Yes :-) Sara's review (Jul 13th 2006)

There is a perfectly good Vietnamese restaurant located right in the Valley. Pho Saigon popped up on E. Sprague maybe a year ago, and we always meant to try it. I’ve never heard anything about it, but maybe that’s because it is only noticeable to people who frequent the Thrifty Scotsman burger place (another place I have not been). I will admit, it was the sign that made me think Pho Saigon would be decent. Yes, yes, I’m a sucker for packaging, but something about the sign said, “We bothered to make this look nice, ie. spent money on it, so we are concerned about overall quality.” Anyway, this is just a long preamble to say that this was the perfect excuse to finally go try it.

We went in around 6 pm for dinner and the place was empty, save for one employee watching CNN on the large projection TV on the back wall. He greeted us and told us to sit where ever we wanted, and shortly after that, a woman came to take our orders. Right away, she said she’d put cartoons on for Gracie and that she’d bring a booster seat to the table. The rest of the decor was nice—- lanterns hanging from the ceiling, paintings on the wall. I’d say there were about 6 tables that would seat four people and four tables that would seat six. Sure, there was that huge TV, but the volume was relatively low.

It was too hot for pho, so Tyson asked the waitress what she would recommend. She suggested #23—the bun thit nuong, which was “rice vermecelli noodles served with an eggroll, lettuce and your choice of pork or chicken.” (Yes, I have the take-out menu sitting right here for reference—It’s $6.99, or $2 extra if you want shrimp skewers.) I had actually been eyeing that before she took our orders, so we both ordered it with chicken. I realize that maybe we should have each ordered something different for the purposes of review but oh well.

We also forgot to take a photo of our food, even though we had the camera with us. Trust me when I say that you get your money’s worth. The bowl of food is huge, with the egg roll sliced on top. The waitress gave us each a small dish of chopped peanuts and a dish of some sort of carrot-chili sauce to pour over our food. The sauce had the right amount of spice, I thought. The waitress also brought over a small plate for Gracie so she could share without us even having to ask.

My only complaint is that the dish is a little heavy on the fresh cilantro and basil. Some people might like this, but it was a little overpowering for me. I still enjoyed it—the chicken was good, even the dark meat pieces, and I’m not normally a fan of dark meat. I’m no expert in Vietnamese food, but Tyson has had it in a few different major cities, and he really liked his meal. Gracie actually managed to eat some noodles with one chopstick. She’s more talented than her mama, I can tell you that. ;)

A few more people came in while we were eating for take-out orders and one family sat down for a meal, so there seems to be some popularity to this place. We were stuffed for less than $23, including tip and two sodas. If it ever cools down, I’ll definitely be back to try some of the soups. If you’re driving past the Pines exit, it’s worth the detour. Hey, you could even make a special trip out to the Valley to try it. I won’t tell your friends. ;)

Yes :-) Jeff & Tracy's review (Jul 15th 2006)

We really like the spring rolls. They’re served with what looks like a peanut/hoisin sauce. Of all the food served in any Vietnamese restaurant, this one (spring rolls)is a “can’t miss favorite”.

We’ve eaten at Pho Saigon a few times, and the staff is always warm and friendly. The food has never been disappointing, and it’s fun to try different dishes.

If you’re in the Valley, be sure to stop in. We hope to see more folks there.

Yes :-) Jamaica's review (Oct 1st 2007)

I was heading towards another PHO’ but happened to glance over at the sign and pulled over.
Very friendly, great customer service and great food.

Yes :-) Ronnie Powell's review (Jan 21st 2008)

pho Saigon is the best… I love phõ sooo much… I drive from loon lake to Spokane (38 miles) just 4 Pho Saigon.. Fast cooking, and excellent customer service from the cute vietnamese lady… I love u Phõ Saigon

Yes :-) Chris Hall's review (Jan 24th 2008)

We LOVE Pho Saigon. We get take-out almost once a week from this restaurant. You should try their fried rice instead of the white rice that will come with your meal. Not your typical fried rice – even if you do not like fried rice, this you will like! Always very friendly-never have had a bad meal here. Seafood and wanton soups, and the lemon grass chicken are my favorites. Absolutely worth a detour from your regular route for this food!

Yes :-) stacey's review (Feb 21st 2008)

I thought this restaurant had great pho!! I’m from California where there’s a great Vietnamese restaurant on every block, so this was like coming home! Great flavor and great service! I’d definitely go there again!