Pho: The Complete Guide to Vietnam’s Famous Noodle Soup and the Best Pho Spots in the USA

Pho

Lean over a fresh bowl and the steam hits you first: star anise, charred ginger, a hint of cinnamon. Then comes the broth, clear and deep, poured over soft rice noodles and thin slices of beef that cook right in front of you. Add a squeeze of lime, a handful of basil, maybe a swirl of hoisin, and you’re holding one of the world’s great comfort foods.

Phở (pronounced close to “fuh,” with a slight rising tone) is the national dish of Vietnam and a staple across the United States. This guide covers where the soup came from, what goes into it, how to order like a regular, and where to find the best bowls in America, from Little Saigon in California to Houston’s Asiatown.

Quick Guide

Where Pho Came From

Northern Roots

Historians believe the soup began in Nam Định province, in the Red River Delta of northern Vietnam, sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. Vietnam was under French rule at the time.

The French ate a lot of beef, which made meat and bones easier to find in local markets. Cooks used the leftover bones to make broth. Some food historians point to the French stew pot-au-feu as an influence, while others look to Chinese beef noodle soups or a Vietnamese water buffalo dish called xáo trâu. No one knows for sure, and the debate is part of the fun.

Hanoi’s Street Stalls

By the 1930s, the soup had become a favorite in Hanoi. Vendors carried mobile kitchens on shoulder poles through the Old Quarter, selling bowls to workers on their way to work.

The Move South

In 1954, after the First Indochina War, Vietnam was split in two. About a million people moved from the north to the south, and they brought their recipes with them. In Saigon, cooks changed the dish. They made the broth a little sweeter, added more cuts of meat, and served it with plates of fresh herbs, bean sprouts, and sauces on the side.

Arrival in America

After the fall of Saigon in 1975, hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese refugees resettled in the United States. Many opened small restaurants, and the soup came with them. Since most refugees came from the south, the Saigon style became the standard in America. Today, you’ll find it everywhere from big-city food courts to small-town strip malls.

Northern vs Southern Style

What’s in the Bowl

The Broth

The broth is the heart of the dish. A classic beef broth starts with beef bones, often knuckle and marrow bones, simmered for many hours. Cooks char onions and ginger over an open flame, then add them to the pot with toasted spices:

• Star anise
• Cinnamon
• Cloves
• Coriander seeds
• Black cardamom
• Sometimes fennel seed

Fish sauce and rock sugar balance the flavor. Great restaurants simmer their broth for 10 hours or more. Some, like spots in Houston and Los Angeles, go 16, 18, even 72 hours.

The Noodles

Bánh phở are flat rice noodles. Fresh ones are soft and slippery. Dried ones are more common in the U.S. and still work well when cooked right.

The Meat

Here’s a cheat sheet for reading a menu:

The Garnishes

Most American restaurants bring a plate of fresh add-ons:

• Thai basil: Sweet and a little peppery
• Bean sprouts: Crunch and freshness
• Lime wedges: A bright, sour lift
• Sliced chili or jalapeño: Heat
• Culantro (ngò gai): Like cilantro, but stronger

On the table, you’ll often find hoisin sauce, sriracha, chili oil, and fish sauce.

Other Types to Try

• Phở gà: Chicken pho, lighter and gingery.
• Phở chay: Vegetarian or vegan pho with vegetable broth and tofu.
• Phở khô: “Dry” pho, with the broth served on the side.
• Phở trộn: Noodles tossed with sauce and toppings, no soup.
• Hot stone pho: Served in a sizzling stone bowl that keeps cooking the meat.
• Phở đuôi bò: Oxtail pho.

How to Order and Eat Like a Regular

1. Pick your size. Many places offer small, large, and extra large.
2. Choose your meat. First-timers often go with tái (rare steak) or the đặc biệt (special).
3. Taste the broth first. Before adding anything, sip it. A good broth stands on its own.
4. Add herbs a little at a time. Tear basil leaves and drop them in.
5. Go easy on sauces. Many fans put hoisin and sriracha in a small side dish for dipping meat, so the broth stays pure.
6. Use both hands. Chopsticks in one, spoon in the other.
7. Slurp away. It’s normal and helps cool the noodles.

Health and Nutrition

A bowl can be a filling, balanced meal. Broth made from bones offers protein and minerals, the herbs add freshness, and rice noodles are gluten-free. Watch the sodium, since broth can be salty, and go light on sugary sauces. Chicken or vegetarian versions are lighter options.

Making It at Home

You can make a solid bowl at home with patience:

1. Blanch beef bones for 10 minutes, then rinse to remove impurities.
2. Char an onion and a piece of ginger over a flame or under the broiler.
3. Toast star anise, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, and cardamom in a dry pan.
4. Add bones, charred aromatics, and spices to a big pot of water.
5. Simmer on low heat for at least 6 hours, skimming foam.
6. Season with fish sauce, salt, and rock sugar.
7. Strain, then pour over cooked noodles and thin raw beef.

The Best Pho Spots in the USA

Below are 27 standout restaurants, grouped by region. They come from respected local guides, awards, and long-standing reputations. Hours and menus change, so check before you go.

Southern California

1. Pho 79, Garden Grove, CA Address: 9941 Hazard Avenue, in Orange County’s Little Saigon. Opened in 1982 by Thọ and Liễu Trần, refugees who named it after 1979, the year many of their family arrived. The James Beard Foundation named it one of America’s Classics in 2019, and it earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2021. Order the oxtail.

2. Pho Filet, El Monte, CA A San Gabriel Valley favorite for northern-style bowls with an aromatic broth and wide, flat noodles.

