If you hate fatty meat, don't bother. So much fat on the beef that the broth had melted fat in it. Yuck. Plus meat was overcooked. I threw my $9 pho away..... If you do like fatty meat then this is your heaven. Service is friendly, which is good. But for the same price with leaner meat, go to Abes café. read more

Phonation - Yuck. I hate fatty meat - Food Trucks Near Me

Currently battling food coma from beef pho lunch from Phonation! Mondays at L'enfant plaza just got a whole lot better. The noodles are perfectly cooked (not mushy!), and the broth is pretty solid. I personally think Pho Junkies' broth is marginally better with more meat options, but is it worth the $1-3 difference and a slightly smaller serving? You decide. Beef pho comes with brisket or rare steak (or combo!) but no meatballs or tripe, tendon, etc. Comes in a standard soup takeout container, which makes for easy transport, and a baggie of peppers, bean sprouts, and thai basil. DIY containers for sriracha and hoisin sauce. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/DYz3bfEwUK9Gm_7SuEyz-Q?select=m2wKlg_0sqqXTddO9Et7jQ#oL9pcTC6JXKq9Lli0LPGtQ Haven't tried their bahn mi sandwiches yet (why would you, when pho is an option?) but will update if I ever break from my pho ordering pattern. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/DYz3bfEwUK9Gm_7SuEyz-Q?select=m2wKlg_0sqqXTddO9Et7jQ#K47ypYhkoBEAYmO3ZGXliA read more

Phonation - menu, and all for $9 - Food Trucks Near Me

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I used to stalk these people for lunch everyday using the DC food tracker app. I'm not ashamed. I have revoked my own personal feelings card when I joined Yelp, and surpassed 109 food photos. #Shameless. I have had pho 3 times in one week, and bought two phos from this food truck (chicken and beef) to take home. Again, team NO shame. I love them, and cannot wait to visit DC again to stalk them and get my pho fill. My favorite things about them is the taste of the pho. I can't believe this came from a food truck! The broth is seasoned, savory, and salty. This is coming from someone who has had their fair share of pho ranging from excellent to old dish water. Bonus: they separate the ingredients, and place the side veggies in separate baggies along with the sauces-making the dish an always fresh, on the go experience. I will have the try their banh mi when I visit again! read more

Phonation - Pho to go! - Food Trucks Near Me

Food trucks have been my thing now for lunch cause you never know what you'll find. As I was indecisive, I noticed this one featuring one of my favorite comfort foods. Pho from a food truck? Almost unphogetable! My order being delivered fast and promptly, I raced back to my office with pho combo #7 (combo meats of brisket and tendon) bag in tact. Packaged with the greens, sriacha sauce, and duck sauce, it was piping hot with a wonderful smell of broth, noodles, meat, and spices. I mixed everything together (I'm a go big - go home type of person) and the flavors were what I expected. You can bet I'll have this one as a legitimate option when they return to state department or foggy bottom. Pho real! read more

Easily the best (mobile) Pho and Banh Mi in DC! Great job Phonation :-) read more

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Banh Mi Burrito. Blasphemy! A total culinary and cultural sin! But... Most enjoyable things in life are sinful so F-it. I was totally hesitant about trying this, considering most "fusion" food is really a gimmick, and most importantly I'm a total cheap ass and 9 bucks is a lot when you consider that if you go to Fall Church you can get three sandwiches for the same price. But none of the other food trucks were taking credit except for this place, which is a big plus! Seriously though who the hell carries cash anymore?? But I digress. The burrito is AMAZING. The meat was moist and fatty and my burrito was hemorrhaging sriracha and aoli. This heaviness was perfectly balanced by the fresh cilantro and pickled veggies. Honestly one of the best burritos I have ever had. So yes it's nine buck, but more than worth it and it has taught me to not be such a prick about fusion food...at least for now... read more

