17 best pho near me in Los Angeles You Must Try Once

Pho has been around for over a century and is unquestionably Vietnam’s national dish. An excellent pho takes hours to prepare; beef bones and parts are cooked on low heat for hours to achieve a rich, complex flavor. There are two schools of thought about pho. Southern pho is the most frequent, with a lot of spices and flavors (fish sauce, hoisin, etc.) and adaptable meat cuts like tripe and brisket.

Northern pho is far more straightforward; the noodles are flatter and larger, and the emphasis is on the pure beef broth. Rice noodles and finely sliced raw beef are the key ingredients. Accommodations are optional in the north. Here is a list of the best pho near me in Los Angeles to get your pho fix.

List of the best pho near me in Los Angeles
List of the best pho near me in Los Angeles

Pho Filet

Northern-style pho is reduced to its fundamentals at Pho Filet
Northern-style pho is reduced to its fundamentals at Pho Filet

Address: 9463 Garvey Ave ste a, South El Monte

The service may be direct and to the point, but the namesake soup is second to none at this long-running pho specialist with locations in Rosemead and South El Monte (the latter known as Pho Filet 2). Northern-style pho is reduced to its fundamentals at Pho Filet: a flavorful, soulful broth with depth derived from long-simmered bones; a little softer, broad, flat noodles; and a selection of beef slices. The finished dish is decorated with a scattering of herbs, has an optimum scallion-to-soup ratio, and includes delicate slivers of ginger that highlight a magnificent beef sunset in a bowl.

Phorage

Phorage, LA's long-standing washugyu Beef expert
Phorage, LA’s long-standing washugyu Beef expert

Address: 3300 Overland Ave

Phorage, LA’s long-standing washugyu (another sort of American-grown wagyu) beef expert, continues to provide superb, savory bowls of pho in Palms and at its larger West Hollywood location. Chef Perry Cheung, formerly of San Francisco’s Slanted Door, uses just fish sauce and other organic umami components to enhance the broth’s savoriness. The primary meat option is tender rare beef slices, but more adventurous customers can choose the premium oxtail pho, which comes with the extra enjoyment of biting on bones and picking out desirable bits. Otherwise, the soup here is a really good, consistently tasty bowl of pho, complete with traditional toppings of basil, sprouts, and condiments. 

Pho Ga District

Pho Ga District is a family-run restaurant in Rosemead
Pho Ga District is a family-run restaurant in Rosemead

Address: #, 3119 N San Gabriel Blvd J, Rosemead

Pho Ga District, a family-run restaurant in Rosemead, serves one of the tastiest bowls of noodles in the city. Their unique pho ga meal is simple and savory, with broad noodles (rather than pho’s usual thin vermicelli), nicely cut chicken, and a dependably great chicken broth. Fresh ginger is supplied on the side for dipping. Phan Tran, the culinary prodigy, was born in Vietnam and started serving pho when she was just 14 years old. Diana Du, her daughter, and Diana’s boyfriend, Eric Chang, manage the front of the house, engaging with the people in both English and Cantonese. 

The Pho Ga District is typically congested during lunchtime, but Diana and Eric have a knack for maneuvering the throng and remembering regulars’ preferred orders. The restaurant only has around 30-40 seats, and all of them are frequently taken. The clear, well-balanced chicken broth is well worth the wait. 

Thien Huong

An old-school eatery inside Far East Plaza in Chinatown
An old-school eatery inside Far East Plaza in Chinatown

Address: 727 N Broadway

This modest old-school eatery inside Far East Plaza in Chinatown only stays open throughout the day, but the snappy, clean-tasting bowls of steamy hot pho, banh mi, and other well-executed budget-friendly items all make an early-morning or afternoon visit here worthwhile. Thien Huong, which is among the most centrally placed restaurants on this list, is the unique restaurant where everything—and we emphasize everything—is consistently great, but the tiny bowls of pho, in particular, keep us returning. On weekends, this place fills up rapidly, so arrive early or expect to wait for a table.

Pho Redbo

One of the best Pho restaurant in Los Angeles
One of the best Pho restaurant in Los Angeles

Address: 11700 South St Suite 108, Artesia

Previously known as Pho Akaushi, this relative newbie launched in early 2021 in Garden Grove before rebranding due to a chef-partner conflict. (Another location debuted this summer in Artesia on busy South Street.) Akaushi is an American-raised wagyu with characteristics identical to its Japanese equivalent, giving intense flavor and buttery-rich marbling. The beef used in Pho Redbo’s Akaushi originated in Texas, and it is one of the explanations for why this is the best pho in the Southland.

