4. Restaurants

Pho 888

1137 W Argyle St, Chicago, IL, 60640
  • (773) 907-8838
  • Store is closed

Pho 888 Menu

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  • Tim S.

    After reading plenty of threads over the years dedicated to the this Vietnamese dish called Pho we decided to pop on by to give it a try. Should have tried it sooner, what a tasty treat. Started with the Spring Rolls which were delicious then on to the #22, huge bowl of broth, ample enough helping of meat, plenty of noodles, and a side plate full of veg to toss in. Service was solid enough attentive and kept my water full. Will be back to try some more of their extensive menu.

    (4)

  • Rachel K.

    Not a bad option if you happen to hit a Wednesday when Tank Noodle is closed or when they're on vacation. We loved the pho here (tasty, well developed broth the night I was in) as well as the soups with egg noodles. It's small and lacks in ambience like all the other spots on the street but the food isn't bad.

    (3)

  • Chet M.

    Cute and quaint space was a nice change of venue from the big Tank next door. Pho broth was super tasty and serving was hot and huge. Oxtail version was great to see. But only knock here is the meat with Pho #22 and Pho w/oxtail could have been increased by 20%. Service was good.

    (4)

  • Khadijah L.

    Not sure if it measures up to my expectations, given that all my trusted yelp friends rave about this place. Got the 888 special, the broth was really good. I was really disappointed that the noodles were clumpy, like they just came out of a package. It was sticking together in a clump. The vege plate was lacking in basil leaves. Huge pile of sprouts and only 2 measly *slices* of jalapeno. no bueno. I will go back to Tank next time.

    (3)

  • Stella M.

    I went here because Tank Noodle was closed. Not a lover of pho so I ordered the egg noodles with chicken and vegetables. Very plain with only onion, broccoli and celery. Almost had no flavor. My mother got the chicken and broccoli with rice and she was dissappointed. I'm sure this place is good for pho, but don't go here for anything else.

    (2)

  • Kimbo S.

    Delicious pho! We had very fast service and its nice that it isn't that crowded here, thanks to it being a smaller sized restaurant. The prices were reasonable and everything tasted great! Its kind of a hidden place but definitely worth it.

    (5)

  • Clare C.

    I got the Pork Bún tht nng here $8.00 (without tax). Basically Pho without soup haha. It is a Large large portion Rice Vermicelli noodle dish topped with grilled pork, fresh herbs like basil and mint, lettuce, peanut, cilantro, cucumber, and bean sprouts. The dish comes with a sweet fish sauce sooo good. Taste like may ploy sauce. If you're wanting something not too heavy and something fresh this is the way to go! You can get a beef or pork and you can add egg rolls for $8.75 i think?

    (4)

  • Ototo L.

    My husband and I used to come to this place for pho. We loved the food. but we have stop going to this place because we had very bad experience. I am not gonna talk about the screaming children who are always there. One time, they messed up our order greatly. After we ordered our food that night, we'd been siting for 45 minutes waiting for the food. That's before we realized every other customers in the restaurant who came later than us already got their food and they are finishing up. We were so mad and disappointed and we never returned to Pho888.

    (2)

  • Corey M.

    went here two days in a row for their banh-mis, id go a third day too

    (5)

  • Kennen M.

    Went here because I was super hungry and Tank was too busy. As soon as I walked in, the gentleman working greeted us and was super friendly. We ordered way more food than two people could eat but the gentleman assured us we can take home whatever we couldn't finish. The spring rolls -awesome. The vermicelli noodles with beef and shrimp - fantastic. The ham and veggie sammich - cheap and super yummy. I was amazed how fresh and plentiful the veggies were that came with the entrees. We ordered enough food for a family of 4 and the bill was only $30. I added the 5th star for the old asian men that came in for their pho, conversation and the soccer game on tv.

    (5)

  • Allison S.

    Came in here on a wednesday after tank was closed, and it was great food. Its a small little place, but like other viet places in the area they have a large selection. I dont like the traditional pho with the different types of beef, but the grilled beef pho was great! We had some chinese veggies that were good, and while we had to wait a bit for the food, it wasnt too bad, and it was pretty crowded.

    (4)

  • RT S.

    Yelpers reviewed this place with good food, so we decided to give it a try. We went to Pho 888 on Thursday night for dinner and ordered BBQ beef, lemongrass chicken, shrimp, sate Chinese broccoli with tofu. BBQ beef came out ice cold like it was directly from the freezer, unthawed. This was unapproved! Shrimp was small, salty and not worth the price! Lemongrass chicken was RAW. We had to send back the dish. How do you not see raw meat on plate before serving it to the customer? It's really bad that the owner didn't even apologize or have the decency to compensate for their mistake. She acted as though this happened very frequently! The only thing we could eat was the broccoli and rice. Although rice was cook with cheap rice because it's yellow and dry. I know Vietnamese food and this place does not deserve a second visit.

    (1)

  • Phil F.

    Unlike many people's reviews, I liked this place. I thought that the pho was flavorful and didn't need too much doctoring to dial it in. We got the basic pho and then one with grilled beef, which was super good and marinated. We also got spring rolls and pork shrimp pancake which were both pretty darn good. I do think that I got a little ill from the food though. Which sucked, but wasn't a surprise when I recalled the view of the kitchen when I walked by ;) Maybe I just have a tender lil tummy. Overall, I would go back. But not if Tank is not super packed up the butt.

    (4)

  • Cristina W.

    So Yelp! let me down this time. Or maybe I'm spoiled by all the great Vietnamese food in San Jose. We both had the pho and the broth was less than impressive. It tasted like the broth was made from boullion cubes rather than the beef bones they were supposed to. The noodles were hard and it was a bit pricey for the size bowl we got. At least the service was very good and the restaurant was decently clean.

    (2)

  • Khadijah S.

    the pho is sweet there (not the usual yummy pho you get at Tank or other places) and as i made way to use the restroom, i noticed that they keep their meat in a big basin...on the floor...(ew ew ewwww)

    (1)

  • Lynn P.

    What a wonderful hole-in-the-wall! At the top of my "cheap and cheerful" restaurant list here in Chicago. The food is simply delicious. I recommend any of the phos - they are superb and extremely filling (I get at least two meals out of them) - and my personal favorite, number 45. rice noodles with grilled beef, tons of sprouts and veggies and some fish sauce for good measure. Service is wonderful, especially if you come there often as I do. Bottom line, for the price of a crappy meal at McDonalds, you can have an amazing epicurean experience. And on a cold winter's day, there is NOTHING better than that pho.

    (5)

  • Kenta O.

    Pho 888 is often overlooked and overshadowed by Tank. I find their food, especially their pho to be more delicious and tasty than Tank. I think they also have more variety in food. I love their Thai iced tea. It taste so refreshing and good.

    (5)

  • Kimberly B.

    Very small, and hidden place, but very delicious! The pho was great and served well, and the service was very fast! Everything on the menu was priced reasonably, and I would love to go back!

    (5)

  • Khiem T.

    Since I am leaving Chicago, I want to write a review about this place. My girlfriend and I found this place after our dissatisfaction with Tank. I am Vietnamese, so believe me when I say the food at Pho 888 is the best Vietnamese food in town. Pho, bun bo hue, eggrolls, com tam, banh hoi, banh xeo, sandwiches, you name it. Well, the bo kho isn't as good as my grandmother's, but nothing's perfect, right? The one server lady is super nice, food is always what you expect (excellent), and the menu is endless. I just hope they won't ever stray too far towards the western palate, just to attract non-Vietnamese customers.

    (5)

  • Ashley A.

    Great food. Got the beef pho & the porkchop meal. Both were great! I still think pho 777 has better pho broth & would prefer it over pho 888. Pho 777 is also bigger inside!

    (4)

  • Abe R.

    This is my spot when I need a drag of the Pho. The Pho here seperates itself from others in my opinion due to the broth. Sure the noodles are great and the beef and tripe are tasty, but I literally find myself just slurping up all the broth before I even start on the noodles. I have been eating Pho for 15 years, and began my addiction in Seattle where Pho is like McD's, its everywhere, but this broth, damn is it good. Just go and give it a shot, oh and one more thing, stay away from my wife. Enjoy Suckas!!!

    (4)

  • Marissa G.

    I usually go to Tank. I think I may like the pho here better. I ordered the pho with everything except tripe (my best friend doesn't like it) and it came out in a big bowl, piping hot, and with the usual fixings. It was more than enough for both of us. I found their broth a bit more flavorful than Tank's. I'm torn about their Banh Xeo (crepe with veggies, spring and pork), its good, but I think Tank's is bigger and has more shrimp and pork belly. At the end of the day, I think this place is a good alternative to the always crowded and loud Tank Noodle-- more intimate, less stress, and easier to talk to your friends!

    (4)

  • Hana T.

    I've only tried the pho tai (pho with medium rare round eye beef) and the iced black coffee with condensed milk. AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS. Pho broth is aromatic and flavorful, served with a teetering plate of the usual veggies. Iced coffee is strong and is generously mixed with the condensed milk which is a perfect accompaniment to the steaming pho. Probably the best pho in Chicago! Staff at this restaurant are really nice. I've never been in here when it's incredibly busy, but each time I've been, the food has come out within minutes of ordering. Two thumbs up!

    (5)

  • Mad I.

    Yum! In the middle of a TON of Vietnamese places this place is my pick. Far less busier than Tank and I cannot figure out why...been to both and Pho 888 is great! Awesome bubble tea, friendly staff and the largest bowl of Beef Pho Ive ever had. Yum, go try it, and share the Pho! Too much for one person.

    (4)

  • Doctor J.

    Standards slip a little sometimes, but this place makes tank noodle look like dog diarrhea. Not really sure why anyone likes tank, but 888 slays every pho place in the area.

    (5)

  • Scott J.

    Best pho in Chicago. The goat curry soup (#75) is also on point.

    (5)

  • Rachel T.

    My trip here was only due to the fact that Tank was closed. The restaurant is small, but quaint. The staff was friendly and the service was quick! I came for Pho and catfish in a clay pot, as that is what I planned to order at Tank. The pho was delicious, the broth was complex and delivered the traditional pho flavor. The catfish on the other hand did not meet my expectations. It had an odd smell and it wasn't quite as caramelized as it is at Tank. A bit disappointing. I won't say I would never return, but my pho obsession still lies with Tank.

    (3)

  • Amy Y.

    The only reason why I went here to eat is because Pho Tank was closed. I was hoping they would have some what decent food but i was HIGHLY disappointed. I ordered the #52 (fried chicken with white rice and homemade fish sauce) the chicken was over cooked and really dry, I couldn't even finish it. My husband ordered the #54 (vermicelli, beef and eggrolls), he was also disappointed, the egg rolls was really oily and not that appetizing. I don't think I would come back to this place ever again.

    (2)

  • Christina M.

    Another visit to 888 last night with a group of 10. The food was hot, fresh and yummy. Everyone was satisfied! This place is a must visit.

    (5)

  • Sylvia I.

    Definitely not my favorite Vietnamese restaurant. I was pretty disappointed although my husband loves their pho. I've gotten the beef bun noodles twice and the noodles were overcooked and the beef didn't seem fresh.

    (2)

  • Matt D.

    The spring rolls were excellent and i probably could of just had serving after serving of those for my dinner. I can't remember the authentic name for my dinner, but it consisted of vermicelli noodles, mint, pork, bean sprouts, cucumbers and leaves. It was pretty good; i have had better but there was certainly nothing wrong with my dinner here. They have a lot of options and the staff is very friendly. Although it wasn't the best Vietnamese i have had, i am pretty sure i will be back.

    (3)

  • Kristy S.

    They have a very large menu and everything I have had has been delicious. Service can be slow though. BYOB is also a plus.

    (4)

  • Stephen M.

    Came here earlier today and the pho was pretty good. I forgot what I had but I know it was #22 lol. My friend recommended the ice coffee and it was amazing!

    (4)

  • Liz P.

    So I guess this is what authentic pho tastes like... Interesting blend of herbage, spices, and broth flavor. Wish I had an extra stomach to try more of the grilled meats, they are yum-O. My half eaten Banh mi sandwich that I wrapped to go was surprisingly good 6 hrs later in my car. (har har). If you're up for a blast into little Vietnam, this cheesy karaoke playing, waitress doing prep in the back, neon signed, hole in the wall joint is sure to please.

    (4)

  • Alicia K.

    I must admit that I only came to this place because Tank was closed for construction. It's right around the corner on Argyle. This is a small, no-frills viet place. The food is good, but the service is pretty horrific. They have a waitress who has no idea what is going on. I asked for hot tea and she gave me thai iced tea. What?! Then my friend asked for the dish of accoutrements for his soup, and she gave him the wrong one. Maybe I'll give them another chance. I'm sure the extra business from Tank being closed swamped their staff.

    (3)

  • C G.

    The food's great and staff friendly. My wife & I come here frequently because we enjoy the mom'n'pop atmosphere, it reminds us of our trip to Vietnam. Sometime's it takes a while for the food, but it's worth the wait!

    (4)

  • Jennie T.

    I love pho, and I think Pho 888 serves the best pho in Chicago. That said, I don't really like their dipping sauce for their spring rolls -- the spring rolls are great though. I think the sauce is a bit watered down. Their southern (Vietnamese) noodle soup (bun nam) is very good though. I love it. Every time I come here, I am faced with the dilemma of whether I want to order pho or bun nam. But be warned, it's very fishy for those of you who can't handle a lot of seafood. There's anchovies, catfish, eggplants, shrimp, etc. Good stuff though.

    (5)

  • Frank B.

    Mi novia and I usually eat at Tank Noodle because it host descent Pho but I have always been curious about Pho 888 due to a recommendation. Tried Le's Pho, & Pho Lily which were watered down versions of Pho (NO!) but Pho 888 gets the broth just how I like it. We tried the Pho Tai (a standard) and Bun Rieu (tomato crab soup). The Bun was descent but I have had better. The Pho was tasty though, flavorful and dare I say, has an edge over Tank. Bottom line: try both, they are right next door to each other and you wont be disappointed either way though Pho 888 has an extra point in my book and will most likely be my new go-to Pho spot.

    (4)

  • Mick M.

    I'll give the taste of the Pho 5 stars and then my stomach afterwards 1 star. I went with the beef pho which is my usual. And just to clarify, I wasn't "stuck in the bathroom" sick--just not feeling so hot for a couple hours afterward. I ended up heading home, drinking a bunch of tea and then felt much better.

    (2)

  • Melissa M.

    Came here right upon my return from San Francisco where I first tried Pho a few weeks ago. I got the beef Pho and my sister got a stir fried chicken dish ... we split the shrimp spring rolls and a bottle of wine. The staff was very sweet and accommodating considering we rolled in about 45 mins before they closed and stayed about 15 mins after -- but there were other people there so I don't think they were upset. Wonderful food - great service - really affordable. Dinner for two was less than $20. We will definitely be back!

    (5)

  • H D.

    After recently moving to chicago in the midst of winter I was definitely looking for a good pho spot, and pho 888 fits the bill. Been twice now, and both times the soup has been spot on (good broth, fresh condiments, etc) and the service has been amazing for a pho spot. Only thing I was a bit meh about was the premixed iced coffee, although I have to admit it was still pretty good.

    (4)

  • Matthew V.

    We honestly came here because Tank was too packed... And I'm happy we did.

    (4)

  • Tiff W.

    I find myself coming here again and again. Although that place next door is bigger, brighter, and more...how should i say it..."non-asian friendly," 888 is great when you want just a solid bowl of pho. Plus, you will almost always be able to find a table here and not have to wait. Get your pho fix before the weather starts getting warmer!

    (5)

  • Miles B.

    It's all about the pho here. This used to be my favorite hang over spot and now they are the one of the top spots for pho in Chicago. Take the El to Argyle and cross the street to this small but friendly restaurant. The spring rolls are also excellent.

    (4)

  • Alice c.

    I would have given them a perfect rating if it were not for the hair in the food and the sticky silverware. The food was all in all delicious!!!! Order number 11, the pancake is really good. The beef spring rolls are tasty too.

    (4)

  • Danny L.

    good prices, very tasty. Great food. Low prices. My first pho experience, I would definitely go back. HUGE portions!

    (4)

  • Jenna S.

    Since my visit here, I have actually spent time in Vietnam and I can tell you: the food at Pho 888 is the real deal. Pho 888 was my first experience with Vietnamese food and I was a little nervous. I am not usually a fan of any Asian food that isn't "fake" (read: Americanized). I was pleasantly surprised with how much I loved the pho experience. I was slightly adventurous with my appetizer choice and tried some of a fried egg dish that I never would have ordered on my own. Super yummy and more flavorful that I would have expected. The pho was a great experience. The skirt steak was cooked in a ton of spices that made the broth super tasty. Add a ton of fresh veggies and hoisin sauce made this soup complete. The cilantro was insanely fresh and abundant and there were more sauce choices than you could shake a stick at. I highly recommend Pho 888, especially if you're having your first pho experience. Totally worth it.

    (4)

  • Calvin Y.

    On an early Saturday morning, we decided to get pho to get more liquids into our dehydrated state. We decided on Pho 888 as it was right off the redline. Oxtail Pho with actual Oxtail ($8) Banh Xeo Vietnamese Crepe ($7) Guavabana Smoothie ($3) Shrimp on Sugarcane ($3/piece) This ended up being a feast! Of all the items, I probably would pass on the crepe because it was too much on the crispy side, but the filling was quite delicious. I loved all the oxtail in the pho and the shrimp on sugarcane was delicious! As things were relatively cheap, it was easy to go overboard and order way too much food.

    (4)

  • Patrick L.

