If you’ve only ordered pho at Pho Fresh 2U, you’ve missed the dish the restaurant itself leads with. Ask what Pho Fresh 2U in Elk Grove is known for, and its own site answers first with the Steamed Bao Taco line — a format that takes the soft, pillowy steamed bao bun familiar from dim sum and folds it, taco-style, around a filling instead of serving it as a round sandwich bun.
Bao Bun vs. Bao Taco — What’s the Difference?
A traditional bao bun (like the restaurant’s limited-time Sexy Honey Baked Bao, $11.95) is typically served as a soft round bun, split and stuffed. A bao taco takes the same steamed dough and folds it over a filling the way a taco shell folds over its ingredients — same soft, slightly sweet steamed exterior, different shape and eating experience. It’s a genuine fusion format: Vietnamese-Chinese steamed bun technique meeting the handheld, foldable format of a taco.
The result is something that eats faster and messier than a rice bowl, holds up well for sharing, and lets the kitchen showcase a filling — pork belly, brisket, grilled chicken, salmon — without diluting it in broth or rice.
The Full Bao Taco Lineup
Pho Fresh 2U’s Steamed Bao Taco menu currently includes:
- Pork Belly Taco — $15.95
- Hot BBQ Pork Taco — $14.95
- Fat Beef Brisket Taco — $14.95
- Chicken Breast Taco — $14.95
- Salmon Belly Taco — $15.95
Each is built on the same steamed bao shell, so the differences come down entirely to the protein and its preparation: pork belly for richness, Hot BBQ pork for a tangier, spicier profile, brisket for a beefier bite, chicken breast for a leaner option, and salmon belly for the seafood lover.
The Vegan Version
The vegan kitchen — which runs its own broth and utensils, separate from the main line — mirrors the format with three options:
- Tofu Belly Taco — $13.95
- Mock Chicken Taco — $14.95
- Hot Damn Tofu Taco — $14.95 (the name signals a spicier build)
This means the bao taco format isn’t reserved for meat-eaters — it’s one of the few items on the menu where a vegan diner and a pork belly fan can order the “same” dish and compare notes.
How to Order Them
Bao tacos are listed individually, which makes them a natural add-on to a pho order rather than a full meal replacement for most appetites — order one or two per person alongside a bowl, or a mixed set of two or three flavors for the table to split. They also work well as a starter while a pho order is still simmering, since the steamed format holds heat well without getting soggy.
Order direct: online-ordering.innowi.com/branch/phofresh Visit: 8325 Elk Grove Florin Rd Ste 800, Sacramento, CA 95829 (Calvine Corner) Hours: Sun–Thu 11:00 AM–9:00 PM | Fri–Sat 11:00 AM–10:00 PM
The Bottom Line
Bao tacos are the item Pho Fresh 2U leads with when describing itself — and for good reason. Five meat versions and three vegan versions cover almost every dietary preference, and the format itself (steamed bao dough folded around a filling) is different enough from a standard taco or bao bun to be worth trying on its own, not just as a pho side dish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: What exactly is a bao taco? A: It’s a steamed bao bun — the same soft, slightly sweet dough used in dim sum — folded around a filling in a taco shape, rather than served as a round split bun.
Q2: What bao taco flavors does Pho Fresh 2U offer? A: Pork Belly ($15.95), Hot BBQ Pork ($14.95), Fat Beef Brisket ($14.95), Chicken Breast ($14.95), and Salmon Belly ($15.95), plus three vegan versions: Tofu Belly ($13.95), Mock Chicken ($14.95), and Hot Damn Tofu ($14.95).
Q3: Is there a vegan bao taco? A: Yes — Tofu Belly Taco, Mock Chicken Taco, and Hot Damn Tofu Taco, all made in the restaurant’s separate 100% plant-based vegan kitchen.
Q4: Are bao tacos a full meal or an appetizer? A: They’re sized and priced as a starter/handheld item — most people order one or two per person alongside a pho bowl or another entrée, or a mixed set to share.
Q5: How is a bao taco different from the Sexy Honey Baked Bao? A: The Sexy Honey Baked Bao (2 pieces, $11.95, listed under Special Limited Time) is a more traditional baked bao bun; the Bao Taco line uses a steamed dough folded taco-style around a specific protein filling.
