iPho Vietnamese Cuisine — Restaurant in Symmes Township

Food was decent, not great. We tried there last week based on the reviews we had seen. We've never eaten Vietnamese food before and wanted to try Pho. We explained we had never been there before to the server but he was not very helpful in explaining the menu or the Pho to us. I don't know if his English was all that strong so I kind of gave him a pass on that. What was unacceptable was we put in an order of appetizers - Spring Rolls and Winter Rolls and hot tea. We waited and waited. My wife was coming from work and was hungry so I asked him if he had gotten our order for appetizers (he had pressed us twice to take the rest of our order). He seemed like he forgot. We got the tea and rolls one minute before our order. So we tried our best to eat what we could of the rolls and not let the rest of the food get cold. Winter / Summer Rolls were forgettable. Sauce was good though.

On to the entrees. The Beef noodle dish we got was just OK. To be honest, tasted like the beef was deep fried (ala Panda Express style) and thrown on top of rice noodles with a few stir fried veggies beneath. Mostly noodles with crisp, hard beef (from frying it). Sauce for it was good though if that's any consolation.

Pho was the "star" of the meal. I liked the Pho, so that salvaged the trip here I suppose.

When ready to ask for boxes, we couldn't find out waiter. Perhaps he was busy in the back. Might have cooked the meal too for all I know. This was a bit concerning, though, considering there were two other people in the restaurant (we were one of two tables) that saw we were finished and could have asked us if we needed anything. Nah. The others got our server and he delivered our check. Our table, by that time, was piled with dishes. Not an offer or an attempt to clear one dish.

My wife and I worked in restaurants 25 years combined at all different levels. We normally tip 20% minimum and 25% for good service. Only in really bad service occasions do I tip 15%. This server got 10%. I hated doing it to him but it was by far the worst service I've had in nearly 5 years of dining out. My wife (who was a waitress 15 years) wanted me to leave less than that. There was little to no effort placed in serving us or making us...

Looking to go where the local Vietnamese satisfy their cravings for authentic Vietnamese cuisine and a taste of the homeland of their forebears? That would be iPho in a nondescript strip mall with ample free parking on Montgomery Road in Symmes Township, conveniently accessible off exit 19 on I-71. The variety of traditional noodle dishes -- phở and bún -- on the menu would satisfy the cravings of the most exacting Vietnamese. More importantly, the rich and flavorful tastes and flavors, with the aromatic spices, lemongrass, fermented shrimp and fish sauces mark these dishes as authentically Vietnamese, without being Americanized unlike Chinese cuisine in the US. Highly recommended is the bún bò Huế (see attached photo) with it's lemongrass, chili oil, shrimp and fish sauce, that is the hallmark of Central Vietnamese cuisine generally and the former imperial capital, Huế, in particular. Also highly recommended are the phở dishes generally. My favorite is the phở tái nạm (see attached photo). To cleanse off the savory aftertaste, try a traditional Vietnamese dessert like the chè ba màu (see...

I love pho and have tried many of the different Vietnamese restaurants in Cincinnati. IPho has become my absolute favorite. I recently had to have surgery and the one thing I requested was takeout from IPho. I even tried their taro milk tea and it was the best I’ve ever had. The food is so comforting and the people who take the orders are so kind. I remember before my surgery was scheduled I was leaving the hospital and called them to ask a question about the menu and was told they were closing soon so I wouldn’t be able to place the order online but they’d take my order over the phone. I didn’t realize when I called how soon they were to closing, and the fact he still took my order was so sweet. They also never skimp out on the side of goodies that comes with the pho. There’s always a really good amount of cilantro, onion, basil, bean sprout, lime, etc. I’ve had nothing but awesome experiences with this place and will continue to support their...