Although I'm glad I tried this place, there's better Vietnamese food nearby. As I entered, the place was obnoxiously hot inside. This ended up being a problem later as I like my food extra spicy. The pepper sauce that I added plus the 85 degree environment meant that I went through a stack of napkins wiping my brow. We started with the Bahn Mi appetizer sandwich. I don't know why the call it an appetizer. It's plenty big. Big enough to satisfy one person as a lunch sandwich. It was good. The bread was crispy and chewy, and the pork was flavorful. And it's only $3. For an entree, I tried #58... which was an entree comprised of BBQ'd pork with skin and rice. It was good, not great. The meat was flavorful, but everything else seemed low quality. My girlfriend ordered a chicken dish over egg noodles. Again, the meat in her dish was good, but the noodles seemed cheap and were all stuck together. Then we heard the distinctive sound of a microwave ding from the kitchen. This made sense. Her noodles tasted like something derived by Top Ramen. I'm sure lots of restaurants use microwaves to cut corners... but I definitely don't want to be reminded of it during the meal. All in all, the food was decent, the decor was cheap, the service was good. But with so many great Vietnamese places nearby, I think I'll choose to go elsewhere next time. The food here is very inexpensive. If you are low on cash, you can get the Bahn Mi sandwich and a Pho bowl for around $10 and would be very full. read more

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If I had only ordered the pho and nothing else, this would have been 4-5 stars. That stuff rocks. If it's pho you crave, look no further. Unfortunately, I also got a chicken dish w/ coconut milk curry. I've had this at several other places like Mai Lee, Mekong, and Lemongrass and it's usually good. But here it was not good. At all. Their curry spice mixture was off. I think there was too much turmeric. There was no sweetness. And there was no HEAT whatsoever. On the plus side, the presentation & quantity was nice, and my lady thought it was OK. We also tried some spring roll w/ shredded pork skin. There was a weird gritty component in it, it wasn't good. Should have just stuck with the classic spring roll. What was good was the coconut drink we had. It was basically like a sweet coconut slurry on ice. From 6-7pm on a Saturday, there was only one other party here. The place was dead. The service was good, and prices were low. The menu is huge with over 100 dishes. Some dishes mentioned containing heart and intestines, so if you're feeling adventurous, come on down. I'll just stick with the pho. read more

The yelpers got ahold of this place fast! Absolutely love the phó. I always get the spring rolls as well. Never a let down. Had the banh mi sandwiches as well (so cheap, like $3!) And they were delicious!! Basically can't go wrong other than not coming here! You won't regret it. ;) read more

Truc Lam - Out with family having a good time! Got spring rolls, phó, and lotus root salad... mmm - Vietnamese Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

What everyone else says: this place rocks. Yep, a bonafide hole in the wall, with an A health rating. I had pho and bahn mi for lunch. Yes, that's a big lunch :-) Total: $10.50. Recommended. read more

Truc Lam - House style pho, house style bahn mi. - Vietnamese Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

One of my favorite off the beaten path Vietnamese restaurants. Great food for a great price. I always get the pho.

Not much atmosphere in this place, but the service was good. I had the Bun Bo Hue. The broth was rich and spicy with plenty of meat in the soup and veggies to throw in. Unfortunately, the noodles, which are more like spaghetti noodles in thickness, were really mushy. So I didn't finish them. A little disappointing. I also mistakenly ordered Pork egg rolls instead of the pork spring rolls. Turns out the egg rolls were way better than I expected. They were also served with lettuce leafs to wrap around them and dip into the spicy fish sauce. I should give it another try but my favorite spots are nearby. Might be awhile. read more

So. delicious! My Vietnamese friend took me here one day and I was hooked. The bowls are humongous compared to other pho restaurants, and I got plenty of noodles! I love the I'm-so-full-I-could-burst feeling of eating pho, and this was a great place to go for that. My friend comes here at least 2-3 times a week and the owner knows her now. It's a real hole in the wall, which is why I like it :) It's always pretty quiet inside and the food comes out quickly and is served by a really nice waitress. read more

As of right now this is the best pho St. Louis has to offer. To prove the authenticity you'll actually get some beef on top that shows just a bit of red. Obviously not enough for me, but you know what thank you for being decent enough to make me feel better with at least a smidgen of rare beef. Banh Xeo was pretty decent too. I characterize good Banh Xeo by the filling and level of messiness. It had a good amount of filling, specifically meat and held well together. This proves that some of the most delicious places have well below average looking decor. read more

