Pho Xic Lo

I love this place. The food is consistent and delicious. I usually get the # 14 which is Phở with well done brisket and rare roast beef. Served with fresh bean sprouts and basil. The broth is beefy with a hint of sweet, the rice noodles are delicate but have a little fight left. Perfect! Red and green onions are in the soup as well. The only way to improve it would be some fresh Jalapeño or similar pepper with the sprouts. The usual condiments are available on the table, chili garlic sauce, fish sauce, soy, etc. A little fish sauce adds complexity to the broth and some chili garlic brings the heat. Fast and attentive service. Be advised parking is a bit of a challenge.

Just ate here. Authentic, family operation. Beautiful broth and beef and tendon. Family vibe. Very casual. Really cool staff tonight.

AMBIANCE: it is bright, open, tons of tables. It’s not the quietest place but it’s decent.
LOCATION: I did not see a parking lot specifically for the restaurant, but there are meters out front as well as free parking on the side streets.
SERVICE: it was quick, friendly and accommodating. They were all speaking Vietnamese so I assume this is family owned.
FOOD: I ordered the phở with brisket and round steak. They only serve one size but it’s a huge bowl. Portions were equal to a large/​extra large in the US. The meat was tender and sliced thin and nicely. There was tons of noodles and even better is they had the perfect ratio of meat to noodles. It’s always a bummer to get to the end and only have noodles and no meat. The broth unfortunately was very bland. I hope that because we got to the restaurant around noon, maybe the broth hadn’t had enough time to sit around and pick up all the ingredients. What ever the reason, the broth was very watered down and need much more flavor and seasonings. I also got the 3 bean dessert (che Ba Màu), it was good for the most part. Nothing special about it, the pandan jelly was a bit too soft.
PRICING: it was a good price for the size and portion we got. It was about $ 9 Canadian and that means about $ 7 for US, currently.

Pretty good phở. Good prices and large servings. They are very fast. The meat and veggies have always been fresh and sometimes it has little purple flowers in it. The wraps are also good and so is the fish.

Great tasting Vietnamese cuisine. Top tier in Windsor. The phở, vermicelli, rice dishes are a must taste and great pricing as well. Would highly recommend trying it out. BUT the only downfall with the restaurant is the owner. I’ve been told by many people including staff that the owner DOES NOT LET THEM KEEP TIPS. That’s a big no no in the restaurant scene. Only reason I get take out 80% of the time I go.

I had the Seafood and Meat Vermicelli, my friend had the Tofu Pad Thai. Both were very good. However, I’ve never had this kind of food before. I can’t give an expert opinion. The server was friendly, and they offered American change. Be warned, it is cash only.
The dining room is similar to that of a cafeteria — but it’s the food that matters.

I was disappointed about how small of a portion their phở is and how expensive it is, again! They sure love to make it very westernized for non-​Asians to enjoy Vietnamese food. No one knows how to speak Vietnamese, which is not surprising.
But I visited this restaurant again for their vermicelli, which was good. Service is slower than other restaurants but luckily I was occupied with the people I was sitting with.

So this is my absolute favourite restaurant in all of Windsor. If you have a peanut, mint of fish allergy you may want to stay clear but I suggest calling at least and seeing what your options are.
The interior of the building has a very nice modern feel to it. Clean, tiles, flat screen tvs. (Some of) the wait staff can come across a little stand off-​ish but they are friendly and very helpful. Food prices are ridiculously low considering the size of the portions. And the food is absolutely sublime. My favourite meal is getting the summer rolls and the 69 – best in the restaurant. The meat is an explosion of flavours in your mouth not tasted in typical North American cuisine. The noodles are always cooked perfectly and taste like heaven – especially after you pour the fish sauce on. Please don’t be scared off by your own ignorance. Be adventurous and try anything on this menu. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed. Not sure if they have any vegan options (update to come) but they do use a lot of fresh vegetables with their dishes so you can enjoy the feeling of a slightly healthier choice for lunch/​dinner. Did I mention the behemoth portion sizes?! I’ve been coming here for years and have never been disappointed. This is a certain must for any consumer.
Oh but be warned, debit or cash – no credit.

Wonderful little restaurant. Very pleased with how good the meals were for an incredibly reasonable price! My husband, who has never tried Phở before, was left with the best impression! Only thing that I would comment on needing improvement would be the service from the waiters… lots of young, teenagers taking orders but not always paying attention to when we needed them to come back so we could order a few Astra things. Other than that, great food and will refer them to anyone who would like to try Phở in Windsor!

After moving to Halifax boy do I ever miss this place sometimes. The phở here is sooo flavourful and fresh, I love the condiments on the table as well. This place is always busy, it’s a well known Windsor restaurant. It’s very neat and clean inside too, it has a very open airy feel. I love to go here with my friend and casually eat phở and spring rolls while catching up. I have seen other people ordering fancy drinks and milkshakes that look really good! I always think I’ll be too full if I get one too but one day I will!
Their rice combos that come with meat and a spring roll are also very popular and look delicious.
You can also order phở for takeout, they pack it up for you. I believe its cash or debit only here.

One of my favourite Vietnam noodle house in Windsor. All food are great. People have to try it out.

Nice fresh tasting dishes, clean restaurant. Ordering done on a chit. Enjoyed experience both times.
Appies:
Tried one of the rolls with mint as an appetizer the first time (autumn roll?) pretty great and the sugar cane with shrimp (winter roll) quite special.
Phở:
Nice, abundant and fresh bean sprouts/​onion, sauces and spices served with phở. Really nice broths, spicy phở was actually really spicy and delightful. Maybe this is a beef with Phở more generally but I can’t say I love the ‘spam-​esque’ meats. Overall quite well balanced but exciting and dynamic bowl of soup. Quite hearty.
Dessert:
What? They have crème brûlée and flan. Got the crème brûlée it was delicious and torched very well. French desert isn’t as out of place as some might think at a Vietnamese spot (if you don’t believe me check out ‘French Indochina’).
Gunshots!

