Fresh!
I mean, really fresh!
I had an avocado roll as an appetizer. It was my first Vietnamese roll and it came with this delicious dipping sauce. It was jammed packed with fresh avocado, carrots, herbs and a ton of other veggies all rolled up in a clear rice paper wrap. I was so inspired, I'll probably be trying to make and imitate this same roll for like a month.
I had a spring roll and noodle entree that brought me to tears... It was so good! It was stuffed with thin rice noodles, cucumber, carrots, lemongrass, radishes, leaves of something, and topped with two of the best spring rolls i have ever tasted. There was a large side of house sauce on the side that completed the meal. My simple description does not give this justice though! I closed my eyes with every bite trying to make it last longer.
Excellent service as well!
I've had better...in Chicago and California. Service was good, but the food was mediocre to okay. The pho was disappointing, not because of the taste, but it lacked substance. My favorite pho places piled on the vegetables and basil and sprouts, but here it seemed they were rationing to make the pho as minimal as possible while overpricing it. I decided to give it another chance and tried the lemongrass noodles, but that was a flop. It was small in portion and it left me unsatisfied while making my wallet lighter. :(
Review Source:I am not an expert when it comes to Vietnamese food, I have only had it once or twice. Last weekend I came here to try the Pho because it seems to be a really big food trend lately. The Pho here was delicious and filling. I had the regular size bowl which was big enough to fill me up and there were leftovers for a full meal the next day. I highly recommend getting the vinegary onions (which were basically just pickled onions) to go a
long with your soup.
I'm from an area close to Little Saigon in Southern California so it's safe to say..I know my  Vietnamese food. And my mom makes homemade pho all the time.
This place is pretty decent for middle of nowhere Indiana. The bowls are huge and you can order multiple kinds of meat in it. Price is under 10$ and it's especially good on a cold day. The spring rolls are super fresh and tasty - way better than Cre Asian to be honest. Order the fried spring rolls and the regular ones as an appetizer! You won't regret it.
Bowl of Pho also offers Vietnamese crack coffee (not it's real name) which is essentially just french pressed coffee & condensed milk. It's SUPER strong and will probably keep you up all night if you drink it too late. It's very delicious and authentic though.
Give this place a try! The atmosphere and food are way better than Cre Asian though it may be just a little further out.
Honestly, I'm a snob when it comes to Vietnamese food. Â Given a large array of food options, I will always choose Vietnamese, so long as I know the place is good or their menu looks worthy enough. Â Haha.
Anyway, being from the East Coast where there's a large selection of very good Vietnamese restaurants, I had very low expectations for this place. Â However, I was pleasantly surprised by the food. Â I usually find that the really good places have sort of their own unique touch, where they try to separate themselves from other Viet restaurants. Â This place definitely has that. Â They pay a lot of attention to detail ranging from their appetizers, to their entrees, to even their drinks. Â For example, it's rare that you find a place that will give you fresh and young coconut in their juice the way they do. Â Their fish sauce is also quite unique and quite good.
Really a nice place. Â Quite unique and I'll absolutely stop by again if I'm ever in the area.
Good pho, if a little bit underseasoned for my tastes; then again, I'm not going to punish them for making it correctly (supposed to be pretty mild) as I just douse it in hoisin sauce anyway.
All-in-all, seems reasonably authentic but I'll need to go back and try some of the rest of the menu to be sure.
Probably worth checking out for anyone who needs a Vietnamese fix in South Bend.
I love the food at this restaurant. Â The Pho is always wonderful, as is the Bun. Â Tried the Banh Xeo (Vietnamese crepe) recently and loved it also. Â Ingredients are always fresh and well-prepared, and the wait for the food is relatively short once orders are placed. The restaurant is truly one of the most unique and flavorful in Mishawaka.
Friendly, welcoming owners and a much improved wait staff. Â Definitely worth a visit.
I do enjoy the food at Bowl of Pho but they could definitely work on their service. A friend and I went there for dinner on a weekday night(Monday). The only waitress  took our order and came back with our food. She gave us chopsticks but forgot the silverware. Thats happens and is not a big deal, so we asked her for some. We just start eating our meal and she comes back with the checks without asking us if we would like to order anything else. We find it a little strange because it is 7:30pm and thats not even close to their closing time. She then keeps coming back to our table while we are eating to check if we have paid for the food! Very rude!
