This was my first time at this location. The weather was gloomy so there wasn't many people inside but it was such a perfect day to have some pho. The food came out fast which was nice. We ordered chicken wings for an appetizer and the wings were juicy. I would definitely order that again. The pho came out next. There's a dollar difference from the small to the big size so I went with the bigger size. They provided jalapeños, onions, and mint. On the table, they have Sriracha and oyster sauce on the table already so you don't need to ask for that. The pho was good so I will definitely come back. The Thai tea was good but on the sweeter side which I love. The coconut Boba was good, but the coconut flavor is not that strong so next time I will be tasting a different flavor. The coconut Boba came out as a slushy, which was amazing. I had a great meal. One thing I noticed is, once you get your meal, the servers do not pay that much attention to you so you have to get their attention or go to the bar area. You also have to pay at the bar area. read more

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The food was amazing! It was that random cold night we had with rain. It was day three and I wanted my pho and my pho I received. Fast and friendly service from the staff as well. read more

Pho 79 - Vietnamese Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

Best Pho near me. The spring rolls are delicious and the pho is amazing comes with all the good topping . And the staff is so friendly customers is amazing the staff and quick with refills. Food always come out fast and out. read more

It's been a year since I've been here and the prices have skyrocketed. The large and small bowl of pho are $1 difference. The broth is still pretty good. The service has gotten better as it appears they hired more people. read more

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Craving for Pho brought us to this place. It's kind of out of our way but I was happy to found it easily. They have parking in front and back. We came in for lunch earlier than the crowd for lunch. So we got seats fast. The place is clean and dining area is large. The servers were quick to come and get our orders with smiles. They were very pleasant and helpful. We received our pho soup right away and my combination bbq sticks. The meat were well marinated and taste so good. They have its distinct lemon grass taste that I love. The pho was large serving and came perfectly blended. We enjoyed eating our order with easy conversation. I truly enjoyed this delightful lunch as an early start for the day. Thank you ladies for a great lunch. God bless you. read more

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The soup was absolutely delicious especially with the chili oil, lime and saracha. The customer service was on point. The restaurant gave really good vibes. The banh mi was really good especially with the Saracha. read more

Pho 79 - Bánh Mì Heo Nướng - Vietnamese Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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It's been 10 years since I first fell in love with Pho 79. I'm happy to say I still frequent the restaurant and enjoy it as much as I did the first time. They are fast and friendly. Easy and simple dining experience. The Pho Thai is my favorite. Brought my father here on 2 recent visits and he loves it! read more

Pho 79 - Vietnamese Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

Bowl was great as usual. This was my first time trying the short rib it was amazing and tender. The shrimp skewer was also really good.food came out quickly. read more

Pho 79 - Short Ribs (2) Shrimp Skew (1) Vietnamese Spring Rolls Vietnamese Egg Rolls Pho Tai - Vietnamese Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

Service was not great, my friend wasn't given glass of water even asked several times. They are busier filling door dash orders than attending to the handful of customers in the restaurant. Even when I paid at the counter afterwards, an odd comment was made to me in Vietnamese- the man (walks around in a beret) said to give tip in cash so it doesn't go to the owner. Not sure what's going on there, but I thought that was a tad crass. Ambiance is gloomy, too dark and heavy decor (they try to give this pagoda feel). Dated. But how is the food? The Bun Dac Biet (special vermicelli with 3 skewers of grilled pork, chicken and beef) is not bad. Just lacked veggies and peanuts!!!! My friends ordered the Pho #4 (steak, flank, brisket) - both took a while to come out and didn't have the same temp of meat - one seemed overcooked like it was from the bottom of the pot simmering for hours. Food would be a solid 3. read more

Pho 79 - Vietnamese Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

There's a small and large size of pho. I got the large because my stomach is endless for pho haha. There were a lot of noodles and meat for a pretty decent price. I got the #8 pho that has brisket, tendon and tripe. My boyfriend got the #6 pho that has round steak, brisket and tendon. He really enjoyed his bowl too. I do want to try their bubble tea, vermicelli bowl, and appetizers next time. There is a parking lot across the street that we park and walk across. It is only a minute walk. Overall, 8.8 out of 10. read more

Pho 79 - Pho #8 - Vietnamese Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

