(Hipster) Pho Cafe

2841 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA
90026
(213)413-0888
Everyday 11AM-Midnight

I love our girl JAX over at Rockinsider. She's a transplant from Utah who will decidedly live and die in Echo Park. She introduces me to lots on the east side... hence why I myself will be moving there this year sometime (hopefully sooner than later). She is all about sharing the love of why LA kicks so much butt and also dishes out why pretentious Angelenos can at least be enjoyed for their comedy effect. She brought me and Celeste here to Pho Cafe a while back. Thanks JAX for all the love.

Pho Cafe is hidden in plain sight like a where's waldo at the silverlake/echo park border. There's no sign and it's in a small strip mall that is mostly ghost town. I can't say I've ever seen the other businesses open except for maybe the liquor store (with the perpetually broken ATM). I speak of the ATM cause Pho Cafe is cash only and have gone at times only to remember that "shoot I need to go out and grab some cash". Silversun Liquor store where famed Silverlake band, Silversun Pickups would go for alcohol is right on the corner and in front of that is the Silverlake Lounge where you can catch some amazing music at night. A Silversun Pickups song for the moment:


Last night I attempted the theoretically possible that turned into the extremely impossible. I would show up at home load up my upright in my car (had to record on a cartoon after Brendan Hunt's "5 Years in Amsterdam), meet a friend for coffee and while out grab some cash for Pho and for the show I was going to at 8pm (5 Years...). Come to find out LA was basically on lock down mid-city thanks to the MacArthur Park incident. Sooo... no pre show pho. But the night was not yet thwarted (love that word...should use it more often). Caught Brendan Hunt who killed it. I'll miss that show. We went right after the show to record on the cartoon Papiroflexia (it'll be up soon and will be at the UCLA animation festival at UCLA on June 9th. Screenings at 5:30 and 8:45 but you have to RSVP at 310-825-5829) and that only took an hour for both of us so we headed over to Pho Cafe with time to spare.

Jax dubbed this place as Hipster Pho Cafe, as that's who primarily frequents the spot. The shop is cool with it's hanging bulbs in glass spheres. The food comes out quickly and for how much you get it's a pretty good deal. I will mention that their spring rolls(assembly required) are killer (sometimes we go for those alone as they are so filling) (sorry no pics this time for them). The pho is down home cooking pho. Slightly on the milder side but I think it's so that you can dress it up to your liking with all the herbs, lime and hot sauce that you like in it. Last night I grabbed the Pho Dac Diet (has tripe in it with raw meat and meatballs).

Here's something other bloggers won't tell you. The parking lot there is small so street parking is the special route. But we often get to park in the parking lot and lots of times so will you. I tell you this piece of insider info. Inside the parking lot you'll see this billboard spot:

I firmly believe that every bird who has the "runs" within a 2 mile radius comes to take a dump up at this billboard. If you park there you will come out and feel like they have some sort of evil vendetta against you. Be warned.

Pho cafe isn't as much of a hidden place as some would have you think but it seems to love the fact that they've gotten as popular as they are based only on word of mouth. It's the best advertising cause you figure unless there's a conspiracy going on it must be the truth on how good it is.

Below you can click on the menu to see the details for prices and what they have. I'd recommend downloading it then blowing that bad boy up:

Free Drink Refills: No but I will say my wife loves the tea there which is ample and the coffee is also pretty killer.
Entree Price Range: about $7.50 for HUGE bowl of Pho