    Next to Tank Noodles next door, one has to wonder how the pho is over here. The broth has a really nice depth, lightly sweet, and has a delicious peppery flavor. About 95% of the veggies that come with it (bean sprouts, basil, etc.) were fresh; The other 5% not so much. However, I especially love the "bun" (rice vermicelli) with the ground beef wrapped in betel leaves. VERY yummy. Definitely would come back here.

    (3)

  • Marco H.

    There were plenty of vietnamese places on Pho Row, but I wanted to try Pho 888 first. I thought it was just OK. I tried the Pho Ra (chicken) and one of the Beef Pho soups. The Chicken Pho was decent and the broth was mildly flavored. And the beef Pho was a little too cinnamon-ny for my taste. The fried spring rolls were pretty typical. Nothing amazing, but a solid Pho place. Side note, don't ask the waiter if they serve Bull Penis Pho (some idiot customer actually inquired about it in front of his 8 year old son). She'll look at you like you're crazy.

    (3)

  • PHILLIP S.

    Very good. Had #22 and spring roll left with most of 22. Photo in gallery. The iced coffee hit the spot too!

    (5)

  • Melanie T.

    My husband and I use to come here on a lot. We usually always came on a week night near closing time. Service was always fast and friendly. Yes this place is small, cramped, dirty looking and cold if you're sitting by the door in the winter but their pho is the best I've ever had (next to my mom's)! The broth is sooo clean and clear. No fat and when I'm done with my bowl I don't feel the buttons on my jeans are about to explode or like I'm in a major food coma. I can't wait to make my way back here.

    (4)

  • Alan K.

    I really enjoyed their Bun Bo Hue noodle soup when I came to this restaurant. In fact, I think it even tastes much better than Tank. It looks like this hole in the wall restaurant carries a good selection of Vietnamese food to satisfy your palate. It is nice that place is conveniently located by the Red Line-Argyle Stop.

    (5)

  • Sharon C.

    I was here for lunch today and my feeling about this pho boils down to this: broth - amazing, noodles - meh, meat - quality but insufficient. We both got the #22 with extra noodles and my eyes were much, much bigger than my stomach. I would say that the #22 + extra noodles has more noodles as the Tank Noodle XL bowl (for size comparison), with less meat, but better broth.

    (4)

  • Mark S.

    A friend recommended Pho 888 to us, but after eating there, I'm wondering if he meant Pho 777, which is also on Argyle Street. I've never been there either, so I don't know if that place is good, but it looks nicer from the outside. I've included a photo of the remains of my beef banh mi sandwich I didn't finish. I was hoping it would be better than Tank Noodle's, but the meat was in thick chunks with grisly fat and it had an odd flavor. I'm more used to the meat in banh mis being thinly sliced and tender. The bread was good though. To get to the bathroom, I had to walk past a tub of dirty dishes, which wasn't appetizing. The bathroom was a little on the dirty side, with a warped toilet seat and barely enough room. I held my breath in there.

    (2)

  • Justin B.

    Very average fare, but to be fair--I wasn't in a pho mood (pho is more interesting to me when it's colder outside), so I went with some of the egg rolls and a round of very tasty-but-ordinary beef fried rice. The prices were a little high for what I was expecting, but the portion size of this thing was huge and left me with a very large lunch the next day. The decor and service were fine as well; props for BYO and the fact that they take credit cards, but otherwise there are plenty of better choices close by.

    (3)

  • Kara B.

    Dirty. Gross. Rude. We were ignored. Our food was awful. I was assured by my companion it isn't always like that but it sure was on our visit. We couldn't even identify whether or not the meet was beef. We also did not get what we had ordered. Skip this place.

    (1)

  • Jimmy W.

    The service were very friendly but the food is just average. The broth were much lighter than what an average pho would be. The bowl was very generous $11 (probably one of the highest price Pho that I ever paid)..The sugar cane juice was fresh squeezed so I am very happy there. Due to the price paid, average food, and hole in the wall atmosphere, a three star would be what I would offer for this place.

    (3)

  • TN N.

    The food was great but the service could have been better since the place is small . They have about 7-8 tables . The bathroom is all the way in the back , pass the kitchen , was kinda scary going back there . I wouldn't recommend this place for a large group of people .

    (3)

  • Vilma S.

    Small joint but it's one of my favorite Vietnamese restaurants. Their pho is great and the salt and pepper shrimp is delicious here. They have a large menu and the prices are average and fair especially for the portions you receive. Service is always consistent and the food never disappoints. I always bring friends here and they really enjoy the food here too.

    (5)

  • Suzy D.

    This is more like a 3.5. Cheap, giant portions, and tasty. My husband had the pho and found it to be very flavorful but the broth was almost a little too sweet. He also found the meat to be tougher than at our usual place (Nha Hang Vietnam). The banh xeo was tasty and crispy. We got a banh mi to go. It was less than 4 dollars and pretty delicious when we ate it hours later. Overall, good viet food but not our favorite.

    (3)

  • Mink L.

    Not a horrible place to come and get good Vietnamese food but by far the best. We ordered an oxtail pho and a bun bo hue. Flavor components were great, but both the oxtail and the pork hock needed to be pressure cooked or cooked longer. We had a very difficult time tearing off the meat off the bones. My partner in crime did better than I did, but had to use a toothpick for a good amount of the time. Vegetables that come with the pho looked a bit wilted, but was glad to see limes instead of lemons in some pho places on argyle. Pho 888 www known as one of the best pho in 2009, but since then their pho has just not been the same. Wondering if the chef has changed since then or maybe the ownership. Would recommend other places nearby for both pho and bun bo hue, but for other dishes.. Who knows?

    (3)

  • Vincent C.

    The pho was okay. Perhaps it was the specific dish I ordered, but the broth was a little on the bland side. I also ordered a smoothie in hopes of tasting something better. But the smoothie was merely just large chunks of crushed ice - hardly a smoothie at all.

    (3)

  • Katelyn C.

    It can be really hard to find pho with vegetarian broth, but this place has it (pho cai)! It is loaded with tofu and veggies. The pho bowls are so plentiful I have never come close to finishing one. And the prices are reasonable. However, when I go with friends who get beef pho, it seems like the cuts can be a bit fatty, definitely not the best.

    (4)

  • Jul N.

    Favorite place along Argyle so far. I've had a seafood broth soup (I'm forgetting which one now - ask for one with rice noodles, fish cake, eggplant, and other seafood) and also the beef/tripe/meatball pho. Both awesome. Get the bo bia too (fresh spring rolls with shrimp, pork, egg, and other good things). Service can be slow and distant but it's never been a problem for me.

    (5)

  • Lakan D.

    It's a good thing I chose this place! It's in a community with a bunch of other Vietnamese, Chinese and Thai restaurants. My family went to Chicago, so my dad decided to drop us off at this Asian American enclave called Argyle. I literally chose this place out of the blues, out of the randoms after my mom gave me $20 to go around, shop and eat. Sooooo....I just walked into this restaurant, because it had lots of customers. So how about it? The food is awesome. I had their beef flank soup (I believe the name was Pho nam or something) with thick rice noodles, I had forgotten the name of the food, Vietnamese names are hard to remember. The soup was giant, but I somehow finished it. The soup is very flavorful too, I was expecting some overrated flavorless soup, but no - the Pho soups from here are very different. Their soups are about $6.50-$7.50, and their other dishes such as fried or marinated ones are about $9.50 at average. I also had an appetizer of vegetable egg rolls (since I don't eat pork), two pieces is $2.50 and four pieces are $4.50. I had their two-piece egg rolls and they were good and to say the least "authentic". They really did give their egg rolls that Southeast Asian twist, I know this because I am from Southeast Asia and Southeast Asian style egg and spring rolls, whether it be Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian or Filipino are very distinct from Chinese ones especially with the wrappers they use.

    (5)

  • Natalie H.

    Since I live in this neighborhood, I've been to almost each of the pho restaurants surrounding the intersection of Broadway & Argyle. This was one of the few left to experience, so I went with a friend today as people were just beginning to scoop out their cars following this weekend's snowpocalypse. The iced coffee and the egg noodle soup with duck that I had were pretty okay. The reason for this rating is the fact that after ordering vegetarian egg rolls, the ones they delivered contained pork. My friend does not eat pork due to religious reasons, so halfway through eating one egg roll, she was very dismayed to find that it contained meat. We were two of the three people eating there at the time, and we were very adamant about specifying vegetarian. Not a great experience and will not go back, as I've had far better pho at every other restaurant in the area.

    (2)

  • C L.

    Love this small and delicious pho restaurant. Have been coming here for years and plan to keep coming here for many years to come. The pho is light and delicious and we always have the same sweet and friendly waitresses take our order, #177 every time. Can't say enough great things about the pho here.

    (5)

  • Francesc B.

    awesome soup, excellent sandwich small place and just ok decor very reasonable prices thus 4.5 stars

    (4)

  • Linn L.

    Since I went to Vietnam I am constantly looking for the best spot outside this vibrant country to get a warming big bowl of rice noodle soup. Came to Pho 888 an early Saturday night and it was quite, perfect since my and my friend had lots to chat about. My soup came in warm - not HOT - as you would expect a pho to be (particularly since it takes forever to eat it so you don't want to end up eating cold soup, right). Rice noodles were thick and nice but unfortunately they had mashed together and it turned into more like a rice ball than rice noodles... The broth was flavorful, but did not make up for the almost lukewarm soup. Pho 888 - I really wanted to like you but for now I feel encouraged to try the other shops in the area before I decide if I want to come back.

    (3)

  • Jackie M.

    The best broth I've come across in Chicago. Fortunately, pho is relatively cheap street food, but cheap doesn't mean it's bad, it's actually pretty awesome. Done Tank, done Pho 777, but I'm willing to try more pho places while I'm at it. In the mean time, this place is my top pick pho sure.

    (5)

  • Patrick F.

    Chose 888 on a friends recommendation. Ordered the pho. The broth was perfectly balanced served steaming hot in a giant bowl. The noodles just got better and better as they soaked in the pho broth. Lots of traditional ingredients if your a picky eater this would not be a good choice, stick to your run of the mill Asian restaurants but if you want the real stuff done well this is your place.

    (5)

  • Colee W.

    My favorite pho restaurant not only on the Argyle block, but in Chicago. Their pho #30 with extra meatballs is a constantly-craved comfort food.

    (5)

  • Philip B.

    We were planning on getting some pho at Tank Noodle nearby (which we found out is closed on Wednesdays). So we decided to go to this place instead. From the outside it looked like a good place. There were a couple of locals there and it looked like the old lady was running the place (always a good sign!) We started with the fresh shrimp spring rolls, which were really nice and fresh served with a good sauce. For the main we ordered their beef and tripe pho. I thought the broth was very nice - not too sweet, not too salty, just right. Both the beef and the tripe was very tasty, and the vegetables were fresh and aromatic. I don't eat a lot of pho, but I was pleased with this place. No complaints with the food nor the friendly service.

    (4)

  • Tian Y.

    This was my first meal of Vietnamese food since coming back from a summer in Vietnam a month ago. Tank was closed on a Wednesday (WHY... but that's a rant for another day), but funnily enough, I actually ended up liking Pho 888's pho broth a bit better. I think it's little more developed and less muddled and salty like Tank's next door, which in my memory is pretty good, but I remember the broths in Saigon to have both a much better mouth feel yet still a developed flavor profile. I saw banh xeo on their menu and remembered how delicious those were! One of my first street foods. Unfortunately these were the opposite of the thin, crispy, aromatic ones found in vietnam and were instead soggy and bland and had way too much (bland bland bland) filling so that it all fell apart. And I wish they served mustard greens as wrapper instead of lettuce that hasn't even properly dried that just adds to the sogginess. So sad... Pho, pretty good. Banh xeo, bad. We got 2 sandwiches to go - decent, but except for Don Cafe in Houston, I haven't found a place that quite measures up to Vietnam ;( Interested in coming here for pho and trying some other dishes along with it. But in the mean time, I'm still looking for a good catch-all restaurant for my Vietnamese food cravings.

    (4)

  • Tony M.

    Nice lady greeted me first time here had beef pho it was great def coming back here when im in the area for 6.95 cant go wrong

    (5)

  • Ted T.

    Well. That was fun. I feel like Anthony Bourdain. My first pho ( that's fugha). This place makes you glad you live in a big city. Mind you, I can't say if this place is the best - Broadway and Argyle are full of Vietnamese choices but the food was fun, flowing and flavorful. The sparse accommodations lend to the adventure. It keeps it real. The staff and patrons were also - I assume - of VN origin. The service was kind and attentive. English is spoken. In all - a wonderful trip around the world for 20 bucks. Best to all - happy exploring.

    (4)

  • Raheem L.

    Had the grilled beef pho here and it was delicious, it had a ton of flavor and the food comes in fairly large portions. Second time here and would definitely come back again, some of the best pho on argyle.

    (5)

  • Arturo B.

    I think the reason a lot of people choose Tank over this place is purely aesthetic and is really more of a Western comfort thing--a misguided distrust of divey-looking Asian restaurants. It's the reason why Tank is constantly packed and, thankfully for those who know or aren't put off by a tiny storefront like this, why Pho 888 is usually easy to find seating in. But simply, after eating at about six pho spots up and down Argyle, this place just has the best broth. Period. And it's dirt cheap. And while my Vietnamese friends would kill me for saying this, the quality of the noodles here (not that they really vary from other Argyle joints) would also have me saying that this pho is better than any that I've had in Vietnam (which includes about 30 different bowls of pho). (Sorry, but the broth is just as good here as anything I've had over there and the ingredients simply are of a superior quality). So, in other words, this is some of the best pho you will ever eat. Hidden secret: The banh mi here are perhaps the best in Chicago. Ba Le has gone downhill in recent years to the point where I won't eat there anymore and while I love the mega-stuffed sandwiches at Nhu Lan, their bread just isn't on par with 888's. Go for the grilled pork--I haven't tried any other kinds on the menu because it's basically the best grilled pork I've ever had. Oh yeah, and a lunch-sized sandwich is $3.49. The world would be a much better place if every Subway on Earth were replaced by shops tendering solely in the grilled pork banh mi's from 888.

    (5)

  • Jane K.

    Our new favorite Argyle Pho place. We go to Nha Hang for everything else but for pho only days, we have been looking for something better and Pho 888 delivers with deep, flavorful broths. Just avoid the Oxtail Pho because it sadly is undercooked and impossible to eat. Oxtail should be slow cooked to the point where the meat is almost off the bones and you can just cajole it a little with your teeth and the meat falls into your mouth. This wasn't the case here but everything else was great.

    (4)

  • Sofiya C.

    Pho "made with love" is what I would like to call this place. The portions are not enormous, but we had no problem sharing one bowl of pho between two people. The OX tail pho is very authentic and delicious. We also tried the grilled beef pho which was very unique and you could taste the savory spices of the beef, the beef in this one was not fatty, and the broth had a redish tint to it, vs the usual clear. We also enjoyed a pork meatball spring roll and the crunchy mini egg rolls just to give it a new spin on the traditional spring rolls. And don't skip the papaya salad! It's made with green papaya! Fresh and delicious! The iced black coffee with condensed milk is to die for. Skip the bubble tea and head for the coffee. The place itself is very small and cozy. Don't mind the not so hip decor. But it's not about the place... It's about the fact that this pho is made with family recipes that have been passed down through generations and perfected. At least that's what it tastes like!

    (4)

  • Erica G.

    I was craving something new satisfying. A friend recommended I check out Argyle Street and specifically Pho 888. It's nothing special inside but the food is savory and comforting. The vermicelli is excellent (shrimp and beef!) and the spring rolls are fresh. The staff is inviting whether you come with a party or decide to dine solo. Highly recommended, you won't be disappointed.

    (5)

  • Karen S.

    I was planning on going to Tank for lunch as I had heard very positive things and I have yet to have a great pho in America. However I arrived and it was closed on a Wednesday - who is closed on a Wednesday?! So I ended up going to pho 888 which is right next door. This place is a family run restaurant which I like. I like to support local business and you know this place is when you see three generations in there helping to run the show (or colour in with her crayons as the youngest of the generations did at my table :)). Now the pho. I had the original rare beef pho. It is def the best I've had so far. Good (large) portion size and good amount of beef. The main thing was it didn't smell like any other pho I've had... I know that sounds strange but I eat a lot of pho, if I could eat it everyday I would and where I'm from overseas it is a.lot more accessible than in Chicago. Anyway it smelt like there were a lot more herbs used or something. Although it tasted pretty good it wasn't what I'm used to. I'll have to come back to the area and try Tank to compare.

    (4)

  • Cara C.

    Tank Noodle was packed, so we tried this place. Not bad at all, but I've definitely had better. Had pho ga (chicken) and honestly, it tasted like nothing. The broth needed way too much sriracha in order to taste like something. But the rice noodles were good, the chicken was good, and the iced coffee was excellent. That nice bitter tang. I'm going to try other places and see if I can find better.

    (3)

  • Krissy B.

    I'm a Pho snob. My family owned a pho place growing up & I know a good pho. I ate at Pho 888 after a cubs game.. OMG, it was so good! I packed my leftovers broth to take home.. Totally hit the spot.. Say no to Tank Noodle if you want good Pho.. Pho 888 all the way baby

    (5)

  • Amy Y.

    This is one of my standbys for Vietnamese. They have a vegetarian menu too. I have ordered pho, spring roll, egg noodles, and also tried the Vietnamese crepe and asked for the filling to be tofu/veggies instead. So far I have liked most of the items here. Things are fresh. The staff is accommodating and friendly, though sometimes I wasn't sure if they understood our request. Overall, it's a good place for a casual eat.

