Pho Xe Lua Viet Thai Restaurant

Went on a Sunday and it was pretty busy. I ordered phở Tai and broth was good, but the rare steak is a bit thicker than usual. They had about 6 waiters and this place is pretty small. Seats about 40 and on this busy day, they always seem to hanging out at the back and never checked on me after they delivered the food. That’s pretty typical of a vietnamese restaurant.

Quick, cheap and good phở! Can’t beat that. Sure there are a lot of phi places around the city that people like, but i think phở, like the cheesesteak, has become something where everyone has a go to place. This is mine. Typical Chinatown service (not saying much) but the food is good and that’s really what you should be looking for when it comes to the restaurants in the area.

I thought the service was average, but I really liked the bowl of phở I got. I thought the meat was fresh and the broth was made well (not too heavy). My boyfriend, on the other hand, thought it was just average and that the noodles were too soggy. I agreed a little with the noodle comment, but still thought the overall meal was good. We didn’t try anything else, but the menu had a lot of different items and I think we would definitely return to try their other dishes.

This place is a Chinatown staple. Whenever I ask my Vietnamese friends where they like to go, this is the place they point to so I know the food is authentic. The décor may be plain, but the menu is extensive, the service is quick and the prices can’t be beat.
I have been here several times growing up and the phở never fails to satisfy. Recently, I ordered the Seafood Rice Stick Noodle Soup and my boyfriend ordered a Thai curry. I had a good variety of shrimp, squid, crab and fish balls — yum ^^ Where we live, my family’s go to lunch and dinner spots are Phở places so I have had my fair share of phở and can tell the good from the okay. Tasting the soup here was a real treat — they really know how to make excellent broth! My boyfriend wasn’t too fond of his curry though. They probably specialize more in the Vietnamese food realm. Overall, it’s a nice place to go for some savory, winter time warmth.

It was mostly inedible, but then again– i didnt really have much of an appetite after the roaches crawled by me at my table. Many places have roaches. I guess they just don’t bother to exterminate. Anyways, I wont ever go back. Oh service was bad too. They tried to keep taking my soup and asked if i was done like three times trying to rush me out. It’s really bad. Read the other reviews about «if you go, don’t look down at the floor before your food comes out”– unfortunately it’s true.

I’ve been going to this place for years and love the food. The only reason I’m not giving it 5 stars is because I’ve found bugs in my food, and now my sister refuses to go there. The same time I went a couple who was also there found bugs in their food too. One time I got a fried fish dish as a takeout, thinking it was a dish that we had gotten before, and got home to find that it was the ENTIRE fish, which grossed me out a little bit. But we went back with it the next day and they gave us a refund, which was super nice of them. Their staff is attentive (but almost in a creepy way) — they watch you from the back of the restaurant. But I really can’t complain otherwise. Their food is AMAZING and cheap. They have really good chicken fried rice, shrimp pad thai, crispy fried noodles with veggies, and green curry.

The first time we went here it was fine — 3 or 4 stars food with acceptable service. The second time was not so good. The tea in their cups tasted like soap so off to a bad start. Then we ordered a veggie dish that I took a few bites of before seeing a piece of hair in it. We called the waiter’s attention to it, and after he saw it, he took the dish, asked if we’d like a replacement (we declined) and then took it away, without another word. How hard can it be to apologize? A simple acknowledgement would have been enough.
The actual vermicelli was okay but not great — the meat was good but not a fan of the raw bean sprouts. Also, they only give you about a ½ cup worth of noodles. The phở (from the first time we went) was decent but not as good as the spots down on Washington Ave.
With so many other good Vietnamese options in Philly, we definitely won’t be back.

A good solid Vietnamese place in Chinatown. Also a pretty big menu with dishes that I haven’t seen at many of the places in NY Chinatown. not sure if that’s just an indication of Philly Chinatown Vietnamese food vs. NY Chinatown Vietnamese food or just something about this restaurant. It’s one of the places I go to semi-​regularly for takeout and the food is always fresh and tasty. I tend to order the rice vermicelli dishes… nom nom Never tried to eat in there, but it looks pretty standard and generally clean and good. Always seems pretty full when I go and pick up food. All in all a good option for Viet food if you’re in the area.

I give a ¹⁄₅ for the chicken pad thai. Wasnt a fan, i dont know what sauce they used, but i had way way better. Soon as i saw it, i knew i had a problem. But all their other food is GREAT. AVOID the pad thai and try other food.

