My friend and I have been trying a bunch of different places for Pho lately. I think this might be the best so far! The broth was deeply flavored, the perfect mix of all the flavors. Not only is the food great but the service was as well. We waited a little bit because it was packed and as we're waiting we got to talking story with an auntie that was also waiting. Long story short she ended up joining us and we had an awesome time! Pho Viet is an awesome place in Hilo. It feels warm and inviting. Everyone was very friendly. read more

Pho Viet - Vietnamese Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

My wife has been raving about this "pho" place in Hilo for a while now. I finally got a chance to try it and it did not disappoint. First off, any place my wife wants to go to several times means it must be at the top of the food chain! Pho Viet is located in back of Garden Exchange. Apparently there are two pho places so look for Pho Viet - on the right side. Be careful when walking from Haili street as there are sketchy people hanging out on both sides of the road. (What happened Hilo??). Unfortunately there is hardly any parking so you probably have to walk to the restaurant from away. When you go inside the place is pretty small like 6-8 tables but it's constantly filled with people. They all look like they are enjoying their meal. The lady that runs the place is super nice and lets my wife bring her own "additions" to the pho. The pho is really good and you can choose from the usual choices - flank, beef round, tendon, meatball. The broth is delicious and you can order extra noodles which I did. The chili pepper sauce is really really good but make sure you taste and taste. I made mine a little too spicy and had to add more broth - which they made and gave to me. Excellent!!!!!! After eating the bowl, I felt good. I was stuffed but in a good way. The feeling lasted all night and I never had to eat again for the rest of the day and I slept great ! There was a constant flow of people. I guess everyone knows how good this place is. My brother in law says this place is the best in Hilo. I believe it. read more

See all

We dropped by after spending the day at Volcano National Park. We were hoping to get some Spring/Summer rolls, but this establishment doesn't have any on the menu. We settled on two bowls of Chicken Pho with white meat. This is the first restaurant we've been to that gave you a choice on the chicken, white, dark, or a combination of both. A nice option. The Pho broth was flavorful, and the accompanying vegetables were fresh. All in all, a great bowl of Pho, just wished we had some spring rolls to go with it. read more

Pho Viet - Chicken Pho all white meat - Vietnamese Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Simple restaurant, delicious soup. Our go to is the very spicy Beef Stew (pho). The one server in the front juggles all tasks for the front of the house, so be patient. No waitlist. If all tables are full, wait outside until a tables opens up. The menu only has soup and some coffee tea drinks. No appetizers. read more

Im not sure if it's because I'm a white guy, but I called to see if they were full, the FOH woman stated no, so I walked over. Immediately after sitting down it felt like the FOH staff was trying to pressure me into ordering food. I didn't have a chance to look over the menu as it felt like I was being forced to order immediately. So I ordered what I usually order, chicken pho, which came out quickly. Later during the end of my meal I whitenessed the FOH staff taking her time with other people who were being seated and relaying their recipes of the day. I honestly don't think I'll be coming back to this establishment due to the service I received and I would caution other visitors to Hilo to doing so as well... The reason for the bad review is based solely on the FOH performance, but the food was good. read more

We came here around noon for lunch right after hitting up Hilo's farmer's market which was a 10 min walk away. From the outside it looked like it'd be a hole-in-the-wall experience - hidden gem and delicious. There was plenty of 2 hour street parking along Mamo St and it's just a short walk over. The restaurant was half full when we arrived. We ordered a beef stew, dark meat pho ga (chicken broth), flank with meatball pho bo (beef broth), and a thai tea. It was a hot day as usual so the thai tea was great for the weather. It wasn't too sweet either and was a perfect appetizer to start off a lunch with hot noodle soup. As per usual with pho places, we were given a small dish of lime, basil, and another spice that I've never had before. Unfortunately, they were out of bean sprouts that day. The basil was super fresh and flavorful. The broth for all of the soups were delicious. It was so good that we all finished our soups. I even picked up the bowl and just straight-up drank the spicy broth from the beef stew. The broths alone are more than enough reason to visit this place. I'm pretty sure the broths don't have MSG added either. They probably have one of the best beef and chicken pho broths I've ever had in the entire US, and believe me, I've tried a lot. The beef stew was great. I tried so hard to not eat to quick and choke on the chili oil to no avail. Thank goodness I had that thai tea. The meat was tender, the noodles were the right firmness, and the chili oil wasn't too spicy while still being flavorful. The dark meat pho ga was great too. The meat was tender. The texture wasn't like it was barely cooked and still tender nor was it overcooked. It was just done perfectly. The flank with meatball pho bo was also really good. The meat was tender, the meat portions were huge, and the broth was flavorful without being too salty or bland. Their prices are super cheap (around $12 per person) and the value you get is incredibly worth it. read more

