4. Restaurants

Pho Van

2120 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, PA, 15222
  • (412) 281-7999
  • Store is closed

Pho Van Menu

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  • John C.

    I heard through the grape vine that the owners are contemplating on selling the place. I guess that explains why they have been slipping on a few things. Sad but I guess it is understandable. I tried their beef stew and curry chicken recently. The beef stew is good but was a little bit sweet. Their curry chicken was good. If you guys do stay in business, probably consider getting rid of the meatballs you guys are using in your pho. Head to Lotus Foods and buy the packets of Beef Bo Vien. It taste much better than the ones you're using now. They got rid of the durian smoothie, the thing that made me fell in love with the place. I hope the place sticks around. If not, i would be forced to go back to Vietnam's Pho. Just a quick edit: Don't try their wonton soup. Seriously guys? This thing is a disgrace. Half of my meat wasn't meat but slices of pork fat. the wontons are just a disgrace. It was mainly just wonton wrapping and a little meat. Thank goodness their pho is still good.

    (4)

  • Rita D.

    We went in for a try because my coworker suggests it. It is good and the pho noodle price is cheapest that we have been in Pittsburgh area.

    (4)

  • Pamela D.

    For East Coast Vietnamese food, this is really good. Although nothing compares to the Vietnamese Pho and Bahn MI Sandwiches of Cali, this definitely satisfies the cravings. The sandwiches I believe are the best item, Pork bahn mi is awesome! The Vermicelli Grilled Chicken Bun Ga is really good as well. Another of my fave Viet dishes, The Seafood Pho is also good. Good broth flavor, sufficient seafood. Overall Yummy!! Definitely my choice of Pittsburgh Vietnamese joints! The 4 star is a really dumb reason, because they have this one American girl working there and I just have a thing about foreign food, I believe it should be served and prepared by the people of that country. After all they know best , right. Americans tend to not know all the details of the items. When I shop somewhere I want salespeople to be as knowledgeable as possible, same concept.

    (4)

  • Josh S.

    I like to compare and contrast pho restaurants from around the country, seeing as i am a pho lover, and I'm a regular customer at our local pho restaurant. This pho, was very comparable to our local pho that I like to base my opinion off of. It has a delicious broth with some awesome-tasting noodles, although i think that the brisket could've been more plentiful and longer cooked. I also ordered an appetizer: Spring rolls, with bean sprouts, mint leaves, celery, rice noodles, and shrimp, which was all wrapped in rice paper. I really loved the taste of all of those things combined, and the shrimp was cooked very well. Overall, the only thing that was lacking was the amount of brisket in the pho, therefore lowering it to a hint below 5 stars. Eat here everyone!

    (4)

  • Shweta N.

    I absolutely love this place and have ordered nearly every pho on the menu, so I'll soon be moving on to their specialty soups. I have to be honest, I've only ever dined here once; the majority of the time, I order take out. I have to agree with Rachel, the decor is simple, maybe even a bit boring, but the food makes up for it! This is truly one of my favorite comfort foods, and I'm happy to have found a place in pittsburgh that makes consistently yummy pho. I'm actually a fan of the rare eye round- the fresh meat cooks before your eyes in the broth, but the flank is a close second. I definitely frequent this place, you'll likely find me here on a cold, rainy day picking up my to-go pho.

    (4)

  • S M.

    Disclaimer: My boyfriend and I, especially me, are very picky when it comes to our pho. We were visiting Pittsburgh and were not familiar with the area, so we couldn't really gauge whether the restaurant was our type of restaurant. We decided to try this restaurant because we really wanted pho. When we entered the restaurant, we realized that it wasn't our type of restaurant, given the demographic. My boyfriend wanted to leave but I was hungry, so he had to resort to eating there. There were 2 waiters (well, one looked like he was just hanging out) and 1 waitress. The restaurant was semi-filled but there was a line. Not really sure what the problem was. After we were seated, we waited for 5-10 minutes before the waitress came over to take our order. We ordered our usuals - pho and summer rolls. We wanted to get the spring rolls but we saw that it was just two tiny rolls for $4 (totally not worth it). We waited for a while before we got our food; two customers, who came after us, got their pho before we got ours. I also want to point out that my boyfriend had to ask about our food before they brought it over. Everything was just slow - it didn't help that they brought one bowl of pho at a time. Weird. Now the food - Pho - not great, but decent Bean sprouts were old No basil Spring rolls - decent; I was happy it was fresh. Sauce - watery (I noticed later that the customers' next to us had better sauce) Price - pho was priced higher than the standard price

    (2)

  • Jordana M.

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

    (5)

  • Teresa T.

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

    (3)

  • Dong B.

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

    (4)

  • Ann T.

    my husband and i were visiting in laws during the holidays, tired of eating leftovers we opted for something closer to home. we took my father in law for a 1st time pho experience and all 3 of us ordered pho and it was PHOnomenal!!!!!! bowl was large enough to satisfied our taste buds for a decent price ($8-$10). for our 3 yr old, we ordered grilled shrimp fried rice which i REALLY liked!!!!!! my toddler liked the grilled shrimp on the skewer so i had to finish his fried rice. though toward the last few bites i bit into a small 1/4 inch square shape piece of GLASS!!!!!!!!!!!!! i was mortified. i'd prefered my fried rice w/o the jagged broken piece of !!!!GLASS!!!! in my dish please. the thought of my toddler ingesting that & him getting hurt would've ruined our fun holiday plans, also a possibility of sitting in the ER for hours. because of this 'accidental' experience w/the fried rice, i've decided to give Pho Van 1 star due to the piece of glass in my toddler's dish. sigh.

    (1)

  • Myranda G.

    I was craving pho like no ones business when I came across pho van. The interior was clean and nice. I ordered the spring rolls and pho with rare beef. True I have had better, however, this was what the doctor ordered. The spring rolls were pretty amazing. I think it is the peanut sauce as they add crushed peanuts in the sauce. It makes the texture contrast awesome. The pho was like a warm blanket wrapped around my tummy. In other words, great. I came back a few days later and walked in 5 minutes before they were closing but the waiter was happy to serve me up a to go order. He was very helpful and I rewarded him with a big tip. Customer service like that is rare these days. I highly recommend this place.

    (4)

  • Rick L.

    I wish two stars meant "fair", because this place is not "bad", but it also ain't "good". I will return here, because I have a car that steers itself to the Strip district, and am therefor forced to eat on the Strip at least twice a week. Ate on a Thursday, about 5:00pm. One other couple in the place. First impressions, please spend a couple days, and brighten the place up. Scrub it down thoroughly, maybe splash on some paint. It is not dirty, but it is just slightly above dismal. Needs more light, scrub and wax everything, and that would make the place a whole lot better. I got the fried rice supreme. I like rice. I like fried rice. I like fried rice that is not greasy, has a good balance of flavor, and has to has to has to have bean sprouts. The fried rice supreme came with a skewer of about five medium sized grilled shrimp. Overcooked. I would guess that they were pre-cooked and then warmed up for the meal. Same with the pork and chicken. They all tasted O.K., as in passable, but they also all tasted like they had been cooked before, and were just warmed up and laid down next to the rice before being served. Not bad, but no excuse for this. All dried out. Not happy about that at all. The rice part of the fried rice was also equally disappointing. It had a really promising taste at first bite. Not greasy, nice texture, and a great smoky taste. but, very few added ingredients. No bean sprouts, some finely chopped scallion. But nothing else. A little bit of finely chopped egg. Nothing else. Rice, small amount of scallion, small amount of egg, some smoke seasoning, and the three sides of chicken, pork, and shrimp. HUGELY disappointing. I mean, I took the majority of it home, and am looking at it now. Yep, those were all of the ingredients. The wife got the bun with pork. Pretty standard, rice noodles, The rice noodles were not good. Tasteless, starchy, just not good. Bean sprouts, juliened carrot and sliced cucumber. Chopped Romaine lettuce. and the pork and obligatory fried spring roll. Now, we had ordered a spring roll as an appetizer, and had to send it back, as we thought it was burnt. We sent it back. When the spring roll came back, it was just as burnt. the wife said "this tastes like burnt oil". Duh... I would bet that the oil the things were cooked in was old. Same as the spring roll that came with her bun. Old oil leaves Now THAT irritated me. The fillings in the fried spring roll were good, but there are few things as bad as anything that has been cooked in old oil. The cook is forced to do a balancing act of cooking the thing to the point of doneness, without making the wrapper black to the point where no one would eat it. The ingredients were good, but the execution was off. Oh yeah, one last whiny comment, the fish sauce was the cheapest saltiest fish sauce I have EVER had. I mean, I am not asking for the stuff to be that $50.00 a bottle super delicious fish sauce, but the stuff we got was horrible. Like they had added salt to the fish sauce, which I know just cannot be the case. So, just guessing that they use horrible cheap fish sauce. THIS is the reason folks say they don't like fish sauce. When it is just salty and plain bad. Overall, the meal was like eating at a Chinese or mexican restaurant, where they try to target a Midwest . The only upsaide was the waitress was really nice. I tipped her well. I am hoping that if I go back for lunch, maybe it will be better. If it is, I will update my review, if it isn't, I will say so. Oh, and I am definitely not going to try the Bhan Mi (Vietneamese sandwich) that they advertise here. I would be royally torqued off if I waste cash on a Ban Mhi here, when the Vietnamese lady who sells these sandwiches right down the street at the fire station is so close, and sells such flat out delicious vietnamese sandwiches. She is the best! (not really, but pretty darn good!). Overall, I am going to come back, give it another try. Gonna try the Pho. Hopefully, it will come out, the broth steaming hot, and a plate full of bean sprouts and basil and lime wedges on the side. If I get that, I will edit this review, and give glowing remarks.

    (2)

  • Wissam F.

    The Bahn mi was not as it should be, where is the fire!?

    (3)

  • Sal W.

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

    (3)

  • J L.

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

    (4)

  • Shannon J.

    Pho Van is clean and nice, but to be honest, the Pho places I've really loved have been divey joints where it is unmistakably authentic. I always order Bhun Thit Nuong and Pho Van doesn't even bring it out with the Nuoc Cham--actually, even Tram's doesn't do that. I'm also accustomed to lots of mint, cilantro and bean sprouts and the 2 places I've been in Pittsburgh haven't had that. I think of Vietnamese as having lots of fresh herbs and veg. My bhun thit was noodly and porky. Off to try Vietnam's Pho.

    (3)

  • Tony V.

    I found the pho to have a wierd after taste ad the fresh rolls were just par. Maybe it was because it was closet closing time but i found it to be par at best.

    (3)

  • Steve P.

    I really enjoyed this restaurant three two times I've been there. The first time I went with a friend who is pretty open minded about food, but neither of us had really experienced Vietnamese food. We were both pleasantly surprised. We started with the Vietnamese dumplings, which were definitely an experience unlike any food I've ever had before. I'm usually pretty alright eating most things, but I could not stomach even more than one of the dumplings because of the casing, which was extremely chewy and gelatinous. My friend also could not finish hers, and we left the third one on the plate because neither of us would have been able to stomach it. I ordered the Pho with beef tendons, which I found extremely delicious. Since I had never had pho before, the waitress gladly suggested how to eat it and what I should add. I enjoyed it a lot, and the beef tendons were very good and added a lot of flavor. The bowl seemed pretty big, but I was still hungry afterwards, which is always fine with me in the Strip District. The next two times I have gone to this restaurant I've had the meat bowls, in both chicken and beef, both of which were extremely enjoyable. The noodles are always very good and the meat is always well seasoned.

    (4)

  • Ashley C.

    First place that I have had Vietnamese food at since moving to Pittsburgh from California. The food was decent, but not as flavorful or bold as what I am use to. I had the bun bo hue, which made me extremely happy simply because I love this dish back home! The broth did not have any spiciness to it, it was missing the fishy taste made by shrimp paste, and more importantly was missing the slab of PORKS BLOOD; so the dish was sort of disappointing overall. My boyfriend had the combination pho, which he said tasted good, but it was his first time having Viet food so I am not quiet sure if it is as good as he thought it was...I also like the fried banana with coconut milk, but when we went this past weekend bananas were out of season so Pho Van did not have any. The avocado smoothie was also pretty decent, I have been wanting to find a place that has some sorts of boba drinks and Pho Van is one of the few places I have been able to find so far in Pittsburgh. I usually like milk tea drinks with boba, but I settled for avocado because that was the first available boba drink. Additionally, the services provided by the servers were really slow. To get the check it took an extra 10-15 minutes after the server took away our bowls. Also, the teapot was never refilled and we did not really feel like waiting even longer so we just stuck with our water even though the tea cost $2. The overall space for Pho Van is very nice and clean, but the energy of the place is sort of dull and quiet. Its very unlike the Asian restaurants I am use to eating at . It needs more of a upbeat and inviting presence or something. A faster and more efficient services provided by servers, and just overall like homey feel or something.

    (3)

  • Todd W.

    Lovely service, delicious food. Shedded apple and chicken salad with mint was amazing!

    (4)

  • Chaya H.

    The service was very slow on the day I went. There were many staff, but most of them looked like they have no clue of what to do. It definitely showed that the restaurant was not prepared to service an all-seated room. I was served water in plastic cups while others used all the glasses they had. We had to wait 20-30 minutes for our food to come to our table. No one came to check on us during that time. Our server came about 2 minutes before the food arrived telling us that our food was coming. The food was ok, too much MSG though. I could feel my mouth and throat really dry when I got home and the day after. I got a pho and my friend got a vermicelli with grilled beef. Both of them were ok, but Pho Minh on Penn Ave is better.

    (3)

  • Key M.

    AMAZING, Tofu was to DIE for and my friend loved his shrimp fried rice (I think that's what he got). service was lovely and it was the only place with fast service that wasn't packed on the strip, can't wait to go back!

    (5)

  • Dan V.

    Best Cheap Eats I've had in Pittsburgh. I've had the pho both times I've been plus some appetizers. Everything was great!

    (4)

  • M Z.

    Fresh, healthy foods at reasonable price.

    (4)

  • Ellie K.

    solid pho, great spring rolls. blah service, though - super slow, even for an asian place (and it's not like it was crowded).

    (3)

  • Derek S.