    (4)

  • Vaidehi T.

    Phantabulous pho!! Its a very small place, run by a family. This place is all about the pho. I ordered the vegetarian pho and it was full of delicious goodness. Clear broth with all the veggies and tofu and a side of jalapenos, sprouts and thai basil - YUM!! This place might be the one reason I can look forward to winter.

    (5)

  • Evan L.

    My go-to spot for Vietnamese on Argyle. Sure, Tank is always packed, but I'd rather duck in to Pho 888. I think the pho broth is better, the smaller set up is more quaint, and their vermicelli bowls are so fresh and delicious. Great avocado smoothies too.

    (4)

  • Kathleen A.

    I have yet to have a bowl of pho in Chicago that just knocks my socks off. Now this place didn't do quite that but I was very pleased with my bowl of pho here. So, whenever I'm back in town I tend to drink way too much into the wee hours and this past Saturday night was no different. Of course I wake up and what do I want- Pho of course! I consulted trusty Yelp on my mobile and several places came up to choose from. This is Argyle street after all. I'd had Tank Noodle the last time I was in this area and was less than pleased. I was with my parents and they swore to never go back to Pho 777 for some reason, so we decided on this place which is just a few storefronts down. Ordered: Egg rolls, rare steak pho, and watermelon boba. The egg rolls were just okay- definitely nothing special but not too bad. My boba was refreshing and delicious and made with real fruit. The pho was amazing and piping hot. The broth was the right blend of salt and tinge of sweet, and the noodles stuck together (my roommate once told me that was a good sign, that meant the noodles were fresh if they do that). All in all, this place definitely did the job and is now on my favorite Chicago Pho list. Check it out if you're overwhelmed with places to choose in this area! You will not be disappointed.

    (4)

  • gookgette c.

    Really not good. I wanted to like and support the underdog, but Tank Noodke is wsyyyyy better!! Pho 888's pho had absolutely no flavor. I got the #22 with all the beef, which many yelpers recommended. Tasted like nothing, maybe dishwash soap... :( I'm sorry. The egg rolls are fried and flaky, unlike the delicious egg rolls at Ba Le. Save your time, go to Tabl for pho, Ba Le for egg rolls and banh mi!

    (1)

  • Ashley B.

    Yummmmm. I dearly love pho and I think this place has some of the best I've had. It's not the prettiest place in the world, but it does the trick, especially if you're comparing it to the massive line at Tank Noodle next door!

    (4)

  • Amy H.

    Instead of the typical Fat Tuesday celebration, my friend and I decided to enjoy Pho(t) Tuesday at Pho 888. He's more of a pho connoisseur than I am and he tried to walk me through the menu, but there were just way too many choices. I told our server that I was in the mood for something spicy with beef and asked for suggestions. Honestly, I'm not really sure what I ordered, but it was spicy, had beef in it, and was delicious! We also shared some shrimp spring rolls that tasted very fresh and were a perfect light appetizer. Through out our meal, the service was great. Our water glasses never went empty and we never felt like we were being rushed. Like I said, I'm no expert on pho, but Pho 888 gave me a nice warm and full belly on a cold Fat Tuesday.

    (4)

  • Mason C.

    Worth a visit. Food was just average so I gave it 3 stars. I had the spring rolls and regular pho. Good broth, but everything else wasn't as great.

    (3)

  • David S.

    I went in, thinking the pho was going to be delicious after a recommendation from a friend. I just felt that the broth was not fragrant enough, as if it had been watered down some without adding more spices to it. Even after fixing it up, it still lacked salt and there was no fish sauce on the table. I like my pho to have an explosion of flavors, hitting all of the taste buds and it just didn't cut it today. I will still continue to go to Tank until I find something better than Tank.

    (2)

  • Laura S.

    I'm a complete pho novice, so perhaps you should take my review with a grain of salt. I visited with a friend who's as equally new to this as I am, and our eyes were clearly bigger than our stomachs. We started with the chicken and shrimp spring rolls, which were tasty despite being quite hard to cut and heavy on the herbs. We didn't even get halfway through, though, before the pho arrived. I would have appreciated better pacing, as our rolls were pushed to the wayside, but this is only a small concern. He ordered the pho with meatballs, and I decided to be a bit more adventurous and try the combination bowl (#22). All was well until the tripe surfaced, but that first spongy bite had me grimacing and the fella laughing. Again, no matter, now I know better. No more tripe for me. The boy wasn't too pleased with the meatballs, but I had no complaints. The broth made the dish; if I weren't a lady, I would have considered sticking my head right into the bowl. Don't need the meat, don't need the trimmings, I could eat just the broth and noodles all day long. And in fact, considering the portion sizes (and let's talk about the glorious prices!), one bowl might just last the whole day. While I will no doubt to branch out to other restaurants as I explore more Vietnamese cuisine, that broth will most likely keep me coming back for more.

    (4)

  • Teacher A.

    I was there and it was very dirty there. The pho might taste good but you have to ask yourself where it was made and then I personally felt like vomiting. You will notice especially when you go to the restroom. You actually pass by the kitchen where they have a lot of food even on the floor. The floor is all nasty. It is all small, they don't have space but it's not an excuse . You still should keep it clean. Even the walls are dirty and menu... For me a restaurant where you serve food cannot be dirty. It is disgusting . I felt like catching a virus there. But in that area most restaurant were like this. Think about what else could be in the pho....

    (1)

  • Keith S.

    Best pho I've had in any city I've lived or traveled to. The spices are fantastic, well balanced, and make other pho broths seem flavorless in comparison. The service was so friendly and welcoming - I'll definitely be back.

    (5)

  • Fe T.

    I was around Uptown and dropped in for lunch since I know Pho 888 has very high ratings on Yelp. It was Monday noon, so traffic was low. Yet I sat there for half an hour waiting for my bowl of Bun Bo Hue ... I was so annoyed that I almost got up to cancel my order. The waitress is not Vietnamese but Hispanic - which explains for other yelpers' complaints about her horrible services - and she is one of the most unfriendly waitress I've ever met in my entire life. For half an hour, I sat there watching her helping out the cooking without wearing any gloves, then received money from customers and brought out stuff for other customers and then came back to the kitchen and cut stuff ... So besides the horrible services, at this point I was already grossed out by their standard of cleanliness. I've traveled a lot but I think there are certain expectations one ought to meet in America. Here comes the climax. My order was finally brought out. I personally thought the herbs were lacking some main ingredients for Bun Bo Hue, but seeing the waitress working was enough to deter me from touching the herb plate at all. HOWEVER, when I tasted the soup, all the irritation was gone because the soup just tasted sooooooo good. I probably won't come back again tho.

    (3)

  • Becky M.

    I love this place. It may sound weird, but it almost feels like I'm family when I'm there. Not because the staff know me, or are particularly friendly, but the atmosphere is so casual and welcoming, I always feel at home. The prices are good, there's free BYOB (with mismatched wine glasses, which I kind of like), and there's usually enough room for a large party, even without notice. Do yourself a favor and order #70. I ordered it based on the photo on the menu, because that's how I do. And it's amazing. Noodle soup with tomatoes, pork, tofu, veggies, and weird fish things that never fail to perplex me no matter how many times I eat it. As with most noodle soups, good luck finishing the entire bowl.

    (5)

  • julie n.

    Tiny restaurant so you leave smelling like a giant bowl of pho. The service was ok...nice, well dress lady took our orders. Our food came out bowl by bowl, carried in both hands by a man in an apron who did not say a word and just looked at you for direction on where the bowl belonged. Odd to say the least. Pho...pretty good (surprisingly) and only comes in 1 size, a large bowl Bun bo hue...flavor was off, maybe not enough lemongrass Banh canh...Sister really liked it

    (3)

  • Brian L.

    I guess the big question is if this is better than Tank Noodle. Sometimes I think it is, other times no. I've never gotten Pho from both locations at the same time to compare, but I had soup from here today and it was really really nice. It has something more of a perfumey... flavor? to it. That probably doesn't make much sense, maybe it's more herbal or something. Though, I am rarely fussy at places like this... I had two guests from out of town and we were all content with conversation so I didn't really complain. The Pho and the veggie dish the girls got was pretty spectacular. They claimed it was the best meal they've had in Chicago since getting here a few days ago. That's a plus! UPDATE: Went here today, and I gotta say they lose a star. The pho is nowhere near the quality it is at certain places... it has a weird taste, and was served with well done beef and lukewarm broth. The bahn mi was also very weird, the bread was too crunchy and the meat was dry. I will unlikely not come back to this place.

    (3)

  • Kimberly S.

    I was getting ready to order carryout from Tank when we saw the chicken dishes were $14 dollars, which is ridiculous. So I used my trusty yelp and found Pho 888, I was not disappointed. We got the spring rolls as an appetizer and they were HUGE. I then had the Pho and my fiancee had a chicken/ginger meal which he said was really tasty. I thought the Pho broth was delicious and so much better than Tank. I highly recommend this place!

    (4)

  • Zach T.

    Yelp nails it again with 4 stars. I'm telling you, if a business has more than 20 reviews, you can pretty accurately play the averages on Yelp... Pho was very good; I had the standard beef. We aplit that and a Bunh Mi. I wasn't crazy about the Bunh Mi. The Egg rolls were very good. I just wish more garnish was provided. It's outstandingly inexpensive. Light on ambiance, but it's got it where it counts. In the food.

    (4)

  • Brandon F.

    It was a large portion and a clean friendly restaurant. If you have had much experience with Pho then it is really an average place. Obviously those writing 4 stars don't know a damn thing about good Pho..Still trying to find decent Pho in Chicago...waiting...waiting..

    (2)

  • Ibby S.

    I grew up in a place with an abundance of top-quality pho, so my review will be a tad critical. My rating is taking into consideration that this is one of the best I've had in Chicago. Pricing/portions: Pretty much as good as it's going to get in Chicago. My friend from NY wasn't impressed, but the rest of us thought the prices were pretty reasonable. At just under $7 for a regular bowl and $8 for an XL (which is massive), you're pretty much guaranteed to leave full. Service: They were quick to take our order, but took an extremely long time to serve us our food. I must say, though, our server was remarkably nice and helpful (definitely exceeds expectations for a run-of-the-mill Asian restaurant!) Food: I ordered the rare beef and tripe pho, and my friend got the house-special-with-everything. We all agreed that the broth tasted a little odd - not bad, but it had a distinct spiciness that I've never had in pho before. Then again, I'm sure some people come here specifically for that distinct flavor. The noodles themselves weren't as well-separated as I would've liked - I had to pry at them with my chopsticks to get them to stop resembling a loose brick. They tasted fine, though, and the tripe was quite good as well. The "rare" beef was definitely overcooked, but that was to be expected (seeing from some of the other reviews on here, there isn't a single place in Chicago that knows to leave their beef on top of the noodles). Overall, the food adequately satisfied my pho craving and left me quite full, so not bad. If you're from any place with a significant Asian population (ie. SF or NY), you probably won't be impressed by this place. That having been said, it's certainly not bad and offers enough to keep me coming back as long as I'm in Chicago.

    (3)

  • Jeremy L.

    4 stars for good value and tasty pho. The broth was hot, well spiced, and full of flavor. Noodles were cooked to the right chewy texture. Meat was solid. I ordered the extra large and was disappointed at the lack of additional meat and noodles; most pho places, the extra large seems mostly like a larger bowl with lots of extra soup and not so much extra solid food. Don't get me wrong, there did seem to be additional food, but I was just that hungry. So I ordered an additional extra noodle serving and that filled me up properly. Overall though, I was pretty pleased and having grown up in a place with lots of cheap excellent pho options, I have to say I was satisfied with Pho 888. Service was efficient and friendly. And it's a 2 minute walk from the Argyle Red Line stop. Maybe not even. 30 seconds perhaps. Combined with the decent pricing, I have to say that this might be my #1 pho stop in Chicago.

    (4)

  • Esther K.

    Huge, huge bowl of pho with wonderful broth, yum, but not enough meat =( My friend got the vegetarian pho, and though I was puzzled with her decision I have to admit it was surprisingly good- lots of different veggies and really great tofu. The spring rolls we shared were just okay. On another recent occasion I ended up with a massive quantity of noodles with my pho, and everything lacked flavor. Eh. I like this spot because it's small and tends to be pretty quiet, which is conducive to good conversation. We lingered for awhile to catch up and felt no pressure to give up our table, as we were the only ones there for much of our meal.

    (3)

  • Kevin W.

    3.5 stars. Their broth is good and very comparable to Tank's. I would come here if u want less commotion. There were however a few areas in which they could improve 1. Noodles in soup came in a brick. I know every pho joint uses the same prepackaged noodles, but at least separate the brick apart a lil - that's just lazy. 2. Their brisket had too much cartilage - they need to get a new butcher. It's just not pleasant eating meat interlaced with crunchy hard cartilage. I didn't find their brisket or flank or whatever roundeye cut of meat particularly good or tender either. Their tendon is fantastically tender tho. 3. Rare steak is overcooked. Seems like 888 777 and Tank all fail to leave the steak on top of the soup so u can submerge it vs overcooking it. Service was nice and friendly, even refilled water without asking, wow for a pho place.

    (4)

  • C B.

    the first place I ever ate pho and made me fall in love with pho! I feel like the bowl keep getting smaller over the years (or my stomach is getting bigger). But seriously delicious. I haven't tried anything else on the menu so i'm not sure of anything else, but as far as pho goes....Pho-sho!!!

    (5)

  • Dennis S.

    Extensive menu, good food, and popular later in the evening. Who wants to eat in an empty restaurant at 8:30 in the evening? Pho 888's neighborhood competitors were empty, bu Pho 888 had a line waiting for tables. I'd rather wait. Five minutes later I had a seat and fifteen minutes later I was eating good Vietnamese food. Good, not great. Generous portions. Fresh, tasty ingredients. Almost clean tabletops. Friendly service. Note: BYOB.

    (4)

  • Thomas L.

    Stopped by here with my wife and mother-in-law to meet our pho needs. We started off with some spring rolls which were very tasty. The pho came out shortly thereafter and it meets our pho needs perfectly. After our entrees were brought out and we had finished eating, we had to try pretty overtly to get our bill so we could pay. The food was great and the service was decent except for the long wait for the check.

    (4)

  • Sarah K.

    Sorry Tank but your pho does not compare to 888's! The pho at Pho 888 is the best I've had in Chicago! Avoid the ridiculous lines at Tank and enjoy an even more awesome pho right next door!

    (5)

  • Kristine N.

    Best pho I have found in Chicago yet! Nothing compares to my mom's but this was a great substitute, much better than Tank's. I also have tried their seafood banh canh and it was delicious. I'm glad I finally found a decent pho place in Chicago!

    (4)

  • Sylvester J.

    Phenomenal Pho At A Hole In The Wall My pho was spectacular and somehow it was still great the next day as leftovers. I kinda like the ambiance of the place and I find the service pleasant. Don't get me started on what a bargain that place is.

    (5)

  • Doug G.

    Excellent broth and all the fixings you expect. Haven't tried anything else there to be honest. It's a bit on the smaller end, but never as crowded as tank noodle. Overall a good, well priced place to get a bowl. Perfect on a cold Chicago night.

    (4)

  • Kyle H.

    I popped my Pho cherry at 888! Visiting a friend in Uptown, we hit up 888 on a frigid Chicago December night (-4 windchill). After a little back and forth about which Pho was the best (777, 888, 666, Xe Tang?), my friend declared "Pho 'Whatever' is fine with me", so I chose 888. It's like "Toll-Free Pho"! I was amazed at how diverse the menu was; it was full of spring rolls, Pho broths, noodle dishes, and French-inspired sandwiches. Being a newbie, and feeling a chill in my bones, I went with the Pho beef broth soup with eye of round and meatballs. A huge plate of sprouts, fresh-cut jalapenoes and stalks of Thai Basil were brought to the table. I doctored up the broth with a bit of everything and kept adding yummy basil as I went along. The beef broth was really amazing! This stuff is great for warming the bones if you've got a chill or feel the grippe coming on! The eye of round was nice, but the meatballs seemed like mystery meat with the occasional piece of inedible cartilage stuck in. Skip the meatballs! Service was okay, nothing special; and having to wait a long time for our check was a pain. I loved the Pho, though, and the extensive menu will have me coming back to 888. I'm convinced Pho 888 and Pho Xe Tang secretly share a kitchen and serve the same food. I'll dial 888 Pho-evah!

    (4)

  • Alisa L.

    I came here a few weeks ago to get my pho fix. On the way to the bathroom, I passed the kitchen which was kind of closed off by a little curtain. Couldn't help but notice how nasty the kitchen floor looked but whatever because a lot of places on Argyle are like that right? My husband just got spring rolls which he devoured quickly. My pho finally comes and about 3 spoonfuls in, I noticed a dead cockroach in my bowl! I scooped up the roach in my spoon and showed the waitress. She kindly offered to bring me back a new bowl but my appetite was lost at that point. Just the check please! She did take my pho off the bill and was extremely apologetic so I gave it 1 star for being nice but I won't be returning. I'm all for hole in the walls and know that most likely there are probably roaches crawling around in the dark at these establishments but having one in my bowl is unacceptable. A hair in my pho would have been tolerable...cockroach, not so much.

    (1)

  • Thomas M.

    Now that I have consumed Pho for years, this is the best spot for excellent (best) Pho, great vietnamese background conversation, and very polite service. Kim and Michael are wonderful people who have gone beyond serving food, I have met everyone in their family, it's truly a family affar. 1 week is too long without Pho888!!

    (5)

  • Ariel L.

