Pho Hoang Long Marietta

Had a late lunch while on location today, looked at trusty Zomato and found this little jewel. The reviews were pretty solid so I rolled the dice. The location almost looked dangerous, tucked into the old strip mall of lavenderias and bail bondsmen, but I’m always willing to try a bowl of Phõ. Once inside, the crowd was me and a couple of other solos, and I wondered if I’d been duped by family and friend reviews. Turns out they close between four and 5:45 ( weird hours) and the crowd was just thinning out before closing.
The menu was pretty typical; beef, brisket, tendon, tripe. The very first item on the Phõ selection was a combo of all of these, so you KNOW I hit that. The tendon was very tender, and the tripe was delicious, both items let me know if the chef is authentic or not. In most joints like this, I wish they offered a smaller bowl, since the “regular” is often a bucket that I Nearly explode trying to finish! These folks do offer a small bowl, and I thought about it -but went with the regular since I was three hours into missing lunch -if you’re hangry, the regular will do. The XL is indeed a bucket..... the waiter pointed out one at a close by table....I don’t know who could actually finish that alone; maybe the gigantor with it in front of him.
Once my bowl arrived, it was just as I expected in every way; portion, broth, ingredients, and temperature (spicy and heat). Some reviewers have complained of skimpy portions of the meats, but I found it just right. The menu offers a meat portion upgrade for three bucks-I might do that myself next time, even though I enjoyed what I was served. I also really appreciated the sauce selection on the table - not just soy and Sriracha, but hoisin, chili paste, and few other home made flavors - excellent!
All in all, I will be back! This is the best Phõ on this side of town.....I normally have to venture all the way to Buford hiway to have a bowl this good, so I’m glad to have stumbled onto this spot.

Fantastic. Friendly and attentive staff. Egg rolls were the bomb. Fish sauce was delicious. The Pho was awesome. I'll be stopping here often.