Review Pho Central - Vancouver

The food was delicious and the service was fantastic and friendly. My first time here and I am definitely going back!

Went in hoping to get a pho with tendons but they were out. This already killed the mood. Ordered a pho with rare beef and balls with shrimp appetizer. The servers were friendly but when the main dish comes way before the appetizer it kind of ruins the setting. Was mediocre food that gets the job done.

Shaken beef (bo luc lac) was tasty - so tender and buttery. I prefer to dip the beef in a salt, pepper and lime sauce and it's so good (it's how I grew up eating bo luc lac). Definitely give this a try!

A deep friend spring roll wrapped in a fresh spring roll?! 🤤 Also got drip (iced) coffee and the House Special Pho (broth was delicious). I’d come back :)

One of my favourite places to go for Vietnamese food. The food is delicious, service is great and portion sizes are decent. The pho noodle soup is my go to order whenever I come here.

I loved the swa food fried rice. Real value for money and a big portion..

My dish the spring roll was very hard. Friendly service. Atmosphere is not much, brown on brown, no art work and bar area looked like storage. $

My partner and I love this restaurant and normally eat here once a week. The food is consistently good, the prices are reasonable, the staff are friendly and attentive, the portion sizes are huge and they have great vegetarian options. We are moving away soon and I will miss this place so much!

Best pho in the west end of Vancouver. As a pho fanatic I’ve tried them all. So good!

Good place to have Vietnamese food in west end. Ambience was okay and seating arrangements were little crowded. Food was perfectly prepared. Nice place to visit if you are in Vancouver and want to have Asian food.

went here prior to polar bear swim, and yes it was quite packed as well, the food was quite good, although the meat selection and portion is what it is, definitely okay the broth is more on the flavourful side of pho i must say, overall it's definitely a decent pho quick eat in the area :D definitely good pricing for the meal you're getting in the neighbourhood as well

Next to ramen houses, Vietnamese pho eateries are plentiful in the West End.  One of the popular ones is Pho Central which has been in business for over 8 years now.  They are a casual eatery with a modern interior serving pho, vermicelli bowls and banh mi for eat-in or takeout.  Prices are budget-friendly with items under $10.

I ordered via Door Dash and was quoted a delivery time of 9:10pm. However, my food wasn't delivered until 9:26pm. I wasn't notified via text or phone call of the situation. The delivery guy even told me he arrived 30 minutes early to pick it up to find out it wasn't ready.  Moreover, I asked for extra basil and never got any! Very disappointing. Other than that, food is awesome as always.

I understand that the Betel Leave Wrapped Beef on Vermicelli is quite an exotic choice, and it's probably not their most popular dish. But since it’s on their menu, they should at least attempt to make it presentable and palatable. As I would still probably come back here to try their popular dishes, I’m hoping they are putting more thoughts on this particular dish by making it better, or just getting rid of it.

Good place .. but something is missing compared to when they were across the street at the other tiny location. I am not sure if they changed the cook or what but, the soup is not as rich anymore. I used to go there with my wife once every 7 to 10 days. It was our West End pho fix. They changed to the larger place and, we went 3 times during the month.... we both consistently felt things were not as good. The spring rolls are tasty but are too small for the price. Hey! It is the West End... we expect the best value in the GVRD when it comes to food😀. So... they are good (but sorry...) we go down the street a couple of store fronts to get our pho fix now😕

I had been to Pho Central when it was at the old location. It was filthy and tiny, though their pho were good. I had always walked by it and seen how full it was, so I suspected that their pho must be still good. I met a with a friend for lunch around 1pm. It wasn’t overly busy, so it was good timing. The interior was quite spacious and nicer than most other whole in the wall pho places. In fact, this must be the best one I’ve been to in Metro Vancouver area. It has a bar on one side with blue LED lighting which gives it a modern, moody look.

Bun Cari ga which is curry hockey vermicelli noodle soup is by far the best dish on the menu and this place serves the best one you can find. All round best Vietnamese restaurant in downtown.

