Honestly one of the biggest shockers I've had since moving to Indianapolis, is not the cold temperature, but rather the lack of pho restaurants in a place that's so cold! Thank goodness I found this place because I swear by pho when I start to feel like I'm getting sick or even not feeling my best. We got delivery one night when I was starting to feel a bit under the weather (thankfully exhaustion, not Covid), and the pho brought life back to my tired bones! We both ordered the chicken pho (pho ga), pork banh mi, and split an order of egg rolls (which are really spring rolls and decadent). The pho broth (a good indicator of how it's going to be) had a wonderful rich and savory flavor, probably some of the best broth I've had in a while! Serving size was great, and just the right ratio of chicken to noodles. The banh mi were incredible and the lemongrass pork was to die for. Banh mi's are always just consistently good sandwiches, and this one really hit the mark! Plus at ~$7 it's super reasonable for the price! The spring rolls were how I liked them, thin crispy wrapper around the minced pork and shitake mix which goes exceptionally well with their sweet nuoc mam dipping sauce. I'm excited to see that it's not just a Vietnamese restaurant and they have a lot of other Thai dishes on the menu, so we'll surely be back to try their noodle entrees and curry and get some boba tea once it warms up again! read more

Finally!! Coming from CA where Pho/Thai/Vietnamese, etc is plentiful and delicious it was a wonderful surprise to find this restaurant. I had been craving Pho since we moved and was so happy to finally get some. It was so delicious and just what I had been missing. We also has the dumplings which were quite yummy! This will definitely be another regular spot we will be visiting from now on. The food is delicious, but the service is great! read more

Pho Real - Pho Beef 1 - Vietnamese Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

So good! So fresh and great lunch specials for 8.99. Comes with soup or salad and a huge portion. Our favs are the basil fried rice and any of the Pad Thai dishes. read more

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Trying to find a good Vietnamese restaurant close to Carmel is tough, but I found this place via yelp and wanted to try it out on a very cold and windy day. Its location is in a weird corner but the inside doesn't match the outside. The inside is very spacey and clean. The server/owner was nice, attentive and prompt. Tables were distanced and the server was masked. Ordered Beef Pho and a Pork Banh Mi. The Pho was quite good but I was more delighted to see a good ratio of meat and noodles in it. Enjoyed every drop of the soup.!The Banh Mi didn't impress me much - the pork was fine but the bread lacked the classic crusty exterior with soft interior...it was soft all over. The veggies in the banh mi were not pickled and it had way too much Mayo in it. Will definitely try the Pho and other items next time. read more

Glad we found this spot! Very good Thai and Vietnamese food here in Indy... they do close a lot for random reasons but when they are open, it's worth the wait. Caution: they make their stuff spicy! We love the heat but need to go with mild to make it through the meal. read more

Hey. I love their food. At least the last time I had it. But this week I had an hour to kill at noon. And decided to have lunch. I had an appointment at one about 5 minutes away. They were pretty busy but there were tables open and hey, and hour. The (only) waiter brought me a menu after about five minutes and said he'd get my order as soon as possible. Ten minutes later he brought water and took my order. After 40 minutes, I still had only water. At 12:45, convinced I could not possibly finish any food that came my way plus pay and get to my appointment, I left. The last time I went for lunch I waited a half hour after eating to get my check. I won't go back. This is sad because I love their food. I know, labor shortages. But this is just unacceptable. So sorry, both for them and me. read more

Very delicious and authentic Vietnamese food. We we're very happy to have found this place. We have tried a few Pho places around the city, & this by far, is the tastiest. Everything is very simple when you walk in. We were met before we made it to the counter (intercepted) and seated. After just a few minutes of looking at the menu we knew what we wanted...Pho! We started with an order of spring rolls. Before we were even done with our appetizer they brought our huge bowls of Pho. read more

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Excellent dumplings, loved the remainder of my meal and the service was very good. The mild was a little spicier than other spots, but still good. read more

This place is definitely a hidden gem! Do not judge by the shady shopping center it is in. The food was amazing, and it was super clean inside! Definitely will be visiting here again during lunch. Update: my husband and I went here for dinner, and he got the pho and I got the tofu banh mi! SO GOOD!!! Don't drive by this place and think it won't be good - def give it a try! read more

Pho Real - Tofu Banh Mi - Vietnamese Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

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Ordered vermicelli and spring rolls. Had better in AR. Not much taste. Nice place and good servers. Thought it was just Vietnamese but Laos and Thai as well read more