See all

Not the best photo but the best pho! The broth is so flavorful and tasty. It was a cold rainy day in hilo so soup was a must. I forgot to take a pic of the garlic chili oil which they probably have the best chili oil compared to other places it's definitely home made. read more

Pho Viet - Vietnamese Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

service sucks the waiter is so rude she doesn't know how to serve I wonder why do they have her??

The food is very tasty. They have gas courteous service, all in a clean environment. A definite 10.

Look no further for the greatest beef stew pho on the island. You will actually want to eat that carrot. The red stew broth is still reminiscent of pho unlike other places, oilier in a good way and rich with a kick. Some days it kicks harder but it isn't goopy or fatty like lazy stews. Truly hard to pass up when it's as clean as all their winning broths come. If beef stew isn't your thing you're fine with your regular order. Many say it's the best pho in Hilo. But we all know pho is personal. I'd say best chicken pho in all humbleness (choice of white or dark meat or combo/both). Best Thai iced tea and service too while we're at it. Prices have spiked all the way up and no longer serving Vietnamese spring rolls, but still worth the wait. read more

See all

While visiting Hilo I was craving some pho so we agreed to meet at the restaurant on a Sunday for dinner at 6:00. Unfortunately the restaurant we chose was closed on Sundays so we ended up at Pho Viet for dinner. We all had a different version of pho and I was a minority in my opinion that the pho was just OK, whereas everyone else liked their pho. I gauge the pho from the first sip of broth to taste the richness, then I taste the texture of the noodles. I guess that I have high standards because I have favorite pho restaurants back on Oahu. The broth was ok but I didn't get the richness that I love in pho broth. The noodles were just a little firm for me so it just had a different texture than I desire. My beef brisket and tendon pho had very little tendon in it, almost non existent. Everything was just OK, but I am used to eating really good pho so I was a little disappointed. read more

Pho Viet - Brisket and tendon pho. It was OK - Vietnamese Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

5 stars for food! This place was packed when we got there at noon....only one person serving front of house so things we slow. Ordered iced coffee with cream (yum!)...just Mix the cream and the coffee before you pour it over the ice. The noodles, broth, veggies and meat tender, flavorful. Would come here again. read more

See all

best pho ever, fav! the workers are really nice too, and try the beef stew pho. super fresh ingredients and clean broth. made it super spicy and it was soo good. will be coming back! read more

Pho Viet - Vietnamese Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Great place to have Pho...broth is the best in Hilo!!! always fresh basil and soybeans. On a one-way street but once you get the area layout parking is easy sometimes with a little walk. read more

After a long morning of swimming, this place truly hit the spot. If you want authentic Viet pho, this is the spot. You get to sit anywhere and the service is snappy quick and the food comes out in no time. I got chicken soup which is basically chicken pho and it did not disappoint. The flank pho was perfect as well! The Thai Iced tea was super refreshing as well. My only comment would be the pho being on the pricey side at $15 a bowl... and Thai tea for $4. So keep the price in mind! Either than that, 10/10. Friendly, authentic, and a clean place to grab some delicious pho. read more

Pho Viet - Chicken pho ! - Vietnamese Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

This place has the best chicken pho in Hilo. The service is quick and friendly and the restaurant itself is very clean.

