I rarely leave reviews, and even more rarely do I give out one star, but my recent visit to Pho Kim was such a frustrating and disappointing experience that I feel compelled to warn others. I had high hopes after hearing friends talk about this place and seeing some decent photos online, but what I actually experienced was the exact opposite of what a good pho restaurant should be.
First off, the service was absolutely chaotic. We were seated after waiting nearly twenty minutes even though there were several empty tables visible. When the server finally arrived, she seemed rushed and annoyed, barely said a word, and didn’t bother explaining the menu when we had questions. We ordered two bowls of pho, one chicken and one beef, along with spring rolls. It took over forty minutes for the food to arrive, and when it did, it was clear that everything had been sitting out for a while. The broth wasn’t steaming hot—it was barely lukewarm—and the noodles were clumped together like they’d been overcooked hours ago.
The broth itself was the biggest disappointment. Good pho broth should be rich, aromatic, and comforting; this one tasted like salty water with a faint hint of star anise. There was no depth of flavor whatsoever, and it somehow managed to be both bland and greasy at the same time. The beef slices were paper-thin and dry, as if they had been cooked, reheated, and forgotten. The chicken was even worse—rubbery and flavorless. The so-called “fresh herbs” were limp and brown around the edges, and the bean sprouts looked like they had seen better days.
The spring rolls weren’t much better. They were served cold, with tough rice paper that tore apart when I tried to dip them in the sauce. Speaking of sauce, the peanut sauce tasted like it came straight out of a jar and had been watered down to stretch it out. To make matters worse, we were never offered refills on our drinks, and trying to flag down a server felt like waving into the void.
When I politely mentioned the temperature of the soup to the staff, they seemed completely uninterested. The response I got was a shrug and a mumbled, “That’s how we serve it.” No apology, no offer to remake it, nothing. By the time the check came, I was honestly just eager to leave.
To top it all off, the place wasn’t even clean. The floors were sticky, the tables had streaks of dried sauce, and the bathroom was downright unpleasant. You’d expect at least basic cleanliness in any restaurant, but Pho Kim clearly doesn’t prioritize that either.
All in all, this was one of the worst dining experiences I’ve had in recent memory. Between the inattentive service, the bland and poorly prepared food, and the general lack of care in every aspect of the experience, I can’t imagine returning. Pho Kim might have once been good, but based on my visit, it feels like they’ve completely given up. Save yourself the disappointment and find another spot—there are plenty of Vietnamese restaurants nearby that actually respect their food and their customers.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
L. Smith
First time here with a friend (who's coming here over 20 years). A smaller establishment, but spacious. It didn't feel crowded despite the crowds Inside. I was very blown away from the portion sizes and FRESH dishes delivered to our table. Very delicious and the avocado shake was the best I've ever tried. I will always be back to this restaurant as it's family run, for many years. All levels of this restaurant are higher than 5 🌟.. *wish I could give 10 star!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kristin Cote
Food is always consistently amazing and full of flavor! My go to!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kelsey Parnell
To be honest, really disappointment. No spices at all in broth. I had to keep adding stuff at home Just to taste the broth. The veggies weren’t cooked and no meat. Definitely better places.
Food: 1
Aziz madi
Great pho been going there for the last 8 years.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Dave McKay
I really enjoy the Vietnamese subs here and they have really good pho soups. Friendly service and my take out orders have always been ready when I get there.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
ZUBAIR CHOWDHURY
Great experience
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Kristen Turner
My boyfriend and I have been coming here for years and every experience is a great one ♥️
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
TN Vu
Haven't been in for years. Still good Pho and service. WC review: 3/5
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nadim Sayani
This is by far always the best place to go to, been coming here since ive been 14 amazing, so many dates younger and just to go back there and reminisce
And that owner OMG what a baddie lol, I think she would appreciate this compliment, bubbly, fun, happy and the service is amazing, such a pleasure brightened my day
The broth had almost no flavour. Judging from the other comments it seems like a lot of people haven’t had good pho
Food: 2
The Can
Awesome food! Some of the best Pho and Salad Rolls in Calgary!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kate Maxwell
Just a warning to never order the chicken stir fry unless you want boiled chicken and slop. It is not a stir fry. Everything else is delicious.
To the manager, when a customer calls to give you feedback on one of the meals that they ordered, do not put words in their mouth. I always enjoy your food and I did not call it disgusting. What I did say was that this is not a stir-fry and the chicken is boiled. I would not have ordered it if I knew that it was a very saucy dish with boiled chicken; literally the opposite of a stir fry.