I’ve been here many times growing up as a Chinatown kid. Choo Choo’s was where i first experienced the avocado smoothie which is probably one of the best fruit smoothies ever. Sounds like it would be strange but it’s actually so delicious. On this last visit I was introduced to the durian avocado smoothie, surprisingly really rich and tasty despite durian’s pungent smell. For the ambitious, definitely give this a try, but for others I highly recommend trying an avocado smoothie or any of their fruit drinks in general.
On the food side, we ordered their classic pork chops. They were very flavorful but had a bit of fat on a couple of pieces. Also got clams, a vegetable dish as well as a fried crab. All of the food was pleasant and service was fairly quick for it being a Friday evening.

My wife craves a good phở and having just gone to Hop Sing Laundromat, this place was the highest rated phở place nearby. It’s definitely a hole in the wall but we were seated right away and our food came out literally under five minutes. I ordered the well done beef phở and the meat had little fat on it. It was good but I definitely had to add some of the table sauces to it to make it pop more. It wasn’t the best phở I’ve had but it wasn’t bad.

This is my standard phở place in Chinatown. I love how fast and reliable their service is. Great place to come for a quick dinner/​lunch with great pricing.

Solid Vietnamese food and very reasonably priced. I had the 101 Phở with medium rare beef and the 302 Pork Bun. The pork was really good, flavored well, but I wish the bun noodles with a bit thinner or with better texture. Would definitely go again, though.

This place is no frills, but provides reliable, fast service. The staff has been here since forever (ok, slight exaggeration) and they are always consistent.
I usually get the green curry, broken rice & pork chop or phở when I come here. Today I decided to be adventurous and try their bun bo hue, since I’m currently obsessed with that broth.
The broth was cleaner than Phở Saigon’s, but I did not enjoy the pig’s feet. It was not as tender, which I was bummed. However, the broth was delicious… so I can make an exception. I also tried my friend’s shrimp green curry and the beef & peppers dishes which were so, so, so tasty… wish I got that instead!

I’ve had a hypothesis that if a restaurant has great neon lighting, then my experience will be wonderful. Phở Xe Lua proves my hypothesis correct.
As we entered, we were automatically seated on the first floor. Service was extremely attentive and we had our dishes within ten minutes. I ordered 101. The bowl was definitely bigger than my face and consisted of clear, delicious broth, vermicelli, and different cuts of meat. I always feel like phở places skimp out on the beef, but they went all out in my bowl. I even had a few good chunks of beef afterwards, which never happens! My partner ordered a vermicelli dish, which I can’t recall right now (although I’m pretty sure it was 301). It was also very good, but looked tiny compared to my humongous phở bowl. A lot of people have criticized their cleanliness/​décor. I’m not sure if they were expecting P. F Changs décor, but it seems like a typical Asian restaurant to me. Our bill totaled to $ 14 and some change — so if you’re trying to get the bang for your buck during the winter months — definitely come here!

Phở Xe Lua (Loosely translated as «long car special») is one of the older houses at the bottom of Race Street, and it shows its age. The menu is extensive, particularly if you like Vietnamese dishes or Phở. Portions are large. Prices are low. Very popular combination that keeps the two floors busy day and night. Just don’t spend time looking at the floor around your table, because cleanliness is an issue. The house hasn’t been inspected by L & I for a long time, and it shows.
Still, it is mind over matter. If you don’t mind the grit around you, it doesn’t matter. Just enjoy the plentitude so light on your wallet.
We were there for a late lunch and stayed with the soup. My partner had the Phở Special that contained all the meats available in the kitchen, and I their Bun Bo Hue. They label the sizes of their bowls as large and extra large, as if that was something everyone understood. The former would be a large bowl in most establishments, and the later, a fish bowl. We couldn’t finish either.
The Phở broth was decent; full of noodles and a load of meat. It was tasty, but lacked some of the more subtle flavors associated with the better noodle soups. I did not taste Anise, although it could have been in there. My Bun Bo was stocked with three big Pig’s Feet (Glad they left him one on the hoof), plus slices of Beef and shreds of Pork. It had ample Lemongrass for the strong spiciness that makes this so distinctive, Fermented Shrimp Paste for sourness, plus Onions, Mint, and a few unidentified floating objects. I did not detect Coriander, Rock Sugar, nor Congealed Pig Blood (thankfully), which are part of the totally authentic mix. The side dish accompaniments had the usual Sprouts, Thai Basil, Jalapeño Slices and Lime Wedges, but was missing the Banana Blossom Slices, and/​or Red Cabbage.
Still, it was pretty good; the first spoonful paralyzing my vocal cords so I could only whisper for about 15 minutes. It wasn’t the best BBH I have had in the City, but it wasn’t the worst. Given the complexity of the real deal, perhaps it was unfair of me to expect Phở Xe Lua to get it completely right.
Service was fine, and our server was multilingual, making my Mandarin speaking friend happy with his descriptions in her native tongue.
No need to run back here, but its broad non-​Chinese menu makes it a reasonable alternative when in Chinatown, but not feeling like Chinese food.

