Phamily Bites

Phamily Bites has good banh mi, but it’s definitely on the pricey side so I try not to order it too often.
Like most food trucks in Houston, they take a long time to prepare your food (even when they aren’t too busy). I suppose you could argue that they are investing time to make the sandwich quality, but it’s really annoying when I’m already starving and have seen delicious sandwiches compiled in less than a minute elsewhere.
Typically, I order the bbq pork banh mi from other places, but at Phamily Bites, my favorite one is actually the lemongrass tofu.

This review is for the only thing I tried on their menu… Classic Spam Musubi. They were parked by the Rainey street bars during SXSW. When I saw Musubi on the menu I definitely had to give it a try… DELISH! I’m sad that they are not located here in Austin, TX!
If they ever come around again I am definitely going to have another!

Having been born in Hawaii, I have a special place for Spam in my heart and stomach. Some sometimes refer to Spam as Hawaiian Steak. Both McDonalds and Burger King in Hawaii offer Spam on their menus, as do many other food outlets.
That said, when I discovered that Phamily Bites serves an authentic Spam musubi, I was hooked. Its like holding a little slice of the islands in my hands before it gets in my belly.
They’ve become so accustomed to seeing me ride up, they’ll just ask how many I want. I love that. And while you’re waiting on your food, they have a web cam where you can glam your way to internet fame.
Friday nights at Liberty Station is probably the best experience as that is usually the end point of a couple dozen miles in the saddle. Comfort food and a beer ! It really doesn’t get much better…

I really like the idea of supporting local businesses, and this is certainly one of them. I’ve never had the phở or musabi, but everything else I’ve had (egg rolls, tiger prawns, etc) has been delicious. The food is true to the culture’s flavor, which is important to me, and the tiger prawn special they had once reminded me of Malaysia (yummy!). Prices may be on the high side, but you have to consider what you’re getting. For example, the Chinese sausage banh mi (VERY good) is about $ 7 or $ 8, but keep in mind Chinese sausage in the supermarket runs about $ 8/​lb.
Customer service is also very good. The best way to reach the food truck to know their schedule and location is via twitter (username is phamilybites). The first time I ever arrived at this food truck, a heated argument ensued in the truck. I stood awkwardly for a few minutes, left, and tweeted about it. The owner contacted me and compensated by promising a free banh mi the next time I went. Given that that banh mi was free, it made it all the more delicious!

My experiences with food trucks has been okay. Tuesday’s lunch was to be from Phamily Bites which is at the MFA at 1000 Bissonet St. I drove there from Sugar Land and found the truck parked in the parking lot with a well cordoned off area. I pulled up alongside, noticed they were not open but in prep mode. When a young man came out, he said they would open in the next 10 minutes or so. They did at 11:30.
One person walked up and placed an order for something they were out of. He also ordered the Classic Spam Wusubi. I placed my order for a Classic Spam Wusubi and a special combo Dac Biet beef noodle soup. I paid the $ 11.00 and signed the phone held up for me.
Then I waited in the car. When the order was ready, I asked the man to bring it to the car so I could hand him a tip. He brought the soup over. The broth and the rest of the soup had been packed separately. He explained that I should combine them after I got home. Then he took the tip, handed me $ 3.00 and apologized about not being able to give me the wusubi. Apparently the rice cooker had broken and both the orders were refunded.
I got home and upon opening the two containers found that the broth was so hot that I could add it to the meat and noodles which also had a generous amount of cilantro and basil. I let the bowl sit for a few minutes and savored the delicious soup. The eye of round and the meatballs with the rich broth and noodles was something I have never had before and this was really good.
2 stars dinged for punctuality and the wusubi. The food is not cheap which doesn’t exactly endear me to food trucks. I will not pay $ 4.00 for a tofu banh mi. Don Café, here I come. $ 2.50. Buy 5 get 1 free.

I hate to say this but its far from having the flavors of true Vietnamese cuisine. I had the pork vermicelli dish and it was rather flavorless! The dish was tiny and expensive to boot. For the same price you could feed an entire family at any of the viet restuarants in Bellaire. Maybe I should of haggled the price down…

Have seen this truck around town (it’s bright yellow. how could you miss it?) and was excited to finally try it when we saw them parked at Liberty Station this weekend.
Truck/​enviro: Line was nonexistent and service was quick and friendly — kudos to them. There is a nifty camera/​screen setup on the side of the truck (her name is Sasha) so that you can take pictures with your friends which are then immediately posted to the PB Facebook page. A fun way to waste time when you’re waiting on your food to come out :)
Food: menu consists of variations on the following: spam musubi, banh mi, phở, and sesame balls. The bread on the banh mi could be crustier/​crunchier (as a good baguette should be), but the ingredients were fresh and it was a tasty snack (Les Givrals still has my heart for banh mi in Houston, though). Sesame balls were piping hot and delicious. Didn’t get to try the eggrolls, but they were voted best in Houston, so I’ll definitely be back for those soon.

