Pho House Albany — Restaurant in Albany

I am a pho aficionado and have eaten pho at a couple dozen different places all over the US. I've had great pho, good pho, meh pho, bad pho. I really want to see this place succeed right here in my town, but I have some constructive criticism that I hope the owners will see. I'm going to write this in a pros, mehs, and cons list: Pros: Pho bowl size is good (pictured) Meat tastes fine, pretty standard pho restaurant meatballs and thin sliced steak Prices are reasonable Food came out quickly

Mehs: Broth is just okay. Your ratio is off for spices quantity compared to whatever volume of broth you're making and it's coming out a bit bland. I know spices are expensive, but broth is the crucial foundation of good pho. Broth temperature isn't quite hot enough by the time it comes to the table.

Cons: I looked at the menu before coming to the restaurant, and knew I wanted to order a pot of hot tea which was listed on the menu. When I got there the server told me she wasn't sure why that was on the menu, and they only sold the tea per cup. It came in a big plastic water glass(pictured)... not sure why, but please buy some teacups and pots. This was a really awkward way to drink hot tea. Basil was very wilted and had black spots. This is a sign of being kept in the fridge. It's important to store your basil at room temperature, in containers of water like a flower bouquet and snip off sprigs of it as you need it. You're going to use up a bunch every day anyway, so it's not likely to sit around for more than a day or two . Beansprouts were small in quantity on the condiments plate, and not very fresh. I decided not to use them due to the freshness issue. The liquid chili and raw garlic stuff in the condiments dish isn't supposed to go with pho. It reminded me of a really watered down salsa. Just an odd addition to a pho condiments plate that I've never witnessed before. The server had no idea what I was talking about when I asked if they had chili oil. Servers were loudly gossiping right next to our table as they cleaned that table. They also joke around and laugh really loudly behind the front counter, yell at each other from one side of the restaurant to the other, etc. I definitely don't want restaurant staff to be miserable or like robots, but they need to be more mindful about their volume level and what they gossip about right next to customers. At one point, one of them was using a pair of chopsticks like drum sticks on a hard surface behind the counter and it got very annoying after a couple of minutes of this happening constantly. The dining room space is a bit awkward. The faux wall with faux plants by the door is unnecessary and just takes up...

I am a big fan of banh mi pork sandwiches and eager to get a taste of what the new Pho House had to offer. Extremly happy that we were getting a new Pho location and eagerly awaited their opening. I understand they are operating in a soft opening phase, so hopefully this feedback can be received openly and know that this is just one person's experience. Reviewing their menu items appeared to be reasonably priced. The bank mi sandwich is just under $10 dollars. The wait time was approximately 25-30 minutes, my opinion worth it for freshly prepared food. The order was to go, smelt great and appeared to be a decent size sandwich. The positive aspects of this sandwich were that the bread tasted, the fixings and pork tasted amazing. The downside for me was that even though I felt like they nailed the flavor, the sandwich did not contain enough pork. Approximately half or more of the sandwich contained the fixings only (need more jalenpenio), but mainly bread, which was indeed a bit disappointing. I am sure being a new establishment it is difficult to find the right balance of portions-cost-profit. I am hoping this was a fluke and I will be back for a second round. I will be trying another sandwiche along with their grilled pork...

This is a great new pho and Vietnamese restaurant in Albany with attentive service, delicious food, reasonable pricing and a welcoming atmosphere. We ordered the traditional beef pho, the beef and meatball pho, the mango salad rolls (a must-try!) and the teriyaki chicken dish.

The ingredients and sides were fresh. Pho portion was very large and had a great ratio of noodles and meat. I especially like how many noodles were in the pho.

Teriyaki chicken was flavorful, not too salty or sweet and was perfectly cooked. Not rubbery or dry.

3 entrees and an appetizer came out to about $40.

We will be visiting again for more pho and to try...