Phở Ca Dao in Santee is the Huynh family's East County location in a multi-unit Vietnamese restaurant group founded in 2001, with additional kitchens operating across San Diego in Mira Mesa, Rancho Bernardo, Poway, and Mission Valley. The name “Ca Dao” translates to “folk songs” in Vietnamese, and the 9535 Mission Gorge Road kitchen anchors a retail strip that also draws post-workout traffic from CrossFit Caffeinated at 9530 Pathway Street directly behind the shopping center. The pho menu offers at least four distinct broth variations — including a beef-rib-and-filet-mignon premium build — alongside broken-rice plates, banh mi, vermicelli bowls, and crispy cha gio egg rolls. Vietnamese drip coffee brewed through traditional phin filters and mango boba smoothies anchor the beverage program. The Mission Gorge corridor's evening beverage scene extends east to craft options at The Malt House at 9179 Mission Gorge. Each pho broth base simmers bone stock for a minimum cycle before ladling over fresh rice noodles, bean sprouts, Thai basil, jalapeño, and lime in bowl formats ranging from regular to extra-large.