Turtle Tower

Note this review is from a Caviar delivery. I’ve only been to the Turtle Tower in SoMa, which was delicious.
I was craving for some chicken noodle soup because I’ve been having a miserable cold all weekend. After 3 hours from making my order on Caviar, I finally got my food delivered to the front door. (It was Pride weekend, so I understand the delay, no biggie) But upon excitedly opening up the bag of food, I found that Turtle Tower was missing half my order. Whyyyy…
So if you ever order delivery, there’s no point ordering a large. Why? Because they only end up giving you a large container of soup. No more extra noodles, meat, or veggies. You get the same portion of everything as a regular sized order. Just more soup. Ugh. Totally gipped.
Second. I ordered extra chicken for $ 2. Did I receive extra chicken? Nope.
Third. I ordered extra egg noodles for $ 2. Again, missing. All of them were in same portions in their take out boxes.
Caviar refunded me $ 5 but I honestly think I deserved more than that. What a waste of 3 hours waiting for food only to get my order wrong. I do admit the Phở Ga (chicken phở) is really good and I love all the veggies they add to the mix. Sadly, I’m very disappointed in Turtle Tower and probably will never order delivery from them ever again.

The best ever! My favorite soup is Phở ga… chicken noodle soup w 2 wedges of lime at small saucer full of jalapeños and fish sauce! #phonemenal #phoever I TT! They have other great and amazing food and great customer service

The best phở around. Fantastic homemade noodles!

Probably the best and most authentic Northern style Phở Ga (chicken phở) in the city. Most phở restaurants serve Southern style phở. The Northern style is very different; the chicken is prepared with the skin still all (adding more flavor to the broth), and there’s no basil leaves or bean sprouts traditionally served with the phở, just slices of lemon and spicy green peppers. There’s also no hoisin (sweet plum) sauce at the tables, but they’ve now added Sriracha sauce to the table condiments.
FYI: the fresh spring rolls come with shrimp and pork inside (not vegetarian).

Great place for lunch, but come early there is always a line. They have the best chicken noodle soup. It is comfort food at its best.

I always get the Number One in all phở places. You know, the phở with basically everything on it — tendons, flank steak, and beef balls. So I like to consider myself a Number One connoisseur. For this place, I foolishly went here based on the stars alone and not reading the reviews. So I ordered my typical Number One and was somewhat disappointed. Sure it was good; the broth was flavorful (and tasted really fresh), but I’ve definitely had better Number Ones with more of a kick to the broth. It was just OK in my opinion, definitely not four star quality!
Somewhat disappointed, I went back on Unilocal after lunch to read what the fuss was all about. Apparently the fuss is all bout the chicken phở, which is a dish I’ve actually never thought of ordering at any phở places because I think that the broth would overpower the chicken. Intrigued though, I decided to go back and give this place another chance (also brought a couple of co-​workers for me this time for company). We all ordered the chicken phở, and right from the moment our waiter brought out our soup, you can smell it. The aroma was so fresh and inviting, as if its as made out of all fresh ingredients! And the broth was perfect for the chicken; it was flavorful, yet not strong enough to overpower the taste of the chicken. In other words, the broth really complimented the chicken nicely.
Service here is always top-​notch. They are polite, attentive, and speedy. I definitely recommend this phở place out of the thousands (OK, not literally «thousands) of phở places in the Tenderloin. But don’t forget to get their chicken phở rather than their Number One!

Is it me?! I swear I can taste the freshness of all the ingredients. From the chicken, to the noodles, even the soybean drinks seem freshly made. Tbh, I was disappointed there were no bean sprouts or leaves but the broth was fine without it. Very clear and not oily nor msg drowned. Service is also very friendly. The only iffy thing was my Vietnamese coffee because less than half the cup dripped out! Without the ice, the drink wouldn’t definitely be as full.

I was in the mood for phở ga… where else to get some but Turtle Tower. Honestly, I thought it was great before but now it’s just eh okay. I got the phở ga with gizzards and stir fried beef with rice. Stick to the phở.
I used to be a huge fan, now I’m just a medium fan.

