I eat here almost weekly. This is one of many Pho Lena's in town, and I heard they are all part of the same family but this location is my favorite. The food is fresh and served in huge portions. The staff here are hard working and friendly. There is one server here that doesn't take your sh*t, so if you're rude, God help you. You get what you give. Come in and get the lunch special, comes with the soup of the day, a salad or fried roll, and your choice of heaven for $10! The yellow curry here has the perfect thickness and flavor. The pumpkin squash soup is a delight and packed with squash. Hands down some of my favorite pad Thai in town. The Pho is legit but I think they add way to much rice noodles, but I'm a broth lover so don't take my word for it. Come on in and try something new. You'll leave happy. read more

Pho Lena Spenard - Restaurant seated area - Vietnamese Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

Great food! Ordered papaya salad (Lao style, medium spiciness) combo with fried chicken wings, pad saeeww with chicken. The salad was on point! Pad saeeww was delicious and reasonably priced! The service was awesome. The restaurant had traditional decor with pictures of food on the walls. I highly recommend! read more

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Solid Pho, good Thai. Can be loud with kids running amok. Not really the restaurants fault but it happens more often than I see elsewhere.

This place has a huge menu and most things I've tried are pretty good - but there's one dish everyone needs to try that I consider my favorite overall flavor in Anchorage: #42. Lao Tom Yum Wonton (with homemade flat noodles and add chicken if you're so inclined) This is a Tom Yum soup base, made Lao by the addition of coconut milk, with tofu, wontons, and you have to ask for the flat noodles that great with it. This is a veggie dish, but I recommend adding chicken. read more

Really great Pho for Alaska. This place is my fav in anchorage. The bowl was like a swimming pool. The broth was full of flavor and super hot. I am not a fan when the broth is like...just warm. I also got the spring rolls which tasted very fresh. My lovely wife of chicken teriyaki and loved it. read more

I ordered pho from Pho Lena three times while visiting Anchorage! It was delicious!! Highly recommend the pho gai! read more

Pho Lena Spenard - Pho Gai - Vietnamese Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

Great food and service. I got the beef pho and my husband got teriyaki chicken. Both hit the spot!

Visited this place twice about a year apart. The food was unimpressive both visits. The first time I ordered a pumpkin curry which was not very good. The more recent experience I ordered a stir fry which was average. Portion sizes are large, but the quality it very average. read more

Good food with extensive menu. Very reasonably priced. Service was quite quick given how busy they were.

The food was excellent! Our group ordered pad Thai with tofu, drunken noodles with chicken and chicken pho. Very delicious. The restaurant itself seemed like they did not have enough staff to handle their business. Several rolling trays of bust dishes were at the edge of the dining room. Not terrible, but definitely distracting from good ambience. We were traveling in from out of town. Next time I would probably order to go. read more

Ordered the yellow curry and egg rolls. Flavor is spot on, yummy! But, my yellow curry didn't have potato... the curry is VERY watery without it. read more

Pho Lena Spenard - Vietnamese Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

Seriously everyone at Pho Lena never made a bad dish of food ever. Best Thai food in Anchorage hands down. Go to this Spenard location.

Delicious! There's a reason why it's often busy. Pretty quick even with that. The lunch specials are the best because you get some of several things at an affordable price. read more

This was a great find for a light lunch on a cold day. Both my partner and I got pho and enjoyed it very much! He had pork and I had brisket and meatballs. We also had their iced coffee which was decadent. Prices are reasonable, environment was nice though there were modifications in place for covid of course. We'll definitely be back next time we're in anchorage. read more

Pho Lena Spenard - Thai Iced Tea or Thai Iced Coffee Pho Beef Brisket and Beef Meatball and substituted pork in one pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

I love their broth and food so good. It's not a big restaurant but I also don't feel crowded.