Bowls are moderately sized and $17, which may be a turnoff for pho aficionados accustomed to large quantities priced at about $10. However, the quality is evident from the first sip: A thick, meaty broth allows the meat’s flavor to shine before transitioning to the mellower tones of sweet burned onion and mild spices like star anise and clove. The broth has the subtlety of well-aged wine, radiating layers of fat and delicious depth that does not depend on the umami hits of fish sauce, but a serving of nuoc mam can be found on the table if anyone wishes to amp up the taste of their soup.

Each bowl is topped with razor-thin white onions, sliced cilantro, green onions, and a sprinkling of black pepper, all of which enhance the other major component of this dish: beef. Melt-in-your-mouth rib-ends, delicious slices of rare steak, slightly fatty yet not excessively chewy brisket, and meatballs are included in the combination dish. The textural contrast between every meat dipped into one’s favored hoisin and sriracha blend serves as a reminder of this pho’s undeniable delight. 

Nong La Cafe

Best pho on the west side of the city
Best pho on the west side of the city

Address: 2055 Sawtelle Blvd

Nong La Cafe, perhaps the best pho on the west side of the city, has two different locations: one located in Sawtelle Japantown and another in La Brea. The pho dac biet here is outstanding. “Dac biet” is the Vietnamese counterpart of “con todo” in Spanish, which means “with everything.” The pho dac biet at Nong La includes tripe, rare filet mignon, brisket, and beef balls. Like Pho Ga District, Nong La Cafe was founded as a family business by Elaine and Victor Phuong, who wanted to pay homage to their mother’s cooking.

While the Sawtelle site is their flagship, the La Brea site tends to be less crowded and quieter. Nong La Cafe’s vegetarian pho also serves as a standout, with mushrooms, tofu, and veggies — when I’m looking to bring vegetarians along for a pho expedition, Nong La is the place to go.

Pho Ever

Pho Ever
Pho Ever

Address: 1 E Hellman Ave B, Alhambra

With outlets in Little Tokyo, Gardena, and Alhambra, this family-run pho restaurant serves up outstanding versions of some of Vietnam’s most popular dishes on a surprisingly simple menu. While matriarch Lani Nguyen can be found steaming up made-to-order handmade mooncakes and a few other inventive dishes at the restaurant’s latest location in Alhambra, both its Downtown and South Bay locations serve pho with a generous serving of cold-cut banh mi and the same delectable pho on the side for to dip in.

If you can drag yourself away from slurping up their excellent, savory bowls of pho, Pho Ever’s approachable take on bun bo hue, scrumptious combination platters, and cafe sua da (condensed milk cafe) are also worthwhile orders.

Pho Saigon Republic

Address: 818 N Spring St

Pho Saigon Republic
Pho Saigon Republic

There are other pho restaurants called “Pho Saigon,” but the “Pho Saigon Republic” we’re referring to is the one in the center of Chinatown. The restaurant was previously known as Pho Hoa before being rebranded in recent years. The service can be gruff and hasty at times, but the beef broth is thick and flavorful. The televisions are frequently blasting loud Vietnamese or Chinese music, while a crew of older men rush around delivering dishes and busing tables. I’m not even sure if the place has a bathroom, but I keep returning. The broth is well worth the journey.

Blossom

Blossom
Blossom

Address: 3193 Glendale Blvd

This small pho empire, run by a couple of siblings, runs from Northeast L.A. all through to the Westside—and for a valid reason: it serves a crowd-pleasing, milder pho with silky noodles, superior beef, and lots of bean sprouts and herbs. The most extensive menu can be found at Sage Blossom (the Chinatown branch), but even the more limited selections in Santa Monica, Atwater Village, and Venice are sure to please those looking for a good bowl of pho. Aside from the food, the trendy interiors and courteous employees distinguish Blossom from the competition—the existence of some sort of hospitality, in fact, makes a tremendous difference.

Ănăn Vietnamese

Ănăn Vietnamese
Ănăn Vietnamese

Address: 318 S La Brea Ave

When you compare it to an all-around winning combination that includes aromatic long-simmered broth, beef slices, rice noodles, and herbs—except for ănăn—much of Central Los Angeles may seem like a wasteland to pho aficionados. This La Brea establishment offers tasty, top-notch beef and chicken pho and the relative ease of not having to go all the way to the San Gabriel Valley, even though the menu’s total costs are higher than those of other Vietnamese restaurants. Skip the expensive banh mi in favor of năn’s delicious chicken curry (ca ri ga) and cornstarch-battered imperial rolls in addition to the noodle soup.

PHO 79

A must-try on the list of greatest pho
A must-try on the list of greatest pho

Address: 9941 Hazard Ave, Garden Grove

Not to worry. Without Pho 79 in Garden Grove, a list of the greatest pho in the area is not complete. When Pho 79 initially debuted in the area in 1982, it became one of the pioneering pho eateries and contributed to the development of the broader pho trend in Southern California.