Best pho in hilo. Cooked to order. Small friendly local business in the heart of hilo

The pho rice noodles themselves are done of the best cooked and flavored pho noodles I've had compared to other Viet hot spots in LA, New York, Philly, Falls Church. Perfectly cooked and seasoned, soaking up the delicious broth. Beef was super tender. If you're on Big Island it is definitely worth coming to. read more

See all

The best beef pho in Hilo. Their broth is what makes it the best! The menu is really limited here. It's a shame they no longer serve egg rolls though. Please bring some appetizers back! read more

The best pho on the island. Unfortunately I have to admit this place needs a facelift, deep cleaning, paint job etc. ... I go there for almost 10 years and never got sick or anything, but you have to see eyes of my friends when I bring them to try the best pho on island :)))) Pros : Reach flavorful broth, good quality meat, fresh hot source on the side, tasty Thai ice tea . Friendly service. Cons: Small menu ( could at least keep the shrimp rolls on the menu, they used to have them in the past ), need to be remodeled badly! Needs better AC. But still the best pho on the island! read more

Came here on my trip, on a raining day, busy day that they ran out of pho..... I got the last bowl ;) Pho tastes good and will come back when I am back on the island read more

One of my favorite places to eat pho! They give a lot of garnishes (especially the sprouts which are my fave!!) & they are very fast with take out order. The only downside to the restaurant is that there are no appetizers. Just pho & drinks. Otherwise, the pho is fantastic! read more

Used to be our favorite pho until we discovered goat pho at tiger tea and new Saigon. Went back and could not eat. Felt like vomiting all over the restaurant. I didn't Regards Beau Toichi read more

Since arriving to Hilo, I've always heard how delicious this restaurant is... and it definitely holds its reputation. It's located in a little alleyway across of the Garden Exchange and near McDonald's in Downtown. The only parking is street parking, and it's relatively difficult to get a spot during prime time. The restaurant has a total of 6 tables with 4 seats each. Prior to COVID, they ALWAYS had a line during their lunch and dinner times. They used to not do take outs but since COVID, they began doing take out on their phos and added in appetizers such as spring and summer rolls. I used to order their combination pho which contained eye round steak, flank, tendon, and meatballs. Their pho broth is very light without the usual heavy, fattiness (not sure how to describe it) you get from other pho places. At first, the broth was kind of strange to me but over time, I grew fond of it. They offer the usual veggies and sauces. Except their chili oil sauce is amazing! It's ridiculously spicy and addicting that I've joked on bringing my own little container to snatch some of it a few of times (only semi-serious... or am I?). Then I discovered their beef stew which contains beef and carrots. Again, the broth isn't as heavy as other places. It's almost as if it's a blend of the beef stew broth and pho broth, bringing it a lighter consistency, which is super original! It's on a spicy side due to their special chili oil. I now always only order the beef stew whenever I come by. Saaaad that they sometimes run out of their beef stew. But that just shows how popular the dish is! There are many Vietnamese places that offer pho, but I feel that Pho Viet is one of the few places that can satisfy my pho cravings when I'm in Hilo. I definitely recommend this place to anyone in the area who want to try their beef stew. read more

Pho Viet - All spicy beef stew - Vietnamese Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Beef stew and the pho with flank are straight up winnahs. Broth is amazing and can bring you back from death. The noodles are fresh and plentiful and lastly the meat is tender with nice portions. I need a part time job I eat here so much. read more

I ordered the combination Pho to go. The current price is $12. Luckily I was able to find street parking on a Saturday night. Lighting on the street is very poor. In the future, I'll be sure to arrive and leave before sunset. The broth is very light and tasty. The best I've had in Hilo but only bean sprouts and lemon were included. Otherwise, I was very satisfied with the meal and service. read more

We were really surprised to find a very good Vietnamese restaurant in the town of Hilo. That was one of our best meals in town. It was a hot day, however that did not stop us from having pho. Like many places in Hawaii, there was no AC. We were sweating already while we were gulping down hot broth. We tried their pho and beef stew with noodles. The pho broth was full of beef flavor and was perfectly seasoned. They gave us decent amount of beef and lots of fresh herbs. The beef stew with noodles was amazing! It was very rich in flavor, a little thicker than the regular beef broth, but it was just as enjoyable. We almost licked our bowls clean. Because the food was so good, we had to find out where the staff and the chef came from. They looked Asians but we were not sure if they were actually Vietnamese. It turns out that the owner decided to open this restaurant because his wife moved here for school. We are so glad they are in Hilo so we could enjoy some delicious Vietnamese food. Thank you! read more

See all

Hole in the wall in Hilo, best pho by far. My son had to order another #6 to go. This place gets busy fast. Definitely will come again when we come back in August read more

