Pho Van — Restaurant in Havelock

Pho Van under new ownership since 5 or 6 months ago is a MUST-go for your Vietnamese and Thai food cravings. The dishes we got were so delicious and had complimenting flavors, true to the dish. When we heard from our friends that this restaurant had NEW owners and a restaurant make over, we wanted to give it a try ASAP. Here’s what we got:

Veggie spring rolls - good, quick appetizer post hike for us. There’s only 1 spring roll left in my picture (originally came with 4 rolls) because my camera was not fast enough. Pho Beef - my husband got this and I stole several big bites to taste test, and loved it. Pho beef is suppose to be a light, yet flavorful broth, and this one was just it, so tasty! Try the broth before you add your Hoisin and Sriracha condiments, you’ll appreciate the taste of cozy warmth that pho brings. Spicy catfish - This is Thai style and I got spicy level 5. Fresh veggies with a bowl of white rice! Loved it so much.

We tried so hard not to over order since we just went for hike. But, we cannot wait to come back to try other dishes and support husband and wife owned, Aaron and B :) They are both so wonderful to chat with, food AMAZING, restaurant is clean, and our waitress (a young girl), was sweet as well.

My husband and I are rooting for Aaron & B’s success in an area that truly needs delicious Asian food for the many out-of-state military men and women on base without having to drive to Raleigh (2 hrs 15 mins-ish from New Bern/Havelock) for decent Asian meals. Give this place a try, you won’t be...

What a WONDERFUL addition to Havelock. My family has tried several dishes, all takeout. The portions are HUGE & the QUALITY is consistent. This is not fast food, this is worth your patience food. The Pad Thai we’ve tried 3x’s, it is sweet and tangy, the noodles are chewy and cooked perfectly. Everything you want in Pad Thai is right here. The Pad See Eu is full of blanched broccoli (EVERY PIECE Fresh & Vibrant), yummy chewy noodles tossed in a sweet soy sauce. The Shrimp fried rice was full of Large Sweet Shrimp & the savory flavor on point. Definitely a dish we will reorder. The Papaya Salad was deliciously bright, crunchy & full of umami flavor. The ORANGE CHICKEN is FABULOUS! BEST on this Coast. The crispy batter is similar to a light tempura, but so much better. Also don’t forget to squeeze the orange on the chicken for extra YUM. You cannot go wrong with any appetizer they are all delicious. The Scallion Pancakes, Wings & Pot Stickers 10 outa 10. My only tiny complaint is the Fresh Spring Roll Peanut Sauce, I did miss the usual added Hoisin. Fortunately it’s a staple in my home so I was able to add it. That being said, their sweet chili sauce & Thai Tea is definitely hands down the best I’ve ever had. I’d say Customer service is equally important to flavor & quality. The owner/operator & chefs are truly exceptional. If you have an issue let them know, they...

Finally, a really good pho restaurant! We are kind of "pho snobs," and have been disappointed with every other pho restaurant (except one) from Sneads Ferry to New Bern over the years we have lived here.

Reading the recent reviews that Pho Van is under new ownership, and has fabulous food and staff, I had to give it a try as I traveled home from the airport. I ordered two beef pho and fried spring rolls to go.

When I got home, the first thing I noticed was the deeply-colored broth. Wow, a change from the watery broths that we usually encounter.

We got everything heated, assembled and spiced, and after several bites, we both gave Pho Van two happy thumbs up! Next time I will order an extra serving of the sprouts/limes/basil, as the to-go orders can definitely benefit from a bit more of this goodness.

And the fried vegetable spring rolls were very tasty and crunchy too!

If you like good pho, I highly recommend giving the new Pho Van a try. Do yourself a favor and only read reviews from about January 2024 forward, as the prior ownership was not nearly as good, but these older reviews are pulling the restaurant's ratng down.

Now we have a great place when we head to the Morehead/Havelock area as well as the one (unexpected) place when we head to...