    Affordable, fresh, consistent, tasty, attentive and friendly staff, privately owned, clean. I keep coming back and ordering the same thing. I will branch out and try more. At first I hesitated in giving 5 stars because I think they could make the place more comfortable? Maybe in due time they will get more comfortable seating / lighting. For now, the ambiance is lacking, but I'm OK with it. However, overall it's good fresh food that is very affordable AND unpretentious; the magical trio of qualities that seems to be lacking in restaurants in this city. And as a side note, I'm so glad Pho Van is here because after eating at those other Vietnamese places on Penn before Pho Van opened, I was so put off by the horrible service and tasteless food, I figured I'd just wait until I visited other cities for Vietnamese. Not anymore!

    (5)

  • Amy H.

    The staff were very welcoming and friendly. Our server was really helpful and asked a few times if we needed anything or had questions about the menu - but not in an annoying way. The ambiance is kind of blah. It's brightly lit and the tables are pretty plain and it lacks personality. We started with the spring rolls which were very fresh and yummy. They had long strands of lemongrass popping out and the dipping sauce was great. My date ordered their specialty - the pho (pronounced "fuh") and I had the lemongrass tofu. I don't eat meat so didn't sample the pho, but he said it was very good. It came in a huge portion with a generous side of sprouts and peppers to add to it. The tofu I ordered was a great consistency, but pretty flavorless. I never salt my food, but this definitely needed something. I used the leftover spring roll sauce to at least season my rice. I understand its not their specialty, but I was kind of disappointed. They were out of most vegetarian options, so hopefully next time I'll have something else to choose from! Great prices and BYOB :)

    (3)

  • M B.

    This place is an almost brand new addition to Pittsburgh's Strip District and serves Vietnamese cuisine. I had a Vietnamese sandwich with pork and it was delicious! The service is fabulous as well. Definitely recommend!

    (4)

  • Y. C.

    I'm only rating the pho. I've had pho at nearly every pho place in Pittsburgh. And so far, this place has the best pho. It's a delicious beefy pho that is fragrantly spicy... cinnamon, star anise, cardamon... ginger. It's *not* the hole-in-the-wall type place that's dirty and grimy, but I'll over look that since the pho is the decent. Oh and the servers were very kind and made me a shake with soy milk, since I'm allergic to dairy. They told me it was their first time and they couldn't guarantee what it would taste like, but it was yummy.

    (4)

  • Wiranya R.

    I think it is too pricey. For a $9 bowl of noodle, I would expect more meat and yes, more noodle. We order fried banana for dessert, it came out having only 1/4 of a banana wrap in the wrapper with 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream. When we order Fried banana, we expect more banana than ice cream, rather than the other way around. We probably not going back. I like the other restaurant better. The one on the other end of the strip.

    (2)

  • Tom M.

    great place to eat, service is a little slow...but I would recommend to my friends...better than the other place up the street!

    (4)

  • Sal G.

    I have been to the Strip District so many times and have always wanted to stop in. After eating at Penn Avenue Fish Company one afternoon, I found that I was still hungry and decided to stop in for some pho. After looking through the menu and talking to the server, I ordered a modified soup that is not on the menu. Spicy Seafood Soup Pho Van's spicy broth is just so good. They really should put this item on the menu. I tried the regular broth and it is not as flavorful as the spicy base. I do wish that there had been more seafood present to balance out the price of the bowl, but overall it was a good experience.

    (4)

  • Ryan J.

    Fresh fresh fresh are the only words that stand out. Generous portions and I LOVE pho so asked for more basil and jalapeños and boom in heaven. Server checked back 3 times just to be sure we had everything we needed. Amazing amazing amazing a must if you have never had pho before.

    (5)

  • David S.

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

    (4)

  • Pauline T.

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

    (2)

  • Laura M.

    I came by for lunch last weekend to try the pho, since it was cold and I was craving a hot, brothy, noodly dish. Because I was in the Strip for shopping purposes, this place was more convenient than the other Pho place further down Penn. Since they both have similar ratings and each seems to have its adherents, I figured I'd try here. Since I'd never had pho before, I was excited to try it for the first time. Because I don't eat beef, I ordered the pho ga (chicken pho). It was served promptly, about 5 min. after ordering, piping hot with all of the usual accoutrements (sprouts, Thai basil, lime, peppers). I added in the first three, gave it a stir, and dipped in. The soup was very pleasantly savory, and had a nice balance of flavors and textures. My only major criticism was that I felt that the amount of chicken included was a bit on the light side--but then again, as a first-time pho eater, I don't have a good feel for what's typical in terms of the amount of meat included. Nevertheless, I ate the whole bowl with gusto, savoring my first pho experience. While I agree with other reviewers that the interior decor is a bit sparse and bland, this wasn't a make-or-break issue for me. Service was fine, if unremarkable--exactly what I'd expect in this type of establishment. Overall, I was pleased with my meal here, and I wouldn't hesitate to return for another bowl of delicious pho.

    (4)

  • Brittany S.

    I was hoping this place would lean more towards the four stars side than three but the awkward and spotty service along with the dry atmosphere left it feeling on the lower side. The chicken pho was delicious. The fresh veggie spring rolls could have used a different type of lettuce. The iceberg left them feeling watered down. I was happy to see that this is one of two pho joints within a few blocks in the Strip District. A bowl of fun will run you $9. They also have vermicelli noodle bowls, beef pho options and vegetarian pho. A quick spruce up to the interior of this restaurant would make a world of difference.

    (3)

  • Olivier D.

    I am a Phó fan, like the taste and freshness of the dish. As always I ordered a Phó Ga, the place looks nice. Time was taken to decorate and create a good atmosphere. Based on my other Phó experienced across the country this one certainly scored a 3 stars. Everything is as it should be. Although it is the first time I needed to add some salt to the broth. But that cN be a personal preference. As you can see I'm only giving it 1 star (first one ever), might be confusing based on my review above. Well, let me explain why this place lost 2 stars in the world of yelp. As I finished my Phó I noticed a beetle crawling on the plate beneath my bowl. Looked like a voluptuous pantry pest. I'm not an expert but that's the best way to describe it. I pointed it out to the waiter with the comment:" you might want to point this out to your boss in the kitchen, it's not the most appetizing scenario" he giggled and walk away. My intention was to point out to the owner the possibility of a bug infestation. Wasn't looking for a reimbursement, more of a acknowledgement from the owner. To my surprise neither the owner or the waiter made ANY type of comment. The waiter made my bill total known from behind the counter and wished me a good day. So be aware of a possible bug infestation at this place. Might want to keep an eye out for floating black grains in your Phó. These pantry pest normally feed on dry food like pasta, rice, ...

    (1)

  • Casey N.

    I really wish the inside matched the outside here. It looks like a very sleek little place to eat Pho on the outside but it's not matched on the inside as others have stated. There is minimal decor inside and it doesn't really feel inviting. It's just very boring inside and although it doesn't effect the food, it hurts the experience. It was also super cold inside, and being that it was a cold day I would have thought it would be warmer. All I wanted was a warm place and soup! Only got half of that deal. The food is very good and comes out very quick. We had less than an hour to eat and we were in and out of there in 30 minutes! We had crispy rolls for an appetizer which were good but small. Probably about 1/3 of a "normal" eggroll size. I had the chicken rice bowl which is rice noodles, grilled chicken, veggies, and a sauce that you pour onto it before you mix it up. The chicken wasn't the best but everything else in the bowl was very good. My boyfriend had the chicken pho and he really enjoyed it. The pho come with veggies on the side so you can really customize it to your liking. Add a little sriracha and your good to eat! Overall this place is good, not my favorite, but if I am ever in need of pho in the strip I most likely will stop here!

    (3)

  • Jen H.

    An under-rated place that serves excellent Vietnamese food with reasonable prices. Been coming here for at least 3 years and getting consistently good, fast meals. The pho is excellent and the fresh shrimp rolls are the BEST summer rolls in the city. Haven't had any of the rice dishes but they look good too. Ambiance is simple and the service is no frills, but these have never been issues as far as I'm concerned. Go there for the food!!

    (5)

  • Jason F.

    I stopped by here a couple of Tuesday's ago with my father for lunch. On a previous visit to the Strip District we noticed a sign outside promoting the fact that they now sell bahn mi sandwiches here and that was enough to entice us in. Sadly I did not see a single one of the items that they had promoted outside on the menu itself. Whenever we arrived the restaurant was empty except for a single other table. The restaurant itself is decorated rather sparsely with a couple of pictures on one wall and some bamboo sticks on the wall opposite of it. For my lunch entree I decided to order the chicken vermicelli while my dad ordered one of the pho's. My meal ended up coming with an egg roll which I enjoyed. I really enjoyed the taste or everything in my lunch and the freshness of it made me feel like I was eating healthier than I probably was. My dad also enjoyed his pho and told me that he liked it more than the noodle soups he has had at some of the better known places. The bottom line for me is that I would stop by here again in the future. Although there wasn't too much to Pho Van, the food was tasty and we were in and out quickly which is sometimes what you want from a lunch.

    (4)

  • Jennifer G.

    After living with three Pho restaurants within a 15 minute drive back in Buffalo, I didn't think it would be so hard to find good Pho in Pittsburgh! Pho Van was recommended to me and I was glad to have discovered it. The menu is basic but that is expected because of the type of place it is. The decor is extremely basic and the atmosphere very casual. I've found service to be sort of hit or miss. They can be extremely helpful at times and other times you have to hunt a server down for a water refill. I really enjoyed their fresh spring rolls. They were huge, the ingredients were fresh and they were full of flavor. I love peanut sauce and was glad they didn't charge extra or give me any grief for asking for extra to use with the spring rolls. My husband and I both ordered pho thai. The bowls were large and chock full of broth and noodles. The broth had a good flavor (although I did still add siracha and hoision) But the amount of meat was almost non existent. There was an upcharge of $2 for double meat and now I see why they have that as an option. Check for discounts before you come. They have a buy one get one in the Entertainment Book. Overall, a great pho experience. I will be back.

    (4)

  • Danielle V.

    I'm not a huge fan of Pho, but I really like the rice vermicelli noodle bowl. I have always been satisfied with whatever meat (e.g., chicken, shrimp, beef, pork) I get to go with it, although I am partial to the chicken. The noodle bowls have tasted consistently fresh with well balanced flavors. Like most other raters, I will agree that aside from the consistently decent Vietnamese food, this place doesn't bring much to the table. The decor is basically non-existent and it's often empty. It has the ambiance of eating in a cafeteria after a lunch rush. I don't mind that it's sparse, but I might stay and linger a little more if it was more inviting.

    (4)

  • Tony D.

    I'm not sure why, but it seems that when it comes to pho and Vietnamese cuisine, opinions can be very mixed. I had avoided this place for a while due to more glowing reviews of places like Tram's Kitchen, but after having made my first visit here, I have to conclude that Pho Van has the best pho in Pittsburgh (so far). This is after having tried Tram's, Pho Minh, and Tan Lac Vien; I have not tried Vietnam's Pho a few blocks down. Tan Lac Vien has a few good higher-end items, but I don't think pho is their strong point. The other two feel more authentic and homey, but for whatever reason their pho don't match up to what we had at Pho Van. Prices are comparable, but I think the portions here are bigger. The soup base was quite rich and the noodles were appropriately soft; the combination came with lots of different servings of beef, from rare beef to meatballs to tripe. In all of these aspects I think Pho Van came out on top--it feels a lot closer to the famed Pho 75 in the DC area than do Tram's or Pho Minh. It may be that there's a consistency problem and we just got lucky, or they just improved a lot recently. I hope it's the latter. In addition, we also got a combination vermicelli, which was delicious. Generous servings of pork and beef, and I love that it automatically comes with a spring roll. so there is no need to order a separate appetizer if you're craving that.

    (5)

  • Ju L.

    I've had my share of bad pho, but the pho I had tonight at Pho Van was not one of them. The broth tasted better than a lot of other Vietnamese restaurants I've been to. The spring rolls were super. My husband ordered the chicken and vermicelli and thought it was delicious as well. For a nice and simple meal to satisfy my Vietnamese food craving, I thought Pho Van did pretty well :) Prices were fair and they accept credit card!!!

    (4)

  • Lyon K.

    I recently discovered this gem and man am I glad I did. The menu was very vegan friendly and the waitress was so sweet and helpful. She even went the extra mile to tell me about the gluten items as well. The fresh tofu rolls were perfect and the peanut sauce was so delicious I wanted to take a spoon to it. I cannot wait to go back for soup.

    (5)

  • Shawn D.

    The best Pho soup I have tasted in Pittsburgh the soup is very savory, the meat was extremely tender, and the fresh herbs and bean sprouts where bright and fresh. The feeling is very laid back but at the same time elegant just strikes a perfect note. The drop ceiling was dated and dirty though. I would like to see it opened up more. But that is not a reason to stay away. I would highly recommend it to anyone.

    (5)

  • David B.

    I had amazing service at Pho Van, really speedy, thoughtful and attentive service. The Pho was also very good. I especially like they were generous with the lime during a time when the price of limes has more than doubled. I like that the Pho is served traditional style with the fresh herbs, bean sprouts, lime and chiles on the side. The decor is not much, but the place is very clean and orderly.

    (3)

  • Scott S.

    Pho Van rocks! Not sure what's up with other reviews, but I've been there several times and it's my favorite Pho in the city (thought I've not tried them all, yet). I guess it's a "your mileage may vary" kind of thing. Went for a quick lunch and got the standard Pho with rare eye round beef on the recommendation of the waitress. It comes out in usual fashion, with a steaming broth, and the basil leaves, sprouts, lime and jalapeños on a side dish. "Just let me know if you want more veggies" said the waitress. We're off to a good start. The Pho had thin slices rare beef on top of the noodles, as advertised, and it slowly cooked to a very tender doneness from the heat of the broth. And the broth.... That's what it's all about with Pho, and this is just right in my opinion. Really flavorful, without being over-seasoned, a hint of anise and when you add the jalapeño slices, the flavors just come together perfectly. This is a place I need to bring my veggie spouse, I thought and I asked to see the menu again. No veggie Pho on the menu. I asked. "oh yes, we have a great veggie Pho" she said, " just ask for it. I snuck away for another lunch, with the same happy result. Next would be a trip to try the veggie Pho. So, now my wife has what is possibly her favorite Pho. Not just in Pittsburgh either (we lived in Boston for years, so take that for what it's worth). Really, the veggie Pho is very, very good. The broth is not trying to emulate a beef or pork-based broth, but rather stands on its own as one of the best veggie broths either of us can remember. Let me take that back. One of the best broths we've had, veggie, or otherwise. And with the addition of the basil, sprouts, jalapeños and lime, just another level from what you'd expect. Everyone who likes Pho, will have their favorite. This is ours, and by a big margin. Caveats, haven't been there for dinner, haven't been there when it's super busy, haven't ordered anything but he Pho. Still, sticking with my 5-star.