The best chicken phở in the Bay. Though, having been to multiple locations multiple times, their Geary (Richmond district) location is still tastier for some reason. I think the broth isn’t as sweet or something. This Tenderloin location is still pretty good, and if you like chicken phở, it’s a must go to.
The chicken or chicken + gibblets (intestines and other parts) is nice, with thick ho fun style rice noodle and a tasty chicken broth. Also, it’s dirt cheap for SF at $ 7 or $ 8 a bowl. The small is pretty small, so get the large.
The beef phở is very plain, don’t get it here. Go next door to the other beef phở spots.
Café Sua Da (Vietnamese Iced Coffee) is really popular here too. They also take credit card.

Ha Noi style phở. Was good and flavorful but when I eat phở I expect the bean sprouts and basil and hoisin sauce and you cannot get those items here. What you can get is fresh egg yolks in a bowl that is VERY hard to find in San Jose. Definitely a plus. Friendly service and helpful staff. I did not expect that at a phở joint and was pleasantly surprised. I had the chicken phở and joe had the beef phở (tai). I think the beef was a tad bit more flavorful then the chicken broth but maybe it was just an off day. I do appreciate the fresh phở noodles though. They were yummilicious. The spring rolls looked awesome from the table next to us. I will have to give them a try if we ever decide to come back.

«Hot Soup Hot Soup!»
Ordered Rare Steak Phở.
Clean tasty broth; steak more done than rare, 1 piece, all suited my tastes.
I added a bit of fish sauce lemon and chili sauce for fun Drip coffee fun. Atmosphere great fun too
Service Prompt
An excuse to visit the Tenderloin

UGH. So freaking good. Best phở I’ve had in a restaurant.
My mother makes the BEST phở ever, so I rarely ever go out for phở. It’s pretty much always a disappointment whenever I go to Vietnamese restaurants. This is the one place my parents recommend in SF, and I finally made it out here! Can’t believe it took me almost 2 years to try this place.
Most phở restaurants in California are Southern style, and that’s just not my taste. Northern phở is all about the broth — you don’t need to add any herbs or bean sprouts, and ESPECIALLY not hoisin sauce. The first time I went out for phở with my boyfriend, he added like 3 tablespoons of hoisin sauce to his broth. I was absolutely mortified.
I got the Phở Dac Biet. The broth here is delicious and the meat is really tender. We got the spring rolls to share but they were nothing special. The Vietnamese iced coffee was good, but of course, really strong.
I will definitely be back!

I’m giving this place 5 stars bc it gave me back life when I was dying. BEST PHO I’VE EVER HAD!
F’real tho, this isn’t just a normal phở place to go to when you’re hungover. It’s an amazingly clean and flavorful chicken broth that has the perfect slurpy thick noodles that just hits the spot without feeling bloated like ramen does. As much as I love ramen, this phở ga actually might come as a close competitor =X!
Can’t get over how great the #9 chicken phở was. I’ve had phở ga in Oakland and this was MUCH better. It’s so simple too: broth, noodles, chicken, green onions, and cilantro. It was delicious enough that I didn’t need to add any hoisin sauce or sriracha. Just added some jalapeños for a spicy kick and you have the most comforting chicken noodle soup you’ll ever have. 5 STARS!!! You betcha I’m coming back.

My girlfriend and I woke up from a night of drinking and realized we didn’t really eat the day before. Starving, we were both craving soup. Ended up going to Turtle Tower last Saturday, March 26^th around 9:30am as they were one of the only phở places open that early.
I’ve always loved the chicken broth here, but I was craving red meat as I had given it up for a little while. This was my first chance to eat some beef! Decided to get the number 4. Phở Bo Dac Biet: Combination of Rare Beef, Tripe, Well-​done Beef Noodle Soup (Small $ 7.75). The broth was super flavorful. They only gave my gf and I one dish of jalapenos and two lemon slices to share, so we asked for an extra dish as I love extra lemon and jalapenos. Added some sriracha and I had an awesome breakfast! A small is perfect for me I love drinking all the soup and leaving the noodles. My bowl had a good amount of toppings.
Perfect meal after a night of drinking. I love digging into a giant bowl of phở. So comforting!

