Pho Noodle Station — Restaurant in Champaign

As someone who has reviewed well over 100 pho restaurants, I can confidently say: this is not one I’ll be returning to.

The Good: The customer service was reasonably friendly, and the front-of-house was clean and presentable.

The Bad: The side plate of accompaniments—bean sprouts, lime, basil—was lackluster. As shown in my photo, I received only two basil leaves and a small portion of sprouts. I asked for more and received additional sprouts, but no basil. I didn’t press the issue further since my request seemed to cause visible frustration, possibly due to a language barrier.

The spring rolls were passable, but far from memorable.

The Ugly: Unfortunately, the pho itself was just… bad. As a franchise, Pho Noodle Station seems to have standardized the worst possible version of this dish. The broth—arguably the soul of pho—was shockingly bland. It lacked the depth, richness, and complexity of a proper bone broth. In fact, it tasted like it came from a packet. When hoisin sauce becomes the only source of flavor, something is deeply wrong. A well-crafted broth should never require condiments to make it palatable.

The other ingredients were fine, but even great noodles and meat can’t redeem a weak broth.

Bottom line: Unless major changes are made—starting with the broth—I can’t recommend this place. I’m not demanding a 24-hour simmered broth, but I am expecting something that at least resembles authentic pho. This didn’t come close.

If you’re brand new to pho, this might seem adequate. But if you know what a good bowl should taste like, you’ll walk away disappointed.

Should they fix the broth, I’d consider giving them another chance. Until then, I’ll be avoiding this and any other locations under...

The food was great, but whoever was serving us last night should be advised not to take the menus before we’re even done telling her our order. I had to grab her attention to even finish telling her my order because she was already walking away with the menus, and it just made ordering extremely awkward. We frequently had to call her over for things and not once did she ask if we needed anything else. I wanted to ask for a couple extra things, but It was obvious she wanted to get away as quickly as possible. It was just overall poor service on her end as a server and if I ever come back I hope she doesn’t serve me nor my friends. Again, the food was great but the service, no. She’s the only server I’ve had...

Pho Noodle Station is easily one of my go-to spots when I’m craving something comforting and flavorful. The broth is rich and aromatic, the portions are generous, and the meat is always tender and well-cooked. Their pho is legit — you can tell it’s made with care. I also really like their spring rolls and the Thai tea.

Service is quick and friendly, and the place is clean and casual — perfect for a solo meal or a chill hangout with friends. Prices are reasonable, and you leave full and satisfied. Highly recommend if you’re in the area and want a solid...