This place's rating went up with the smoking ban. Otherwise, this place was in a perpetual state of smoky. The pho here is excellent and.... well... I've liked the pho that much I haven't tried anything else. Every place's pho is juuuust a bit different so you're really just gonna have to try it all over to find your favorite. *edit To be honest I don't particularly think this place is THAT great, but my wife certainly does and they have by far her favorite pho. When she somehow convinces me to come all the way down here it makes me dislike this place just a bit more -_- read more

Truc Lam - Soup bones... Carve'm up for extra crap in your pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

Just like the review said nothing fancy except for the food. Staff is very nice very quiet atmosphere and very tasty food. read more

Truc Lam - Eggrolls and garnish - Vietnamese Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

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I had the veggie spring rolls and the grilled pork Bahn Mi. It was so good, I got a beef Bahn Mi to go. I will return. Highly recommend. Have heard the Pho is really good also!!! read more

Meh. Might be a good option for take-out or delivery, but I wouldn't recommend dining there as the service is poor. I entered the restaurant and no one came from the back to greet me. I waited several minutes and finally grabbed myself a menu from the counter and seated myself at a table. The door has chimes on it, which ring loudly when you enter, and I witnessed the female come up front whenever delivery people came in to pick up orders. The woman was friendly enough when taking my order, but she never came back to check on me after she brought my order out. A refill of my water would've been appreciated. read more

Hands down the best pho in St. Louis! We've tried a few things on the menu ( spring roll, egg roll, bahn mi & pho) everything is very tasty.

The pho was flavorful and the noodles were plentiful. I've usually had pho with a star anise flavor, this was more on the side of citrus and floral. Delicious. Glad to experience a different preparation. read more

This is my go to legit Vietnamese restaurant. Obviously the pho is great, but the bahn mi sammies are great too. Bun bo hue and bun mang vit are delicious soups as well if you're looking to mix it up. Always got to get the iced coffee cafe sua da! Highly recommend Truc Lam! read more

Truc Lam - Bun mang vit. DELICIOUS duck soup with bamboo shoots, awesome side of ginger sauce to dip the duck in. - Vietnamese Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

This spot makes its mark as one of the best pho offered in St. Louis among Pho Long and Mai Lee. They offer a very comforting ambience that matches the soothing delicious pho broth. Everything on the menu can be attested as delectable and a place to return. read more

I really wanted to try Vietnamese food, but really should have gone with an expert. I was starting to feel sick when I went so I was really in the mood for a hot soup. I got exactly what I wanted and could not tell you what it was! I ordered the soup and spring rolls, and ended up getting a lot things all over my table that I didn't know what to do with. The waitress was very timid, and if I would have asked she probably would have told me... The spring rolls tasted very different to me, I did not like them, but I'm not sure if that was me or if they were just made completely different than what I was expecting. Would love to go back maybe I'll have to kidnap a native to help me order! :o) read more

I've been here a few times now.. Every time I'm in the Show-Me-State I tend to crave this place.. First off, I'm gonna admit that the broth is very satisfy.. Clean, beefy, aromatic broth and the meat is very tender.. The basil, bean sprouts,lime are just the right amount to compliment the pho.. The portion isn't huge by all means, so if ur a big eater then this might disappoint u a bit.. The prices aren't ridiculous, so it shouldn't be such a big deal.. Maybe perhaps u can order an appetizer to help fill the gap left in ur tummy.. I know some ppl might actually find this as a perk to have both and not waste food or carry out leftover.. Only downside, the pho takes longer than most places I've been to.. Service is minimal but my water cup has never been empty.. Waitress/owner have always been friendly enough, not that it matters much to me because when I get my food I just wanna eat, no time for chit chatting.. read more

The BEST pho in St. Louis! The broth is so flavorful! It may not look like it from the outside but this is a hidden gem. We've been coming here for years and haven't had a bad experience yet. read more

Update: my last review was written eight years ago before the smoking laws changed. Truc Lam is no longer a smoky hole in the wall Vietnamese restaurant. It's still a hole in the wall with a very expansive menu with lots of options including pho (good), curry, pork chops, etc. read more

Truc Lam - Shrimp curry - Vietnamese Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

Probably the best Vietnamese food spot in all of Saint Louis. Portions are great for the price and the food is perfect. Setting is quiet and staff is nice. My suggestion is try the durian or avocado smoothie, the spring rolls, and pho if you're new to the place and are looking to try out some food. If you're on the go, in the area, and looking for a quick bite. Call in and order the Bahn Mi. You can probably add egg too it too if you ask! Makes for a perfect quick sandwich. There is a small parking lot and plenty of street parking near. Overall, great place. Food is authentic and staff is friendly. If I could offer more stars, I would in a heartbeat. read more