Phonation - Pork pho burrito - Food Trucks Near Me

I am loving how more foodtrucks are venturing to 12th & D st, right in front of work. It's such a long trek for me to go to L'Enfant Plaza, especially now with the hot weather. The pork BBQ banh mi sandwich was amazing from Phonation! I loved every bite! I loved how saucy and flavorful the meat was. The bread was the perfect texture not too soft and a little crisp. I had to take out the hot peppers. My coworker cried eating some, so no go for me. $9 might be pricy to some people, but the sandwich is huge and they so not skimp on the delicious meat. The spreads on the sandwich added to the yumminess. I also tried their eggrolls. 3 for $5 is a bit pricy, but man was that good too. Super crispy and the dipping sauce is good! I thought it would just be a sweet fish sauce, but it was more of a sweet chili sauce. I am a complete fan of Phonation. Not sure if I'll ever try the pho since it's so hot right now, but I love their banh mis! Yay, I hope they come back again!!! read more

Phonation - Pork BBQ banh mi sandwich and Eggrolls. Super yummy!! - Food Trucks Near Me

3.5 stars. I've only ordered one thing from Phonation - chicken pho. The good: 1) The broth - as others have mentioned, this is a flavorful broth to start with and is always hot. You really don't need a ton of hoisin sauce nor sriacha to flavor it (although I personally enjoy a ton of sriacha in my pho). The broth is also not oily, which is a problem at a lot of pho places. 2) The meat - they always include a good portion of meat, and it is nicely seasoned. 3) The bag - which includes the bean sprouts, basil, lime, and jalapenos. The basil that they include is incredibly fresh. 4) The pho portion itself is huge. I rarely finish the entire bowl. The meh: 1) Does anyone else find that their condiment cups are incredibly difficult to seal shut? 2) The meat - sometimes, their chicken is fatty and other times, too charred. Overall, I'm glad they visit my office about once a week so I get my pho fix. read more

So the day Phonation debuted at Metro Center, I made it my mission to try it (because I am a pho addict) and I was definitely not disappointed! I've been hoping more pho trucks would pop up to give Pho Junkies some healthy competition and Phonation delivers. First off, let's just say this truck is huge and the workers have a nice assembly line going on that seems to work out very efficiently. I was waiting in a line 10 people deep and still got my food relatively quickly -- kudos to them! Now on to the most important part.. the pho! For $9 (a buck cheaper than Pho Junkies), you get a large plastic container of beef pho and a bag of the normal accoutrements (basil, bean sprouts, jalapeno, etc). At first I thought they were skimpy on the meat as there wasn't too much at the top, but it turns out it was all just hidden in the mass of noodles -- there was definitely no skimping on anything! As to the flavor? Definitely pretty good, I'd say. The soup base probably doesn't reach the level of some of the suburb pho shops, but certainly superior to the ones in DC. The noodles were great and the meat, too. As one reviewer noted, the meat is sliced a bit thicker, but I didn't find it to be outrageously chewy -- it was fine. I also like the added touch of having a condiments/utensils station stocked with hoisin sauce, sriracha and reusable wooden chopsticks! All in all, I was a happy camper after that meal.. even if I did find myself in a food coma afterwards -- will definitely be going back! read more

Phonation - Beef pho - yum! - Food Trucks Near Me

Why is this place not getting more attention? Today was my first visit here and I was pleasantly surprised. This food truck is usually parked outside of One Franklin Square among a heap of many other delicious food trucks. I decided to try this one out because, for some reason, there was absolutely no line whereas all the other trucks were pretty crowded with people. I also love pho and banh mi and figured, why not? For only 9 dollars, I got a deliciously solid banh mi chicken sub. It was prepared quickly and right in front of me. The lady who served me was super nice and got my order in my hands in about 2 minutes. This is very rare for food trucks in the area BTW. I'm usually waiting anywhere from 6-10 minutes to get the food since most prepare it hot and fresh (no complaint there!). This sandwich was also fresh and well worth the money. If you're craving some pho or banh mi (and quickly at that), check this place out! read more

Oddly enough, I've visited this food truck twice now and have not yet tried their pho. Maybe I'll update my review once I do that, but for now, I can only speak to their banh mi sandwiches. Sadly, not my favorite. I really don't have a good answer to why I've tried it twice. While the sandwich is quite hefty, there wasn't much depth to the flavor. The protein consisted of roasted chicken dressed with some sort of sauce (tasted a bit like hoisin, but can't be sure). There were some pickled veggies on top and options to add sriracha for some extra heat. I guess there wasn't anything wrong with the sandwich, but it just doesn't meet the standards of what I would consider a great banh mi. And at food truck prices that are always a bit inflated (my opinion at least), I felt that this sandwich was a bit too expensive for what you get (not based on quantity, but on quality). read more

