Beef Pho -Wasn't hot, hard noodles which didn't get soft and just okay broth. Should have went somewhere else after looking at reviews

Son and I both had the Pho. He's a very picky eater and a vegetarian to boot. He absolutely loved his meal and is already asking to go back. I'm definitely not well versed in pho, but I enjoyed my meal. It was very flavorful. The only reason I didn't go five stars was the water was nearly room temp and they had a giant fan cooling the place which was pretty loud. read more

Um. Um. Good. The Pho was delicious and the spring rolls were made perfectly. My buddy tried the chicken curry and that was very well done too. The right mix of spices. The only negative was the adequate wait staff. They were not busy the night I went but only came back once at the end of the meal after our food came to give us our check. Never stopped by to check on our drinks or anything else. Not unusual for a Vietnamese restaurant but I'm still holding out hope that I will one day find that Vietnamese restaurant that knows a little about customer service. read more

My favorite pho house in Pittsburgh!!! No.17 on menu is a must! Ironic that we semi adopted a Vietnamese girl yesterday name Van. Cool walking around strip district today so this hot bowl of Pho hit the spot read more

Pho Van - Vietnamese Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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We finally made it to Pho Van to use our Groupon, just two days before it expired! That's how we roll, last-minute style. We moseyed in on Wednesday around 7 pm - about half the tables were full, and two tables were set up for outdoor dining for those of you who like to people-watch in the Strip District! We chose a table inside, in the "spartan" dining room, as my boyfriend called it. There isn't really much decor or atmosphere at all - just a simple room with tables and chairs - nothing to focus on but your dining partner and the food! We ordered the crispy rolls first, which arrived hot and with their texture as advertised. You can taste the meaty pork inside them! Then we got bowls of pho - mine with rare eye of round, my boyfriend's with brisket. My meat did indeed arrive rare and red, but after a few minutes swim in the broth, it continued to cook and developed a more uniform brown color. The bowls were huge and just full of noodles! We took a few sips of the hot broth and instantly, any stress or pain melted away. Wow, that stuff was lovely. Aromatic, herbal, delightful. I doctored mine a little bit with basil leaves and bean sprouts, but surprisingly we didn't add any Sriracha at first. I love spicy food, but the broth tasted so lovely on its own, I didn't feel the need. We ended up adding some later, which did add a nice kick but it changes the flavor slightly. The food was so inexpensive - $7 for a giant bowl - we each took half home for lunch the next day. So that's basically $3.50 per meal. A steal! And it was such a pleasure to eat - it was....peaceful food, if that makes any sense. Our server was also friendly and fast. We both felt like this was a great use of Groupon - we tried a new place, and liked it enough that we plan to come back! Everybody wins! read more

I will never be coming here again first of all the broth was soooooo watered down barely any noodles and the server was arguing with me about tendon I told him there was none in my soup and he proceeded to argue with me and tell me that he said he seen it in the soup wow wtf toy gotta be shitting me !!! Fuck this place read more

Fried spring rolls were excellent. Tofu vegetable stir fry was mediocre - very few vegetables.

This was the first place I ever tried Pho so it will always be "dear" to my heart, considering I love Pho. I've had the chicken Pho which is good but on the last visit I had the Curry chicken noodle soup which was so flavorful and warmed me up on that cold day! Only drawback is the service-very slow, at times not very friendly. It's always crowded when I go so that must say something about Pho van. read more

I love pho. This place has pho that hits the spot. I've been here multiple times. Excellent fried spring rolls. Food's always hot and fresh, and the service is great. The rest of the food is okay. They do use MSG in their chicken stock, FYI. Wonton noodle soup didn't have real wonton noodles, so will not be reordering that particular dish. read more

I was disheartened by Pittsburgh's pho scene when I went to a very popular restaurant and was very disappointed with their 'pho dac biet' (special pho), my usual order for pho in Seattle. It was completely different, and honestly it seemed tailored to the tastes of the region instead of being authentic pho. If you're Vietnamese American like me, you'll know what I mean! Real pho has to be beef-based, and this was not. I was hopeful going in to Pho Van, because the menu was partly in Vietnamese (compared to the other restaurant's completely English menu). The ambiance is not it's strong point, and the restaurant had this weird unappetizing smell. Not the trademark pho smell, but something else that I can only explain as not good. The service however was just fine, and the bean sprouts and basil were very fresh. I ordered 'pho dac biet' and was very pleased by the generosity of meat! Even in Seattle, some restaurants will skimp on the meatballs or the brisket, but my bowl was probably around 45% meat and 55% pho noodles. The broth was excellent, although not as hot as I would have liked. Overall, this pho restaurant gives me hope for pho in Pittsburgh! It absolutely reminded me of Seattle pho, and I can't wait to come back to try more things on their menu. Under normal circumstances, I might be more inclined to rate this restaurant as a 3 because of the sub-par ambiance, but because it is real pho, it absolutely deserved the 4. Please get out here to the strip district and get a taste of genuine Vietnamese pho! read more