3. Saigon Eden, Alhambra, CA Known for a clear beef broth simmered with oxtails, cinnamon, and star anise.

4. Pho Ga District, Rosemead, CA A chicken specialist using organic birds in a Hai Phong style. Try the Hainan chicken rice too.

5. Golden Delight, Rosemead, CA Famous for hot stone pho, served in a sizzling stone bowl, with a mixed Vietnamese and Chinese menu.

6. Camp Pho, Venice, CA A Westside spot with a dark, rich broth simmered for 72 hours and plenty of vegan options.

7. Pho Gyu, Koreatown, Los Angeles, CA Uses wagyu beef bones for a broth simmered 12 hours, with self-serve toppings.

8. Pho Ever, South Bay, CA A broth simmered for 16 hours, plus generous bánh mì and strong Vietnamese iced coffee.

Northern California

9. Turtle Tower, San Francisco, CA A Tenderloin institution serving Hanoi-style chicken pho with a light, gingery broth and thick, chewy noodles. It’s one of the best places in the country to try the northern style.

10. Pho Huynh Hiep 2 (Kevin’s Noodle House), San Francisco, CA An Outer Sunset favorite with a sweet, spiced broth, a full range of beef cuts, and frequent lines.

11. Pho 2000, San Francisco, CA Large, budget-friendly bowls in the Tenderloin. The rare steak is a go-to.

Texas

12. Pho Dien, Houston, TX A pho-only spot in Asiatown known for tender marinated filet mignon (tái ướp) and an aromatic broth. Regulars order the #1 đặc biệt.

13. Pho Danh, Houston, TX Family-run since 1998 inside Hong Kong City Mall in Asiatown, known for traditional beef pho with every topping.

14. Pho Duy, Houston, TX Rich broth that needs no sauces. The special bowl comes with oxtail.

15. Pho Saigon, Houston, TX A Midtown spot on Milam serving since 1998. Try the phở tái with a Vietnamese iced coffee.

16. Ong Jas Viet Kitchen, Pearland, TX The Houston area’s go-to for hot stone pho, with a beef broth simmered over 12 hours.

17. Pho Ve Dem, Houston, TX A late-night Asiatown spot with a broth simmered 17 to 18 hours. Don’t skip the durian ice cream if you’re brave.

18. Pho Sapa Noodle House, Houston and Katy, TX Known for phở trộn (dry pho) and phở đuôi bò (oxtail pho), with a helpful picture menu.

Pacific Northwest

19. Pho Bac Súp Shop, Seattle, WA Run by the Pham family, whose original Pho Bac, opened in 1982, is called Seattle’s first pho restaurant. The modern Súp Shop in Little Saigon is known for its rib pho and a broth slow-cooked with bones and marrow.

20. Ba Bar, Seattle, WA A Capitol Hill spot from the Banh siblings that makes about 800 gallons of broth a week, simmered 10 hours after the bones are cleaned and blanched.

Mid-Atlantic

21. Pho 75, Arlington, VA Founded by Le Thiep, a former Saigon journalist, and Binh Ngo, and named after 1975. It was the first pho-only restaurant in the Washington, D.C., area. The main location is at 1721 Wilson Boulevard, with branches in Virginia, Maryland, and Philadelphia.

22. Pho 75, Philadelphia, PA The Philly branch of the D.C.-area classic, often ranked among the best bowls in Pennsylvania.

New York City

23. Pho Bang, New York, NY An affordable, no-frills southern-style spot on Mott Street with a recipe dating to 1985.

24. Nha Trang One, New York, NY Family-run in Chinatown since 1992 and known for one of the cheapest good bowls in the city.

25. Phở Gà Vàng, New York, NY A homestyle chicken pho specialist in Two Bridges, often called the best chicken pho in town.

26. Madame Vo, New York, NY An East Village spot where the signature Madame Phở broth simmers for 24 hours.

Rocky Mountains

27. BoHeo Pho Kitchen, Denver, CO At 2553 South Colorado Boulevard, this quick-service spot is praised for a broth reviewers call “incredible, clear, and clean.” Nearby, Pho 95 and Pho Duy on Federal Boulevard are also local favorites.

Quick Picks by Craving

How to Spot a Great Pho Restaurant

• The menu is focused. Places that do one thing well often do it best.
• The broth is clear. Cloudy broth can mean it wasn’t skimmed with care.
• The herbs are fresh. Wilted basil is a red flag.
• It’s busy at lunch. Local Vietnamese families are a good sign.
• The aroma hits you at the door. You should smell spices, not just beef.

Fun Facts

• Many Vietnamese eat it for breakfast.
• Restaurant names often include numbers, like 79 and 75, tied to years that mattered to their founders.
• Seattle has so many pho shops that locals call it the city’s unofficial soup.

Final Thoughts

Pho began as a humble street food in northern Vietnam and became a global favorite carried by refugees and immigrants. In the U.S., it reflects the story of Vietnamese Americans who built new lives and shared their food with their neighbors.

Whether you try a classic beef bowl in Little Saigon, a gingery chicken bowl in San Francisco, or a sizzling hot stone version in Texas, every bowl tells part of that story.

Key Takeaways

• Pho is a Vietnamese noodle soup that likely began in Nam Định province in northern Vietnam in the late 1800s or early 1900s.
• Northern style is clear and simple, while southern style, the most common in the U.S., is sweeter with lots of garnishes.
• Classic broth uses beef bones, charred onion and ginger, star anise, cinnamon, clove, coriander, and cardamom.
• Common cuts include tái (rare steak), chín (brisket), nạm (flank), gân (tendon), and bò viên (meatballs).
• Top U.S. spots include Pho 79 in Garden Grove, Turtle Tower in San Francisco, Pho Dien in Houston, Pho Bac in Seattle, and Pho 75 in Arlington.
• Taste the broth before adding sauces to judge its quality.