Big Pho is never busy when I go, but the food is as consistent as I am at getting things I like... which is, very. I always get a My Pho without tripe and tendon, extra meatballs. Seriously - I'm so completely sold on those meatballs that I will willingly pay for more than the single one that comes standard. When you bite into one halfway, dunk it back in the broth and eat the rest... mmm... it's just bursting with flavor! It's not like that standard processed "mystery meat" meatball with MSG like in Argyle and Chinatown, it's just *tasty.*
Anyway, no complaints about the pho itself as a whole. What I love about the serving that impressed me the very first time, was how each bite had a great ratio of noodles to meat. Meat in every bite?! I'm the kind of person who hunts out the meat and tries not to consume all the carbs, so if I run out of meat, I'll most likely stop and leave noodles. Not here. I'm not big on drinking all the broth, but it does have that distinct pho taste to me, definitely beefy. My b/f gets the chicken pho and it's definitely bland compared to mine (what do you expect), tastes almost healthy, haha. One thing they do not serve is cilantro or Thai basil; instead, they serve mint on the side along with the bean sprouts, lime and jalapeno.
Smoothie tastes pretty good, like real strawberries are used. Barley tea is served, apparently it's only seasonal though. Vietnamese coffee, is ok.. eh, I think I order this one forgetting that it's not what I think it is. I love coffee, but maybe they're not making it right, here...
Chicken wings tasted like bigger wingdings to me (like from Jewel?) Sort of. Not bad, but no sauce or anything. Fried rice was like a Chinese fried rice. Lots of options here.
The Korean lady who is usually running the place is super nice and always on top of my order. I always greet her in Korean, maybe that helps? Haha. I believe there is a guy that works on the weekends in particular; he's nice but a little quieter on his service.
This was our first time given "Pho" is in the business name we were expecting it to be awesome. At first glance it appeared to be nothing more than watered down beef broth. No seasonings floating on top and rather clear compared to other places on Argyle. But the flavor was surprising pretty good especially for the chicken terriyaki that we also ordered. The gentlemen was friendly at this location!
Review Source:The Pho here is not good at all. Their Pho tastes pretty bad and far from what one would consider real Vietnamese Pho. Â I am Vietnamese and I eat Pho all my life. The place was dead when I was there, I was their only customer. Maybe they didnt' want to prepare the Pho properly for their only customer?
Review Source:I ordered take out and got a beef and meatball pho. The customer service here was good cuz the lady was nice and friendly. But when I arrived home, the noodles were soggy and they didn't even give enough meat. They just gave really small pieces of beef and 3 measly meatballs. The pho wasn't even that great. I was very disappointed hoping that this place was going to be good enough to go to since I live right by here.
Review Source:I first tried "Big Pho" in 2007 I believe with my BFF. At that time me and him were new Vegetarians. It felt like they didn't really have anything for us in terms of PHO because it was all made with either a beef or chicken base. After talking to the owner about it, come to find out a few weeks later he added a vegan Pho to the menu with a lovely veggie broth. My BFF and I were overjoyed. He was able to still have his favorite food and I had a place where I wasn't so limited in terms of choices.
Review Source:Big Pho serves really big pho, and I'm glad because it was damn good. Â The noodles were plentiful, the meat and vegetables were delicious and the beef broth was savory and salty. Â I did eventually hunger for a bit more/different flavor, but the spicy sauces on the table satisfied that craving.
My girlfriend had the beef with noodles, also delicious, but the noodles were eventually way too much. Â Which isn't necessarily bad since they were a good flavor, but the enormous sticky globs of them often overwhelmed the beef and vegetables.
Overall, for 8 bucks you get good food, and a lot of it.
This would have been a 3 star review as everything was standard vietnamese fare, however, the freshness of the ingredients, the cleanliness of the restaurant and the meatballs earned them a whole extra star!
We started with the sping roll sampler, they were ok, but I am not a big fan of spring rolls the eggroll was delicious though, it had an almost cinnamon taste to it but it worked very well!
I had the make my own pho and had green and white onions, meatballs and steak. The steak was ok but the meatballs were delicious very flavor and just the right texture!