This place wasn't bad for pho. I would have liked more onions in my broth and more meat for that price too. I thought the broth was a little on the sweet side but it wasn't bad! I liked the summer rolls a lot. I'm only giving it 3 stars for now. I definitely want to go back and try the vermicelli bowl or rice dishes next time. read more

pork bahn mi: tender, smokey and lightly sweet pieces of pork with the obligatory carrot/daikon slaw and cilantro. I had the jalepeno on some bites and none in others. The bread was crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside...very authentic. it was a shade under $5 and the size was just a bit small compared to the many others I've had. chicken bahn mi: again, tasty tender white meat slightly sweety and well cooked. same bread and garnishes as above. I had this on a plane flight several hours after I bought it and it was just as good as the fresh pork sandwich. They were out of the classic ham/pate sandwich. -1 star for smaller size, higher price and no classic sandwich. For Pittsburgh, a good intro to banh mi with no competition around. read more

I really enjoyed my dinning experience for lunch at this small joint in the strip district. I went with an adventurous eating group and ordered the supreme. While I'm not much a red meat eater, the food was exceptionally well done, and the mystery meat filled with different delicacies were a real treat. There were so many different textures and tastes within this soup that every bite felt like a new experience! read more

During college, I was fortunate enough to work at a Vietnamese restaurant and develop a deep appreciation for Pho. I usually go to Pho Van to fulfill my Pho cravings but after my last trip, I am going to explore other options. I am not ruling Pho Van out and I acknowledge that every restaurant has an off day but the service and flavor solidified my 3 star rating. I came by myself during lunch on a Friday. It was a chilly day and I knew Pho would hit the spot. I started with fresh shrimp rolls. They are a staple at most Thai/Vietnamese restaurants and they are my favorite appetizer. Pho Van's are delicious and will continue to order these everytime I go back. As my main course, I ordered the veggie pho with steamed instead of fried tofu. Usually, the broth has great flavor and I don't need to add anything other than the basil, jalapeño & bean sprouts that come with the dish. Unfortunately, the broth was bland and desperately needed Sriracha. The veggies were skimpy, too. Bok choy, carrots, a few mushrooms and the tofu. No broccoli and the bowl was majority noodles and broth. My waiter was friendly and service was fast but I wasn't approached once during my meal to ask if everything was okay. Granted, I was working on paperwork but as a former server, I found the lack of interaction disappointing. Like I said, I am not blacklisting Pho Van but I am looking forward to experiencing the other Vietnamese restaurants around Pitt. read more

Pho Van - Fresh shrimp rolls! - Vietnamese Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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On a super cold day, I would stop in here and get a big azz bowl of Pho.. Although I usually come here year round a few times a month. ( Lets be honest, Noodles/Rice are life FR FR) If you want straightforward Vietnamese food this is the place. Its located in the Strip District and kind of a small place but the food is phenoms so there usually is a wait (on the weekends) but never more than 10-15 minutes. Servers are super nice and very quick service. The food usually comes out in under 10 minutes, im always like: OMG that was fast! The food here is always fresh and delish. I would recommend the Fresh Shrimp rolls as an App.. I sometimes get the Pho Ga (chicken)-there is nothing better than a good bowl of pho Ga, the broth is light, full of flavor and on point (like my eyebrows). If you're feeling like you want something a little heartier, I would go with the Spicy Beef Noodle soup- which is my current FAVE! Ugh I love it! I usually leave with a full belly and some upper lip sweat (from the hot soup!) Love this place. read more

The food was pretty good. The Thai coffee is why Id go back! The decor was ok but I dont think it bothers anyone because that place is always full! read more

As a vegetarian it is so hard to find good pho, this however was the best I've had! Great prices, phenomenal food and nice staff. Looking forward to going again! read more

This is a bare bones kind of place that you don't go to for high ambiance or good service for that matter. If you're in a group, your food will come out separately, and when it's time to pay, they'll act like they don't want to be bothered, but if you want delicious Vietnamese, you found it! Tasty crispy spring rolls and some of the best pho I've ever had. read more

Fresh springs rolls. Inexpensive. Big helpings. Bowl of Pho is enough to share. Wasn't too salty like I have experienced in other Vietnamese places. Would go again but wouldn't go out of my way to drive to the strip district just for it. read more

The best pho! I got the beef pho, my boyfriend got the spicy beef pho, and our friend got the pad Thai. We all loved our meals! Will definitely be coming back. read more

Excellent Pho. Quiet atmosphere and the service is really good. The Pho had a really good spice to it, but overpowering. Definitely worth the trip. read more