To be fair, I should mention that when I have been there other times and was served by other waitresses, they were really polite and the service was good. I might just avoid Monday nights ;)
A surprise find in Mishawaka! Lots of awesome places to eat in town, but if you want to try something off the beaten path... This is it. Outside doesn't look like a whole lot but in inside is nice and clean. The food size is huge and the taste is great! I love pho and it's nice to know I can get some when i get home sick for real Asian food!
Review Source:My daughter is a freshman at Saint Mary's College in South Bend, and I spent the weekend with her to help her move into her dorm. Her absolute favorite restaurant back home in Phoenix is a little Vietnamese restaurant that we've gone to for over 10 years. Who would've thought we'd find a little slice of heaven in South Bend!!! We just happened to look up Vietnamese food, and, lo and behold, Bowl of Pho was the first listing! Happy happy! Joy joy!!
We knew what we liked at our restaurant back home, so, we figured we couldn't go wrong with those! The House Special fried spring rolls were amazing! Light and crispy, with the perfect amount of veggies for filling! We then tried the Goi Cuon ( soft spring rolls wrapped with huge shrimp and vermicelli noodles), and were in love! The peanut sauce was perfectly blended, and made the flavors in the roll pop!
For our entrees, we chose the Bun, (Vermicelli noodles with lettuce, bean sprouts, carrots, radish, and cucumbers) mine with an egg roll and a grilled pork brochette, my daughter's with two egg rolls. The main difference I noticed right away was that they used fresh basil leaves as opposed to the mint leaves I was used to in Phoenix. It was topped with crushed peanuts and was served with the house sauce. It was delicious!!!
I'm looking forward to going back as soon as I can!!
YUMMY Vietnamese food! Wasn't sure if I would find the real deal in South Bend, but it was definitely authentic. Â The menu doesn't fall short of offering bbq dishes with rice, hearty soups, smoothies, etc. Â I'm a Vegetarian, and their GREAT vegetarian menu, that was tasty and healthy. Â I also had their carbonated lemonade - really refreshing. Very personable waiters. Â Highly recommended if you're looking for a delicious meal for any appetite!
Review Source:The food is very good, but the service is...well, pathetic. I don't care how good the food is, if I don't like the service or the way I'm being treated, I won't come back. My husband and I were still in the middle of eating when one of the waitresses (or maybe it was the owner), approached us and said, "Are you still eating?" We replied that we were, and about 10 minutes later, she came and asked us the same thing again. Once more, we told her "YES." Of course, she came again and asked a bit later, which REALLY irked me. It was about 6 or 7 PM, there were few people in the restaurant, and we just felt so damn rushed. I mean, if you don't want us eating in your restaurant, then tell us. If you have time limits for each table, them put up a 1-hour parking meter or something.
PLEASE STOP RUSHING US. It's rude, inconsiderate, and most of all, very, VERY unprofessional.
Bowl of Pho is a great place that you have to try. Â My girlfriend and I have been there three times now, I had something different each time, and never was disappointed!!
Pho is like a big warm bowl of soup with plenty of meats and fresh veggies... Â Very tasty and great for a warm-up on cooler nights. Â Then there are Bun dishes served with noodles, Vietnamese meats (a spicy pork mostly), super fresh veggies and herbs, awesome spring rolls, and a sweet and spicy sauce. Â So good!!
If you are not too adventurous with food, don't worry. Â They have an awesome Lemongrass Chicken with rice that me and my girlfriend love!
Service here has consistently been good. Â The place is comfortable and clean with a pleasant atmosphere. Â Also, their prices are very reasonable.
Five stars! Â Not because it's some uber fancy, high brow restaurant. Â Nope. Â But because it's great food, good service, good price, and offers something quite different!
I'm new to Vietnamese food, but having recently discovered the joys of pho, I've become a fan. Â When I heard this restaurant opened nearby, I was anxious to try it out, as the name suggested I would find something to like here. Â I've been here quite a few times now, and realized I never voted/reviewed it. Â I really like their pho, better than the restaurant where I was first introduced to it. Â I especially like it with the beef tendon (no idea what the proper name is). Â The broth is amazing, love the flavor, the noodles are good, and all the combinations of meat are good.