Don't go here. If a restaurant or truck has one truly excellent menu option, I trust their judgement on others. And if they are beyond terrible on one item, I don't trust them on anything else. This truck is an example of the latter. The bbq chicken banh mi was inedible. Cheap fatty chicken slathered with bbq sauce on Subway quality bread. There were a few, oddly thickly cut vegetables, but they were overwhelmed by the stink and slither of the bbq sauce that found its way into every nook of this disgusting sandwich. Ugh. read more

A hot bowl of tasty pho sounded really good on a cold day so I headed over to the nearest pho truck and ended up here. They offer 3 different types of meats: steak, brisket, and BBQ chicken. BBQ chicken in pho does not sound very appetizing to me (but it seems popular here..) so I decided to go with the classic brisket. Everything on their menu is $9, pretty steep for pho and bahn mi but I was desperate. The broth was tasty and the noodles weren't mushy BUT the meat was really disappointing. First off, I only got 5 pieces of "brisket." Maybe they gave me the wrong kind of meat and gave me the steak pho? The texture wasn't right either and didn't taste very fresh. For the price I was expecting better meat and more of it. If the broth wasn't so tasty I'd prolly rate them lower. They don't take credit cards so grab some cash at the ATM before heading here. read more

Very impressed by these guys. The chicken pho is flavorful and perfect for a cold, wintry day. In particular I was impressed by the generous helping of nicely marinated grilled chicken. Not the traditional way, but a really fantastic hit of flavor. A good ratio of broth to noodles (still too many noodles, not enough broth, for me though) and a generous helping of basil put this at the top of my food truck pho list. Very fast service as well. I'd love a few more jalapenos, but that's just me. read more

Pretty solid choice for a food truck. The price is a flat $9 for either Pho or Bahn Mi. I've tried both and I think that the bahn mi is probably the better option... PHO: The broth comes out of a giant metal tank (it looks like a water cooler) and out of a spout. A little strange, but I guess it works for them. The broth was a little sweet, but on the blander side. I found that the meat was pretty dry. Also, because everything was mixed together and I had to walk back to the office, my noodles were pretty soggy and kept falling apart into little pieces. I'm not sure if this would have been prevented if I had eaten it immediately. BAHN MI: Giant long baguette roll. The bread is aromatic and crispy. The barbecue pork is so tender, flavorful and juicy. There's also pickled vegetables. OVERALL- The price is comparable to other food trucks, and the bahn mi is pretty unique and not like something that other food trucks have. As far as food truck pho is concerned, I think I prefer pho junkies simply because they have more meat options, and the noodles don't fall apart. read more

Okay, let me start with the good. The pho in itself was excellent. The broth and noodles were perfection. Also, the customer service was great as well. The lady who served the soup was soooo sweet that I feel bad writing this review...but... Okay, the story goes like this: My buddy and I headed to PhoNation during lunch at metro center. It was a bit rainy and chilly so this soup was all I was craving. I ordered the beef and steak pho (I believe it was #9). Took it back to work and started eating it. However, I noticed there was all of 2 or 3 pieces of beef/steak. Literally none. It tasted fantastic, but I love my protein (esp w/ this much noodles and soup). It was filling and it did hit the spot, but a pho not having much of the protein is a bummer. I am certain, from other reviews that this was just an oversight, but alas...it is what it is. I will definitely give this place another shot however. read more

Had the beef pho today (with a combination of brisket and steak) and I thought it was excellent! The broth was piping hot and had a nice, rich flavor, and the noodles and fixings were just right. I also loved that it seemed to be grandma-run operation. While I was in line for my food, I saw a very large chicken banh mi sandwich being prepared. That looked awesome, and I'll probably want to try that next time. Yes, it is expensive for Vietnamese food, but it seems in line with what the other food trucks are charging these days. I am glad for this option! Two thumbs up Pho Nation! read more

I ordered the beef pho. Price: $9 + tax Get: beef pho with decent portions of everything, basil, sprouts, small piece of lime, two thin slices of green chili pepper, and sriracha. Pros: - deep soup taste - portions - soft beef Cons: - noodles break off too easily It probably helps that today was a chilly day. I may try them again... but I also want to try that zombie truck now to see if there is a difference. read more