Good phở fast and friendly service. I ordered the veggie phở and you can get the soft tofu instead of the fried one!

I think this is the best phở I’ve had in Philly. Better than Phở Ha. Better than Phở 75.
Why?
Clear, clean, aromatic broth. (Not cloudy or questionable).
Tender, high-​quality tasting beef. (Not chewy or gamey).
That’s really all you need to know. This place may be a diamond in the rough that is Chinatown. Check it out.

This phở place is really great. As with all phở places the service is amazingly fast. The broth is really tasty. Not sure if there is MSG in it but I like it: D
I’ve come here twice and must say that if you want cheap eats in a casual place this hits the spot.
Note: it is run by canto people but they do Phở right: D

This was my go-​to Vietnamese restaurant for phở in Chinatown. But, lately it seems like quality has depreciated a lot. Price is reasonable but it is still low value if food is low grade. Two stars for poor quality food and value, despite friendly service.
Disappointment:
It is the worst of all emotions
Creeping in like a snake
Seizing your breath and tongue
A chill that raises the hair on your arms
Your stomach drops and your face
Turns hot
Disappointment.
It is not fleeting like anger
Or easily soothed like sadness
It’s brother is bitterness and
It’s sister is misery
Leaving a stain that can only be cut out
Disappointment.

Regardless of whether or not you are having an immense craving for Vietnamese cuisine, I would not recommend coming here for multiple reasons.
The food, menu options, and prices were on par with any other typical Vietnamese restaurant. And trust me, there are quite a decent number of better valued Vietnamese restaurants in the Philly area that are much more worth your bucks.
The spacing in the restaurant is fairly tight, most likely in an attempt to accommodate the large number of people who would come in because of its busy location. And you, my friend, should consider yourself intelligent and give yourself a nice pat on the back, for doing the appropriate research on this place prior to coming (unless you’re all ready seated that is).
Both service and cleanliness need improvements, which were what brought my overall rating for this place from an average rating of 3, down to a «meh» rating of 2 stars. I mean, check out the little surprise surprise metal piecing found in one of our meals.
Therefore, do yourself a favor and treat yourself to a proper meal. While the food and pricing are «aye okay,» overall, it’s just not worth the experience. There’s plenty of awesome Vietnamese restaurants in the city that are well worth your time and money, even if it’s a wee bit more out of your way.

This review is for their Chicken Phở (Phở Ga) only.
If you’re ordering chicken phở — the honest opinion is ²⁄₅ stars. I’ve definitely experienced better. But I rounded to a 3 star, since this location isn’t known for their chicken phở and I don’t feel like a lower rating is fair as this is the only dish I tried.
$ 6.75 including tax, so your standard phở price. The broth is light, but not very flavorful at all. The chicken is not bone-​in, as the menu states it is «shredded chicken». Some of the chicken was very tender — some of the pieces were undercooked unfortunately and that’s a big NO-​NO for chicken.
Would not return for chicken phở. I’ve heard great things about their beef phở though

This isn’t my personal choice for a Vietnamese restaurant, but a friend wanted phở and she chose this so I went with it.
For starters since we were a large group they placed us near the back but it was pretty uncomfortable, at least for me, because the servers would just stand there are stare at our table. But besides that let’s get on with the rest of the review…
Food was decent prices, very inexpensive for a large amount of food. My sister ordered a «small dish» on the menu and it was pretty large. But besides the size of the food being good, the food itself was decent tasting. Nothing special, but it wasn’t bad.
The one thing that made this review bad was my other sister’s dish had a piece of metal in it the size of the tip of your pinky… I didn’t know about it until we left the restaurant otherwise I would’ve complained about it and taken a picture as proof. I would’ve understood if it was a tiny piece of plastic, but a piece of metal??? That was really bad.
I would personally never come back here due to the metal and due feeling slightly uncomfortable due to the staff. And if you REALLY want Vietnamese food drive a little further and out of Chinatown and you’ll find pretty decent Viet restaurants out there. And honestly if I were in Chinatown Philly go eat Chinese food not Vietnamese there.

Probably the best phở place in Chinatown. Made my bowl an XL because I’m a pig and it was definitely a lot of food. $ 7.50 for a large bowl of warm goodness on a winter day is unbeatable. Although the phở places near the Italian market is still better, this is as good as it gets in center city east.
Our server wasn’t that attentive though, didn’t refill our water once. I need my cold water with warm foods!