Pho Hoa

CLOSED…
THis was my favorite place to eat in Berkeley because they had huge fresh durian smoothies with boba… help. Where do I go where it is not just powder or sugary bubble teas… so sad. I loved the veggie phở too because it was full of strange fresh mushrooms.

Man! I can’t believe this place closed down! I had a horrible love-​hate relationship with this restaurant. At least I will no longer have to see ridiculously rude and grouchy waitresses. But I will sincerely miss my phở runs to this place after coming back home from the airport, taking a study break, when I was feeling too lazy to cook, etc.
Those horrible waitresses still need to learn how to smile.

I hated the service. The waiters were cranky and mean and they didn’t think all the people in my group paid so they accused me of not paying. But when I told them to count AGAIN they were obviously wrong.
The soup is okay. Good smoothies.

Get the smoothies here, not the phở.
I’ve tried it on two separate occasions — the first time the noodles were very broken and soggy. Soup is okay, but kind of bland.

Why do I torture myself with mediocre food and horrible service?!
They have a sign that states if you appreciate their «good» service, they appreciate your tips… WTH?! Seriously?! What good service?!
There were 2 young patrons who walked up to the counter and asked the lady to split their bill. As she glared at him with a lost and confused look, he repeated his request at least 3 – 4 times. She responded by shoving a pen towards him and informing him to «do it yourself.» What?! I’ve never seen or heard that before. Is this the «good» customer service you speak of?!

«This place smells like a bathroom!!» my friend exclaimed as we walked in. Luckily not too many people heard him, but it was very true. The restaurant did have a stench.
The food is decent, nothing too spectacular. The fruit smoothies are pretty good. My friend ordered the strawberry and pineapple.
I had the iced coffee with milk which was a rip-​off. It’s the drip brew coffee, but they give you just enough water to fill a tea cup and a cup of ice. When you transfer the hot coffee to the cup of ice, it only fills up two-​thirds of the cup. SERIOUSLY???
The service is crap. The waitresses come, take your order, plop your food down when it’s ready, and they never come back again until it’s time to give you the receipt.

Phở Hoa has been one of the many stops for good Vietnamese food in Berkeley. But it has just been a blip in the map.
I ordered the noodle soup with well done brisket, and there wasn’t anything special to it. Apart from other Vietnamese phở places I’ve been to in my life, this rates near the bottom.
The location is also a bit sketchy along Shattuck Ave, although reveals quite a bite of seating.

This. Is. Not. Phở. AVOID.

For the price, I’d say I had a damn fine meal. Nicely flavored grilled chicken … crispy and non-​greasy fried tofu … and the both the summer rolls and fried rolls were tasty too. Pretty much liked everything except for the peanut sauce — just wasn’t very peanutty.
Yeah, the service stunk and there was no real ambience per se. But, to me, the prices and flavor made up for it. It’s a decent, casual place to grab a bite before a movie or something. Certainly not a date place!
I’m sure I’ll go back. Heck, I’ll consider bumping up to 4-​stars if the waitress is friendly next time!

I have tried so many Phở restaurants .Even this one is a chain restaurant, but I thing is better than any other Vietnamese Phở place I went. Non of them are, as good as this one. I am really peaky if the case is about a food. From this place, me and my wife been taking to go (for diner) almost for 6 years. Maybe service is not great, but the food is awesome.
Love it, love it!

«How could you mess up phở?» was the response I gave to my friend when he told me to Unilocal this place before we came here to eat. I found out that in fact, it is possible to mess up phở.
I ordered the beef ball phở. The noodles were overcooked and soggy and the broth was watered down and tasteless. My fresh lemonade tasted like water with a couple drops of lemon juice, even sugar couldn’t revive it.
Do yourself a favor, find a real phở restaurant.

I used to eat here alot, but it’s not great, just quick, fairly healthy and cheap. I recommend vegetarian phở and veggie summer roll.
One thing that takes this place from 2 to 3 stars is TAKE OUT! The ambience is bad, the restaurant smells weird, and the wait staff is cranky. I ate at the restaurant one time and never again. Not authentic, some dishes are iffy, but I’ve found stuff I like and it works when I’m too lazy to cook and too poor for something better.

The phở is ok, but I would avoid anything else on the menu.
Word to the wise: always tell them in advance if you want to split the check. Or modify an order. Or move tables. Apparently they have to contact corporate if you want to pay for an order with two credit cards (the waiter seriously told us this once). And corporate is on the other side of the world, so good luck with that.
Overall, the food is not bad. Not the best phở in the world, but it works in a snap.

I don’t think I have ever described a restaurant as «passive-​aggressive» before, but this place can be described no other way. They don’t take credit for orders under $ 10, and it is their policy that everyone in your party must order at least $ 5 of food if you want to sit in their tacky restaurant and bask in the unabashed glare of the cashier lady. They do not accept Phở Hoa coupons. There is a sign on the wall that says «If you appreciate our good service, OUR SERVERS APPRECIATE YOUR GOOD TIPS.» If you happen to be meeting some friends here for dinner, but on your way bought boba from the highly superior Tapioca Express, they WILL kick you out.
Their milk tea is expensive, mediocre at best, and only comes in a few flavors. They are stingy with the pearls.
The phở itself is alright though.