It was honored for its contributions with the James Beard Award in 2019 and the Michelin Bib Gourmand designation in 2021. It makes sense given that the beef brisket pho is one of the finest bowls of noodles you may find in the state and is rich, fragrant, and flavorful. Why not order an oxtail side dish? It arrives afloat in additional pho broth. 

Saigon Dish

Saigon Dish
Saigon Dish

Address: Spires Court Plaza, 15725 Hawthorne Blvd #108, Lawndale

Since its opening in 2003, this strip mall restaurant has quietly provided the South Bay with a variety of high-quality Vietnamese dishes that wouldn’t look out of place in Little Saigon in Orange County.

Here, you’ll discover a genuinely delightful beef pho that doesn’t require the addition of Sriracha and hoisin sauce to make it come to life. Saigon Dish now has a more upscale appearance and feel thanks to an extended outside seating area and a renovated dining room, but its bustling weekday crowds show that this popular Lawndale restaurant hasn’t forgotten its roots in the community.

Camp Pho

Camp Pho
Camp Pho

Address: 715 Lincoln Blvd, Venice

Since 2018, citizens of Marina del Rey and Venice have enjoyed a rich, dark brown pho that has potent notes of anise, clove, and cardamom at this light-filled, airy strip mall café along Lincoln Boulevard. The name-brand soup at Camp Pho shows off the richer, funkier, but no less tasty, side of Vietnam’s national dish because it is boiled for 72 hours (as opposed to just 12 to 16 at other restaurants). The menu selection is completed by a few vegan-friendly alternatives, including two varieties of plant-based pho, and because of the overall deliciousness of the offerings, Camp Pho easily stands among the best pho selections on the Westside.

Pho Daily

Pho Daily
Pho Daily

Address: 15126 S Western Ave, Gardena

This stalwart Vietnamese eatery in the South Bay and Long Beach is operated by the 2nd generation of a family of SoCal pho restaurateurs and provides the flexibility of late-night hours (the Gardena branch is now open 24/7) with a basic, vegetarian-friendly food focused around pho.

The summer rolls with pig sausage are served with a delectable, top-notch peanut sauce, and the restaurant’s signature nutritious soup, which bears the name of the business, offers taste with a little grease and lots of herbs. In addition to pho, Pho Daily offers a wide variety of other popular Vietnamese meals, some of which are performed better than others. This makes it a wonderful choice for any and all late-night Vietnamese appetites as well as a reliable takeaway and delivery alternative for locals.

Golden Delight

Golden Delight
Golden Delight

Address: 8479 Garvey Ave Ste 101A, Rosemead

In our honest opinion, most restaurants with 50/50 Asian menus tend to fall short in one area or another, but this is not happening at Rosemead’s Golden Delight, a stylish restaurant that quickly fills up thanks to a skillfully combined menu of Vietnamese and Chinese dishes, especially the novel hot stone pho. The stone bowl keeps the broth warm for what seems like hours, and the clear broth represents one of the lightest, most flavorful varieties we’ve eaten in the SGV.

Pho So 1

Pho king of the broader San Fernando Valley
Pho king of the broader San Fernando Valley

Address: 7231 Reseda Blvd, Reseda

The greatest beef noodle soup in the 818 can be found at this neighborhood Vietnamese eatery, which is unquestionably the pho king of the broader San Fernando Valley (with an unusual location in the South Bay). The delectable, murky soup at Pho So 1 is marked by translucent onion slices, strips of beef brisket, and shimmering pieces of beef tendon. If you eat by the window at the correct time of day, a plate of vegetables that catches the light as a herbaceous still life completes the meal.

Ktown Pho

Best Pho in Korean town f Los Angeles
Best Pho in Korean town f Los Angeles

Address: 974 S Western Ave

We looked everywhere in Koreatown for the best Vietnamese noodle soup, but nowhere came right next to Khanh and Helen Tan’s pho business concealed along a bustling commercial stretch of Western Avenue. Though consistency and greatness may not be words we’d use to describe every dish, Tan’s above-average pho sticks out with a lovely, highly aromatic broth and outstanding toppings. Unlike other minimalistic pho shops in the region, Ktown Pho does not cut corners on garnishes, making it simple to relax while eating your bowl of pho in the spacious dining area.

Conclusion

Finding the best pho in a city as large as Los Angeles may be a deliciously daunting challenge. But don’t worry, because this post has highlighted some of the best pho spots in Hanoi and Saigon that will satiate your desires while transporting you to the streets of Hanoi or Saigon.

These eateries have mastered the art of pho-making, from the thick and aromatic soup to the properly cooked noodles and an array of toppings. So, the next time you’re in Los Angeles and craving a substantial and soul-warming bowl of pho, head to one of these restaurants and let your taste buds embark on a gastronomic journey through Vietnam. Slurp happily!

Above is the list of “best pho near me in Los Angeles” that we suggest you should try when you travel to Los Angeles from Skyspace-LA. Hope you are satisfied with this information.

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