We came to Pho Element since they have a vegetarian ramen (with veg broth) and other vegetarian options. Sadly that was a bit disappointing; the vegetarian broth didn't have much flavor. We also tried the spring rolls with imitation shrimp. That was just okay - it was heavily filled with rice noodles and the sauces weren't authentic. It's nice that they have vegetarian options but unfortunately, none of them tasted very good. I did enjoy the chicken pho, though. The main redeeming quality of this pho shop was the service. The servers were attentive, friendly, and overall pleasant. This place is located on a busy main street so it's primarily street parking. Nice laid-back, local spot in San Mateo.

The rating is only considering food, not the service or price My opinions: - #34 - BBQ Pork & Imperial Roll Vermicelli: (8/10 - Great). Meat is a tad too salty - #54 - Mango with Coconut Slush: (9/10 - Great) - #02 - Saigon Butter Tofu: (8/10 - Great) Wife's opinions: - Shaking Beef with Garlic noodles: (10/10 - Amazing) Son's opinions: - #18 - Chicken Noodle Soup: ("Polar Bear" - Amazing) - #02 - Saigon Butter Tofu: ("Polar Bear" - Amazing) - Okra and/or String Beans: ("Rhino" - 2/10) Other notes: - Dined in - Food came out very quickly - Vegetables weren't amazing, but everything else was very good

I came to Pho Element on El Camino in San Mateo with my visiting relatives, who were staying at a hotel by the San Francisco airport. The restaurant was very crowded, it was past 7 p.m., we had to wait because we had 12 people, and the parking was a little difficult to find in the neighborhood, although the group did manage to find a parking spot for their large rented passenger van. The food was very delicious, on par with the many Vietnamese restaurants in Los Angeles' San Gabriel Valley. The wait staff were very nice, explaining that they could accommodate us if we used two tables, which was fine with us. They had run out of beef stock and had to use chicken stock, because it was really late at night, but that was okay with us. The waiter was nice enough to take our family photo, so I could keep a momento of our dinner; I don't see family that often. I will definitely try to come again to this place for pho, if I'm in this Nor Cal neck of the woods!

The restaurant was very busy but we quickly got seated. We tried the Hainanese Chicken with Rice and Pho Bo Dac Biet with chicken soup instead of beef soup since they ran out of the beef soup. The noodles in the pho were a thicker rice noodle (northern style), not the typical skinny noodles (southern style). To my surprise, pho in a chicken soup base was still pretty good! For the Hainanese Chicken, the flavor, the sauces and the seasoned rice were good. However, the chicken was cold. It would've taste a lot better if the chicken was at least warm. Usually Hainanese Chicken is warm, but not sure why this one was cold. The service was pretty good, given how busy they were. The server checks in on you. They don't just seat you, hand you your food and bill like some other restaurants. Overall, I would still come back and try other dishes.

Pho Element is located on a busy and main street right off the freeway. There is street parking out front, if you are lucky, or there is also limited parking behind the restaurant, but it may be a bit cramped and awkward to maneuver through. They do have a back entrance to the inside of the restaurant as well, if you parked in the back, so you do not have to walk all the way around. The service was great from the moment they see you walk in, they will greet and seat you to the moment you finish eating and leave. The employees were efficient and quick - they moved so fast back and forth cleaning off the tables, taking everyone's orders, putting the orders in, bringing out all the food / drinks, refilling everyone's waters, closing everyone's tabs out, etc. I honestly never seen all of the employees at a restaurant moved so quickly and in sync, and everything was done and brought out in a timely manner. When they brought out all the food, they forgot my fried egg, but they expedited that so quickly after I let them know, and I received it not too long after. I was torn between their Beef Short Ribs with Vermicelli or Rare Beef (Filet), Beef Brisket, & Beef Ball Noodle Soup. I ended up ordering their Beef Short Ribs with Vermicelli (with side orders of a fried egg and beef meatballs, while my friends ordered their Hainanese Chicken (Boneless) with Rice, Shrimp Spring Roll, and Vegetable Noodle Soup. While it was a bit pricey, the portions were huge and the food was good as well, so it was worth it. Overall, no major complaints, as all our food was delicious and good with wonderful service as well.

The food is delicious I've been coming here for couple years. However, I have noticed that the portions have gotten WAY smaller and the prices went up pretty steep. One bowl of pho is now almost $16 for a SMALL. I ordered two things: Shrimp spring roll tastes really fresh but the peanut sauce is a bit watery. It definitely needs to be adjusted with extra hoisin and siracha which you can put yourself and make it according to how you like it. 3.5/5 The pho with beef balls and beef is great. The flavor is really good, the beef slices are tender and don't get overcooked with the broth. The thick noodles are good as well and the soup is very clear/ flavorful. My only complaint is the portion got much smaller. 4/5 Overall for taste I think pho element is great but with the prices and portion size of the pho bowls now it makes me less likely to come often but I would come back once in a while. Still consistent taste wise and convenient for those that live around the area. Parking during peak eating hours is quite hard though.

I've had pho element a couple times and it never disappoints following a long night out! The thing I like about pho element is that they use thick flat noodles instead of the standard pho noodles. The broth is very clean and not too overpowering with msg. There's still a lot of flavor, but it taste so light and fresh, paired with the thick noodles! We also got the shrimp egg rolls. There's nothing too special about it, but the peanut sauce is really good! The staff were very quick and friendly, and would come to ask if everything was okay. They offered us water or tea which I really appreciated. The restaurant is pretty big so there's a lot of seating. We went around 1 PM on a sunday and got seated immediately. Will be coming back again :)

-Small little parking lot -Services was here n there but not bad -Insides a little nicer than your ma n pa viet restaurant -FoOoD- Saigon butter toast: delish! Not crispy hurt your roof mouth but very soft texture. Kinda like salt pepper, jalapeño Chinese style fry but with more added ingredients.4/5 Friends said this was on par with pho recipe in sf on Noriega and suddenly there was no debate where to eat. Unfortunately, it was not even close. I know turtle tower is gone from sf now but it didn't even come close to them as well. Without sounding too much of a hater but I like finding the best, it's still a good bowl of pho ga. Nothing wrong with it and gives you a nice warming feel. 4/5

I love the chicken noodle soup here, the noodles, the broth, the chicken are the best combination! Also, ordering any thing chicken in here is usually so good. The imperial rolls here are also amazing here but I would recommend pho especially on a cold, rainy day! 10/10 - food 8/10 - service

So delicious! Hits the spot especially on a rainy day. Tons of choices for everyone - rice plates, noodle soups (beef, veggie, chicken). Street parking only, located on a relatively busy intersection. The service was great, our party ordered 3 things to share and without even asking they gave us a couple bowls. Flavor of both broths were amazing; honestly would just depend which you're craving. Chicken rice plate was also good. If I'm in the area, I know Pho Element wouldn't disappoint