Patricia Curry

This place is yummy. Tried the Pork Bahn mi and it’s amazing. I also had the pork paste rolls and the shrimp paste rolls but the Bahn mi was my favorite. The rolls had flavorful paste( cooked sausage like without casing), greens and a crunchy egg roll. We were seated right away on a Friday night, the service was great and food arrived very fast even though the place was busy! I’ll be back for more Bahn my and other yummy authentic Vietnamese food.

+17

Monica Serena Nguyen

One of the best spots in San Diego for authentic Vietnamese food! When you enter, it’s loud and busy, so you know it’s going to be good. Service is fast, you get all of your food out at the same time relatively quickly. The guy taking my order didn’t even have to write anything down and he took other tables orders after too 😂 We ordered calamari appetizer, bun thit nuong and egg roll, bun rieu, broken rice, and seafood pho. Everything was great!! Loved the calamari, I would recommend the bun thit nuong and egg rolls, the egg rolls are very filling! All of the portions are big and decent pricing, mostly under $15 each. Other tips: If you google maps, it’ll take you to the back parking lot, so come around to park at the front. The parking lot is free. Also, after eating, you pay at the counter, and they accept credit cards.

We went during lunch time. The parking lot was full when we arrived. It took some time to find a parking spot so give yourself more time to find parking. It was fairly busy so we waited for roughly 5-10 min to get a table. Our Vietnamese friend ordered 5 different dishes for us to share. The lotus salad was refreshing. I really liked pork paste rolls with house special sauce. The chicken wings were cooked in sweet chili sauce. I’m not used to saucy wings but It was good to eat with rice. The braised catfish in clay pot was salty but delicious. You definitely need rice to eat it with. These dishes are all authentic dishes for a reasonable price. I’ll definitely come back.

Scott Keith

First time having Pho and it was great! Broth was delicious. The house special Pho is the way to go. The surf and turf rolls with the peanut sauce are friggin awesome as well. I'll be back for sure

KakuBites

Pho Duyen Mai is an unassuming, spacious spot in Kearny Villa Square, great for accommodating both small and large groups. The service was quick and efficient. The food was the highlight. The filet mignon pho was served hot and steaming with tender, medium-rare beef and a rich, flavorful broth. A heartwarming dish on a cold, rainy evening. The charbroiled pork paste rolls were outstanding; the savory pork was balanced by the crunch of fresh lettuce and pickled cucumber and daikon. While the shrimp spring rolls were a nice bite, they were outshone by the pork paste rolls. The grilled beef vermicelli came in a generous portion with plenty of fresh vegetables, though the beef did have a few tough bites. Logistics: There is a large free parking lot in both the front and back. For the waitlist, check in on the iPad at the entrance, but keep a close ear out. The host didn't call out loudly and text notifications lagged a bit. When you are done, walk up to the cashier in the back left with your table number to pay. Overall, a great place to grab a bowl of pho with family and friends.

+5

Tommy

Great pho and a spacious, clean restaurant. Staff were helpful. - Filet mignon pho 4/5: while it had good flavor, I don’t think I would get it again. I didn’t care for the large cuts of meat and they were difficult to eat. Next time I’ll get a more simple pho tai. - Fresh rolls 4/5: good but a bit warm for my preference

M.A. EatsArt

Friendly, quick lunch. Jalapenos were not spicy, small filet mignon meat portions, and no cilantro in the soup. Delicious bean drink. Everything was fresh and flavorful.

