What The Pho — Restaurant in Denver

What The Pho in Denver, Colorado, is an absolute gem that deserves every bit of its five-star rating. From the moment you walk in, the warm, inviting atmosphere sets the stage for an unforgettable dining experience. Whether you’re a seasoned pho enthusiast or a newcomer to Vietnamese cuisine, this restaurant caters to all with its impeccable flavors and friendly service.

The Food The menu is thoughtfully curated, offering a wide variety of Vietnamese dishes that highlight the authentic flavors of the cuisine. Among the standout items are the Bánh Mì Sandwich and the Appetizer Sampler, both of which left a lasting impression.

The Bánh Mì Sandwich is a masterpiece. The bread is perfectly crusty on the outside and soft on the inside, just as a bánh mì should be. It’s generously filled with your choice of protein (I went with the grilled pork, which was tender and flavorful), pickled vegetables, fresh cilantro, and a slathering of creamy mayo. The balance of flavors and textures is spot on – the sweetness of the pork, the tangy crunch of the pickled veggies, and the freshness of the herbs come together beautifully. It’s a perfect example of how a simple sandwich can be elevated to a work of art.

The Appetizer Sampler is another must-try. It’s a great way to get a little taste of everything, especially if you’re dining with a group or just want to explore the menu. The sampler includes a variety of items like crispy spring rolls, delicate shrimp dumplings, and tender chicken skewers, each cooked to perfection. The dipping sauces provided – from tangy peanut sauce to sweet chili – complement the appetizers beautifully, enhancing the flavors without overpowering them.

The Pho Of course, no visit to What The Pho would be complete without trying their namesake dish. The broth is rich and aromatic, simmered for hours to extract deep, savory flavors. Paired with fresh herbs, lime, and tender slices of beef or chicken, it’s comfort food at its finest.

Service and Ambiance The staff at What The Pho are attentive, knowledgeable, and genuinely passionate about the food they serve. They’re more than happy to make recommendations or accommodate dietary preferences. The restaurant itself is clean, modern, and cozy, with tasteful décor that reflects the cultural roots of the cuisine.

Overall Experience What The Pho goes above and beyond to deliver an exceptional dining experience. The quality of the food, the welcoming atmosphere, and the outstanding service make it a standout spot in Denver’s dining scene. Whether you’re stopping by for a quick lunch, a casual dinner, or a celebration with friends, this place will not disappoint.

I highly recommend What The Pho to anyone looking for authentic Vietnamese food in Denver. Be sure to try the Bánh Mì Sandwich and the Appetizer Sampler – you’ll...

From the Bay Area CA so I didn't have much expectation going into here but somehow my bare minimum expectations were too much.

First off, our server although very nice, didn't know what we wanted to order or understood us when we asked about certain items on the menu. Not a knock on them, rather just seems like untrained personnel on the menu.

Our biggest gripe was with the food. For a place held in such high regard in downtown Denver, we expected so so so much more. We ordered several iterations of the beef pho and all of us (5 at the table) got basically different tasting soups. The bowl I got had the main flavor profile of city tap water and a lacking of beef flavor. Two bowls that got delivered later tasted significantly different than the bowls we got before. To the point where we genuinely thought the soup was mixed up with the vegetarian option. The soup was bland in flavor, tasted mostly of tap water, salt, and MSG. There was a lack of pho flavor in all the bowls, on top of having dry meat and a minuscule amount of noodles for the price paid. To give you an idea, pho here is more expensive than in SF, second most expensive city in the US.

We asked the server which asked the younger Vietnamese owner/server if the soup was wrong. He told me, in Vietnamese, that they're busy and the soup is going to taste different. And that it did, the soup tasted like they ran out of pho broth and decided to put tap water and more salt to make more soup. And to my offense, he told us that we are eating the soup wrong because we aren't putting in saracha and hoisin sauce and that the pho isn't "Vietnamese" style like they make it in Northern California. If you don't know, saucing up pho soup is sacrilegious to the chefs that spent 12 hours preparing the dish. Pretty disappointing coming from and heard by a Vietnamese person.

We also ordered the "what the pho special appetizer" which came with dry meat, undercooked porked egg roll (which gave me the runs after but that's a story for another time), and overall less meat than you'd get at a regular com tam/broken rice plate. All for a cool $40, you can be disappointed in the food and your wallet.

Overall, pretty disappointing experience all around. I hope that the owners can take better pride in Vietnamese cooking and just do better. I hope they take our mandatory, forced 25% tip and put it...

Our entire experience at What the Pho was a mess and I hope to help prevent this from happening to others by sharing this review.

Although we were sat right away, it took around 20 min before we were visited by our server.

After another 30 min, we received 3/6 meals and no silverware to eat them with. By the time we finally got our silverware, our soup had cooled off significantly.

Half of our party's food never came out. When asked where it was, it took nearly an hour before 1/3 missing dishes finally arrived. At this point, we canceled the remaining two meals because it wasn't worth it to wait for them any longer.

We had to repeatedly ask for the check and didn't receive it untill we walked up to the counter and had it printed in front of us. We were shocked to see a 22% gratuity added to the bill. We had to speak directly to the owner and ask for this to be removed. He was argumentative about it, claiming that it was due to us being a party of 6...however only 3 of us were served.

There was an administrative fee added to the bill for using a credit card which is uncommon to see on restaurant bills as it's usually built into the overall cost.

The owner removed the 22% added gratuity and we left a tip we thought was fair for the service we were provided.

We were extremely polite and patient during our entire visit, despite the disorganization, bad service, and missing orders. We were kind in asking for our missing orders and the added gratuity be removed.

As we walked out of the restaurant, the owner followed us and had the audacity to yell at us for not leaving a bigger tip.

It was an extremely disappointing and stressful meal. We thought we analyzed the bill correctly, but got home to see we were double charged for one of the meals and ended up paying an additional $16.

Overall, this was a terrible dining experience from beginning to end. Needless to say, we won't be going back and would not recommend this...