Pho is a perfect companion for the cold-weather.
Luckily, as Southern Californians, we live near many of the country’s largest Vietnamese populations, based in the San Gabriel Valley, Garden Grove, and Westminster.
A good bowl of pho can be judged on the quality of its broth, which usually takes hours to simmer to a beautiful depth of flavor. The most traditional broth is made from a beef base, but a pho ga (chicken pho) is like a warm hug for the soul.
Los Angeles is also excellent at looking out for its vegetarians. In fact, this meat-eating correspondent orders the pho chay (veggie pho) at certain spots because it’s just that well-crafted.
Here are ten places we wholeheartedly recommend.
PHO GA DISTRICT
A family-run joint based out of Rosemead, Pho Ga District has one of the best bowls of noodles in the whole city. Simple and flavorful, its signature pho ga is filled with wide noodles (as opposed to traditional thin vermicelli), beautifully sliced chicken, and a consistently excellent chicken broth, alongside fresh ginger for dipping.
Phan Tran, the genius in the kitchen, grew up in Vietnam and has been selling pho since she was fourteen years old. Her daughter, Diana Du, and Diana’s boyfriend, Eric Chang, run the front of the house, conversing fluently with locals in both English and Cantonese.
Pho Ga District is frequently slammed during the lunch rush hour, but Diana and Eric have a knack for navigating the crowds and remembering regulars’ usual orders. The restaurant only seats about 30-40 people and all are usually taken. Still, the clear and balanced chicken broth is absolutely worth the wait.
3119 N. San Gabriel Blvd. J, Rosemead, CA 91770. Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 70 - “Garvey/San Gabriel.”
NONG LA CAFE
Arguably the best pho on the west side, Nong La Cafe has three locations: Sawtelle Japantown, Culver City, and on La Brea. The pho dac biet here is exceptional. "Dac Biet" is the Vietnamese equivalent of Spanish’s "con todo"—the house special that comes “with everything.” Nong La’s pho dac biet contains rare filet mignon, brisket, tripe, and beef balls.
Like Pho Ga District, Nong La Cafe was started as a family affair by siblings Elaine and Victor Phuong, who wanted to honor their mother’s cooking.
While the Sawtelle location remains their flagship, the La Brea one is generally less crowded and quieter. The vegetarian pho at Nong La Cafe is also a standout, filled with mushrooms, tofu, and vegetables. When I want to bring vegetarians along for a pho trek, Nong La is my go-to.
2055 Sawtelle Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90025. Closest Metro lines and stop: Bus Line 4 - “Santa Monica/Corinth” or Metro E Line - "Expo/Sepulveda Station."
145 N. La Brea Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90036. Closest Metro lines and stop: Bus Lines 14 or 212 - “Beverly/La Brea.”
9552 Washington Blvd. Culver City, CA 90232; Closest Metro lines and stop: "Bus 1 or 1C1 Culver Blvd/ Lafayette Pl."
PHO SAIGON REPUBLIC
There are many pho restaurants under the same name. But the Pho Saigon Republic we’re thinking of is this location in the heart of Chinatown. The place was formerly known as Pho Hoa before receiving a rebrand in recent years. Service can sometimes be brusque and hurried, but the beef broth is rich and flavorful. Loud Vietnamese or Chinese music is often blaring from the televisions, while a crew of older men flurry about, delivering dishes and bussing tables. I’m not even sure there’s a bathroom in this place, but I keep going back. The broth more than makes up for the lack of a few luxuries.
818 N. Spring St. Los Angeles, CA, 90012. Closest Metro lines and stop: Metro A Line - "Chinatown Station" or Bus Line 45 - “Broadway/College.”
PHO 87
Pho 87 is something of an institution in Chinatown, the lunchtime crowd offering a peek into a wide-ranging cross-section of L.A. itself. Everyone from office workers to police officers to Latino and Asian families can be found sitting under Pho 87’s blasting AC units. Service is fast, efficient, and no-nonsense, and the guys who run Pho 87 know how to turn tables like it’s nobody’s business.
I am particularly partial to Pho 87’s bun bo hue, a spicy Vietnamese soup that contains pork knuckles and cubes of pig’s blood. The noodles in bun bo hue are thicker and slipperier compared to vermicelli; a great vessel for carrying the broth’s lemongrass and spicy flavors.
