Phở Bằng — Restaurant in New York

How have I never reviewed Pho Bang? I Come here easily once a week. 25 large w/ iced coffee. In ‘05 When I first moved from DC I was looking for a ‘pho 75’ equivalent and it took About 3 months till I found my way out to elmhurst. A blind pick from Google maps, finding this place kicked off my interest in eating my way thru elmhurst & queens in general. The neighborhood is a gem and filled with friendly people And amazing food. Pho bang is no exception.

Pho bang Feels like the pho cafes I grew up with; I can say it feels “real” at least from what I have experienced that means in America: everyone is a little gruff & it’s a little grimy.. imho just as it should be. As you’d expect from an OG, service is quick and priced appropriately; definitely Not a $25/bowl bougie vegan stock pho spot you’d find in bushwick. This is the real deal, broth served glistening with rainbow beef tallow and the pork cha-Gio so hot you could easily Melt the skin off your roof of your mouth (don’t forget to wait at least 5 min).They always forget my water & you pay at the counter. In my opinion these are traits you look for in a quality pho spot / Vietnamese restaurant (Being serious here). Don’t fear the communal tables during busy times; everyone is too busy to pay you any mind just sit eat and enjoy.

I have been coming here almost 20 years & it’s the only restaurant left standing I discovered the first year I moved here from DC. That should tell you something right there - its been up I think since 1989? aside from the mysterious few years it was closed but not out of business (weird) I really don’t even bother with other pho spots, unless someone tells me I need to try it …and then usually they’re wrong…

The folks here know me & my wife; and our order. It’s taken some time but every so often I get a smile from the friendly but stern mom/dad/son combo who are always at the helm. We like the staff and find it adds to the charm of the place. food is always amazing and sometimes even better somehow earlier in the week, like mon/tues. old school east coast Vietnamese restaurant vibe hard complete with rocking jams . elmhurst location is the best- with Mott street maybe 8/10 when you’re stuck in the city … sometimes I wonder if they are owned by same family?

Even so, I’ve never eaten anything bad off either menu. Keep in mind you’re not going to either location because of aesthetics; you’re going because you’re hungry and these guys are not messing around when it comes to making the best pho on the east coast.

One warning: The parking lot can be really tricky these days since they re painted it - for some reason it’s been chaos ever since . Now I opt for street parking on bway / neighborhood most days and ignore...

DISGUSTING- GOT DIARRHEA 1-DO NOT BRING YOUR GUEST THERE, you will be embarrassed. Entering the door ,you will be welcome by MOPS, BROOMS, DIRTY ROLLS OF FLOOR MAPS , stuffs that they should keep in the back alley of the restaurant, I was confused and not sure that I was getting in thru the front door or the back door. That will turn your stomach. 2- DO NOT GO THERE LATE NEAR THE CLOSING TIME.You will get food from the bottom of the pot . We ordered an additional Bo Kho ( beef stew) to go, we got diluted food with few pieces of meat , tons of stomach ( which should not be there) , they probably scrapped the pot and add some broth and stomach from the Pho to fill up the order. My friend ate it and had a diarrhea immediately afterward. 3- The Pho was another disaster, it was served in a tiny bowl packed with noodle which leave no room for broth, it was no taste. 4- THE GRILL MEAT OVER RICE ( Com Xuon Bi Cha) was also served in a tiny plate Not a dinner plate, WHAT IS WRONG WITH THEM? They close the restaurant and have no more decent bowls and plates to serve?, oh yeah more.read on... When we asked for refilling the hot tea, one of the waiter responded from the table far behind : "NO MORE TEA!"..........huh?....... "you must be kidding?" I answered, the cashier heard me and come up with some tea that left from the little pot, they empty the hot water for the closing, so......? CAN THEY ACCOMMODATE THEIR GUESTS OR SAID SOMETHING MORE POLITE? apologetically? I DON'T KNOW IF THE OWNER CARE TO IMPROVE THE BUSINESS WITH THIS REVIEW OR NOT . They are very busy making money. We had made a special trip back from the beach to eat there. No more . I , MYSELF , PLUS MY FRIENDS WILL NOT GO BACK THERE again. People! .... there are other Vietnamese Pho restaurants, where you are served with more care...

Rejoice! The original Pho Bang in Elmhurst has reopened again, after years of being closed. Although I’ve dined here multiple times throughout my childhood with my family, it was Ben’s first time at this iconic Vietnamese spot. Although there are a couple Vietnamese restaurants all within a few minutes walk from each other (Pho Bac & Pho Best), Pho Bang is definitely my favorite. It’s a no-frills restaurant that’s always packed.

We ordered #3 Cha Gio (Vietnamese Crispy Spring Rolls) and two #29 Tai Nam Gan Sach (rice noodles beef broth pho bo). The spring rolls contain a mixture of pork, chicken, crabmeat, and black mushroom. The pho contains fresh eye of round, navel, tendon, and omosa. If you want the meats well done, go for #30 Chin Nam Gan Sach pho!

Cha Gio (Vietnamese Crispy Spring Rolls): 4 pieces for $7.50 8 pieces for $14

Pho bowl sizes: Regular bowl $11 Large bowl $11.50 Extra large bowl $12

Ben ordered the extra large pho bowl and I got the large pho bowl. The patrons come in non-stop at Pho Bang (we were there at 2:30pm on a Sunday - no wait), so the workers have a very efficient system of getting the orders out to the customers as fast as possible. We even got our pho bowls before the appetizer came! The crispy spring rolls were just the right amount of crunch on the outside and chewiness on the inside. Love the sauce it comes with. Don’t forget to wrap the spring rolls up in the large leafy greens! To no surprise, the bowls of pho left us feeling both super full and satisfied.

Can’t go wrong with a steaming bowl of pho on a cold winter day in NYC. You can park in the parking lot (although it’s usually difficult to get a spot) and you pay at the front desk after your meal (cash only).

Pho Bang is such an Elmhurst classic; we’ll definitely...