3.5 spring rolls It was a rather colder weekend which made me have a hankering for pho. I know that my partner and I are in the vast minority who take precautions and so we only do outdoor eating wherever we go. Unfortunately that limits where we can go for Asian eats as there aren't many choices, so Xin Chao Eatery deserves three stars for that alone. What We Ordered: Oxtail Pho Spring Rolls (with Tofu) Tái Nạm Gầu Pho (TNG) I really like how they cut up the spring rolls into smaller portions to eat instead of larger rolls. The peanut sauce could have had a stronger peanut flavor, but I still enjoyed the rolls. I was expecting a bigger plate of the pho vegetables (mint, thai basil, bean sprouts) but it was a small plate. I always like more bean sprouts so I would have put more but it was enough for me. They give very generous portions of meat here. My partner ordered the oxtail pho and I was impressed with the amount of oxtail they gave him. In my Tái Nạm Gầu bowl, I had to leave a few slices of meat because I just couldn't stuff anymore into my belly. I do wish they would offer a bowl that contained tripe (what can I say, I love tripe), and maybe a version that had one less cut of meat but added tripe, but I can't complain too much as overall it was pretty good. The noodles were still stuck together and didn't really separate (I think the broth needed to be hotter to make it easer to separate). Price: Given its location and the kind of Vietnamese establishment, the prices are higher than other pho restaurants. But the price to meat ratio seems reasonable here. Service: Though we were outside, our server was helpful and fairly attentive though at times though towards the end when we were waiting for them to bring our check it took a bit longer than I had expected. All in all I'm grateful for a pho place close to home as the closest previous location is in Mira Mesa, AND it has outdoor seating which will help me with my pho fix. read more

See all

Jennifer was our server and provided excellent service, it's very rare to see this kind of customer service. Food was delicious as always.

Visited last night and ordered the Filet Mignon pho and egg rolls. Both were very delicious. The egg rolls came out super hot and crispy, not too oily. The pho was also lovely with the thin noodles, onion, and cilantro. I did wish they served limes, fresh jalapeños, bean sprouts, and thai basil. They only had hot sauce and hoisin sauce. As I left, the restaurant was packed. All the servers were friendly and attentive. read more

My first time in xin chào. As soon you walk in you noticed how pretty and clean the restaurant is. The hostess was nice. I'll be completely honest our service wasn't the best. We kept having to call the waiter over because not once did he chief if we need anything. My mom wanted a drink refill we needed boxes to go. Just not the best service. The food wasn't bad. My niece loved her pho, my banh mi was amazing and bun as well. The eggs rolls were perfectly crisp. It was delicious. read more

See all

Great customer service! The food was good and comparable to other Vietnamese places. I enjoyed the fried rice as it wasn't too heavy. The kids popcorn chicken meal was good, but I forgot to take a picture. The downside was that we were first seated at a table that had bird poop from two birds that somehow got into the restaurant. We asked the servers to clean the table only to have more bird poop after 5 minutes of them cleaning the table. At that point, we asked to sit at another table. I don't think they should've sat anyone there in the first place. read more

See all

A much needed respite for Pho / Vietnamese food in Carmel Valley!! Love this spot - fo sheezy.

Got takeout here during a rainy day. They had the food ready by the time we got there (within 10 mins). Ox tail soup- perfectly tender and loved the broth, tasted quite authentic Standard house pho - my husband was not a fan, he thought it tasted off. read more

Xin Chao Eatery - Ox tail soup - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

Good Vietnamese food in a shopping mall that has lots of parking spots. The fried tofu was so silky and delicious. The pho was also tasty. I wonder if they will add more to the menu or not because it would be great to try other Vietnamese dishes! Everyone there was very nice and friendly. read more

Xin Chao Eatery - Tofu - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

Very disappointing. Slow, unenthusiastic wait staff. When I got my vermicelli noodle bowl it was SO BLAND! Finally after I was halfway through they offered some sauces which made it much better. Most restaurants have those sauces already on the table. Wait staff also doesn't know anything about their draft beer selection. They don't offer samples. read more

