Reviews Pho Xe Lua Viet Thai Restaurant

It was a nice restaurant with good selection of food. Our team had a great time. Servers were very nice and polite. A good restaurant in Chinatown.

This place was so great! Quality of the food was great, and the portions were bigger than expected on the pho even though I didn't order the largest size. I didn't move at all - it was delicious, and our server happily packed it up for me to go. Love how lively it was inside - you can tell there are a lot of regulars, including couples, groups, and individuals dining in, and also via takeout/delivery apps. This was my first time, but my partner grew up in Philly and has loved this place for over a decade - says it's somewhat of a hidden gem that locals frequent, but tourists don't necessarily bat an eye at. To me, that's ideal, because sometimes Center City is crawling with convention goers or tourists, and you just need a place to duck into a feel Philly. This spot certainly fit the bill.

Amazing authentic viet/thai food for only 40 dollars!! Massive portions. The waiter is so friendly and helpful!! Best asian food I had in philly so far ❤️ will def come back for sure

Ordered the 106. pho and the Tom Yum soup. Food came extremely fast! The pho had a flavorful savory broth but not a good variety of promised meats. Paired well with the chili oil sauce on the table though. The Tom Yum soup was not as rich as it could be, wouldn’t recommend ordering it.

Good, not great food veggie food. Ordered the veggie pho (118) and the mixed veggies in clay pot (618). Both were pleasant but relatively plain flavored. Service was nice and the meal came quickly, but the food wasn't anything spectacular.

The OG Vietnamese restaurant in Philly. I have been coming here for years and it never disappoints. Soup is the perfect balance of flavorful but not too salty. Price is great too.

Pho Xe Lua, also known by its frequent patrons as ‘Choo Choos’ (take notice of the neon choo choo train on the front window), is a staple restaurant in Philadelphia’s Chinatown. They serve a large menu of Vietnamese and Thai dishes in a relaxed, casual setting. Don’t let the storefront or interior fool you. Simply put, the focus is on the food and it is delicious, and that is why you should make this an absolute must visit. I’ve taken many friends and visitors here, and everyone has commented on how good the food is. You’ll find all the familiar Vietnamese and Thai dishes, as well as some hard-to-find authentic, traditional ones (crispy fried satay frog, anyone?). The consistently good, high-quality, low-price food, makes this a repeat favorite of mine in Philadelphia. You can’t afford not to come here and order a lot of food and drinks. Some of my favorites include Bo Tai Chanh (raw fresh flank steak with lime juice), Goi Bo (papaya salad with beef), Chao Tom (minced shrimp on sugar cane), Canh Thap Cam (house special seafood soup with mixed vegetables), Hu Tieu Mi Xe Lua (Xe Lua egg & rice noodle soup), Bun Gao Xao Bo (stir-fried vermicelli with beef), Pho (extra-large, extra noodles, and all the meats and seafood), Ca Chien Nuoc Mam (deep-fried fish with spices), Lau Viet Nam (Vietnamese hot pot), and I could go on and on. Don’t forget to order a smoothie (get the avocado smoothie) or Cafe Sua Da (French coffee with condensed milk served cold) or a beer. They also have a good number of vegetarian options, and set meals for 2, 4, 6, and 8 people. I encourage you to go with a group of people, order a lot of things from the menu, and share/sample everything. Great food is best enjoyed with great company.

Very good clean authentic food in China town area of Phili. Shrimp pho was flavorful and fresh, huge portion big enough for 2, so I had leftover that I heated for lunch the next day. No shortage of good food in Phili but I definitely recommend this place and would return if I ever get the chance.