Pho 79

You could spend an entire month trying every pho spot in Orange County’s Little Saigon—and most of them would be pretty damn delicious. But if you only have time for one, go to Pho 79. The landmark Vietnamese restaurant in Garden Grove, open since 1982, is one of the most well-known spots in the OC, and there’s an hour-long wait almost every day to prove it. But frankly, we’d wait two hours for pho this good. You can add a variety of different meats to the soup (the oxtail is their signature), but here, it boils down to the broth. Oxtails are simmered for 12 hours and infused with star anise and other fragrant spices. It’s rich, cinnamon-y, and deeper in flavor than any other pho you’ll find in Southern California. Cash only.