    (5)

  • Laura H.

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

    (3)

  • Jodi C.

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

    (3)

  • Chris G.

    Maybe eat in is better than carry out. My carry out of beef vermicelli noodles was disappointing. Maybe it would have been better if I ate there vs carry out. Reasonable prices though.

    (2)

  • Sadie H.

    Oh My! I love this place! Every time I visit Pittsburgh now this place is on my list! My menu favorites; Papaya salad Chicken salad ANY and all the pho soup bowls! They are huge too! Enough for 2 people to split one bowl. Atmosphere is clean, classic and decorated nicely.

    (5)

  • Brian S.

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

    (4)

  • Liz K.

    Pretty good pho and rolls! I'm a Tram's girl, but I do like Pho Van as a sharp runner up. I'll definitely give them another shot soon!

    (4)

  • Mida K.

    The pho and vermicelli dishes were really delicious. Definitely will go back to try the rest of the menu. This was one of the best pho I've had

    (4)

  • Derek L.

    I was looking for a quick fix of pho on a cold day on the strip in Pittsburgh and saw Pho Van. Broth was kind of light, not bland, yet neither packed with flavor. Having had murky yet flavorful pho being the standard in Seattle, this place was the definition of okay. The beef was notably tender, soup came warm, and the portion was small for Pho Dac Biet $9.50. Quick service, decently clean restaurant.

    (3)

  • Deborah G.

    The only reason why I'm giving this restaurant three stars instead of 4 is the service. It was slow and inattentive. We waiting 20 minutes to receive our fresh rolls on a day when there were maybe 3 occupied tables. The vegetarian summer rolls were tasty but I wish they were rolled tighter. We had to flag the server down to get more water and, after we had finished our summer rolls, we waited another 15 minutes to get our entrees. The combination grilled noodle bowls were quite tasty - particularly the beef. My daughter's boyfriend loved the tofu pho and my daughter seemed to enjoy her tofu noodle bowl. But, the service was soooo bad. After we finished our meals, we sat and waited in vain for 10 minutes for someone to even ask us if we needed anything else. The staff, in the meantime, were sitting down and having a meal at one of the tables or playing on their IPhones while we waited. Finally, my husband got up from the table and went to the server area and asked for our check. The only thing that saved this place for me was how good the food was. I'm on the fence if I'll go back.

    (3)

  • Rob Y.

    Finally! Found a decent pho place in Pgh. After "Tram's Kitchen" and "Vietnam's Pho," I thought my search for good pho would be as dismal as my search for good Korean food in Pgh. Food (8.5/10) = certainly not the best pho, but it's good enough to satisfy future cravings. Ordered the following dishes: Appetizers = 1) Shrimp spring rolls ($4) = bottom line, fresh ingredients. That's all you need to make these things taste great. F-R-E-S-H ingredients. You get two of these rolls, and they are relatively big. Love it. It will be my ritual to order these bad boys each time I visit Pho Van. 2) Beef stew with toasted French baguette ($7) = Wow. Last time I had this dish was when I still lived in Atlanta, frequently visiting the Vietnamese saturated Buford Hwy. This dish was spicy. It was flavorful. It contained chunky blocks of beef and carrots, topped with chopped cilantro just before serving. Accompanying this soup is toasty French bread, the same kind they use to make banh mi. To be a pro at eating this dish, use the bread to make sure you get every last drop of soup, absorbing all of the rich flavors. This is the perfect dish to eat during cold weather. Main Event = 1) Pho w. 3 choices of beef ($8.95) = I chose rare eye round, well done flank, and beef meatballs; other options include beef tendon, beef tripe, and well-done brisket. So what makes pho great? Pho is great when all of the components make love to each other in your bowl of course. However, for this love making to occur, there must be a strong foundation, and that is the broth. Without it, there will be no harmony. There will be no greatness. There will be...NO pho. At Pho Van, the broth is good, and as such "chika chika yea yea" will happen in your bowl. Ambiance (8.0/10) = spacious, clean. Cool bamboo decor on the wall. Service (7.5/10) = pretty standard pho service. Attentive service, and food came out quickly. Overall opinion = This place is certainly not serving outstanding pho, as can be found in Houston, Atlanta, Philly, etc. However, it's certainly good enough for me. I've already visited Tram's Kitchen and Vietnam's Pho, because they had more/better reviews on Yelp. Unfortunately, I experienced so-so meh Pho at these two places. So at least for now, Pho Van is the best place to get Pho in PGH. "Chicka chicka yea yea" - Fogell, from Superbad

    (4)

  • A. K.

    I spent a few years in California where many good Vietnamese restaurants. After I moved to Pittsburgh, I have tried to find a good Vietnamese restaurant for Pho, beef noodle soup. I went to three other restaurants. Pho Minh, Vietnam's Pho, Tram's kitchen. But they met my dissatisfaction. Taste of Pho was not very bad, but their services were bad. Finally, I found my best place for Pho in Pittsburgh. I was so satisfied with the taste of Pho soup and service in Pho Van. Also I liked the price of Pho. Other three restaurants I went to, I paid around $10. But I paid $7.50 I didn't try other dishes but Pho. If you like Pho, just give it a try.

    (5)

  • Christina P.

    My boyfriend and I checked out Pho Van back in November during one of our monthly Strip District Saturday trips. The place was bright in the inside, and smelled yummy. We got served right away, and the pho was delicious! Needless to say, I was a fan and plan on going back soon.

    (4)

  • JM V.

    "Meh. I've experienced better." I can't really say that I've experienced better and I'm not comparing this place to other Vietnamese or Pho restaurants, but after my latest visit there, that is how I feel about this place - "meh". The inside was rather small and cramped, but still left enough space to move around and not be seated directly on top of somebody else. The place was clean and decor was enjoyable. No complaints about the atmosphere at all. When we walked in, all of the tables were full, so I expected us to be stuck waiting awhile to be seated and served. Despite this, we were seated, greeted by our waiter, and served our food very quickly. Our waited was friendly enough, but of the three or four people working there however, he was the only one to greet or even smile at us. The menu was very typical and had everything that you would expect. We settled for the crispy rolls (2 for $4) which were on the small side, but good enough for the two of us to split as a pre-meal snack and not ruin our appetite. They were tasty, but the sweet chili garlic sauce that accompanied them was terrible. I did not taste any chili or garlic in the sauce, just an odd sour taste that was enough to ruin the bite of the crispy roll. I've never tasted anything quite like it. We ordered the pho with brisket ($8.95) and a combo rice vermicelli bowl with chicken and pork ($10.95). The vermicelli bowl was pretty good. A nice mix of noodles, cucumbers, lettuce, pickled carrots, and meat. It was nothing over-the-top delicious, but was worth it for the price. I didn't enjoy the pho much. The noodles were good, but had nothing good to accompany them. The broth was light and bland, the thin slices of beef tasted like it came from a microwaveable freezer meal, and the bean sprouts had to be picked through because many of them had started to get brown and mushy on top. Overall, everything was pretty hit or miss. Nothing really stood out as being spectacular or makes me want to go back for another visit. There are a handful of other places in the Strip District that I'd rather eat at, so I don't think I'll be going back any time soon.

    (2)

  • Adis M.

    Okay, before I add my review of the food... I want to comment on some of the reviews... the person who was upset her "to go Pho" was in separate containers is out of her mind! I have not had to go Pho anywhere which didn't separate the broth with the noodles... HELLO! Additionally, the guy from LA who says this place is awful and not on par with LA Pho restaurants.... Umm I agree! but you need to understand LA and Pittsburgh are worlds away in terms of having the cultural diversity... Pho Van comes close.. I wouldn't compare them to LA Pho Places. My review of the food. I always have Pho Ga, (chicken). The broth was good and the ingredients were really fresh. Did it taste as good as Pho in Los Angeles? No. Was it better then other places? Yes. Florida in my opinion has some of the worst pho i have ever had! plenty of chicken, so they didnt skimp. additionally the fresh shrimp rolls were great. fyi.. if you want AMAZING pho and in LA... check out Glendale Pho Co. in Glendale, CA

    (4)

  • Alistair C.

    Had a real nice vegetarian pho. Space is sparse, but its location in the Strip more than makes up for that. Lots to watch. There were plenty of other vegetarian options and I look forward to trying them all!

    (4)

  • Kate M.

    This place is amazing, especially for vegetarians. I have been coming here for takeout for the past year, but went with my family for a sit down lunch yesterday afternoon. First of all, there is no corkage fee which a huge plus in my book. We started out by ordering the fresh rolls - absolutely amazing. They are HUGE, and 2 orders was more than enough to feed a family of 5. For our main dish, my sister, father, and I all had the vegetarian pho (my go-to), and it was incredible as always. The tofu, vegetables, and broth were cooked and seasoned perfectly, and they gave us a very large plate of toppings for the 3 of us to share. I'm always amazed at how much food the pho is. You wouldn't think a bowl of soup would be so filling! My brother ordered the chicken fried rice, which I can't attest to, but I think he was pretty underwhelmed. I think the vegetarian dishes are really where Pho Van shines. My mom had the most interesting dish of the group. Per a friends recommendation, she ordered the fried tofu with rice vermicelli. It was a cold dish - kind of like a noodle salad, and the tofu was sliced into very thin strips and fried...almost like a tortilla strip. The tofu in her dish was absolutely amazing. The sauce and noodles were extremely good and it all went together perfectly. I will definitely be trying this dish next time I go. The decor of the restaurant is very minimalist and clean. Not much to look at, but a comfortable setting nonetheless. The service was great, as with every other time I've picked up food from there. All in all a great restaurant that I would highly recommend to anyone craving pho/Vietnamese food in Pittsburgh!

    (5)

  • Ashley K.

    Go to trams. It is much better. The teriyaki chicken tastes better in a mall and the pho is okay although questionable ingredients. Fresh spring rolls only had shrimp lettuce leaf and rice noodles. Nothing else.

    (2)

  • T. V.

    Service was good. Food landed me in the hospital with a nasty case of food poisoning (vomiting, fever, aches, chills). That's ironic because I had checked the health inspection reports for this place beforehand. Hopefully it won't happen to you. It sure won't happen to me because I'm not ever going back.

    (1)

  • Kristen H.

    Here's the thing: I'm not entirely sure I didn't like this restaurant. I think the problem might be that I don't like pho. Id' never had pho before. It's apparently like fancy ramen noodles? I ordered the vegetarian curry and what came out was curry flavored soup with noodles. It was just ok, but not good. Fortunately it was not expensive at all. The fresh and crispy spring rolls were fantastic, and the service was great. I dont have anything bad to say about this place, but it was not outstanding.

    (2)

  • Steve P.

    Real pho in the strip with friendly service at great prices. Hard to beat in the Pittsburgh area.

    (4)

  • Phyllis K.

    Pho is very mediocre but some crazy taste banh mi! Less that $5 for a large sandwich with ample veggies and delicioso grilled pork! It's the only place I've found it in Pittsburgh but yum yum yum

    (3)

  • Alyssa A.

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

    (4)

  • Vy N.

    Alright...so out of the few Vietnamese restaurants here in PGH, this is the only one I will go to satisfy my pho cravings. Let's be honest here, there aren't many great Vietnamese restaurants around. I always go for the pho dac biet at Pho Van and that's basically all you should get here. Their pho includes all of the main meat components with the right veggies. If you order their other soups, you might not get the right ingredients and veggies that supposedly go with them. Their service has always been slow...even when we're the only ones in the restaurant...but I can look past that since their staff seem to be nice and pleasant.

    (3)

  • Anthony W.

    Really good food. I have walked past this place for over a year and decided to stop in. Everything was very good. I had chicken teriyaki skewers and a rice bowl with beef and chicken. I would highly recommend this as a place to go when in the strip!

    (4)

  • Sarah M.

    I would love to say something nice about the food here but I've been waiting for my noodles for over an hour now. The expectations are so high now and can't possibly be fulfilled. Don't come here if you are already hungry. You'll pass out waiting. Will post again if I ever get to eat.

    (1)

  • Donald L.

    I ate here twice in a period of one week this summer. Both times I ordered pho with three choices of beef. The pho was excellent and there were plenty of condiments, basil, jalapeno pepper, mung bean sprouts and lime.

    (5)

  • Lance D.

    We are big fans of Pho, so we were happy to see another choice added to the city. When comparing other Pho spots in town, the service was the best we've had among them and the prices were slightly cheaper.

    (3)

  • Jonah P.

    Solid choice. Food was good for the price. Embiance is minimal.

    (3)

  • Amy R.

    We moved to the Northside, so the Strip is on my way home. The hubby suggested picking up some food from the strip on my way home. I came across Pho Van first, and so I went took a gander. They have their menu outside, which is good, because the hubby is picky, and I needed to be sure there was something there for him before I committed to actually walking in the door. So I found something, went in, ordered my meal, ordered some spring rolls, then was told they don't make said dish that hubby was supposed to be getting. (Fried noodles). !!!!! Well, I felt bad bailing at that point, but seriously, there was nothing left on the menu that hubby would want to eat. So I went with beef and rice. It's simple, at least. Review of the food: My pho soup was pretty good. It was prepared 'to go' somewhat weird - it was separated into broth and everything else. I mean, I understand the noodles makes the broth weird if kept together too long, but I'm not getting this 'to go' to eat tomorrow. As for my husbands food, it was AWFUL. The meat was shriveled up overcooked in too much ginger and salt. It wasn't just not good, it was nauseating. I wanted to spit it out. We won't be going back. Lulu's has good pho, and that's where I'll get it from now on.

    (2)

  • Romina Q.

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

    (4)

  • Shon T.

    Not bad pho. Had pretty good flavor for the broth but they really skimmed out on the meat. I had the brisket. The meat was cooked, thin and yummy though. I liked the environment, small and cozy and everything looked new and clean. The prices were reasonable as well, about 20 bucks for 2 people!