This place is a pretty standard Vietnamese pho place. They have a pretty good vegetarian selection as wall, *including* veggie pho (without meat broth) which is quite a rarity. I very much appreciate this. The place was clean and decently decorated, the wait staff was nice, and they didn't seem to mind us closing down the place to finish off our BYOB wine bottle. Then, as we were walking away a few blocks down, one of the waitstaff was running after us, carrying my glove which had dropped from my jacket pocket. Its the small things. read more

I ordered grilled shrimp rice noodle bowl. My boyfriend ordered grilled chicken rice noodle bowl. Neither of us were pleased with the food. It was bland, the noodles were horrible and the meat was unseasoned. Very unhappy and will NOT be returning! read more

Nice place but the food was underwhelming. The pho condiments looked to be recycled. I know for sure the lime was because it had already been squeezed. I would go to the other pho place at the west end of the Strip District. Though less ambience better food. read more

After having been to Vietnam's Pho, we had decided to try Pho Van which I was excited about since I liked their snazzy outdoor signage. We enter and the place is very minimalistic in terms of decoration. Walls are painted in a lime green shade with three paintings against one wall and a white shelf from up above. We ordered the spring rolls which were decent and I ordered the meatball pho. From the past pho places that I have been to, I have been given bean sprouts however at Pho Van there was none - just some leafy greens and jalapenos on the plate. The meatballs and noodles were good though I wasn't a fan of the broth, which seemed to have more seasoning and spices than I was use to. Service was nice though ultimately I don't think I would go back unless someone wanted to go. read more

First time trying Vietnamese food, we really liked it. I ordered Grilled Shrimp (that came with a spring roll, rice vermicelli -noodles- and fresh veggies with a side of sauce that was non greasy - yum!). My husband had Pho Beef tendons, he said it was good and very filling. My place was more of a summer lunch dish, I'm not complaining but if left me hungry. The decor was blah. One side of the room had frames as it's showing in one of the pictures and the opposite side had this pretty bamboo set up but the front wall that faces the street was bare. Very boring and dead; but non the less, our food was magnificent. read more

It's ok here. I'd want bigger portions for the price of their mediocre quality food. The presentation is nice, but the flavor and portions are meager. The amount of pork in the grilled pork rice dish is terribly disappointing. The pho is equally as disheartening. The broth is obviously from bouillon cubes (Miss Saigon in Oakland is also a culprit of this), and the little bits of meat are ridiculous. I'd pay maybe half the price that they charge for what they serve. I'd rather walk all the way down the Strip to Vietnam's Pho where the food is better. read more

Delicious. Great food and great service! It's pricey compared to other cities, but then again all Vietnamese food as been pricey in Pittsburgh so in comparison with local restaurants, it's fair. read more

Make sure you order their Bun bo hue if you can handle spicy food. Just wish there was more beef in the noodle soup but the flavor was definitely on point. read more

Great Pho! The service could've been a bit better, but that Pho was great. The Hoizon sauce is a good addition

In sum, this is my most FAVORITE establishment in PGH for Pho. If you want amazingly tasteful, rich, and consistent pho within the city of PGH eat here! Granted, if you read my other reviews, I tend to stick with the same appetizer and entree when dining at Vietnamese establishments. Sure, I have delved into the chicken, eye of round, tripe, and other tasty morsels. However, I personally think, regardless of where one eats pho, the beef meatball pho is the most consistent. Consistency is something I absolutely love about restaurants and this place serves to most consistent, fresh, hot, tasty, affordable, and solid portion sizes of pho in town. *Noteworthy* my observation that portion sizes are smaller for take-out still stands, even for Pho Van. But as I mentioned in my review of Pho Ming this is the general consensus amongst Vietnamese restaurants throughout the PGH area. For reasons, I can only speculate. The serving sizes of the bowls in restaurants is larger than the quart liquid take-out containers can fit. My favorite appetizer is the Crispy Shrimp Rolls. I've talked before how much the nuoc cham, a Vietnamese traditional dipping sauce, displays unique flavors and tasting depending on the family and region. My all time favorite version can be found here. It seems this sauce is sweeter and spicier than others. Also, the shrimp are larger. Who does not want nice juicy shrimp in their rolls when given the choice? Lastly, they are the only Vietnamese restaurant in our area that tends to not to overcook the shrimp. A subtle difference. I am not saying the other places fry the rolls to bloody hell. However, this place receives Little Red Riding Hood's two thumbs way up of approval. Second to the consistency of their amazing food, is the added touches. Each and EVERY time I order the beef meatball pho it comes with 2.5 TIMES the amount of fresh herbs than those other places in PGH. I really love this. The fresh herbs can make or break any decent pho broth. Also, they serve it with freshly sliced jalapenos. NOTHING can substitute this heat and fresh green flavor they add- NOTHING. If your stomach cannot handle all the heat, not to worry. Add the jalapeno, but only for a minute or so, then remove it. I noticed it adds only a little heat instead of the intense blows that I am fond of. Enjoy! read more

