Pho Viet, located on Call Field Road next to Smashburger, had its grand opening  this past week.

When walking in, we were greeted by a beautiful glass waterfall with “Pho Viet” etched into it. The waitress approached us and immediately led us to our seats.

The first thing I noticed was how loud it was. They make the smoothies behind a bar located within the restaurant dining area that makes table conversations difficult. The loudness caused a problem with speaking to the waitress as well.

Being that the restaurant is new, it was easy to see that the staff needed more training. Our waitress did not know the menu well but was helpful answering questions about certain foods and sauces.

They do not have a fountain machine for soda so they brought me a cup of ice and an overpriced can of Coke.

The grilled pork and rice noodle dish with egg rolls looked superb. Everything was neatly placed in the bowl to look picture perfect. But that was the highlight of the meal.

The fish sauce that was mixed with the pork, rice noodles and vegetables had a tart taste to it, masking the taste of the pork and vegetables, which was disappointing.

The Pho was bland and the broth lacked its usual signature depth. Even the vegetables lacked flavor.

After we received our food, it seemed as if our waitress was focused on the new customers and did not keep up with us after she brought us our food. We went roughly 10 minutes without getting a refill.

For some at our table, the strawberry smoothie was the best part of the meal.

Eventually we were brought our bill. My meal was not horribly priced at $13 including the tip.

This restaurant definitely has some work to do: train the staff more, work on the fish sauce and possibly relocate the smoothie machine.

If you are hungry and just need a fast meal, I would recommend Pho Viet. However, if you are craving Vietnamese food, I’d suggest going somewhere else.

Pho Viet | 3801 Call Field Rd