    Yum! If you want Pho, this is probably the best place to get it in Uptown. Its small and a little dingy, but the food is the best. Their spring rolls are fresh and tasty. Their soup broth has the most flavor. Two people can eat their for $22 easily and walk out stuffed. I like trying the other Pho places, but this is where i will go back regularly. I had the Pho 888 yesterday by the way. If it's your first time and you are a meat eater, do it!

    (4)

  • Gary C.

    I'm going to just say it: I DON'T LIKE PHO. I know what you're thinking. "Is he PHO-REAL??! Pssh, this guy's crazy. Pho is not only delicious, it cures ALL ailments!!" My girlfriend and I have walked by Pho 888 a few times while in Argyle and noticed in their small storefront a laminated poster advertising their elite status as "Best Pho in Chicago." One fine summer day when I was feeling a little under the weather I woke up and told my girlfriend I wanted to try Pho 888. She quickly got ready as she has never turned down a bowl of pho. We arrived to an empty restaurant, around 10:30 AM. The man welcomed us and allowed us to sit anywhere we'd like. He brought water and menus immediately and gave us a few minutes to look over the menu. We ordered shrimp spring rolls, pho ga [chicken], and pho tai [medium rare beef]. Everything was extremely fresh. Everything was ridiculously delicious. Yeah, DELICIOUS. The pho was amazing. I guess...I guess I like pho. There, I said it. The ONLY reason why I'm knocking off a star is because of the sanitary conditions. Not the tidiest place in the city. When asked for a take out container, the gentleman who took care of us grabbed what appeared to be a used container. He stood at the counter and wipe it down with a towel, only he didn't wipe everything off of the lid. I've become a believer in the way of the pho AND it's all mighty healing powers. With that said, I did feel better after having a bowl of Pho 888. This place gets my stamp of approval.

    (4)

  • Mike P.

    When my folks came into town last weekend, dad was feeling a little bit under the weather. Not 5 minutes after walking through the door, he said to me that we need to get some Pho. Since I live in Uptown, this is not a problem. So we ventured out. Foregoing Tank we went around the corner to Pho 888. I must say, this is some great Pho. Both the chicken and beef were excellent. My folks and wife devoured it. Also for around $20 bucks there's always plenty left over. I'm happy to report that the Pho kicked Dad's cold in the ass and he felt great the next day.

    (5)

  • Teri Y.

    I'm torn as to how many stars to give Pho 888. We had pho, of course. On first spoonful of broth, I was wowed. That was the most complex pho broth I've tasted. The broth had pretty direct hints of different spices that went into it. I don't know all the exact spices that go into pho broth but I could tell that star anise was one of them. I was very impressed especially because of all the many previous times I've had pho at other places, the broth was flavorful but lacked the hint of spices. But then halfway through the meal, I felt that the hint of spices in the broth got too strong. Maybe my taste buds were trying to say that the first few spoonfuls of strong spice hints in the broth was perfect to kickstart the pho experience but after more and more of it, the peak of the experience declines and you just feel like you've had enough strong spices. My mom kept saying that the broth was too sweet. I'm still giving this place 4 stars because i think the food is good. Taking away a star because I felt that the broth became overpowered with the spices towards the middle of my meal. It could also be that on the day we were there, the chef happened to put too much spices into the broth.

    (4)

  • Vince D.

    I've eaten at 80% of the restaurants around Argyle and consider myself a pretty good expert on Pho considering my parents run their own shop back home. Time and time again, this place has proven exceptional for service and consistency. The couple who run the place are incredibly friendly and are essentially like an aunt and uncle. (At least to young folks like myself) They're always trying to get conversation started and make you feel at home. Decoration is spartan and the restaurant is very small, but it will often be packed during lunch on weekend and dinner on weekdays. There is seating for about 30-40 people at most, but with even half the amount the restaurant is packed. The scene is not unlike the shops one could find in Vietnam, small family run establishments with little room and hot bowls of soup. The food is an even greater reflection of the authenticity of this place. I was initially attracted by the "Number 1 Pho" poster in the window and tried it. Often times, folks who review Pho restaurants only try the Pho once before writing their review. Pho is a dish that heavily changes taste depending on time. A fresh Pho broth will be light and physically resemble a dashi stock with a bit of a golden color. It's generally light. An "aged" Pho that has been sitting on the stove for the day or rested overnight will be a darker brown. This results in a richer broth where the star anise and other spices shine. The Pho at the 888 is rich, fortifying, and fragrant. It isn't too oily, and isn't too dark and is still light. I go back at least once a week and get Pho every other week here and the Pho is always the same, with the hearty broth. Noodles are al-dente and are the same brand that every other restaurant uses. I find the meat to be pretty much the same as other places, however, the bo vien, or meat balls are special note. They are large, generous pieces that have a meaty, satisfying texture without the small pieces of fat that other shops may include. Other food at 888 is just as good. I've eaten a lot of the rice dishes such as those on the "com dia" section of the menu, braised catfish, pan fried rice noodles, and a couple miscellaneous things here or there. So if you just happen to be in Uptown and are looking for a good bowl of Pho without too much hassle, Pho 888 is a solid pick.

    (4)

  • Brian C.

    I actually think this is the best place to get Pho in Chicago! The man and woman who run the place are very nice, and like to chat with their customers. The atmosphere is quite informal, and the service is really excellent. I have not tried any of their main dishes, only the noodles in soup, but just having glanced at the other tables' orders, the main dishes also look quite good. I suggest going here and simply ordering their special Pho! The spices and flavours are spot on, and the noodles, although not hand made, are quite nice. And the soup comes with a reasonable amount of meat and veggies. Lastly, the coffee is quite nice; although I usually go after work for dinner, so don't have the chance to order that.

    (5)

  • Pete B.

    is it bad that I can't tell the difference between this place and Tank Noodles?

    (4)

  • Pam N.

    The pho broth is consistently rich & delicious. If Tank is too crowded, try Pho 888. Avoid Pho 77 - their broth is bland.

    (5)

  • Grace Y.

    Wow what a fobby name for a restaurant, but it's pho so what do I expect? Came here on Sunday after a weekend of eating like a pig and drinking like a lush. After punishing my body for an entire weekend I needed some pho asap! Pho is like the Asian's version of mom's chicken noodle soup, it just makes you feel better. Pretty typical hole in the wall restaurant where you come for the food, not the ambience. Parking sucks around this neighborhood and it's slightly ghetto at night. Anyhoo back to the food... my table shared a rice cake appetizer. The main part of the appetizer, the rice cake, was glutinous and had really tasty shallot particles in every bite. The fried mung bean was pretty nasty. Imagine a dog eating peanut butter, the dogs mouth keeps opening an trying to get some moisture but can't, yah, that's how I felt about the fried mung bean. The texture was dry and left my mouth feeling even dryer. My pho was tasty but too sweet as if they accidentally threw in an extra tablespoon of palm sugar (I don't know what they actually use to sweeten up the soup). The noodles were perfect consistency, not too chewy, and not too mushy. My man boo had the grilled pork bun which was pretty damn tasty. The grilled pork was cooked to perfection. I personally prefer imperial rolls to egg rolls and pho 888 serves egg rolls. It was good but imperial rolls are just crispier (oilier = yum!). In the end I give this place 3 * meaning I would come back but wouldn't be thrilled about it, or I would dupe my friends into going to the other pho places around that area.

    (3)

  • Jason B.

    It's awesome. I crave it. I'll drive across town for it. MASSIVE sized pho bowls.

    (5)

  • Jason G.

    definitely worth a try, especially on wednesdays, when tank noodle (next door) is closed... good pho, bahn mi & spring rolls. skip the hot pots, fish & seafood dishes.

    (3)

  • Annie N.

    Imagine: 2 siblings in a cold winter night, living far away from their parents and home, it was right after Christmas and before New Year - all they wanted was a taste of home and warmness. They wandered to Tank to find the wait unbearable and tumbled into Pho 888. That's my own short version of "The Little Match Girl," with me and my brother being the main characters. I have Pho 888 to thank for saving from the long wait and Tank, and honestly I was glad I went here with my brother. Why? - The place is smaller, less crowded and much cozier. I did not feel rushed (not that Tank rushed you, but I always felt like I had to leave as soon as I finished my food there). - The services was good - it was family owned, and we were one of the few customers, so our food came momentarily. - Their Bun Bo Hue (Hue-style Spicy Beef Noodles) was excellent. I ordered this dish and my brother wanted to eat the whole thing for me. - My brother had a Pho, and he said it was very tasty. He's not a picky eater, but this kid is a serious foodie - so when he said it was good, I knew it was. - The portion was bigger than huge - my brother goes to college in no-where-Ohio, so whenever he gets to eat Vietnamese food there's hardly anything left, and he had issues finishing his food (granted he ordered multiple entrees). We really took our time with the food - and my brother ordered some food to carry home. The atmosphere could have not been more perfect, it felt very homey, and it made us feel a lot closer to home. I know Tank usually gets lots of customers but don't overlook this place. I'm a fan and I'm sure I will be bach soon!

    (4)

  • Ju L.

    Am I a pho connoisseur? A "phonoisseur," if you will...? I do love and consume Viet food whenever I can. Pho 888 was not bad. Some thoughts: -Their pho noodles are always clumped in a mass at the bottom of the bowl, and the broth verges on too-salty. - Com Tam Suon Nuong (Viet-style grilled porkchop) was just average, and they don't use traditional broken rice! ?!?! - Last time, 3 of our table's orders came after a loooooong wait and the other 2 people at our table were left without food for even longer while the arrived food got cold. - The floor leading to the [decently clean] bathroom is always treacherously slippery! Not in a just-cleaned way. But in a slimy way. I've learned that the longer-than-usual wait at Pho 888 is just their thing. I don't know why, since at least for pho, they presumably have a giant pot of broth always simmering in all its cinnamony goodness. Other pho places come out with food within 5 minutes. All considered, I still prefer Pho 777 (green awning, just down the block). The pho there is lighter on the salt and heavier on the flavor, and it is served swiftly and piping hot!

    (3)

  • Monica L.

    my cousin took me to this place and it is voted #1 of all pho in the area lol and i have to agree the broth is amazing :) like all pho places, it has a good prices and its fast. I will definitely be going back there

    (4)

  • Sue S.

    I had to return to Chicago to buys more goodies for our restaurant. This time I took my two sons, my parents and their three friends along to eat at this delicious Pho 888! Everyone confirmed their pho is superb. I also ordered 2 Vietnamese sandwiches to try, before we left we ended up ordering 30 more sandwiches to bring home for our families. It was that good. Between all of us, many thumbs up. Service was excellent! Food was not only delicious, but super fast. We look forward to go back soon.

    (5)

  • Lakshmi R.

    I'm a creature of habit but I *do* like to try out new places. So when my friend and I discovered that our beloved Pho 777 was closed (as they are on Tuesdays), we walked a couple feet over to 888 to check out the scene and the state of their vegetarian pho. The pho is really great here. I really appreciated the fact that they use a variety of veggies in their pho - not the case at many other joints - including carrots. The pho here is a bit more expensive that it is at other, neighboring eateries. This is because there is just one size of a heaping bowl of it, rather than a large or small option. Fine by me! It was so delicious I couldn't help but slurp it all down. Also loved seeing the owner, his wife and kiddies eating their own pho dinner on the other side of the restaurant. Definitely put it on the list.

    (4)

  • Jen P.

    Tastier broth than Tank Noodle next door! Love it.

    (5)

  • Natalie S.

    It's a cold, snowy night in Chicago. I had just gotten off of work and realized I forgot to take something out for dinner. Shivering, I wondered... what ever would we do? The answer came to me: it's a perfect night for pho. But it's Wednesday. Tank Noodle is closed. Crap. Then I realized that this could be a good thing. Aside from a few trips to Hai Yen, we had always Tank-ed when we needed pho. We needed to broaden our pho horizons. So I Yelped "pho" and saw the good reviews for Pho 888. Was I tempted to try Pho 777 or Pho 999? Kinda. Maybe next time. Turns out Pho 888 is two doors down from Tank. Easy to find. Small storefront. Decoratively speaking, it's not much to write home about but I had my order placed and was walking out the door to drive home within 7 minutes. We had the shrimp spring rolls. Yum. Lots of mint and I loved that. Oh, pho. I wanted to LOVE you. I could only muster a small like. The broth was mediocre. The noodles were not great for takeout... already mushy. On the plus side, the husband and I agreed that the meatballs were probably the best we've had. But... I just don't think I liked it enough to return. Sad.

    (3)

  • Haley S.

    Best pho I've had in Chicago. Love that you can get a plate of extra meat. The bbq pork spring rolls ruled.

    (4)

  • Andrea K.

    Street metered parking. Small family owned business. Casual dress. Ordered: Bun Bo hue. Vey good. Spicy. Has MSG. Has large piece of beef slices & pork blood. So you know it authentic. Large bowl for about $8. I wouldn't recommend their Pho, it's not the best I've had. It's mediocre. Beef stew with fench bread. Would recommend. Very tasty. Aromatic with spices. French bread is crrunchy & soft on the inside. Fried egg rolls. Very good. Large pieces. Flavorful. Deep fried. Spring rolls with BBQ pork. Also good. Tasty. The pork is cooked & flavorful. A different twist on spring rolls. Their rice dishes are okay. Would not recommend.

    (4)

  • Grace N.

    It's always nice to enjoy a hot bowl of pho on a chilly day, especially when you're out of town and you've been eating nothing but heavy american foods like pizza, hot dogs, etc during your vacation. In this vietnamese community, you can find pho shops literally 3-4 in a row. The broth tasted a bit strong of spices (star anise, cloves) but good nevertheless. Restaurant is very clean and has a family, homey feeling to it

    (3)

  • Dane K.

    The pho here is some of the best pho I've had in Chicago. Decisively better than the neighbors on the corner. The broth was flavorful, meat was tender, and the serving size was very large. I could've used a tad more lime and herbs, but I didn't bother to ask. We also ordered a beef stir fry w/ lemongrass. It was super, super spicy and there wasn't enough lemongrass to cut that heat. It was really unbalanced, it seemed more Chinese than Vietnamese. The cafe sua da (iced coffee w/ condensed milk) was great too. :]

    (4)

  • Izzy N.

    FAIL. One of the quick tips on yelp says best pho in the city. NOT. You LIE. While not the worse I've tasted in this city (that title belongs to another establishment) I would never come here for pho again. I doused it with fish sauce and hoison sauce to make it decent. I said Decent. Sucks. I dont even have to do that with the instant pho for 39 cents. The shame. The noodles were also over cooked and mushy and clumpy. I didn't finish it. I tried with it, for I thought that perhaps I was hallucinating... nah, It really sucked after each spoonful. But good thing I ordered the banh xeo (Vietnamese crepe) so I didn't go completely hungry. The banh xeo was borderline decent. It was nice and crispy with plenty of veggies on the side. They were skimpy on the pork belly and shrimp which was a bummer. I would not order this again. Amatuers made this. Never given napkins, I did some self serve and grabbed it myself off of another table. Service basically blew. Trust me, not all asians suck at service. As other patrons walked in, especially non asian ones, I was trying to telepathically tell them NO! DON'T DO IT.....WALK OUT YOU'RE MAKING A HUGE MISTAKE!! ARE YOU DEAF IN THERE?! OH GOD NO.. I weep for you. Oh well. I should have walked the other direction to pho 777 instead. On my way home I grabbed a burrito. I'm not a fan.

    (2)

  • Andrew B.

    Pho is a matter of personal taste so when I see that some people prefer Pho 888's pho to that of Tank's I bite my lip and say, "Andrew, they are entitled to their opinion." Then about a minute later I decide that these people are just plain wrong. Like color blind (i.e. they think red is green) wrong. The pho broth here is comparable at best on a good day and often thinner. The beef comes from the get-go in thick grey slabs versus the beautiful rare meat that cooks in your bowl at Tank. Most off-putting, the noodles are sweet. I haven't had sweet noodles in my pho anywhere else. I can see how some folks who are looking to combine the delicious flavors of Vietnam and Big League Chew would appreciate this. I do not. If Tank is closed, Pho 888 is fine experiment. If you are angry at Tank and looking for somewhere else to pretend is better, try somewhere else.

    (3)

  • Lollie K.

    I'm a big foodie, and I love my "phos" -- vietnamese noodles. Pho 888 has authentic Vietnamese style noodles, and the other items on the menus are quite interesting as well. It's very well flavored, and the presentation is great for only being a quick sit down & casual type of place. The owners are very friendly, and courteous and that really stands out to me. Some of the other noodle places have become so overpopulated and busy that the service has truly declined, and in some ways the food as well (and not to mention the prices are still fair for what you get). I am glad that places like this are small enough, with a good amount of staff to pay attention to quality and service.

    (5)

  • Shannon P.

    We met a fantastic person who swore by this pho seconds before we had it hit the table. Sadly, we believe the radiant, charismatic person has their money on the wrong horse for a number of reasons: Appetizer arrived to the table with the inside contents frozen. These things happen. Optimism prevails. They bring fully cooked, yet not tasty new ones. Pho with depth it wasn't. Crave this, we won't. It was extremely mild broth, lacking in flavor. Pho's had in: LA, Boston, Houston and by a place here in Chicago all make it taste of just boiled bones (usually, heavy with flavor), in this case- heavy sodium. Brazen much? They actually cleaned out their freezer that is in the dining room, while customers ate. No, not re-organize it, throw out old contents. If I find something with freezer burn on it or petri samples growing I am ashamed in my kitchen in all solidarity. The two employees having the clear out were laughing at the disgusting findings. Pistols in the air now, they now fire. Finally, to pay and leave their card reader/machine had issues. This was communicated with, "Your card is no good." * we blush* - It was debit. "Here is my Discover." Retort, "Your other card is no good. ATM is on the corner." The ATM had a hefty withdrawl fee, which they didn't even offer to cover. Pho 666, I rechristen thee.

