Pho Papa

Food: It's my go-to pho place! Not only it's close to my place, it's the best tasting broth ever! They only have pho though nothing else! No rolls, rice plates etc. not even diet sodas but good enough for me! It's 5/5 for the flavor and legit pho taste!
Service: it's a small spot so, staff will see you if you need anything. Again, it's good enough for me. Score is 4/5.
Ambiance: it's a hole in a wall kinda spot so, it's cool enough for me. It's a 4/5.

I came with my family while I was visiting San Jose. We stopped by for lunch during probably a bad time, lunchtime. The wait was long and we were a party of 5. My aunt already knew what to do so she placed her name down as soon as we arrived. There is outdoor seating but it was cold so we opted to sit indoors.

Indoors is small and tight. I ordered #13 which was beef flanks, and tendons. Order came out rather quickly and there were 2 plates of veggies: bean sprouts, basil, jalapeno peppers and lemon. They also give you a mountain of white onions! You don't see that often! My uncle ordered cooked bean sprouts but they were not cooked. In fact, I think all they did was lightly blanched it and called it a day. When ordering there were 2 options: small or large bowl and thin or wide noodles. I like small thin noodles (regular kind) but there is more pho in the bowl. To each their own but the small bowls are pretty filling.

Really enjoyed my bowl of pho and I can see why they have a long wait. Bowls were delicious but there is a lot of MSG added to the broth. I'm normally not sensitive to MSG but when there's too much, I can definitely taste it afterwards. And no, I didn't drink the broth.

Some cons for this place is that as soon as we sat down, handed the menus, not even 5 minutes passed and they were asking what we'd like to order. That was a sign that they have a lot of regulars. We told the 1st server we weren't ready and about another 5 minutes passed when a different waiter asked us what we'd like to order. I get that they're busy, but give your customers a chance to look at the menu first! There is no charge for hot water but there is a charge per cup for tea. We opted for hot water.

Overall, they are good for lunch or dinner. Customer service is what you can expect at a Vietnamese restaurant. Not the best but not the worst either. Can't go wrong with pho and portions are large enough. If I'm in the area again, I'll stop by for some good pho.

Got the Pho rare steak and well done flank #3 large and my wife got the Pho well done brisket small. I didn't get anything else so it's hard to judge these overall ratings when the ratings can be about different stuff but that's why I stated what I got.

Pros:
1. Bean sprouts can be cooked
2. The aesthetics are nice like the wooden tables and placeholders.

Cons:
1. The small and large prices are different on the menu but at the register the small is the same price as the large.. might as well get the large. Big no-no.
2. The broth was just okay, it was rich but like... not like "tastes amazing" rich. More like it had a few things in the broth.. can't explain it but maybe like more quantity of flavors than quality.
3. I barely had any meat. My wife's small had more meat. Barely had any "rare steak".

One of the best pho restaurants in San Jose.

I've gone here many times, but haven't stopped by for a while. Revisited recently a few days ago and can confirm... I missed eating pho here! I wasn't feeling so great that day and the bowl of pho warmed my soul.

What we ordered:
#1. Pho Dat Biet - includes rare steak, well done brisket, flank, tendon, fat brisket, and well done flank.

If you don't know what to order, you'll never go wrong with the dat biet. You get a little bit of everything to try. Pho Papa has truly nailed down their broth. It is a clean broth enriched with SOOO much flavor. The meat is nice and tender. They always put a TON of green onions on top, which I appreciate. If you like a thicker noodle, make sure to ask for banh tuoi.

#2. Dat Biet Suon Bo Papa - this is their beef rib special. If you want extra protein, add this to your order. The meat is basically fall off the bone. Very tender and is a great addition if you're looking for more.

Tips:
- Order hanh dam (white onion with vinegar) to eat with each bite. TRUST. It will elevate your pho!
- If you're still looking to add more protein, you can order a side of Bo Vien (meatballs). I actually really like their bo vein here and would recommend (not pictured) :)

Once you eat Pho here, it'll be hard to eat Pho at other places in San Jose. So good! Give it a try!

One of my favorite pho places in the area.

Location: There is plenty of free parking near the restaurant as it's in a plaza. However, the restaurant itself is pretty small. All the tables are sat pretty close together and is not really suited for big parties.

Food: Their food size and portions are good for the price. I especially like the short rib you can get on the side. The broth that comes in the short rib is the best but honestly all their pho broths are pretty good. I also like how they have fat noodles as an option. Always a plus when a pho spot offers far noodles.

Service: Sometimes, depending on the time and day you go, you might have to wait to be seated. But they usually take your order right away and the food comes out pretty fast.

Overall, I really do enjoy eating here .

I liked the bright ambiance and big windows featured here, creating a nice atmosphere. My friend said this was her favorite pho place in the Bay and I would say it's definitely up there! The food was great and I didn't taste MSG in the same way I do other places. I had a great experience here and enjoyed my meal and the service. I would 100% go again!

Pho Dac Biet 4.5/5
(Pictured) Great quality meat with a generous amount, and the broth was classic and delicious. I split the Large with my friend and it was the perfect amount for both of us. They provided sauces that added flavor when needed which also satisfied my spicy cravings.

One of my favorite pho place! I love that I can taste the beef flavor of the meat, you know they use good quality of meat. The place opens at 8am which is really an advantage for parents like me that after dropping off kids from school, I can get pho to start the day. They have different y
Types of pho, coffee and fresh juices. Service is quick, place is decent its a fast pace reataurant and can get packed with customers quickly. You can choose where you want to seat, if you want outside or inside. So many patrona coming here. Highly recommend!

We were in the area and found this pho spot that has outdoor seating and allows dogs. It wasn't that pleasant as another table had 2 dogs that just kept barking at us half of the time. There was no wait as we got here around 3:30. This is located in a plaza so there's decent amount of parking.

Ordered the combination pho and it was just ok, nothing special. The broth was a bit on the sweeter side, meat was ok, and noodles were slightly over cooked.

Pho Tai will always be my go-to! Simple and filling for breakfast after a party day. The small bowl is perfect for someone who only eats a little. Their beef is super tender and soft. This place is usually super busy, but wait time is usually super fast,

1. Writing your name on the list & wait to be called.
2. Lady comes with menus
3. Lady comes back very fast to take order while you're still trying to decide but that's ok, you quickly pick one & hope it's the right one
3. Food comes out quick & you eat

Typical pho restaurant with indoor & outdoor seating so plenty of seats.

Menu limited though but covers sufficient toppings but tells you they focuses on the pho.

I think the soup tastes pretty clean & refreshing.

Ordered 2 large pho as we usually split with our 2 kiddos, but the noodles ratio to soup was a bit off so we actually had to order a side noodle. Big bowl of soup to what appears to a reg size noodles.

Ordered side rib to try which is very tender but I don't think worth 7.55 as many places include this as their #1 special that costs like 2 more.

The meatball pho surprised me with the quantity! Usually places cuts them I half and you get like 4 whole pieces but these are whole pieces.

The coffee was a bit bitter, could used a bit more condensed milk but tolerable and very strong.

Overall good pho but I'd try somewhere else if I'm the area.