I came here for lunch with my colleagues and we were really impressed with now nicely decorated it was. This isn't your typical pho restaurant with large TVs mounted on the wall and mismatched Vietnamese decor. It has a modern twist to it that looks upscale and elegant. We ordered the spring rolls and crispy wings with fish sauce glaze to share. Both were really good! All 3 of us opted for the house special pho, which came with a beef rib, slices of filet mignon, and beef balls. I upgraded my bowl with fresh wide noodles instead of the traditional rice noodles. When it comes to pho, the broth is the deal breaker, and I'm spoiled with delicious homemade pho from my sister-in-law, so my expectations are high. That said, I'm happy to report that the broth was really good. I'm a pho snob and this pho passed my test. The muddled lemonade was very refreshing too! Service wise, they were a bit under staffed so it took a while for us to get our food. There were only 2 guys waiting on all the tables and at one point it was a full house. The servers were very nice and apologized for their delay, so all is good. Also, it was a bit odd that they only provided a very small serving of hoisin sauce upon request. My coworker inhaled this stuff so we had to ask for more twice. It would have been nice if they provided a bottle at the table. I also noticed they did not provide a lot of bean sprouts and basil. A little more would have been great. They were nice and provided more upon request. Overall, I really enjoyed the food here and look forward to coming back. read more

See all

I'm updating my review because the last time I came, I was in a large group and the restaurant was packed at dinner time. Today I came in around noon with my baby and husband and the restaurant had only about three patrons. The experience felt much more easier and this restaurant by far, was one of the best I've had as a parent bringing their baby. The high chair was offered, they let us pick our seats, and every step of the way made sure to offer a water for baby or an extra bowl with a fork or spoon. Those little things go a long way for the comfort of the meal. Our daughter had a blast waving at the friendly servers. The TCN actually tasted much better than the bone in pho I got last time and my husbands bahn mi was phenomenal. Just know you're probably dishing out a few more dollars per dish including the appetizers for the atmosphere and location. Solid 4.5! We knew it would be more $$ but truly appreciated the service and ease with a baby most of all for lunch. read more

See all

This new Vietnamese restaurant is bright, new, fresh and clean in the Del Mar Heights Mall. The service is very friendly, caring and checks on you to make sure all is perfect. Henrique was an amazing waiter who knew the menu well. They have draft beer and a good selection of wines. I had a cold Sauvignon blanc. I tried the pho Tai, glazed wings, and banh mi. The pho was delicious and a perfect balance of flavor. Not greasy and served piping hot. Yes! There was generous portions of meat; much more than expected. I loved this fresh, bright place and it's quickly becoming my favorite pho place. The ratings are valid and it's the future of pho... friendly, fast, and flavorful!!!! Great job! read more

See all

For it being the only pho place in this food center, I'd say it's pretty decent. They served me a lot of noodles so I got very full and the customer service was good. When it first came out the pho was steaming hot which is a big sign for pho lovers out there and as time passed by and I kept munching it was still hot and steamy. So I give it points for that. The broth was fine but it was missing more hearty bone flavor. And the vegetable portion size was small as you can see but I wonder if they allow refills on the veggies I'll ask next time I come back. Students in high school and college can also get 50% off on boba!!! Overall decent place. read more

Xin Chao Eatery - Pho Tai Nam Gau or TNG - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

Small little restaurant in this shopping center in Del Mar. we had the shrimp spring rolls and the chicken wings. The rolls did not have that much flavor. It was missing something. But it was still good. The wings had a lot of flavor. All there appetizers where on happy hour. They had a good variety of wine and beer as well. It was not busy at all. read more

See all

The food was delicious I will start off this review with that. However the customers service needs improvement from the restaurant manager being dismissive of my presence and couldn't even say the word "excuse me" when an employee requested her help with the tablet for the waitlist to me constantly having to ask the employees for items that were asked for up to 3 times before I received it. I never judge harshly on customer service at all and completely understand if and when restaurants are just things may fall through but the deleverance was rude and I felt disrespected by the restaurant manager. read more

This is more like a fusion Vietnamese restaurant. We had different Pho. It's good but nothing special. The portion is smaller and the price is a bit higher than other traditional Pho places. Overall it's ok for the area. read more