More like 3.5ish. So excited to have a Pho truck again! I love pho so very much and when I saw this on my way to try Wassub, I was immediately diverted. Yes, I know it was 85 degrees outside but I couldn't resist. I got the beef pho. (Other offerings include three or four types of bahn mi and chicken pho). The good stuff: Super efficient and friendly folks manning the truck. As the other reviewer mentioned, it's kind of like a cafeteria line with four of five people making sandwiches and taking individual orders so it moves fast. Everything is $9 so that's easy too. The broth on the pho was great. No, not like you'd find at one of the venerated NoVa pho houses but still very damn good for a food truck. You get a lot of food for your bucks...big container of broth with noodles and beef and the typical basil leaves, bean sprouts and lime on the side. (You get the Siracha and Hoison at the side of the window in self-serve cups). Downfall? Super, super chewy beef. I don't think the cut of the beef is the problem so much as it is really thickly sliced. I am used to super-thin pieces of beef in pho and this was much too thick to my liking. And chewy. Sorry to be gross but I do not want to spend five minutes masticating one single square of beef. I am not THAT dedicated to my proteins. I ended up eating all of the noodles, broth and toppings but left a lot of the beef because my jaw was sore halfway through from all that chewing. Nevertheless, this truck shows definite promise and if they could just slice their beef a little thinner...the pho would be excellent. Will definitely try again. read more

I stopped by this food truck today for lunch because I have been having a mad craving for a bahn mi. Having become addicted to the high-quality authentic bahn mi as a New Orleans resident, I was expecting this place to not hit the standard but be close enough. So I was really pleasantly surprised to get a really damn fine bahn mi. Not exactly traditional - the pork/chicken has a light korean-BBQ-style sauce on it, and the pickled veggies are thicker than usual. But the bread was SPOT on, the meat was tender and spicy, the spreads were great, the jalapenos were spicy as hell, and overall the flavors were right on point. Overall, $9 is pricey for a bahn mi but (1) it's a bahn mi in downtown DC and not out in Eden Center, (2) it was freaking delicious and huge (probably a foot long), and (3) the truck is open-fronted, giving me a good view of how clean it was and showcasing the posted food temperature guides and gloved friendly workers. That's worth the markup to me! read more

Excellent, authentic pho broth! A lot of star anise taste---so for those who are not a fan be aware. Huge portions. Piping hot broth. Friendly staff. What are you waiting for??? No meat pho is $7. read more

So, my first thought was "how good can food truck pho be anyway"... I loves me some pho so felt I had to give it a try, because how many burrito bowls and chicken and rice platters can a man eat. Nice truck with a lot of open workspace. I ordered the beef pho for $9 and was asked steak or brisket, went with steak. Very pleasant and fast service. So now I have a large carryout container of pho and its 85 degrees out. I made my way to a quiet table in Anacostia Riverfront Park. Small bag of accompaniments - a lime, maybe 2 jalapeno slices, a few basil leaves and bean sprouts. Then you gotta eat it out of the container vs. the usual big open bowl. The flavor was good, far from great, and there were only a handful of steak slices that weren't as tender as if they were dropped in raw and slow cooked in the broth. Will I eat it again.... yeah, come wintertime when I can come back to the office and dump the whole affair in a bowl. One and done for summer though and a pleasant change from the usual truck fare. Plus $9 is probably about a buck too much for what you get. read more

This is the best pho I've had in DC. Blows Pho 75 out of the water. Owners are very nice, broth is awesome (more of a five-spice flavor)... seems like they really scale back the MSG. Pass up the $4 taco trucks and check them out. Easily the best food truck I've found. Word is that they are opening up a permanent location this spring on 11th & M. Cash only! read more

My favorite food truck back in Boston sold bahn mi sandwiches, so I was pumped when I moved here and saw PhoNation parked at 17th & Eye. I know some may be put off by the $9 price for the banh mi, but it was worth it. The bbq pork one was good-sized, the guy who assembled it was very generous with the sriracha (bonus points there), and the meat was tender and evenly cooked. *My only quarrel (and it's a small one, I guess, since many of the food trucks do this) is their use of the foam containers. While they keep the food nice and hot, given that most people eat truck food right away, this seems unnecessary, as these containers are just tossed out after the tasty food is gone. Since PhoNation doesn't over-sauce the food (which would lead to drippage), I'd say some sturdy butcher's paper would be a better option, and wouldn't clog up the landfills. read more