After gym, hungry again, looking for something light that wouldn’t kill my workout effort by too much. Chicken noodle sounds good!
* * * EXPERIENCE * * *
Pros:
— No wait (Saturday ~1:30pm)
— Food came quickly
— Generally clean
— Appetizers (e.g. spring rolls) can be ordered by each piece so if you come alone you don’t worry about having too much food
Cons:
— Not in the best location (always try to avoid it while I can)
* * * FOOD * * *
On the top of the menu there’s a little paragraph stating this place serves Hanoi (Northern Vietnam) style noodle dishes and there will be no bean sprouts served.
Phở Ga: A-​.
I am not a Vietnamese food pro but I could tell the soup of Phở Ga here was a lot more clearer and less oily than other places. More importantly, I did not feel thirsty at all after having a lot of the soup so they didn’t really put MSG in it I believe, yet it was flavorful enough.
Free range chicken is another point the menu advertises to set this place different. And it’s easy to recognize the chicken meat here having very strong «chicken» flavor in it. Small size cost $ 8 and it fed me well.
Fried Egg Roll: A-​.
The size of the egg roll was on the small side, but it was deep fried well and the meat inside was quite flavorful.
I will come back again, next time probably I will try their steamed chicken!

I can’t help but love this place. The first time I went here I ordered some beef phở as a benchmark item and I wasn’t impressed at all. I only come here for the chicken phở (phở ga now). I never order chicken phở anywhere and don’t ever prefer chicken over beef phở, but this place has got it right. I’ve tried to replicate their broth very unsuccessfully at home… this place know’s what’s up with their chicken broth! Can I have your secret recipe, please?
It’s like comfort food now — like the chicken noodle soup or whatever your mom made you growing up. Except now this place is my ultimate comfort food for a hangover cure or when I’m sick. I also like the version of noodles they use here too («northern vietnamese»); it’s not the phở noodles you may be used to, but it sort of kicks ass. I’m a sucker for wide noodles. Yum yum yum. Also, this place moves extremely fast. Served phở for here or takeout in 10 minutes or less.

Turtle tower is known for their chicken broth instead of the usual beef broth. I was unsure about it at first but after taking a sip of the soup, I was sold. It was really pleasant and refreshing. I’d love to have this on a cold gloomy day and will be cheered up. Also perfect for when I’m sick. Now I’m glad caviar delivers turtle tower.
Next time I’d like to try their chicken porridge (congee). That would be even more perfect when I’m sick.

Really confused with this place. Everyone said it was so good and then I tried it… It has to be the top 3 worst phos Ive ever had.
No hoisin sauce? No bean sprouts?
Just dont eat the phở. Dont understand how they got such high reviews.

This place always MAKES MY DAY! Their noodle soups with chicken or raw beef is fantastic and the price is really amazing: 7.25 $ for a small
Soup which is not small at all! also really quick good service: as a side note, they accept cash only! But really best deal around the area for best Vietnamese! Yum yum!

This is an atypical phở place. The noodles are thick and super duper soft unlike the vermicelli noodles that they normally serve with phở. They don’t have the hoison (brown) sauce, basil leaves, and bean sprouts, and don’t provide extra white onions on the side.
However, it was delicious and a good new experience. The soup tasted really «clean» if that makes any sense. I had the combination phở, and I never had meat that good in my phở before. Also, I didn’t feel all gross and greasy after this meal. In fact, the restaurant was so clean that it almost felt clinical. But, hey, I’m not complaining. A clean place is greeeat for food, and I’m not coming to a phở place for some romantical candle-​lit dinner anyways.
Spring rolls were a great starter here. I would definitely return, but I would probably need a fix of the phở that I’m used to in between.

Had phở once and didn’t think it lived up to all the hype. The soup was just alright and the noodles were the thick kind.
Ordered the chicken rice porridge and all the chicken was at the bottom of the bowl. It was good though, a little bland but good for morning time. But it was also expensive imo $ 8 for a large.
Turtle tower does accept credit cards.

If you’re looking for true, authentic Hanoi style phở, this is the place to get it. Don’t come here expecting bean sprouts and basil leaves with your phở; you get limes and jalapenos and quick, super friendly service. The noodles are thicker than your typical SF vermicelli too.
The rare beef phở is probably the best rare beef I’ve had in awhile. It came out actually still pink and was so tender. The phở ga also has incredible flavor as others have said. The perfect thing to eat on a cold day or if you’re sick!