See all

I like this place a lot and the food is great. The only questionable thing is the service. Many times I've gone here and the waiter (specific one in particular) ignores me a lot and he takes a while to get my food. Went here with my mom today and he wasn't even the one that brought me the bill after a while of waiting. Wish he could do better read more

Being from OC and moving to North County SD years ago, it's been very hard for me to find really good Vietnamese food. I ordered the eggrolls and the oxtail pho. Both were flavorful and delicious! It's hard to make oxtail pho without it being overly fatty, but they nailed it! That shows me they care about the product they're putting out. No hoison sauce needed here! read more

If you're in the Del Mar area and craving pho (especially with all the rainy weather we've been having!), I'd definitely recommend giving this eatery a try! I tried the Pho Tai (rare eye round steak) and it was delicious! Portions and prices are reasonable, and the broth is tasty AF. The restaurant is also very clean and modern. read more

Xin Chao Eatery - Pho Tai - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

My first review was in their opening weeks, not so great, but I'm happy to report that they found their rhythm and things were much improved on this second visit (March 2023). This time, I passed on the Beef Rib Bone, and enjoyed the TCN Pho without it. Still plenty filling. You have probably already decided if that big meaty Rib in the pictures has your name on it or not... either way, good stuff. I'm really impressed that they took to heart my request to have a quick lunch in time to return to work, and got us set in a hurry. Peak time, all tables full, and we were still not rushed to get in and out in 45 minutes. The half-price thai tea and milk tea are still going from grand opening.. $3 yes please. read more

Xin Chao Eatery - Pho sure. - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

Pho has finally come to Del Mar!!! Clean, modern interior with attentive service. You may not expect authentic Asian food in a suburban Del Mar plaza but this place really delivers! Whenever I go to a pho place I always order the pho tai. It was delicious, although my party found the broth not quite as satisfying as the broth down on Convoy. I wouldn't choose here over some Vietnamese options on Convoy, but wouldn't hesitate to come back if I were in the Del Mar area and looking for something closeby as I would say this place ranks among the best pho/Asian food options in Del Mar! Location is unbeatable as it's in one of my favorite plazas next to Sidecar Donuts, Ralphs, Cross Street, Happy Lemon, and the Skydeck if you go a bit further. Parking is also very easy! read more

Xin Chao Eatery - Pho tai - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

This has become one of our regular places in rotation. I absolutely love their fried tofu here, I'm not sure what they put on it but it is addictive! Vegetarian dishes are always delicious and thoughtful. If you dine in the space is nice and usually the service is quite fast. Their teas and lemonades are also quite good. read more

Very expensive Rice. 68.00 for 3 Items. 2/3 Rice and 1/3 meat. What a rip off. The food is not that good for you to be charging those high prices. I'll be going elsewhere from now on. read more

Got take out of the shrimp summer rolls and pork bahn mi. Both were just average. They didnt provide the peanut side for the rolls, sad. The pickled veggies in the bahn mi could use more vinegar flavor but the pork was delicious. read more

Xin Chao Eatery - Pork bahn mi with shrimp chips (5 chips), and side of bone broth not pictured. Shrimp summer rolls (6 pieces, 1 missing b.c I ate it) - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

UPDATE. (3.8 stars) It's cold. Needed pho again! Delicious pho, ok dessert. And this experience, the service was not up to par as last weeks visit. SERVICE. When the restaurant is small and 1/3 packed and the floor is ran by 4 high schoolers... where is the adult?! It's very disorganized. Don't get me wrong, they are all very kind and I'm sure doing their best but there should be someone to help supervise and get things in order. Dessert (fried banana) took 20 minutes to come to table. Should NOT take that long. FILET MIGNON PHO - still yummy. still good portions and a lot of filet mignon. STRAWBERRY LEMONADE - not as good as the first time. The mix of lemonade and strawberry, honestly tasted like watered down lemonade with a little bit of strawberry flavor. FRIED BANANA - four pieces of fried banana and one huge scoop of vanilla/coconut ice cream. The fried banana were okay, they didn't come out as piping hot as I like my fried bananas. It must not be banana season because those bananas were NOT sweet. I'd recommend maybe a light drizzle of chocolate - in my opinion. read more

