LU Subs

Is this place still open or I just missed their open hours 2 days in a row… at around 6~7 pm? I came here last week and really liked the beef noodle here but I wish they had fish sauce. I squeezed both lemon wedges they gave me and the soup became quite bland. That’s what happened to beef noodle soup in general. However it’s a huge disappointment that a Vietnamese place doesn’t have fish sauce… nor that they don’t put fish sauce in the soup at all (I asked the owner and he confirmed). So I think I rather buy to-​go and add my own fish sauce. Everything else is great… from the noodle to the vege and meat. I especially like the quality of the soup. Anyway hope they don’t just go out of business. My bf has the Italian sub and it’s good as well. Again, a bit disappointed that they don’t make Vietnamese sub instead…

Homemade Phở that warms your heart. Best Phở in Silverlake! You can order for to-​go in minutes and everything is set!

Best Phở in the area, hands down. Super cheap too, wish I tried this place sooner. All the ingredients were fresh and the broth was near perfect

This place has the best phở in silver lake. The owner is from the north part of Vietnam, they say that people from the north of Vietnam make their phở better than others. I love the combo with meatballs and beef! Don’t wast time at ginger grass for phở!

This place is still open and kicking — god I love you. They changed their phone number, and I’m not telling anyone. ‘Cause it’s the best secret I can keep.

Tasty, cheap, friendly and quick. What else do you want? Real bodega-​type food.

I suspect that «Lu Subs» is in fact short for «Lu Substandard,» because 9 times out of 10 they lack even the most rudimentary ingredients necessary to prepare submarine sandwiches. If they would just give up the ghost on this whole sandwich front and change their name to «Glendale Blvd. Phở and Water Store» it would be much less misleading and save everyone a lot of time and frustration.

Dont waste your time or money. Ordered a blt and got a ham cheese salami LT instead. The meat was super sour and everything was soggy and nasty. Never buying a sandwich here again will be sticking to my fuji apples instead.

Ok i dont get it. I went here and asked if they made Vietnamese sandwiches, the only guy at the shop answers «no.» Ok, thats fine because there are not vietnamese sandwiches on the menu, so I ask, can I have any of these sandwiches (pointing at the menu on the wall)? He replies «no sorry.» I dont get it. I then leave, so this review is about their lack of food I guess.

This is what food tastes like without MSG in it. GOOD. I love this place and I don’t walk away with a migraine.

usually order the Phở Combo (comes w/​chicken, beef, shrimp & some kind of beef ball). No complaints except that they only give 3 pieces of shrimp. Tasty and extremely filling, should definitely be shared unless you’re trying to put on some weight.

I give this place 4 stars SOLEY on their phở. I see a few reviews on here that think the phở is just okay. Maybe they’re right, but I’ve tried at least 4 or 5 different spots in the area, and can’t seem to find better tasting phở. Sorry, folks but until I find myself in Alhambra for something else, I probably won’t be heading there just to see if the phở is really that much better tasting.
Also, the place is a total whole in the wall. Does not bother me at all. I’m there for the food.
Lastly, the reason I won’t give this place 5 stars is because of the young man who is often behind the counter. I have never ever met someone who looks/​sounds/​acts SO UNHAPPY to have to work at a place before. I believe he’s related to the owners (maybe their son?). I mean talk about Mr. Grumpy. Barely says 2 words to you when you order. NEVER smiles, and never says those magic words: PLEASE and THANK YOU. In fact, this place would probably get more business for me if I didn’t think I’d have to feel like this guy WISHES I hadn’t come in and made him make an order of Phở. Uh, sorry you’re in the service industry and don’t want to be Guy, but don’t take it out on your customers!

I love their beef ball phở. Its my favorite thing to get here. Ive tried their sandwiches and those a pretty good too. I mainly come here for phở and its so inexpensive. Come try yourself

Phở was just ok, a 3. The broth was not as flavorful as phở 87 in Chinatown. The spring rolls were a bit soggy plus it was only shrimp –no pork, though the menu said shrimp & pork. Also it was 2.99, not 2.49. That’s just a pet peeve of mine, but I didn’t bring it up because how much income can this place possibly make?
This place also sells water. So don’t be too irritated by the sound of the jet stream of water filling bottles as you try to eat. I know, what was I expecting? I’m sure one day when I’m hungover and craving phở within walking distance where nobody will see me doing the walk of shame I will appreciate this hole in the wall.

Pretty good phở!
Never would have given this place a try if it weren’t for all the positive reviews, but they were right! We had the Chicken and Combo phở, did not try the banh mi. Chicken Phở had nice clean tasty chicken broth with slices of white meat. Combo had beefy broth with beef meatballs, thin sliced beef, and shrimp. I’d definitely go again if I’m in the area, but will probably go for the beef phở or chicken over the combo (didn’t really like the beef-​balls or shrimp, not very high quality). Check this place out! WAY better than Gingergrass’ phở (never wanted to eat theirs again).

A hidden gem to say the least.
I am a huge phở fanatic. I usually will go out to Alhambra to get a good bowl. I was so happy when a friend turned me onto this place.
If you are looking for one of these hollywood hipster joints, this is not the place for you. It also serves as a water store as well. That being said what it lacks in atmosphere it dominates in value and taste. I hope to try one of their sandwiches some day, but I’m so enthralled by their phở it makes it hard to.
When I need my phở fix I no longer have to go to Alhambra, unless I want the $ 15 foot massage.