Honestly this is the only place I like to get pho, even though they're linked with the other Pho 79's in the 757. This location (in Ghent) has so many vegetarian options (like the vegetarian spring rolls in the rice paper that has tofu instead of shrimp). They have two entrances- one in the front right off of 21st st and a small parking lot with an entrance in the back off of 20th st. The service is quick, even when they're super busy, and the staff is efficient & friendly. My girlfriend and I split the pho tai and got extra noodles, and the extra noodles came with broth (which I didn't know), but the broth tasted different than the pho tai broth and the noodles were more soggy or soft- I don't know how to describe them. They weren't as good as the pho tai, so we probably won't do that again. We'll probably just split the large portion of pho tai and get our two appetizers. read more

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Strange experience. Incredibly empty restaurant for a Saturday night at 6:30 PM. Service was weird. The spring rolls we ordered never came. The vibes were so off. Food was fine. Nothing was amazing, nothing terrible. Just kind of fine. For the price, you could go somewhere else and get much better quality food and atmosphere. It was an okay experience overall, I guess. There were only like 4 2-tops including us in there for like an hour on a Sat night though... so that says a lot. Save your time and money. It is not worth it. However, the food came out fast. This just seems like a place that has clearly not changed in like 20 years. No new menu items. No new tech. Just the same as the other Pho 79s. It's fine, but boring. read more

A large bowl of pho is nearly $20 and you get mostly noodles. My full bowl only had four shrimp and adequate amount of the very dry processed flavorless pork. The broth was good I didn't care for their type of glass noodles which seem tough to me. Overpriced for what you get there's very little shrimp and crappy quality pork. The service is not very attentive and they brought the wrong bowl size to begin with. You have to pay it to register because they won't bring you a check to your table. I can live with that but not with the cheapskate way they make the pho bowl. read more

Pho 79 is a steady place for your pho phix. They put a LOT of meat in their pho, and that's alright by me. They offer bobas made fresh with plenty of flavors. I appreciate that 79 makes the effort to offer a warm, vibrant, inviting dining area with a bar. So many good Vietnamese places are dark, dank, and drab. How about a coat of paint and some wall decor for Pete's sake? Sorry, for the rant. Fortunately, Pho 79 ain't that kind of place. They got good eats and a nice place. Pho ga is a winner if you're looking for a rec. read more

Pho 79 - Taro boba. - Vietnamese Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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Great food! Everything I've had on the menu (and it's been a lot) was delicious! Go and enjoy some authentic phó

Absolutely love this place. Family owned business with great customer service! The food is fresh and fast. I've had the banh mi and pho and enjoyed them both. Busy sometimes but give them grace, it's a small team read more

delicious food. Very fast. Friendly staff. I always come here 10/10 , my only complaint is that once I get served my food the waiter never comes back to the table or refills waters but other than that I love this place sm read more

Service is just about the slowest thing here. Walked in at a time where we were the only ones in here. We were told to sit anywhere we wanted, so we sat by the window in the front. Someone comes and asks "you guys know what you want already right"... but he wasn't joking. He genuinely thought we knew. We had never been here. Anyways we got drinks, which took about 10 min fir two waters, and also ordered food. Kid-size pho, and skewers. By this time, others had come in, but we had ordered first. Another 20 min go by waiting for food... guy says "your food is coming right up, bud" Son, I'm old as shit. Anyways. Got our food and it was low-grade Vietnamese food to me. Did not finish our food and we just took it home because we hate wasting food. Other stuff happened.... and their service is lacking horribly. In short, go elsewhere read more

Dinner was Bomb! Wifey was craving some pho and I really wanted some Korean BBQ. This was the perfect match. She had her chicken pho and that's just what she needed. The large was a Lot, so much that she couldn't finish it but that's okay as it can serve as lunch for me. The Korean BBQ short ribs I had though were AMAZING! The flavor, quantity, insanely good. Listen, my wife is a cook, which means she knows her flavors, this meal tonight was jam packed with flavors that had us both floored, full and happy. This is the third time we've been to this location but the first time I tried the Korean bbq and I'm glad I did. read more

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So i ordered takeout to go and they forgot my broth for the pho. Asked for a refund but they cant do refunds just store credit. I recommend you don't get to go but just eat there instead. Its usually a good place so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt since they tried to make amends with me. Its a really cute place and im just a little disappointed at their service professionalism. Otherwise food is good. read more

Okay, so they used to have a lot of great veggie options. I'm not sure if they're limiting what they make for takeout or if something has changed, but we ordered from them last night and the vegetarian spring rolls weren't listed anymore. I also got my normal bun chay and it was on a bed of cheap lettuce with thin sliced baby bellas, carrot ribbons, no chayote and big chunks of bland fried tofu. Not at all what I usually get from them. The beef pho, skewer and no-pork spring rolls were fine. Putting a picture of last night's B7 and the old kind if I can find one. read more