I ordered the Vermicelli Noodle Bowl with chicken at Pho Central, and was pleasantly surprised to find a spring roll come with it. BEST DAY EVER. It was a huge portion so I was able to save some for later, and guess what? It still tasted great.  The complimentary green tea is always a nice touch, and the staff were friendly and provided speedy service.

Buy more baguettes!!!!. I love Pho Central, but since they move to the new location they always run out of baguettes by the time want to have dinner :(<br/>Easy solution, make or buy more baguettes, if you are always running out, I'm sure you'll sell more if you have more!

Tried something new. My spouse and I were planning on having sushi for New Year's dinner but unfortunately, Kadoya was closed so we opted to try Pho Central. The place was crowded and though our wait for a table wasn't too long, after that, things went downhill. We ordered fairly quickly and within a couple minutes, my coffee drink arrived, however, my spouse's drink order was nowhere to be seen. After another 5 to 10 minutes, we were brought lukewarm tea and a bowl with Pho condiments. Another 15 to 20 minutes passed and after noting that at least one other couple seated AFTER us was already partway through their meal, I finally stopped a waitress.....who previously hadn't even so much as glanced at us. I was assured our meal would "come soon." A few minutes later, my spouse's pho arrived but still no drink. Another 5 minutes and my vermicelli showed up as well, plopped down unceremoniously in front of me....no eye contact from the server or any inquiry as to whether or not we would like anything else. My spouse thought his broth was nice but the veggie pho was seriously lacking things like veggies. My vermicelli was bland and cool and even adding additional seasonings didn't help much. I picked out the egg rolls and left the rest. Thankfully, I wasn't very hungry. Then my spouse's avocado milkshake arrived and though tasty, hadn't been mixed very well and was full of chucks of ice. After the meal, we started the waiting game again.....no check and again, not a glance from any waiter or waitress. We finally put on our coats and approached the cashier who was sorting through about 20 checks on the counter trying to locate each party's check. Hmmm.....perhaps putting the check actually ON the guest's table might help, but what the heck. I'm not a restaurant owner, right? Needless to say, we left no tip and will not be going back.

TL:DR, good food for the price. Unprofessional and terrible service. <br/><br/>Full Review, <br/>Unpleasant disposition towards customers. Female waiter seemed dead inside, just did not seem to care about the customers. Male waiter was unprofessional, said "so what's up." when taking our order, asked what time it was when dropping off condiments.<br/><br/>Bad service, great food, leaves little desire to tip well.

The baguette was so good, fluffy bread stuffed with spicy peppers, grilled lemongrass chicken, cilantro, cucumber, and pickled carrots. the beef and brisket pho was good too, fairy standard in my 'pho inexperienced books' but good none the less. It all came to 12 bucks, so solid.

My Favorite place in Vancouver for Pho. This used to be my favorite small tiny spot to have pho ! It still is !! but not small, tiny and cozy. I don't like the new disco-like cheap modern atmosphere. <br/>The food is very Good Quality, Cheap !! Not the most romantic atmosphere, but who cares.. what should be so romantic with the Pho soup at the ends?

Yuck. Not impressed. Soup was sweet noodles were clumpy and my ceaser sucked gross

NOT THA SAME!! Very sad. I'.... NOT THA SAME!!<br/>Very sad. I'll have to unfavourite this now. Was so looking forward to eating at the new digs. Big disappointment. Chicken wings not the same. Noodles were served in my pho and it was in a hard clumpy, obviously sitting for a while. Servers were not to responsive when asked about the new recipe or if it was ran by new owners. Am not surprised if they don't receive the same following. They lost my vote :-(

Not as good as expected. Reading so many positive reviews for this restaurant, I would like to give it a try.<br/><br/>Service - below average; <br/><br/>Food - not outstanding and the rice noodles were not as good as other places. Soup base was salty. I didn't like their Spring Rolls - the wrap was different from other Vietnamese restaurants.<br/><br/>I prefer going to Pho 24 Express located at South Burnaby.