Phở Ga (with skinless chicken) is always winner! Again, I try not to let myself consume «heavy carbs» so I only come here occasionally. mostly when I’m feeling a little under the weather. Turtle Tower never fails me! Thank the Lord they have another location in the Richmond District so I don’t have to trek all the way to the TL every time!
My mommy isn’t a huge fan though because she says they use a lot of MSG here. I’m just going to pretend like I didn’t hear what she said!

My go-​to for chicken phở in the city. The broth tastes clean and there’s a good amount of chicken. Fairly priced and good service. Perfect for a chilly day. I went here on a Sunday afternoon and liked that they were playing Sunday NFL on the TVs.

Tried the phở ga since they seem to be known for it, and was satisfied with that decision. It’s northern style phở (= sans bean sprouts, leafy greens, sauces, etc), which I don’t mind as long as the flavor is there. The noodles were thicker than normal, tasty nonetheless. Broth was clear, flavorful; generous enough amount of chicken and ample amounts of chopped scallions and cilantro in the broth. Went during lunch and it was crowded as expected, even more so in this rather cramped interior. Overall happy with our lunch here.

There is a lot of places in the TL that you can go to for phở. This can possibly be the best one. This restaurant looks a lot bigger once you go inside. There is plenty of seating for different sizes of parties, and the wait time here for a Saturday lunch was negligible. The place is well lighted and the restrooms were clean and well-​maintained.
My friend told us that this place is known for their #9, the Phở Ga. I decided to get the large size as I was very hungry. The Ga was pretty good and tasted different than the other soups I get in LA. The broth was full of flavor and the portion size was perfect. We also got spring rolls which tasted pretty good with the peanut sauce. I was well satisfied with my selection.
The service here is pretty good. The spring rolls and the soups arrive in a orderly fashion. The wait was not too long. The people working here were respectful and kind. I enjoyed my time here, and my friend that lives down the street told me that he’s going to make this his go-​to phở place. I definitely see myself coming back here when I’m in the area.

We came in for lunch and we didn’t finish our food. It was not good. The flavors of the broth was not clean and the food lacked flavor and oomph. I realize this is suppose to be a regional style of serving phở but my Vietnamese dining partner and I were not fans. We looked around and saw people of many ethnic background but few Asians.
We had to have phở again for dinner to right things with our taste buds and brains. We had to erase the memory of Turtle Tower from our palates.

BEST SPRING ROLLS IN THE WORLD.
It was here that I learned about Northern style phở — no bean sprouts, basil, or hoisin sauce. The broth is also more bland but GOOD! The noodles were so different than what I’m used to; they’re wide and flat. I enjoyed it!
Also, really good egg soda.
It’s (almost) right around the corner from Brenda’s, so you can grab some crawfish beignets to go after.

After a night of drinking, you wake up feeling kind of nasty. Your stomach is queasy, yet it screams «feed me»! You don’t want to get out of bed, but then your friends suggest, «let’s go to Turtle Tower!»
So, you get dressed, or stay in last night’s clothing (whatever), trudge out of your apartment and walk (or Über/​Lyft/​etc) to the dirtiest part of San Francisco proper — the Tenderloin. As you walk through the streets, you look down at your feet, avoiding wet spots — potential pee puddles — and brown stains — because you never know if it’s animal or human. (But honestly, does it make a difference? Poop is poop!) You cleverly dodge the homeless and crackheads screaming nonsensical words at you from the sidewalk. You hurry past the whiffs of BO and dried piss, willing yourself not to gag — either from the smell or the hangover or both.
And finally, you make it! The wait list might be long, but you know it goes by fast. The moment you get seated, the waiter comes through and asks for your order, because they know that everyone, you included, is «ready» as soon as they are seated. You order a large phở ga (#9), because «go big or go home», «yolo», etc. And when your bowl of phở comes, it’s like the first rain of the year in California during the drought — it is a miracle!
Anyway, you gorge your bowl, you pay, you go home, and you take a nap because the adventure to Turtle Tower wore you out.
We’ve all been there. And if you haven’t, what are you waiting for?

I’m a big fan of Northern style phở and think this is a good option in the Tenderloin. I’m not a fan of the hoisin and sprouts anyway. I was first introduced to Hanoi style phở in Hanoi, just before the embargo was officially lifted. I was hooked at first sip.
The different beef options are my go to, depending on the weather and my mood. I usually get the small sized bowl as that suits me perfectly for lunch. The spring rolls are good and the restaurant is always full and busy.

