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

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

Holy smokes. The food here is HOT. By hot, I mean "SPICY". (why does this word always look like it's spelled wrong?) Easily the hottest food I've had in Alaska. I got the stir fry curry and asked for it "extra extra extra hot". Shockingly: it was. I blew my face off, and I loved it, because I'm a naughty boy. I hear the Pho here is good, but every time I get sucked into getting some sort of pulse-quickening curry. My only complaint is that they really don't refill the water fast enough. I usually don't drink much water but when climbing my way up the lava fields of Mt Curry, it helps to have a hydration break every once in a while. read more

Pho Lena Spenard - spicy curry soup (that's not the exact name, it's something close to that though!) - 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

I think Pho Lena has the best Lao food in town. Can't ever go wrong with their kaopiek! Their papaya salad is on point as well. I've had it both ways here, Thai and Lao, and they were both so yummies! Their pad Thai and curries are some of my favorite dishes as well. Especially the chicken red curry! Comes with plenty of meat and veggies. Food comes out quick and service is friendly. Perfect spot to grab a quick lunch or dinner! read more

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I don't come to Pho Lena as often as I should. Living in Eagle River is a HIKE to this location. But damn is it worth it. I ordered the Thai Hot Wings & pho potsticker and honestly wasn't expecting anything to special out of the appetizer. Let's just say the wings were phenomenal. From the batter to the chicken that was juicy and fresh. The Thai sweet Chilli sauce that is over the wings makes a perfect combo if you like to dabble in something different then the average buffalo wings. I loved it. But low and behold this wasn't even the main course... The pho potsticker arrived and man. It was just perfect especially for this cold weather we been receiving lately. The beef was tender and adding all the bean sprouts, basil, hoisin and hot oil made this bowl of pho a match made in heaven. The broth had such depth and flavor that I KNOW pho shops all around Anchorage are jealous of. Love this spot. Best pho in Anchorage don't @ me tho. Peace. read more

Pho Lena Spenard - I was so surprised at how delicious these Thai Hot Wings were. Best Asian fried chicken I've had in Anchorage so far. - Vietnamese Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

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The food is consistently good but I had a bad experience today. I came in for my to go order 20mins after I called, as I was instructed. The woman took my money and I gave her a $5 tip. She came back from the kitchen and told me it would be another 20mins, no apology, then turned away from me to talk to someone else. I am recovering from food poisoning and a 20min wait is *not* in the cards for me today, I would have cancelled my order if she had told me before taking my money and generous tip. read more

Wow! The Super Bowl pho bowl was definitely super sized. I'm glad we ordered one to share. Feels up to two people and one hungry person! This restaurant has both Laotian and Vietnamese food. The regular sized pho bowl was $10.95 and the Super Bowl was $15.95. The broth had lots of flavor and of course I added in sauté (chili oil). Restaurant was jam packed. So I'm guessing it's one of Anchorage's favorites. read more

Pho Lena Spenard - Super Bowl combination pho. My hand in comparison! - Vietnamese Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

Please check back on your tables you first served. My entree was cold and had to wait a long time to close out my ticket.

Pho has been a focal point throughout my traveling life since I have instituted the 50 states Pho Challenge. I have often felt like it was amazing to have pho in unlikely places - like Montana and West Virginia. Needless to say, I arrived here in downtown Anchorage on a nice late May date to complete a 5+ year journey of having the traditional Vietnamese noodle soup in every state in these United States. Thankful for yelp, as always, for providing me the locations of where I can go to have such deliciousness in every state. I found this Vietnamese restaurant on a brisk Sunday evening, especially after driving back from the kenai peninsula and nothing really was open after 8pm. With luck would have it, I came across Pho Lena and everything else didn't matter as much. I wanted to get this quest completed and only a restaurant closure for the day was going to deter me. Thankful for Pho Lena that was opened till 9:00pm that evening. With that said, I came here looking for greatness and found it to be very good. I thought that the restaurant was as authentic as many other Vietnamese restaurants I have visited throughout the country. For a Sunday evening, the restaurant was humming and had maybe 1/2 of the tables occupied with hungry patrons. It didn't take long for me to get a table, which is always nice. For the most part though, I did enjoy myself here at Pho Lena here in Anchorage, Alaska. Hopefully you will too. The overall experience here at Pho Lena was as good as you can get. I had a question about the size of the bowl - which was named "Super Bowl". Turns out that it was an extra large bowl that was around $20, so I decided to get the regular sized one, which turned out to be plenty for me anyway. The prices here were decent for Alaska, but in Hawaii, they can go for $12. Then again, Alaska doesn't charge sales tax either. With that said, the restaurant ambiance was nice and casual. It was also quiet enough to be with your thoughts and feel comfortable with everything. The restaurant was clean an decorated very nicely, with cultural icons and other things. The service here was good and average at the same time. I ordered the pho with 3 kinds of meat in it, since the king crab Pho was a bit pricey already. I also ordered some fresh shrimp rolls too to round out the meal. I did enjoy the fresh rolls. Especially when you add in the tangy shriracha sauce into the homemade peanut sauce. It was definitely a delicious treat after a 1/2 day of driving from the Kenai peninsula. The pho itself was delicious. I asked for extra bean spouts, which was delightful and welcomed. It was nice to have that extra crunch with the mixture of noodles and beef marinated in the beef broth. If you have never experienced Vietnamese cuisine or Pho, you should get down here and try some - if you are in Anchorage, Alaska. This Pho Lena Vietnamese restaurant is located at 3311 Spenard Road in Anchorage, Alaska. Apparently, there's 2 other locations of Pho Lena, which is pretty cool too, but my experience is at the Spenard Road location. They accept major credit cards, which is always a good thing. They have a small parking lot for anyone who wants to come here and have pho or other Vietnamese cuisine. They also serve other regional cuisines too, which is pretty cool. For the most part though, I spent about an hour here from start to finish. It was an uneventful dinner of one and don't regret any bit of it. Thankful to have finished my 50 states Pho Challenge here in Anchorage Alaska and maybe I will try again sometime soon. For now, here's to good eating and hot Pho. If you are in the area, stop on by to Pho Lena. It was a good choice for Pho on an easy Sunday evening to set the tone for the week ahead. I'd recommend it! 4.0 stars for the overall experience. 4.0 stars for the service. Thank you to the server who showed me the super bowl. Lol 4.0 stars for the pho and the fresh shrimp rolls. It was good and delicious. Support local! B read more