    (3)

  • Keith M.

    While the food here is good, and the service very friendly, the menu seems somewhat limited and isn't as exciting as I've seen in other places. The food is good, clean, and reliable. While it was during the week, the place was absolutely empty around 1pm. Why aren't here more people here?

    (4)

  • Collin S.

    Pho Van serves the best Vietnamese food in Pittsburgh! My fried tofu with vermicelli noodles dish was perfect. The vegetables were fresh and spring roll delicious. Great meal!

    (4)

  • J D.

    There are two Vietnamese restaurants on opposite sides of the Strip District and I definitely think that Pho Van wins out. We have been here about half a dozen times in the past few months and will continue to go back. Nothing fancy about it, but the food is good, the service is quick and the prices are reasonable. I ordered the curry chicken which had good spice and the chicken was cooked well - not gummy. The vegetable summer rolls and the shrimp summer rolls are great and don't fall apart when you eat them! The portions are manageable but if you order a few appetizers, you may have some left overs. The other day I asked for my soup to go and didn't realize how much was leftover, but I ended up walking out with a quart filled with pho.

    (4)

  • Darren W.

    Pho is a curious thing. I haven't had it too, too many times, and I only had it for the first time fairly recently. Wherever I have had it, well, it's all tasted the same to me...but all of that pho was agreeable to my flavor receptors. After work the other night, as I marched down Penn Avenue towards Altar Bar to catch Egyptodeath metal masters Nile in concert, I felt my innards grumble. I recalled that there is a Vietnamese restaurant on Penn Avenue in the Strip District that I had yet to try, and before I realized it, there I was in front of it, Pho Van. When I arrived, I was lightly damp with sweat and militantly garbed in a black Machine Head tour shirt and brown work pants. I peeked my head into the modern, elegantly simple dining room, subconsciously, self-consciously wondering if I was "acceptable," but when I cautiously made my way inside, a crew of young men jumped up, scurried about, and seated me immediately. Despite feeling warm from the muggy walk, I did in fact order the Pho Chin. I heard the sole other diner--a fellow who arrived after I did--mention to the server that "it's too hot out for soup," but that did not affect my enjoyment. This was the living, steaming epitome of comfort food, chicken soup's Vietnamese counterpart if you will. The broth was cloudless and subtly flavorful. The shaved flaps of "well-done brisket" swam amongst scallions, bean sprouts, and other veggies, all of them imbibed with the essence of the broth and tangled in the satiny spiderweb of squishy noodles. If I did have a complaint, it would be that the meat was arguably overcooked. Not that it was inedible, but I think I would have liked to have seen and tasted a touch of pink amidst the grey. Overall, this light dinner satisfied my hunger and was exactly the kind of thing I was looking for prior to attending the frenzied musicale down the road. As I dined, a fellow metallion--short and stocky in stature, long, blonde hair, clad in a sleeveless Slayer shirt and cut-off fatigues, resembling a band member as much as he did a mere fan--warily looked in. He spotted me, nodded to me, intuitively knowing that I was musically kindred, and asked "Hey man, is the food good here?" "Yeah, man, it's a-ight." "They got crab rangoon?" "Nah, I don't think they do." "Aw man," he said, dismissively waving his hand, "I'm gettin' some Primanti's then. Yer goin' to Nile, right?" "Yeah, I'll be there. I'm headin' down after I eat," I responded, chuckling. "A-ight dude, later." And with a throw of the horns, my unnamed acquaintance jogged off into the sweltry night as I tilted the soup bowl towards my mouth to finish off the remaining broth. After paying my tab and speaking with the server about pho and Yelp for a few minutes, it was off to Altar Bar for an evening of barks, bellows, blastbeats, bruising guitars, and bludgeoning bodies.

    (4)

  • Anneke S.

    Decent Beef broth in the Pho plenty of yummy sprouts on the side, limes and Thai Basil plus fresh cilantro in the Pho. Yes thats thai basil and cilantro in your Pho not Mint. Its the layering of flavors that I love with vietnamese and thai dishes. The spice level is maybe medium but I add a little hot sauce to make mine warmer. If you like the beef in your Pho pink order the rib eye instead of flank beef and ask for it that way they should be able to accomodate. The beef broth has a simple base here but I like to make my own Pho by adding lime sprouts etc so this works for me. If you like a lot of kick without playing with your food you may not enjoy it as much! Ive never had slow or bad service here in the couple of times I went and I always get enough PHO for two meals at 7$ for PHO thats a great deal. Spring rolls are ok fresh I did not try the fried ones. They are different from fresh thai spring rolls so dont be expecting that. I think the decor is fine I mean its a PHO joint not the Westin. Have you looked around the rest of pittsburgh lately, shit is old and ugly. And there is still beauty in all of that if you want to see it........

    (4)

  • Icy I.

    Despite it is a tiny restaurant with only one waiter, the taste of the pho is great. Service is not good though.

    (4)

  • Vicky C.

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

    (4)

  • Rebecca G.

    Their vegetarian selection is the best I have seen. They also have curry pho that is different and delish. One of the better pho places I have tried.

    (5)

  • Anya G.

    After eating at many legendary Vietnamese restaurants in Albuquerque, I came back to Pittsburgh and this was my first trip for some Vietnamese food. Pho Van didn't disappoint! My friend had their Pho, and I went with the crispy tofu vermicelli dish. It was brimming full of amazing veggies, crispy tofu, beautifully sweet/sour sauce and even a salad on the side. I also liked their generous spring rolls and delicious peanut sauce! My only disappointment was that they didn't have any sandwiches, even though their yelp photos seem to suggest they have them. So if you are looking for Banh mi, you won't find them here. Otherwise, dig in with chopsticks into these great dishes!

    (4)

  • Kyra S.

    My in-law's family was visiting Pittsburgh to watch a Carnegie Mellon graduation. There were some seriously finicky eaters there, and some people who had never tried Vietnamese cuisine. I had low expectations because the place did not appear "fancy" on the inside, and I'd never been here before. But, this is the best Vietnamese food I've had! Everything was so fresh and tasty, I ordered the shrimp with noodles, and it was better than I've ever had. My brother ordered a pho with many meats in it, and raved about it. Everyone agreed the iced coffee was especially tasty. We were too stuffed to order dessert, but we'll definitely go back! Yum!~

    (5)

  • Ran L.

    After several more visits here, I am still impressed with their beef Pho and the small sampling of other dishes I've tried. It is still the best Pho I've found anywhere in Pittsburgh. Slightly better than Vietnam's Pho, and leaps and bounds beyond the quality of Tram's. Their fresh shrimp rolls are HUGE -- a great deal for $4 and more than enough to split between two people as an appetizer. Their beef pho broth is super tasty, relying on the umami of the meat to flavor it as opposed to being too salty as so many pho broths tend to be. The portion is generous and reasonably priced, and it comes with sides of very fresh Thai basil, lime wedges, jalapeno slices, and plenty of sprouts. I dump tons of basil and jalapeno and sprouts in mine, plus a generous dash of sriracha. Yum -- just the way Pho should be! Coming from a hometown outside DC with a huge vietnamese population and growing up on the best Pho of the "Little Vietnam" area (there's so many that the local paper once did a March Madness bracket-style Pho match-off between the 20+ restaurants), I'm actually pleasantly surprised with the quality of this Pho for Pittsburgh, where there's only a handful of places that even offer it. My favorite order is the "beef combination" Pho, with flank, brisket, and eye round. So delicious. I'm not sure if they are still advertising having Bahn Mi or not, but they don't have it here! If you're coming to the strip for that, you'll have to come back in the spring when Lucy (of outside-Bar-Marco fame) is back from Vietnam!

    (5)

  • Ang S.

    After experiencing one of the most delicious and appetizing meal at Pho Kim (route 88) - I was eager to try another Vietnamese Restaurant. However, I was neither satisfied nor unsatisfied with Pho Van. It was somewhat Okay (in a good way) meal. I ordered the combo fried rice and my girlfriend ordered the chicken Pho. The spring (shrimp) rolls and the crispy egg rolls were really good. The service was pretty good for one server to be waiting the entire restaurant. And we were in a group of about 14 people. The price is very reasonable.

    (3)

  • Rachel C.

    I have to go with Teresa T on the whole experience as well. The place reminds me of a cafeteria, (which works if you have awesome food like Salem's farther down the strip) it doesn't work for this place. Just boring and blah. This was actually my first venture into Pho, so not realizing what good Pho is supposed to taste like, I thought it was OK but nothing special. Well...when I ended up at Vietnam's Pho weeks later this Pho didn't even hold a candle to their Pho! First off, the broth is nothing I'm going to suck down to the last drop (like I do at Vietnam's) and there wasn't as many ingredients in their seafood Pho like their is at Vietnam's. I also eat my weight in sprouts and not offering any is a travesty here! The absolute only thing I did enjoy were the egg rolls. They were adequately crispy and the slaw and shrimp inside was a nice mix. But good egg rolls alone doesn't get you to a 5 star status! What does is a tasty meal, and this one just fell flat!

    (2)

  • Meredith B.

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

    (4)

  • Kaitlin P.

    Thier vegetarian pho is fantastic

    (4)

  • Yubin K.

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

    (5)

  • Paulina W.

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

    (4)

  • David E.

    Pittsburghers if you haven't tried Pho before then please understand that Pho is usually much better than this. I've lived in Los Angeles for 15 years now and have come to love Pho. This place would not last one week in Los Angeles. It is hard to believe that they are charging more for Pho than restaurants in Beverly Hills. The noodles were over cooked and turned into mush. There was barely any meat in either of our dishes. I live in LA and I know many restaurants that charge a high price for small portions but the food had better be damn good or else people would never come back. Tap water has more taste than the broth in the Pho at Pho Van. I ate about half of my Pho, my wife ate less of hers and we left. I hate paying for overpriced food and leaving hungry. If it was really good food then I might be willing to give them a pass but this is a horrible representation of what Pho is supposed to be.

    (1)

  • Jarrett Y.

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

    (4)

  • RONALD W.

    I haven't been to a lot of pho places in Pittsburgh, but this one is kind of the anti-pho place to the ones I frequent in Seattle and Austin. First, most pho places are lightning fast in service. Pho Van took quite a while to deliver the dishes after ordering. It may have only been 5 or 10 minutes, but it felt longer given that there were not that many other diners. On the other hand, most pho places prepare their spring rolls in advance leading often to an over chilled or worse dry wrapper. Pho Van's spring rolls seemed unusually fresh and tasty. As for the pho, I ordered the combo pho (all beef meats and tripe) and the broth was very rich and flavorable. Maybe a little too much for my tastes and I may have over shot adding Siracha on my own. The meats were too well done for me as they were lean enough that they ironically came across as a bit tough/dry. My experience was totally different from that of Ryu, very good balance of sprouts and noodles.

    (3)

  • Sarah R.

    Woo, this place finally got a little makeover. New paint, got rid of the tiki-lounge look, and the menu has been updated. A lot more options for entrees and appetizers, but the prices have gone up here and there. This place is still my favorite spot for my pho fix. It's a bit sweeter than Vietnam's Pho down the street... but the portions here are smaller too... and still costs more... -__-

    (4)

  • Zhenxu C.

    terrible service，long time waiting, very few noodle，and hard parking. There is no reason go there again!

    (1)

  • Joe S.

    Pho Van has been my go to for pho over the past year. Always solid. The spring rolls are fresh and i usually go pho tai or just veggie. You won't be disappointed :)

    (4)

  • Lisa G.

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

    (4)

  • Kat M.

    Groupon used today on take outI The nice counter girl told me after I had ordered that the groupon was for eat in only but they gave me the exception since I had already ordered. COOL! I really wanted to say "had better" but I still need to give them a chance. It's probably my fault for ordering weird. I got the traditional Pho with beef, shrimp spring rolls, and grilled prawn with noodles. A+ on presentation! Everything is very fresh...bright green colors on the lime, basil, and other herbs. Take note that when getting take out the beef is thinly sliced, raw and is to be cooked in the steaming broth. Chewy beef did not sit well and made me turn my nose at it. Left the beef but ate all the noodles and toppings. I was in traffic forever and for future notice I probably wouldn't get this beef as take out. I didn't see a "minus the meat" option? The menu didn't seem to offer a straight veggie selection. Hmmm I'm not a vegetarian but I like my Pho stocked full of healthy produce. The Shrimp rolls were amazing and the peanut sauce had chunks of nuts that crunched while I chomped on the ripe sweet rice wrap. The prawns are for lunch tomorrow so I'll follow up then with that dish, I will just need to explore further with other dishes but probably won't do the Pho here again.

    (3)

  • Nick C.

    Ok.....there is a decent chance that the cooks at Pho Van are squatters. At the very least, they aren't too concerned with the "High School Cafeteria Chic meets Tiki bar meets Semi-Demolished Room" look. That's probably because the food is pretty damn good. I've tangled with Pho before, with Tram's being the big dog on the block. But Pho Van manages give Trams a run for its money. If you've read other reviews, you already know the fresh Spring Rolls are amazing. If not, read those and come back....I'll wait.... That's right....awesome Spring Rolls. And the peanut sauce is good enough to make you want to lick the bowl. Portion sizes are big at Pho Van, like so big that they are less trying to satiate your hunger, and more trying to punish you for daring to bring your pathetic appetite into their house o' noodles. But with nothing on the menu over $9 dollars, you're getting your money's worth times five. Broth is the key to Pho and Pho Van has some of the best. My lovely partner is a soup hater to the degree that you'd think it used shove her into a locker in junior high, but even she gave a begruding thumbs up to the broth. Combine that with dead on perfect noodles, and you've got a meal for a cold, rainy day. But if glorified noodle soup doesn't get you motor running, you can still get a dirt cheap meal that's 4 star worthy. While it comes in a bowl, the Grilled selections are all of the tasty bits of a pho bowl, without the sloppy broth (sloppily delicious). Unlike some other Vietnamese restaurants who make similar entrees, Pho Van keeps the vinegar based sauce on the side, which you'll be thankful for moderation when you get near the bottom of the bowl. With a prime location in the Strip District, Pho Van has alot going for it. Now, if someone would explain why there is a tiki awning on a solid wall, inside of the restaurant, it would help me get over the fly by night feel of a restaurant that I hope is here for the long haul.