One of the best Vietnamese places in STL. Local south city favorite. Don't let the location determine the quality of food. The chicken pho is exceptional, especially if you're not feeling well (make sure you add all that basil and lime juice they put in front of you). Get a banh mi - it's a quick bite and the baguette is crispy enough. The daikon and carrots are nicely pickled. I mean, if you're going viet, you might as well. Everything is very affordable so it is perfect if you're on a tight budget. read more

We had a delivery tonight, egg rolls, pho, vermicelli with pork, shrimp and meatballs. I also got some spring rolls to try. Everything was perfectly cooked and delicious. read more

I am completely addicted to pho. I have never had any other main dish from here. I have had (and enjoyed) the egg rolls and spring rolls on various occasions and have gotten the sandwiches to go a few times - the chicken bahn mi is awesome. I've been tempted to try other things, but the pho broth is so incredibly good that I cannot pass it up. I've had almost every other place on this side of town, but I will always end up back here. read more

Truc Lam - Vietnamese iced coffee - Vietnamese Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

this wa great pho soup. we had the bbq spring too Los and coffee. it was all excellent. we would definitely come back. read more

I was on a quest to find the best bun bo hue in St. Louis, so far Truc Lam didn'nt dissapoint me. I was just at Mai Lee last week and very dissapointed on their bun bo, not authentic at all. Truc Lam soup is definitely prepared with care, and has depth. Didn't try any other dishes so my review is based solely on this dish. My wife told me the pho dac biet was good too. The other thing I'm pleased is the cost, cheapest so far I had in St. Louis. I need to try their other dishes, like Tit Nuong as it looks good on photos. I'm glad that their location is far from main stream Grand Ave, so parking is easy. Also recommend their fresh coconut juice, like drinking straight from the nut shell. read more

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I came here today (Tuesday) because Pho Grand was closed. Saw the reviews and thought I'd give it a try. The outside of the building was a bit sketch, I had immediate second thoughts. Anyway, I'm glad I came here. By far one of the best Pho I've had. Im originally from San Francisco and the broth here is prob in my top 5! The service was a little slow but damn - go ahead - take all your time to make that soup. Sooooo good!!!!! read more

Truc Lam - Vietnamese Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

When people attempt to rate something, it's obviously relative. One person's 7 on a scale to 10, could be another person's 5. With that being said, let me note that, for me, a score of five stars means that whatever I'm rating has to be pretty much perfect, because, well, that's what five stars means. I understand what Lam means by "adjusting" his standards, but I guess I'm just an asshole, because I can't do it--believe me, I tried. With that being said, bless you Lam, for letting me know about this ridiculous place. Truc Lam, based on my one visit today, has the best pho in St. Louis hands down--there literally is nothing close to it. The only reason that this place doesn't get a five star review from me is because I thought their spring rolls kinda sucked, which is odd, because they obviously used fresh/quality ingredients. I don't know why, but it just tasted bland. So, as odd as this sounds, if I had just had pho, this place would be a five star (and my first five star restaurant on here), but since I had something else, that wasn't as good, it's now a four. My bad, Truc Lam, for ordering the spring rolls. Oh, and another thing--THIS place is in the ghetto. Yes, there are black people. Yes, there are white people. Yes, there are people waiting for the bus. I find it odd that when I say "ghetto" people automatically reference stereotypically racist things, even though I made no note of what made it ghetto to me. I guess when I say, "ghetto" I mean "I'm worried that black, white and people exercising a public transport solution will steal my automobile." I kid, fuckers. Now back off me, because my shit is hilarious. (On a side note, please be certain to phone in advance of your visit to Truc Lam. I attempted to dine there several evenings prior, only to find that the establishment was closed, refuting the signage on the entryway noting otherwise.) Have a good day! read more

Need some fresh, filling, food that will keep you belly and wallet fat? Get in to Truc! :-) I can't tell you how many times I have driven by Truc Lam thinking, "I should really try that place some time". Two years later, I find myself in the dark, wood-paneled restaurant flipping through the menu. It was late, so there were only a handful of people there. But you know it has to be pretty darn good when Vietnamese make up at least half of the customers that were there at the time. Wanting something hot and fresh, I ordered a bun noodle dish with shrimp, ground pork, and minced crab (#49). A glance into the kitchen as the door swung open, revealed a clean (and much brighter!) kitchen in the back. I sat to wait for my take-out and was brought a glass of water without asking, which I thought was very nice. Not even 5 minutes later, I have a fairly large paper grocery bag in hand. The bag seemed unnecessarily big at the time, but when I got to my car, I took a peek inside and found tons of food. The box full of noodles also had, peppers, lime, fried onions(?), and green onions. Another bag full of bean sprouts and herbs, and a whopping 32oz container of the broth/meat. Lesson learned: I need to buy some monster-sized bowls! That meal filled 3 (delicious) regular-sized bowls. Everything looked incredibly fresh, but tasted even better. I must confess, I actually giggled when I took the first bite. That's how good it was. I only wish that I would have tried it sooner. The reviews here certainly helped in that decision. Next time, I must try the pho! read more