Took a while because they were busy and seemingly understaffed that day, but staff was pleasant and the food delicious!

Highly recommended. I had the pho soup and it was amazing. Great service we ordered to go.

A nice family owned restaurant. We went in a big group and the service was prompt, the food was on the table quick - and it was delish. Highly recommend if you are in Anchorage. read more

There are 3 of them in Anchorage and our fav is The SPENARD location! The other 2 are great as well but one does not do beef Masaman the way I like and the downtown location does not offer it. Other than that I love them all! read more

The food was good and the restaurant had an almost-diner feel. Spring rolls, soup, and pork chops were great. No doubt helped by the great company and respite from the snow outside. Brrrr! read more

Great staff! They make their own chilli oil. Great heat. Best pho I've ever had and go here every time I come to Anchorage.

So underrated.the food is amazing, great atmosphere, and fast friendly service for take out and dine in. Portions are huge but I can't put into words what a gem this place is. It's a must try. Love the pad Thai and my favorite is the yellow chicken coconut curry. read more

Delicious Pho, a bit too crispy on the pork belly but I was too hungry to let it settle for long. Wonderful ambiance for a laid back eatery, I'd recommend getting a Thai Tea! read more

One of my go to pho spots! Love this place & 10/10 would recommend. Go to order: combo pho extra meat & ox tail on side! read more

Great food and service. Very much wish they would deliver. We would order delivery from them often.

We love this place!! My daughter, sister, and I go here once or twice a month! That oxtail pho is delicious! The food there is always fresh and staff is always friendly! Love this place! Yes, I said it again. read more

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Great pho! Ordered the classic rare steak pho, shrimp/ chicken fresh spring rolls, and some Boba Tea. Service was good! It was busy but my server did well to manage! Would return!! read more

Everything was nice here, versatile kitchen. Tofu vegetable pho was good. Pad see ew good too. Taro smoothie was awesome per friend. Came back for their lunch. Red curry and drunken noodles were good! Pad Thai not as good as other dishes. read more

Way hot! I asks for it! They were kind and bailed me out with a complimentary ice cold soy milk drink!!! So kind!!! Great food!!! 3 pepper too much for me... you?!? read more

Rather pleasant. I needed to get lunch to take back to the office to dine El Desko. I called ahead so that I wouldn't have to wait. My food was ready right on time. I ordered one of the "HOT" curry dishes with chicken. I did not ask for the heat to be increased because I did not know how hot their hot was. Do not be afraid to have them increase the heat. The chicken had an odd texture to it, kind of grainy, tough. The flavor was very mild but nice. The dish was not bad, it's strong point was the value for the money. I will go again and try something else. I will also ask them to ratchet up the heat a bit. read more

Consistent good food. Rub shoulders across all demographics here. Bush crowd to Anchorage scions. Everybody loves good food at reasonable prices. read more

The wife and I came here on a rainy day and it was the perfect day. When we came in the staff was really nice and they showed us to our table. The food did take a little while coming out but in the end it was totally worth the wait this is the first time that I have ever had pho and I was astounded. This place is like ramen noodles except 10,000x better. I loved it I will definitely be coming back here in the future probably tomorrow tbh. Definitely deserves a five start rating. read more

Pho Lena Spenard - #37, and #42 - Vietnamese Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

Great food. horrible service. It was the 6 of us. The bill came out to be just shy of 100 bucks. We left a 15 dollar tip. I see a waitress coming out from the kitchen with my sandwiches I ordered. As I'm approaching her she makes fun of my mother's English and says "she just saying yes, we got order". I was extremely offended but didn't make a big deal out of it. As the waitress hands me the sandwiches, I ask for a bag to put them in and she says rudely that they are 10 cents a bag. I normally wouldn't make a fuss about this but already feeling annoyed I said we just spent a lot of money on food, plus tip and you can't give me a small bag to out my sandwiches in? She wasn't friendly and said it was the law to charge us for the bag. I get it but there's a thing called customer service. They really should of gave me a bag. Anyways, the sandwiches were gross. I would recommend that you order take out because the food is pretty good. read more