    (4)

  • Teresa T.

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

    (3)

  • Dong B.

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

    (4)

  • Ann T.

    my husband and i were visiting in laws during the holidays, tired of eating leftovers we opted for something closer to home. we took my father in law for a 1st time pho experience and all 3 of us ordered pho and it was PHOnomenal!!!!!! bowl was large enough to satisfied our taste buds for a decent price ($8-$10). for our 3 yr old, we ordered grilled shrimp fried rice which i REALLY liked!!!!!! my toddler liked the grilled shrimp on the skewer so i had to finish his fried rice. though toward the last few bites i bit into a small 1/4 inch square shape piece of GLASS!!!!!!!!!!!!! i was mortified. i'd prefered my fried rice w/o the jagged broken piece of !!!!GLASS!!!! in my dish please. the thought of my toddler ingesting that & him getting hurt would've ruined our fun holiday plans, also a possibility of sitting in the ER for hours. because of this 'accidental' experience w/the fried rice, i've decided to give Pho Van 1 star due to the piece of glass in my toddler's dish. sigh.

    (1)

  • Myranda G.

    I was craving pho like no ones business when I came across pho van. The interior was clean and nice. I ordered the spring rolls and pho with rare beef. True I have had better, however, this was what the doctor ordered. The spring rolls were pretty amazing. I think it is the peanut sauce as they add crushed peanuts in the sauce. It makes the texture contrast awesome. The pho was like a warm blanket wrapped around my tummy. In other words, great. I came back a few days later and walked in 5 minutes before they were closing but the waiter was happy to serve me up a to go order. He was very helpful and I rewarded him with a big tip. Customer service like that is rare these days. I highly recommend this place.

    (4)

  • Rick L.

    I wish two stars meant "fair", because this place is not "bad", but it also ain't "good". I will return here, because I have a car that steers itself to the Strip district, and am therefor forced to eat on the Strip at least twice a week. Ate on a Thursday, about 5:00pm. One other couple in the place. First impressions, please spend a couple days, and brighten the place up. Scrub it down thoroughly, maybe splash on some paint. It is not dirty, but it is just slightly above dismal. Needs more light, scrub and wax everything, and that would make the place a whole lot better. I got the fried rice supreme. I like rice. I like fried rice. I like fried rice that is not greasy, has a good balance of flavor, and has to has to has to have bean sprouts. The fried rice supreme came with a skewer of about five medium sized grilled shrimp. Overcooked. I would guess that they were pre-cooked and then warmed up for the meal. Same with the pork and chicken. They all tasted O.K., as in passable, but they also all tasted like they had been cooked before, and were just warmed up and laid down next to the rice before being served. Not bad, but no excuse for this. All dried out. Not happy about that at all. The rice part of the fried rice was also equally disappointing. It had a really promising taste at first bite. Not greasy, nice texture, and a great smoky taste. but, very few added ingredients. No bean sprouts, some finely chopped scallion. But nothing else. A little bit of finely chopped egg. Nothing else. Rice, small amount of scallion, small amount of egg, some smoke seasoning, and the three sides of chicken, pork, and shrimp. HUGELY disappointing. I mean, I took the majority of it home, and am looking at it now. Yep, those were all of the ingredients. The wife got the bun with pork. Pretty standard, rice noodles, The rice noodles were not good. Tasteless, starchy, just not good. Bean sprouts, juliened carrot and sliced cucumber. Chopped Romaine lettuce. and the pork and obligatory fried spring roll. Now, we had ordered a spring roll as an appetizer, and had to send it back, as we thought it was burnt. We sent it back. When the spring roll came back, it was just as burnt. the wife said "this tastes like burnt oil". Duh... I would bet that the oil the things were cooked in was old. Same as the spring roll that came with her bun. Old oil leaves Now THAT irritated me. The fillings in the fried spring roll were good, but there are few things as bad as anything that has been cooked in old oil. The cook is forced to do a balancing act of cooking the thing to the point of doneness, without making the wrapper black to the point where no one would eat it. The ingredients were good, but the execution was off. Oh yeah, one last whiny comment, the fish sauce was the cheapest saltiest fish sauce I have EVER had. I mean, I am not asking for the stuff to be that $50.00 a bottle super delicious fish sauce, but the stuff we got was horrible. Like they had added salt to the fish sauce, which I know just cannot be the case. So, just guessing that they use horrible cheap fish sauce. THIS is the reason folks say they don't like fish sauce. When it is just salty and plain bad. Overall, the meal was like eating at a Chinese or mexican restaurant, where they try to target a Midwest . The only upsaide was the waitress was really nice. I tipped her well. I am hoping that if I go back for lunch, maybe it will be better. If it is, I will update my review, if it isn't, I will say so. Oh, and I am definitely not going to try the Bhan Mi (Vietneamese sandwich) that they advertise here. I would be royally torqued off if I waste cash on a Ban Mhi here, when the Vietnamese lady who sells these sandwiches right down the street at the fire station is so close, and sells such flat out delicious vietnamese sandwiches. She is the best! (not really, but pretty darn good!). Overall, I am going to come back, give it another try. Gonna try the Pho. Hopefully, it will come out, the broth steaming hot, and a plate full of bean sprouts and basil and lime wedges on the side. If I get that, I will edit this review, and give glowing remarks.

    (2)

  • Wissam F.

    The Bahn mi was not as it should be, where is the fire!?

    (3)

  • Sal W.

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

    (3)

  • J L.

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

    (4)

  • Shannon J.

    Pho Van is clean and nice, but to be honest, the Pho places I've really loved have been divey joints where it is unmistakably authentic. I always order Bhun Thit Nuong and Pho Van doesn't even bring it out with the Nuoc Cham--actually, even Tram's doesn't do that. I'm also accustomed to lots of mint, cilantro and bean sprouts and the 2 places I've been in Pittsburgh haven't had that. I think of Vietnamese as having lots of fresh herbs and veg. My bhun thit was noodly and porky. Off to try Vietnam's Pho.

    (3)

  • Tony V.

    I found the pho to have a wierd after taste ad the fresh rolls were just par. Maybe it was because it was closet closing time but i found it to be par at best.

    (3)

  • Steve P.

    I really enjoyed this restaurant three two times I've been there. The first time I went with a friend who is pretty open minded about food, but neither of us had really experienced Vietnamese food. We were both pleasantly surprised. We started with the Vietnamese dumplings, which were definitely an experience unlike any food I've ever had before. I'm usually pretty alright eating most things, but I could not stomach even more than one of the dumplings because of the casing, which was extremely chewy and gelatinous. My friend also could not finish hers, and we left the third one on the plate because neither of us would have been able to stomach it. I ordered the Pho with beef tendons, which I found extremely delicious. Since I had never had pho before, the waitress gladly suggested how to eat it and what I should add. I enjoyed it a lot, and the beef tendons were very good and added a lot of flavor. The bowl seemed pretty big, but I was still hungry afterwards, which is always fine with me in the Strip District. The next two times I have gone to this restaurant I've had the meat bowls, in both chicken and beef, both of which were extremely enjoyable. The noodles are always very good and the meat is always well seasoned.

    (4)

  • Sarah M.

    I would love to say something nice about the food here but I've been waiting for my noodles for over an hour now. The expectations are so high now and can't possibly be fulfilled. Don't come here if you are already hungry. You'll pass out waiting. Will post again if I ever get to eat.

    (1)

  • Donald L.

    I ate here twice in a period of one week this summer. Both times I ordered pho with three choices of beef. The pho was excellent and there were plenty of condiments, basil, jalapeno pepper, mung bean sprouts and lime.

    (5)

  • Lance D.

    We are big fans of Pho, so we were happy to see another choice added to the city. When comparing other Pho spots in town, the service was the best we've had among them and the prices were slightly cheaper.

    (3)

  • Steve P.

    Real pho in the strip with friendly service at great prices. Hard to beat in the Pittsburgh area.

    (4)

  • Jonah P.

    Solid choice. Food was good for the price. Embiance is minimal.

    (3)

  • Phyllis K.

    Pho is very mediocre but some crazy taste banh mi! Less that $5 for a large sandwich with ample veggies and delicioso grilled pork! It's the only place I've found it in Pittsburgh but yum yum yum

    (3)

  • Kyra S.

    My in-law's family was visiting Pittsburgh to watch a Carnegie Mellon graduation. There were some seriously finicky eaters there, and some people who had never tried Vietnamese cuisine. I had low expectations because the place did not appear "fancy" on the inside, and I'd never been here before. But, this is the best Vietnamese food I've had! Everything was so fresh and tasty, I ordered the shrimp with noodles, and it was better than I've ever had. My brother ordered a pho with many meats in it, and raved about it. Everyone agreed the iced coffee was especially tasty. We were too stuffed to order dessert, but we'll definitely go back! Yum!~

    (5)

  • Sal G.

    I have been to the Strip District so many times and have always wanted to stop in. After eating at Penn Avenue Fish Company one afternoon, I found that I was still hungry and decided to stop in for some pho. After looking through the menu and talking to the server, I ordered a modified soup that is not on the menu. Spicy Seafood Soup Pho Van's spicy broth is just so good. They really should put this item on the menu. I tried the regular broth and it is not as flavorful as the spicy base. I do wish that there had been more seafood present to balance out the price of the bowl, but overall it was a good experience.

    (4)

  • Ryan J.

    Fresh fresh fresh are the only words that stand out. Generous portions and I LOVE pho so asked for more basil and jalapeños and boom in heaven. Server checked back 3 times just to be sure we had everything we needed. Amazing amazing amazing a must if you have never had pho before.

    (5)

  • Ashley C.

    First place that I have had Vietnamese food at since moving to Pittsburgh from California. The food was decent, but not as flavorful or bold as what I am use to. I had the bun bo hue, which made me extremely happy simply because I love this dish back home! The broth did not have any spiciness to it, it was missing the fishy taste made by shrimp paste, and more importantly was missing the slab of PORKS BLOOD; so the dish was sort of disappointing overall. My boyfriend had the combination pho, which he said tasted good, but it was his first time having Viet food so I am not quiet sure if it is as good as he thought it was...I also like the fried banana with coconut milk, but when we went this past weekend bananas were out of season so Pho Van did not have any. The avocado smoothie was also pretty decent, I have been wanting to find a place that has some sorts of boba drinks and Pho Van is one of the few places I have been able to find so far in Pittsburgh. I usually like milk tea drinks with boba, but I settled for avocado because that was the first available boba drink. Additionally, the services provided by the servers were really slow. To get the check it took an extra 10-15 minutes after the server took away our bowls. Also, the teapot was never refilled and we did not really feel like waiting even longer so we just stuck with our water even though the tea cost $2. The overall space for Pho Van is very nice and clean, but the energy of the place is sort of dull and quiet. Its very unlike the Asian restaurants I am use to eating at . It needs more of a upbeat and inviting presence or something. A faster and more efficient services provided by servers, and just overall like homey feel or something.

    (3)

  • Todd W.

    Lovely service, delicious food. Shedded apple and chicken salad with mint was amazing!

    (4)

  • Chaya H.

    The service was very slow on the day I went. There were many staff, but most of them looked like they have no clue of what to do. It definitely showed that the restaurant was not prepared to service an all-seated room. I was served water in plastic cups while others used all the glasses they had. We had to wait 20-30 minutes for our food to come to our table. No one came to check on us during that time. Our server came about 2 minutes before the food arrived telling us that our food was coming. The food was ok, too much MSG though. I could feel my mouth and throat really dry when I got home and the day after. I got a pho and my friend got a vermicelli with grilled beef. Both of them were ok, but Pho Minh on Penn Ave is better.

    (3)

  • Key M.

    AMAZING, Tofu was to DIE for and my friend loved his shrimp fried rice (I think that's what he got). service was lovely and it was the only place with fast service that wasn't packed on the strip, can't wait to go back!

    (5)

  • Dan V.

    Best Cheap Eats I've had in Pittsburgh. I've had the pho both times I've been plus some appetizers. Everything was great!

    (4)

  • M Z.

    Fresh, healthy foods at reasonable price.

    (4)

  • Ellie K.

    solid pho, great spring rolls. blah service, though - super slow, even for an asian place (and it's not like it was crowded).

    (3)

  • Derek S.

    Affordable, fresh, consistent, tasty, attentive and friendly staff, privately owned, clean. I keep coming back and ordering the same thing. I will branch out and try more. At first I hesitated in giving 5 stars because I think they could make the place more comfortable? Maybe in due time they will get more comfortable seating / lighting. For now, the ambiance is lacking, but I'm OK with it. However, overall it's good fresh food that is very affordable AND unpretentious; the magical trio of qualities that seems to be lacking in restaurants in this city. And as a side note, I'm so glad Pho Van is here because after eating at those other Vietnamese places on Penn before Pho Van opened, I was so put off by the horrible service and tasteless food, I figured I'd just wait until I visited other cities for Vietnamese. Not anymore!

    (5)

  • Amy H.

    The staff were very welcoming and friendly. Our server was really helpful and asked a few times if we needed anything or had questions about the menu - but not in an annoying way. The ambiance is kind of blah. It's brightly lit and the tables are pretty plain and it lacks personality. We started with the spring rolls which were very fresh and yummy. They had long strands of lemongrass popping out and the dipping sauce was great. My date ordered their specialty - the pho (pronounced "fuh") and I had the lemongrass tofu. I don't eat meat so didn't sample the pho, but he said it was very good. It came in a huge portion with a generous side of sprouts and peppers to add to it. The tofu I ordered was a great consistency, but pretty flavorless. I never salt my food, but this definitely needed something. I used the leftover spring roll sauce to at least season my rice. I understand its not their specialty, but I was kind of disappointed. They were out of most vegetarian options, so hopefully next time I'll have something else to choose from! Great prices and BYOB :)

    (3)

  • M B.

    This place is an almost brand new addition to Pittsburgh's Strip District and serves Vietnamese cuisine. I had a Vietnamese sandwich with pork and it was delicious! The service is fabulous as well. Definitely recommend!

    (4)

  • Y. C.

    I'm only rating the pho. I've had pho at nearly every pho place in Pittsburgh. And so far, this place has the best pho. It's a delicious beefy pho that is fragrantly spicy... cinnamon, star anise, cardamon... ginger. It's *not* the hole-in-the-wall type place that's dirty and grimy, but I'll over look that since the pho is the decent. Oh and the servers were very kind and made me a shake with soy milk, since I'm allergic to dairy. They told me it was their first time and they couldn't guarantee what it would taste like, but it was yummy.