Funny, I’ve been coming here for years.
Get the dog food at pet express, get some phở.
Phở ga, all white meat, clean fresh flavor.
If you get it to go for later, ask them not to cook your noodles.
It’s fresher when you cook them at home.
Read a Time magazine while you wait
It’s not SGV but it’s in the neighborhood.
Never even had a sub sandwich.

You know the only reason I never went here was because it was so far tucked into the back of this parking lot but we figured — «hey been avoiding this place (cause we are lazy) for so long — might as well give it a shot.»
So we’re here…
«Hi…(I read about the spring rolls on Unilocal and…) OK, you don’t have spring rolls anymore. ok that’s cool — why not? Oh no one buys them… ok…We’ll take two combo phos and an iced coffee… oh you only have drinks over in the cooler? It says you have Vietnamese coffee… oh ok… I’ll take it hot then.» That’s cool I guess — at least they take card…
As I was enjoying the quaintness of the spot — I thought «I wish they had Banh-​mis of the Viet kind but didn’t look like it…» so we kicked back — wondered «Ever notice how much Vietnam looks like a dragon, hmmm. yeah» and then I saw a picture of a Viet coffee and glass of ice and said «Can I just get some ice with my coffee (uh — ICED COFFEE) and the dude was like «Ok» and we proceeded to wait for our food…
Took about ten minutes to get our food — not bad but if you’re on a lunch break — you may want to see if you can call ahead… and here it is — Our phở… combo phở at that… it was ok. Pretty basic stuff — which is totally phở-​like — basic broth, but the combo part was like «Ok, 2 pieces of sliced beef, 2 cut up beef balls and some shrimp hidden at the bottom?»…Honestly when I think combo I think big… but that’s just the selfish part of me I guess — it was — as advertised «full of different things.»
Check, it was decent — I’ve given more stars for decent places in the past — but maybe this time everything I thought I could get — from the pictures of food stuffs on the wall and the menu (which has items that are no longer provided) promising me things… it was just phở. Yes, it’s a bit better than Gingergrass but the décor and atmosphere of GG — though hip and crowded — got them one more star.
So it’s ok.
You should for sure check it out at least once though if you go to get your laundry done and don’t like waiting next to the machine (I do cause I don’t want my gear jacked…) cause it is a decent meal — but cheap, not really. $ 15 for two combo phos and a coffee that you have to pour over a cup of ice — cause they don’t have iced coffee there remember… is not cheap.
Phout.
Maybe the subs are better.

This place has pictures of tiny cute babies in chefs clothes sitting in bowls.
Thats why the «chicken» in the phở tasted so tender.

when i was at UCLA in the mid 90s, every single vietnamese person i knew told some version of the same story: that they’d seen a 24 hour PHO place in a minimall on santa monica boulevard in west LA.
but the reality of the situation was that they’d seen a 24 hour PHOTO place that had lost the TO from it’s sign.
in fact, jonathan gold once told the exact same story in ‘counter intelligence,’ perceptive dude that he is.
but the essence of this story captures one of the most definitive characteristics of an LA foodie: we constantly scan mini malls, looking for the elusive seduction of an untried restaurant.
i’ve discovered a lot of eateries this way (in the days before Unilocal): sahag’s batsurma, falafel arax, mashti malones, etc.
well today i had another one of those moments. close to my bank, on glendale boulevard, next to a pet food store, i’ve spotted a place that sells coffee and sandwiches. and i kind of bookmarked it mentally, but i wasn’t too hot to try it… until i noticed something in stick-​on letters at the bottom of the sandwich board sign they’d set out on glendale:
noodle PHO
needless to say, i did a u turn that challenged even my m3’s suspension.
i’ll also preface this by saying that phở on the eastside is weird. i won’t even address the atrocity known as korean phở. phở café is too sterile and i instantly lose respect for anyone who raves about it. soycafe is amazing but sometimes it’s not the scene i want to get into. gingergrass is passable but so acultural. and i’ve never been nor needed to go to indochine.
so the idea of a real down home ghetto phở spot this close to my place was really hot. i walked in an an older man reading a copy of thoi bao pointed me towards the counter and a menu.
the sandwich menu seems loosely based on quiznos. i’ll have to demo a sandwich some other time.
and the vietnamese food selection was decent, different kinds of phở, and some other rice dishes stripped of their rightful vietnamese names to make them easier on white folk.
bottom line, the phở was OK. not awful, not stellar. i won’t be tempted to go back unless im really hungry or hung over but if you’re reading this, chances are you wouldn’t know a good bowl of phở if you were swimming in it. so go try it.
the ambience is pretty much lacking (half of the place is dedicated to refilling water bottles) and a weird-​angled bar counter traverses the joint. but it’s super-​clean.
actually i give them props for going against the grain. if this was down in westminster, they’d have a notary public and a nail salon in there too.
also of note: ‘farmer brothers coffee’ becomes ‘farmer coffee’ and i’m not sure what the basis is for their claim that they’re ‘the health-​conscious choice’