I will definitely be back on another chilly day to get me some more of that meatball pho!
Big Pho is a cleaner and mildly more inviting version of a Chinese take-away. More of a restaurant than a take-away, but quite casual. The service was friendly and the place was relatively clean. We had only stopped in for some appetizers....we both got the Vietnamese coffee...it was good, but akin to any iced coffee anywhere...I was hoping for the traditional condensed sweetened milk...but no bother, it was still good.
We ordered a plate of dumplings which came with some sauces...the dumplings were pretty good, but somewhat forgettable (though very well prepared) and the sauces were ok. We also ordered the combination roll - a plate of egg roll, spring roll, fried spring roll and big pho roll....these were very good.
I admit, the place specializes in Pho - which we did not order - but I had absolutely no complaints. For a quick Vietnamese bite to eat, this place is perfectly acceptable.
I stopped here on my way from work one day because I was craving some Pho. I'd had it twice before and this one was good, but the broth was too sweet. Luckily I have all the goodies at home to spice it just the way i like it ;) and this was probably the priciest bowl of pho I've ever had.
Review Source:Ok, I know nothing about 'pho', but I do know a thing or two about service, and I had some excellent service at Big Pho this evening!
Everything we had was yummy: spring rolls, dumplings, three different kind of pho, chicken fried rice and smoothies (pineapple, strawberry and green tea). Everything tasted great! I would eat it all again anytime!
But the greatest part about the evening was our server. She was attentive without being a pest. She was all kinds of awesome! And we kept her busy, too! My son was late meeting us, so I ordered for him near the end of our pho. The food was ready before he showed up so she kept it warm in the kitchen. She was right on it when my boy finally arrived. As soon as he sat down she slid a plate in front of him, then left and returned with a small bowl of broth because he was cold.
I'm glad to live only a couple blocks away from Big Pho! I can tell we'll be frequenting it!
I don't know if other yelpers truly had a real pho but  this place is just average for me.  First, i don't know why it takes 20 mins to make pho when the broth is made the night before and the ingredients only take 2 seconds to prepare.  broth is average at best i think, and the meat balls are just too small to call it "MEAT BALLS"  more like small marbles in my opinion.  and their spring rolls...  I have never seen such small rolls in my life!!!!!!  most of the pho places i've visited, their rolls are packed tight and 3 will make you full, but noooooooooo.  Not at big pho, i could probably eat about 10 of them and still feel little "hungry"  Call me fat ass all you want but I think they overcharge a bit for spring rolls and they are not even packed with lettuce or rice noodles.  I mean seriously, how much will that cost?  like $.10 EXTRA?????  I think with little changes in their broth making techniques will do wonders for this place.
Review Source:I did not know this restaurant was not Vietnamese owned. Â This place gets 2 starts because the restaurants owners were really nice. Â i ordered Pho with Beef Steak, Brisket and Meatballs. Â It was very tasteless and unauthentic. Â The beef meatballs tastes like the frozen beef meatballs you get from the grocery store and the broth was very blan. Â It is not my taste or style of Pho.
Review Source:I drive past Big Pho quite a bit, and never really stopped by until recently. Â I was very impressed with the gallon of broth they brought me, which was okay, flavor-wise, but the amount of food in the Big Pho was most welcome. Â With some Sriracha and some of the red chili sauce, it got spiced up pretty well. Â
I have no idea what was in the meatball, but it was just awesome. Â Next time I go back, I'm getting the Pho Bo Vien, which I hope has a whole lot more than 1 measly meatball in it. Â Not the best pho I've had, but still very good in my book.
Big Pho is not a misnomer - the pho is huge enough for two to easily share. Â I typically get the veggie pho, and taste wise, it was pretty basic with nothing to rave about, but a decent meal non the less. Â The noodles do soak up the beef broth well, and I love the mushrooms in it - wish there was more. Â This is a perfect meal on a cold day or if you are feeling under the weather.
