Pho Pasteur, nestled in the heart of Chinatown, offers an unfiltered glimpse into the world of traditional Vietnamese cuisine. With a vibe that's a direct reflection of its roots, this restaurant caters to both the aficionados of Vietnamese fare and those simply seeking an authentic dining experience. Having worked at a pho restaurant previously, I can attest to the authenticity that Pho Pasteur exudes. From the moment you enter, the efficient service is evident. Greeted warmly, we were swiftly seated, setting the tone for a promising culinary adventure. Despite the sweltering heat outside, the restaurant's aggressive air conditioning made it an oasis, proving that noodle soup can be an appealing choice even on the hottest days. A highlight of the experience was the Vietnamese iced coffee with condensed milk. The balance of bold coffee and rich sweetness was indulgent, and the option to customize the sweetness level by omitting the condensed milk was appreciated. Pho Pasteur doesn't fall short in catering to vegetarians, offering an array of choices. In our selection, the Rare Steak Pho showcased tender meat and perfectly cooked noodles. Though the broth leaned towards a beefy flavor, it lacked the nuanced spices that are often a hallmark of pho. The true star of the show was the Vegetarian Veggie Pho. Bursting with vibrant flavors, the vegetarian soup came alive with a medley of baby corn, snap peas, broccoli, carrots, bell peppers, cabbage, mushrooms, and lightly fried tofu. A true refreshing delight, especially after a day of humid wandering. However, the Vegetarian Spring Rolls didn't quite meet expectations. The presentation was underwhelming, featuring an assembly of vermicelli noodles, shredded lettuce, mint, and fried tofu. The thick peanut sauce with pickled carrots and nuts added depth, though alternatives were suggested for those with nut allergies. An overall rating of 4/5 aptly captures the essence of Pho Pasteur. While the portion sizes are substantial, ordering judiciously is key unless you're prepared to tote around a to-go bag all day. For those yearning for a taste of authentic noodle soup, Pho Pasteur is an enticing choice. Amidst a sea of choices, its dedication to tradition, comfortable ambiance, and flavorful offerings make it a must-visit for anyone seeking a hearty Vietnamese culinary experience. read more

RACIST. DON'T EAT HERE. Today I had an experience that literally brought tears to my eyes. This is the most racist restaurant. First, I am a black woman. I love Pho and my best friend is Vietnamese. I am also a school teacher and many of my student are Vietnamese. So I have grown to love Vietnamese culture and food. Yet today I had an experience that hurt like someone cut my heart. I walked into the the Downtown Boston restaurant. An asian couple walks in after me, but they were being seated first. I let the woman know I was here first. Next, she sat me down gave me a menu and didn't come back for 15 minutes. In that time a group of older Asian women came in after me and she gave them tea and their meal, before I was given a glass of water. I then went to her to ask her for tea, she ignored me. Then a white woman came in, she got tea in less than 1 minute of sitting down. When that happened I decided to sit next to her and tell her she came in about 15 minutes after me and already has tea. I told her how the Asian party is almost done with their meal too. She felt so bad, in fact she could see how much they catered to her over me, she had blond hair and blue eyes. We ended up eating together and sharing stories about our work and lives. She could feel my hurt. She told me to tell the manager, but I just wanted to leave as soon as possible. I wish I was a restaurant reviewer so I can give them zero stars for RACIST Service. Even if you are Asian or White, or any other culture please don't support people who support hate. read more

It says it right on the menu. Great Vietnamese Soup. Yup. I have only been there two times. Attempted a third but failed. Both times I got the soup. And both times I left with a burn in my mouth and a stomach full of soup. If you have become confused as to whether or not these are good things, than you only have to know me to know, yes, these are great things. The price you pay for the amount of soup you get is laugh out loud crazy. The first time I went, the majority of us got the beef soup, and with some counseling and prepwork, I was on my way to enhancing some really great flavors. We were immediately seated and served quickly which was great because we were on our way to the movies. The second time I went with a friend and my boyfriend. This time, it took a little bit longer to get the food out, in fact I can safely assume they forgot our food order. They eventually rushed out my friend's and my food with my boyfriend 75% finished with his meal. The service is pretty horrible, there is a female host who looks like a seriously angsty teen, but there is also a sweet young man who is eager to get you water. He's hard to find though. The attempted third time was around noon on a friday. Line out the door. Keep that in mind. Delicious!!! And for a rookie vietnamese food eater, I think this place is the bees knees! read more

