big bowl of pho? Why not? read more

Pho Xe Lua Viet Thai Restaurant - Pho with 107. Medium Rare Beef, Frank Brisket and Tendon Rice Noodle Soup + $2 meatballs - Vietnamese Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Nothing screams comfort than pho on a gloomy windy day. In need of something soupy and warm, we stumbled upon this restaurant. Of all the pho places, we chose here due to the amount of reviews. Upon walking in, the restaurant felt like a hole in the wall. Old, but gave warm vibes. Definitely a taste of home. The server attending to us was speedy, jumping from table to table. We ordered the Shrimp Summer Rolls ($5.25), Large Special Rice Noodle Soup ($9.75), and the Large Medium Rare Beef & Tripe Rice Noodle Soup ($9.75). The Shrimp Summer Rolls were served on separate plates (how cute). They were probably the worst I had due to how flimsy they were, but they still satisfy! Our pho were pretty much the same of course, but with different ingredients. I still prefer the Chinatown NYC pho better, but these were different, from the noodle texture to the broth. Their broth was on the sweeter side. Their beef was bomb though, as they were very tender and soft. Bowls were large, with even an option for extra large. You will definitely leave with a stuffed tummy here, in a good satisfying way. read more

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