Jewel Peavy

This was my first time dining-in. The first time I tried food here was takeout. Shortly upon walking in and "checking in" on the iPad, I was greeted and led by a server. She placed a menu on a table, returning with an iced water and asking if I was ready to order. I asked for a large #29 (Tai gau; slices of rare steak + brisket), pointing at the number to hopefully avoid confusion since I don't speak Vietnamese. Instead, for some reason, I was given a #23 (House Special; slices of rare steak, well-done steak, briskets, flanks, tendons, tripe.) I specifically didn't order that one because I've never had flanks, tendons, nor tripe. And since I've never had them before, I didn't exactly realize/recognize them in the soup. It had plenty of meat, but I don't think I care too much for the texture of tripe. It would have been nice to get the soup I actually ordered. I only hesitated to say anything until I saw the receipt, because it's been a while since I've had pho, and I thought maybe I'd remembered it differently. But my receipt confirmed that my order was indeed wrong. Nevertheless, the soup was pretty good--piping hot, with lots of noodles--and the toppings were fresh. My server checked in once or twice, but was pretty hands-off. The other staff were observant, treating patrons decently. A very efficiently-run restaurant. Ambiance-wise, the tables were kind of close together, enough where you could hear your neighbors' entire conversations. There was gentle music playing the entire time, but pretty low in the background. So, I'd say noise-wise, it was moderate. Additionally, there was a small restroom (women's and men's) at the back of the restaurant. My server never returned with my bill, so I went to the front counter to pay (maybe this is standard practice in Vietnamese restaurants?). The cashiers (two guys working the front) were kind, and quickly accommodated me when I asked for a Thai tea to-go. It was pretty standard, but I would've preferred chewier/fresher boba, in a perfect world. Overall, it was an adequate restaurant, and I'd try it again, ensuring I got the right order next time.

Alex Sutedja

Get the chicken wings in fish sauce! It's fried chicken wings covered in "chili" fish sauce (I don't think it's spicy at all, but I do see chili flakes in the sauce). The wings were crisp despite being covered in sauce. The umami bomb was incredible. There are only 6 pieces for $13; it is pricey but man these wings were so delicious! They also have a variety of Vietnamese coffee, but I got the classic this time. I'd be curious to try others next time. Next time? Of course! This place seems promising; the wait staff were efficient and you can tell that they get a lot of regulars (they asked me if I needed the menu when I got seated). With that kind of patronage, you know the food has to be good!

roger nakata

First time to this restaurant. It turned out to be pretty good. There are two locations for parking in the front and back. Google took us to the back side. When you first see the back of the establishment, I thought it was going to be a hole in the wall but once I walked in it turned out to be pretty big on the inside and they had a very clean bathroom. The food was good and service was quick. Overall a good place to go in a pinch. If we are in the neighborhood and had a craving for Vietnamese food then yes we would go again.

+3

My Le

I got bun bo hue. It’s actually decent if you want a quick fix without having to go far. It had lots of meat. A plate of fresh veggies on the side. I’m sensitive to MSG and when I got home and throughout the night, I was so thirsty and having dry mouth. My hair and clothes smelled of pho as soon as I left the restaurant. I got home with an instant smell lingering every time I walked past my jacket on the chair. Make sure you don’t wear nice clothes. The pork paste roll was and still is the only item that I’ll get from here if I’m not in OC. Don’t get me wrong, the food here is tasty but not for me when I’m dying of thirst afterwards. There’s a parking lot in front and in back. If you park in the back, they have a back entrance into the restaurant. They take your order at the table but when it’s time to pay, you must walk up to the counter with your table number.

+3

skut farkis

I have been coming here since the grand opening. I put my name into their new computerized wait list and waited for about 10 minutes Never got the text message to take a seat. The place was about 30% full and the bus boys and servers were laughing and goofing around so we sat ourself at an empty table. They didn't want to take our order because they felt we bypassed the waiting list. We were the only ones waiting. These guys never checked the computer and had us waiting there like idiots. Then they wanted to look at my phone to prove it. I showed it to them and they still didn't want to take my order. once we placed our order. they never brought refills or checked on us. I have been coming here for like 9 or 10 years and after tonight I'm not sure if ill ever return. I had to walk to the kitchen to get another fork. I have to walk to the kitchen to get a lemon. I have to walk to the kitchen to get water. That is why I gave them $0 for a tip. This is used to be my most favorite place to eat.

Penny

Messed up multiple items on our order, forgot an item on our order, never checked on us once. We had to go up to the counter to ask for to-go containers and we had to share each others’ drinks when ours ran out since they never once came back. The food was fine but the service was terrible and therefore would never go back.