I haven’t been back to Turtle Tower since they redecorated the place — and I like it! It seems warmer, welcoming and more spacious. The phở ga and those fresh noodles still rock, and if you need to get up the energy to clean your home, drink a Vietnamese iced coffee! I did and I came home and I wanted to clean for some reason LOL! Yes, they do have a lot of caffeine so don’t drink it too late in the afternoon if you want to sleep decently — take it from me! It’s soo good though.

I’ve been many times to Turtle Tower. Went again Sun 8÷30÷15 and got there before 11am, no wait for a table.
I got Phở Tai Ga Small $ 8, not on the menu, secret dish you can ask for. Very tasty.
Café Sua Dua $ 3.45 — slow drip at your table, I like
Saw a bunch of Older white ladies — none got the famous chicken noodle soup. One even asked for soy sauce.
One white guy came w/​an Asian guy and he could not get his dish. Had to send dish back because he wanted «crispy» chicken — I’m guessing he wanted Fried Chicken. He doesn’t know it’s not known for Fried chicken in Northern Vietnamese cuisine. Then he wanted Pan-​fried noodles (a Chinese dish!) — Still not what he wanted. So much drama. Just eat the food or leave! Aiya. Was painful to watch, glad I was done quick and didn’t have to listen anymore.
Randy F. said they take credit cards even AmEx, I’ve been paying cash! Oops, next time, Charge it!
2 unisex bathrooms in the back — no key needed, someone’s in there if taking forever.

Love this place! My brother took me here because he’s a regular and won’t stop talking about this place! My brother moved out of the house a couple of years ago, so he doesn’t get to enjoy my moms homemade chicken broth whenever she makes it. This place takes that void away because the food feels like moms cooking!
The workers there are all so nice and since my brother is a regular, the owner gave us an extra order of their delicious egg rolls because she knew my brother was treating me out and it was my first time so she wanted to make it special.
The parking is terrible but if you’re lucky, someone will be pulling out of their parking spot right as you drive by!

I’m a fan of this style of phở! It’s noticeably different than the other phở restaurants I have tried. The wait can get pretty long at this place. On a Saturday afternoon it was about a 30 minute wait. It’s not in the best part of town but worth the visit. The service is very friendly and were attentive to us. They used to be cash only but they take credit cards now.
I ordered the small #1 well-​done flank and brisket beef phở ($ 6.75). The bowl was so good I actually wish I had ordered a large. The soup is very flavorful I didn’t need to add any sauces to it. The noodles are a lot wider than the phở I’ve had in the past. The soup is lighter and full of green onions. There’s also no bean sprouts and basil to add but trust me you won’t miss it.
The rest of my table ordered the popular phở ga (chicken phở) which they all loved and have been raving about. I thought it was tasty but I actually liked the beef better. My friend said it was the perfect hangover dish. We also got thai iced tea and three color bean dessert (each $ 3) which were both pretty good.
Overall I highly recommend that you try this place out! You can’t compare it to the other popular phở restaurants since the style is so different.

They moved to the next door building for more room and modernized the interior of this place!
Their classic favorite of mine is their chicken noodle soup! Ask for extra jalepeno slices and lemon wedges! I love it zesty!
It’s a great comfort meal — especially during the cold days!

Was in the area and wanted some Phở, as my husband had never tried it. We were at a nearby bar and asked the bartender where he would recommend a good phở to eat. He mentioned the Turtle Tower was a few blocks away and that it was the BEST in San Francisco. We left the bar and headed to the restaurant and walked into a super casual, but clean and friendly place.
We ordered Phở with a side of the seared pork and a couple of the veggie spring rolls. WOW!!! the food is so clean and fresh and tasty! My husband fell in love and said we would definitely plan to come back. The servers were very nice, the service was quick and the food was just amazing.
Next time we go, I am getting the Chicken Noodle soup. The server said it was their number one sold item and recommended I give it a shot next time. She even stopped by our table to show it to me as she went to deliver it to another customer who had ordered it. Yes, I do agree I shall try it next time we are in.
GREAT place and its close to everything. See you soon Turtle Tower!