The pho is really good, served with a side plate of fresh bean sprouts, lime, peppers, and basil leaves which can be added to the piping hot bowl of noodles and meat in broth. The meat is added in a raw state just before serving and essentially cooks in the bowl. I usually get the flank steak or rib-eye and am sparing with the peppers, as the seeds can be a bit too spicy for me.
What I really like at An Loi is the Vietnamese grill special. For about $7 at lunchtime ($9 for slightly larger portions for dinner) you can choose a combination of any three grilled items served over a bed of rice. They offer about a dozen choices with my favorites being the thinly-sliced grilled beef and pork which are prepared in a salty marinade with a touch of sweetness, or the grilled shrimp. But they also have lemongrass chicken and tofu.
The service is usually very fast even when the place is packed, and you get great food for a reasonable price. It's in a strip mall and the decor is spartan, but the food is accessible to even picky eaters. I like these two dishes so much that I've never gotten around to ordering the other entrees like the Pad Thai. I did try a can of the bubble tea once and didn't like its watery consistency and the gummy bubbles in it, but I chalked it up to a cultural experience.
The bottom line is that the food at An Loi is always tasty and fresh, and I always leave satisfied.
Getting There
An Loi is just off Snowden River Parkway near the intersection with Broken Land Parkway. From MD 32, take the Broken Land exit going north and take a right at the first light onto Snowden River. Turn left at the first light onto Minstrel Way and then turn right into the strip mall past the gas station. An Loi is in the second building toward the back of the parking lot.
An Loi Restaurant
7104 Minstrel Way
Columbia, MD 21045
(410) 381-3188
Open M-Th 11 am - 9 pm, Fr-Sa 11 am - 10 pm, Su 11 am - 8 pm
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