    (4)

  • Wiranya R.

    I think it is too pricey. For a $9 bowl of noodle, I would expect more meat and yes, more noodle. We order fried banana for dessert, it came out having only 1/4 of a banana wrap in the wrapper with 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream. When we order Fried banana, we expect more banana than ice cream, rather than the other way around. We probably not going back. I like the other restaurant better. The one on the other end of the strip.

    (2)

  • Tom M.

    great place to eat, service is a little slow...but I would recommend to my friends...better than the other place up the street!

    (4)

  • David S.

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

    (4)

  • Laura M.

    I came by for lunch last weekend to try the pho, since it was cold and I was craving a hot, brothy, noodly dish. Because I was in the Strip for shopping purposes, this place was more convenient than the other Pho place further down Penn. Since they both have similar ratings and each seems to have its adherents, I figured I'd try here. Since I'd never had pho before, I was excited to try it for the first time. Because I don't eat beef, I ordered the pho ga (chicken pho). It was served promptly, about 5 min. after ordering, piping hot with all of the usual accoutrements (sprouts, Thai basil, lime, peppers). I added in the first three, gave it a stir, and dipped in. The soup was very pleasantly savory, and had a nice balance of flavors and textures. My only major criticism was that I felt that the amount of chicken included was a bit on the light side--but then again, as a first-time pho eater, I don't have a good feel for what's typical in terms of the amount of meat included. Nevertheless, I ate the whole bowl with gusto, savoring my first pho experience. While I agree with other reviewers that the interior decor is a bit sparse and bland, this wasn't a make-or-break issue for me. Service was fine, if unremarkable--exactly what I'd expect in this type of establishment. Overall, I was pleased with my meal here, and I wouldn't hesitate to return for another bowl of delicious pho.

    (4)

  • Pauline T.

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

    (2)

  • Brittany S.

    I was hoping this place would lean more towards the four stars side than three but the awkward and spotty service along with the dry atmosphere left it feeling on the lower side. The chicken pho was delicious. The fresh veggie spring rolls could have used a different type of lettuce. The iceberg left them feeling watered down. I was happy to see that this is one of two pho joints within a few blocks in the Strip District. A bowl of fun will run you $9. They also have vermicelli noodle bowls, beef pho options and vegetarian pho. A quick spruce up to the interior of this restaurant would make a world of difference.

    (3)

  • Olivier D.

    I am a Phó fan, like the taste and freshness of the dish. As always I ordered a Phó Ga, the place looks nice. Time was taken to decorate and create a good atmosphere. Based on my other Phó experienced across the country this one certainly scored a 3 stars. Everything is as it should be. Although it is the first time I needed to add some salt to the broth. But that cN be a personal preference. As you can see I'm only giving it 1 star (first one ever), might be confusing based on my review above. Well, let me explain why this place lost 2 stars in the world of yelp. As I finished my Phó I noticed a beetle crawling on the plate beneath my bowl. Looked like a voluptuous pantry pest. I'm not an expert but that's the best way to describe it. I pointed it out to the waiter with the comment:" you might want to point this out to your boss in the kitchen, it's not the most appetizing scenario" he giggled and walk away. My intention was to point out to the owner the possibility of a bug infestation. Wasn't looking for a reimbursement, more of a acknowledgement from the owner. To my surprise neither the owner or the waiter made ANY type of comment. The waiter made my bill total known from behind the counter and wished me a good day. So be aware of a possible bug infestation at this place. Might want to keep an eye out for floating black grains in your Phó. These pantry pest normally feed on dry food like pasta, rice, ...

    (1)

  • Casey N.

    I really wish the inside matched the outside here. It looks like a very sleek little place to eat Pho on the outside but it's not matched on the inside as others have stated. There is minimal decor inside and it doesn't really feel inviting. It's just very boring inside and although it doesn't effect the food, it hurts the experience. It was also super cold inside, and being that it was a cold day I would have thought it would be warmer. All I wanted was a warm place and soup! Only got half of that deal. The food is very good and comes out very quick. We had less than an hour to eat and we were in and out of there in 30 minutes! We had crispy rolls for an appetizer which were good but small. Probably about 1/3 of a "normal" eggroll size. I had the chicken rice bowl which is rice noodles, grilled chicken, veggies, and a sauce that you pour onto it before you mix it up. The chicken wasn't the best but everything else in the bowl was very good. My boyfriend had the chicken pho and he really enjoyed it. The pho come with veggies on the side so you can really customize it to your liking. Add a little sriracha and your good to eat! Overall this place is good, not my favorite, but if I am ever in need of pho in the strip I most likely will stop here!

    (3)

  • Jen H.

    An under-rated place that serves excellent Vietnamese food with reasonable prices. Been coming here for at least 3 years and getting consistently good, fast meals. The pho is excellent and the fresh shrimp rolls are the BEST summer rolls in the city. Haven't had any of the rice dishes but they look good too. Ambiance is simple and the service is no frills, but these have never been issues as far as I'm concerned. Go there for the food!!

    (5)

  • Jason F.

    I stopped by here a couple of Tuesday's ago with my father for lunch. On a previous visit to the Strip District we noticed a sign outside promoting the fact that they now sell bahn mi sandwiches here and that was enough to entice us in. Sadly I did not see a single one of the items that they had promoted outside on the menu itself. Whenever we arrived the restaurant was empty except for a single other table. The restaurant itself is decorated rather sparsely with a couple of pictures on one wall and some bamboo sticks on the wall opposite of it. For my lunch entree I decided to order the chicken vermicelli while my dad ordered one of the pho's. My meal ended up coming with an egg roll which I enjoyed. I really enjoyed the taste or everything in my lunch and the freshness of it made me feel like I was eating healthier than I probably was. My dad also enjoyed his pho and told me that he liked it more than the noodle soups he has had at some of the better known places. The bottom line for me is that I would stop by here again in the future. Although there wasn't too much to Pho Van, the food was tasty and we were in and out quickly which is sometimes what you want from a lunch.

    (4)

  • Jennifer G.

    After living with three Pho restaurants within a 15 minute drive back in Buffalo, I didn't think it would be so hard to find good Pho in Pittsburgh! Pho Van was recommended to me and I was glad to have discovered it. The menu is basic but that is expected because of the type of place it is. The decor is extremely basic and the atmosphere very casual. I've found service to be sort of hit or miss. They can be extremely helpful at times and other times you have to hunt a server down for a water refill. I really enjoyed their fresh spring rolls. They were huge, the ingredients were fresh and they were full of flavor. I love peanut sauce and was glad they didn't charge extra or give me any grief for asking for extra to use with the spring rolls. My husband and I both ordered pho thai. The bowls were large and chock full of broth and noodles. The broth had a good flavor (although I did still add siracha and hoision) But the amount of meat was almost non existent. There was an upcharge of $2 for double meat and now I see why they have that as an option. Check for discounts before you come. They have a buy one get one in the Entertainment Book. Overall, a great pho experience. I will be back.

    (4)

  • Danielle V.

    I'm not a huge fan of Pho, but I really like the rice vermicelli noodle bowl. I have always been satisfied with whatever meat (e.g., chicken, shrimp, beef, pork) I get to go with it, although I am partial to the chicken. The noodle bowls have tasted consistently fresh with well balanced flavors. Like most other raters, I will agree that aside from the consistently decent Vietnamese food, this place doesn't bring much to the table. The decor is basically non-existent and it's often empty. It has the ambiance of eating in a cafeteria after a lunch rush. I don't mind that it's sparse, but I might stay and linger a little more if it was more inviting.

    (4)

  • Tony D.

    I'm not sure why, but it seems that when it comes to pho and Vietnamese cuisine, opinions can be very mixed. I had avoided this place for a while due to more glowing reviews of places like Tram's Kitchen, but after having made my first visit here, I have to conclude that Pho Van has the best pho in Pittsburgh (so far). This is after having tried Tram's, Pho Minh, and Tan Lac Vien; I have not tried Vietnam's Pho a few blocks down. Tan Lac Vien has a few good higher-end items, but I don't think pho is their strong point. The other two feel more authentic and homey, but for whatever reason their pho don't match up to what we had at Pho Van. Prices are comparable, but I think the portions here are bigger. The soup base was quite rich and the noodles were appropriately soft; the combination came with lots of different servings of beef, from rare beef to meatballs to tripe. In all of these aspects I think Pho Van came out on top--it feels a lot closer to the famed Pho 75 in the DC area than do Tram's or Pho Minh. It may be that there's a consistency problem and we just got lucky, or they just improved a lot recently. I hope it's the latter. In addition, we also got a combination vermicelli, which was delicious. Generous servings of pork and beef, and I love that it automatically comes with a spring roll. so there is no need to order a separate appetizer if you're craving that.

    (5)

  • Ju L.

    I've had my share of bad pho, but the pho I had tonight at Pho Van was not one of them. The broth tasted better than a lot of other Vietnamese restaurants I've been to. The spring rolls were super. My husband ordered the chicken and vermicelli and thought it was delicious as well. For a nice and simple meal to satisfy my Vietnamese food craving, I thought Pho Van did pretty well :) Prices were fair and they accept credit card!!!

    (4)

  • Chris G.

    Maybe eat in is better than carry out. My carry out of beef vermicelli noodles was disappointing. Maybe it would have been better if I ate there vs carry out. Reasonable prices though.

    (2)

  • Lyon K.

    I recently discovered this gem and man am I glad I did. The menu was very vegan friendly and the waitress was so sweet and helpful. She even went the extra mile to tell me about the gluten items as well. The fresh tofu rolls were perfect and the peanut sauce was so delicious I wanted to take a spoon to it. I cannot wait to go back for soup.

    (5)

  • Shawn D.

    The best Pho soup I have tasted in Pittsburgh the soup is very savory, the meat was extremely tender, and the fresh herbs and bean sprouts where bright and fresh. The feeling is very laid back but at the same time elegant just strikes a perfect note. The drop ceiling was dated and dirty though. I would like to see it opened up more. But that is not a reason to stay away. I would highly recommend it to anyone.

    (5)

  • Scott S.

    Pho Van rocks! Not sure what's up with other reviews, but I've been there several times and it's my favorite Pho in the city (thought I've not tried them all, yet). I guess it's a "your mileage may vary" kind of thing. Went for a quick lunch and got the standard Pho with rare eye round beef on the recommendation of the waitress. It comes out in usual fashion, with a steaming broth, and the basil leaves, sprouts, lime and jalapeños on a side dish. "Just let me know if you want more veggies" said the waitress. We're off to a good start. The Pho had thin slices rare beef on top of the noodles, as advertised, and it slowly cooked to a very tender doneness from the heat of the broth. And the broth.... That's what it's all about with Pho, and this is just right in my opinion. Really flavorful, without being over-seasoned, a hint of anise and when you add the jalapeño slices, the flavors just come together perfectly. This is a place I need to bring my veggie spouse, I thought and I asked to see the menu again. No veggie Pho on the menu. I asked. "oh yes, we have a great veggie Pho" she said, " just ask for it. I snuck away for another lunch, with the same happy result. Next would be a trip to try the veggie Pho. So, now my wife has what is possibly her favorite Pho. Not just in Pittsburgh either (we lived in Boston for years, so take that for what it's worth). Really, the veggie Pho is very, very good. The broth is not trying to emulate a beef or pork-based broth, but rather stands on its own as one of the best veggie broths either of us can remember. Let me take that back. One of the best broths we've had, veggie, or otherwise. And with the addition of the basil, sprouts, jalapeños and lime, just another level from what you'd expect. Everyone who likes Pho, will have their favorite. This is ours, and by a big margin. Caveats, haven't been there for dinner, haven't been there when it's super busy, haven't ordered anything but he Pho. Still, sticking with my 5-star.

    (5)

  • Laura H.

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

    (3)

  • Jodi C.

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

    (3)

  • Sadie H.

    Oh My! I love this place! Every time I visit Pittsburgh now this place is on my list! My menu favorites; Papaya salad Chicken salad ANY and all the pho soup bowls! They are huge too! Enough for 2 people to split one bowl. Atmosphere is clean, classic and decorated nicely.

    (5)

  • David B.

    I had amazing service at Pho Van, really speedy, thoughtful and attentive service. The Pho was also very good. I especially like they were generous with the lime during a time when the price of limes has more than doubled. I like that the Pho is served traditional style with the fresh herbs, bean sprouts, lime and chiles on the side. The decor is not much, but the place is very clean and orderly.

    (3)

  • Brian S.

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

    (4)

  • Liz K.

    Pretty good pho and rolls! I'm a Tram's girl, but I do like Pho Van as a sharp runner up. I'll definitely give them another shot soon!

    (4)

  • Mida K.

    The pho and vermicelli dishes were really delicious. Definitely will go back to try the rest of the menu. This was one of the best pho I've had

    (4)

  • Derek L.

    I was looking for a quick fix of pho on a cold day on the strip in Pittsburgh and saw Pho Van. Broth was kind of light, not bland, yet neither packed with flavor. Having had murky yet flavorful pho being the standard in Seattle, this place was the definition of okay. The beef was notably tender, soup came warm, and the portion was small for Pho Dac Biet $9.50. Quick service, decently clean restaurant.

    (3)

  • Kate M.

    This place is amazing, especially for vegetarians. I have been coming here for takeout for the past year, but went with my family for a sit down lunch yesterday afternoon. First of all, there is no corkage fee which a huge plus in my book. We started out by ordering the fresh rolls - absolutely amazing. They are HUGE, and 2 orders was more than enough to feed a family of 5. For our main dish, my sister, father, and I all had the vegetarian pho (my go-to), and it was incredible as always. The tofu, vegetables, and broth were cooked and seasoned perfectly, and they gave us a very large plate of toppings for the 3 of us to share. I'm always amazed at how much food the pho is. You wouldn't think a bowl of soup would be so filling! My brother ordered the chicken fried rice, which I can't attest to, but I think he was pretty underwhelmed. I think the vegetarian dishes are really where Pho Van shines. My mom had the most interesting dish of the group. Per a friends recommendation, she ordered the fried tofu with rice vermicelli. It was a cold dish - kind of like a noodle salad, and the tofu was sliced into very thin strips and fried...almost like a tortilla strip. The tofu in her dish was absolutely amazing. The sauce and noodles were extremely good and it all went together perfectly. I will definitely be trying this dish next time I go. The decor of the restaurant is very minimalist and clean. Not much to look at, but a comfortable setting nonetheless. The service was great, as with every other time I've picked up food from there. All in all a great restaurant that I would highly recommend to anyone craving pho/Vietnamese food in Pittsburgh!