Bad first impression. This long-running Vietnamese joint moved from their tiny digs on Davie to a smartly reno'd, much bigger place up the street at 1161 Davie.<br/>I finally got around to trying it.<br/>Prompt, smiling server took my order: small bowl of pho. $7.30.<br/>A glass of ice water arrived first (no complimentary tea, or other beverage offered) then the plate of sprouts, basil, and bits of green pepper, and lime wedge for the soup arrived.<br/>Soup arrived. No condiments, no chopsticks, spoon, napkin, etc. No chili oil even available.<br/>I had to get up and hunt the guy down for so I could eat.<br/>Soup noodles were under-cooked, and the token bits of beef were disappointing.<br/>No checking in on your meal, but 'they' never do that anyways.<br/>The place has 2 TV screens running, and the one next to me (I purposely sit avoiding them in my line of sight) had football on with the volume turned low that it was pointless having it on at all. No background music. Sterile room. Bright, garish 'white' light fixtures are an odd choice.<br/>I miss the old dump down the street. At least it had some charm.<br/>Won't be returning. Too many other pho places popping up everywhere to try.<br/><br/><br/>-----09 Aug, 2014-----<br/><br/>Reliable pho. I have been a fan of pho for 20 years now and been lucky to try many places across the city. I've cut back on pho for health-conscious reasons but when I give in to my pho craving this one is the best of the 6 in the Westend proper.<br/>They have just moved up the street into a larger, impressively remodelled space at 1118 Davie. I hope the move doesn't take away from the nice people and food they are known for.<br/>Just know that even nominal doses of MSG (which every Vietnamese restaurant I visit admits to using) is seriously damaging to the brain's nerve endings (and is pointed at for causing memory loss and alzheimers!) And as delicious as those tasty coffees prepared with 'sweetened condensed milk' go, I'd consume with moderation.<br/>Not to be a Debbie Downer but part of eating is about eating consciously for me.

AWESOME PHO / SPRING ROLLS & SUBS. Would eat there daily. Great hangover cure. Soup game tight. Spring rolls HAWT! Bathroom, naaah.

Love their noodles. Always go and get No.14D yum yum

Great choice for veggie / non veggie diners. This place has the best veggie banh mi ive tried!! They have a fried lemongrass tofu sub with an assortmentvof veggies and tge traditional pickled ones. Also had the veggie pho w non veggie broth. It was fantastic!! The only problem is the restaurant is really small...

Awesome. Awesome pho at a great price! My go to spot when im in the west end!

Good for late night food open till 1130pm. Pros: steak pho fresh, good portion, lemon grass chicken sub, open til 1130pm<br/><br/>cons: small

Sad to hear that they use MSG:(<br/>This additive is linked to cancer!

That's fresh.. We ordered a bowl of pho each, plus an order of salad rolls each. The food was amazing, and way too much to finish so we took it home and had it for lunch the next day. Fast service, good value, nice location.

Really Good!. We went there expecting not much. Oh Boy were we wrong! Their food is amazing and the price is good. The only downside is the small size of the restaurant so expect to be very close to your neighbours which can make the ambience warm and cozy in a way. The decor is simple but it fits the place. The service is efficient and friendly. Excellent place for a party of 2 or 3. A favourite for Vietnamese food!

My favourite spot on Davie!. What can I say? The food is DELICIOUS! The service is EXCELLENT! The staff and owner are so friendly. The decor is so awesome, organic, and minimal - with an Asian flair...like you just stepped into a small hole-in-the-wall eatery in Vietnam!!<br/>I've been coming here since they've opened. And I eat there, or get take out, at least 4 or 5 times a month. I always prefer to have business lunches & dinners here. If I haven't seen a friend or colleague in a while, this is the place that I take em' to. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

Good. Still the best Bahn Mi in this neck of the woods. You'd have to go way up Kingsway to get better.

Extremely impressed by this place. Tiny and unassuming but man do they make good lemongrass chicken! I had the LG Chicken vermicelli bowl with spring roll and MAN was it good. Possibly the best I've had. And CHEAP! Like 8 bucks and SO much food. Food came really quickly and the service was great. If I lived here I'd probably make this place a weekly dinner spot! Will come back next time I'm in town for sure.