Pho 79 - Veggies from the new bun chay. - Vietnamese Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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Today we had Bún Bò Huế - Spicy soup with thick vermicelli noodles, beef shank, slices of Vietnamese pork bologna and pork knuckle. nd Mì Đồ Biển - Egg noodle soup with shrimp, squid and fish ball. The first was mine and instead of a spicy broth with full layered flavors, what I received was more reminiscent of dishwater...thin and flavorless. The pork knuckle was mostly fat and cartilage, obviously not simmered nearly long enough. My wife's dish did not have any fish balls or squid, but did have some shaved meat. Clearly the wrong dish, but never saw waiter to notify. Place was not dirty, but wasn't truly clean either. Tables were tacky, utensils were well worn and place just seemed tired. Busy to-go business, so perhaps dine-in gets lost. Wouldn't recommend. read more

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Food quality: very authentic Vietnamese taste! The lemongrass marinade is amazing. Portion size: a bit disappointing if you're starving. The meat portions are a lot more in the other locations. Service: pretty attentive given that there's 2 servers for the entire restaurant. Would come back again! read more

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Churn Tom Shrimp, fried rice take out Was delicious. My family lovely vegetarian. read more

This review is strictly for take-out. I came here on a weekday mid-afternoon for take-out. I was told this Pho 79 is much better than the one in Chesapeake and since I was just around the corner, I decided to try them out. I pulled up and called my order in. I ordered my hubby's large #9 with extra broth. I ordered a Korean BBQ with rice. They said it would take about 25 minutes but it really did take about 30. No worries. They seemed to be pretty busy with take-out orders since the dining room was pretty empty. I came home and without letting hubby where I got it from, he said to me "Wow. The broth tastes extra good today!" Mission Accomplished! As for mine? I can't believe the portion size of my Korean BBQ! It was much more than the usual I get at the other place! And as usual...It was amazing!! When I'm in the area, we will definitely be going to this Pho 79! read more

Pho 79 - a man holding a bag of food - Vietnamese Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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Great little spot to get a great bahn mi sandwich. I got the marinated grilled beef. I've been craving a good bahn mi and this one hit the spot. I'm not sure if they make the bread in-house, but it paired nicely with the carrots, cilantro, and beef. The server was polite and the service was fast. There was a good group of people there really close to closing, which shows how quick the service was. Great find in Norfolk! read more

Pho 79 - a sub sandwich on a tray on a table - Vietnamese Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

Service is good but pho tastes watered down it's noticeable. And meat doesn't tastes as fresh as other spots in norfolk. Personally I wouldn't come back. Pho is probably a 3/10 read more

This is one of the very few Pho spots in Norfolk/VA Beach. It's located in a strip mall with plenty of parking. Inside, there's a large dining room with booths and several tables. Behind the bar there's jars of bubble tea powder and there's a fridge with beer as well. As far as the food goes, the prices are pretty affordable. Pho broth is pretty hit and miss. My last two visits, they were both misses, and that's pretty disappointing as the broth is a big part of Pho. Portion sizes were pretty good. Shrimp spring rolls were well made with good sized shrimp, coupled with a sweet dipping sauce. Lemongrass and pork banh mi is another classic and made very well. Their bread has the perfect crunch. Decent size pieces of pork with good flavor. Bubble tea is blended into a slushie-type drink with soft bubbles. Not bad. Overall, a good spot for a quick bite or whenever you have the Pho crave! read more

Alright first off I am not a Pho expert I just like food so take my review for what it's worth. Been here a couple times and not disappointed. Tonight it was rainy and Pho sounded amazing! Placed and order to go and it was ready when I showed up about 20 minutes later. Spring rolls on point especially with the peanut sauce. We got the steak, chicken and the meatball Pho. HUGE portions. As in we used kitchen pots to eat out of because I don't have bowls big enough. I did heat up the broth before pouring over the ingredients to make sure it was piping hot. They come with hoisin sauce, Sriracha, mung bean sprouts, cilantro, green onions, lime, mint leaves and the meat in the big containers. You take that, put it in a bowl (or pot) and pour the broth over the top. Usually I have to add soy sauce and/or salt to my pho but not here. The broth is perfect! Pro tip, your GPS will take you to the front of the building on 21st Street. There's no street parking right there. Go around the block and park at the back. There's an entrance there (photo below). You can walk in and to the register from there. read more

