Review of Vietvana Pho Noodle House

Gluten Free Folks Please Read.

I have been coming to Vietvana, all of their locations in ATL, for the past year or so very consistently. What won me over was their extensive gluten-free menu and the healthy fresh cuisine that Vietnamese food offers.

Now, I am not celiac but I have been gluten free for almost 10 years due to digestive upset that I experience after eating gluten. I’m very lucky and that I can have a little bit every now and again and it not majorly affect me. It seems to be a cumulative thing for me personally. I want to put that out there as a disclaimer before continuing with my review.

A few months back my husband and I went to the Avondale Estates location and ordered one of my favorites, the build your own pho. On this particular day our sauces came out in a bottle instead of in the traditional ramekin cups that they are usually served in. So I did what I always do with bottles, I picked it up and read the ingredients. Y’all, there is gluten in the hoisin sauce that they are serving with their gluten free pho!

When I discovered this I called the waiter over and confirmed that this is the hoisin sauce they normally put in the ramekins. As a small business owner myself, I went to the social media manager on Instagram and expressed my concerns there instead of blasting them. The person whom I had the exchange with assured me they would reach out to management with an answer. Unfortunately, the answer I received was dismissive. The contended that the pho itself was gluten-free and I didn’t HAVE to put the hoisin sauce in it. I argued back that it’s misleading to label and menu item gluten free if the sauce served with it contains gluten. They stood firm, no matter my concern. So I got off my high horse and let that go and continued to eat there but commenced to bringing my own hoisin sauce from home.

Fast forward a couple of months ahead to today, when I met friends at the same location for lunch. I ordered pho and my friend beside me ordered another gluten-free dish from the menu, the crispy tofu with pepper. We decided we were going to share our meals. When her dish came out it came with a delightful brown sauce on the side. Anytime I see a brown sauce my red flag goes up because often it’s made from soy sauce. And soy sauce, unless it’s noted as gluten free, contains gluten. I double checked with the server about the sauce because now I’m a little gun shy. Surprise, surprise, the sauce has gluten in it!

I called the manager over and expressed my concern. He offered to bring me another sauce, Again totally missing my point that they are going to make someone sick. So I asked for fish sauce and then I was told the fish sauce has gluten in it too! Y’all, the fish sauce is served with many of the items they label as gluten free on their menu.

Now I don’t know about you guys but when a sauce comes with a dish that you have ordered from the menu and that menu item is labeled as allergen friendly wouldn’t you assume that the sauce does not have that specific allergen in it either?

If you are gluten free you might want to decide to eat somewhere else. Do better Vietvana or you’re going to end up making someone very sick.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Not at all

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Not Much/None

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Average

Other Characteristics

• Good for takeout
• Offers delivery