Vietnamese, Thai, and Lao. Huge menu (over 100 dishes). Fast casual and fast takeout. Tons of Veggie options and they can accommodate a ton of the dishes for vegans and such. Reasonably priced. Had the curry noodle pho and it was amazing. Will probably go back tomorrow to get it again. Highly recommended! read more

Pho Lena Spenard - Curry noodle pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

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Although I love Pho, I am incredibly particular about what kind I get and where exactly I get it from too. I have a couple spots in Anchorage that I stick to..but I was being treated by my cousin & I was curious about this restaurant (that she claimed was her absolute favorite). I had the Curry Pho ( #45 I believe ) and it was absolutely amazing!! The generous portion size, the piping hot coconut broth, and the vegetables mixed in..absolutely perfect on a snowy day. It was sweet, spicy, and just delicious. 10/10 definitely would come back & have some more :) read more

Pho Lena Spenard - Curry Pho (reg. size) - Vietnamese Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

Oxtail soup is one of the best! It's always a little pricey wherever you go but worth it. Pad Thai is good too but I love my soups so pho and the oxtail is really yummy. read more

Very good soup noodle. Our Uber driver told us about this location. We were not disappointed. This looks like it's locally owned and the servers work very hard. I would highly recommend this place if you're looking for some authentic Asian food. read more

Ordered seafood pad Thai through the phone. Flavor was good. Not enough protein to justify the cost. Service was quick, and the chili oil and condiments by the exit amplified the flavors. read more

Pho Lena Spenard - Seafood Pad Thai. - Vietnamese Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

I would rate it 5 stars but I found a long piece of black hair in my noodles so it definitely threw me off a bit (all employee's should wear hair nets please). An did employee offer to refund me but I said it's okay and I wanted to pay in full with a generous tip. I usually order the Kao Poon Noodle and it's delicious and consistent. So yes, this place is one of the Thai restaurants that is more authentic and good. read more

If my favorite restaurant is measured by the number of time I visited, Pho Lena is clearly my favorite restaurant in ANC- not unusual to hit it 3 times in a five day trip. Lunch is quick and they have a bunch of filling comfort food items that will be on you table quick. Dinner is a chance to check out the menu and try something new. If I had any complaint it's that they don't had pad prik, my favorite Thai dish. read more

Rude customer service. Don't waste your hard earned money here! Better places to get pho in anchorage.

Dont have to wait to be seated just find at table and place your order. During our time there they were short staffed and service was poor. While waiting noticed lots of insects flying around the dining area which is not good. The food though was good and tasty. Just improve on service and dining environment and all is good. We will still return as the people here are nice and friendly. read more

Always fresh and hearty soups!! Friendly staff. There noodles are tasty. Very family oriented and relaxed atmosphere.

This place is glorious. Clearly tucked inside an old Pizza Hut building, there is everything to love about this place. Fast service, huge portions, good prices, and delicious quality Thai food. Wow! I am sure this can rival Thai eateries from any big city. The homemade flat noodles are 10 out of 10. We were in ANC for 5 days and came here twice. I never do that sort of thing on vacation but this place was worth it. Warning: that chili oil is SPICY af read more

Best Thai in town, hands down. I've tried them all, this is the one I go back to. Their coconut soups are incredible and so are their curries. Pretty classic and amazing pad Thai. read more

Apparently all of the good ethnic restaurants in town are on Spenard. Pho Lena has a fantastic menu - I probably spent as much time deciding what to order as I did actually eating. I decided on the Lao Mee Kah Ti, a peanut curry noodle soup with chicken, egg, peanuts, and rice noodles, after seeing good reviews and photos. The soup was delicious with a hint of spice and a nice consistency, not too watery or too thick. I liked that the little condiment jars are already on the table so I could add some chili oil for an extra kick. I also got a taro smoothie, which was tasty despite being a mix. I sampled some of my friend's panang, a rich red curry with vegetables and duck. Like the soup, the curry was the right consistency, and the duck was tender. I definitely want to try the curry next time. We also got a nice little plate with very fresh bean sprouts and lime, which was a refreshing addition to the soup and the curry. Prices for food are average for Anchorage, but their drinks are overpriced. $4 for Thai iced tea or coffee and $4-6 for a smoothie made with Big Train mix is too much. The portion size was generous and I had plenty leftover to take home. Service was okay but could have been better. The server, while nice and polite, came to take our order, deliver the food, and that was that. No water refills or anything. Also a girl who was not our server delivered the check long before we were finished eating, which is a huge pet peeve of mine. But the food was delicious so that made up for it. I left full and satisfied and ready for a nap. I intend to go back since there's a lot of items on their menu that I want to try. read more