Hole in the wall Mom and pop Nonspecific Asian (heavily Lao and Thai). Warning: Crazy big portions Food Quality: Typical Americanized Asian Cuisine, spices are simplified and ingredients are fit for local taste. Not super authentic, but not a bad taste. Nothing to really rave about or memorable. Food Quantity: WOW are the portions huge, I would say 75% more than normal. Service: typical mom and pop Ambiance: Nothing great, hole in the wall read more

This is my 4th update! It's a first! Or really it's a fourth! I'm really glad this place moved from it's old location to the new location down the road because the restaurant is nicer and not as cold in the winter. I like that there is a lot more room and tables here, practically guaranteeing a seat regardless of busyness. There are a lot of great dishes that are unique to me which sets it apart from many other Thai places. I am not a fan of the traditional pho, but there are other soups that I've tried and was very happy with the choices available. The Pho Sukiyaki with the coconut milk and peanut sauce is the bomb, so is the curry noodle soup, and the Lao pumpkin coconut soup. The service from the owners are great and they make an effort to remember you. I like that personable touch. Will come again. Happily. read more

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I really used to be in love with this restaurant. Because it used to be really amazing. But really the food quality has just declined so much the last few years, and the customer service keeps getting worse and worse. What really tipped it off for me was I asked the person at the desk (through phone call) if there was a certain ingredient in the soup base due to allergies (picking up for someone else) and all that was told to me was "sorry I don't know" so we sat in silence until I asked " is there someone you can ask" and they said no. Didn't even try to ask any of the cooks or even offer to find out. Just said "sorry bye" It's a restaurant. If you don't know what's in the food you're selling and serving, find out. It's kind of an important thing. But they don't need my business I'm sure lots of other people will eat here because it used to be decent, and getting a good dish is still sometimes possible here. And also good customer service, especially when the owners are working. But a lot of the day time staff I've encountered. And dinner staff. Are just kinda short and un-helpful. And 80% of the time I've eaten here I'm disappointed with my food. Unfortunately I have to let it go, and can't suggest this place to other people like I used to. I held on for a long time because I really love this place, and I'm sure they can turn it around. read more

For vegans, there is a lot of vegan options and they also have a dessert! The waiters/waitresses understand the menu and will tell you what has fish sauce or shrimp paste in it if you tell them your vegan! I love the vegan pho and the sticky rice with half of a mango! There prices are reasonable and everything taste good! Only recommendation is give an option of using coconut milk in the thai ice tea please! I asked them to sub the coconut milk instead of the half and half but they refused to do it. Only reason I knocked one star. Everything else is amazing! read more

Looks like a nice legit family restaurant, but inside it was super hot. Nothing like sweating, while eating hot soup! Food was not very good, and the waitress, although nice, got my order wrong. The egg rolls were chopped cabbage inside a fried wonton skin, and there was no chicken to be found. Sadly, I wouldn't go back or recommend it to my friends. read more

We stopped by while road tripping through Anchorage and were looking to find something close to the downtown and museum. The place was spacious and filled with people at 4pm (late for lunch and early for dinner). We got all the Thai dishes and they were delicious. Warning for the wimps - the red sauce (called venom in the tray) is quite spicy. I tried it and I liked it :) read more

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They have a good variety of foods. I've had their Pad Thai and pho. Both are decent. And their thai iced tea is good. Ive eaten here (ordered for delivery or take out) several times and will continue to do so. read more

We ordered 3 chicken pad Thai for coworkers and a Papaya Salad Combo for me with Shrimp Eggroll. I am disappoint. The papaya salad was ok, but what I was really looking forward to, that would make my papaya salad experience perfect is the sticky rice. This rice was ABSOLUTLEY HORRIBLE rice, super overcooked and mushy. I tried eating it with a fork and my salad and it just didn't taste the same. Normally I take the sticky rice flatten a little mini flatbread out of it and put the green papaya salad in it and munch. The rice isn't even fit to be day old stir fry rice. The Shrimp Eggroll? Well it turned out to be 2 chicken legs on skewers. Meh. I really wanted my Shrimp Eggroll. read more

Pho Lena Spenard - Not sticky or pearlized Sticky Rice - Vietnamese Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

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food was amazing. service was okay, i had to go in search of a menu. super chill ambiance, felt a little deserted. loved the music playing. seems like the waitress was a one women army doing everything except cooking read more

One of my favorite Thai places hands down. They've got everything from Papaya salad to curries to Pho from any vegan to any meat choices you'd prefer. I love the fried rolls over the fresh roll, the Thai tea smoothies are delish. Service was great and food was wonderfully spiced and served. read more

Worst customer service , I don't think they have learnt manners at this place . Food was good, I would just take out if I have an option

Great place and is very popular! Pho tasted great and recommend the Lena pho. Helpful and friendly staff members.