Noodle & Pho — Restaurant in Chattanooga

First of all, this place now called "Noodles & Pho".

I been craving Pho for quite some time now and this place delivered exactly what I been missing.

There was several good reviews on UrbaneSpoon, therefore I decided to give it a try. From the moment I walked through the front door I was in convinced that it was the place for me.

Place was very clean. Modern decor made the place feel inviting, professional and well taken care off. Place is not very large and probably no more than 40 people could fit in there.

I was greeted by friendly staff, possibly owner. Menu only has 24 items and almost fits on a single page. After glancing on the menu, I went with my usual choice of "Pho Bo Vien" (meatballs). Since I was extra hungry I asked for some rolls. Waitress recommended fried spring rolls.

Knowing what to say you can have larger bowl for small additional price. Pho Bo Vien was $7.50 and larger bowl $9.00. Pho and spring rolls came out almost at the same time, within 10 minutes after I placed the order.

Spring rolls came with its own sauce, that had a hint of sweetness. Three good size rolls were split in half for easier handling with chop sticks. Rolls had good pork flavor that was complimented by sweet sauce.

Pho comes with a side of fresh mint leafs, sprouts and lemon to add to your taste. Sriracha and dark sauce (possibly duck sauce) is already on every table. Once I have added enough of each, it was time to dig in. This was exactly what I have been missing for some time. Broth had very unique taste paired with ton of Sriracha made it just right. Noodles were just right, tender but not overcooked to where it is falling apart. Mint and lemon bring out the flavor even more and adding just enough extra flavor without overpowering the base taste of the broth.

In the time I took me to finish my meal, several other people came in. Looking around it was clear that everyone who comes there comes for Pho.

5 of 5 Atmosphere and decor 5 of 5 Friendly, professional staff 5 of 5...

I got the Chef's Bowl for $18.50. My son's treated me to dinner at Noodles and Pho. It was good and a lot of food. Just know that the prices are a lot higher than what they are on the menus that you find online. Sorry, I didn't think to take pictures of the menu while I was there. I did ask for a takeout menu, but that isn't available. I had been hesitant before because I had eaten pho at another restaurant in Birmingham which was good, but more brothy than I would have liked (It's my understanding that that is just how Pho is). So I was looking for something without a lot of broth. The Chef's bowl was not brothy at all. It came with a little bowl of liquid with pepper flakes and spices to pour over it. I'm sure there was a name for it, but I don't know what it's called.After tasting that by itself, I wasn't sure if I liked it or if I would like it poured over, but I did like it poured over. If you like things a little more spicy, there is Sriracha sauce on the table. I probably wouldn't go there by myself, but my boys really like eating there and I would go again to spend time with them. They finished their food in half the time it took me. Some reviews I have read said that the server was rude. I didn't think she was rude, but as some other reviewers stated, she wasn't very talkative and was pretty much no-nonsense and just taking care of business. I wonder if it is because of a language barrier. That would also explain why some reviewers said the server couldn't give them a description of the menu items. Some reviewers said they felt rushed in ordering and some said that she was slow in returning or filling drinks. I felt she gave us enough time to look at the menu (and this was my first time) and she was there to fill our drinks when needed. If you like this kind of food, you will likely enjoy...

Noodles & Pho is our go-to, absolute favorite Vietnamese restaurant. This is a little restaurant and is usually busy during dinner hours. I'm pretty sure it's run by two individuals, one in the back of house and one in the front. All that to say, yes, the service is slow. Yes, the server is sometimes curt and seemingly impatient. Is it worth it? Absolutely! The first few times I visited I stuck with pho. Which is uniformly excellent. I have also ventured away from pho and tried some of the other offerings. The bun is awesome, the baked chicken and sticky rice is freaking nuts, it's so good. Today I tried one of their rice plates and was presented with an amazingly flavorful porkchop, rice, a cup of bone broth, a lovely salad, and the best sweet, spicy, tangy, chili sauce ever. This restaurant is only 4.2 because people take exception to the level of service. We have kind of organically come to the understanding that when we come to Noodles & Pho we will be here a while, but it will ultimately be so worth it. The food at this little gem of a restaurant is a 6 out of 5. If I could give her more...