Pho Lena Spenard - Lao Mee Kah Ti (peanut curry noodle soup, menu item #47) - Vietnamese Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

Lena, what's up? The locals seem to adore you, but my visit was a mess. Yuuuge menu. So many items make it hard to choose! I made a face, used some eeny-meany-miny moe methodology and shot for the basil-thai-ish dish with veggis and tofu. It was tasty, sure, but the sauce was rather thin. I found myself stealing from another dish on the table with a garlic sauce. (Number 75? 76? on the menu) Both dishes arrived in big portions and came accompanied with a pile of white rice the size of Mount McKinley. Our app, which was reminiscent of spring rolls I've eaten (they called 'em fresh rolls because they have some 'tude), came AFTER the mains were served. Annoying, but it happens. We muscled our way through 4 of 8 on the plate and promptly gave up. The shrimp contained in them was exceedingly fishy, and the rest of the ingredients were superbly bland. Even with the chili sauce provided, they couldn't be saved from the garbage can. Maybe I chose the wrong items, maybe it was an off day, or maybe I've just had better food.... Space is large and a bit messy. I was making little jokes that they kicked out the pizza hut that was likely in the same building 15 years prior. Decor is all over spectrum. read more

Pho Lena Spenard - Half the fresh rolls - Vietnamese Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

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My oh my....anchorage wins the award for the best PHO in all the states I travel for work. The coconut broth with lemongrass and chicken, 3/4 the way down the menu - rocked my world! read more

Fantastic - everyone this place has exceeded expectations- get there early as the place fills. Mongolian beef is amazing. Spring rolls are delicious as well read more

This place doesn't disappoint, it is delicious! Their recipes are on key, they are authentic and remind of legit Vietnamese fine cuisine. I've had the drunken chicken noodles, their spring rolls which the sauce they come with is amazingly good, their Pho with rare steak as well as with seafood is delicious as well. Their size portions are great and the wait staff is quite attentive. Here's a pic of my most recent Pho with Seafood read more

Pho Lena Spenard - Spring rolls with delicious sauce - Vietnamese Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

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We came here for dinner the other night and it was a decent find. Pros: + Vegetarian friendly + Reasonably priced + Plenty of options + Quick wait + large portion sizes + Friendly service Cons: - "Spicy foods" could definitely use a little more heat read more

I'm super new to the city and stopped in on a whim but will absolutely be back. The waitress (Kenzie) was super attentive, gave fantastic recommendations, and seemed to really love her job(: The food was amazing and exactly what I needed on that cold wet day. I ordered the chicken pho which was flavorful and quite filling. Ended up loving my food so much that I ordered a yellow curry with chicken, to enjoy at home (: I especially loved how comfy the interior of the restaurant was.! Felt like I was snugg at home on the couch, actually ended up just eating and playing Pokemon for like an hour and a half lol. All this to say, my service and food were both fantastic and I shall return! Super shout out to Kenzie, she really made the experience(: read more

A plethora of option , Pho Lena is a jack of all trades for your pallet. I love the Spring Rolls & love their chicken stir fry with Basil or the option with garlic. If your a red curry fan, you won't be disappointed on their options. Never have had to wait for a table, big portion sizes, and quick friendly service had me walking away happy with a satisfied belly! read more

