Veggie filled pho, Pho Time PB

Festive Pho Time

Pacific Beach has more than its share of boisterous bars and crowded restaurants that cater to binge-drinking college kids. But Pho Time, on the infamous Garnet Avenue strip, delivers the opposite experience with affordable Vietnamese food in a calm setting.

Maybe the unremarkable scene is due to pho’s reputation as a hangover cure... I did note numerous take-out orders and a few disheveled patrons clad in sweatshirts, lounge pants, and Uggs. Then I remembered that’s just everyday, relaxed-P.B. style, prior alcohol consumption aside.

The attentive server delivered appetizers before I had a chance to pour my Tsing Tao ($4.10) into a frosty mug. This pace continued with the delivery of a steaming bowl of vegetarian pho, which was given time to cool while my attention was directed to the first course.

Simple but satisfying shrimp spring rolls, Pho Time PB

Spring-roll fans will appreciate the protein options, including shrimp, grilled pork, chicken, beef, and tofu, all served with a peanut sauce. The shrimp spring rolls ($4.25) were light, flavorful, and full of fresh lettuce and bean sprouts.

I welcome all forms of fried calamari — rings, strips, and tentacles can find their way onto my appetizer plate any day. Pho Time’s menu notes that five pieces are included with the order ($7.85), but the strips were twice the size of a typical portion and over-fried, resulting in a shriveled, tough impostor of my beloved appetizer. They arrived alongside a lemon wedge and overly sweet aioli.

Curled in protest calamari, Pho Time PB

Vegetarian pho isn’t always easy to find, but when you do, it’s usually accompanied by a flavorless, watered-down vegetable broth. Pho Time gets it right by producing a salty, savory broth complemented with rice noodles, tofu, broccoli, carrots, bok choy, and green onions ($7.65). Garnished with bean sprouts, basil, lime juice, hoisin sauce, and chili garlic sauce, this vegetarian soup is crave-worthy.

In addition to the meat and seafood versions of pho ($7.65-$9.25), Pho Time also serves up traditional dishes including broken rice ($8.75–$13.45), rice vermicelli ($8.75–$10.25), and bánh mì (Vietnamese sandwich, $5.25).