What can I say about this place. It’s clean and located near the university. The service was fast and lots of meal to choose from.
I ended up getting the summer spring roll and grilled pork chop on rice. To be honest, it was average at best and something that don’t make a lasting taste that makes me want to comeback. The spring roll was bland and it’s really just a wrapped salad, this could’ve been better by placing a delicious sauce. The grilled pork chop could’ve been better by having an egg on the side. But the the pork chop was cooked perfectly!
Little improvements are needed to really bumped this restaurant from ok to must go on my books. As a tip, I think they should be serving calamari and orders would go up through the roof. :)

I got take out here a couple days ago and my pork chop was spoiled. Threw it out. :(
The phở that I also ordered was good as usual, but the foul pork chop is hard to forget.

Phở dac biet is good but I didn’t like the meat ball. The broth is very good and they give plenty of meat.
Goi cuon «fresh spring roll» is delicious.
Egg roll is skinny but really crunchy.
I really like their service, fast and friendly. This place is crowded for Wednesday which is a good sign.
Overall, I’m glad that I found phở Xic Lo in Windsor.

I was in the middle of class when I started craving phở so after it ended I bolted towards Phở Xic Lo.
I still always order No. 31 (Seafood noodle soup) which is my favourite! On top of that, if I have room, I order their No.1 Spring Rolls (Shrimp, ground pork, vermicelli, taro).
I absolutely must have the beansprouts and lime that accompany my phở. I always put my beansprouts under my noodles to cook/​flavour a bit and then squeeze the lime into my soup. It’s always great :)

K make sure you start off with a Summer Roll! It comes with a peanut dipping sauce, but since I hate peanuts I ask for fish sauce (sounds gross, but it’s really good). I tried the Thai mango salad, but I wasn’t too crazy about it. The mango was kind of sour. But a friend told me that’s how it’s suppose to be prepared, so I won’t hold it against them. I’ve had papaya salad before, but elsewhere… so maybe I’ll give that a try the next time I’m there.
I usually order Bun when I’m there, you can have your choice of shrimp, beef or chicken and pork. I don’t eat pork, so I can’t really say if it’s good or not… but all of the other choices are awesome. It comes with vermicelli, pickled cabbage, shredded carrots (i think they’re pickled too) bean sprouts, shredded cucumber and they sprinkle peanuts on top (I ask for no peanuts). It comes with a side of fish sauce. It’s such a simple dish, but it’s soo amazing. I’ve had this at a few other Vietnamese places, and this is by far the best!
As for service, it’s pretty fast and the servers seem to be on top of things!

Wish I could have given them more stars. It was a difficult decision but in the end, I needed to go with my gut.
In the taste department, I give them a 4.5÷5. I ordered the Phở Bo Noodle Soup with rare beef, brisket and tripe. The broth was great, flavorful with a tinge of sweetness that separates itself from the others. Heads and shoulders above those Cantonese-​run faux noodle joints up in Toronto.
Anyway, you may ask, «Dude, you gave them a 4.5 for taste but why only 3 stars overall??». Well, to be frank, I ran into a little bit of trouble later on and can only attribute it to the Phở. I think it was the rare bo! Anyway ³⁄₅ stars overall, just like the Windsor City Health Department.
It’s a shame as I enjoyed my meal. Maybe I’ll revisit if they can pull their grade up to an A.

Oh how I miss my days of living down the street from Phở Xic Lo. This place is cheap, dependable and delicious. The «medium rare» phở is something I miss now that we’re in Ottawa — it doesn’t seem to be added raw in Ottawa or if it is it’s stirred in until it’s well-​cooked. At Phở Xic Lo you can still snag a piece or two with some pink left in them and that makes a big difference to me.
Everything I ever tried here was good, but I mostly stuck to the various phở and summer rolls (mmm, so good). I did try the pad thai and it was OK, but I’d recommend going to a thai place if that’s what you’re in the mood for.
I would say more, but there’s not much to say. It’s just a good Vietnamese restaurant. Definitely give it a try.

REVIEW #250!
Can’t believe I waited this long to try this place!
Phở Xic Lo is an amazing place on the corner of Campbell and Wyandotte. The place is a Vietnamese restaurant that offers your standard Vietnamese fare. Their menu consists of staples like phở, rice, rice vermicelli, etc. The prices are inexpensive and you’ll be more than satisfied with under $ 10 in your pocket. The portions are great and the service is good. (I posted the menus in the photos section, so you can take a look)
I got the Jasmine Rice DIsh with Beef and Chicken (And if I wasn’t a big enough fat@$$, I also got an additional Grilled Pork Chop with it). The rice dish comes with a little salad consisting of pickled cabbage, pickled carrots, and cucumber slices. (Also comes with a side of fish sauce) The salad was actually really good. It is kind of sweet though, but I enjoyed it. The rice is aromatic and always good. On to the meat. Their grilled beef come on skewers. It was really tender and just came right off the skewer. The little bit of char it had really accented the taste of that beef. Incredible. The grilled chicken was really good too. Also very tender. It was just as good as the beef was. No regrets in getting either. The pork chop had a nice char to it, but was a tad dry. Still seasoned perfectly though and it was a pretty big pork chop.
This place doesn’t skimp on the portions. Don’t come here if you are looking for a snack. Keep walking and go pick up some chips at Shoppers or something. If you want a meal and you have time to kill, do yourself a favor and stop in here. Leave with your stomach and wallet full.