I personally like to eat my food at a table with utensils, like a civilized human being. This is why I’ve probably never given food trucks a fair chance. Admittedly, the food is never bad, though it always seems overpriced for what it is. But there was something incredibly satisfying about chowing down on our Phamily Bites order, while standing at a street corner at 10pm.
The pork and shrimp egg rolls were really good. Hot and crisp, and generously filled! The Bo Luc Lac sandwich had tender and flavorful chunks of filet mignon, and the bread was soft, but still has a little resistance when you bite into it. The Spam Musubi… well, I’m a sucker for Spam, and I had no idea it could be so tasty wrapped in seaweed. I should have added an egg! Oh well, next time. The ultimate ending to your night is an order of sesame balls, filled with red bean paste. It is perhaps one of the best representations of a tasty Asian dessert. They are served piping hot, with a gooey and delicious sweet center. I wanted to try the Phở, but I’m a klutz and I’m sure I would’ve spilled broth on myself.
Disclaimer: I am not Vietnamese, but I have Vietnamese food often. In my opinion, the food here is not 100% authentic, but in many ways, the twists they have added make it better. They use higher quality ingredients than many of the restaurants I frequent. I tagged along with two Vietnamese friends, and they thoroughly enjoyed their food as well.
The guys running this establishment are really cool. They interact with you instead of monotonously dishing out orders. The truck has a cool photobooth thing in the front, you can pose for a picture, and it will be uploaded to their website. Perfect way to pass the time if you are waiting in line!
All credit cards are also accepted, with no additional credit card fee.
The food here is a little pricey compared to what you can get at some hole-​in-​the-​wall Vietnamese restaurants, but it seems to be in line with what most food trucks charge. The food here is certainly much more satisfying than Oh My Gogi, which is the most hyped-​up food truck in Houston currently.

Worst food truck in Houston in my opinion. The guys are pretty cool and friendly. The photobooth w/​Facebook uploading is cool. That’s about it. But conceptually, I think it’s just a terrible idea. I have tried the Banh Mi’s yet. After this review, I probably won’t get a chance to try that steak banh mi.
But let’s talk about phở, the ultimate Vietnamese dish. I guess this is preference but if I want phở, I want it in a big ass bowl, with a big spoon, and a bunch of condiments I can throw into it. Not in two Styrofoam containers.
My phở had no soup in it. It was basically wet pasta. My girlfriend’s phở had soup in it. She wouldn’t share. We ordered eggrolls. They were burned, but pretty good. Shockingly, this place is more expensive than any sit-​down phở place not named Jenni’s. I think for two bowls of phở and an order of eggrolls I spent around $ 30. I don’t get it…
I just don’t think you can make good phở in a truck. I don’t think it’s possible. Won’t be back ever.

My faves: Musubis (try the special pork belly!), sesame balls (so crunchy!), and fried bananas (in fried wontons gives it a nice touch!)
The bo luc lac banh mi has a nice touch with the watercrest.
I have yet to try the entire menu, so Im back pretty often.
Take photos on their mobile cam while you wait!

Being part of the Pham clan himself, my boyfriend dubbed this food truck a «MUST TRY» when I came across it on Unilocal one day. So yesterday, we tracked them down at The Boneyard Drinkery, bought some cold beers, then went to get some love from the Phamily.
For the most part, I think Phamily Bites stays around the Sixth Ward area — I’ve spotted them at Liberty Station, Lizzard’s Pub, and The Boneyard Drinkery. If you follow them on Twitter (@PhamilyBites), they make daily announcements of where they are, where they’ll be, and when they’re sold out. They also tend to pair up with other food trucks (yesterday, they paired up with inspired ice-​creamers, Eatsie Boys — their review’s coming up next!), which makes the adventure of finding and driving to them DOUBLE worth it.
Unilocal fans of this truck recommend the Bo Luc Lac (Shaken Beef) Sandwich, so we went with that and their phở-​cking famous Phở Tai. Omgoddddd. Let me tell you. I don’t think I will ever be able to eat a bland, boring banh mi EVER again. Phamily Bites’ Bo Luc Lac banh mi is not your Lee’s Sandwich banh mi; it’s juicy and greasy and messy, ALL that good stuff and tons of flavor! The filet mignon chunks were super tender and moist, but the baguette was still firm and gave off that symphony of crackle when you bit into it. Make sure you add an egg to your sandwich — it gives it that final «oomph» of greasy yumminess. The Phở Tai, though not as WOW as the sandwich, was good and pretty damn impressive to be coming from a food truck. They also have some check-​in offers so make sure you check in!
Just a coupe of warnings. Although they say they’ll be at a certain place at a certain time, it’ll take them a while to set up shop. We were waiting for about 40mins for them to open, but it’s understandable. Come on, they’re in a truck. Totally worth the wait though. For that awesome sandwich, I’d follow them anywhere. When I asked my boyfriend what he thought, he said it made him proud to be a Pham.