I ordered the chicken pho and could only have a few bites. I am normally not a picky eater. The chicken was very fatty and hardly resembled chicken. I question whether or not the noodles were actually rice noodles, as they seemed more like linguine. The broth was sweet. I am giving them stars for their friendly service and the bag of basil, jalapeno, and sprouts. read more

Never want to try another Pho ever. This was without a doubt the best Pho that I have ever had. I have sampled the Brisket, Chicken and BBQ Chicken Pho and each one was more than satisfying. The first thing you notice when opening the container is the amazing fragrance that draws you into this broth that instantly changes your expectations of other Pho places in the future. You owe it to yourself to try Phonation. 5 Stars! read more

On my recent trip to DC I stayed in a hotel across from Franklin Square park. Nice park to sit and eat from the many food trucks there at lunch. Although I eat pork banh-mi all the time in New Orleans I thought I'd try another city's version. I selected well from the many trucks. It was big, tasty, and as good as any I have had. The key is fresh bread and a good sauce. Both well done by the ladies on this food truck. I would have gotten another on my second day there but with the many food trucks I varied my food while there. I could have stayed a week eating just from food trucks there. read more

There are several pho food trucks out there in DC nowadays, but don't be confused between all the pho food trucks. The all have their pros and cons, but this one is the one that started it all. The one and original pho food truck in DC and they returned on the streets this time to captures the essence of the nation's capitol. Appearance/Cleanliness: When you first walk passed the food truck, you see a very simple food truck that is distinguished with the landscape of DC as their banner. It has a front window that pops open that shows the menu in the front and back so you can see what you want to order before you actually order. It also has a small portable roof for the rainy days for people like me to brave the rain for pho and not get wet while waiting for food. I'm one of those types that will decide if I will eat at a food truck by how clean and how nice it looks. What I have to say, this food truck is clean and it is huge. They even have a fridge to keep the meat and food cool prior to prepping and cooking the food. Ordering food is also great. There's a huge window to see exactly and see what food is being put together and close and personal service. Price: Everything on the menu is $9 minus the drinks. I'm not going to lie; eating food trucks is not always cheap, but at the same time eating in DC with their high sales tax isn't cheap either. $9 for the food is a good bargain for the quantity and quality of the food that food truckers do to prep and sell their food everyday. What I also like about the pricing is that it doesn't go passed double digits which is usually is a red light for me. For those that are unsure if $9 is worth it for the pho or banh mi? It's definitely worth the money as a return customer over and over again. Food: The quantity of the food will not disappoint. I've tried a few other pho food trucks and the portions is a bit lacking and disappointing as I would still be hungry afterwards. That's not a good sign for someone that eats slow and doesn't eat a lot. The pho is put into a plastic container which may make it a bit hard to eat but slurping on the broth or using a straw gets the job done. In other words, it's worth eating the pho out of the plastic container because of the good broth, noodles, and meat. Once you bring the pho back to your office, since it is in a plastic container, everything is still hot and delightful. The meat is also great! Phonation now does rare beef which is huge for people that are pho fanatics like me. Rare beef is just so much better. For those worried about eating rare beef off a food truck, don't worry. As I stated, this food truck has a full sized fridge in the truck and since the broth is so hot, once the meat is soaking in the hot broth, it will be almost or well done by the time you head back to your office. The banh mi is fabulous. It comes in BBQ chicken or pork. Both are extremely tasty and the bun is well over 1 foot. It is a huge sandwich and I was surprised when I received my banh mi for the first time, but it is so good, you will definitely finish it. Phonation also has a new food item. If i'm into Mexican food mixed with banh mi flavoring. This definitely something to try out. This is truly an authentic Vietnamese food truck with two ladies that know how to cook their food and know how to treat their customers with care to ensure you enjoy your food for the first time or enjoy your food over and over again. What can I say but the quality of the food is also great as described above. Service: If Chick-fil-a, a fast food restaurant, can have one of the best customer service out there for fast food, why can't the food trucks. Ann and Rachel know how to treat their customers (new and returning) with care. If it is your first time trying their food, they will definitely recommend half and half for their banh mi to try out both chicken and pork. Definitely for the this option since you will be treated to a huge sandwich. They are also very flexible on your orders. You can mix things around and make your own secret menu. They are all up for it! Just be sure to get there early as they usually sell out by 1pm, if you're lucky by 1:30pm. Final recommendation: Definitely worth coming back for more, and come back to try different items on the menu. Nothing on the menu is not worth getting. They are the real deal on wheels! read more