Best pho in town portions are amazing and the flavors are by far the best I've ever tasted, and I really recommend their sandwiches which are to die for read more

Food could vastly need improved upon. Maybe it was an off day. Couldn't recommend the coffee or the Spring rolls. Peanut sauce was extra watery. read more

This is my girlfiend and I favorite place to come eat. not only is everything on the menu affordable, but everyone is absolutely amazing that work here. The food here speaks enough on its own and the staff working makes it that much better. will continue to come here for the foreseeable future. read more

My favorite pho ever. Veggie with extra bok choy and broccoli. Everything I've had is great. My dad loves their ice cream and fried banana. A bit cold on windy days for dine in. Don't let their front door put you off. It looks ragtag but the inside is very clean. I love all the servers, fresh hot food. This is my go to cold day food for sure. read more

The reviews are no fluke: the food is good, the service at lunch time is not. My boyfriend actually had to leave before our check was brought because his lunch break was about to be over. The place was full the whole time we were there and I only saw two girls serving. I got the chicken pad Thai with medium spice and it was pretty good. The noodles weren't over cooked and there was enough yummy tamarind sauce. I would have liked more egg tofu and bean sprout. The condiments on the table in glass jars were not clean. read more

Pho Real - Chicken pad Thai - medium spice - Vietnamese Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Maybe it's personal preference, however I did not enjoy any of the food we ordered. I wanted to try a little bit of everything so I ordered the pho, pad sew ew beef, spring rolls, egg rolls and a bahn Mi: The pho was way to sweet, meat ball had an interesting texture- It wasn't consistent to what I've known Asian meat balls to be. The spring rolls was hard- they probably make a bunch and store them for a prolonged time, which is why the rice paper was hard and not soft. The pad sew ew didn't look or taste like anything familiar. The bahn mi was maybe an infusion take on what a bahn mi supposed to taste like. The only decent thing I liked was the egg rolls. read more

Went in and placed a to go order. AN HOUR later it finally comes out, with no explanation as to why it took so long. Food was cold. Tom Yum Soup was half full for a large order. I never leave reviews, but this was the worst take out experience I've had. Food is good, but dock 3 stars for complete lack of communication, cold food, and wait time. I would've just like to know it was gonna be awhile at the very least. read more

Stopped in randomly and was pleasantly surprised. Having spent a good bit of time in Southeast Asia, I loves this food. The fragrance of fresh ingredients. The blend of ingredients. The knowledge and care. I highly recommend. It reminded me of the street food in Vietnam and Cambodia. It took me home. Thank you. read more

This place is awesome!!! When we arrived we were worried there were no cars really and no people, however while we were there families started to arrive and enjoy a late lunch. Don't let the random strip mall fool you when you get here, it's a diamond in the rough. The server was really nice and attentive. She kept the place quite clean while we were there also. I ordered the veggie pho and it was chocked full of veggies and so delicious! I could've certainly had two bowls of it! He had the Basil Fried Rice and it was flavorful and delish! This meal certainly hit the spot. We took food home and feasted again later that evening. We will certainly return here!! read more

Pho Real - Vegetarian Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

This is one of our favorite restaurants! It tends to have slow service but it's only due to u fee staffing. The food is always tasty and we will continue to come back read more

What an outstanding find!!! I came in for lunch with a friend. I was thinking pad Thai but then asked the waitress for her suggestions and she said the drunken noodles (pad kee meo). Delish! The sauce is savory/sour and the noodles were done perfectly. And tons of fresh veggies. I'm drooling thinking of it. It also came with a little cup of soup. It wasn't my favorite but it was still tasty on a cold day. I'll be back next time I'm here! read more

This place is so ridiculously good! I just moved close by and I've eaten here at least five times. The Laotian lettuce wraps have been an obsession of mine. The Pho is Pho-ntastic, the Pad Thai was awesome and even the crab Rangoon were freshly made and really good. The service has been great. Such a lovely little gem that you wouldn't expect in a strip mall. read more

Good spot for lunch, dinner or "something different". This is one of our favorite spots and though the Pho and other items are good, they have the best Pad Thai in Indianapolis. Seriously, we've tried it a bunch of places and Pho Real's is THE BEST. I dare you to try it and disagree. Gauntlet thrown down. read more