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We visited pho 79 twice on our week long trip here in Norfolk. Both times we got Bahn Mi sandwiches which were so good! If you haven't tried a Bahn Mi before, definitely come here to try it. It is definitely always looked over on the menu but trust me, get it next time you're here. The price is good, the flavor is amazing and you won't regret it! Also, not pictured is S5 which was the chicken one. We preferred 1 and 6 more so we ended up ordering those the second time around. TIPs: Call at least 15 mins ahead of time if you're doing take out! Add Pate and jalapeños to any sandwich for more flavor and a kick! read more

Pho 79 - S1 (viet deli meats) and S6 (pork) - Vietnamese Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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I ordered their Korean marinated short ribs and it tasted amazing! I would definitely come back to order it. My family enjoyed their pho, but there wasn't anything that stuck out to make it incredible (we love pho so we have tried better pho before). That being said, we would still go back here if we're wanting pho in the area! Their staff is friendly but I would say it was very noisy in the restaurant - there was a radio playing music inside the dining space and different music blasting from the kitchen. It was funny to us but just a heads up if you're looking for a more quiet, serious restaurant to eat at. read more

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I was hesitant to order from here initially since the overall Yelp rating was so-so, but after a closer look, found that most people were just voicing their frustration over Grubhub or DoorDash orders. We did takeout instead, and I'm happy to report I was more than satisfied! As someone who typically orders Pho at Vietnamese restaurants, I decided to try something new and got the Vermicelli bowl with Chicken. Everything was very good; portions were large (albeit still a little pricey) and I got three juicy, flavorful chicken skewers atop a bed of rice noodles and pickled veggies. My fiancé ordered the Bahn Mi which was soggy by the time it made its way home, but nothing a few minutes in the toaster oven couldn't fix. Overall the menu is pretty standard and not too impressive, but if you're looking for a reliable Vietnamese place with large helpings, then this is the place to go. read more

Pho 79 - Chicken vermicelli bowl - Vietnamese Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

Pho was sub par, although my husband enjoyed the grilled pork chop. The service is slow and the girl behind the counter seemed like she hates her job. I saw her making faces behind the Asian guy's back. Goes to show she doesn't want to be there. read more

Me and my boyfriend live this place, the food is delicious and everyone is very nice. The drinks are also very well made!

