Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Obao

    4.0 (4.5k reviews)
    Closed 11:30 am - 11:30 pm

    Order Obao Takeout or Delivery

    Obao Photos

    Business Info

    OBAO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Trendy
    Happy hour specials

    Recommended Reviews - Obao

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Christine C.

    I love this place! Starting out with the ambience, I thought it was very nice in here, but just keep in mind. It does get a little bit warm in the summer and I wish there was a little bit more air running. I got the khao sai and it definitely is a do not skip on the menu. This was so flavorful and honestly a bang for your buck. The drinks were really cute and unique and overall I really can't get over how delicious all the food was. The service was really quick and our waiter was really nice so all in all I really recommend this restaurant.

    PHO BO (MICHELIN RECOMMENDED & GLUTEN FREE).
    Marissa C.

    While walking down the street in Hell's Kitchen, Obao caught my family's and my eyes. We looked at the menu and noticed that there were many gluten-free options, so we decided to try them out. The hostess stated how she had a long reservation list, but was able to get us right in! Once we sat down, our server, Spaghetti, came over to us. He was extremely friendly and took our drink orders right away. I ordered an Espresso Martini, and it was delicious. My father ordered a Vietnamese Iced Coffee, which was extremely tasty. For our entrees, my mother ordered the Pad Thai, and my father and I ordered the Pho Bó. My mom absolutely loved the Pad Thai! The Pho Bó was incredible. The broth was so delectable, and it was honestly the best broth that I have ever had. The portions were also incredible, especially for the price and being in the city! Once we received the check, we noticed that next to the Pho Bó, it stated that it is Michelin Recommended, and we completely understand why! We are looking forward to going back!

    VIETNAMESE CHICKEN WINGS WITH CRISPY GARLIC.
    Shaquille P.

    Super cute resturant. Did not realize it has a second floor with and without window views, truly a surprise. I loved who dimly lit and clean the space was, all the way to how clean the bathrooms were. Our server Jennie was super kind and attentive, she was also super kind to my son as well. Our drinks and food were perfect; i had ordered the drunken noodles with is normal spice level and it was perfect. My son also had the Vietnamese wings, jasmine rice and broccoli, THOSE WINGS & THAT WING SAUCE !!!! That wing sauce needs to be bottled, it was soooo good. I had their berry mojito which was nice and refreshing as well, perfect for the hot day it was. I truly appreciate how their restaurant has gratuity already included in the total price, we really need all restaurants to adopt this because our servers deserve decent living wages. If you are looking for a nice comforting Thai meal, stop by Obao!

    PAD SEE EEW
    Christian Z.

    Jennie was awesome. We informed the staff that we had a show to attend to and they were quick and expedited our orders. The ambiance was fun and vibey The food is a mix of Vietnamese and Thai. We had the calamari and spring rolls. The spring rolls were refreshing and perfect. We were a table of 8 people with a 6 year old. Pad see ew was decent. Vietnamese pork chop not too sweet in the marinade and cooked perfectly. The tofu and eggplant garlic was okay. Mid on the spice level. The Pho was good. But served luke warm. The flavor had a great amount of salt and acid.

    Pho Bo
    Allen B.

    Went to Obao for a family dinner on May 20th 2026. Cool little spot, decent decor not anything too crazy. We ordered the wings and spring rolls to start. Spring rolls were very fresh, wings are very flavorful. Mains, my babies had the Pho Bo, which they enjoyed. Wifey went with the fried rice main and I got the green curry chicken. That curry is really good I can't front. We had really good service from the wait staff. We got a side of beef, like short rib on the bone. It came out cold but I told my wife that's maybe because the expectation is that you out it in the pho? Overall solid place that we will revisit.

    Obao Bun Platter
    Steve L.

