Pho Real — Restaurant in Boise

We arrived and were seated with water and menus. It was at least 20 minutes before our order was taken. We ordered one Thai tea (server informed us they were out of boba so we ordered it without boba), the Cha Gio as an appetizer and a small and large Pho. The Thai tea came out first and seemed to have been made from a powder. Server then brought out our pho and said “we are gonna do things backwards, I’ll bring your appetizers out in a bit. Do you need anything else?” We had to ask him for the garnishes. Which was 2 limes, 3 slices of jalapeño, a few leaves of basil, and a small pinch of bean sprouts. We were never brought hoisin or chili paste or sriracha or any sauces. The meat in the broth was severely overcooked. The broth was very bland and tasted like barely salted tap water. After another 20 minutes or so we never received the appetizer. I went to the counter to ask for our check and to take the appetizer off. He brought the check and said “sorry about the appetizer.” $46 later, for 2 bowls of bland overcooked pho and a powdered Thai tea, we left still hungry and unsatisfied having left our food uneaten. We watched another couple walk out without paying. We watched someone come in and stand at the counter for a pickup order and never be addressed by staff for 20 minutes. The table behind me received the wrong dish, and the server helping their table argued with the customer over what she ordered. A family with 3 boys came in and that server got their order wrong as well (they ordered beef pho and received chicken) the server asked “do you want me to take it back?” The restaurant was not even half full and even if it was busy the staff was not trained well and had terrible customer service. The food being bland and spendy made it worse. The entire experience was one of the worst I have received in my life. I will give it 2 stars for atmosphere just because it was...

Fresh food with great staff and a homey atmosphere.

TL;DR: If you like, are interested in, or are even apathetic towards Vietnamese food, give this place a try sometime. Decent prices with vegetarian options and banh mi (for the light-eater or lunch-goer), in a nice environment with great service.

Each time I've been to Pho Real, the experience has been great. TJ, the server, is very friendly and professional, and has personally known everything I had to ask about the food. Service isn't always the fastest, since (as Jackson, the owner, told me) they're a tight crew, but it's more than a fair trade for the quality. The food itself is very fresh and clean, which immediately puts it well above the other (quite mediocre) pho places in this valley.

For their signature pho, their beef broth isn't overburdened with fat, and has a subtle yet robust flavor that stands on its own—so do try it first before adding Hoisin—and their vermicelli noodles are fresh and springy. The tendon is of a meatier cut that typical pho tendon, and the meatballs seem to be made in-house. I've seen some complaints that people have felt shortchanged on the beef, but I found the portion to be healthy, and I'd argue that the broth carries the protein and fat from any "missing" meat.

In addition to the pho, I've tried a few of their other dishes—though not the vegetarian pho yet, so I may update this review later with that. Those on a budget might skip the appetizers to keep their bill around $20 per person, but I will say their vegetarian egg rolls are crispy and flavorful. The vermicelli bowls benefit from the fresh vermicelli, and the scallion oil shines in the grilled chicken. Lastly, don't overlook the banh mi, which are very well-constructed and offered around $10, making them a great...

Fresh, clean, and uncompromised

I want to start off by saying that I don't usually write reviews for places, and I've never considered myself a food reviewer. But after trying this place, I felt almost compelled to do so because the food, the staff, and the atmosphere were just that good.

When I first moved here from the East Coast around five years ago, the first thing I noticed was that there seemed to be a surprising lack of diversity in the food. Specifically with Vietnamese places: I've tried almost six of them over the years, and I found it difficult to want to go back to any of them for one reason or the other. So when I discovered Pho Real, I had low expectations, but they truly surprised me—not just with how wonderful the staff was, but with how clean and fresh the food was. The flavors were there, everything tasted fresh and handmade, and more than even just how fresh and flavorful everything I tried was, it was all very clean. Some Vietnamese places I've tried here tend to wrestle with achieving the trinity of cheap, good and clean. Some manage to tackle one or two of those, but never all of them. That's something that the owner, Jackson, and his staff have been able to achieve.

All in all, the flavors were on point, the staff was excellent, and the food was exceedingly delicious and memorable. The prices were also very fair and reasonable—I would've happily paid more for what I got. (Their website has all the prices listed, for those who want to see the current rates.) I plan to return here regularly, as this has quickly become my favorite pho...