Really good Pho and Banh Mi! We came on a wintry afternoon and the Pho warmed us up just like we had hoped. Service was great from the get go, but we were the only ones in when we came, so I can only hope that its that good when they are busy. Started with soft spring rolls and loved them! The peanut sauce that they serve it with is delicious. The rice paper tasted really fresh, so we were very happy with that. We got the combo Pho that had all the different meats, but I asked them to remove the tripe. Lets face it, I'm not THAT adventurous.... There was a good amount of meat in this bowl and the overall flavor was good. You wouldn't have to drench it with Hoisin and Sriracha if you didn't want to. We also had a spicy pork Banh Mi and it was delicious! Great flavor and the perfect blend of "fixin's" in it. I would have liked the bread to be slightly toasted. I feel like a traditional Banh Mi is toasted, but maybe I'm wrong? Either way, we loved it all and will definitely be back! read more

Pho Real - Vietnamese Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

This place is "pho real"!!! Listen, this is absolutely the best place outside of the city...seriously. The vegetable pho is simply amazing. The veggie broth is waaaay better than the others. They pack this pho with all the veggies...even the kitchen sink. You will not miss meat. I repeat, you will not miss meat. This dish is hearty and filling. Secondly, the basil fried rice was another must have. Seasoned with the best products from Vietnam and Thailand, this dish will leave your palettes begging for another bite and another and another. You want this. You should really have this. I didn't add any meat to mine since I'm going through a no meat kick, but if you do add meat, please report back. So in all, pho real is for real. Happy eating and you're welcome. read more

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I come here for lunch sometimes. I have yet to try the pho but I will def try when it gets colder out. I try to get something new every time but I always get the fresh spring rolls and I love them! read more

For context, my go to restaurants are Monterey, Savor and Daddy Jacks. If I had a last meal based on food, it would be Pho Real! The flavors are incredible and every meal has been outstanding! On top of that, the staff is exceptionally pleasant and makes you happy you came in. read more

This was my first time here, and I would definitely come back! The veggie pho bowl was HUGE - the pic doesn't accurately capture just how big it is. The broth was flavorful but not overly so. The veggies were perfectly cooked, and the fried tofu was a fantastic addition. You can't see the mammoth amount of rice noodles lurking under the surface, but they're there! I ate quite a bit, shared with one of my friends AND had a big container of leftovers to take home. This dish is gluten free and vegan as well. The one downside to my visit was that the restaurant was sort of hazy/smoky--I think from meat grilling in the kitchen?--and my hair and clothes picked up the smoky smell. read more

Pho Real - Vietnamese Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

We stopped by PHO Real on one of our shopping trips to Indy. Just missed the lunch specials thanks to some unplanned additional construction I-69 delays, but that may have been a good thing. The previous descriptions of the "run-down strip mall" were correct, but the parking lot was still pretty full even at 2:30 in the afternoon. Upon entering there were a few dine-in customers and several more carry-out customers. The decorum was efficient and pleasant and the staff super friendly. The Soft spring rolls were delivered super quick and obviously freshly made, as the contains stayed snuggly in place after the first bite. The dipping sauce added a nice nuttiness, but we wished for a bit more spice which was available via the table condiments. Our Main Entrees, Spicy Pad Thai with Shrimp and the Pho Special arrived just as we finished the spring rolls. Both were hot and blended their delicious aromas. I was surprised at the size of the large servings. One thing I really like about Pho is that you can quickly customize it to your own taste provided the soup base is good. Pho Real's soup base is GOOD. The only possible detractor was the small amount of vegetable sides provided for the Pho, but I didn't ask for more which was my own fault. The Pho meat was tender and sliced into manage pieces that were easily included into a bite with noodles and vegetables. The Pad Thai had a good moist consistency as it wasn't overly sticky or slime. We had ordered the spicy Pad Thai but found it not quite spicy enough, which again was remedied by the table condiments. The peanut topping was pretty finely chopped and was placed on the side of the dish, which were nice touches. Our overall experience was very nice and we would gladly go back again. read more

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We both got pad Thai (mine chicken and other beef). It was excellent and seasoned very well. Service was great and fast with a good lunch menu. read more

I love this place! The food is phantastic! Where else can you eat lunch for $10 and leave food on the table because you were too full to finish it! 10/10 will be back!!! read more

Pho Real - Pho chicken - Vietnamese Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Fast efficient and super spicy food!! First off the Thai tea is a winner. The green and red curry were perfection and the service was A1. Ive been a few times already and plan on going more often read more