    (2)

  • Ryne D.

    Got the Pho 888 here, their specialty...I really enjoyed the broth and how all the different meats gave a different texture and slightly different flavor to it. However, I noticed near the end that they didn't put in any meat balls, my favorite pho inclusion! Boo on them. So the pho is quite tasty, and quite large (I've got a small bucket for dinner tonight). However, the service is below my already lowered standards for small Asian places like this. My roommate wanted tea, and we saw our waitress sitting at a table just a couple over from us, engaged in conversation. So we tried waving her down. Then we tried calling out to her. Then we were straight up yelling in the restaurant. "EXCUSE ME!" That didn't even work. It wasn't until we reached near lunacy, flailing our limbs and shouting over all the conversations in the restaurant did she pay attention to us. And the tea was lukewarm. I know not to expect much from these places...but at least some basic human recognition would be nice?

    (3)

  • Mira A.

    Best Pho Ive ever had. Broth was amazing and different from what I am used too. great experience here in Chicago.

    (4)

  • Kevin T.

    This is a nice, quick and good Viet place on Argyle. I've been here a couple of times and the food each time has been quick and tasty. The first time I got a blackened pork chop and the second time the Pho ga. If I had to chose between Pho 888 and Tank Noodle (they're right next to each other) I'd go with Pho 888 for the homier feel and decent food. The only draw back would be the inattentive service, each time I've had to walk up and hand my card over at the register as the staff won't deliver the check unless you flag them down.

    (3)

  • Vanessa U.

    The pho is so consistently good here. This was the first place I dropped in, and I don't think I've tried any others (in Chicago) yet. I don't need to, I know I'm getting great pho and have no desire to test that theory. Yesterday I got mine to go, assuming they would throw it all into a huge container, and that would be that. Well, wasn't I pleasantly surprised! Each ingredient was packaged separately, including the beef, which they bagged up uncooked!! Once I got home, I got to build my dish from the bottom up, cooking the beef to a perfect slightly-rare state by pouring the hot broth over it. All of the ingredients stayed perfectly fresh, and it was just as good as eating in the restaurant! The only trouble was getting all of those ingredients home on my bike, but I managed. It was well worth it, to eat perfect pho in my pajama pants on my couch. The gentleman working was SO pleasant to talk to. I love that most of the customers here are regulars, and that everyone knows each other and exchanges pleasantries. This is one of my favorite places in Chicago to spend HOURS on a rainy or snowy day, its cozy and I feel like I'm in a family kitchen, my 'fella can bring the newspaper, I can bring a book, and there's no pressure to hurry at all.

    (4)

  • Susan F.

    Of course, I tried Pho 888 on the first day it started hailing in November! Ewwww. Anyways, I was super excited to try Pho 888 after reading all of the great reviews. Their menu is fantastic. So many options, pictures, descriptions, and pretty cheap prices. Since it was cold, I decided to go for some french baguette and chicken curry. My friend ordered the pho which looked amazing! We also split a beef bahn mi. Our service was quite lengthly and our bahni mi that we had ordered as an appetizer came out after our soup dishes. My friend's dish also came out about 5 minutes before mine did. That is fine, I could wait! My curry was pretty good, def not teh best I've ever had. I then chomped down on some broken plastic--sweet. I decided to not say anything, I wasn't in the mood. I also had a feeling this was the kind of place that wouldn't give you a refund, so i just ate a little more and dipped my baguette in some curry. I might try it again if I get the pho, but that plastic really threw me off. I did not want to make a stink because I was more concerned with spending quality non-complainy time with my friend. Hopefully it never happens again.

    (3)

  • Derek M.

    A must if you like Pho.

    (3)

  • Barry J.

    Delicious pho. I had #24, beef with beef balls. Complex flavorful broth, generous allotment of noodle to last the entire bowl. This storefront is tiny and the noise level was distracting today at lunchtime. I recommend going with your slightly obnoxious room-mate instead of that date you are trying to impress. Friendly service. I understand the waitress will wear one of her Terry and the Pirates outfits if you pho-ne ahead and let them know it's your birthday. Lunch for 2, no app or dranks, nice tip = dbl sawski

    (4)

  • Kevin A.

    CONGEALED BLOOD & PIG FEET NEVER TASTED SO GOOD Pho is so five minutes ago. It's time to move on to other delights (although Pho 888's pho is among the best). Enter the house special Hue's style noodle soup. The bowl arrives with an angry red sheen of chili oil just itching to clear your sinuses and ignite your taste buds. Truth be told, it's a lot less spicy than it appears, but the flavor is perfect. Insert: chilies, bean sprouts, basil, lime, miscellaneous viney-looking veggie, but no hoisin. As you explore this heavenly hot tub of porky goodness you discover, Vietnamese pork sausage, some unctuous blood cake (not for amateurs), and if you're lucky a glorious pig's foot. I can't tell you how infinitely satisfying this bowl of soup was. My only wish was that they'd use the rice noodles from the pho instead of the spaghetti-like noodle, but it's really a minor issue for such a glorious bowl of soup.

    (4)

  • Viet N.

    Deserves the title of "Best Pho in Chicago." Background: I'm Vietnamese. My wife is Vietnamese. We're from Seattle and are budding foodies. I've had Pho in many, many Vietnamese joints around the country and beyond, including New York, Houston, Orange County, and of course, in Vietnam. Chicago is our latest city to explore. When I have Pho, 90% of what I'm looking for is a good broth. Any restaurant can serve up cooked rice noodles, fresh herbs, and mostly-quality (yum!) meat, but the broth is where the skill lies. I'm happy to say that this broth has a very good fragrant balance of anise and sugar/fish sauce that most places can't do. There is a richness to the broth that suggests that they took the time to cook down the soup from stock bones. It's not just the Pho either, they do other dishes well too. I would stick to Pho for the first-time visitor though. It's their namesake. Get some good Vietnamese coffee too -- better than Starbucks.

    (5)

  • Changman X.

    Not bad,recommend spring roll.And I do think they should work on their attitude to students.

    (3)

  • Jia M.

    After discovering that Tank noodle was closed until January 2009 (we had wanted to try it out), my acquaintance and I decided to try Pho 888 out after reading experiences from other yelpers, and our experience largely mirrored theirs. The service was courteous and attentive. Our water got filled quickly and we did not have to wait long for our food. I liked the food and thought it was pretty good, and my acquaintance felt the same way. We both agreed that the pho was great, with plenty of meat and veggies. I liked my lemonade, but my partner's coffee was way too bitter, even after we added more sugar and they added more cream in it. We also had the beef skewers appetizer, which we both enjoyed, the fried chicken with rice, which I liked but my partner felt that the chicken could have used some more seasoning. We also had the beef with rice also (i wish I remembered what the dishes were called). I don't remember anything about the last dish, so it must have been at least satisfactory. Pho 888 is a solid place for pho and rice dishes if you're hungry and in the neighborhood.

    (4)

  • Vi N.

    I've been craving pho. My step-dad was in town this afternoon and we decided to head to Argyle for some pho. The wait for Tank Noodle was out of the door. We opted for Pho 888 instead, conveniently located a few doors down from Tank. The decor and atmosphere was a typical pho shop. It's a little small and quite cramp, but the pho and the people working there made up for it. The waiter and waitresses were extremely friendly. I ordered my usual pho order- plain Pho Tai and it was absolutely warm and delicious. The only downside would be the portions. I got the largest bowl size, but it felt as though the beef and noodles were quickly gone within two bites. The soup flavoring was a bit strong, but it balances out with the sauces. So, that's my only complaint. Other than that, it was great.

    (5)

  • Alice O.

    Came on a Friday afternoon, felt like I walked into an authentic hole in the wall that I would find all over Asia. The pho was delicious, got the Pho 888 with everything. My only compliant was that if it says "meatballs" in it, it should have more than half of meatball in it to qualify. My friend got the #69 which is the spicy noodles, she's still stalking about it days later. The reason that Pho 888 didn't get the full 5 stars? Because I ordered a the deep fried shrimp cake with sweet potato, wrapped in lettuce. Instead, I got some kind of weird shrimp muffin. Imagine a cornbread looking muffin with shrimp tails sticking out...yeah...not what I ordered. And not was pictured. It was good, but since that wasn't what I wanted, I was pretty disappointed. I think they are priced a little bit higher than Tank but definitely a better bowl of pho.

    (4)

  • Alyssa G.

    My boyfriend and I visited Pho 888 in search of a Vietnamese meal comparable to Hanco's, Home and Nicky's in Brooklyn. Our meal at Pho 888 was much less expensive, but not quite as satisfying. The summer roll was my favorite item -- fresh and flavorful, with no cilantro (an ingredient I despise, though I recognize many others enjoy it.) The banh mi was perplexing -- rather than a sandwich loaded with toppings, we were served a warm baguette and a bowl with pork meatballs in gravy, a do-it-yourself-sandwich. But the flavors and textures of the light meatballs and velvety orange gravy were delightful. (Though I missed tremendously the pickled veggies, pate and condiments of the banh mi I've enjoyed in Brooklyn.) The real letdown was the pho -- I found it quite one-note. Every bite/slurp tasted the same. But then again, I'm not the biggest pho fan. My boyfriend, however, loved the pho for its rich flavor, more complex than the pho at Pho Xe Tang/Tank Noodle Restaurant. I'd return to Pho 888 because it's super cheap, but it hasn't earned the title of my go-to spot in the Argyle area.

    (3)

  • Tim H.

    A-OK says it all. If I was in the area, needed some pho, and could find nearby parking, I would come here. Otherwise, I would go elsewhere. I came with high hopes after reading about Pho 888 as Chicago's best pho in time out magazine. The pho was decent to good. I wouldn't say it is the best I have had though. I prefer The Noodle in Chinatown. My two dining companions are pho fiends and they thought the same thing I did. Decent, but not the best. Service was good and better than you would normally find in a family run Asian restaurant.

    (3)

  • Christian H.

    You know how you can tell a great authentic Asian restaurant? When other Asians are giving it high ratings on yelp. This is not one of those situations. I'm not Asian and I don't know what the perfect Pho should taste like. Heck, I have to think about it toi even pronounce it correctly. But, I have been around Asians and their foods for over a year now. I have tried Pho in several locations and I find Pho 888 to be one of the friendliest staff with the best tasting Pho I've had in Chicago. I know, I know. To all us white folks, the idea of eating cow tendons and stomach with a spicy broth with a large portion of noodles , basil, sprouts and peppers doesn't sound all the appetizing, but believe me, it is totally worth trying at least one time. Not just is it healthy for you due to its large amount of hydrating liquid and nutritional value, but it is amazing for relieving allergies and itchy eyes. The spicy aspect of it will see to that. But don't worry, it isn't too spicy and you can control the spice by not adding the peppers they give you on the side plate. Small tip or two: 1. Don't drink a lot of water. The soup is much better. 2. Do order a smoothie. I challenge everyone to get something different. Don't get the strawberry because you like strawberries. Get the jackfruit or durian because you have never tried it before. 3. Have Fun!!!

    (5)

  • Y. W.

    I ate here years ago, but I dont remember it being as good as it was recently. I had egg rolls and oxtail pho. Both were beyond delicious! The waiter was nice, too. I'm definitely going here more often.

    (5)

  • Tram L.

    Awesome Pho! As a Vietnamese, I always try Pho in all of the Vietnamese restaurants before ordering other dish when I visited different cities around the country. Pho 888 has great Pho, the broth is excellent. But what set Pho 888 apart from other Vietnamese restaurants are: 1. The service and the owners: As others have mentioned here, this is a cozy place, very homey. They remembered me even on the 2nd time I got here, and I don't even stay in Chicago, only visited for work every now and then. 2. A huge portion with an awful lot of meat. I once ordered Pho Tai Nam Gan (eye round steak, flank and soft tendon) to go. The flank and soft tendon was more than enough so I didn't even want to have to eye round steak with the Pho. I instead cooked the steak for my dinner and it lasted for more than 3 days. I'm NOT exaggerating here. Maybe I don't eat as much as an average American, but the portion is really huge. 3. The price is awesome. Less expensive than Pho Tank but definitely not any lesser of quality. The assortment is just as good as Pho Tank.

    (5)

  • Thomas A.

    I have no food in the fridge, I want to fill up, I don't want to spend a lot of money, I do want a giant bowl of delicious beef broth soup with fresh green vegetables and roots to dunk into it and crazy hot condiments all for about $7.00.... oh and shit only $7.00 maybe I will take a crispy rice pancake stuffed with bbq pork and shrimp but where could I find such an amazing deal????? Oh right. PHO 888!!! Shit now I have to go....

    (5)

  • Ngoc T.

    At first this place looked sketchy.... and I still think it does?? But once I went in there, I was very delighted, and I'm only putting up this review because i thought that their Bun Bo Hue was very authentic (I'm Vietnamese btw) and was soooooo goood despite the enormous size (I couldn't finish it!) it did cost around 8 bucks.. soo...ehh it's alright I guess? It's still worth going for and I'd still recommend u going there. My friend had their shrimp stir fried rice which was very good! Very very authentic vietnamese-ly cooked :) However, I must say, their Banh Xeo was the most disappointing dish I have ever ordered in my life! It was too oily, didn't look like real Banh Xeo, didn't have eggs in them, the meat was all fat, too much sprouts.... what was it?? The color of the banh wasn't right either? And they didn't serve us rice paper so I wasn't sure of how to eat it and made a HUGE mess on the table!!! I'll be back, customer service is what I expected... it's a small restaurant in a Vietnamese neighbourhood, so I'd recommend going there for any rice or noodle dishes... coz they were good!

    (3)

  • Angelo C.

    I've eaten here for over 15 years through two owners. The second owner was a former employee who bought the business with her husband and kept all the same great taste! Great Pho! Great Spring Rolls! Great Pork Chops! Tip: Instead of using peanut sauce that typically comes with the spring rolls, ask for the fish sauce which typically comes with the pork chops. Folio your spring rolls in the fish sauce for an awesome taste!

    (5)

  • Amanda Z.

    I'm feeling like a faux pho lover. I don't eat tripe. And tendon scares me. But I do love the hot beef stew. So, in light of the "I probably won't put the tripe in my bowl" statement, please take this review with a grain of salt. Pho is definitely a comfort food. Hot, steaming bowls of beefy broth, full of the meat of your choosing. Last night I went for the eye of round and meatball combo. For $6.50, this is a steal. The broth is light and refreshing, and as I'm apt, I crammed some jalapenos and basil down at the bottom, tossed some bean sprouts in there, and gave a liberal dosage of sriracha sauce. My bowl was almost overflowing by the time I finished doctoring my soup up, but it was delightful. As far as pho goes, this was tasty. The meet was tender and flavorful, and even before my doctoring, the broth was tasty. An avocado smoothie (sans boba, sadness) and a thai iced coffee rounded out a perfect rainy night meal. This is one of the smaller restaurants for pho in the area, but clean and bright, it seems to be a cleaner, less dingy option. But honestly, pho isn't really pho without a little dinge, right?

    (4)

  • Jimmy D.

    Solid pho place. The broth is so freakin hot when they bring it out, I love that. The flavor is pretty good. I actually like the extra cinnamon and star anise flavor it has, and I don't think it lacked too much on the beef. I usually get the Pho Dac Biet wherever I go, and theirs is pretty good. The meats were not as good as Pho Viet or 777, but they were acceptable. I'd actually give the service and pho 4 stars. I star off because the Goi Cuon (summer rolls, or also incorrectly known around here as spring rolls) were terrible. Shrimp looked really bad and overcooked and everything else was out together poorly. But to end on a good note, the owners are really friendly and nice, I just go there for pho now, which is pretty solid.

    (3)

  • Juan A.

    So I have been looking for a Pho worthy of adoration, and I feel I have found it at Pho 888! The broth is cooked to perfection, great depth and authentic flavor...not to mention it is substantially thicker than the other Pho's in the neighborhood. Only thing negative I can say about he high quality of phood (Pho) at this restaurant is that they serve it in a slightly smaller bowl for the money than other establishments, thats a negative because I love having half a bowl of pho left over, to take home for later consumption =P The others on here have great reviews and descriptions. so I suggest you read on in order you build your appetite appropriately =0) If you love pho you will definitely love Pho 888 by far the best pho in viet-town... For soup lovers, Pho is the way to go, and 888 is the best recreation of this delicious Vietnamese staple dish.

    (5)

  • Julie G.

    My husband and I would alternate between Pho 88 and Tank, but most recently have been coming to Pho 888, a lot more. I love the humble, casual atmosphere, and I feel right at home. Everytime we go, we are greeted by the same little Vietnamese waitress and though service can sometimes be a bit slow, it is understandable because aside from maybe one other person, she seems to be the only waitress for the whole place. We like supporting the smaller mom and pop places especially if the quality of the food is amazing. I've tried all of my personal favorites here to see if they compare to my mom and grandma's cooking, and everything so far has been pretty on point. My husband loves their spring rolls and their pho. The Vietnamese iced coffee hits the spot everytime. We've never had a complaint about the food here which is why we keep coming back. If I am ever missing home or in the mood for Vietnamese (which is pretty much all the time), we will come here!

    (5)

  • Rebecca G.

    The portions are monstrous, and they taste pretty good too. BYOB so who can complain about that! Also, the avocado smoothie is actually really good, I like to try these from many places around town, and this is the best one I've had in Chicago (smooth and just the right amount of sweet).