For some reason a couple of friends and I get a kick out of pronouncing the name all weird, calling it Phoe-​Hoe-​UHHH. Its fun to butcher names.
ANYWAY. The best way I can summarize this place in one word is … NEH.
No seriously. This place is pretty NEH-​tastic. It is 8.5 on the «eh/​neh/​meh» scale. I usually order the «everything in it combo bowl» of phở at every phở place I go, and normally most places do it right. They kind of flub it here. From my visits, the noodles range from OK to pretty shabby and they don’t really give too much of the steak, flank, and especially tripe. I love tripe. They don’t give enough of it. Sadness.
The soup base is kinda MSG-​y too. And maybe a little salty. It seems to be lacking the depth of the beef flavor phở soup broth usually has and makes me think the additives are there to cover up that fact. Oh well. At least it isn’t so bad it makes me feel sick. I’ll still eat the phở, just not drink the soup. Double sadness.
The portions aren’t that big and I always order the large size. And its still not enough. Note, i’m a pretty skinny guy, not some fatty. The prices here are a bit over average too. When you really factor all of it together, the price to quality/​amount of food ratio really isn’t that good.
The only reason why I probably came here is because I never really had a ride to go anywhere further than around campus. And the campus area really doesn’t give Phở Hoa any sort of inspired competition. Thus having to resort to here when I start jonesing for phở.

I came here with my colleague and it was a negative experience. Our shared spring roll ($ 2) with shrimp and pork and it was decent but not the freshest. My grilled chicken with fried roll was reminiscent of chicken teriyaki and definitely not worth almost $ 10. I thought the complimentary soup was too greasy while the chicken failed to distinguish even with ample fish sauce. The fried roll and pickled veggies were my highlights but the dish did not have any flare to justify the cost.
Service was terrible. During the time when my colleague went to the restroom I was asked by our server to move to a smaller table. Although she went on to explain the incoming lunch crowd as the reason for the request, it was still done in poor taste since there were still six large tables waiting to be filled. She later forgot to provide my colleague with the plate of basil and sprouts for his phở, and gave us plenty of attitude for refusing to move. It was a negative experience overall. 2 stars.

This is like one of few casual phở restaurants in the entire city of Berkeley right now. The soup base is everything. But here, it is way too salty and too hazy. And if you’re unlucky, you end up with the bowl with odds and end meat cuts.
Good things:
+close to BART
+close to movie theaters
+roomy

You’d be better off taking an extra 30 minutes to head over to Oakland Chinatown for some Phở than settling for this place!
The Spring Roll that came with the vermicelli bowl was rotten. Yes, my friend basically chewed and swallowed for about a minute before asking me try a bit to see if it tasted a bit «off» — leading to me chewing and swallowing for about a minute — but, yes indeed, it was rotten.
The Phở itself is unremarkable, and the side plate of raw vegetable and herbs to add is miniscule. The BBQ Chicken was tough and not flavorful enough.
If you read my other reviews of Phở joints, I have this complex mathematical equationary conjecture, aka, The Rule, that:
the [x] dirtier a [f] Phở restaurant is, the [y] better the [n] food
Phở Hoa totally proves the thereom to be truth!
This place is cleaner than my #^$@! And that, my dear friends, is VERY clean.

If you’re in search of a good bowl of post-​party hangover-​healer, go get phở. If you can, don’t get it at Phở Hoa. But Phở Hoa is better than no phở, which saves it from the disgrace of one-​star-​dom.
Bowls of vermicelli and beef come out of the kitchen with blazing speed, accompanied with the usual bean sprouts and basil leaves. Sometimes it comes out a little too fast — more than once, my broth has been lukewarm and the beef that was supposed to cook in it just sat and swam around lazily with the noodles. I had to send it back to the kitchen as I leaned groggily against the wall. Sad times, but I’m sure it would have been sadder times if I got food poisoning.
It’s all business there — you go in, eat, and they stick you with the bill as fast as humanly possible.

Update,
OK, I’ve changed my mind. This place is good. I really like the Phở. No MSG, good broth, and a wonderful menu that has «pictures» PICTURES! goddamn that’s makes sexy menu sense.
Plus, prices are very reasonable.
The lame mean waitress only works certain days. Everyone else is nice and attentive.
UPGRADE to 4 stars.
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Why doesn’t Berkeley have a good PHO place ?
I was craving some beefy goodness after working out at 24hr. So I dropped in here. First the place is spartan but clean. There was only one server and it looked like only 1 cook too. The whole «key» for the bathroom thing is kind of retarded, but I guess in Berkeley it’s a necessary evil. I ordered the PHO-​Tai. and a lemon soda. the total was $ 9.81. Not bad. The soup was good, beefy, and I didn’t detect any MSG.
The server spent half the time in the back. the service is what is lacking here. If it were better I would have given it 4 stars, but the woman was acting like a pissed off Chinese waiter on New Years.
I also love the posted sign that reads, «Our Servers Appreciate your Tips». Wow, really? I wish they would act like it !
Paid my bill, dropped the requested 15% tip and left. don’t think I’ll be back. A bike ride to Oakland Chinatown is worth more.