Pho Viet - Our son love the flavor of the soup - Vietnamese Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

The pho here is so good. I have been coming since 2011 and I haven't been disappointed yet. I normally get the number 6 eye round steak and a thai tea. One of my favorite aspects of pho viet is the chili oil they provide on the side. Its spicy, flavorful and a little smoky. I moved away but as soon as i visit Hilo i always make it a point to stop here and get a bowl or two. read more

Pho Viet - Vietnamese Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

See all

Friendly, fast service and wait staff. Standard pho and portions to what I'm used to. We shared a beef (standard) and chicken (sweeter) and found both OK. TIPS: Request the garlic chili sauce to volcano-ize your pho, or just get the stew. Parking is tough. You have to drive in a spiral formation down 1-way streets to get here. Simpler to park near the KTA and walk. read more

I didn't like pho. Tbh I think I still don't like pho. The only pho I love is the pho from Pho Viet. This little hole in the wall has converted me. I would go to this place religiously and is immensely popular with the UH kids. Food/Drinks: Obvi, the majority of their menu is Pho, but they also has spring rolls with peanut sauce and oh baby I could live off of those. Needless to say I'm not a pho expert but even my friends that I bring here love the food. The also give a huge plate (well it's actually a tiny plate but a huge amount) of bean sprouts, mint?, and limes?. I don't eat these things but my friends do and they love it. Be careful with the spicy oil. It is SPICY! Good, but spicy. Now lets talk about my one true love. Thai tea. If you put too much spice, go drink some thai tea. If you don't put enough spice, get some thai tea. You know what, just order the thai tea. I've tried many times to replicate it, but it cannot be done. I don't know if it's the love or the condensed milk but I cannot get the right mix ever. Atmosphere: They've painted the walls a few times but it really doesn't even matter because it just feels like home. The staff is warm and friendly always and it has a simple and practical restaurant layout. Service: It's self-seating and once you are seated you are automatically greeted and orders are ready to be taken. Many of the customers are regulars so menus aren't even necessary, I know my number by heart. But don't worry, if you need time they are patient. Prices used to be $1-2 cheaper per item but I don't even blame them for upping the price because they dominate the pho market in Hilo. read more

Excellent Pho! Have tried multiple variations, and the quality and consistency has been top tier! One of those classic, "hole-in-the-wall" type of of establishments that comes through every time for their customers with the best Pho. Can't miss with Pho Viet read more

I'd start this review with a bad pho pun, but I'm afraid Yelp would banh mi... Located in the heart of downtown Hilo, Pho Viet is about as far down on Kilauea Avenue as you can get, situated on the one-way street behind Garden Exchange. It is a small shop, but you'll not want to be missing this. Parking is pretty slim, as there's really only the side of the road, and it's a slim one at that. But, there's a McDonald's parking lot just a ways down the street that I'm sure you could get away with using if you don't mind a very short walk. I've admittedly not been able to dine in, having tried Pho Viet for the first time after the pandemic (henceforth referred to as the pandy) had already kicked off, but the takeaway pho that I enjoyed was still plenty enough to have me feeling some type of way. With that said, there is normally indoor dining available inside the restaurant, so here's hoping this review finds you in a post-pandy world! The pho here is seriously bomb. Fresh, fragrant ingredients and a broth that absolutely hits the spot on any day, but especially when it's cold out. With it, you're provided hoisin and chili sauce, as well as bean sprouts, lime, and basil to get the pho tasting exactly how you like. Pho Viet of course features many other dishes besides the pho itself, but with that you simply can't miss. read more

The Pho Viet 5 years ago would have 10 stars in flavor and hands down amazing food. In todays time it is okay- the flavor is still there, often becoming a hit or miss. They got rid of the biggest hot seller - deep fried egg rolls.... Idk why maybe because the chef left lol Anyhow - it's a little hole in the wall in downtown Hilo Hawaii. Clean and always busy because they have the best garlic crack sauce to go into that Pho! For Hilo I'll rank this no#3 hole in the wall good comfort food. read more