    (4)

  • Shawn Z.

    Located around the corner from Tank Noodle, Pho 888 is a decent alternative when there is a line at Tank. It's not the best looking establishment but the food is fairly comparable and there's a large extensive menu. I ordered the traditional pho with flank steak, tendon, tripe and meatballs - it was good although the broth was a little heavy for my taste. The meat was well cooked and the noodles were average.

    (3)

  • Kathy L.

    This is some great Vietnamese food. I like the pho, the broth is just how I like it. I like almost everything that I have tried here. Lots of things that I ate as a kid and didn't know where to get it in the city...and lo and behold pho 888 was the answer. Not pho 777 or pho 999...and believe me it confused the hell out of me too. But I'm glad I have found this place, its pretty great for a Vietnamese fix and even if I'm not in the mood for Vietnamese food...pho 888 will have something that I will like.

    (4)

  • Drew S.

    When Tank was randomly closed for some sort of renovation we walked 10 ft further (gotta love Argyle St.) to Pho 888. It was a little disappointing. My pho itself was pretty good, a strong aroma to the broth and a decent amount and variety of meat inside but not terribly many noodles and almost no cilantro or scallions. And the bean sprouts on the condiment tray looked a little old. The spring rolls were huge and quite tasty, as was the dipping sauce. When our hot tea FINALLY came (we had to ask twice- it had been dropped at another table and sat there for 10 minutes before they brought it over to us) it tasted kind of bitter. I'll probably keep on walking to the next pho house next time I'm up on Argyle with a hankering.

    (2)

  • Britini R.

    The ongoing search for the best pho in Chicago. I've come to the realization that Vietnamese places are just all over the place in terms of consistency of quality. Sometimes you hit the jackpot, sometimes you get ignored. Sometimes it's just decent. This place was very decent and is worth coming back to, totally. We ordered two bowls of pho, a banh mi, and smoothies. The tripe was excellent, the noodles were good, and the broth was on the sweet side of savory. My avocado smoothie here was the second best one I've ever had. The goat curry banh mi smelled really good, but alas, I was not allowed to have a bite. Not a 5-star experience. I think our bowls were a little stingy on the meat, given the size of the bowls. Our server forgot our drink order, and one drink never showed up. Annoyances, yes; not deal-breakers.

    (4)

  • Chris S.

    Something about it being a rainy, cold spring day and the fact that I had a cold stirred thoughts of trying to remedy both, at least temporarily, with a huge steaming bowl of pho. I had my mind made up by noon that dinner would be had on Argyle. The space is small, modestly decorated and filled up quickly, due, in part to a party of 16. By 8:00 on Tuesday night there wasn't a seat to be had in the house. The service was quick and very accommodating, though interaction was limited, which was actually fine with us. On to the food - we started with an appetizer of a steamed rice cake with homemade pork sausage and fish sauce, which was pretty good, and then it was Pho time. The broth was beautiful - clear, fresh and with tons of flavor. I ordered the traditional pho with flank steak, tendon, tripe, and meatballs and it was really good. The meat tasted good, the rice noodles were ok, and the rest was good. Not the best I've ever had, but certainly worthy of return trips.

    (3)

  • Gayle G.

    It was a Vietnamese kind of day. Bahn mi for lunch and pho for dinner. I stopped in for takeout. Standard pho, #18 to go with a small order of egg rolls. Ten dollars and 10 minutes later and I was on my way. The egg rolls were hot, crispy and not greasy at all. Takeout pho isn't exactly the same as eat in, the broth was in a large container and everything else in separate baggies, including the raw beef. Toss it together and you have fresh pho! Delicious. The broth was super rich and tasty, the noodles were perfect and this was enough for at least two meals. Pho for breakfast.

    (4)

  • michaelia f.

    It was a dark and gloomy day, and I was looking for a way to perk myself up. So I made the trek to Argyle in search of some pho. Pho 888 recently received the designation of "Chicago's Best" by Time Out, so I was curious to try it. (My current fave bowl is from Tank Noodle down the street.) Pho 888 is a small restaurant, but when I walked in at 12:30 on a Wednesday afternoon, it was packed! Decor is spare, and they were playing 95.5 Smooth Jazz when I was there. Nothing like some Kenny G. with your pho. I ordered the Pho 888 special pho, which came with brisket, meatballs, tendon, tripe and thinly sliced beef. I like this combo because you get all sorts of different bits and bobs. It came out about 15 minutes after I ordered it, and it was really nice looking, with sliced onion fanned out and placed carefully in my bowl. This is a really nice bowl of pho. The broth is aromatic and nicely flavored, with hints of cinnamon and anise. The brisket was really tender and delicious, the meatballs were a great textural contrast, chewy and bursting with flavor. The only thing that I didn't like was the tripe, which was so tough I could barely chew it. Perhaps I just came on an off day, though. This is a solid meal, and for $7.50, you'll be full and happy.

    (4)

  • Sandy N.

    I haven't tried the pho here yet, but I have had 2 good experiences which lead me to award a nice 3 stars to pho 888. I've had their Mi Vit Tiem (herbed duck noodle soup), goi ngo sen (lotus and shrimp salad), and goi cuon (spring rolls) which were good (can't really mess up the last one, imo). It's a small place though, so I prefer to go to 777 when there's a crowd.

    (3)

  • Elaine C.

    This place is truly phenomenal. We started with some shrimp spring rolls, which were excellent. Fresh and minty and came with a delicious sweet sauce. I hadn't had pho in about a year, but I used to have all the time in Cali. The broth here is really delightful, and so are the meatballs. I recommend the meatballs. I usually just order pho with no meat (and veggies, if that option exists), but this place only has different beef-part options, but I think the meatballs are the yummiest. You really can't go wrong with a huge bowl of delicious broth, noodles, lime (lots of lime. I recommend at least 4 pieces), fresh basil and oyster sauce. Add hot sauce and jalepenos to elevate your meal from soup to a challenge. I don't go to places like this for the service (see San Soo Gab San), but they were really delightful and gracious. Obviously family owned and they were adorably sweet, even though we were there past closing. Dinner for two was $19. Can't beat that.

    (5)

  • Carol K.

    The real deal. So so so good!! I had a massive headache (due to a massive hangover) and was in serious need of some nourishment, we went in mid afternoon got sat immediately and knew what we wanted before we got there- vegetarian pho. It was spot on, tons of fresh vegetables like baby bok choy, broccoli, mushrooms, carrots, add tons of lime, lots of thai basil and some siracha and my headache magically went away. I recommend this place hangover or not, it was absolutely perfect on a cold Chicago day and totally affordable.

    (5)

  • Kristin S.

    I was craving some pho for such a long time leading up to this visit, so maybe that's why it was a bit of a let-down. It was good, but I was expecting the best pho I've ever tasted. That, it was not. We started off with the shrimp spring rolls after reading here that they were good. Holy Mint! If I wanted to fix a breath problem, I'd chew a stick of gum, not chow down on an herb garden. The wrapper was also thicker and gummier than I like, but there was a lot of shrimp for a bit of a saving grace. We both ordered plain old Pho Tai. The beef was delicious. It's best to eat that first because the longer it sits, the more it cooks since it's sliced so thin, overcooking can make it a bit tough. The broth was good, but seemed to be lacking in flavor. I tried adding spice, etc. and it was still missing something. The noodles were also overcooked and gummy. I like my noodles to have a little chewiness to them, so this was a tad disappointing. Overall, it was a cheap, very filling meal, but I don't know if I'll be back anytime soon with so many other places to try in the area.

    (3)

  • Jim W.

    Ranked #1 according to TimeOut Mag (but what do they know). It's odd that this place doesn't get more busy as it is only a few doors down from the Tank, which seems to dominate the area due to more traffic by nature of its corner position on the Argyle/Broadway intersect. I really can't tell what makes good pho, but I can tell a lousy broth from a good one and 888's ain't lousy. I think the noodles,broth and meat have been pretty consistent over my visits unlike what a few others claim, but it's service that's really up and down. Sometimes I feel like the waitresses are just hanging out and chatting up the neighbors. 888 is cheap, good and not overly busy so it will remain my go-to for pho.

    (4)

  • Theresa C.

    This was my first experience with Vietnamese food and I was wholly satisfied with the experience, but I'm not going to run back here without surveying several other options. We ordered the tofu Spring Rolls (because they were somehow out of our first choice veggie Spring Rolls). The tofu was surprisingly good, very well flavored and I think my favorite part of my meal. I ordered the Pho with eye of round and some other cut of steak. It was good but not great. It wasn't hot enough to stay warm the whole time I was eating, it had cooled enough by the end that the oil started to gather and I couldn't keep eating, even though I wasn't finished. The chili sauce was really good and I pretty much doused my meal in it. Overall, I was satisfied but not overjoyed at the meal.

    (3)

  • Mark W.

    The best Vietnamese Beef Sandwich I have EVER had! Had the tofu summer roll and Lime soda and I am in heaven!

    (5)

  • Matt G.

    I've tired of Tank Pho and it didn't happen to be open this last week when I got a taste for Pho, so I went the 888 route. Glad I did. Ordered the #17, which is their signature Pho along with the beef spring rolls. My absolute favorite spring roll since the beef has a smoky teriyaki taste to it. We were promptly served both the rolls and pho, something not always true at Tank. Nice broth, plenty of meat and a big pile of greens to accompany. Only downside is that it seems to take forever to get the check here. You almost have to wave wildly or go up to the desk to pay. Still a very good cold weather place for a yummy warm up.

    (4)

  • Rachel F.

    I would give this place 10 stars if I could. I have been all over the Argyle strip, Hai Yen on Clark, and places as they come and go in Chinatown, so I know my pho. You could almost walk past this place without a second glance, but DON'T! This place is nothing to look at...there's nothing fancy or presumptuous about it. The menu is huge and they even advertise "crap meat" (hilarious typo on the menu). My advice, don't bother with the menu. Order the pho tai nam (there's one with tendon and tripe, so if you like those, then look at the menu) and when it comes, pho lovers, taste it before you put anything of those fixings in it. Savor the flavor. The perfect marriage of cinnamon, cloves, anise, ginger, and all of the other wonderful ingredients. Absolutely BEST Pho in the city.

    (5)

  • Jaz P.

    I love the fact that the place is more subdued and intimate than Tank. And as much as I really, really wanted to prefer the Pho Tai here, it's still lacking a certain richness in the broth that Tanks' version delivers. Staff is sweet and friendly. The search continues...

    (3)

  • Y V.

    Winters in Chicago lead many people to this stretch of Argyle for a hot bowl of pho. Tonight was not the exception, with people battling icy sidewalks and the bitter cold to get their pho fix. We decided to check out Pho 888 for their version of this simple, comforting soup. The restaurant is quite small, with around 10 tables and two people running the place (perhaps the owner and his wife?). Despite the size, the restaurant was full, and we waited a few minutes for our table. The menu had the usual fare of pho, banh mi, rice dishes, noodles, etc. He ordered the pho tai (sliced beef tenderloin) and I ordered the pork and shrimp rice noodle soup. My soup was a bit overwhelming, since it included ingredients that weren't mentioned in the menu. Ready for it? My soup had rice noodles, fried firm tofu, a couple tail-on shrimp, tender pork belly, tomato wedges, scrambled egg, ground pork, and a few pieces of blood cake. With a side of shredded cabbage, bean sprouts, and cilantro to add to the soup. Good lawd, that's a lot of soup! I have to admit, as much as I love Filipino dinuguan (blood soup) and Puerto Rican morcilla (blood sausage), I didn't enjoy the blood cake. It was like blood jello. So I set those aside. The soup was fine, but I probably wouldn't order it again. It's too hardcore for me, ya know. His pho was just ok. I tried some of the broth and it didn't seem as flavorful as other bowls of pho I've had. But I preferred his pho over my soup. We also shared a grilled beef banh mi sandwich, which was the highlight of our dinner. I should have ordered two beef banh mi instead of the soup. To round off the meal, he had the strawberry smoothie and I had the salty lemonade. He didn't like his smoothie, since it was made with strawberry powder instead of fresh/frozen strawberries. But I did enjoy the salty lemonade. It was made with a salted preserved lemon, sugar, water, and ice. The flavor was assertive - with salty, sweet, and sour in every sip. It's not for everyone, but I liked it. Overall, the food was fine, but not the best I've had in the area. The service was quite good, though. 3 stars for the food. 1 extra star for the service (they were great; very friendly and gracious).

    (4)

  • Tina B.

    I love the ritual of getting my pho on: A giant bowl of noodley soup (with beef slices in it) is brought out to you with a heaping plate of fresh bean sprouts, basil leaves, limes, jalapenos and, I believe it's called culantro (looks kind of like dandelion greens). Then I rip up all of the leaves and throw them and everything else into the steaming broth, squirt lime juice all over it and add squiggles of both sriracha and purple hoisin sauce right onto the noodles of each individual bite. Then there is a lot of slurping and noodles all half in/half out of my mouth - really a meal best enjoyed alone, like I did here today. It's a small and kind of grimy place that made me so homesick for my favorite noodle shops in Oakland, and the staff was very friendly and the pho (while certainly not the best I've ever had) really, really, really hit the spot on a icy, frostbiting day. The fresh spring rolls filled with still warm shrimp and cold rice noodles and fresh basil were on point, and almost the size of mini burritos. The only thing that kept me from getting my super serious solo eat on was the lack of fish cakes - I couldn't find them anywhere on the menu and the waitress didn't seem to know what I was talking about. And the hot pot of tea was really good.

    (4)

  • Kwoky L.

    With so many pho restaurants on Argyle, it is a pain to choose one because they all look the same! Plus, who name their restaurant 888 or 777 or 999? I made a point not to try the one's with triple digits. There's no reason for it; I just don't like the name. I finally gave in because my roommate was raving about it. The place is tiny, probably not more than eight tables. Of course, I ordered their special pho with the works. The broth was subtle but flavorful and the noodles were al dente. There's barely any MSG in it, at least not enough to ruin my meal. I am usually quite picky with my broth but I have to say this is the best. When we were almost done eating, we saw an article from Time Out Chicago on the wall, rating 888 the best pho in town. I can see why.

    (4)

  • Len W.

    I'm divided on this place. Good: The pho is really good. The broth is sweet, and chock full of veg, noodles, etc. The beef balls were good, too. And the fresh lemonade is fantastic. Bad: The bowl is HUGE. I could have fed my wife and two kids on that one bowl. I only ate about 1/3 of it. What a waste, as I wasn't going to have leftovers in the car for 6 more hours before I got home. And I prefer to order a basic bowl and then order my "extras" individually. They don't do that, at least as far as I'm aware. I would love to take out, but that would mean getting it, chilling it somehow in order to make the trip home, then re-heating. I'll definitely go back, but maybe when I can get it to go.

    (3)

  • Alex B.

    Steered here by "Chicago's best Pho" in time out. Perfect, clear broth in this lovely Pho. My guests particularly enjoyed the pancake (seafood?). The spring rolls were fresh and minty- they ruined for me the ones I get at Nhu Lang by making them taste like cardboard. Everything was good and the owners/ servers were delightful and friendly. My only "beef"- I was a little too adventures getting the beef pho with tendons and tripe. This is not a a mistake that I would make again. And it's BYO to boot!

    (5)

  • Vivian Y.

    This is my second visit to Pho 888 - and I am still a fan! I found the place a couple of years ago whilst taking a stroll in the neighborhood. I saw a Vietnamese family and stopped to ask them where they thought was the best pho in the area. They pointed me towards this little gem. I'm a pho snob and continuously go in search of the best bowl of beefy noodles and this is definitely one of my go to places! Boy were they right! The soup is spot on! Beefy, brothy, onion-y...the beef round steak sliced thin is excellent and tender. Not chewy whatsoever. New to pho??? Order number 18!!! If you also enjoy tripe, order #21 - the tripe is really good and slightly "sweet". Nice portion of bean sprouts, limes and a giant bunch of basil will accompany your pho. Also order the pork and shrimp fried rolls (#7) - made to order and SO SO good! (not as good as the ones at Ba Le, but close!)

    (4)

  • jj c.

    we were supposed to go to Tank, but unfo Tank that day was closed. Pho 888 was a surprise. Many Vietnamese come here for pho. The broth there is a bit too sweet for me. but other than that, everything is fine. had a couple of meals there with friends and everyone was happy. forgot to mention that their spring roll is pretty good too.

    (4)

  • Cathaleya C.

    We forgot the name of the Vietnamese restaurant we really had our heart set on, so instead, we settled for Pho 888. We do not regret the choice. Springs rolls started off as our appetizer. It was filled with lettuce, bean sprouts, and shrimp. Very tasty, very healthy. Next, we dug into our entrees. We had a two kinds of pork chops over rice, yellow egg noodle soup with sliced beef, prawns and quail egg, a plain noodle dish, fried catfish, and MORE spring rolls. Everyone enjoyed their dish. No one had any complaints. Seventy dollars easily feeds 8 people with leftovers.

    (4)

  • Matt R.

    Rare beef Pho is the best! This place is just a hole in the wall with around 8 tables but everything is really good and they pack to-go orders meticulously if you decide not to eat in. Portions are large so bring an appetite for sure. The people who work there are also really nice too.

    (5)

  • Brandon B.

    I'm very torn about this because the food was absolutely spectacular. The three of us ate extremely well and it was relatively inexpensive. Everything was good... until we got ready to go. As we were divvying up the bill, a cockroach crawled up the wall right near our table. We probably did the wrong thing by scurrying out the restaurant without telling the owner, but we were just way too horrified. Knowing roaches, if there's one, there are others, and there's no way the owners could not know about it. This serves good food, but it is way too dingy. I'll never come back.