I do not agree with some of the previous negative comments (especially about the authenticity and culture of this restaurant). I've frequented this place since the mid 1990s and I can contest that they are not the fancy, uppity people that some may say. For those who don't know about Boston, Chinatown in the 90's, it was named the "combat zone" because crime, drug dealing and prostitution run amok in addition to the numerous strip clubs and porn shops. Pho pasteur was one of the first Vietnamese restaurants brave enough to open and last there because of their work ethic, positive outlook and good food. So it was one of the first Vietnamese restaurants in Chinatown (can't get more authentic than that). Also, it had less than 10 tables and was a quarter of the size it is now. They've expanded and done well for themselves because they are honest, work hard and care for people. Naturally, the decor will get nicer the more successful they get, so the "fancy" decor is the testament to their success starting as scrappers. I still make sure to eat here every time my fiance and I visit Boston. The Pho Xe Le and BBQ porkchops are the best in my opinion. read more

I can't believe this place is Zaggat rated and has 4 stars on Yelp. They wanted us to order about a minute after we sat down. We weren't ready yet- but then we couldn't get a waiter to come back. Our food was bland and oily and hugely disappointing. It seems like you have to drown it in hoisin sauce or siracha to have any flavor in your food. The portions were huge but not worth the money for tasteless food. It was probably the worst Asian food I have ever had. My Lemmon grass tofu was a plate of tofu, red peppers and onions drowning in a greasy sweet chili sauce. I asked twice if was actually the dish I ordered because it didn't seem right. The people next to us sent their pho back because it was cold and tasteless. So it wasn't just us, it seems like a a common issue. We had to keep hunting people down for water. One waiter took my husbands cup away to go refill it. Which seemed really weird. They don't have a pitcher of water? The bathroom was disgusting to top it off. It left me feeling like they didn't really care about cleaning the restaurant at all. Everything seemed a little grimy which makes you wonder what the kitchen looks like. read more

My recent visit to Pho Pasteur in Boston left me with mixed feelings, starting with a hiccup in my order but ending on a positive note. Despite a minor mix-up initially, the staff promptly addressed my concerns regarding my peanut allergy with professionalism and care, ensuring my meal was safe and enjoyable. I opted for the pork and egg roll bun, and when it arrived, the flavors were undeniably delicious. The pork was tender and well-seasoned, complemented perfectly by the crispy egg rolls and fresh vegetables. However, my enjoyment was interrupted when I discovered a piece of plastic in the dish, which was disappointing. Service-wise, while the staff was attentive, there were instances where they seemed a bit over-eager to clear our plates before we had finished. Despite this, their quick response to my allergy concern was commendable and helped salvage the dining experience. Overall, Pho Pasteur offers tasty Vietnamese cuisine with highlights such as the flavorful pork and egg roll bun. However, attention to detail, especially regarding food quality and timing of service, could elevate the dining experience further. read more

Once a week I call Husband and ask him what he wants for dinner knowing full well he won't know and I always say, "Well, I could pick something up." He responds, "Okay. What should we get?" Me: "How about some Vietnamese?" Him: "That sounds good. Get me something I'll like." And I do. And my evil plan works again. I wish I could stray from my favorite (#99, with noodles, not rice, please- kthx). But it's just so damn good. So good I get cravings at least twice a week. Once for dinner and once for lunch where I actually take the train to Chinatown and back so I can get it and bring it back to my office to eat. They have a stupendous vegetarian menu (although I wish they had more than one appetizer on there- sometimes I don't want a spring roll). And although there is a slight communication barrier I feel confident that my food hasn't been tarnished with chicken stock- a constant problem for the vegetarians out there. And I know exactly what to get my husband: something with pork and noodles. But no pho for him. He doesn't like soup. Any kind of soup. He's a freak. But that just means more pho for me. read more

This place might have gotten a higher rating if it weren't change her attitude. Our group about 11 with planing will have a lunch there ,when just step in and 3 Lady's of our group was refuse to have lunch because when they saw one of lady work in therewith do not like the way she treat them ( she the one no uniform on very nice look w/ wear glass) .We have to go next door even not get 2.5 star over 5 like pho pasteur , one of the reason is its was last time when they was there it very crowd at lunch time they get rushed to order and not over haft way of their food that lady go over their table to pick up some places and give out the bill and try to move around tables chairs beside just try to look at them by her eyes to tell them get out ASAP doing that with her mean face and yelling those services work there to follow ,and even myself I been through that seances couple times .We don't know she is the boss or partnership there ,it is rude it will hurt the business ,and I hope if have change go back with our group at work again with out or her attitude will change. read more

