Tucked into an open strip-mall type shopping area in downtown Mercer Island, this little place is a great find! Â The staff are quick & efficient and the food even better. Too cold on this February afternoon to eat on the bamboo enclosed outside patio, but I'll surely be out there this summer eating under the banana trees! The interior is contemporary and nice-casual but quite small, so you may have to wait for a table (definitely worth the wait).
Very authentic Vietnamese food! -Some of the best Pho I've had in a long time. The 'oodles' of noodles had chew, the broth had a lot of soul, the chicken plentiful and tasty, and the vegies crisp. The basil, peppers, lime and sprouts on the side added a beautiful freshness to the Pho that I have come to love. Be sure to order the small bowl, as even the small is gigantic and seemingly the equivalent of four bowls of soup anywhere else. My Pho was nice and hot -the perfect meal for such a cold day! I also had the spring rolls, which were freshly made with lettuce, shrimp, bean sprouts, mint, & vermicelli noodles, wrapped in rice paper and served with a delicious peanut sauce.
I definitely recommend this little gem; and, as Arnold Schwarzenegger would say, 'I'll be back'...
I'm Viet...Pho is my people's dish...
I just had it for the first time today...and I'd say I Love Pho Mercer Island is in my top 5...
The noodles had chew, the broth had some soul, the meatballs were tasty, and the tendons were large...I would definitely recommend it and I will definitely be back...
The place is cozy and you might have to wait to get a table BUT it is worth the wait...
It is on the "Island" tucked away in a cozy shopping center area...good peoples and better food...
I have come here for lunch multiple times. Prices are good but service is consistently poor. Server gets your order, brings the food (which is quite fast), and then you never see them again. Don't refill your beverages, don't ask if you need anything. and when it comes time to pay the bill... the employees are sat on their phones like no one is around. I always have to get up and ask to pay so I can leave. If you want decent pho and have no where to be or no expectations of service, then this is the place for you!
Review Source:You will probably lose your love for pho after eating the pho at this place. I ordered the "I love pho" pho and it was very blend. We also ordered tempura shrimp which was more like coconut shrimp with questionable freshness. The service is friendly and it gets quite the crowd during lunch time. However, the food was rather plain and we lose our appetite half way through eating at this place.
Review Source:I was on an island and I was STARVING...2'oclock...missed breakfast...missed lunch. Â Something's gonna give- then in the corner of my eye, a green, neon sign. Â A sign from above that read, "I Luv Pho"- on a gloomy, cloudy, Friday- I Luv Pho too. Â
At first glance- I was a little put off...$7 for a small bowl of Pho? Â What the PHO??? Â "But, I'm on an island- these are island prices yo", I told myself. Â Well, honestly it was worth it. Â I might even say one of the best bowls of Pho I've had in years. Â Great meat- the flank was very flavorful and the meat-to-soup-to-noodle ratio was amazing. Â Oodles of noodles folks, and plenty of meat. Â The broth was rich and flavorful and the basil was beautifully fresh- as were the sprouts...I mean not even a speck of brown on either.
The serving dish was rather awkward- the bowl is rather tall, which made it a little more difficult to eat...I dunno, maybe I'm just an idiot. Â The staff was not very enthused or engaging- which is why the one star gets removed. Â I tried to strike up a little small talk at least, but wasn't getting it...the iPhone 4 strikes again!!! Â The inside decor is modern and tasteful, and the little eating area outside is pretty quaint with a banana tree and bamboo. Â Overall, I will definitely be making another stop out here- 'cause you never know what might happen when yer castaway on an island.
Pho was way too salty for my liking.
Portions are small with very little meat in the "I Love Pho"
Although, they will give you a ginormous serving of sauces with your fresh roll or spring roll order.
Service was friendly.
Forgot our crispy spring roll order, so they doubled it.
After 2 dine-ins & 1 take out order, don't think I will be coming back even though its right across the street.
I walked in around 2PM for a late lunch thinking I can't go wrong with a great bowl of Pho; however little did I know about I love Pho on Mercer Island. Â Nobody was there to greet or seat me when I arrived, I had to ask for water and sauces several times after deciding to go and get my own water and sauces from another empty table. Â My spring rolls were rubbery and the peanut sauce was bland and my large bowl of Pho was full of noodles. Â Where was my meat and broth? Â I can understand when a sauce is a little dull in flavor or the Pho is a little off, but to also experience awful service... Â Please don't waste your time here.
Review Source:I order spring rolls from I Love Pho on occasion. Â It's a nice, quick lunch. Â Yesterday, I called in my order, and the man who answered my call was brief but polite. Â I called back to add a second order for spring rolls, for my co-worker, and the second call the man (same person) was very short on the phone and sounded annoyed.
The orders of spring rolls were okay but missing the bean sprouts.  I love the fresh mint used in the spring rolls and the peanut sauce is good.  But I am bummed at the service I get from this restaurant.  It has definitely been spotty, but yesterday's experience was the worst yet. It will be a while before I order lunch from I Love Pho  again.
people in mercer island need to get outside of mercer island. the reviews seem pretty inflated, and somewhat suspect. had a meeting nearby, and was excited about the high reviews but left disappointed and a bit annoyed.
the food is about a 2.5 -- i had a vermicelli pork bowl, and the pork was fatty and chunky with little flavor. Â let me add "dry" to the list too. as noted in other reviews, the owner lady is plain mean with a permanent scowl on her face. is she mad to have customers?
then the billing, $11 for a vermicelli bowl in a teriyaki type spot for lunch? high compared to other vietnamese joints. plus, they have corny signs everywhere saying "please pay cash with the high credit card fees" -- well, your prices are high so I have to pay with my credit card.
overrated food, poor (mean) service, and just an annoying feel. to us outsiders who eat outside mercer island, you'll be disappointed. I'd recommend a different place.