    (1)

  • Jims L.

    Don't really understand how the pho here is better than all the others on Argyle. I had what I always order - a pho tai chin - the steak was okay but the brisket was way too chewy. I fished it out to get it out of my way. Definitely not the best, though the service is okay but that's not what I consider when I want to eat good pho. Pretty much only come here when I'm in a hurry and Tank is even busier than usual.

    (2)

  • Jason C.

    Right off the bat, I'm docking stars for customer service and cleanliness. If it weren't for these two things, my rating would have been higher because the pho was amazing. The broth was savory, the noodles were perfect, steak was tender, and the typical garnishings (basil, bean sprouts, jalepenos, lime) were fresh. The problems came when we needed some silverware from the waitress. She was just sitting at a table nearby when we were beckoning her, pretty much ignoring us. Yelling finally caught her attention to ask us what we needed. No apology or acknowledgment for the lack of customer service. Prior to visiting 888, they were closed down for some time due to health code violations. Not too hard to believe because bugs flew around and the place just had a dirty feel about it. It's not like I will never go back to this place but I have to just keep in mind it's all about the pho next time.

    (3)

  • Karen S.

    My husband and I have been trying to recreate in Chicago the best Vietnamese restaurant experience that we've ever had - which was in New York. Finally! Everything was delicious and the staff was very friendly/helpful. The only thing that was missing was the individual coffee press/pot that we had in NY. Don't get me wrong, the coffee here was great - it was just fun to have your own pot as well.

    (4)

  • David K.

    We decided to bypass the enormous and extremely packed Tank Noodle and walk the couple of doors down to Pho 888 instead. It seems like it's run by a family and we decided we wanted to support the "underdog". We started off with the Shrimp Spring Rolls which seemed to be handmade on the spot. Pretty run of the mill spring rolls with the rice noodles, basil, lettuce, and shrimp. I've had better and I've had worse. For the main course, I had the Pho 888, and holy crap, does it ever come in a GINORMOUS bowl, which is pretty much filled to the brim. And it is pretty well filled up with the ingredients (not like some places that skimp on the meat). The tendon was tender and the flank was good (over cooked a little IMHO). The tripe was a little tough, but still pretty tender. The soup base wasn't too salty, which most places tend to be. And there was plenty of noodles. It also comes with the standard plate of bean sprouts, basil, lime, and hot peppers. For 7.50, you get an extremely large portion of food. The food isn't going to blow you away, but the value is nearly impossible to beat.

    (4)

  • Adisak P.

    I went to Pho 888 for lunch today and it was the best Pho I've had yet in Chicago. Pho to me is a comfort food and the #22 (with tendon and round steak) was so comforting it even cured a stress headache that had been building up all morning. They have very reasonable prices, generous portions of meat in the soup, plenty of basil on the side, and a very flavorful broth. Plus it was pretty fast for lunch - 30 min. in and out. It looks like a bit of a dive when you walk in because it's small and very subdued or even rather plain in decor. However, the soup is very very good. I had a buddy get the chicken and vegetables with rice and he liked that as well.

    (5)

  • John B.

    I might have learned my lesson about the Time Out cartel when I lived in New York. There (and for all I know, here) restaurant reviews were a commercial venture. Don't know whether the payola system prevails in Chicago, and nor do I have any basis for comparison yet, but I have a hard time believing that Pho 888 serves the city's best pho. The broth was good, homemade and fairly complex. But neither anise nor lemongrass were enough to prevent my liberal application of chile sauce, jalapenos, bean sprouts and basil. The meat was less generously apportioned than I expected, given the $7.50 tag. Don't know what the value range here is, but I've had denser in DC and NY. Still, the portion size is more than adequate for a satisfying large meal. My biggest objection, I suppose, is that the tripe and tendon were nearly disintegrated. I generally most look forward to the texture contrast of tendon, and to the little bit of effort required. At Pho 888, it's melt-in-your-mouth. Some might prize this attribute, but I find it disconcerting. A jackfruit smoothie was nice and sweet. The service was nice, attentive and speedy. I was complimented as a "big boy" for my choice of the special pho. Smooth jazz is never a pleasing complement to anything, but I've grown to expect it as the de facto "music" (if there's music at all) at these places. So, this review might seem critical. But it's balanced against my expectation that Pho 888 would be an unforgettable taste experience . It's not that, but Pho 888 is definitely in the higher echelon of these places. And it's definitely much, much better than the median.

    (4)

  • Eric S.

    Hands down, best Pho I've had here. Great service too!

    (5)

  • Gareth D.

    So I've only had pho here once, but I like 777 better; which is not to say that this place was bad. The restaurant seemed more like an extension of the owners house to me, with people hanging out watching TV, studying, whatever. Prices here seemed comparable.

    (2)

  • iddells E.

    Came to Pho 888 after finding out that Tank Noodle was closed on a Wednesday, which in the back of my mind, I already knew! I ordered a bowl of beef pho as usual while my friend ordered the make-your-own springroll dish and that was sooooo good!!! The beef was delicious! I have to come visit again and order that because the last time I went to Tank, I saw that it was much more expensive.

    (4)

  • Min Joon D.

    Pho here is extremely mediocre because it is never consistent. I used to eat here all the time, and I swear...each time, the noodles are either overcooked or they put in a very little amount and I would have to complain about it. Also, this place is very sketchy in terms of food preparation because I found a rubber band in my Pho before. I did not say anything, but I feel that a rubber band ending up in someone's Pho is extremely ridiculous. Shows me how dirty and ghetto a vietnamese restaurant can get. After that event, I never stepped foot into this establishment again. Prices are alright. But you should take your money somewhere else if you want authentic vietnamese Cuisine. Service is a-ok during non busy times of the day. but if it is busy, they forget that you're even there after you walk in and sit down.

    (1)

  • Robert S.

    so we are on the Red Line heading to Metropolis for coffee, and I see Pho 888 and I tell the BF we need to go there it has great reviews so after we get coffee we head down Broadway into Andersonville and then we come along Pho 888, so its now or never we decide to get some food and oh so glad we did we almost left as there is a place next door that was busy but when we walked up to Pho 888 it was empty, my Partner was like um this isn't a good sign the other place is busy lets go there instead, but I said no I have heard good things about this place lets try it anyways I didn't people in the other place with Pho they had rice and noodle dishes but not Pho we were seated right away and the man got us water and a soda for my partner, we then looked over the menu even though we didn't need to as we both wanted #18 Rare Beef Pho now we were spoiled as far as Pho goes we had 3 places within a 4 block radius in Seattle to choose from and we ate Pho often, so I had high hopes of finding a place that compared and these guys did well they bring out a big bowl of Pho for $6.50 I don't know if they have a larger bowl or not but this was just right for me, and they give you lots of Bean Sprouts and Basil nice big slices of Jalapeno and a big wedge of lime to hook it up with the broth as others have said is more savory sweet than I am used to but it was damn good just not what I am used to the Pho seems to be beefy flavored in Seattle, but I like this also it stands well on its own as my partner put it, they give you a good amount of noodles and the broth wasn't too greasy as I have seen in some places we are already planing a trip back for more, and maybe to pick up some Bah Mi Sammiches, and some Steamed Chinese Pork Sausages to take home with us

    (4)

  • Bella V.

    I ended up here yesterday because Tank has now decided they aren't going to be open on Wednesdays. We were just getting take out, but as soon as I walked in the door, I wished that I could have stayed. This is obviously a family run establishment, and they adorable kids sitting at the back table reminded me of my sis and I at their age. The man that greeted us was very very friendly. We both ordered the shrimp spring rolls which were pretty darn good. I ordered the seafood with pork (but I substituted beef) bowl with Egg noodles. My total came to about $13 for both. There was squid, 2 imitation crab, 2 shrimps, 2 fish balls, 2 other type of meat balls, and some shredded beef. The "other" meat balls were kind of a greyish color, but were SO GOOD! I wish I knew what they were! Everything else was okay. I liked that the squid was shaped into a neat little tube with raised edges. It's much better to look at while I eat rather than tentacles all over the place. Unfortunately, the broth was a disappointment. It was obviously homemade, but really lacked flavor and depth, and required quite a bit of additives. If the review were on the service alone, it would be 6 stars, but the broth just wasn't up to par. I'll be back though to give them another chance. The guy was just so genuine and sincerely happy to have you in his restaurant. Unlike the ungrateful Tank next door. It makes me want to return even if it isn't quite as good. Maybe next time I'll ask for beef broth.

    (3)

  • Jonathan R.

    As a matter of principle, I can only judge a place that calls itself "Pho 888" by its pho. Everything else is either a bonus or, if not so great, irrelevant. That being said, as far as the appetizers, the spring rolls are standard issue--nothing special but great if you need a pillow for the gallon of beef broth pending. If you want a good change-up, try the Quán bánh cun (two versions on the menu: #13 and #14)- jicama, bean sprouts, caramelized onion bits, covered by a steamed rice noodle blanket, and topped by a row of sliced Vietnamese pork sausage and cilantro. Served with Vietnamese fish sauce and a side of awesome. Enter the Pho: a symphonic broth with all the usual cast, each ingredient at an appropriate volume, and all in harmony with the melodic beef notes sung by bone marrow and braised meat. Some may prefer a broth without the subtle sweetness, like at Hai Yen, but this sings to me. Decent cuts of beef, bible tripe, and tendon each await their moment to shine. I'd pay double for this stuff if I had to, but please don't tell them that. If you've never had pho, this is a good starting point and a prime example of what pho should be. For the adventurous, try the Bún bò Hue (#57), a spicy beef and lemongrass based broth with rice noodles resembling Japanese soba or Italian spaghetti. You get some beef, but the fun begins when you reach for the slice of pork knuckle and the infamous, yet innocuous, congealed pork blood cube. (Too macabre? Break it up into more manageable bits.) No doubt my favorite pho spot in Chicago.

    (5)

  • Chris C.

    I really love Pho. I wouldn't say I am a Pho connoisseur or anything, but I know when I am getting a good bowl... and Pho 888 is some of the best I've had. I've been there a few times now, and the Pho has been consistently good. Can't speak to the rest of the menu though... haven't been able to resist ordering the Pho each time! Pho 888 has a certain charm to it, and I think that is one of the things that makes it so great. Sure it might be tiny, and maybe a little dingy, but to me it sort of feels like I am just hanging out eating some Pho in a friend's kitchen. You probably can't go wrong at any of the Pho places up and down Argyle, but after trying a few of them Pho 888 so far has come out on top.

    (5)

  • Annie W.

    (Just to follow on some of the remarks of atmosphere) This is pho, deceivingly simple (that beef broth is a slow concoction of all things magical!) noodle soup that makes for a fast, cheap, and healthy meal. Pho is meant to be served in down to earth places. I'd even venture to say that Pho 888 was just as atmosphere as any Pho place I tried in Vietnam this summer! Get #22. Rib eye steak with soft tendon. The owner recommended that when I was on the verge of getting tripe and am I ever glad I took his suggestion because the soft tendon was soooo soft! I could've easily slurped it up along with my noodles. Pho and soup broth was good. The fried egg rolls were also very good. The owner was super friendly and even let us customize our order for 3 egg rolls (since there was only three of us and the menu options only had either 2 or 4 eggs roll counts)! Talk about customer service! I wasn't a fan of their drinks, though. Indeed, it's made only with fresh fruit, no powder schmowder crap but they added way too much ice to my mango slushy so it was more like flavored water icee with hints of mango flavor (think vitamin water but even more diluted). I ordered it without any sugar syrup so that's also why it was flavorless. But on the other hand, my friend's banana shake was sickeningly sweet. So bottomline, skip the fruit drinks and just get the food :)

    (4)

  • Jenn L.

    Now before you judge me to be some snotty priss who only like to eat at super americanized and uppity places, realize that I'm not that sort of girl. I grew up in the Bay Area, eating at Chinese hole-in-the-wall restaurants with questionable health records and disposable plastic tablecloths. I love all sorts of tasty (and not quite sanitary?) street food. When I die, I want my heaven to be some sort of seedy dive bar. So, that being said, Pho 888 gets 3 stars. Why? Because the restaurant was so depressing that I wanted to drown myself in my glass of over-chlorinated and funny tasting water. When I want Pho, it's usually because my soul and my stomach both need nourishing. Either it's deathly cold outside or my life has suddenly become overwhelming. Friday afternoon I wanted Pho for both of these reasons. So, the last thing I wanted was to sit in a silent and cold restaurant with harsh florescent lights and sticky tables. It was probably our fault for sitting at a table where our backs were towards the kitchen, but every time a dish was served, I would jump 5 feet in the air as the server appeared out of nowhere and dropped our dishes in front of us. That night there were two servers, probably the owner and his wife. Pho 888 is a small place. And so it was strange to me that the two of them didn't speak a single word to each other the whole time we were there. And they didn't make much noise either. As my boyfriend and I were the only patrons in the silent restaurant, this got to be really creepy. Like I said at the beginning of this review, I don't mind dive-y places. But I do mind depressing ones, and this is why Pho 888 gets only 3 stars when their food is as fantastic as it is. The food? Oh yeah. It's great. The Pho is right on. Great taste. Great heaping portions of tripe and meatballs. The spring rolls are made when you order them (i.e. they're not pre-made and sitting in a pile, getting hard and stale.) And the Banh Xeo (Crispy pancake with shrimp, pork, bean sprouts, mint, and lettuce) is delicious. I would eat Pho 888's food again in a heartbeat. But I'll be ordering takeout and taking it home.

    (3)

  • Ben G.

    Great prices, fresh food, large menu. Service is very good. Best Vietnamese place I've found in the area. **Update** I've upgraded this review to 5 stars. This place is amazing. They clearly take a great deal of pride in the food they prepare, and every one of the dishes I've tried has been exceptional. Their vegan pho is the best I've ever had.

    (5)

  • Kathryn T.

    This place is the berries! If you're expecting fancy, don't come here, but the pho is like Christmas! We've been here several times for pho, banh mi and bubble fruit smoothies. Each time has been simply wonderful. A quiet family-owned place to come with friends for a casual, authentic, fresh, affordable Vietnamese meal.

    (5)

  • Nancy V.

    Please don't get Pho 888 confused with Pho 777 or Pho 999, which are all all the same street. Pho 888 was the first place in Chicago where I had decent pho. The prices are cheap and there's usually not much of a wait. However, the wait is slowly developing at this restaurant because of an article that recently featured Pho 888. Having grown up in the Bay Area, I am very picky about my VIetnamese food. With that being said, Pho 888 is a quite the authentic Vietnamese restaurant. If you are not familiar with pho restaurants, you should know that they are not known for their exceptional service or ambiance. Rather, you get good food without all of the fuss. And to those who will be eating at a pho restaurant for their first time, please do not overstay your welcome. This is not the type of restaurant where you should casually sit and chat long after you finish your food. Can you tell that this is a personal pet peeve of mine? Most of the pho's and even though bun bo hue are pretty good here. I have recently fallen in love with the Pho Ga (chicken pho) from Pho 888. The chicken is chopped and extremely tender and flavorful. If they ask you if you want your chicken shredded or chopped, you definitely need to get it chopped, you'll thank me later. Love it: Pho Ga! Leave it: Spring rolls

    (4)

  • J C.

    Recently I've been having crazy urges for Pho. Which leads to me trying different Pho places with Paul C. We went to Pho 888 on a Thursday night. I ordered Pho (lol) It was kind of weird, tastes wise, I like "Big Pho" better. I ordered a lemonade and it tasted like the powdered form not the original lime squeezed.. I'm probably not coming here again..

    (2)

  • Andrew K.

    I love banh mi and have been disappointed by a few places in Chicago already. A few friends and I passed this place while walking Argyle and decided to give it a try. They were pretty delicious. We had the grilled pork and the grilled chicken. Both were tasty, the bread was light and crusty, the veges were marinated nicely and the meat was delicious. I will definitely come back and try their other fair.

    (4)

  • Char Y.

    There is nothing better than a steaming bowl of clear soup with noodles, and lots of meat and tendons on a cold winter night. The restaurant is situated at a shady corner of Argyle, and it is quite scary to walk through at night, and the dingy store front is definitely not appealing. However, I thought their soup base was VERY good, if not the best I had in Chicago. It was clear, aromatic and not greasy. It also did not give the horrible after taste of MSG. I ordered the combination with everything in it, and thought it was the biggest endless bowl of soup ever! There was so much stuff in there, I gave up half way through, all for $6! However, we also ordered the pork chop, and thought it was just ok. Go for pho only!

    (4)

  • George N.

    Pho 888 is voted number 1 pho place in the tribune and they are right. BEST BROTH in UPTOWN!! HANDS DOWN!! NONE LIKE IT! and the PORTION IS the biggest in Uptown too!!!! PHO 888 is tops. They were sluggish two years ago, but they are back with a bang!!! They are tops!!

    (5)

  • Fresca T.

    I went to Vietnam this summer and had the greatest bowl of pho in the world and I came back to Chicago desperately wanting pho just as good. It was ALMOST as good as Vietnam. The broth was rich and flavorful and practically perfect. Then I went a second time.... After telling all my friends how amazing this place was and raving about it for weeks on end, we decided to go for dinner. The pho made me sound like a freaking liar! It was watered down, the service was terrible, even the spring rolls were kinda disgusting. What the hell happened to this place. I knew everything was going down hill when i looked at my friends' faces and saw that "oh shit this is bad but i'm gonna give her a look like it's actually good" stare. I think the trick is to actually go when it's not busy. If you go when it's crowded, you're guaranteed to get some nasty ass food because the cooks are rushed. It's really sad when a place is amazing and then the quality of food goes down because it becomes so popular. Sometimes hole in the walls just need to stay hole in the walls.

