Pho Ga Dakao

Let me say that this review may have been affected by the wait I endured to get in. I came in a Sunday morning and when I arrived there was the largest group of people I’ve ever seen waiting to get into a restaurant. My initial impression was that this place must be astoundingly popular. There were several huge parties and some smaller ones as well. We must have caught the after church rush. There were two people in my party and with caution I walked in to reserve a spot. I was told it would be 20 minutes… 20,30,40 minutes…1 hour+ later and after a few inquiries about an update on the wait time, we were seated. This place was highly recommended, so I endured the wait in good spirits. To the credit of the young man working the front door/host area, he stayed calm under overwhelming circumstances. After the extensive wait I was ready to get down to business and I wasn’t prepared to review the large menu that was presented to me. In the interest of time I ordered the Phở gà khô (Dry Chicken Pho) with an appetizer of Chả Giò/nem rán (Vietnamese egg roll/fried spring roll). The service by the wait staff once seated was very prompt and fast. The restaurant itself was very nicely decorated and laid out. The ambiance was vibrant with a packed dining area and lots of large groups eating family style. The conversations were animated and engaging. People seemed to be having a blast in there. The Chả Giò/nem rán came out and as expected were excellent. Next the Phở gà khô (Dry Chicken Pho) came out and I was excited to try it. This was my first time eating it and I had high expectations after trying Pho and Bún bò Huế at various locations around Houston. The Phở gà khô was really good and I would say excellent for my first time trying it. I devoured it and in retrospect, wish I would have savored it more. I instinctively understood the concept of how to eat it although the waitstaff asked if I wanted any explanations. Part of the appeal I desire in experiencing Vietnamese cuisine is to understand the traditional way of eating the various dishes and the stories behind the cuisine. It’s always appreciated when someone takes a moment to ask or explain the dishes. I really enjoyed the taste and experience of trying this dish! I’ll definitely return to try more dishes on the large menu. I hope the wait will not be as long and thus I’ll do my due diligence on what peak hours are. I frequent Đại Lộ Sàigon regularly during the work week, so I’ll try again then. Looking forward to it!

Our family ate here twice in one week as our dining experience was excellent. They were also very accommodating considering we had 25 people and the restaurant was busy. The food was fresh, flavorful, and authentic. My extended family are Vietnamese, and they approved of the dining experience enough to come back again. The restaurant was packed with Vietnamese so you know the food is good. The parking lot was big enough that you won't have to fight for a spot, which is a big plus.

I love coming here for Lunch and Dinner. Everything is good and they have a large menu so if anyone want something different it’s easy to just eat here. If you never had Vietnamese food, this would be a great place to come and try everything from, everything is good, it’s not amazing that blows your mind but good enough to get to know what Vietnamese food is like. Be warn that this is a typical Vietnamese restaurant where service is barely there, if you come and expect great service then please don’t eat here and just have it to go. You will have to flag them down for stuff, they won’t refill water unless ask for. This isn’t your American style restaurant so stay away if you wanted service to be well. My favorites are the clay pot seafood rice and the congee (porridge) with organ meat. Their egg rolls are great too for the price and size of them.

They remolded since the last time I was in before COVID. This place is usually only chicken but I wanted to get the ca kho to and canh chua . They delivered on the fish pot. The soup had all the flavors and but the celery was just a bit too big for me and too crunchy. I love the atmosphere in here with the cloud ceilings and all. I would definitely get the fish again small portion and soup small portion good for two people.

Their menu had so many options so we opted to order multiple dishes and share everything family style. Their dry pho ga is good… a different spin on traditional pho. The noodles were good and the sauce they add was very savory. Their appetizers were all good and came out really fast. Even with five people in our group, we were unable to finish everything we ordered (and we ordered all the small portions versus large). Considering they are a popular place the wait wasn’t bad at all and their staff is very quick to take your order and grab whatever you need. A must try if you’re in the Bellaire area!