    After [fiiiinally] catching the matinee showing of Book of Mormon with my brother in town, we ended up at Obao with another friend who was theater-going. The place is pretty big/multi-floored, pretty upscale ambiance, very nice in appearance. We were seated pretty quickly and had a nice table upstairs. The service was prompt and helpful (although they initially wanted me to toss my cup from the Book of Mormon - which I was trying to keep as a memento as I stupidly left my playbook [and scarf] in the theater, but after I explained, they allowed me to hang onto it). We ultimately ended up ordering the Obao bun platter as a shared appetizer, which features grilled pork, shrimp, tofu, beef balls, crispy spring roll, vermicelli noodles,fresh vegetables, pickled carrot and radish, peanuts and nước châm sauce. Just an FYI, while "bun" is in the name, this dish has no buns [hun] - though you can make lettuce wraps. I really enjoyed this, had a wide array of food, all delicious. For my main, I ordered the Bo Luc Lac (seared diced New Zealand grass fed beef , onion, grape tomatoes and top with crispy shallots) - thought it was great, the beef was very tender and the flavors were on point. Really nice. For drinks, brother got an Allagash draft, and I was still in a good place from fun times at the bar at the show, so wisely settled for water...which a younger me would have never done lol. It was really nice being near my old stomping grounds from my Hell's Kitchen days, and wish I had dined here before leaving - really good, decently priced food (especially for the area); will definitely be on my short list next time I'm around.

    Garlic EGGPLANT TOFU WITH SPICY GARLIC SAUCE (VEGAN & SPICY).
    Chrissy R.

    Was craving eggplant tofu and this hit the spot. Did pick up - restaurant was clean and busy - always a good sign! Also got sesame chicken.

    Stacy L.

    Wonderful dinner experience. The ambiance was perfect. Soft lighting, but not dark, the restaurant was lively, but not overwhelming. Our waitress was wonderful. She gave us menu recommendations and perfectly responded to all our questions. The drunken noodles were phenomenal! The serving size, presentation, taste, all 10/10. As a tourist, it was easy to see that this is a place where locals come to enjoy an evening out with good food and drinks.

    Kimberly B.

    This place was super cute and vibes were cool in the daytime and I'm sure it gets crazy at night. They have an upstairs private party area type and it's very cute. The Thai food was ok it wasn't as authentic as I would prefer and I know my authenticity when it comes to Thai food since I eat it all the time back in Cali. The service gets an extra star cause they were so accommodating and so kind. I would come here just for the vibes for sure. Cocktails were good.

    Lovell C.

    I came to New York during the winter and the weather was absolutely freezing, so naturally we were craving something warm and comforting. My boyfriend loves pho, so OBAO felt like the perfect choice, and it completely delivered. We ordered the pad see ew with chicken, and the noodles were incredibly tender and tasted fresh, not heavy or oily at all. We also got the braised short rib pho, which came in a very generous portion and was rich, flavorful, and perfect for warming up on a cold day. To round things out, we ordered the bo luc lac, which came with rice and was cooked beautifully. The service was friendly and attentive, and the ambiance was dimly lit and cozy, giving the whole place a really nice vibe. It was the kind of spot where you can relax, enjoy your food, and escape the cold for a bit. Great food, great portions, great atmosphere. I would definitely come back.

    VIETNAMESE CRISPY SPRING ROLLS (GLUTEN FREE).
    Dana P.

    My family visited Obao on a recent visit to NYC. This is definitely not a tourist spot. The restaurant is beautiful and the food is excellent with great depth of flavors. We ordered the spring rolls, pad se yu and garlic noodles. All of the items were delicious and worth ordering. I highly recommend checking them out.

    KA PRAO KAI KHAI DAO
    Francisca B.

    What a great place to dine and hang out with friends. The service was good, food was delicious, everything was perfect! I didn't take photos of all the food because we were so excited when the food arrived lol so I only remembered to take this one. We tried the crispy spring roll, shrimp tom yum, ka prao kai khai dao, pla todd and mango salad. So if you are in Hells Kitchen area, stop by at OBAO for delicious Asian food!

    Thai Iced Coffee
    Sheila K.