See all

Just had an absolutely awful experience here. 1. There was a decent wait, which made me think the food was amazing. 2. After getting seated (in the corner), people who were seated after us were served before us. 3. After waiting for service we had to flag someone down to start our initial order. 4. We ordered and asked for water (which we never got upon being seated). 5. We asked for water twice afterwards. 6. I finally got our waters from the bar myself. 7. Our soup came out slightly steamed (not hot). My soup was spilled on my pants, I do not even think the person who spilled even noticed as there was no apology. 8. We just asked for the one soup to be heated properly and the other to go. 9. Our appetizers came after our soup. 10. The reheated soup came back but instead of providing hot soup with the noodles and meat they just basically reheated the entire soup so the noodles became wet and not al dente. 11. We were never serviced again during our email. 12. We had to ask for the check. 13. The check did not offer any discount for our issues with the luke warm soup, the spilled soup, or us requesting water multiple times (which we brought up with the servers). 14. We left a small tip but honestly we should not have at all. 15. We don't know if it was an off night at this place or what but we would highly never recommend this place to anyone who was standards of service. 16. Ambiance was nice. read more

We came here for takeout on a Saturday afternoon. They were not too busy but we waited about 30 minutes for our take out order. More on this is a little bit. So we ordered the egg rolls, glazed fish sauce flavored chicken wings, grilled pork vermicelli noodle bowls, Banh Mi sandwiches, and the pho tai. The vermicelli bowls and sandwiches were good. The egg rolls seemed a bit skimpy with the chicken filling. The chicken wings were extremely salty. Everyone's first reaction in taking their first bite was that it was too salty - couldn't taste any fish flavor. The Pho Tai was a disappointment. The broth seemed on the bland side or maybe the salty chicken wings dulled my taste buds. And the beef was very chewy. So back to the take out order experience. We ordered our food and waited outside. The host who was also the waiter had to have seen us. Anyway, we were told 15-20 minutes and we were still waiting after 20 minutes. After 30 minutes I go in and see two bags of take out food sitting inside near the kitchen area. So I ask the host if that was ours and he checked and it was. So how long it was sitting there I don't know. The restaurant itself looked nice with a good sized sitting area. The prices seem a bit high for the food and the quality we received. read more

I came here on November 5th, 2022. Around 11ish in the morning. My grandma and I had walked several miles and wanted something cold to drink so we ordered 1 Ca Phe Sua Da (Iced Vietnamese Coffee) & 1 Milk Tea with Boba. The girl there said they had not cooked the boba yet so I'd have to wait about 10 minutes which was fine by me. It actually took them around 20 minutes to cook. I came up to the bar to check up on the drinks and while they were pouring it, I was like "there's no way that one is the Vietnamese coffee. It's way too light!" Well, to my surprise it was. The milk tea and the Vietnamese coffee were the same color. That's crazy! The Ca Phe Sua Da (Iced Vietnamese Coffee) was way too sweet. Did not have a strong coffee flavor. They had pre-made batches but I think their proportions were way off. 0/10. The boba that they cooked was not brown sugar boba, it was more of a honey boba. The kind that Ding Tea uses. The thing is, I don't mind if they take a while to cook the boba. (Usually takes around 15 minutes boiling and then some to soak in sugar). This boba was cooked very uneven, some came out uncooked in the middle and others were over cooked. It was not good. The milk tea itself was decent at first but near the end of the drink it tasted like onions and gasoline. I can't say for certain as to why...but I know for sure it wasn't tasty at all. 3/10. Other than the drinks, the workers were very sweet. The interior of the place was modern and warm. They have cool decor and small bar area. Nice amount of tables. They are quite new...I wouldn't fully bash the place, I haven't tried the food so give them a try and see if you like it! I just would not recommend their Vietnamese Coffee. It's so nice to see another Vietnamese restaurant in Del Mar. I'm happy there's two places where I can get my Vietnamese food fix! One in Del Mar Highlands and the other across the freeway at Beachside Del Mar. read more