Best Pho I have ever had. You have to get the BBQ CHICKEN PHO! It's really unique because their broth has the flavor of the bbq chicken. I take this pho home once in a while to heat it up for dinner, or bring to my folks, that's how good this pho is. You guys complaining about their beef pho should try the chicken one before you bash this place. read more

They are CASH ONLY and do not accept cards, so that is a dagger for me. I've only had the bbq chicken bahn mi and the flavors were off. If you want a good and legit bahn mi, go to the Lemongrass food truck. read more

I would go back when they're in my neighborhood. I got the beef pho which was tasty, with all the fixins (bean sprouts, etc) in a separate bag. The customer service was also very good. Hope to see them back at Metro Center very soon. read more

I had the BBQ chicken banh mi which was all right but the chicken had a little too much fat for my liking. However, it was pretty filling; perhaps it might be worth trying their pho instead. read more

I've now tried both the beef pho and the roast pork banh mi. Both are good but not 5 star good. The sandwich is very large, the bread is nice and crusty, and it had all the correct filings. A few points off for the fact the pork was in large pieces and I felt lacked a little of the flavor you get from a dedicated banh mi shop. The pho was large and filling, not as good a deal as a pho shop but I think more than you get at the other pho trucks. The broth was rich with well-developed flavors. A few points off again for the meat. She described it as steak and brisket. The beef was a little chewy, with ok flavor. In other words good, but not 5 star good. It would be nice if they had some more options. Overall, I really liked it but I think Pho Junkies is a little better. Woman running the truck is very nice. read more

I haven't tried this place's pho, but I have had their banh mi sandwiches and they are awesome. I've had banh mi from a couple of other food trucks before and this one is the best hands down. The pork banh mi sandwich was HUGE (seriously, you should find a banh mi friend because the sandwich is more than enough for two people) and also was really tasty. To me, what set these sandwiches apart were all of the yummy sauces they put on them -- I'm not sure what they are, but they really "kick it up a notch" to quote Emeril. Definitely a food truck worth checking out. read more

This is the best pho I have gotten from a food truck thus far! Great flavor and plenty of noodles and meat. Didn't have to wait for it long at all! My only complaint, like a few others have mentioned, is that they need to do a better job of trimming the fat from the meat. Will definitely be back though!! read more

This is my favorite food truck. I love their BBQ pork banh mis! No one else's banh mis can compare. I follow Phonation on Twitter to see when they are near my office. :) read more

I love this food truck, their chicken pho is so much more savory than any chicken pho I've had, and I've had a lot!! It's more of a BBQ chicken pho, but not like American BBQ chicken, it still has those great Asian spices and flavor. I look for this truck all the time, but it only is in my area of DC a few months out of the year. I wish some of the other Pho food trucks would take their cues from this one and amp up the flavor on their pho. For about 9 bucks you get enough for to last 2 meals, or just one really big epic meal! Definitely check them out. read more

There was no line I showed up and I ordered the chicken pho. Let me just say, that they use their BBQ chicken. It is so flavorful. The broth is rich and tasty. The hosin sauce is very thick and rich which blends well with the broth. I wish there were a few more jalapenos in the veggie bag on the side. As the weather cools down, I will be back for sure! read more

Never have I ever had, let alone heard, of bbq chicken pho before phonation. All I can say is wow, it works. The bbq somehow compliments the flavor of the broth rather than overpowers it. They give you incredibly generous portions for $9 bucks. It was like eating pringles, once I popped the lid I couldn't stop eating it! The smell made a few people in my office go downstairs and get it themselves. read more

Tried the chicken pho from Phonation food truck today at lunch. No MSG! The chicken was unconventional -- char siu style. Not what I am used to, but I wouldn't say it was bad. Just not traditional. Really fresh bag of garnishes -- bean sprouts, basil, jalapeno, and lime -- definitely from an Asian grocer. $9. Very sweet staff! read more