Kingdom of Pho — Restaurant in Rexburg

We came into town to visit our family and decided to try this place because of how high it was rated. As we enter the restaurant, we were not greeted immediately but after we sat down someone else served us and service was friendly.

The food though made from scratch was not authentic. I am surprised at how many people are saying that this place is authentic. I am curious to what they’re comparing it to. Pho is made often in my home as a comfort food and popular in my culture. My parents are from Laos and Thailand. Grandparents from Vietnam. The pho was just meh and it has a slight funny taste to it. The meat was not the right cut. No meatballs and way too overpriced for this place.

The spring rolls was the worst for me. It’s not a taco. Why was it so watery and not wrapped correctly? I tried to pick it up and eat it but water was just running down my hands. The plate had a lot of water in it. I couldn’t eat it. That’s not how you should eat a spring roll. Everything was falling apart.

The crab Rangoons or cheese wontons was alright. It was doughy so it was undercooked and packed with too much cheese.

Now, the boba. The tapiocas were so hard I couldn’t even chew it. The drinks were so thick. Not very enjoyable. Since, we’re on the topic of drinks, please serve water in a clear water cup. I’ve never seen any restaurants serve water in dark cups. People like to see if their water is clean so serving it in clear glass cups is common sense.

I also thought this was a pho place so I’m curious as to why they’re serving bulgogi or Korean bowls here. I didn’t try those. For a restaurant like this, their menu is very small and you could tell by the food, they didn’t specialize in anything special.

My family and I came in in a big group and so we tried a little bit of everything. We were hungry. I was mainly disappointed because I came with high hopes and expectations and they didn’t live up to it. Maybe they’re new and still testing the waters but I sure hope this place will magically turn around and thrive here as it is the only pho shop here. I hope they do well.

Overall, the environment has a nice ambiance to it. Not sure if I will return and will recommend this place.

8/23/23 In response to the owners comment, we came in two different times actually. The first time was right before July 4th and the second time was about 2 weeks ago. I’ve been wanting to leave a review then but I don’t leave reviews often after my first visit. I always give restaurants a second chance but our second time around wasn’t that great either. Don’t get me wrong. Service was great but the food wasn’t. It seems like your response to low reviews and how you respond to others really says a lot about how you take criticism. It was my honest review. Either way, I wish and hope you thrive. It is the best in...

Updated: Wayne is one of the best restauranteurs and chefs in town and around!

He has always greeted us with a smile. Unlike many other spots in town that are ether rushed or not friendly. And I appreciate that.

His food shed (already one of our favorite spots in town to eat), and now restaurant, well my wife put it best, (it has just elevated my love for this place). The ambiance is amazing. Peaceful, simple, elegant.

This place has what many pho restraints are missing, the beauty warm fuzzy fragrance of Pho wafting around!

The food is a good portion size for the money. We can recommend pretty much everything on the menu. We tried the newer addition as of the time of this review the beef bulgogi. It comes with a scoop of rice and homemade kimchi! The bulgogi was velvety, creamy, and savory in taste, having been marinated for a good amount of time. The phó was warm and heartwarming!

This establishment really is a Kingdom of Phó!

The Ban mí is delicious with the best sourced bread or so I’ve been told. The boá like little pillowy clouds with tender and savory meat are a treat as well.

Highly recommend giving everything here a try!

Old review:

This place is one of the better places to eat in Rexburg! The owner Wayne has always been super nice and giving! The Food is excellent! It’s in the top spot for the best tasting Pho I’ve had! The 20” Bahn Mi is pretty incredible, he goes out of his way to get good bread! The Bao are also incredible. He has also been working on an eating area out of the weather and working on the Ambiance which is appreciated. Now there is a slight downside that stops me eating there more often and it is more of a personal issue. It’s pricey and I get why so I can’t knock it, only other thing is the Pho options are limited in the meat department. But that may or may not change over time. But for what he serves and what you get it is hard to beat, especially around here. Overall highly recommend definitely give...

This place was awesome, we just went to try it out but boy oh boy, we will be repeat customers!

The staff: The staff was very friendly and the nice girl at the window explained to us all the options on the menu and what the food itself was. When we asked for ours to go they did mention that if we were going far they could put the noodles in a separate container because they would soak the broth up. We weren’t going far so we had them just add them in and they were great! I noticed another reviewer said they had a problem with no noodles as side options for go orders, so obviously this business cares about public opinion and will respond to be better.

The location: This small building is located in a gravel parking lot in front of Wolfe Lighting (Where Smart Cents Auto used to be) but don’t let that fool you into thinking the food has any less quality!

The food: We got the yummy bowl with all the side options besides jalapeños and it was fantastic. The meat was very good, the noodles were very good, and the broth was one of the best things I’ve ever tasted. I prefer the Hoisen sauce added in as well. The portion was a very good sized bowl filled up with just enough room to add the side ingredients. My wife couldn’t finish hers but it was just right for me.

The price: For the quality of the ingredients and the taste of the food, this is well worth the price. The yummy bowl was just under $12 which is pretty average for most restaurant entrée options around here, but the flavor was far above average.

The bad: The only negative thing I found was the limited menu, but since it is a newer, smaller venue that is perfectly understandable. Also, if you have one great option, do you really need more? :)

Overall we had a fantastic experience here and are excited to be able to continue support another local business, especially with such a...