See all

Stopped into here for lunch and had the pork shrimp vermicelli bowl. Meat was excellent along with the shrimp and the fresh veggies. Only thing I didn't like was the fish sauce and the noodles were overdone. Might have to try for a second time for full judgment. read more

Xin Chao Eatery - Pork and shrimp with eggroll vermicelli bowl - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

Overall, the food was very good. I got a bowl of plain Pho and it was piping hot and not too salty but very flavorful. The chicken Eggrolls were probably the best! They were hot, crispy with plenty of filling and not overly salty as well. The only thing that was a miss was the calamari. It was supposed to be hot and crispy but unfortunately it completely missed the mark. They were not crispy at all as many of the pieces did not even have any batter on them as I believe they were trying to keep the batter light. It was so light that it wasn't even there. The calamari was not tender at all and was very rubbery. The staff were very nice, and even though they never checked if I needed anything, the place is so small that it was not difficult to flag someone down to get the bill and some to go boxes. The restaurant itself is small but very homey, clean and inviting. It is nice to have a very good Vietnamese restaurant in our community! read more

Xin Chao Eatery - The calamari that was a complete miss. - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

Xin Chao Eatery is a new Vietnamese spot that has debuted in the northeastern section of the Del Mar Highlands Town Center. The inside of the suite was clean and modern with a seating capacity of around 50 that included the bar area. The soft opening menu had a focus on pho with ten different varieties plus add-ons. The other offerings included five starters and four entrees. I expect the kitchen to add a little bit more to the menu (perhaps Bún?) after they have established themselves and get a handle on the business volume. With the 50% discount on Thai Tea or Milk Tea, I ordered the former with brown sugar boba added. The sweetness of the drink was good, however I was taken aback by the serving size. There was maybe 12 oz of liquid in the glass. If the regular price is $6, then the volume should be at least 20 oz to be competitive with the nearby bubble tea shops. A change needs to be made after the promotional special has ended by either lowering the price or increasing the volume. I picked the Shrimp Summer Rolls as a starter. Six pieces of rice paper rolls were packed with shrimp, lettuce, vermicelli, and sprouts. A cup of peanut sauce was provided on the side for dipping. The rice paper was fresh and soft. Again from a price point, this item was a few dollars higher than the competition. I followed up the rolls with a bowl of The TNG (Tai Nam Gau) pho. Rare steak, flank, and fatty brisket were the meats. The broth had a sweet fragrance that was quite pleasant. The sauces provided on the side were a good complement to dip the beef. Although I sat at the bar counter, the service I received was consistent and acceptable. The cost of doing business in this part of town where there is no other Vietnamese option is probably what drives the prices, not to mention committing to a lease during the pandemic lockdown. For now, I gave my dining experience at Xin Chao Eatery 3.5 stars. read more

See all

Delicious soup base and high quality of beef!! The best pho in North County. House special pho is our favorite item on the menu. Highly recommended!! read more

Xin Chao Eatery - House special pho - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

This spot gets a 5 star review for the food quality and price! The pho is great and all of their appetizers are as well. I love their small menu because you know that everything is tried and true. The rib in the pho is the best part. We usually get takeout but it's also super cute inside if you want to dine in! They only serve wine and beer. read more

The sizzling short rib I have been ordered many times and it always are beef ribs, but today it changed to pork without telling to the customer, and the waiter didn't even know what is supposed to be, and keep telling me it should be the pork? Such a joke! read more