    (3)

  • james j.

    Been back & was about the same, but then went to some other places and found out how much better viet food can be in chi-town, sorry Pho-888

    (2)

  • Nam D.

    Pho 888 is nice little place on Argyle St, in "New Chinatown" (mostly Vietnamese shops). The pho broth was too sweet for my liking but all the herbs and etc were fresh. I ordered the banh xeo(Vietnamese crepes) which was crispy and good as an appetizer. There are other options on Argyle so I'll still with them for pho though.

    (3)

  • J D.

    My second fav vietnamese place in town, this hole in the wall is a bit rough around the edges but serves excellent traditional vietnamese food. They've renovated in the past few months and now that you can't smoke in restaurants anymore, there's no reason not to venture in. The staff is friendly and tries their best to answer any questions. First things first, the Pho is great, it's all about the broth and they're heavy handed with the fixings. The restaurant also has other traditional noodle soups like the spicy bun bo hue and banh canh that are almost as good as my mum's. The goi cuon aren't as well rolled or well stuffed as others in the area but the fried spring rolls are great. For non-noodle people, they have great chicken and goat curries with crispy, fluffy french bread to soak up the delicious broth. Rice with grilled pork chops/lemongrass chicken come in huge portions and are accompanied by spicy/sour fish sauce. This is also one of the few restaurants in the area that serves banh mi thit, vietnamese sub-style sandwiches with grilled pork and pickled daikon/carrots. YUM!

    (4)

  • Mel V.

    I've been eating here since the first week I moved to Chicago. They revamped the place a few years ago, trust me its a 100 times better than it used to be. But the food is still AMAZING. I've never been disappointed and never plan to be. Its so good I bring my Mom here who insists she speaks Korean to them. Why? Who knows.

    (5)

  • Julia K.

    This used to be my go-to pho place, but I started getting fed up with the obnoxiously sloooooooow service. 20 minutes for a bubble tea, really? The final straw was a few months ago when my dining companion happened to be a little cockroach crawling on the window sill next to hundreds of dead flies. Gross.

    (2)

  • Henry A.

    I haven't had a chance to visit too many pho restaurants in the city, but out of the ones I've been to, this is my favorite. The pho is really tasty and comes in gigantic bowls that are almost big enough to bathe in. I especially like the well flavored broth used in the pho here. Besides the pho, they also have some really good dry noodle dishes and fantastic spring rolls. The grilled pork on noodles with the fermented fish sauce is awesome. The interior of this establishment is even more run down than that of most of its neighbors, but the service is always friendly and the food always good. I have no problem sitting on old and crappy chairs inside a run-down restaurant if everything else is right, and that is the case here. Highly recommended. Edit: After having come here and also to Tank down the street multiple more times by now, I can definitely say that Pho 888 is better. I stopped going to Tank now altogether and almost exclusively hit up this little gem when the Vietnamese food craving hits.

    (5)

  • Lisa H.

    Food was very tasty. I had chicken spring rolls and a rice noodle dish. I enjoyed both. Staff was friendly. Food was very fresh and came out fairly quickly. Look forward to going there again soon.

    (4)

  • Leang E.

    I am saddened over the fact that I haven't come here earlier. I have to say, the soup of the broth here is pretty amazing. I have eaten at a lot of the Vietnamese spots off Argyle and this one definitely ranks up there. Agreed that the noodles are stuck together at the bottom, but for me that just means that they make sure the water is completely strained or drained out so that it doesn't get watered down with the soup so you definitely get the full flavor of the broth which I appreciate. Even the beef in the broth tastes seasoned like there's some peppery-ness in it, so there is flavor in everything. It seems like a small hole in the wall spot. The food tastes pretty authentic, like home cooking. The spring rolls are very fresh, and the coffee is extra strength here. My cousin got the rice vermicelli noodles with the barbeque beef here and it was really good, too. This might become my go to spot for pho, when my lazy butt doesn't want to make it myself! The service is a little slow, but it's Asian people that don't speak English very well - it's kind of expected...!

    (4)

  • Alexandra S.

    Ended up here on a Wednesday since Tank was closed and I needed my vietnamese fix. Was a bit apprehensive since I think the neighborhood is hit or miss. THIS IS A HIT. Great menu, great service and tasty food without all the hustle of tank. Had the spring rolls, seafood crepe, pork with pressed noodles and fried chicken over rice. All was super tasty. THe fried chicken was especially tasty and tender. Prices are super affordable and I will be back!

    (4)

  • Jessica V.

    I'm personally not a huge fan of pho, but it was delicious. The broth was very light and flavorful. I got the Pho Ga, and it was wonderful. Huge serving too. The service was wonderful.

    (5)

  • Jane D.

    This is my go-to place for pho. Tried pho at many places in the area and so far this is the best. Portions are huge. Their salty squid is good too. You can always get a seat. I think this place gets more crowded when Tank is closed.

    (4)

  • Cathy H.

    I feel kind of silly giving Pho 888 one more star than Tank when their food's pretty comparable just because the service is better, but that's how the cookie crumbles, I guess. The food is quite good: I particularly like the "Bun" (dry vermicelli noodles, veggies, meat, with a sweet and sour sauce to mix it up). I've also had their soup noodles with knuckle and pork, but I thought the soup was too lemongrassy for my taste. The rolls are quite good--I'm a particularly big fan of their spring rolls, which have a lovely chewy wrapper that's better than any wrapper I've had anywhere. Finally, like I said, the service is fantastic. The gentleman who serves you is fast, efficient, and friendly--makes me really want to go back to this family-run business!

    (4)

  • Dave L.

    Another great place for some great tasting Pho. This place is one of the keepers for me.

    (5)

  • T T.

    decent pho. cozy place. friendly service

    (3)

  • Brendan S.

    Went here for my first Pho experience. You can rest assured I'll be going back for Pho in the future. The broth was amazing and all the additive ingredients that were brought to our table were extremely fresh and full of flavor. I had a bizarre (to me) array of meats in mine which included tripe, tendon, meat balls and thinly sliced well done steak. You might have to wait for a table if it's peak lunch time on a weekend but it's worth it.

    (5)

  • Brian L.

    This place is hit or miss. Some days, the pho is great. But then I was raving about it and took some friends, and then it was bland. I don't know if they have rotating cooks back or something. Then I gave it another shot and it was awesome again. Overall, I think it's one of the better places for vietnamese noodle soup. I have literally tried every place on argyle, and all the places in chinatown. The Bun Bo Hue, (a spicy noodle soup) is delicious, though a little on the salty side. I would recommend it overall because it's reasonably priced, unpretentious, and the soups are good. There are better places for the rice vermicelli and rice dishes. But having come from San Jose where there is a whole restaurant that only serves 1 dish Bun Bo Hue, and the restaurant goes by the same name, I am just glad that I can get my Vietnamese fix.

    (4)

  • Annie S.

    I really like Pho 888. There are so many places you can go to to eat pho but this is my favorite. I know the place is a lil run down, but what do you expect? All the restaurants in Arglye aren't in the best shape. I love the pho. I have eaten at almost every single restaurant there and this is my favorite. My boyfriend usually eats the catfish/pork caramel (in the "special section" of menu) and he loves that. He grew up eating vietnamese food, so I feel like that says a lot. The owners are VERY friendly. Maybe that's why I like the place so much! Please try eating there if you visit uptown!

    (5)

  • Veronica B.

    I know this is a bit late.. But this place was shut down by the city a couple weeks after I dined there. Which made me even more disgusted that I ever ate there. I did notice that it has reopened since, but I won't be going in there.

    (1)

  • Erik T.

    I have probably eaten here 20 times. This is personally my favorite BYOB restaurant in Chicago. The owners (also the servers) are really nice and always friendly. I ALWAYS start with the beef satay and tofu spring rolls. The beef satay is so good that if I was to be put on death row tomorrow it would be my last meal. As a general rule our group tends to order lemon grass chicken, salt and pepper squid, & beef and broccoli. I recommend trying the pan fried wide noodles. They make them nice and crispy. The first bites will have a satisfying crunch and the last will have pulled in all the flavor. I haven't ordered the pho for myself but I have tasted it and I think it is very good. The bowl is HUGE and works great for sharing.

    (5)

  • Joe J.

    Food was pretty darn good - from the shrimp spring rolls to the pho ga to the bun mam. I would have given another star if it just felt a bit cleaner - floor in the hallway to the restrooms was really greasy and slippery. Otherwise, a good tasting authentic meal.

    (3)

  • yoku s.

    Pho 888 one of the dingiest looking Vietnamese restaurants, but their pho is definitely in our top 3. Their spring rolls are decent, but what we really love is their steamed rice cake with sausages, pork, etc... pour that delicious nuoc mam over it and indulge. mmm!

    (4)

  • Mateo S.

    Time Out Chicago recently crowned the pho served here the best in the city and I can see why: rich broth, slivers of rare flank steak, pliant meatballs and ribbons of tendon and tripe. Squeeze on the lime, drop in some jalapeno and cilantro and feel no guilt about leaving your vegetarian friends with their exhaustive limitations at home for the day. The shrimp spring rolls were also delicious, as was the Vietnamese coffee. A plus? My friend and I got out of their for under $25. Total.

    (4)

  • Jason B.

    My fiance and I love this place. We've visited quite a few of the pho joints on Argyle and this has been our favorite for a big steamy bowl of beefy goodness. The broth is intensely flavored with chilies and star anise. Just smelling it warms you up on of these freezing Chicago winter days. Plus, they don't skimp on the accouterments - mung beans, limes, chilies and thai basil are given in abundance.

    (5)

  • Tiffany K.

    Had the pho with flank and tripe. It was so great. The broth was much more flavorful than the broth at Tank noodle, just around the corner. Super delicious, super awesome.

    (4)

  • Natalie B.

    Although Pho 888 is well known for their Pho, we headed here for Banh Mi. While I know that Ba Le is typically where everyone heads for their tasty sandwiches, we wanted to be able to sit and relax. We started with the spring rolls which were fresh and delicious. They were complimented by the tasty dipping sauce that I could have licked out of the bowl. I had the #154 -- Grilled Pork. Hubby had the #150. Food was incredible fresh, service was efficient and friendly. We were there for lunch on a Thursday--there were some people ordered their food to go. The restaurant itself is small but luckily it was not busy at all when we arrived. In face, we were the only table for at least 20 minutes. I would like to return to try the Pho--hopefully we'll be back to Chicago soon!

    (4)

  • Chiara S.

    I'd like to give Pho 888 a higher review, but I just can't..... I even consulted you first, Yelp about this one. You steered me wrong. You really did. OK - I cannot totally dump on this place. My dude and I went late at night and stayed 15 minutes past closing time (because we're jerks) and did not get hassled at all by the staff to leave. The staff was really, really nice, so they get an extra star (or two) for that. However, and I'm leaving the decor and size of the place totally out of this review, the pho just was not all that good. The pho was really just OK compared to other places. There were little scallions, onions, and noodles in the pho (which is Vietnamese NOODLE soup). It lacked seasoning and hearty flavor. Oh, and what's with the insufficient condiment tray?! Not to sound like an a-hole, but I had to ask for lime because they did not give us any for the pho; nor was there jalapeno. These are usually automatically given with the condiment tray. The broth was mediocre and the entire meal left me missing my usual beloved go-to pho places, also on Argyle. For the exact same price, you get more at the other places and don't have to ask for lime or jalapeno. Bummer, Pho 888! I had high hopes for you! Also, I want to mention that their special that night was crab and when my dude and I went to order it, they said they didn't have it that day. What is that about? But really, I won't hold that against them... it's just strange, is all. Anyway, there really are so many better pho places in the area than Pho 888. I won't return.

    (3)

  • Eric P.

    There's Pho joints up and down Argyle and while I've only tried a few, this is the best I've had in the city thus far. It reminds me of the holes I used to go to in the bay area. The broth is really rich, the beef and beef balls are quite tasty and the tendon is always, well...tender. The place is a little skeevy but nothing hits the spot quite like Pho on a balls cold Chicago night.

    (4)

  • Erika G.

    Excellent! Slightly crappy and dingy . . . but the PHO is delicious.

    (4)

  • Lina V.

    The Pho 888 bowl was so big I seriously thought I had to go puke on the street because I was so full! The broth was pretty delicious and I don't think I'll ever complain about the portion size of the pho I ordered. I also ordered the sprimp spring rolls and their delicious peanut sauce. Also their beef sticks are amazing and they even include some daikon relish yum! The place itself is small and a little dive-ish but I tend to prefer this myself because it feels more authentic to me and the food usually tastes better compared to the other places down the street. The vietnamese iced coffee was perfect!

    (4)

  • Tony L.

    so the pho craving hits again... So, how does this place compare with Pho 777? I think the Pho here is better as well as the other dishes that we had, more authentic and flavorful. Both places look the same, I think Pho777 is bigger and has more seating but what killed the stars was the sub par service. When I go out to dine at a place I don't expect first class treatment, I would just like to know that if I need something I can count on you to have things setup and ready in a reasonable amount of time. We had 2 waitresses, an older and a younger lady. The older lady must have thought that I didn't look/speak Vietnamese and it all went down hill from there. She asked us to sit down and then the younger woman came and took our order. She was super nice and very attentive. The only reason we didn't have her permanently was because she was also the cashier and delivery driver. So on occasion we got the wonderful presence of the older lady who managed to disrespect me and my wife (who's Italian) on the few occasions she had to tend to our table. She forgot to bring out dishes for us to split the appetizer as well as the sauces to eat with our appetizer figuring that we didn't know how to eat the appetizer properly and it wouldn't matter if we had all we needed or not. I asked the younger lady nicely for the things we needed and tried to let things go since I am not sure that the older lady actually works there or was just helping out, but there wasn't more than 8 people eating in the restaurant. We got the pho tai and the banh cuon cha lua both were very tasty once we had everything we needed. I'd say the pho was one of the best I've had in Chicago (next to my mother's of course) and the banch cuon cha lua was very good as well (almost as good as my moms!). I was just angry at the situation. I tipped the younger lady well as I knew she was trying the best she could. It's just unfortunate that this incident happened. Maybe I'm overreacting but I will probably not be back in this place if that older lady is around regardless of how much better the pho is.

    (2)

  • jeff k.

    What brings me back here continually, as opposed to the other restaurants on Argyle, is the flavor of their seasoned beef used in their popular dishes. Their beef sandwich, served on French Bread with cilantro, cucumber, carrot and an egg butter mixture arguably one the best cheap eats in Chicago.

    (5)

  • Lo M.

    Pho is my new favorite meal and I am obsessed with finding the best spot for it. It really does qualify for a death row meal and the best pho can be spiritual. I usually go with raw beef and meatballs. I was on a mission to go back to Tank just around the corner but it was closed and read the reviews as one of the best. It was good, no doubt. But not as good as Tank. It was pricier as well at over 8.00 a bowl and not quite as big. The broth didn't have the fatty bubbles floating around in it that Tank's has that gives it so much flavor. It didn't taste as slow simmering as Tank's either. So for a smaller portion, higher price, and just not quite as much flavor, I will always make the effort to go to Tank. If the wait is too long there or you have a craving on a day that it's not open, then Pho 888 is a fine choice.

    (3)

  • Sady C.

    came here with a buddy before class. we were hoping to go to pho 777(bomb!!!!) or tank(decent pho) but both were closed on a wednesday afternoon. i have seen pho 888 but wasnt ever eager to try it since discovering pho 777. speaking on behaf of my experiences with pho. i definetly gravitate towards a much "cleaner" broth with a more savory scent to it rather then a bowl of shart broth in front of you with noodles carelessly thrown in with the toppings. anyway, i had the shrimp springrolls withhout the pork. when it came out i literally could not hold back the emotions in my face and gave that spring roll a stink eye. the shrimp had a little black stuff on it which looked and had a funky smell to it. why was my springroll ridiculously warm ??? also had the seafood pho with extra extra cilantro. it was alright. i mean... how can you load up on seafood and still have your pho be only alright ??? yeah. "alright" pho is what youre gonna get here. pho 777 is where the parties at

    (2)

  • yvette n.

    I will stat by saying that i have eaten vietnamese food all my life, and this place is good. They have a huge selection in their menu. It's is pretty authentic for being thousands of miles away from homeland and in the mid west. It's not glitzy, but staff is friendly. great breakfast/lunch place...well if you have my appetite.

    (4)

  • Rachael S.

    absolutely delicious pho- the broth is perfect!! my husband and i couldn't stop saying "mmm" every time we took a slurp. the lotus root salad was also an incredibly large portion of extremely tasty goodness. the menu might not be as extensive as other vietnamese restaurants in the area, but if you want some amazing pho, this is the place!!

    (5)

  • Stephanie M.

    It's a good place to go for a casual lunch. This is one of the ubiquitous small restaurants in the argyle neighborhood serving pho and other vietnamese cuisine. The interior of the restaurant is nothing to rave about. Service is prompt and no-frills. Food is a good deal and tastes like vietnamese food from argyle.

    (3)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :9:00 am - 3:00pm

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : No
    Delivery : No
    Take-out : Yes
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Lunch
    Parking : Street
    Bike Parking : Yes
    Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
    Good for Kids : Yes
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Casual
    Ambience : Casual
    Noise Level : Average
    Alcohol : No
    Outdoor Seating : No
    Wi-Fi : No
    Has TV : Yes
    Waiter Service : Yes
    Caters : Yes

Pho 888

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