Pho Thanh Express

Closed in June 2010 and replaced.

My fellow colleagues and I we’re headed to V-​House off Fletcher. When we arrived there was a sign on the door saying they were closed for some reason that day. Very sad for us, but we weren’t going to let the trip become a waste. So we started looking up phở and boba in the area. We came across YumYumYo, but that was too far. Next up was Phở Thanh. We’re always down for trying new places so this was exciting at first.
The location is a little cramped and difficult to park with a large vehicle, so be warned. As we walked in, it was cool to see some nicely designed atmosphere going on. The phở prices were a little cheaper than other places’. $ 5 even for a big bowl. I ordered the the rare steak and honeydew smoothie w/​boba. I originally wanted some veggie spring rolls (w/​tofu) but the guy seemed like he’d never heard of such a thing. They only have shrimp w/​pork spring rolls. Whatever though. Not a big deal. But as I went on with my order he just seemed to be very annoyed and not wanting to talk to anybody. More like «hurry up and give me your money so you can leave me alone». Of course that’s probably not what he was thinking. I do think the costumer service could use a make-​over. After ordering it sounded like he and the women in the back got into an argument. So, who knows what kind of spit landed in the food? We just chilled outside at the table waiting for the food as we enjoyed the breeze. It was kind of a long wait for a small non-​busy place. 20 min… maybe?
The food and boba drinks finally came out. The phở bowl was pretty big. The flavor was ok. Not the best, but not the worst. I did like that they loaded it with extra greens. But it tasted like a package mix. The honeydew w/​boba was not bad, but was leaning more on the candy side. The boba did not seem to have been made on the spot. Had more of a cheap gummy texture.
I did finish it all and felt decently satisfied. But I don’t think I’ll be going back there unless a group I’m chilling with just happens to choose that spot. Of course, then, I would not pass up the opportunity to throw in a suggestion like V-​house. (which in my opinion is WAY fresher/better…and customer servicier).
Once again though, it’s not a bad place if you’re in the area. I’m sure I’d go there if I worked on the same block. But I won’t be driving to this place again on purpose. And on top of that all, if the customer service and presentation was better it might cover up for some of the other downfalls. I just did not feel welcome there and the food was not worth the experience.

Had coupon from the SDSU student coupon book, so we checked it out. So glad we did! $ 2.75 for a sandwich and a can of soda. Plus we had a $ 1.00 coupon! $ 5.00 and we got a bbq pork sandwich, ham sandwich and two cans of Pepsi. The sandwiches are amazing. Fantastic French bread with marinated carrots, cilantro, jalapenos and good meat. I will absolutely go back again. Parking is great. Easy in and easy out if you get there heading south on Montezuma. You can then exit to El Cajon Blvd. Nice guy working behind the counter. Outdoor seating. I’ll be back.

Love to go here when I don’t want to drive too far for a good meal.
–prices are all under $ 10.
–phở is decent, definitely tasted better.
–the Vietnamese sandwiches (banh mi) are DELICIOUS!
($ 2.75 with a free can soda!)
–place is really small.
–rice vermicelli meals are pretty BIG.
*recommend the grilled pork Vietnamese sandwich.
:)

I have never had phở noodles before today, so my frame of reference exists only with the one lunch I enjoyed earlier. That being said, I was very pleased with my meal. My wife and I both had the combination bowl, which included meatballs, rare steak, and flank steak. The noodles were neither good nor bad, but only served as a bland component to the medley of other flavors. The broth was sublime and changed to a degree after adding the fresh sweet basil leaves served on the side. Mung bean sprouts were on the side as well, and became soft and enjoyable once added to the soup. There was a light amount of onions, cilantro, and jalapeño slices add. All in all, quite good and a solid value for $ 6.
What’s more, I bought a BBQ pork sandwich for my daughter. It was long and thinnish, and packed tight with carrot slivers, cucumber, cilantro, pork, light mayo, and served on a dense french roll. Lemme tell you, this sandwich was amazing. Again, I had not ever had phở noodles, but I have had countless restaurant sandwiches and this is about one of the best I have had. At $ 2.75, it is a steal.
I am disappointed to see the low reviews to this place, which makes me think if I find really quality Vietnamese food elsewhere, it is going to be amazing. What I know though is the lunch I had today was affordable, made quickly, and terribly satisfying. They will get my business again.

So if you’ve been to the legit restaurant branch of this place then you’ll be disappointed. They aren’t joking with the words «express» because there is only a few things on the menu to choose from. The bbq chicken and pork sandwich I had here was kinda bland and skimped on the meat. Had the bbq lemon grass chicken too which was ok. It was satisfying enough to fill a belly but if you want some good stuff, head over to the original one.