Pho Real - Vietnamese Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

It's Pho, Pho Good -- Proving once again that you can't tell a book by its cover... Pho Real is nestled in a nondescript, 50-year-old strip mall in desperate need of a facelift... but don't let the location put you off! Inside that plain wrapper of a building lives a menu of fresh, savory, flavorful delights. This evening we sampled dinner-menu three dishes: Veggie Spring Rolls Incredibly fresh and crunchy, these were the best veggie spring rolls I've ever had, hands down. The dish is served as 8 half-rolls arranged attractively on a plate with a small sauce that was flavorful but not at all spicy. If anything, I wish there had been twice the amount of dipping sauce. As an appetizer, the plate was large enough to share, and we did. Pho Chicken My dinner partner proclaimed that this dish cured her lingering cold on the spot. Who knows? Maybe it did. At any rate, she devoured the entire (ample) bowl of deeply-chicken flavored broth and delicate noodles after adding in the accompanying bean sprouts, jalapeno slices, lime wedge, and basil that are traditionally served on a side-plate, separate from the broth. Beef Pho #3 (well-done beef... well done) I'd gladly have this hearty soup again on any cold winter night! The bowl is packed with whispy noodles and thinly-sliced beef to which I added a squirt of lime, a little fresh basil, and all the crunchy sprouts. (Jalapenos are not my gig.) For me, the Pho bowls are too large to ever eat in one sitting, but the staff is eager to pack it up and send you home with a nice serving for tomorrow... making it particularly economical (two meals for $9.99). The restaurant is in a safe (if aging) neighborhood and offers ample, free parking in the lot. They appear to do a very brisk business in carry-out food. The interior of the restaurant is pleasant but unremarkable (perhaps a little too dark this evening) but a more than adequate atmosphere for dinner conversation. Our waitress was sweet and accommodating... and she kept my tea full, so full marks there. I'm lucky it's Pho close to home! I'll make Pho Real a regular on our dining rotation. read more

Pho Real - Pho Beef #3 (well done beef, well done) Served with an ample side of veggies that you can add to taste. Good value. This is a very big bowl! - Vietnamese Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

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We moved away, back in town and first stop Pho Real! Happy to report it's as amazing as ever and the Khao piak is just so delicious!! It's getting cold, if you need a comforting soup to warm you up - this is your place. read more

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Great little hole in the wall restaurant with Loa, Thai, and Vietnamese cuisine. I got a pad see ewe and a bahnni sandwich. Both were excellent and made for great leftovers the next day! Service was a bit slow, but overall it was a great experience. read more

Pho Real - Vietnamese Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Spacious, clean, and busy (in a good way) for Thursday lunch. The sever was attentive and knowledge about vegan options. There are SO many vegan options. I ordered the veggie pho and it was delicious. I was pleasantly surprised that they also served beer and wine, and I enjoyed a Singha with lunch. Seriously great service, and delicious food - I will be back! read more

Pho Real - Veggie (vegan) pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Very good service and food! I'm brand new to the area and, like others was not impressed by the location. What's really funny is my favorite place back home looked much worse from the street! The inside is very nice and comfortable. I have only had the Pad Thai (excellent) but, plan on hitting everything on the menu since I only live 5 minutes away. Can't wait to try the stuff others have recommended. read more

Pho Real - Vietnamese Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

YUM and a 4.5 actually. I only got a pho so I dont know if i can exclaim this as one of the best vietnamese restaurants iv ever been to BUT the meatball pho I had was REALLY good! It was a rainy, gray day all day and i had felt cold all day long. I was craving a nice big bowl of pho and booooy did this hit the spot! The meatballs were plentiful and the broth was deep and flavorful and perfectly pho-ey. mmmmm pho-ey. Im here for another week and a half and because this place impressed me so much and because they have laotian dishes i just may return to sample some other options! ** went back as my last dinner in Carmel and officially upping to a 5 stars! I got pad see ew this time and a mango sticky rice. Yummmmy! The pad see ew was delish, and I went with med hot level and was surprised I still got some Spicey in it. Good surprised :) this place really brings the flavors!! read more

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Thanks to the staff specially Mary the younger up front. thanks to everybody else at this place. I came by to get some veggie soup for My sick wife. Had to drive about half an hour from home to get this place. At first they mentioned due to being so crowded I had to wait about 35 minutes for the soup to get ready. I asked the two girls off front if it would be possible to get my food ready faster and they went inside and talk to the chef came back out my food was ready within less than 10 minutes brought to me outside and hand it to me, good to go!! read more

The pho beef broth is rich and complex. We tried the egg rolls this time; at first I thought they were pretty standard, but after I let them cool a little, I could appreciate a little bit of smoky flavor. The menu is very diverse with food from three cultures. Definitely check out Pho Real. read more