Simply Pho — Restaurant in Salem

Too Simply Pho or Simply NOT Pho would be more accurate for the name! I used to work and lived in the Salem-Keizer area for 15 years. I still drive through, check out, and support new eateries every chance I come through. I was excited about Simply Pho and What A Big Disappointment!

Perhaps this place is good for other Chinese dishes which I will never know because I will definitely not come back nor recommend it to anyone. If you want mediocre Pho, this is not even worth your penny, let alone authentic Vietnamese Pho. You'd be better off spending your money at Kim Huong on Silverton Road; this place is family-owned and it's as original as it gets for Pho in Salem. Kim Huong is not the best Pho, yet it's solid and decent for the area.

As a born and raised Vietnamese in Viet Nam for my first 2 decades, I should have left when the waitress told me there was no Vietnamese or Vietnamese speaking in the kitchen or owner. She thinks they are Cantonese. Again, I still have fond memories of the area and want to continue to support any new business and root for more.

The second red flag for me was when I saw broccoli, bok choy, and carrot slides in the Special Pho-Pho Noodle Soup with Wonton I ordered! There was way too much noddle in proportion with everything else that came with it. The broth was completely bland with absolutely no flavor whatsoever. The word Pho should not even be associated with such bland and unflavored broth!

I came in around 5 p.m. on a rainy Sunday in September 2023 and the place was packed with around 5 people waiting for a table and take out the wait was 20-30 minutes every time the phone rang and the waitress told them so.

The place is clean, cozy L-shape at the corner to the right of Great Harvest Bread Co. on Commercial Street and Madrona Avenue, across Freddy's. There is no zero star on Yelp, so one star is for Simply NOT...

I've been searching for a quality pho place in Salem for a while now. It feels like everywhere else you have to settle for sticky tables, slow or non existent service, or inconsistent food.

I am happy to report that I have found My Pho Place! The food is delicious, selection options on the menu covered more than just pho, service was fantastic, and it was just a nice space to eat dinner.

Service: greeted and seated immediately, got drinks AND food within minutes of ordering each. The wait staff were very friendly and helpful. I would say service was A+

Food: it was exactly what I hoped it would be. Delicious, not-soggy noodles and a warm delicious broth.

Atmosphere: probably my favorite part because it feels like it was thought and planned out to the small details. For example, the lights along the main row of tables is different than the ones at the tables by the front door, but the lightbulbs match between the two and also match the hanging lights outside the windows. The restaurant is set up so from almost every table you can see the server stand at the entrance, so it has a small intimate restaurant feel but still provides plenty of space.

Tl;dr my boyfriend says "simply pho, is simply delicious" and I loved how they set...

I stopped by to see the new restaurant that had just opened in town . I was so excited to try it because of all the good reviews I had been reading boy was I disappointed! I mean if your going to call you’re restaurant “ Simply Pho “ at at least get the pho right. I have had pho at many places over the years and I have to regretfully say this is got to be one of the biggest pho fail. Broth is bland, no texture or aroma what so ever other places you can smell the aroma as the bowl arrives at the table. Here I literally placed my nose close to the edge of the bowl and yet wasnt able to catch the aroma and the meat content was terrible!!! I ordered the large and it came with half a meat ball, about 4 pieces of paper thin round steak , one grape size piece of tendon and some tripe.Pho is a vietnamese signature dish.but as I looked through their menu, it's a fusion of mainly chinese dishes...and some japanese the place is called "SIMPLY PHO" hmmm...I will for sure will find my way back to try their other dishes. but Pho is definitely...