After five years and a multitude of visits since my original review, an update is well past overdue. Based upon my number of check-ins, this has also become my favorite lunch spot in Ghent. Pho 79 has become a popular local franchise with a total of nine locations to date. There is one in Suffolk, Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Williamsburg, three in Virginia Beach, and this one I am reviewing again in the Ghent section of Norfolk. The original Pho 79 opened near the Pembroke area of Virginia Beach Boulevard in 1997. It was there when my love affair with Pho first began. The Ghent Norfolk location opened in 2011 and was preceded by a number of other popular restaurants. Imperio Inca, a Peruvian restaurant, opened in 2007 and closed in 2011 before the Ghent location of Pho 79 took over. Cora, a southern style restaurant, operated in this spot from 2001 to 2007. The Bienville Grille, a wildly popular Cajun style restaurant, operated here from 1989 to 2001. The Ghent location has become my favorite Pho spot in Hampton Roads. I have tried a number of the other Pho restaurants in Hampton Roads, and this one has provided me with the greatest consistency of quality, service, and satisfaction so far. This is the only Pho spot I have found that provides me with extra condiments without even asking. They know how much I love jalapenos, which I always add to my soups. In addition, they offer me extra broth for my soup if they see that I have slurped it down too quickly and at no extra charge. They keep their eye on me and make sure I am well taken care of. In addition to Pho and other Vietnamese soups, they also offer Bahn Mi Sandwiches, Vermicelli Bowls, and Rice dishes I always go for the Pho or one of their other Vietnamese soups. I can't resist. Their patio is also now open during the current pandemic, where I enjoyed a bowl of Pho this past weekend. They are also selling cloth masks priced at $5 and $7, depending on their size. I bought two of them. I always start off my meal with the following: VIETNAMESE SPRING ROLLS (Menu Item A1): Two Fresh Rice Paper Rolls Filled with Shrimp, Pork, Cucumbers, Cilantro, and Vermicelli. Served with a Peanut Dipping Sauce. Their spring rolls have improved since my original review. There were times when their rice paper coverings used to be a bit tough and chewy. This is no longer the case, as they now practically melt in my mouth. Their peanut dipping sauce is also my favorite in the area. Their version is blended with a well proportioned amount of hoisin sauce, yielding a most delicate and elegant taste and texture. This is now one of my favorite appetizers in Hampton Roads. My Rating: 5 Stars. My favorite soup selections are described as follows: PHO TAI, NAM, GAU (Menu Item 4): Rare Round Steak, Brisket, and Flank with Rice Noodles, Chopped Scallions, Onions, and Cilantro in a Hot and Savory Beef Broth. This one has been described as their most popular selection and is the first bowl of Pho I ever tried. It was love at first slurp and continues to be so. I especially love the rare round steak. My Rating: 5 Stars. PHO GA (Menu Item 10): Shredded Chicken with Rice Noodles, Onions, and Scallions in a Hot and Natural Chicken Broth. Their Pho Ga gets my vote for the most flavorful and satisfying chicken soup in Hampton Roads. This is the selection I order most of the time and always when I have a cold. It is chock full of more chicken slices than any other chicken soup I have tried in the area. Their chicken broth exhibits a deeply rich flavor I find immensely satisfying. My Rating: 5-Plus Stars. BUN BO HUE (Menu Item N1): A Spicy Vietnamese Soup with Thick Vermicelli Noodles, Beef Shank, and Pork Bologna in a Simmering Broth infused with Lemongrass and Hot Chili Oil. Garnished with Onions, Scallions, Cilantro, and Purple Cabbage. This is what I order whenever I am craving a blistering hot and spicy soup. The version served here never fails to deliver the heat and make my hot tooth sing. It especially hits the spot on a cold winter day. I have only tried one version of Bun Bo Hue elsewhere that I liked just a little bit more. It was prepared with the addition of pork blood cubes, which gave it a deeper dimension of flavor. My Rating: 4.5 Stars. MI DO BIEN (Menu Item H4) A Vietnamese Egg Noodle Soup with Shrimp, Squid, and Fish Balls in a Simmering Pork Broth. Garnished with Green Leaf Lettuce, Scallions, Chives, Cilantro, and Fried Shallots. This one is my choice whenever I am craving a seafood based noodle soup. The flavors of this one always deliver the goods. My Rating: 5 Stars. The Pho 79 location in Ghent has definitely achieved a winning formula of success, as shown by the large numbers of diners I have seen during their peak lunch hours before the pandemic. Their upgrade to a 5-star rating is well deserved, and I look forward to seeing their business return to its usual popularity when conditions return to normal. read more

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Not the best pho I've had, but not the worst. I came here because it was the only place in the area open at 3pm. Friendly staff and quick on service, we were welcomed the minute we walked through the door and taken to a table. I ordered the mango boba, ordered some rolls and chose H4 - squid, fish meatballs and shrimp with egg noodles. The rolls weren't the best I've had, but they were edible and I was hungry. Sadly, the squid was really chewy and my bowl smelt like it just came out of the sea, thus making my clothes soak the stench in...but hey, I did order the seafood pho, right, so that's totally my bad! The fish meatballs tasted alright, the broth was spot on with a generous amount of noodles. The table we sat on, however, was not the cleanest, and the "cutlery" aka chopsticks and soup spoon that are stacked on the table looked a bit suspect and in need of a wash though. I would come back, but it wouldn't be my first choice. 3 stars for this Pho 79 location. read more

Pho 79 - Rolls - Vietnamese Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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Best Pho, wholesome and comforting. My favorite place to go. There was an old man working there for the longest time, I wish him well, he's was so sweet to me and my babies. Taught me how to eat pho the right way. I love it so much I will drive all the way from North Carolina for it. read more

Their boba is so good I always get their cantaloupe boba smoothie ! The boba is fresh and the drink has the perfect amount of sweetness ! The food is so good i recommend getting the pork bahn mi sandwich ! The service is amazing ! read more

The food was pretty good. I thought the portions were very well sized. I would suggest that you show up a few minutes before the order time as I showed up at the extra start of the pick up window and made the 7 minute drive home and the Pho was cooled. . Also the way they packed the pho wasn't great. I asked for utensils and extra siracha sauce did not get either. For cost... it was a fair price but not a great deal. read more

Worst pho I've ever had. Definitely tasted like it was made the day before and microwaved. Also was NOT worth the price. Very expensive when compared to other pho places. read more