Bahn-​Mi – Bahn, Why I don’t mind if I do!
When we found out this place was going to be at Bo Concept during lunch today, we jumped in our car and headed down Westheimer.
The truck was a bit late (broke down) but BELIEVE me it was WELL worth the wait! – Even when I had to stand out side sweating in work clothes – STILL TOTALLY WORTH IT!
I opted for the filet Bahn Mi Sandwich with the perfect French bread with just the right crunch, and not soggy. ($ 7) The filet pieces were cooked to absolute perfection, and the amount of heat was perfect. I also tried the sesame fried balls, which were something new for me, and I was not disappointed. Like a sweet dough nut filled with black bean ($ 2) (sounds gross, but the perfect compliment to cool off my mouth!)
The guys were super apologetic for being a bit late, and were very friendly. The cool thing was they took credit cards, and had this nifty little think that attached to his iphone (i think)
The coolest thing is their catch phrase is come get Phở Cup’d. (Believe it or not I stared at the truck for a good 10 minutes before I actually got it!) LOL
Great food truck, will be back!

Ate here several times when parked at Liberty Station.
Good tofu sandwiches. Better than several of the banh mi shops in midtown. My friend enjoyed his pork sandwich and I noted that they cook the meat after you ordered where most banh mi places have it pre-​cooked.
I love their spam spumoni. Imagine a fried spam sushi roll. Delicious, especially with an egg.
I would give the truck 4 stars if I hadn’t tried their phở, or as the truck puts it, got phở cup’d. Meh, the broth isn’t passable, and it may be because they put too much noodles in the cup and dilute the flavour. I had gotten the fatty brisket but it didn’t contribute to the taste of the soup. I know you shouldn’t order phở anywhere except for a phở house but I was hoping. (It’s bizarre how many Unilocalers complain about poor phở at a non-​phở house but these restaurants shouldn’t be offering phở in the first place).
Their regular egg rolls are made with shrimp so I passed due to my allergies, and I am wary of eating the vegetarian ones in case they use the same oil to fry the two types.

Well, what can I say other than — you must eat here! As far as food trucks go, I give Phamily Bites an A! You probably figured it out already — this Vietnamese food — Phamily Bites — get it? My main course was the Bo Luc Lac (mignon beef chunks sandwich) and it was fantastic. In this case — portion size = large, this I like. The VN mayo combined with the well seasoned tender beef was a thing of beauty. The bread was of the French bread variety — crispy on the outside (not going to puncture the roof of your mouth or anything) and soft on the inside. There is the option of topping the any sandwich with a fried egg for $ 1.00. To steal from the great Anthony Bourdain — I am an egg slut, so that was definitely added to my masterpiece.
I was able to sample the Phở as well. The noodles were cooked nicely and tender. I will say that they needed to add a little more meat, but this is just a minor complaint.
For pre-​main course fun, I tried both the Vietnamese Eggrolls and Spam Musubi. The Spam was great — an nice throwback combo. I think I didn’t get the best representation of the eggrolls as they seemed either overcooked or the frying oil was a little old. Anyway, I probably should try them again before laying down too much smack.
I am now a believer in this food truck. Phamily Bites — you are now followed!

Awesome bahn mi sandwiches, awful phở!
I don’t know whether to give Phamily Bites a one or a five. Pourquoi? At a recent visit I had the best Bahn Mi sandwich you can get for $ 6 but that experience was eclipsed by the phở.
Phirst the sandwich… yes, I will definitely eat this again! The toasted French bread bun could be an appetizer in itself, especially when it absorbed the juices of the beef, speaking of which… they put filet minion in it! Not only that, but it was very well cooked with a pink, tender center and a nice sear. Topping that off were spicy jalepeno peppers grilled to perfection with caramelized skins adding a pinch of heat and sweetness. Five stars!
The phở was such a disappointment. The broth was tasteless. I never imagined I would taste a phở that needed more MSG but this is it. Secondly, the meats were very tough (I had all three). Lastly the noodles were nearly mush so the clearly were in the broth way too long. One star.
Overall, I weighted the phở slightly higher than the sandwich because it is the signature dish.

Nothing makes a drunken Saturday night better than a HOT cup of phở! I didn’t eat the meat but my friend said it was super tender and delicious. I wished they offered chicken meat so I could try it. My only complain is that the broth was SUPER oily, think the grease factor was a turnoff.
While you are waiting for your food check out the cool photo booth on the truck, I found my pictures on their facebook page the next day. awesome!

