Pho Viet 126 Vietnamese Restaurant — Restaurant in Blaine

Ok so a lot of folks drop 5 stars, and I used to do it a lot. Lately I drop 4 stars for great, and reserve 5 stars for perfection. Well this is a true 5-star. It's unfortunate others have had not-so-perfect customer service here. But I go for mostly food experience, and this place took the prize for the best bowl of Bun Bo Hue in town. Yep you read that right. Better than my standard-bearer spots: iPho (Frogtown), Pho Tau Bay (Eat Street), Quang (Eat Street), and A Chau (Maplewood.)

Their Bun Bo Hue is served authentic style, with brisket, pork hock, meat pie, and tendon. The broth is truly the best BBH broth in town, full flavored, right amount of spice, and I did not have to adjust it ONE BIT. They did not skimp on the noodle or meat portions, as many places do, and there was the right amount of broth for the size of bowl. It's not the biggest bowl compared to others, but completely adequate.

As for customer service I did come on a weekend lunch, so things were laid back, but they still had healthy business. The food came quickly, and I was waited on well.

The only draw back is the parking lot is on the small side for the number of businesses at this tiny strip mall, so I can see I'd probably plan to just park on the side lot instead during weekday lunch rushes.

Their menu is full-on Vietnamese, with all the offerings you'd find in all the Asian hotspots of Frogtown, Maplewood, or Eat Street: Pho Dac Biet, Bun, Rice Platters, Bahn Mi sandwiches, and Vietnamese Coffee. (Sorry no bubble tea.)

So after an entire summer of looking for Authentic Asian food in Blaine and north Suburbs along Hwy 65 north of Hwy 10, I have found it. Pho 126 off 126th is the only game in this part of the metro (Blaine, Coon Rapids, Ham Lake, East Bethel) serving up a full-menu authentic...

After looking around, my family decided on this place. I didn't want to hit the same place, so we went to a distant restaurant.

I'm a big pho eater and a big critic on the subject. I've had pho from MI, to NY, to CA, to LV, etc.

Coming in, the place was very busy. We had to wait about 10 min. This is totally acceptable since we wanted to eat during the prime time, 6-8pm.

The server was quick and the food came out very fast! Crazy fast. I got a glimpse of the kitchen and they have many cooks and one bus boy. Adding another bus boy would make the dine in experience a lot faster.

The pho broth was excellent. Warning, the broth is the oily kind. Some will love it and others might disagree. It comes out very HOT.

I would give it a higher rating but my wife did not like oily pho broth. I was fine with it. I had the Pho DAC Biet. Perfect! All the correct items. Nothing skipped. Presentation was perfect too. No issues. I also had the Banh MI Thit Nuong. This was also good. Not dry. Just perfect.

Highly recommended!

I did notice that this place had hmong customers too. So, this place has been accepted by the hmong people.

Also, this place is clearly owned by Vietnamese people. Half the workers do not understand English. You might say 'Thank you', but you might not get any answer from them. You just need to accept...

This place is one of, if not the best and most authentic Vietnamese restaurants in the state despite the size and location. I have tried many Vietnamese restaurants in this state I have also traveled to Vietnam with my wife who is Vietnamese. Her parents who are native to Vietnam and have only visit America a few times will also agree that this place makes the best Vietnamese food around. I have ordered almost every item they sell and have yet to be disappointed. The prices are set properly based on the quality of food, staff, cleanliness and overall experience. I would not hesitate to recommend this to anyone looking for a good meal not just Vietnamese food.

Ps. To the poster who mentioned the bowls of pho coming out at different times and piping hot. This is completely normal of MOST cultures I have visited abroad. In Vietnam it is the same way, your food is brought to you when it is ready, that way you don’t have to wait 15min while the other dishes are prepared. Pho is best enjoyed HOT and that is partly why it is done as well. You will notice this in many of the local Asian restaurants and some other more authentic regional eateries. I just wanted to add my two cents on that post. I don’t believe this restaurant deserved a 2 star rating based on the posters explanation...