1019 N. Broadway Los Angeles, 90012. Closest Metro lines and stop: Metro A Line - "Chinatown Station" or Bus Line 45 - “Broadway/Bernard.”
GOLDEN DELI
Golden Deli is so popular that on most weeknights, dinner service often requires a 30-minute wait. With locations in San Gabriel and Temple City, Golden Deli has been a long-time fixture of the SGV’s pho game. It is famous for phan cha gio, a platter of five egg rolls that are perfectly crisped and fried on the outside, with delicious pork stuffing on the inside. The cha gio is a must, alongside any order of its epic pho.
815 W. Las Tunas Dr. San Gabriel, CA 91176. Closest Metro lines and stop: Bus Lines 78 or 487 - “Las Tunas/Mission.”
9664 Las Tunas Dr. Temple City, CA 91780. Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Lines 78 - "Las Tunas/Temple City."
PHO 79
A list of the region’s best pho is not complete without Pho 79 in Garden Grove. Pho 79 was one of the first pho restaurants in the region when it opened in 1982, helping to foster Southern California’s wider pho movement. For its contributions, it received the James Beard Award in 2019, later followed by the Michelin Bib Gourmand distinction in 2021. All these accolades are unsurprising, as the beef brisket pho is aromatic, rich, and one of the best bowls of noodles you’ll find in the entire state. Order a side of oxtail with yours, because you can. It will arrive floating in ever more pho broth.
9941 Hazard Ave. Garden Grove, CA 92844. Closest transit line: OC Bus Line 35 - "Brookhurst/Hazard."
QUAN HOP
While Quan Hop offers a perfectly serviceable beef pho, it's best known for seafood. Their bun rieu is a crab meat noodle soup, while their bun ca tom cua contains both salmon and crab meat. It’s hard to find a place that does seafood noodle soup as well as Quan Hop does. The restaurant usually plays ambient jazz tunes, making the overall vibe of the restaurant slow and relaxed compared to some of the more fast-paced pho counterparts nearby.
15640 Brookhurst St. Westminster, CA 92683. Closest transit lines: OC Bus Lines 35 and 66 - "Brookhurst/McFadden."
Phoholic
Phoholic, like many of the more popular pho spots on this list, usually has a long line of people waiting outside in its parking lot (which is compact, making it easier to find street parking by the nearby school). The line moves fast, though, and the beef pho ultimately makes the wait worth it.
PhoHolic is better known for offering huge beef bones and oxtail bones on the side—they usually come in pairs and can be cut with scissors. For any lovers of beef ribs, the beef bones are a must-try.
14932 Bushard St. Westminster, CA 92683. Closest transit line: OC Bus Line 64 - "Bolsa/Bushard."
Pho Filet 2
What separates the pho at Pho Filet 2 from the rest of the pho noodle shops in town is the use of superlatively beefy and tender filet mignon, along with slices of fresh ginger joining the cast of to raw onion, basil, and bean sprouts. The quality and deeply beefy flavor will stand out as soon as you take your first bite.
Despite the higher quality beef, the price is still competitive with the rest of the shops. It gives you an option of substituting fresh, more slippery rice noodles for all of its pho options, which you should try if you have not.
The original Pho Filet is just a few blocks away, but I prefer this spot because they have cheap beer and a banh xeo that holds its own against the best in Westminster. - Javier Cabral
2643 San Gabriel Blvd. Rosemead, CA 91770. Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 70 - “Garvey/San Gabriel.”
PHO 45
In the pho oasis we call Southern California, the differences between a bowl of pho that satisfies your soul and a bowl of pho that carries you to the point of catharsis, due to being so damn delicious, comes down to splitting hairs. For the longest time, another award-winning oxtail pho on this list, located just a couple of miles away, was considered to the best in town, and for many it will always be. But if you dare to stray from the usual and try what Pho 45 has to offer with an objective mind, you will probably agree that it is the new best pho bowl in town.
It comes down to the rare steak being a cut of filet mignon, which melts in your mouth, and the broth just being a little bit more savory and aromatic rather than sweet. Reviews from locals seem to agree that this is the new best pho in the Southland.
However, it’s not without its Achilles heel. In this case; the spring rolls are just okay. So order the XL size pho with peace of mind and see what this brave new bone broth world has to offer. - Javier Cabral
9240 Garden Grove Blvd. Ste. 19 Garden Grove, CA 92844; Closest transit line: OC Bus Line 56 - "Garden Grove-Lucille"