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This used to be my favorite go-to, as the Pho is top shelf. After almost a year, they began offerring in-house dining, so I took my sons (7 & 6) for dinner last night. It looks like they were understaffed, based on how long the tables waited for service. I ordered sesame chicken for my kids, and I had my usual Tom Yum. One child was up half the night vomiting, the other awoke to *explosive* diarrhea. JFC, what the hell is going on there? read more

Am I the only one that doesn't get this place? No Lao jerky. Kinda disappointed that's what I specifically came for. . Got the egg rolls and the rib eye...which turned out to be a New York..so they said. Spicy? Oh I was wishing and hoping. Bland steak no seasoning. Meager portion of steamed broccoli and cauliflower. Idk...maybe this is a pho place only? Really not impressed. read more

Pho Lena Spenard - Pho Lena - Vietnamese Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

Pho Lena is probably my favorite Pho/Vietnamese restaurants in Anchorage. Not only is their food full of flavor and delicious it also comes out in large portions and it is reasonably priced. Their new Spenard location is larger and they seem to be keeping up with the change very well. My only complain is the shrimp is not the freshest (I think it's previously frozen) so I would recommend sticking to land meat like chicken or tofu. Service is polite and relatively attentive. read more

Pho Lena Spenard - S23. Pretty good! - Vietnamese Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

Although pho might be in their name, their Laotian food is what you want to come here for. Why? Well, not only does their menu feature a hefty selection of Lao dishes, but the owners are actually Laotian. My personal rule of thumb: It's a good bet that people of a particular ethnicity really know how to cook the food of their culture. Case in point: their Lao pumpkin and coconut soup. Prior to my latest visit, I have never tried such a combination of ingredients. One might be led to think that this dish leans towards the sweet side. And it definitely does. But the soup is more sour than anything, perfectly meshing the citrusy flavor of lime with the creaminess of coconut milk. Definitely a unique flavor profile that leaves me craving more. Their Lao Mee Kah Ti is another winner, with its rich curry flavor and chunks of congealed pork blood (ordered Lao combo style). Not for everyone, but that just means more for me. Lastly, I wanted to comment on how awesome their banh mi is here. This ain't some shitty reproduction that barely deviates from a pedestrian sandwich stuffed with grilled meat and maybe some pickled veg. They proudly advertise the usage of head cheese and pate and the result is a sandwich chock full of appealing textures and meaty flavors. Y'all can continue to order their Vietnamese, Thai and Chinese food. But where Pho Lena truly shines is in the food of their home country. read more

Pho Lena Spenard - Gloriously goopy, crunchy, fatty banh mi. - Vietnamese Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

Ive been in food service for 8+ years. This place is trash - anybody who likes their pho doesn't know Authentic Vietnamese food. OSHA would have party here with the amount of filth and poor upkeep. Both times ive eaten here there were flies landing on my table or around my food. Gave it a second try and it took 40+ MINUTES to get a menu... Male waitress mopes around without a sense of urgency. When he saw I was a party of one he sighed under his breath as it was a waste of his time serve a party of 1. Went to the front desk and kept my compsure- described my experience as it'd been nearly an hour at that point without seeing a menu. Middle-aged female server said "Im sorry, we were busy." I Replied: "I've never been treated like this before at a restauran... it felt and looked as if you didn't care whether or not to take my order. You gave me a cup & plate and proceeded to look at me sit their for the next 40+ minutes. I watched 3 groups sit down while trying to get the attention of my original server" Middle-aged female server replied with a confused look on her face: "Well I'm sorry we were busy". I still never received a menu and feel descriminated and mis treated. Worst part is I wanted to invite my business partners to check out Lena's Pho. As it was a well-established and well-know local spot. Disappointed in the food, cleanliness, and customer service. This is coming from a food service worker Making his first ever Yelp review. Goes to show how poor the service and cleanliness was. I wouldn't eat here for your own safety. read more