    During our NY trip, we were trying to figure out what to eat before going to see Back to the Future: The Musical... we came upon this spot. We are always down for Thai food wherever we go, even better that it was a Vietnamese fusion as well-- if we decided to go that route. It's very nicely decorated, loved the ambience... and they kept it really clean. The staff was super friendly, and very attentive. The food was good. Can't say I was wowed but it was good. We got the Phad Thai (with shrimp) and the Pork Belly to share, we weren't super hungry and wanted to leave space for after the show. I liked the Phad Thai-- there was a good amount of shrimp and they were cooked perfectly... the poached egg, however, not my favorite on this dish... that's just me. The Pork belly was good, I was just missing my rice (didn't order). He got beer, I also got the Thai Iced Coffee -- it was solid. All in all, we enjoyed our visit here. The overall experience was nice and we wouldn't mind going back to try other things on the menu. Again, they were good... they just didn't wow me with the food so I've got to stick them in the middle for now.

    BÒ LÚC LAC (3/5)

    See all

    4 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    15 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    3 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    30 days ago

    Food was great, service was excellent, and the ambiance was nice too. Definitely a must-visit!

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Sean C.
    421
    597
    3017

    10 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Rits M.
    264
    647
    1253

    9 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    3 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 days ago

    Didn't like the employees' attitudes. Could've been better. Left a lot to desire. Too loud, close tables.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 20
    Thanks 9
    Love this 21
    Oh no 1

    10 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    23 days ago

    Prompt, attentive service. Tasty, generous portions. Tight tables with slightly loud atmosphere.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 1

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Neil M.
    597
    350
    1059

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 1

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 114

    Obao Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Obao

    Do you have a wine list?

    I don't

    Do you guys have halal options?

    No. This is Asian cushion with no halal options

    Do you do deliver? What areas of New York do you deliver to?

    You need to contact the restaurant for that info

    Do they have the fresh wide noodles for pho?

    Any gluten-fee options?

    Pho that is Michelin Star Gluten Free

    Are reservations necessary on Saturday around 2 or 3?

    Not necessary but recommended!

    Does the food have MSG in it?

    No effects and we wouldn't go otherwise

    Are reservations required?

    We made reservations and went early.There were plenty of tables but it filled up while we were there. Given that this is in the Theater District I would make reservations for sure.

    Salt pepper shrimp?

    Just heavenly.

    Has anyone made a reservation for 8+ people? Is there a minimum amount each person is required to order?

    My team had lunch there, it was a party of 7 and we had extra seating at our table. So 8 ppl is definitely fine. I don't think there's a minimum purchase to be seated, we each spent $18 there, after tax and tips.

    Do they make a vegetarian pho (or other hot soup) option?

    No, I went and they had very very limited vegan options (stuck to edamame and alcohol). The soups all use animal based broth so not vegetarian either.

    Do you have to sit at the bar to get happy hour prices or do the deals still apply if you sit at a table?

    Happy hour deals also apply if you sit at the tables.

    View All 13 Questions

    Annam Cafe

    Annam Cafe

    4.2
    (22 reviews)
    0.7 mi

    Popped into this new Vietnamese spot by Herald Square for a quick weekday lunch. The place is fresh…read moreand clean, with a modern self-serve setup where you order via iPad. I got the pho ($21.78), which is steep for pho, but I guess that's Midtown prices for you. The wait was a slog--over 20 minutes for a bowl of pho, which other Yelp reviews warned about. When it finally arrived, the soup lacked that authentic pho aroma, which was a letdown. On the plus side, the beef was fresh, and the reusable to-go bag was a nice touch. Decent, but the wait and price make it hard to love. Might try again if they speed things up.

    Okay, so I came back after a couple weeks from my first visit and had the most perplexing…read moreexperience. I ordered "Plain Pho", which is described as just broth and noodles, no garnish or meat. After waiting 30 minutes, for what is literally the simplest item on the menu, the bowl is brought out and it's a bowl of broth with a couple slices of chicken. No noodles. When I inquired, the server told me it's because I ordered the Plain Pho... yea and I said it comes with noodles and broth. They told me they could get me noodles, but acted like they were doing me a favor by fetching noodles for me, which was quite offputting because the noodles were quite literally half of the dish I actually ordered. How does one wait half-an-hour at a very casual fast Vietnamese food place, for premade soup and noodles, and still have the order wrong? In the end, I did get my noodles and broth, but the fact that I had to spend this much time and also justify my request for noodles (which are part of the dish) is quite insane. I put this at 2 stars for now, because I enjoyed my first time. Hopefully the service will improve.