The main reason Big Pho gets 4 stars instead of 3 is their smoothies. Â I don't have room for one when coming here, but I can't not get one because they are amazing. Â The strawberry is good, they must have ice cream and real strawberries in there. I also get the Green Tea quite regularly - a good mild treat. This is my go-to cool treat for the summer. Big Pho also has tea and coffee flavors.
Big Pho isn't usually very full in the evenings, but they are always hoping (especially in the Korean community) during lunch - this must keep them afloat. Â A bonus is that Big Pho is that it is open later than some other restaurants in the area on Lawrence. Â This is still not very late, but dang some other places close early on a Friday night!
This was our first time visiting Big Pho and I must say everything was EXCELLENT! Their Vietnamese style iced coffee was so amazing I had 2 of them! Their egg rolls and spring rolls were so good, my British friend (who doesn't care to eat them) said they were very good as well.
We shared a Chicken Teryaki between 4 of us and it was the absolute best I've ever had! The broccoli and onions accompanying it were very fresh and not real soggy, like most restaurants that seem to overcook their vegetables. The chicken was very tender and flavorful.
Their Pho was out of this world. Granted it was my very first time eating it so I do not have anything to really compare it to, but I am definitely going to return many times as their prices are reasonable and their portions are more than filling. (Good to take home) :)
Despite how many people are going to argue that the best Pho in Chicago is to be found on Broadway near Argyle, I am going to have to rate Big Pho the best that I have had in the city so far.
Having moved here recently from Seattle, I was craving the kind of great pho that one finds there (not sure why, but it has become sort of a staple in that city). I have tried a few of the places up near uptown, but most were just mediocre.
At Big Pho, you not only get your standard offerings, but they also have many vegetarian, seafood and chicken options. Really nice when you need a break from the beef.
As of this post, this is the only place I will be having pho in Chicago. Highly recommended.
I always order the 2 same things: My Pho with brisket, and start with a couple of the fresh Spring Rolls. Then it's heaven and I can die with no regrets and a very full belly.
I went there first about 2 years ago, when I did not know Pho yet. It was still under the original (Korean) owner. Now, I guess the owners changed, but as someone else wrote, it still has the same feel, the food tastes the same, and it is still as clean as before (think glass table tops wiped clean every time).
I have tried other Pho places as well (Argyle St), yet I keep coming back here despite living a bit further away now. Pho makes wonders in the dead of winter, I can hardly think of more warming food- ah, that big steaming bowl of soup!
I may not be a real Phodie, but I don't see the attraction to tripe... that chewy shit.... you don't want no part of that!!!
Great place though, check it out.
We had the veggie pho and veggie fried rice. The broth was good and I have no complaints about either dish. If you think Koreans can't make pho, you need to get over yourself and rate the food based on something real.
Great for the price, and it was helpful to park in the lot. A regular who came in seemed to be having a great time wolfing down his pho and hot sauce, which made me feel more excited to eat mine.
I was so excited to find a Pho place somewhat near to my house. I agree with some of the other reviewers that the pho here is fresh lighter and not as greasy as some other places. This might be due to the fact that they really do not put alot of meat in their soups. Usually, when I eat pho at Argyle, I can eat about half the bowl, leaving lots of noodles left over. At Big Pho, I found myself wanting for more meet. However, the place is clean and the service is friendly. I am originally from the San Jose, CA area, so Pho is a big deal to me. Paying $8 bucks for a bowl of pho seems a bit pricey since they did not really give good sized portions. However, when I get a craving for Pho, I will definitely frequent this place again!
Review Source:No, no, and no. Â First of all, this place is owned by Koreans. Â Second of all, this is a chain from their 'infamous' Los Angeles location. Â Third of all, the pho is as unauthentic as you can get, and you really need to either go to an authentic one, or have one of your close Vietnamese friend's mother homecook you a bowl. Â The beef pho I had was disgusting; the broth is unflavorful, the beef was unappetizing, the sauces made it even more gross, and the experience forced me to never eat pho ever again. Â A waste of $7, really honestly truly.
Review Source:Pho's fraternal twin. The eponymous dish at Big Pho is similar to pho you can get on Argyle but it's still not the same.