Overall: Quick, affordable dinner option that's good for groups 2-5. We went here on a Thursday night around 6pm and it was packed - we were able to snag the last table. If you are coming here on a weekend, be ready to wait a little (or have an early dinner). Food: We ordered two beef pho dishes - #7 flank, #10 eye round with meatballs. Food came out within 10 minutes! The broth had nice flavor, noodles were thin and perfectly cooked. The dishes had a nice amount of meat given the price. The one negative to point out is the staff isn't the best with masks. The gentleman that brought out our food was not wearing one, the waiter/host's mask kept slipping below his nose, and when you saw into the kitchen, most masks were below the nose. read more

Found this place through yelp while we were in Hilo for a few days. Price is reasonable and customer service was alright (not great but not terrible) but the soup tasted bland. I've had pho in Ho Chi Min and Dalat in Vietnam as well as in Honolulu but this place wasn't as good. They also don't have the satay sauce most vietnamese restaurants provide but instead, they give you some garlic chili oil you'd normally get in chinese restaurants and they're extremely spicy. Also, there aren'r enough meat but it's understandable considering their price (below $10) so you get what you paid for. Overall, taste wasn't bad, just didn't taste like traditional pho so I guess it's ok if I didn't think it was pho. read more

Pho Viet - Combination Pho (not enough meat) - Vietnamese Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

See all

a great pho place in HILO! this is rare. They don't offer spring roll nor summer roll, none of those non-sense. They are serious about pho and ONLY pho. Chicken or Beef and its precious! and delicious! you will go through two doors to get in, be patient and wait if all tables are occupied. Typical idiots ( boys & girls) standing next to the table while we pho, that don't intimidate us. We are the people of pho and we are serious about the broth. Order the Iced Tea or the Iced Coffee... Thank me later, Lets pho for now. To feasting... read more

Pho Viet - Chicken combination - Vietnamese Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

This is a small restaurant with about a dozen tables and a very simple menu. It's pretty much pho and some drinks. The prices are low but the quantity is really small. This would qualify as an extra small bowl in California. Basically my 2 year old ate the content of a bowl, which was 3-4 slices of meat and a couple of meat balls and pretty much all the noodles. We had to order spring rolls, 3 bowls, extra noodles and drink all the broth to get full. But I have to admit, the broth was really good and the stew meat was well done as well. I really wish they had a more expensive option with more food. read more

Pho Viet - Vietnamese Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Honestly speaking, I am not a fan of Pho but this place has some decent pho in my opinion. I dont know much about pho to judge but I likes the broth here. I am not going to lie. Pho here is prettt expensive. They only give you so much and literally 2-3 small pieces of meat for $7 when I can get a decent bowl of pho with TONS of meat in it for less than $7. But I get it, its Hawaii. Nonetheless, I like the broth here. It has very clean taste to it. Its hard to explain but I really liked the soup. Portion was perfectly fine for me but my boyfriend says it is too little. He's used to eating a large bowl. Thats probably why! I also tried their Vermicelli dish which was pretty good. I am used to eating other rice dishes besides Pho at Vietnamese restaurants and this was pretty good. Their Thai Tea was just OK. It wasnt the taste I was looking for but it comes in a cute wineglass looking cup. It gets hot here very easily. With no AC and just fans, plus a hot bowl of Pho, it is just obvious. I dont like coming here during the day just because I hate being hot and sweaty! Will I come back? Yea, whenever I crave Pho next time! read more

Pho Viet - Pho Tai - Vietnamese Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

See all

Yummy yummy phó spot on the Big Island! :) Boyfriend & I were trying to find a phó place near us, but couldn't find any. We were planning to have a day trip in Hilo during our stay on the Big Island. Hilo was about 2hrs away from our hotel so hence the day trip. Phó Viet is a tiny place that seems clean and pretty simple looking. We found parking on the street about a few feels away. Service was fast, pretty friendly, and good. The phó came out silver bowls which was very different from the normal white ceramic type of bowls that we're usually used to. I actually really like the silver bowls! The phó was delish, and my boyfriend really loved the meatballs. Upon leaving, I went to their restroom & it's like their toilet is on a little throne. It's on an elevated floor from the sink. The mural in the restroom is also pretty with the turtles, and other sea animals. We still crave their phó nowadays. It's THAT good! :D read more

Pho Viet - Yummy phó in silver bowls! - Vietnamese Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

See all