Located next door to Jamba Juice and Ike's is Xin Chao in the McD and Ralph plaza. If you're northern accent, it's pronounced "zeen chow" but if you're southern like me, it's "sin chow". We started off with Thai milk tea and classic milk tea since it's 50% off promo, currently at $3 each. Usually Thai tea is sweet for me but this time it's perfect and the classic milk tea was too generous on the creamer that it was overly sweet. We got an order of 6 salt and pepper wings ($13) and 6 glazed fish sauce ($13). The S&P had 4 drums and 2 wings. The fish sauce had 4 wings and 2 drums. Lightly battered and fried. Both very good. For pho, we got the house special ($18) which comes with filet mignon, back rib, brisket, and meatballs. Came with lots of meats and very tender. We also got a side of oxtail ($9) and bone marrow ($6). Oxtail is a bit smaller and not as tender as other places and the bone marrow was really fatty and dripping oily. Fiancé is a pho snob and he said 5/5 on the broth! I say 4/5 because I like my pho to have a strong bone flavor and aroma not just masked by spices. Again, it's preference. It's a fusion of northern and southern pho style. You can taste a bit of sweetness which incorporates the northern style. I tasted a lot of spices in the clear bone broth. Northern also uses wide noodles which you can upgrade for (0.50). I wouldn't recommend that because the noodles are wider so it's more starch which soaks up all your broth and you're left with carbs. But then again, it's a preference thing. Lastly, we got chicken banh mi ($12) on a baguette which came with shrimp chips and a small bowl of pho broth. I'm not a fan of baguette because it'll get hard if not eaten right away. I did see that the price went up by $2 from the last Yelp photo 25 days ago. The chicken is grilled, taste like thit nuong but chicken. They don't have pate on the menu which I think they should because the mayo sauce was scarce that all I could taste was bread, chicken and pickled veggies making it dry. Ask for extra sauce to be layered on. Overly, they have potential. There are also tables outside for outdoor dining. The service was wonderful and attentive. read more

See all

The food is delicious, and so is the customer service. I'm giving it 3 stars because they have plastic spoons to eat the pho, which, with the heat of the pho (hot), I am afraid might be harmful. A plastic spoon with hot soup is concerning. Also, I wish they didn't add MSG. It gives me a headache and very thirst afterwords. I hope they will make the pho without MSG and offer ceramic spoons for serving as this is a place I would like to go more often. read more

Xin Chao Eatery - Restaurant photo - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

This is the best banh mi that I have ever had in my life! As a native San Diegan who has visited many of the Vietnamese restaurants throughout Linda Vista, this new restaurant in the Del Mar Highland shopping center serves by far the most artisan banh mi sandwich that I have ever had. The ingredients are fresh, sliced to perfection, and presented like a work of art. It is served with shrimp chips, jalapenos, and hoisin sauce on the side... When I ran into the Owner Joyce during the soft opening, I was absolutely riveted by her story. After everything that they went through while having to pay rent the entire time that the restaurant was closed during COVID (right after signing the lease for the space in early 2020), I decided that I wanted to support this establishment. The excellent customer service is unsurpassed! Joyce's husband Justin is equally as nice, as he is the Chef that puts together the masterpiece artisan fare. The servers Fazel, Amelie, & Steven were extremely accommodating and dedicated to their jobs as well. I have never felt so welcome in an Asian restaurant before... For wonderful ambiance, music, service, and food I highly recommend visiting Xin Chao. You will thank me for the recommendation! read more

Xin Chao Eatery - Chicken Banh Mi w/ Shrimp Chips, Jalapenos, & Hoisin - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

Had been waiting awhile for this place to open up and we finally got to dine here for lunch yesterday! The reviews seemed promising but i feel a little mislead. We got the shrimp spring rolls and salt and pepper crispy wings. The spring rolls were okay, nothing spectacular and honestly tasteless. Ive had better elsewhere. The crispy salt and pepper wings were actually really good and i would come back for those. The wings are perfectly crispy and the seasoning has a little bit of sweetness to it which is so good. We also ordered a chicken banh mi and a couple thai teas. The chicken in the banh mi was not that good, we didnt finish this one unfortunately. Definitely have had way better banh mis. The thai tea was really good, cant go wrong there. The staff is super friendly and knowledgeable about the menu and the interior is really nice. The food just fell short for me. read more

See all

Pho, wings, calamari, and rice dishes were all good. Not many tables for dine-in though. Good spot for lunch or dinner if they're not too busy. read more

See all

Above average Vietnamese food for the area. If I'm craving Vietnamese food/pho and don't want to drive far, then this would be my go to. read more

Xin Chao Eatery - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

See all