Went with my friend Manny C one Saturday afternoon for lunch. The atmosphere is rather bland and feels very commercial, lagging behind some other local options. But I'm okay with a Utilitarian dining space as long as the food is good. I ordered the chicken pho, but somehow got Pork pho. I'm ashamed to admit I didnt realize it wasn't what I ordered until 5 minutes into eating it. Still it was very delicious and honestly I probably liked the pork more than I would have liked the chicken. Service was quick, friendly, efficient, and my first experience with Vietnamese pork was a good one. I'm not sure Pho Van will ever be my go to Vietnamese food in the city, but it's certainly a place I would both recommend and return to. read more

This is my favorite pho in Pittsburgh. Wish it was a little cheaper, $11.50 for the supreme pho with all the meats. The broth is delicious and the meats are legit. It is nice that they take credit cards, unlike a lot of the other pho places. They also are great at splitting the check so it's convenient for big groups. read more

Pho Van - Supreme pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Stopped in for lunch. Clean place. Friendly and quick service. Had hot green tea which came served in a pretty cast iron pot and cups For lunch had the Pho Chicken (since I was fighting a cold) - the broth lacked a little bit of flavor because it wasn't so salty which I actually really appreciated..the lack of salt was nothing a bit of sirracha couldn't fix :) Oftentimes Pho broth tastes so good because it is so salty but it leaves you feeling dehydrated and heavy, but this Pho had a nice clean and light balance - I ate my soup and felt good and warm - not like I had overeaten or needed a nap. There was ample chicken and fixings for the soup. Everything was fresh! One of my coworkers has a vermicelli bowl which looked beautiful - many fresh veggies and fixings. He said it was good, light and fresh too. Would stop by here again for lunch. :) read more

I have been to pho van probably 5 times. I was there two nights ago and found a fly in my soup!!! I called the server over and he literally didn't even apologize. He just took the bowl away. I didn't give him a hard time because I've worked as a server; but I was upset! Nothing was done to remedy the situation: The manager didn't come over and they were hesitant when it came to taking the soup off of the bill! They still made me pay for my drink. Needless to say, I'll be finding pho somewhere else from now on. Honestly mistakes do happen but nothing I mean nothing was done to remedy the fact that there was a FLY IN MY BEEF PHO!!!!! read more

Great Pho lots of meat and good choice of sauces to add to the Pho. If you are introducing someone to Vietnamese food this is a great place to start. Fast friendly service and good prices for the strip district. read more

We love Pho Van! The soups are delicious and they offer a great vegetarian pho option. (Call ahead for this, sometimes they run out of vegetarian broth.) We also typically order the papaya salad which is great. I always enjoy my experience here! read more

Ate here this week for the first time and had the grilled prawn noodle dish ($8). Overall the food was okay, but I have had better Vietnamese food elsewhere (not in Pittsburgh, rather). The bowl had too many sprouts, and not enough rice noodles. Also, the mint leaves really overpowered the flavor of the dish. The interior of the building had nice colors and pictures on the walls, but the roof and walls looked pretty old and nasty. There were water stains on the roof, with the tiles completely misaligned. Seeing that kind of stuff makes you wonder what the kitchen looks like. But the bathroom was nicely adorned. Food Quality/Taste = 3 Stars Portion Size Given Price = 3 Stars Price = 3 Stars Service = 3 Stars Experience with Staff = 3 Stars Decor = 3 Stars Clean (yes/no) = yes read more

Really good, down-to-earth pho, certainly the best in Pittsburgh. The beef broth is clean and very tasty without being overly greasy or salty. The rice noodles are chewy, and the cilantro and onion toppings are delicious. I add fresh basil, lime, and mung bean sprouts to my soup for more flavour and crunch. Beware though, the fresh jalapenos are blazing hot. The vermicelli bowls are not as good as what I'm used to from larger cities (they use oddly thick noodles for their vermicelli bowls here, instead of angel-hair-thin rice noodles), but my husband is fond of them. Both their fresh and deep fried spring roll appetizers are quite excellent. Also, I highly reccommend their three sweets dessert if they have it. It's a delicious concoction of crushed ice, coconut milk, jellies, and sweet red bean. read more

good service and pretty yummy vietnamese food! the egg rolls and summer rolls were definitely up to par for a vietnamese restaurants. i had the wonton soup, the broth was good but the wontons weren't great. the grilled pork chops and rice were delicious! i recommend that dish for sure. i do not recommend the chicken wing appetizers though.. they were pricey and not very good. street parking. read more