雷蒙德
The pho soup was really light and i think it’s better than Raos.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Tyler Lorimer
It's such a great place. The service is friendly, humorous and fast. One of my favorite places to go for a great meal.
I rarely leave reviews, and even more rarely do I give out one star, but my recent visit to Pho Kim was such a frustrating and disappointing experience that I feel compelled to warn others. I had high hopes after hearing friends talk about this place and seeing some decent photos online, but what I actually experienced was the exact opposite of what a good pho restaurant should be.
First off, the service was absolutely chaotic. We were seated after waiting nearly twenty minutes even though there were several empty tables visible. When the server finally arrived, she seemed rushed and annoyed, barely said a word, and didn’t bother explaining the menu when we had questions. We ordered two bowls of pho, one chicken and one beef, along with spring rolls. It took over forty minutes for the food to arrive, and when it did, it was clear that everything had been sitting out for a while. The broth wasn’t steaming hot—it was barely lukewarm—and the noodles were clumped together like they’d been overcooked hours ago.
The broth itself was the biggest disappointment. Good pho broth should be rich, aromatic, and comforting; this one tasted like salty water with a faint hint of star anise. There was no depth of flavor whatsoever, and it somehow managed to be both bland and greasy at the same time. The beef slices were paper-thin and dry, as if they had been cooked, reheated, and forgotten. The chicken was even worse—rubbery and flavorless. The so-called “fresh herbs” were limp and brown around the edges, and the bean sprouts looked like they had seen better days.
The spring rolls weren’t much better. They were served cold, with tough rice paper that tore apart when I tried to dip them in the sauce. Speaking of sauce, the peanut sauce tasted like it came straight out of a jar and had been watered down to stretch it out. To make matters worse, we were never offered refills on our drinks, and trying to flag down a server felt like waving into the void.
When I politely mentioned the temperature of the soup to the staff, they seemed completely uninterested. The response I got was a shrug and a mumbled, “That’s how we serve it.” No apology, no offer to remake it, nothing. By the time the check came, I was honestly just eager to leave.
To top it all off, the place wasn’t even clean. The floors were sticky, the tables had streaks of dried sauce, and the bathroom was downright unpleasant. You’d expect at least basic cleanliness in any restaurant, but Pho Kim clearly doesn’t prioritize that either.
All in all, this was one of the worst dining experiences I’ve had in recent memory. Between the inattentive service, the bland and poorly prepared food, and the general lack of care in every aspect of the experience, I can’t imagine returning. Pho Kim might have once been good, but based on my visit, it feels like they’ve completely given up. Save yourself the disappointment and find another spot—there are plenty of Vietnamese restaurants nearby that actually respect their food and their customers.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
First time here with a friend (who's coming here over 20 years).
A smaller establishment, but spacious. It didn't feel crowded despite the crowds Inside.
I was very blown away from the portion sizes and FRESH dishes delivered to our table.
Very delicious and the avocado shake was the best I've ever tried.
I will always be back to this restaurant as it's family run, for many years.
All levels of this restaurant are higher than 5 🌟.. *wish I could give 10 star!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food is always consistently amazing and full of flavor! My go to!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
To be honest, really disappointment. No spices at all in broth. I had to keep adding stuff at home
Just to taste the broth. The veggies weren’t cooked and no meat. Definitely better places.
Food: 1
Great pho been going there for the last 8 years.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I really enjoy the Vietnamese subs here and they have really good pho soups. Friendly service and my take out orders have always been ready when I get there.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great experience
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
My boyfriend and I have been coming here for years and every experience is a great one ♥️
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Haven't been in for years. Still good Pho and service. WC review: 3/5
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
This is by far always the best place to go to, been coming here since ive been 14 amazing, so many dates younger and just to go back there and reminisce
And that owner OMG what a baddie lol, I think she would appreciate this compliment, bubbly, fun, happy and the service is amazing, such a pleasure brightened my day
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
The broth had almost no flavour. Judging from the other comments it seems like a lot of people haven’t had good pho
Food: 2
Awesome food! Some of the best Pho and Salad Rolls in Calgary!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Just a warning to never order the chicken stir fry unless you want boiled chicken and slop. It is not a stir fry. Everything else is delicious.
To the manager, when a customer calls to give you feedback on one of the meals that they ordered, do not put words in their mouth. I always enjoy your food and I did not call it disgusting. What I did say was that this is not a stir-fry and the chicken is boiled. I would not have ordered it if I knew that it was a very saucy dish with boiled chicken; literally the opposite of a stir fry.
The pho soup was really light and i think it’s better than Raos.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
It's such a great place. The service is friendly, humorous and fast. One of my favorite places to go for a great meal.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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