As other Yelpers have noted, the soup here is lighter than most Argyle renditions. Still, if taken on its own terms, Big Pho is quite good. Although slightly lacking in complexity, I found the pho here to be bright and fresh. Perhaps they could be a little more generous with the meat. My 'big pho' had only a few slices of beef and was missing the tripe and tendon. Loved the lone meatball, though (more like a Swedish meatball than the typical Vietnamese variety). The springrolls were crunchy and tasty. No complaints on those.
The service is friendly and efficient, and the space clean and attractive. The clientele during my visit was exclusively Korean -- I heard a lot of 'an nyoung han se yo' going around! It appears that Big Pho is now offering a couple of Korean dishes (noodles in cold soy soup, fried dumplings). They also advertise fresh fruit smoothies and blended green tea, vanilla and mocha iced drinks.
Overall, I'd say Big Pho adds some welcome variety to Albany Park dining. Very convenient if you live in the area and don't want to haul yourself over to Uptown. Add half a star for that!
So tempted to rate this with 4 stars, but it wouldn't be accurate. Korean-owned pho restaurant, located in what used to be Koreatown in the city.
The pho is decent. Catered to a Korean palate. The positive thing I can say in comparison to the authentic Vietnamese places on Argyle is that the pho here, the establishment in general, seems cleaner. Of course, my being Korean, I guess I'm biased. But the owner just comes off as one of those people that tries to avoid going on the cheap and consequently unhealthy.
That's one of the reasons I prefer the place too, it comes off as mom and pop.
Beef fried rice was... very Chinese. The chicken fried rice, if I recall, was like my mom makes it (i.e. Korean). I could be wrong though.
There aren't any pho restaurants in Albany Park (that I know of), so I decided to check this place out. Â We ordered the fried spring rolls, seafood and beef pho, beef fried rice, pho tai, and a banana & mango smoothie.
The fried spring rolls came piping hot and crunchy, with a lettuce leaf to wrap it in and dipping sauce. Â These were excellent. Â The seafood and beef pho was just...ok. Â The broth was very light, with a few slices of beef, some tail-on shrimp, a couple mussels, scallops, and imitation crab. Â The flavor was too light for my tastes. Â The same with the pho tai (beef tenderloin). Â
The beef fried rice was pretty good, with lots of bean sprouts and some pickled radish on the side. Â I would definitely order it again, take it home and eat it with a fried egg and kimchi. Â I also enjoyed the banana and mango smoothie. Â
Overall, their pho was too bland for me, but I'll definitely be back for their other dishes. Â They also offer fried noodles, teriyaki, and other cold blended beverages. Â Free WIFI between 9am-2pm, Mondays - Saturdays. Â The owners are very friendly, as well.
Their version of pho = 2 stars
Their other dishes = an extra star
I absolutely love this place. It was one of the first places I tried when I moved to Albany Park and I'm just in love with it. The Pho is delicious, and the noodle dishes are superb - never overcooked or greasy. I love taking friends here, and my only complaint is that it is a bit far away from me! :)
Review Source:ted c. brought me here raving about the pho. Â he was right. Â the pho was great. Â i also like how the menus were english friendly. Â many times, i've scratched my head at vietnamese restaurants wondering what i just ordered. Â but there are no surprises here. Â want some tendons? Â or meatballs in your pho? Â you got it! Â and you know exactly what you've ordered.
the meat in the pho was tender and the broth was seasoned well. Â the only gripe i have with it is that they gave you way too much broth. Â this made it seem like there weren't enough noodles in the pho. Â but after you're done, you'll realize that there were plenty of noodles in your bowl. Â i think this is a conspiracy to have customers order more noodles or something. Â haha. Â i kid.
It's a pho restaurant run by Koreans, but I ordered something to go that was not the pho. The combination teriyaki contained beef, chicken, shrimp and vegetable with white rice. The fried rice was OK. There were also small bowls of a brothy soup. Everything was just OK. I will try the pho next time - it sounds better.
Review Source:
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,972 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,318 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,915 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,987 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