    (5)

  • Rob Y.

    Finally! Found a decent pho place in Pgh. After "Tram's Kitchen" and "Vietnam's Pho," I thought my search for good pho would be as dismal as my search for good Korean food in Pgh. Food (8.5/10) = certainly not the best pho, but it's good enough to satisfy future cravings. Ordered the following dishes: Appetizers = 1) Shrimp spring rolls ($4) = bottom line, fresh ingredients. That's all you need to make these things taste great. F-R-E-S-H ingredients. You get two of these rolls, and they are relatively big. Love it. It will be my ritual to order these bad boys each time I visit Pho Van. 2) Beef stew with toasted French baguette ($7) = Wow. Last time I had this dish was when I still lived in Atlanta, frequently visiting the Vietnamese saturated Buford Hwy. This dish was spicy. It was flavorful. It contained chunky blocks of beef and carrots, topped with chopped cilantro just before serving. Accompanying this soup is toasty French bread, the same kind they use to make banh mi. To be a pro at eating this dish, use the bread to make sure you get every last drop of soup, absorbing all of the rich flavors. This is the perfect dish to eat during cold weather. Main Event = 1) Pho w. 3 choices of beef ($8.95) = I chose rare eye round, well done flank, and beef meatballs; other options include beef tendon, beef tripe, and well-done brisket. So what makes pho great? Pho is great when all of the components make love to each other in your bowl of course. However, for this love making to occur, there must be a strong foundation, and that is the broth. Without it, there will be no harmony. There will be no greatness. There will be...NO pho. At Pho Van, the broth is good, and as such "chika chika yea yea" will happen in your bowl. Ambiance (8.0/10) = spacious, clean. Cool bamboo decor on the wall. Service (7.5/10) = pretty standard pho service. Attentive service, and food came out quickly. Overall opinion = This place is certainly not serving outstanding pho, as can be found in Houston, Atlanta, Philly, etc. However, it's certainly good enough for me. I've already visited Tram's Kitchen and Vietnam's Pho, because they had more/better reviews on Yelp. Unfortunately, I experienced so-so meh Pho at these two places. So at least for now, Pho Van is the best place to get Pho in PGH. "Chicka chicka yea yea" - Fogell, from Superbad

    (4)

  • JM V.

    "Meh. I've experienced better." I can't really say that I've experienced better and I'm not comparing this place to other Vietnamese or Pho restaurants, but after my latest visit there, that is how I feel about this place - "meh". The inside was rather small and cramped, but still left enough space to move around and not be seated directly on top of somebody else. The place was clean and decor was enjoyable. No complaints about the atmosphere at all. When we walked in, all of the tables were full, so I expected us to be stuck waiting awhile to be seated and served. Despite this, we were seated, greeted by our waiter, and served our food very quickly. Our waited was friendly enough, but of the three or four people working there however, he was the only one to greet or even smile at us. The menu was very typical and had everything that you would expect. We settled for the crispy rolls (2 for $4) which were on the small side, but good enough for the two of us to split as a pre-meal snack and not ruin our appetite. They were tasty, but the sweet chili garlic sauce that accompanied them was terrible. I did not taste any chili or garlic in the sauce, just an odd sour taste that was enough to ruin the bite of the crispy roll. I've never tasted anything quite like it. We ordered the pho with brisket ($8.95) and a combo rice vermicelli bowl with chicken and pork ($10.95). The vermicelli bowl was pretty good. A nice mix of noodles, cucumbers, lettuce, pickled carrots, and meat. It was nothing over-the-top delicious, but was worth it for the price. I didn't enjoy the pho much. The noodles were good, but had nothing good to accompany them. The broth was light and bland, the thin slices of beef tasted like it came from a microwaveable freezer meal, and the bean sprouts had to be picked through because many of them had started to get brown and mushy on top. Overall, everything was pretty hit or miss. Nothing really stood out as being spectacular or makes me want to go back for another visit. There are a handful of other places in the Strip District that I'd rather eat at, so I don't think I'll be going back any time soon.

    (2)

  • Adis M.

    Okay, before I add my review of the food... I want to comment on some of the reviews... the person who was upset her "to go Pho" was in separate containers is out of her mind! I have not had to go Pho anywhere which didn't separate the broth with the noodles... HELLO! Additionally, the guy from LA who says this place is awful and not on par with LA Pho restaurants.... Umm I agree! but you need to understand LA and Pittsburgh are worlds away in terms of having the cultural diversity... Pho Van comes close.. I wouldn't compare them to LA Pho Places. My review of the food. I always have Pho Ga, (chicken). The broth was good and the ingredients were really fresh. Did it taste as good as Pho in Los Angeles? No. Was it better then other places? Yes. Florida in my opinion has some of the worst pho i have ever had! plenty of chicken, so they didnt skimp. additionally the fresh shrimp rolls were great. fyi.. if you want AMAZING pho and in LA... check out Glendale Pho Co. in Glendale, CA

    (4)

  • Alistair C.

    Had a real nice vegetarian pho. Space is sparse, but its location in the Strip more than makes up for that. Lots to watch. There were plenty of other vegetarian options and I look forward to trying them all!

    (4)

  • Deborah G.

    The only reason why I'm giving this restaurant three stars instead of 4 is the service. It was slow and inattentive. We waiting 20 minutes to receive our fresh rolls on a day when there were maybe 3 occupied tables. The vegetarian summer rolls were tasty but I wish they were rolled tighter. We had to flag the server down to get more water and, after we had finished our summer rolls, we waited another 15 minutes to get our entrees. The combination grilled noodle bowls were quite tasty - particularly the beef. My daughter's boyfriend loved the tofu pho and my daughter seemed to enjoy her tofu noodle bowl. But, the service was soooo bad. After we finished our meals, we sat and waited in vain for 10 minutes for someone to even ask us if we needed anything else. The staff, in the meantime, were sitting down and having a meal at one of the tables or playing on their IPhones while we waited. Finally, my husband got up from the table and went to the server area and asked for our check. The only thing that saved this place for me was how good the food was. I'm on the fence if I'll go back.

    (3)

  • Ashley K.

    Go to trams. It is much better. The teriyaki chicken tastes better in a mall and the pho is okay although questionable ingredients. Fresh spring rolls only had shrimp lettuce leaf and rice noodles. Nothing else.

    (2)

  • T. V.

    Service was good. Food landed me in the hospital with a nasty case of food poisoning (vomiting, fever, aches, chills). That's ironic because I had checked the health inspection reports for this place beforehand. Hopefully it won't happen to you. It sure won't happen to me because I'm not ever going back.

    (1)

  • Kristen H.

    Here's the thing: I'm not entirely sure I didn't like this restaurant. I think the problem might be that I don't like pho. Id' never had pho before. It's apparently like fancy ramen noodles? I ordered the vegetarian curry and what came out was curry flavored soup with noodles. It was just ok, but not good. Fortunately it was not expensive at all. The fresh and crispy spring rolls were fantastic, and the service was great. I dont have anything bad to say about this place, but it was not outstanding.

    (2)

  • Alyssa A.

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

    (4)

  • Vy N.

    Alright...so out of the few Vietnamese restaurants here in PGH, this is the only one I will go to satisfy my pho cravings. Let's be honest here, there aren't many great Vietnamese restaurants around. I always go for the pho dac biet at Pho Van and that's basically all you should get here. Their pho includes all of the main meat components with the right veggies. If you order their other soups, you might not get the right ingredients and veggies that supposedly go with them. Their service has always been slow...even when we're the only ones in the restaurant...but I can look past that since their staff seem to be nice and pleasant.

    (3)

  • Anthony W.

    Really good food. I have walked past this place for over a year and decided to stop in. Everything was very good. I had chicken teriyaki skewers and a rice bowl with beef and chicken. I would highly recommend this as a place to go when in the strip!

    (4)

  • Amy R.

    We moved to the Northside, so the Strip is on my way home. The hubby suggested picking up some food from the strip on my way home. I came across Pho Van first, and so I went took a gander. They have their menu outside, which is good, because the hubby is picky, and I needed to be sure there was something there for him before I committed to actually walking in the door. So I found something, went in, ordered my meal, ordered some spring rolls, then was told they don't make said dish that hubby was supposed to be getting. (Fried noodles). !!!!! Well, I felt bad bailing at that point, but seriously, there was nothing left on the menu that hubby would want to eat. So I went with beef and rice. It's simple, at least. Review of the food: My pho soup was pretty good. It was prepared 'to go' somewhat weird - it was separated into broth and everything else. I mean, I understand the noodles makes the broth weird if kept together too long, but I'm not getting this 'to go' to eat tomorrow. As for my husbands food, it was AWFUL. The meat was shriveled up overcooked in too much ginger and salt. It wasn't just not good, it was nauseating. I wanted to spit it out. We won't be going back. Lulu's has good pho, and that's where I'll get it from now on.

    (2)

  • Romina Q.

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

    (4)

  • Shon T.

    Not bad pho. Had pretty good flavor for the broth but they really skimmed out on the meat. I had the brisket. The meat was cooked, thin and yummy though. I liked the environment, small and cozy and everything looked new and clean. The prices were reasonable as well, about 20 bucks for 2 people!

    (3)

  • Keith M.

    While the food here is good, and the service very friendly, the menu seems somewhat limited and isn't as exciting as I've seen in other places. The food is good, clean, and reliable. While it was during the week, the place was absolutely empty around 1pm. Why aren't here more people here?

    (4)

  • Collin S.

    Pho Van serves the best Vietnamese food in Pittsburgh! My fried tofu with vermicelli noodles dish was perfect. The vegetables were fresh and spring roll delicious. Great meal!

    (4)

  • J D.

    There are two Vietnamese restaurants on opposite sides of the Strip District and I definitely think that Pho Van wins out. We have been here about half a dozen times in the past few months and will continue to go back. Nothing fancy about it, but the food is good, the service is quick and the prices are reasonable. I ordered the curry chicken which had good spice and the chicken was cooked well - not gummy. The vegetable summer rolls and the shrimp summer rolls are great and don't fall apart when you eat them! The portions are manageable but if you order a few appetizers, you may have some left overs. The other day I asked for my soup to go and didn't realize how much was leftover, but I ended up walking out with a quart filled with pho.

    (4)

  • Darren W.

    Pho is a curious thing. I haven't had it too, too many times, and I only had it for the first time fairly recently. Wherever I have had it, well, it's all tasted the same to me...but all of that pho was agreeable to my flavor receptors. After work the other night, as I marched down Penn Avenue towards Altar Bar to catch Egyptodeath metal masters Nile in concert, I felt my innards grumble. I recalled that there is a Vietnamese restaurant on Penn Avenue in the Strip District that I had yet to try, and before I realized it, there I was in front of it, Pho Van. When I arrived, I was lightly damp with sweat and militantly garbed in a black Machine Head tour shirt and brown work pants. I peeked my head into the modern, elegantly simple dining room, subconsciously, self-consciously wondering if I was "acceptable," but when I cautiously made my way inside, a crew of young men jumped up, scurried about, and seated me immediately. Despite feeling warm from the muggy walk, I did in fact order the Pho Chin. I heard the sole other diner--a fellow who arrived after I did--mention to the server that "it's too hot out for soup," but that did not affect my enjoyment. This was the living, steaming epitome of comfort food, chicken soup's Vietnamese counterpart if you will. The broth was cloudless and subtly flavorful. The shaved flaps of "well-done brisket" swam amongst scallions, bean sprouts, and other veggies, all of them imbibed with the essence of the broth and tangled in the satiny spiderweb of squishy noodles. If I did have a complaint, it would be that the meat was arguably overcooked. Not that it was inedible, but I think I would have liked to have seen and tasted a touch of pink amidst the grey. Overall, this light dinner satisfied my hunger and was exactly the kind of thing I was looking for prior to attending the frenzied musicale down the road. As I dined, a fellow metallion--short and stocky in stature, long, blonde hair, clad in a sleeveless Slayer shirt and cut-off fatigues, resembling a band member as much as he did a mere fan--warily looked in. He spotted me, nodded to me, intuitively knowing that I was musically kindred, and asked "Hey man, is the food good here?" "Yeah, man, it's a-ight." "They got crab rangoon?" "Nah, I don't think they do." "Aw man," he said, dismissively waving his hand, "I'm gettin' some Primanti's then. Yer goin' to Nile, right?" "Yeah, I'll be there. I'm headin' down after I eat," I responded, chuckling. "A-ight dude, later." And with a throw of the horns, my unnamed acquaintance jogged off into the sweltry night as I tilted the soup bowl towards my mouth to finish off the remaining broth. After paying my tab and speaking with the server about pho and Yelp for a few minutes, it was off to Altar Bar for an evening of barks, bellows, blastbeats, bruising guitars, and bludgeoning bodies.

    (4)

  • Anneke S.

    Decent Beef broth in the Pho plenty of yummy sprouts on the side, limes and Thai Basil plus fresh cilantro in the Pho. Yes thats thai basil and cilantro in your Pho not Mint. Its the layering of flavors that I love with vietnamese and thai dishes. The spice level is maybe medium but I add a little hot sauce to make mine warmer. If you like the beef in your Pho pink order the rib eye instead of flank beef and ask for it that way they should be able to accomodate. The beef broth has a simple base here but I like to make my own Pho by adding lime sprouts etc so this works for me. If you like a lot of kick without playing with your food you may not enjoy it as much! Ive never had slow or bad service here in the couple of times I went and I always get enough PHO for two meals at 7$ for PHO thats a great deal. Spring rolls are ok fresh I did not try the fried ones. They are different from fresh thai spring rolls so dont be expecting that. I think the decor is fine I mean its a PHO joint not the Westin. Have you looked around the rest of pittsburgh lately, shit is old and ugly. And there is still beauty in all of that if you want to see it........

    (4)

  • Icy I.

