Pho Bar Vietnamese Kitchen Pembroke Pines — Restaurant in Pembroke Pines

Pho Bar Vietnamese Kitchen is hands down, my favorite Vietnamese spot in town. We are regulars at the Davie and Pembroke location. I'm a huge fan of their food, the vibe at both locations is great and the service is always wonderful.

As soon as we arrived, a young gentleman greeted us and sat us outside. Weather was beautiful and breezy so we opted to sit outdoors. He handed us menus and said our server would be right with us. Then a few minutes later, he came right back and said he would actually be our server. Lol. His name was Anh. I'm happy we had Anh because he was incredibly personable and friendly. Very engaging. We were talking about the new changes to this location and he let us know they will be adding a bar for full bar service soon and renovations are coming soon. Cool. I also noticed on their website they will be opening up a brand new location in Orlando in the heart of Asia town off Mills Avenue. So excited for Orlando to get a Pho Bar! Woot woot.

On this particular visit, I noticed they updated a lot of things. They took out the high tops and all the tables are now low tops. Less empty space, more seating availability. Smart. Effective immediately, there is also a new automatic 18% gratuity added to all checks. Anh confirmed the menu is also a bit different, they took out the full snapper main dish and Che options. They added Banh Beo, shrimp pho, shrimp & noodles or rice. Guests wanted more seafood option so they made it happen.

I immediately noticed they added Banh Beo aka Steamed Rice Cakes to the menu. This is one of my favorite Vietnamese dishes, but it's a rare find at any Vietnamese restaurant. I was super excited to order this as our appetizer. For dinner, I was undecided because I was starving and wanted everything. I ended up ordering the Bun Thit Nuong. Always a good idea. The kids got the kids pho and kids grilled pork and rice.

Pho Bar gave the Banh Beo their own twist and added a few different toppings you don't normally see on this dish: minced pork belly and shrimp, fried shallots, scallion oil and crispy pork skin. I was super excited for this dish but to be honest, the execution could have been better. The spoon they served with the Banh Beo was cheap and thin, no joke as it literally hurt my hands because of the low quality. I loved the toppings and it had so much flavor. Unfortunately, the Banh Beo itself did not meet my expectations. The dish came out cold, it was thick and also dense. Listen, the flavors were still there but this didn't wow me like the majority of Pho Bar's menu items. I've had fresh Banh Beo many times in LA every time I visit. It always comes out piping hot and it's soft and thin. You can definitely taste the difference in freshness. Like they literally pour the fresh batter into the Banh Beo dishes and make it fresh to order. My mom makes this dish too so I know what to expect. As much as I love Banh Beo, I don't think I would order this again. Or maybe I would consider giving it another chance and hopefully next time it will be better.

I like the kids menu as they are perfect sized portions for kids at almost half the cost. The kids pho was $11 and the kids grill pork & rice was also $11. Fair price for the amount of food they get. Love when restaurants have a kids menu option, especially when it's not just Mac & cheese or chicken tenders. Lol. Way to keep it Viet friendly Pho Bar!

Had a wonderful experience but what made it more enjoyable really came down to our amazing service with Anh. I can't say enough nice things about him. He is just incredibly personable and attentive. Made our dinner that much better. Appreciate the stellar service Anh....

I have been coming to the pho bar for a couple years, and I come every year on my birthday and in special occasions as well. And I would have to say this place is the best pho I’ve ever had aside from their pho Being the best there are other items on there that are just as amazing. If you wanna know what to get here is my recommendation! The vegan pho Is amazing at first I used to get the shrimp pho, Which is really good, but when I tried the vegan pho I fell in love, as for the appetizer, I typically get the grilled muscles. I’m telling you one order is not enough because it’s so addicting today for the first time. I tried their coconut muscles because the waiter recommended it and I have to say it was just as good. It’s so hard to choose, which one to get because they’re equally that good The grilled muscles is more of a crunch and has a little bit of a spice kick and the coconut muscle gives a sweet but kick taste and don’t forget to add in. The leaf that they put as garnish I forgot what it was but it’s a traditional Vietnamese, from what the waiter explain that they usually put on their food and it’s amazing. It adds a bit of a freshness to it. I also tried their spring rolls. They are amazing with the peanut sauce very fresh. I also have tried their wings, which is amazing and their coconut water is amazing. I definitely recommend their Thai tea and their mock tails are amazing as well. I do have to say about the mock tails. It’s a bit pricey and they put it in small cups. I would say it’s not worth it. Wish it was put in bigger cups for that price but aside from that the flavor and everything was amazing. I also tried their fresh lemonade for the first time today and I would have to say it’s really really sweet so you have to water it down or at least let them know to lessen the sweetness. I also have tried their chocolate mousse, which also is great. I haven’t tried the desserts other than the chocolate mousse, but it’s not too sweet. It’s just the perfect sweetness. Overall, I definitely recommend this place and the waiters and the staff there are amazing and sweet! So if you are looking for a great pho place come...

I'm going to be 100% honest on this review.

I'm not going to lie, upon arriving I scoffed and said "oh yippee, another gentrified watered down asian fusion spot." eyeroll.

HOWEVER, I quickly changed my mood upon entry so that I can get a clean slate and judge it appropriately.

The service is AMAZING. My partner and I were greeted and acknowledged IMMEDIATELY by two different employees.

Albeit, I was that customer who came in 30mins to close. They didn't show me that they were annoyed at all;(service has really gone down the drain in general) which was very refreshing.

The pricing was market friendly so competitive.

Now for the most important part.... the flavor.

The pho broth taste like it was made in house BECAUSE I can taste the star anise. The broth this day had slightly too much star anise for my taste but definitely comparable to the pho I've had in Los Angeles, CA. So definitely yummy. The meats were great but the shank was not what I'm used to in traditional Vietnamese spots. (Still amazing though).

The smoothies were yummy (wish I'd order non-dairy tho).

I recommend the avocado smoothie.

Lastly, THE WINGS. I got the honey garlic and LAWD, the seasoning in them were PERFECT.

FINALLY somewhere that serves honey garlic and I can TASTE the garlic.

Overall, I would be back.

Service was amazing!

Anyone in business understands that service...