Good choice for Vietnamese! The spring rolls are pretty good, although I asked for only vegetables (no shrimp or pork) and they still put them in there... Luckily they were easy to pull out of the wrapping. Great entrees and everything is fresh and well prepared! read more

Loved the customer service the waitress was very helpful the pho she referred us to was amazing! I will be back soon, I even tried another pho place and it was nasty compared to them I would recommend everyone to come here! read more

A few weeks ago on a Wednesday night I had a major craving for pho and after looking around on Yelp for ratings and seeing what was still open my sister came upon Truc Lam. We drove right over there and came upon a cute corner restaurant that you could just tell was authentic. There was nothing fancy about the decor and since i was later in the evening the place was semi empty when we walked in. We were welcomed right away and placed an order for two bowls of pho (we got just the #14 - Pho Tai) and some spring rolls (#2 - Goi Cuon) to go. The order came out in less than 10 minutes and after trekking it back home we finally got to sample the dishes. They were delicious. Possibly the best pho I have ever had. The broth was REALLY flavorful and came with the right amount of beef, noodles and "extras." The spring rolls were equally as good and came with a great peanut sauce. The menu has many more options for those non pho lovers. I will definitely be back and will try to eat in next time to see how the service is. read more

Read the reviews of this place compared to other Vietnamese restaurants in St Louis, decided to give it a try. Walking in on a Sunday, it seemed really busy/packed, but this was a small restaurant so service should be quicker vs. slower. I'm not sure since it was Sunday or they are just minimally staffed (one waitress and two cooks) but we ordered and an 1.5 hour later we were served our food. I was greatly disappointed vs all the raving reviews. I have never been in a pho restaurant or a Vietnamese restaurant at all that service was this bad. The waitress is a very nice lady but they need help or they need to decrease the size of their seating again. I have eaten Vietnamese food or pho at many places from Hawaii, Cali, Texas, Wichita Kansas, Kansas City Missouri, this by far is at the bottom of my list. I thought with an hour and half wait it would be worth it with the reviews but the pho broth it did have a nice clear color but it was too sweet hiding the beef flavor and couldn't taste any of the spices in it. The Bun Bo Hue the flavor once again too sweet, this is suppose to e a spicy lemongrass flavor, despite all the red oil it had no bang of a spicy. The portions seem big but looks can be deceiving with the bowls that it was served in, its wide and shallow square bowls. The amount of meat was mediocre as well. Only props is that the noodles were cooked well, not over cooked or under cooked. We also ordered the fried spring rolls, I did like that they served it with lettuce and cilantro, the fish dipping sauce was good, and the crunchiness, but was not impressed with the flavor of the spring roll. I could not taste or tell what kind of meat was in it, it was very bland. Most food taste fantastic once through the fryer but even frying couldn't make up for the no flavor. As a visitor I wouldn't recommend this place. Save yourself some time and your palate, but my standards are based on one of the best place to get Vietnamese food or pho - Wichita Kansas. read more

Pro: Great Great Pho! The Pho Dac Biet is one of my two go-to dishes when I'm in the mood for Vietnamese food. Truc Lam has obviously been refining their strategy to near-perfection. As for my second option, the Com Dac Biet is a nice way to have a meal stick to your ribs!! Grilled pork, rice, egg and more pork? This meal should come with a coupon for a free nap. Also, try the spring rolls. No disappointments. Con: Looking for ambiance? This may not be your option. Truc Lam is the restaurant equivalent of an ugly person with an amazing personality; judge it for what's inside, not for what it looks like. Bottom Line: Good food at a good price, even if the topical appeal isn't there. read more

I think I came here on one of their worst nights because the other reviewers rave about this place. Came here on a Saturday night hoping to cure my Pho cravings. Decided on trying this place out - was sorely disappointed! The broth was rotten I kid you not - it smelled like crayons mixed with the smell of something inedible. And the worst part was that the meat was actually good and I wanted to eat it. I took about 5 bites while still trying to figure out what the smell was....the noodles were also good...but couldn't handle the smell and had to throw away the whole bowl sadly (we had it to-go). Next morning, I woke up with a bad stomach ache. in short: don't go here on an empty night, they will reheat the broth over and over until it spoils. Lol worst broth I had in my whole pho-king life read more