    Despite it is a tiny restaurant with only one waiter, the taste of the pho is great. Service is not good though.

    (4)

  • Vicky C.

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

    (4)

  • Rebecca G.

    Their vegetarian selection is the best I have seen. They also have curry pho that is different and delish. One of the better pho places I have tried.

    (5)

  • Anya G.

    After eating at many legendary Vietnamese restaurants in Albuquerque, I came back to Pittsburgh and this was my first trip for some Vietnamese food. Pho Van didn't disappoint! My friend had their Pho, and I went with the crispy tofu vermicelli dish. It was brimming full of amazing veggies, crispy tofu, beautifully sweet/sour sauce and even a salad on the side. I also liked their generous spring rolls and delicious peanut sauce! My only disappointment was that they didn't have any sandwiches, even though their yelp photos seem to suggest they have them. So if you are looking for Banh mi, you won't find them here. Otherwise, dig in with chopsticks into these great dishes!

    (4)

  • Ran L.

    After several more visits here, I am still impressed with their beef Pho and the small sampling of other dishes I've tried. It is still the best Pho I've found anywhere in Pittsburgh. Slightly better than Vietnam's Pho, and leaps and bounds beyond the quality of Tram's. Their fresh shrimp rolls are HUGE -- a great deal for $4 and more than enough to split between two people as an appetizer. Their beef pho broth is super tasty, relying on the umami of the meat to flavor it as opposed to being too salty as so many pho broths tend to be. The portion is generous and reasonably priced, and it comes with sides of very fresh Thai basil, lime wedges, jalapeno slices, and plenty of sprouts. I dump tons of basil and jalapeno and sprouts in mine, plus a generous dash of sriracha. Yum -- just the way Pho should be! Coming from a hometown outside DC with a huge vietnamese population and growing up on the best Pho of the "Little Vietnam" area (there's so many that the local paper once did a March Madness bracket-style Pho match-off between the 20+ restaurants), I'm actually pleasantly surprised with the quality of this Pho for Pittsburgh, where there's only a handful of places that even offer it. My favorite order is the "beef combination" Pho, with flank, brisket, and eye round. So delicious. I'm not sure if they are still advertising having Bahn Mi or not, but they don't have it here! If you're coming to the strip for that, you'll have to come back in the spring when Lucy (of outside-Bar-Marco fame) is back from Vietnam!

    (5)

  • Ang S.

    After experiencing one of the most delicious and appetizing meal at Pho Kim (route 88) - I was eager to try another Vietnamese Restaurant. However, I was neither satisfied nor unsatisfied with Pho Van. It was somewhat Okay (in a good way) meal. I ordered the combo fried rice and my girlfriend ordered the chicken Pho. The spring (shrimp) rolls and the crispy egg rolls were really good. The service was pretty good for one server to be waiting the entire restaurant. And we were in a group of about 14 people. The price is very reasonable.

    (3)

  • Rachel C.

    I have to go with Teresa T on the whole experience as well. The place reminds me of a cafeteria, (which works if you have awesome food like Salem's farther down the strip) it doesn't work for this place. Just boring and blah. This was actually my first venture into Pho, so not realizing what good Pho is supposed to taste like, I thought it was OK but nothing special. Well...when I ended up at Vietnam's Pho weeks later this Pho didn't even hold a candle to their Pho! First off, the broth is nothing I'm going to suck down to the last drop (like I do at Vietnam's) and there wasn't as many ingredients in their seafood Pho like their is at Vietnam's. I also eat my weight in sprouts and not offering any is a travesty here! The absolute only thing I did enjoy were the egg rolls. They were adequately crispy and the slaw and shrimp inside was a nice mix. But good egg rolls alone doesn't get you to a 5 star status! What does is a tasty meal, and this one just fell flat!

    (2)

  • A. K.

    I spent a few years in California where many good Vietnamese restaurants. After I moved to Pittsburgh, I have tried to find a good Vietnamese restaurant for Pho, beef noodle soup. I went to three other restaurants. Pho Minh, Vietnam's Pho, Tram's kitchen. But they met my dissatisfaction. Taste of Pho was not very bad, but their services were bad. Finally, I found my best place for Pho in Pittsburgh. I was so satisfied with the taste of Pho soup and service in Pho Van. Also I liked the price of Pho. Other three restaurants I went to, I paid around $10. But I paid $7.50 I didn't try other dishes but Pho. If you like Pho, just give it a try.

    (5)

  • Zhenxu C.

    terrible service，long time waiting, very few noodle，and hard parking. There is no reason go there again!

    (1)

  • Joe S.

    Pho Van has been my go to for pho over the past year. Always solid. The spring rolls are fresh and i usually go pho tai or just veggie. You won't be disappointed :)

    (4)

  • Lisa G.

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

    (4)

  • Meredith B.

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

    (4)

  • Kaitlin P.

    Thier vegetarian pho is fantastic

    (4)

  • Yubin K.

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

    (5)

  • Paulina W.

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

    (4)

  • David E.

    Pittsburghers if you haven't tried Pho before then please understand that Pho is usually much better than this. I've lived in Los Angeles for 15 years now and have come to love Pho. This place would not last one week in Los Angeles. It is hard to believe that they are charging more for Pho than restaurants in Beverly Hills. The noodles were over cooked and turned into mush. There was barely any meat in either of our dishes. I live in LA and I know many restaurants that charge a high price for small portions but the food had better be damn good or else people would never come back. Tap water has more taste than the broth in the Pho at Pho Van. I ate about half of my Pho, my wife ate less of hers and we left. I hate paying for overpriced food and leaving hungry. If it was really good food then I might be willing to give them a pass but this is a horrible representation of what Pho is supposed to be.

    (1)

  • Jarrett Y.

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

    (4)

  • RONALD W.

    I haven't been to a lot of pho places in Pittsburgh, but this one is kind of the anti-pho place to the ones I frequent in Seattle and Austin. First, most pho places are lightning fast in service. Pho Van took quite a while to deliver the dishes after ordering. It may have only been 5 or 10 minutes, but it felt longer given that there were not that many other diners. On the other hand, most pho places prepare their spring rolls in advance leading often to an over chilled or worse dry wrapper. Pho Van's spring rolls seemed unusually fresh and tasty. As for the pho, I ordered the combo pho (all beef meats and tripe) and the broth was very rich and flavorable. Maybe a little too much for my tastes and I may have over shot adding Siracha on my own. The meats were too well done for me as they were lean enough that they ironically came across as a bit tough/dry. My experience was totally different from that of Ryu, very good balance of sprouts and noodles.

    (3)

  • Sarah R.

    Woo, this place finally got a little makeover. New paint, got rid of the tiki-lounge look, and the menu has been updated. A lot more options for entrees and appetizers, but the prices have gone up here and there. This place is still my favorite spot for my pho fix. It's a bit sweeter than Vietnam's Pho down the street... but the portions here are smaller too... and still costs more... -__-

    (4)

  • Christina P.

    My boyfriend and I checked out Pho Van back in November during one of our monthly Strip District Saturday trips. The place was bright in the inside, and smelled yummy. We got served right away, and the pho was delicious! Needless to say, I was a fan and plan on going back soon.

    (4)

  • Kat M.

    Groupon used today on take outI The nice counter girl told me after I had ordered that the groupon was for eat in only but they gave me the exception since I had already ordered. COOL! I really wanted to say "had better" but I still need to give them a chance. It's probably my fault for ordering weird. I got the traditional Pho with beef, shrimp spring rolls, and grilled prawn with noodles. A+ on presentation! Everything is very fresh...bright green colors on the lime, basil, and other herbs. Take note that when getting take out the beef is thinly sliced, raw and is to be cooked in the steaming broth. Chewy beef did not sit well and made me turn my nose at it. Left the beef but ate all the noodles and toppings. I was in traffic forever and for future notice I probably wouldn't get this beef as take out. I didn't see a "minus the meat" option? The menu didn't seem to offer a straight veggie selection. Hmmm I'm not a vegetarian but I like my Pho stocked full of healthy produce. The Shrimp rolls were amazing and the peanut sauce had chunks of nuts that crunched while I chomped on the ripe sweet rice wrap. The prawns are for lunch tomorrow so I'll follow up then with that dish, I will just need to explore further with other dishes but probably won't do the Pho here again.

    (3)

  • Nick C.

    Ok.....there is a decent chance that the cooks at Pho Van are squatters. At the very least, they aren't too concerned with the "High School Cafeteria Chic meets Tiki bar meets Semi-Demolished Room" look. That's probably because the food is pretty damn good. I've tangled with Pho before, with Tram's being the big dog on the block. But Pho Van manages give Trams a run for its money. If you've read other reviews, you already know the fresh Spring Rolls are amazing. If not, read those and come back....I'll wait.... That's right....awesome Spring Rolls. And the peanut sauce is good enough to make you want to lick the bowl. Portion sizes are big at Pho Van, like so big that they are less trying to satiate your hunger, and more trying to punish you for daring to bring your pathetic appetite into their house o' noodles. But with nothing on the menu over $9 dollars, you're getting your money's worth times five. Broth is the key to Pho and Pho Van has some of the best. My lovely partner is a soup hater to the degree that you'd think it used shove her into a locker in junior high, but even she gave a begruding thumbs up to the broth. Combine that with dead on perfect noodles, and you've got a meal for a cold, rainy day. But if glorified noodle soup doesn't get you motor running, you can still get a dirt cheap meal that's 4 star worthy. While it comes in a bowl, the Grilled selections are all of the tasty bits of a pho bowl, without the sloppy broth (sloppily delicious). Unlike some other Vietnamese restaurants who make similar entrees, Pho Van keeps the vinegar based sauce on the side, which you'll be thankful for moderation when you get near the bottom of the bowl. With a prime location in the Strip District, Pho Van has alot going for it. Now, if someone would explain why there is a tiki awning on a solid wall, inside of the restaurant, it would help me get over the fly by night feel of a restaurant that I hope is here for the long haul.

    (4)

  • John C.

    I heard through the grape vine that the owners are contemplating on selling the place. I guess that explains why they have been slipping on a few things. Sad but I guess it is understandable. I tried their beef stew and curry chicken recently. The beef stew is good but was a little bit sweet. Their curry chicken was good. If you guys do stay in business, probably consider getting rid of the meatballs you guys are using in your pho. Head to Lotus Foods and buy the packets of Beef Bo Vien. It taste much better than the ones you're using now. They got rid of the durian smoothie, the thing that made me fell in love with the place. I hope the place sticks around. If not, i would be forced to go back to Vietnam's Pho. Just a quick edit: Don't try their wonton soup. Seriously guys? This thing is a disgrace. Half of my meat wasn't meat but slices of pork fat. the wontons are just a disgrace. It was mainly just wonton wrapping and a little meat. Thank goodness their pho is still good.

    (4)

  • Rita D.

    We went in for a try because my coworker suggests it. It is good and the pho noodle price is cheapest that we have been in Pittsburgh area.

    (4)

  • Pamela D.

    For East Coast Vietnamese food, this is really good. Although nothing compares to the Vietnamese Pho and Bahn MI Sandwiches of Cali, this definitely satisfies the cravings. The sandwiches I believe are the best item, Pork bahn mi is awesome! The Vermicelli Grilled Chicken Bun Ga is really good as well. Another of my fave Viet dishes, The Seafood Pho is also good. Good broth flavor, sufficient seafood. Overall Yummy!! Definitely my choice of Pittsburgh Vietnamese joints! The 4 star is a really dumb reason, because they have this one American girl working there and I just have a thing about foreign food, I believe it should be served and prepared by the people of that country. After all they know best , right. Americans tend to not know all the details of the items. When I shop somewhere I want salespeople to be as knowledgeable as possible, same concept.

    (4)

  • Josh S.

    I like to compare and contrast pho restaurants from around the country, seeing as i am a pho lover, and I'm a regular customer at our local pho restaurant. This pho, was very comparable to our local pho that I like to base my opinion off of. It has a delicious broth with some awesome-tasting noodles, although i think that the brisket could've been more plentiful and longer cooked. I also ordered an appetizer: Spring rolls, with bean sprouts, mint leaves, celery, rice noodles, and shrimp, which was all wrapped in rice paper. I really loved the taste of all of those things combined, and the shrimp was cooked very well. Overall, the only thing that was lacking was the amount of brisket in the pho, therefore lowering it to a hint below 5 stars. Eat here everyone!

    (4)

  • Shweta N.

    I absolutely love this place and have ordered nearly every pho on the menu, so I'll soon be moving on to their specialty soups. I have to be honest, I've only ever dined here once; the majority of the time, I order take out. I have to agree with Rachel, the decor is simple, maybe even a bit boring, but the food makes up for it! This is truly one of my favorite comfort foods, and I'm happy to have found a place in pittsburgh that makes consistently yummy pho. I'm actually a fan of the rare eye round- the fresh meat cooks before your eyes in the broth, but the flank is a close second. I definitely frequent this place, you'll likely find me here on a cold, rainy day picking up my to-go pho.

    (4)

  • S M.

    Disclaimer: My boyfriend and I, especially me, are very picky when it comes to our pho. We were visiting Pittsburgh and were not familiar with the area, so we couldn't really gauge whether the restaurant was our type of restaurant. We decided to try this restaurant because we really wanted pho. When we entered the restaurant, we realized that it wasn't our type of restaurant, given the demographic. My boyfriend wanted to leave but I was hungry, so he had to resort to eating there. There were 2 waiters (well, one looked like he was just hanging out) and 1 waitress. The restaurant was semi-filled but there was a line. Not really sure what the problem was. After we were seated, we waited for 5-10 minutes before the waitress came over to take our order. We ordered our usuals - pho and summer rolls. We wanted to get the spring rolls but we saw that it was just two tiny rolls for $4 (totally not worth it). We waited for a while before we got our food; two customers, who came after us, got their pho before we got ours. I also want to point out that my boyfriend had to ask about our food before they brought it over. Everything was just slow - it didn't help that they brought one bowl of pho at a time. Weird. Now the food - Pho - not great, but decent Bean sprouts were old No basil Spring rolls - decent; I was happy it was fresh. Sauce - watery (I noticed later that the customers' next to us had better sauce) Price - pho was priced higher than the standard price

    (2)

  • Jordana M.

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

    (5)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :11:00 am - 9:00pm

Specialities

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

Pho Van

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