last week i went to this restaurant at 9.40 pm.
after i sat the table in 2 minute,
a server came to take my order ,
i told her i am not ready yet.
than she is not happy and told me that they close on 10.00pm.
so i make a quick decide to order my food.
than, during i am having my noodle.(the server might be very rush and can't wait to get off.)
she wept the floor on my frond .
this is really make me piss off.
i can't say the food is not good , i like to go this restaurant .
but now i have to think do i really have to go the restaurant like this?

When I asked a good friend of mine, where's a good place for noodles in Richmond, he took me for lunch at Pho Lan Beef Noodle Soup, tucked away in the City Center area of Richmond. There is parking and entry from the back of the restaurant. At first glance it looks like it needs some work on the decor, but the noodles, especially the broth was fantastic. If you order the large which cost 7.50, you'll get a bowl that looks like it can easily feed 2-3 people depending on their appetite. There is quite the selection of noodles and other dishes all at a reasonable prices. Vermicelli noodles are mixed with fresh sprouts, cilantro, lemon basil, beef tripe, beef meatballs and slices of beef. Service was efficient and friendly and will definitely be going back.

The first time I had pho was last year in Cambodia (okay not Vietnam, I know) and the aroma was so heavenly.

We decided to come here today because we were hungry and I suggested pho, and he has been here before years ago. Usually you don't get really excited walking in from the parking in the back but the smell was so good before even entering the restaurant. We went through a rather ghostly and narrow passage but found quite a nice atmosphere inside! I felt that the ambiance (decorations) was actually above average compared to other pho places. Unlike other reviewers below, and as an Asian myself, I didn't feel the servers were rude or anything, but just typical of what you'd normally encounter in Asia.

We ordered food, I went to wash my hands, and the food was already here when I was back! My bowl of rare beef (medium) tasted as good as it looked. The beef was actually rare unlike many other places where even if you order rare, it comes cooked. I finished the entire bowl of soup and noodles.

I'd definitely come back but I'd order a small bowl instead...I was soooo full!

their large phos are massive.. if you order them, make sure your stomach is empty because i guarantee you will walk out of there full.
i enjoy the pho here: hot and tasty soup base with a decent portion of beef that comes with the noodles... good place to hit on a cold rainy day where the prices are solid... the best thing they offer are their spring rolls, always have em when im here!
... the guy who runs this place though is a jerk, has no customer service skills and just plain rude, it sucks because you have to see his cranky face every time you are there.
the place itself needs to be much cleaner: washrooms are a mess and i do not even want to imagine how sanitary their kitchen is.
the only time i come back is when im craving a great spring roll.. since there are so many pho places around, i usually end up going elsewhere.

Pho Lan is ok. It has some good dishes. I really enjoy their spring rolls there, and they are probably the best Viet spring rolls I've had at this type of restaurant.

The pho wasen't too bad either, and the value is ok. Just don't expect any ambiance or steller service. I'd repeat, and have done so once in a blue moon for years now.

I don't know why samsam is so concerned with the washroom and spent half his review on the washroom...did he eat in there?

I usually go to Pho Lan when i lived in Richmond. i loved their Pho before , not now. The soup isn't as good as before. Maybe they change the chef cook. but still ok if you don't have any choice....oh wait,,,,i heard recently in Richmond they open so many vietnamese restaurant....just go and try something new...why not?

I hate their service.. the place is too small ..the washroom is got all tissue around.....wet all the time..how can i enjoy PHO is this environment !

My boyfriend brought me here yesterday for some dinner. It was about 6pm and although there weren't very many ppl in the restaurant, parking in the back was entirely full (ppl parking for the chinese rest. next door). After finding pay parking in front, we were advised that we could park at the photo place next door once they close for the day - good tip for next time.
I ordered a medium plain noodle (didn't feel like having any meat) and a springroll, which is supposedly well-known here. Portions were HUGE!! I don't understand how ppl can order a large here. I thought I could do a medium because at most places, it's just extra soup and a bigger bowl. Not here. There was so much noodle! The spring rolls were nice - meaty and crispy. The only thing is that the roll is cut into pretty large pieces, so it wasn't very one-bite friendly. I love how they offer an option - for springrolls, you can choose between veggie or pork and for salad rolls, you can choose between shrimp, beef, chicken or minced pork. I've never seen this anywhere else.
The espresso w/ condensed milk was really good. Good quality french coffee that packed a punch!
Service was good, what some may mistaken as attitude was innocently a quiet lady with a mean looking neutral face. Once I talked to her, she was quite pleasant.
The restaurant seemed clean.

Went back to Pho Lan last week after not coming for several years. I came through the back entrance and parked a block away due to the limited parking. The back entrance is dirty.

The special pho wasn't even close to what I remember it from several years ago. Prompting me to wonder if there was a change in ownership but it appears it's the same family. Service was not great for me. I noticed service was better if it may appear to the family that you are not a regular pho or vietnamese cuisine diner.

This family run business is always busy but for a good reason. Their Large sized Pho Noodle Soup is huge and will definetely get you full off a big bowl of soup, beef and noodles. The atmosphere is not great but everyone goes for the authentic food which is second to none. The spring rolls are crispy and always fresh and you will be full when you leave this place.

This place is the epitome of Vietnamese food. Perhaps the food is not the most suthentic, I don't know not ever having gone to Vietnam, but the quality ss great (beefballs in the Pho are amazing!) and the serviec is very personal, given by what seems to be an extended family. These people actually care what you think. I am now a regular there, but even before that, I was asked how the food was on more than one occassion. This is one of the busiest Pho places in Richmond and for good reason. The spring rolls are second to none. Try it out, support our local business and experience clean, healty Pho.