Best authentic vietnamese place in this city. Only downside is yes, they do use msg, but what pho place doesn't? Every entree from your basic pho to crispy egg noodles, to meat and rice dishes, no one makes better. Being the foodie that I am, I don't leave very many positive reviews. If you're not sure what to get, start with the crispy egg rolls, or spring rolls for a lighter fare. For egg rolls, dunk them into the fish sauce, or I eat them wrapped in a lettuce leaf with a few mint leaves and the shredded carrots in the fish sauce. I order my spring rolls with no shrimp. The peanut sauce is yummy. My usual pho is the rare beef pho. It cooks completely in the soup so no worries about raw meat. A squirt of lime, steamed bean sprouts, basil and thai pepper is all I put in. My husband likes his with tons of lime and a whole lotta sriracha, in addition to all that stuff I put in. He gets the beef balls with tripe. Mi xiao yon (don't remember how it's spelled) is another favorite dish we get. It's crunchy egg noodles with veggies and pork stir fried in oyster sauce. We ask for a little less sauce since we find most restaurant food too salty. The vietnamese iced coffee is the best! Very strong with the right amount of sweetness. Avocado smoothie is very refreshing too but it was just a tad too sweet. Everything is always fresh here. It is the ONLY Vietnamese place we will go to in the entire STL area. We drive over 30 mins sometimes more than once a week just to eat here, especially on cold days. read more

I'm on a quest to find the perfect spring roll . Sadly I didn't find it here . I was hoping this little dive would be a diamond in the ruff but alas I found their spring roll lacking enough fresh herb and the wrapper was soggy. A great spring roll should not require the sticky sweet dipping sauce nor should it fall apart . The pho Ga is where they redeemed themselves. The broth was rich and not oily like others can be. I didn't try any other items because as I said my mission is the elusive spring roll . I may have to go back to California to find it. read more

alright, so i guess i should preface my review with the fact that my hometown is right next to a lot of authentic & cheap vietnamese eats (Westminster, CA). so as i write this, i'm trying to keep in mind that there aren't many options at all for pho (or vietnamese food at all) in St. Louis, which is understandable. okay. truc.... lam. i think there are about 10 tables in this dinky restaurant, and it's a little cramped, but not the worst in terms of space. we came for dinner so it was kind of dim, and for some reason there were chinese decorations on the walls (isn't it supposed to be a vietnamese restaurant?). i remember there were a couple steps to get into the restaurant, and the doorway was kind of narrow, so it's definitely NOT wheelchair friendly. on to the food! so we each ordered a bowl of pho and we shared an order of spring rolls. they brought out the spring rolls, and i was like.... what.... why is there so little meat in here. i'm used to having a slice of nem nuong inside of the spring roll (after all, that's the main part of it, right?), but what they did was line up thinly sliced slices of vietnamese sausage. sigh. i was disappointed. but ate it anyway, because what else were we going to do? the pho was... alright. i will say this, it wasn't completely horrible, and for a place with a teeny tiny asian population, it wasn't too bad. the broth wasn't particularly good, and i felt like the meat was a little scarce as well in both of our orders; however, i am generally easy to please and we did fill our bellies so it wasn't a terrible experience. although it's really not the best vietnamese food, if you're not asian and have not had much experience eating vietnamese food, you'll probably like this place. read more

Omg, will pass forever! It's been years since I've ate here and the last time and times before that I recall it being perfect. Well not today. Service was ok. Food took over an hour to get to us. It was extremely hot inside the restaurant. Food was terrible. We ordered banh mi, they used a hoagie bun instead of French bread. The hoagie was definitely store bought. We order com dac biet which was totally disgusting. It looked super delicious but had no flavor what so ever! The best part was the fried egg. Now I hope no one can mess up a fried egg! The meat was nothing fancy. The cha (egg cake) was old, and was reheated. Some of it was frozen still while other parts were piping hot. My mother order the mi xao which is noodles with veggies. She asked them to put less oil but they did the complete opposite and drenched everything in cooking oil so it was super greasy. Her food was also bland and didn't taste good at all. We also ordered egg rolls. Wow, these had zero flavor. Even with their watered down fish sauce it was gross too. My 1 year old son didn't even like it and he loves egg rolls. This place use to be good but after today, not so much at all. read more

If you want Vietnamese fusion, go to Pho Grand but if you are looking for traditional Vietnamese food this is the place for you. The pho is truly amazing. I have had pho at several different cities and this is the best I've had. The owner is always nice and friendly. It's not the fanciest place but it has the best Vietnamese food in the city. I have to go there at least once a month to get my pho fix. Their spring rolls are awesome too. .302 read more