Why only 4 stars? Â I wasn't very impressed with the 2 types of spring rolls I've tried. Â That's probably because I grew up with Chinese food, and the Vietnamese version is different, and I wasn't impressed. Â Could be, it's just me though. Â
Place is clean, service is excellent, servings are huge, though seems to be traditional from what I see reading about it, to serve pho in large bowls. Â
Definitely will go back again and again.
This place is awesome! Â The food is fresh and tasty! Â We order the Regular Pho with steak. Â It is Delicious! Â We also always get the Cha Gio Viet Nam (#1 on the Menu) fried spring rolls and the Goi Ngo Sen (#9 on the Menu). Â The Goi Ngo Sen is sort of a salad with shrimp, Daikon radish, and herbs! Â Very tasty and fresh! Â
When they first opened, they seemed to have some problems with getting quality servers, and they changed out quite a few. Â Having been in the restaurant business myself, I know this is a common problem, especially with a new restaurant. I think they have this worked out now and our last few visits have been much better. Amy was our waitress for our last 2 visits and she is very good, I think she was waiting on everyone in the whole restaurant and she was doing a good job, no delays!
We have been here at least 30 times since they opened and I tried many items on the menu, some I liked more than others, but all were good! Â Don't be afraid to try this place! Â If you are not sure about Vietnamese food, just order the items I mentioned above, you cant go wrong!
Though it's located in one of Mishawaka's infamous strip malls, Bowl of Pho is a great excuse to get an excellent dinner during the week. Â While the prices are low, the quality of food is higher than most other Vietnamese/Asian-fusion places in the area. Â
I encourage ordering the rare beef pho and/or the bahn mi (with meatballs). The ingredients are fresh, the portions are huge, and I've always walked out feeling full and with leftovers. [And the pho leftovers taste very similar to getting the pho fresh from the kitchen, and I personally enjoy a meal that can be reheated to near-perfection.]
They also have a solid vegetarian menu, and the spring rolls with avocado are simply delicious.
Finally, on Wednesday's they have 20% off the final bill which makes it worth your while to eat here during the week.
Delicious, Healthy, Fast, and very Affordable. Where can you go wrong?
The pho has been consistently outstanding since opening. Want to try something different? Get the spicy pork soup. Unbelievably good... it's what the "natives" like to eat when they come in, which is always. Â Another awesome menu item is the Banh Mi #1, with pate and pork. Â Put a little sriacha on that bad boy and... oh my! Â Everything on the menu is tasty, really, but I always keep coming back to those fried spring rolls.
Not in the mood for water? Try one of their signature Vietnamese Smoothies. These are the real deal... there's always an extensive list of specials -- try something new like Jackfruit, or go crazy delicous with an Avocado smoothie (don't knock it if you haven't tried it yet). They've also got some really delicious renditions of iced tea or coffee, along with Boba Tea. Â Fun fun fun. Â
Probably not the best location in town, around the corner from the olde country buffet.
It boggles my mind that businesses still think that Grape Rd. is an ideal location. I know tons of people who completely resent driving down that miserable stretch of corporate pollution. A location in downtown SB would probably do twice as much business or more.
I have been eating here routinely since they opened, and the quality of the food has been very consistent. The vegetables and meat they use are always very fresh and tasty. Go check it out for yourself if you think this review sounds a little overenthusiastic.
One step forward and two steps back is how I would describe my last two visits back to this restaurant. I gave them a second try about a month ago just to see if they can redeem themselves. I'll admit, it seemed as though they've made vast improvements in their service. We stopped in on a Saturday afternoon around 1:30 and the staff was efficient and friendly, they were quite helpful with additional dishes for us to use with our toddler.
I ordered their "Superbowl", which is supposed to be quite large, but I was a little disappointed when it arrived for it wasn't as super-sized as I was led to believe. Other than that, the food tasted good and I would have given them 4 stars for that visit.
Now we are going to take two steps back. We  visited the restaurant again this afternoon. It was late in the afternoon, around 3:pm, so the dining room only had a couple of tables of guests when we arrived. The hostess stopped by to drop off the menus and said the waiter would be right with us. My wife and I perused the menu quickly and pretty much ordered right away when the waiter arrived. We ordered an appetizer along with a sandwich for each of us, and we also ordered smoothies as well.