I've been coming here throughout my high school career, and this place is famous for its Pho. I have to agree that their Pho is pretty good since I always get the X-Larger with everything. The portions are generous and the dish is good. I don't really come here for anything else because I just don't think their other dishes are any special compared to the other restaurants around the area. It is good that they expanded because of popularity it's getting. However at times I still feel that it's a bit too cramped. I would have given this restaurant more stars if the atmosphere was better, especially the sticky tables at times and the dirty floors. Seriously, if they invested more into design and the overall cleanliness, then it would be so much better. Hopefully they can expand even more, however looking at it now, I doubt there's anymore room to expand. read more

I tried this place my first day in Boston,It was 10 years ,I really like this restaurant for PHO. Food,prices is OK ,Service is follow they a assembly line treat you as a customer and the burn rush they try to get you abide by in & out a minute, Happen lately couple times same place same attitudes I was there for lunch on 6/24/2010, as soon you sit down You"re expected to order and about haft way my bill come out .I was see on the fact all from the service roller their eyes to follow the acting from the Owner (I guess with a little heavy make up) with rushing ,yellings all her staff ,lucky for me for most customer don"t understand what she talking about but to me to them we can get by her rude face, It very very bad for her employers get pay by tears.I don"t know when I"ll come back again because I want to enjoy my Pho but...... read more

Worst service ever. Left no tip. We were seated quickly but there was nothing spoken from the woman who ended up seating us. We ordered two sets of spring rolls (one chicken and one vegetarian) and two different bun bowls. I got both my spring rolls and my bun before my husband got his. I got no fish sauce with my bun bowl. My husband never got his vegetarian spring rolls but we were charged for them. I asked one waitress for water and she said ok and then went about filling up the spoons. We never got a water refill. Terribly rude service and subpar bun bowls and spring rolls. The vegetables were not fresh. I wish I would have yelped it before we went it and seen the other reviews for bad service. Then we could have avoided this place. Thumbs down. read more

The food here was delicious -- honestly the best pho I've ever had! The broth was rich and flavorful, and the portions were generous for the price. Be prepared though -- they brought out our appetizer after the entrée, which was a little odd but not a dealbreaker. The restaurant is located right downtown, which makes it super convenient if you're exploring the area. The only downside was the service -- the staff weren't particularly friendly, and we had to flag down our server a few times. Overall, great food, fair prices, and a solid spot if you're craving amazing pho and don't mind a more casual dining experience. read more

Best PHO in BOSTON! I LOOOOOVE THIS PLACE! Pho pasteur has a couple of other locations around boston but none are as good as the original in chinatown. There is always a wait - but don't worry - people bustle in and out quickly so you never end up waiting more than 10-15 minutes. Once you get a seat - its more than likely that you'll be at a big table with another couple of two - but all part of the fun of the family atmosphere. The hot and sour veggie soup is EXCELLENT! so are the vegetarian spring rolls... (sorry, I'm not a meat eater... but I know a lot of my friends enjoy both the chicken and beef pho....) read more

The pho at this place is super good! Though to be fair I've never had bad pho. If you're looking for an incredible dining experience then this probably isn't what you're looking for but it's a simple place with great food and cheap prices (perfect for college students and I did see quite a few). My favorite part of everything was how flavorful and well cooked the meat was in both of my dishes, along with the dipping sauce that came with the non-pho dish (I forget what it was called) read more

You know when you walk into an ethnic joint and all the customers are as white as your yuppie ass. That is Pho Pasteur. We were actually very excited to try pho pasteur tonight. Eh it was okay. Service was not great. The lemon grass dish was average at best. I had high expectations based on the accolades in many of the local press weeklies. All in is pretty solid FAIL. read more

Stopped by Pho Pasteur and ordered the duck pho -- unfortunately, the broth lacked flavor and didn't quite hit the mark. The duck was tender and the portion was fair. On the plus side, service was quick and efficient. However, the bathroom situation was pretty bad -- strong odor and not well-maintained. Decent for a fast meal, but not a place I'd go out of my way for. read more

Food was mediocre, I've had better pho elsewhere. Service was fine at the beginning but then I felt like we were being ignored after we finished our meal. We sat for at least 20 minutes with empty plates in front of us before a server was in sight to give us our check. She then gave our receipt to the table behind us and ran off before we could say anything. read more

This is an alright spot, I've tried a few of their dishes. The ginger duck with rice was really good, but the beef "short ribs" weren't as I expected, it's the really thin cheap kind you'd get from the supermarket. Customer service was okay as well, I'm giving it 3 stars because I wasn't blown away by anything here, it was just okay. read more

Came here because of its close proximity to the bolyston t stop. Soup was lukewarm, so the meat was still pink even when I finished all my noodles. Later paid with my debit card but it showed up to be declined...but on my bank account it shows the payment went through? Most likely will opt for other pho places in the area next time. read more