I guess its all right !!. Well definitely not the best I have ever had, the broth was lacking its meaty flavor and there was to much black pepper garnished on top. Also kinda pricy for the add on meats and nasty bits.

Don't let the exterior and decor dissuade you--this is the best pho spot in the Downtown/West End area. Beef stew can be hit and miss, but traditional pho and curry chicken vermicelli are fantastic.

My favorite place. The broth is so amazing. I'm Vietnamese and the pho here is as good as, if not better than my mother's. I love the pork chop and rice dish, and you can order some of the soup options dry, which means the broth is on the side and the noodles are tossed in a lovely soy sauce. top it with crunchy bean sprouts and some ripped basil and it's amazing! whenever i'm sick i order the chicken hu tieu (noode soup) and i think for a dollar i ask them to add extra vegetables. it's the shiz. i'm not crazy about the spring rolls, but the sandwiches, goi cuon, soups and rice dishes are stellar. its a total hole in the wall, the vietnamese people who work there i'm sure could use some service tips, but they know their food, which is all i need. my favourite vietnamese joint in the west end!

Heartwarming and delicious. Had the rare beef and brisket pho which was fantastic! Rich broth, great flavours. My hubby had the chicken lemongrass which he also loved. It was fast, tasty, and cheap. Great for a busy week night meal!

Pho... no!. I ordered what I order at every restaurant: spring rolls and a chicken noodle soup. I was very disappointed with the spring rolls. These were mini rolls with empty flavour that you might find at in the frozen food dim sum aisle at best. I started on the chicken soup and although there was an ample amount of noodle and soup...the chicken was hardly present. The flavouring wasn't too bad, i appreciated the basil on the side as it made the soup more refreshing. I would say Pho Central was average...the spring rolls bad, the soup okay. I would love to know if there was a better Pho restaurant in this area for the future,

Great Food. My wife had the Pho and I had the spicy beef in special noodles. It was great! I left very satisfied and the service was good.

Favorite pho. Whenever I feel like pho, this is where i usually end up. Love the dried noodle with grilled pork and soup on side. Its like 8 bucks!! Although it might take a while for the food even when its not busy at all (~15mins) Its well worth the waiting. Service is ok. I dont like their crispy wonton tho they kinda smelled.

Good Down Town Pho Option. This tiny (16 seats) place next to Stephos offers decent pho at very reasonable prices. Pretty amazing that in 2010 you can get a sit down, hot meal in the west end for under $7 bucks!

The service is quick and precise while the atmosphere, well let's just say you get more than you paid for with the quality of the food, and you get what you paid for in the cosmetics of the restaurant.... just don't use the bathroom and you should be fine!

My friend @customersright is a vegetarian and had never tried Pho before. Someone suggested Pho Central to him. @joshrimer and myself joined him for some lunch. I will start with everything that I liked about Pho Central. I love that’s so conveniently located on the Davie Village, I love that their menu has a good variety of dishes, not just pho, I also like,like, like the prices! This place gives the term “cheap eats” a whole new meaning! Most dishes are well below $10. David chose the vegetarian Hu Tieu Rau Cai veggie noddle soup for $6.95. His Pho had lots of veggies, tofu and rice noodles. The tofu was deep fried, which is an odd choice for a vegetarian dish, as most people choosing this dish are looking for a healthier option. The broth was flavourful and the Pho had a good choice of toppings. Josh ordered the Thit Bo Xao Sa Vermicelli Salad Bowl. Lots of fresh lettuce, herbs, beans sprouts, cucumber, pickled carrots, scallions, roasted peanuts. It also came with lemongrass beef a

I always leave feeling warmed to soul. Pho Central perfectly slides into the "dives" category.

The night before my mom left Vancouver to fly back to Hawaii, we decided we wanted something simple and fast to eat in the evening. That way, there would be no need for grocery shopping, and we could still hopefully grab a bite that wouldn’t take us too f