At this point, a couple more tables had arrived. By the time the waiter returned, he was bringing out our appetizer. Mind you, we had yet to get our drinks or so much as a glass of water. We started on our appetizer, thinking that maybe the other wait person would correct this, but nope, they walked right past our table, oblivious to their surroundings. When the waiter arrived with our sandwiches, we still didn't have drinks and he mentioned that he will be back with the drinks in a moment for he had to make them. Â A couple more minutes go by and my wife finally gets her drink while he dashes back to his other duties. Another 10 minutes or so goes by and he finally has my drink made for me. Needless to say, I was pretty frustrated. Up to that point, we had been in the restaurant going on 40 minutes. During the entire time, the poor guy had to bring condiments to other tables, take orders, top off water, and make our smoothies as well. While he was running around with his head cut off, another staffer actually walk right past our table, on his way out of the restaurant and never so much as glances at the tables to see if there was anything he could help the waiter out with. I'll take a moment to add that it is rather amusing when this same staffer returns a few moments later with a Mcdonalds McCafe in hand. Maybe he figures that he had waited long enough for his drink? Perhaps it would have served me well to ask him to bring me back a sweet tea next time or maybe I'll just bring my own, just in case.
I don't usually comment on businesses to their staff but I felt compelled to speak with the waiter. I made it clear to him that I wasn't upset with him, that he is clearly overwhelmed. To me, it just seems like the owners haven't the slightest clue with regards to running the front of house. There are no processes or training set in place. I gave the waiter some constructive criticism that he says he will channel up to the people in charge. Hopefully they implement some of these things to help make life easier on the wait staff. Its a real pity, because their food really was pretty good. However, I don't plan on ever returning to this establishment just to sit there for 40 minutes while I have nothing to drink. There were TWO additional staffers who could have stopped and at least brought over a glass of water, but that didn't happen. That didn't happen because of poor leadership! If the staff was properly trained, their eyes would be scanning the room every time they walked past a table. An empty glass, or in this case, a MISSING glass or two should sound alarm bells in their heads that something is very wrong. This could have easily been corrected by having the person that brings the menus bring along a glass of water for the guests at the same time to "wet their beak". So what if there are going to be extra glasses to wash. So what if you have to buy another case of glasses. What is your business worth to you??
Again we witnessed guests leaving without waiting for their food, some didn't even wait to place their orders. How many more customers can they begin to lose before they go under? If the smoothies are complicating your business, stop offering them in the mean time. To make matters more interesting, they are now applying for a liquor license so they can serve beer. Really? You can hardly walk but you want to run a marathon? I think the owners need to take a day, go out and see how the other restaurants do it and then reassess where they are lacking. These are simple things that have simple solutions but have serious consequences, like PISSED OFF customers who will never return. I wish them luck, and I wish them well. I truly hope we won't be seeing these guys on an episode of kitchen nightmares some day.
I'd been looking forward to eating at Bowl of Pho when I heard it had opened. Being a vegetarian I'm always on the look out for restaurants with vegie options, and Bowl of Pho did not disappoint. You can tell that they take the time and effort to use fresh ingredients which always makes a difference. It wasn't too crowded at the time so the service was excellent. When asked my server recommended a dish. Without being asked she refilled my drink numerous times and the prices are fair.
Review Source:During our meal, I accidentally dropped my water glass, and of course it shattered all over the table. What a way to greet a much-desired new restaurant. They happily re-cooked our meal and were very concerned that we had great experience -- all this even though I, their customer, was completely at fault and had no reason to complain. My fumble fingers cost them money, but they cared more about keeping our time there pleasant and making us feel welcome to return another time.
As other reviews indicate, Bowl of Pho was definitely a work in progress early on, which is when we visited. Even so, the food was well above average. Better still, the owners were responsive to customer comments. They told us they were working on a vegetarian menu (though the few choices early on were certainly adequate).
If you're out near Grape Road, folks, skip the Grand Bloat Buffets, the sweaty steakhouses, and the cookie-cutter trendy joints. Go get yourselves some tasty Vietnamese food.