    Photos
    Annam Cafe
    Artichoke Tea
    Artichoke Tea
    Saigon Special Beef Pho

    See all

    Saigon Special Beef Pho
    Nom Nam

    Nom Nam

    4.6
    (187 reviews)
    1.3 mi
    $$

    Came here for dinner on a weekday. The restaurant is near my friend's place. The place was exactly…read morewhat we were looking for... Inexpensive, cozy and comfortable atmosphere! The place was a little busy, but they didn't take reservations. Amazing service and delicious food! The food was fresh and came out fast. Portions are generous, so you definitely won't leave hungry. My favorite dish was Vegan Pho without tofu, which was delicious, also gluten free, dairy free and soy free. Others had something else I had no interest in to remember the name. Their menu has many options to offer, including gluten free, soy free, and dairy free options. We would come back again and highly recommend you check out this place if you are in Murray Hill Manhattan.

    Stopped by Nom Nam as a family after a long day doing the Statue of Liberty tour, and it was a…read moremuch-needed sit-down meal. We ordered a mix of things and overall the food was good. The viet bao stood out--really flavorful and probably the best thing we had. The pho was okay, but coming from LA, it's hard not to compare, and Little Saigon still does it better. My daughter got the famous wings and those were solid. The kids especially liked the prawn chips that came with them--ended up finishing those pretty quickly. Good spot to recharge after a long day out, especially if you're with family and want something satisfying without overthinking it.

    Photos
    Front of shop
    Front of shop
    Banh Mi - Ham & Pate
    Banh Mi - Ham & Pate
    Nom Nam

    See all

    Pho 39

    Pho 39

    3.4
    (92 reviews)
    0.6 mi

    Midtown New York is not exactly known for quiet, intimate dining experiences. It is known for…read morecrowds, noise, and restaurants that seat you next to a stranger close enough to accidentally share an appetizer. So when my family stumbled into Pho 39, a tiny spot with just a handful of tables tucked away from the chaos outside, it felt less like finding a restaurant and more like discovering a Rebel outpost that somehow survived undetected in the middle of Imperial territory. The menu is exactly what you'd expect from a solid Vietnamese spot: pho, combination rice plates, the usual lineup. We were ready to order and move on with our lives. Then we saw the tacos. Vietnamese tacos. On the menu. Sitting right there between the banh mi and the spring rolls like they'd always belonged. Nobody in my family said anything for a full three seconds, which for us is basically a standing ovation. We ordered the duck spring rolls to start, which were fresh, well packed, and disappeared faster than a starfighter in hyperspace. For the mains we went with the beef flank pho and the banh mi combination special. The pho had a clean, well developed broth that clearly had some time put into it, and the beef flank was tender enough to make you slow down and pay attention. The banh mi combo was solid, balanced, and hit all the right notes. We did not get the tacos this visit, which means we have a built in reason to return and nobody can argue with that logic. For a small room in the middle of one of the busiest cities on the planet, Pho 39 manages to feel genuinely calm and focused. Good food, good value, and a menu with enough surprises to keep things interesting. The Force is strong with this little spot.

    This review is for takeout-- I ordered a catfish banh mi for…read morepickup. A banh mi is about 11 bucks before tax which is pretty rare around midtown nowadays. It isn't massive but you can finish it and not want to fall asleep at your desk afterwards which is ideal (for me). I walked in maybe 10 mins after I ordered and was greeted with smiles. My sandwich was ready for me too which was great, in and out, easy. The sandwich itself is delicious! It comes with a small ramekin of very spicy rooster sauce. I would definitely order for pickup from here again for the days I want to grab a quick lunch and get right back to work!

    Photos
    Pho 39
    Grilled Pork Banh Mi
    Grilled Pork Banh Mi
    Pho 39

    See all

    Obao - vietnamese - Updated July 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...