Damn you Alex!
Because of your recent finds I’ve added 2 inches to my belt and about 20 lbs! I kid… but really I’m addicted.
So I had a long day of exploring around Houston and finished it around 1030. I called around and most restaurants close their kitchens at 11 pm so I crunched for time. Then I remembered there was this new late night food truck. So I went to their twitter to see where they would be, well on this Saturday night it was parked right next to the drinkery.
It was 11 so I was like hey it is on Washington but it shouldn’t be overwhelmed by drunkards yet…
Sure enough I was able to grab a spot right across the street, crossed over and began ordering dinner.
My gf and I had the Phở Dac biet, Vietnamese eggrolls, Banh mi thit nuong (grilled pork) with an egg, and the Bo luc lac (shaking beef) banh mi. The phở was actually very good, the broth was a bit on the fatty side, meaning MORE flavor, it’s packed with noodles and meat. I was thinking they would be lame on the meat since its a food truck but no, actually more than some restaurants. Good value. The shaking beef sandwich was a different twist, I enjoyed it, next time I’ll add an egg. The grilled pork is different here, not really a fan, skip that. The vietnamese eggrolls were just like grandma made.
So now on to the food truck itself. They play on the Pham pun throughout, even with the digital camera they have in the front that they call phamily portraits! Their menu is on a computer screen, probably easy to edit.
Add in music playing with actual music videos, this mobile food truck is a party by itself!

Welcome Team Asia to Houston’s Great Food Truck race with Phamily Bites.
Phở, it has been scientifically proven, is the preferred Asian hangover remedy of choice. But why wait until noon the next day when you can have it at 2 am the same night?
I know what you’re thinking: how in a hill of beans am I going to eat soup + noodles after twelve sake bombs, give or take? The answer: very carefully.
Phamily Bites also has your other Vietnamese fare, including banh mi and egg rolls. They’re also featuring a springtime special ahi tuna sandwich, which my girlfriend loved. Everything is made to order, so quell those munchies for a few while your food is made fresh and piping hot. It doesn’t take any longer than the El Rey Drive-​Thru.
The only thing missing is the inevitable Tex-​Mex taco fusion. Vietnamese BBQ beef, cilantro, carrots, cucumber, jalapeño, lard butter and soy in a flour tortilla? Sign me up, man.

Get Phở Cup’d! There isn’t better comfort drunk food than Vietnamese food. Buy a truck. Park it next to some bars. You now have a gold mine.
The fatty brisket in this Phở is as soft as a baby’s behind. The broth helps soothe your throat from that Four Horseman you just took. During the winter months, Phamily Bites will sell out before you can say. Phở. My friend and I also tried the filet-​mignon Banh Mi. I can has steak in Banh Mi? Genius. I can has egg on top of that steak? Einstein-​ian.
This truck has also been Asian-​ized with technology. A computerized menu adorns the side of this yellow mobile eatery. A shiny button linked to a camera invites you to take your picture to join the Phamily. However, by the way Manson and his crew treat you, you already feel like you belong.
Where are they? check twitter.

I love the food truck industry and how it provides so many options, I get to try a lil of this, and a lil’ of that. So, yes! to another new food truck in Houston and more brownie points for Vietnamese food, one of my faves.
If you’ve ever had a vietnamese sandwich aka banh mi, you know it is often chicken, or bbq pork. But the boys at Phamily Bites have taken a traditional Vietnamese dish called Bo Luc Lac «Shaking Beef» which has fillet mignon pieces on a bed of watercress to a new level. They serve the fillet mignon pieces in a Banh Mi! Together with the vietnamese mayo and watercress, the sandwich is unlike the traditional banh mi’s with the unique blend of flavors and texture of the meat, watercress, and vietnamese mayo. Different is what makes it yummy! so this would be my first recommendation. The seared ahi tuna banh mi offered for lent sounds good too, so I need to catch this limited time item myself!
Who puts Phở (Vietnamese beef noodle soup) in a cup? Its forreal. Hence the tagline on their truck, «Get Phở Cup’D» Creative eh? hopefully no one takes offense. Instead, appreciate the word play and enjoy the food!
They also have a photo booth on the food truck where you can take photos, see them on a screen, and later tag yourself on Phamily Bite’s Facebook page! I’ve already seen some crazy and cute pictures up from last night as they served the crowds at Washington Drinkery. Pretty darn cool idea if you ask me! just don’t forget you took a picture which the world can now see, if you walk out of a bar a little oh too tipsy!
I’ll be following their Twitter and looking out for the big yellow truck down Washington and midtown to get my late night «Shaking Beef’ sandwich after friends and i are done shaking some other things! =p