Thanks fellow Yelpers for turning me onto this little gem... Â Had lunch here today. Â I got the Pho with everything and the wife got the Chicken Pho. Â We also had the Fried Spring Roll appetizer. Â I've never had a Fried Spring Roll before and must say it was awesome. Â The Pho was fragrant and the ingredients were plentiful. Â The service was fast and extremely friendly. Â I didn't have any of the complaints some of the other people had mentioned. Â They've probably been open long enough to iron out any issues they had. Â We left feeling happy and content. Â Give this place a try.
Review Source:My second experience was better, I would rate it as 3.5 stars. Food came out fast and hot. The pho with rare steak is good - the broth is still not as flavorful as I feel pho broth should be. But they give you tons of meat and noodles, and the condiment plate was much more generous this time. Pretty good value for money. My husband's fried rice was OK, but somewhat under-seasoned. But we both agreed that we would definitely come again. I'm looking forward to trying the banh mi and some other noodle dishes.
Something interesting: We saw another table requesting vegetarian menus. If you're a vegetarian, you should give it a try since I know the area doesn't have too many restaurants that cater to the meat-averse.
So delicious its hard not to go daily.
Every time I've been here the wait staff is super friendly and excited to tell you all about the food. Â The vegetables are so fresh and crisp here, I honestly don't know how they can get such good quality vegetables in South Bend!
The Egg Roll appetizer (#1, House Specialty) is wrapped in rice paper instead of the usual egg paper, so it makes for a crispy but not greasy roll. Â Combine that with the fresh veggies inside, and you don't even feel guilty about shoveling it into your mouth as fast as possible!
The Pho broth is very fragrant but hearty too. Â It will make you want to close your eyes and immerse your face in the steam and just ponder how happy you are at that very moment. Â I've had Pho from many different places and this tops my list.
Just tried this place and am delighted it's here. Â Pho is not easy to come by in these parts. Â (I have yet to try Cre-Asian.) Â Nor Banh Mi, etc. Â I got the Fried Spring Roll and the Rare Beef Pho. Â The spring roll was terrific--with a shatter-crispy crust and very balanced flavors within, and a pretty standard but very good and fresh dipping sauce. Â I also found the garnish of carrots, onions and lettuce to be tasty and well worth eating alone. Â
The Pho was huge, and the beef broth--for me the crucial element--was very satisfying. Â The shaved beef and vermicelli noodles were fine, and the separately served toppings for the Pho (Thai basil, bean sprouts, chiles) allow you to put them in gradually so that your huge bowl has just the texture and flavor you want all the way through. Â I also like that they offer tendon and tripe options, in addition to those meats that Americans more typically favor.
My only partial misgiving is that it's several dollars more expensive than Pho is in big cities with lots of competing establishments. Â I'm sure the rent is not cheap on Grape Rd., too, even in these tough times. Â A great new place!
Yum!
We visited B of P after reading all the  reviews on yelp and we were not disappointed. We're always looking for a new asian cuisine to try. Its in an unassuming building in the Burlington Coat Factory Strip mall on Grape.
I had the vegetarian pho (pronounced "fuh") which was tasty yet not too exotic.The pho was full of vegetables and the thick noodles infused with the broth. Â I was hoping it was spicier like Thai food. I also was wondering if their pho was more Americanized to draw the uninitiated into something other then your stereotypical "Chinese". But Vietnamese food has its own flavour that cant be described. Its worth a try. I want to try the meatier pho as well as the bahn mi next time.
The only knock was that the friendly waitress wasnt too knowlegable about Vietnamese food (and even commented she wasnt Vietnamese).
But other than that, for a cheap filling delicious meal, we'll be back again.
Me and my boyfriend usually eat here...once or twice a week. It is probably the only place around town where they sell banh mi! Which I lovee! At first, the service was horrible, we waited longer for our meal than our carry out food..which is terrible. After a while, we saw new waitresses which were very kind and always attentive. The food is good, I'd definitely recommend it if you are in the mood for vietnamese cuisine.
Review Source:The service was a little sketchie, I can deal with that for only being open a week. Â I hope next time I don't have to wait so long to get my food, maybe next time I will just call ahead.
Other than the service it was great. Â This is my first time having Vietnamese food and I have to say I am hooked. Â I have no clue what was going on, but this surpassed all the other types of Asian soups I have ever had. Â I had the beef pho and I was a little taken aback at the meat coming out raw, but you stick it in the soup and it cooks (new to me, but what a cool thing). It was an explosion of awesomeness. I recommend this place to anyone looking for something different. Â
I will be back, next time maybe a call ahead so I am not late getting back to work, I will have to change my rating if the service gets better.
After a week of having the stomach flu, I had to do my Halloween shopping, so i dragged my tired butt out of bed and headed to the Plaza where Fun F/x was. Lo and behold, after returning to my car, I discovered the best surprise of the day- Bowl Of Pho.
I work in the Food and Beverage division of a Local Country Club, and we are always experimenting with Asian flavors, including those of Thai and Vietnamese. I went in and was pleasantly surprised by the Decor (Light orange and celery walls, pictures of flowers, a jade Buddha in the corner) and the amount of people eating there. Most of the people eating there were Vietnamese and were speaking to the owners and it seemed like a very Family and Culture oriented place.
My Waitress came and gave me a large menu, which had the traditional names of everything, accompanied by an in depth description and several large pictures of quite a few items. I also noticed upon being seated that there were large bottles of Hoisin, Soy sauce, and Sriracha (Rooster Sauce) at the table, which is needed to properly eat Pho.
I Ordered the fried Spring Roll, and the Pork and Seafood Pho, and after about 15 minutes it came to my table steaming. The portions are HUGE.
I tried Spring Roll first. It is served with a few slices of Cucumber, a carrot and ginger slaw, and sweetened chili sauce for dipping. I made the mistake of popping in it my mouth, and can tell you from my mistake that these are home made, non frozen rolls, and they come HOT to your table. After letting it cool a bit, I tried again, and the flavors were delicious. Don't forget to order these when you go!
I tried the Pho next, putting in 2 squirts of Lime juice, a few leaves of fresh basil (They bring you a plate with Bean Sprouts, Basil, and Limes as it is usually served this way) 2 "Z's" (Going back and forth in the bowl and making a "Z" with the sauce, Vietnamese friend taught me!) of Hoisin, and 1 of Sriracha. MMMM MMM YUM!
The Pho was DELICIOUS. All the meat was very tender, the noodles soft, and the broth clear and very tasty. Just as Pho should be!
If you are a foodie with a taste for Pho or anyone who enjoys Noodles on a cold day, you have got to go here!
Thank you for making me feel better Bowl Of Pho, and Thank you to my wonderful Waitress, and Mr. Remy!
Yes! A Pho place in Mishawaka! I was so excited to hear about this place that my husband and I ran over there. I can't get enough Pho it seems but I've had to cut back since moving from San Francisco. But NO MORE!!
We ordered the spring roll - really good! My husband had the beef Pho - Excellent! I had the Bun (cold noodles with pork and fried egg roll)... not as good as others I've had at other places. They also forgot the main sauce that comes with it and I had to request it. If you had no clue what the dish was, you would've eaten it and it would've tasted very bland. They also forgot my husband's iced coffee and it was about a 5 minute time gap between each of our meals coming out. I think they definitely need to work out some kinks with their staff and I hope they do soon so they make a good impression with the 'locals' :) Overall though, the Pho is great, staff is friendly, and hopefully they will get a handle on their service quickly - perhaps the place is more popular then they expected. We will definitely return for some more Pho.
They forgot about our table, then after waiting for a long long time, they tell us they are out of ingredients for one of the items. We change that and wait even longer and finally when we get our food, the pho tasted like salt water with 4 weird pieces of chicken... they just dumped some leftover crap and really half assed it.
Review Source:A Vietnamese restaurant specializing in pho is definitely in order for those cold Mishawaka days, so I decided to check it out on their opening day.
The decor is cheery and colorful. Your standard orange and green walls and ceiling with black furniture.
I had the regular pho with rare steak and meatballs. The food arrived quickly, and tasted good, but the steak and meatballs were a bit sparse.
The grilled pork banh mi was tasty, but again, a little on the small side.
The wait staff was a little on the slow side, but being their first day, I'll chalk it up to first day jitters. I'm sure it will improve over time.
The owners are friendly and eager to have customer feedback. I will definitely be back.