You're either gonna love it or hate it. Â What they serve here is not necessarily the same pho you'd get at Than Bros or Pho Hoa, it's...different. Â Let's put it this way, this place not only serves pho, but also variations on chinese noodle soups and a hybrid thai-vietnamese stir-fry menu. Â While a bit pricier than most other Pho places, I Love Pho sets themselves apart by having more options. Â For example, not many other pho places out there give you the option of having veggie broth or better yet the option of adding vegetables. Â As unauthentic as this may seem it becomes an advantage especially considering where it is located and the customer base. Â The pho broth has a very clean flavor and each bowl comes with the obligatory garnishes of basil, sprouts, lime, and chilis. Â Portions are average in comparison to other pho establishments. Â The Bun Cha is quite good as are the Banh Mi sandwiches. Â Considering the location, availability of parking and quality of the food, I Love Pho on Mercer Island definitely stands out from the pack of other Pho restaurants. Â BTW service can be spotty especially during busy times.
Review Source:I love pho, but I don't love this pho. When I'm on the island and in a pinch and wanting Pho, I'll go here. But the broth is too sweet and the prices could be better. If you're up for making the trek off the island (in either direction) head over to the Trahn Brother's and enjoy a cream puff with your pho (for fast service and under $5).
Review Source:Whenever I come here, I get the same thing: tofu pho and Vietnamese coffee. Â It is very nice combination and the tofu is nicely fried and the chicken stock soup with the medley of soft spices makes it good. Â They serve the bean sprouts and herbs on the side, which is a nice touch, considering most places just dump everything in there whether you like it or not. Â
I also like their vegetarian or shrimp spring rolls. Â They are wrapped densely and have fresh, not fishy or crunchy shrimp and it comes with a delectable peanut sauce. Â
I also like their Vietnamese sandwiches, which come with a nice helping of beef and the vegetables come in a nice way, they layer ingredients to have a wonderful feeling as you chew on it. Â
The downside is I tried their meatball soup and I came away thinking I could jump over to QFC and find the pre-made meatballs there. Â They were all the same size, same roundness, etc. Seriously, if a place can't be bothered to make their own meatballs, you have a problem.
So I stick with what works. Â A one-trick dog is great when you're in the mood for it, and that's all I really care about. Â Thus I won't rave about it too much.
Other good things: there's usually seating available and they have a nice patio in the summer months. Â There's ample parking in the area and you can always find a spot. Â
The service is speedy enough I think. Â It is a family run place so don't expect to see super smiles all around. The teenager is obviously working there against his will / being pressured to work there to "support the family." Â The older lady (mother I presume?) is obviously under stress. Â Maybe a little cheering up would be good, so I hope they have good business.
We live in Mercer Island and this place is really good..especially in winters it gets full in here with families and couples..owner is very helpful..in our last visit we ordered a phadthai and it was not that great as it used to be. when we asked the owner about it ,he was happy to take our feedback and canceled the order..
Review Source:I live DIRECTLY across the street from this place. Have been here numerous times. Safe to say more than most. Food is hit and miss.
The pho:
Depending on time of day, your soup could be lukewarm or hot.
Other thai food menus are to be avoided.
Service:
The lady owner doesn't seem to care you exist.
The younger guys working there much better.
Experience:
There was something in my pho that looked like a hair. Pointed it out to the woman owner who fished it out with a chopstick, looked at it, said it wasnt a hair but it must be a piece of cloth from an apron or something and then just walked away.
Verdict:
Go to Roberto's immediately next door, Qdoba or even Teriyaki just a couple of doors down. Only way pho places can differentiate is by customer service which this place doesn't rank high on.
One thing I've realized when visiting the northwest is that the food portions are all really big!!! And I Love Pho is no exception! Â Since I'm a huge pho fan, I had to order their namesake Pho dish which pretty much is your standard all in pho dish, but their small is literally the equivalent of a large in the northeast! Â Also their broth didn't taste or look greasy at all. Â If you love pho as much as i do, def pay them a visit!
Review Source:I'm a huuuuge fan of pho!! Â I could eat it for breakfast, lunch & dinner!! Â So I've been going to I Love Pho for over a year now with the convenience of walking to the restaurant in under a minute.
I have always ordered their "i love pho" on the menu, which is the combination of raw & well done beef, tendons, tripe & meatballs. Â The portion for both small and large are big and bigger. Â I always find their beef really fresh because I like the beef cooked rare.. Â The broth is either hit or miss, and is a bit sweet so I always ask for extra limes to balance it out. Â Prices on the menu could turn off some regular pho eaters who usually don't dine on the Mercer Island or the East side, but I don't mind it. Â They do not cheat you on the portion with prices they charge.
Service? Â The lady owner who speaks English plus two young male waiters who barely speak much English but can always get the job done. Â Sometimes they don't seem attentive because they order, bring the food, then don't come back to the table until you are ready to pay. Â But one male waiter who's always more well dressed in his collar top and shining black leather shoes is really personable and attentive. Â
Overall, I LOVE PHO!!!
I have been to this place several times over the past year. It has been on a steady decline over that year. If you show up and order takeout, they seem to roll their eyes at you. If you sit and order in the service seems to have become little if any.
The food; it's hit or miss. the Chicken is often over cooked. Raw beef seems to be the only thing that, once cooked in the broth doesn't seem tough and chewy.
Sorry to say, they used to have a good thing going, but seem to have lost steam over the past year. Its a shame, the first few times i was here it was pretty tasty.
Man, I LOVE I love Pho! Â This is a great Pho spot on the island, probably one of the best eateries on island. Â The pho broth is very flavorful, providing a stable base for whatever ingredients you choose to put in. Â The ingredients are always fresh, the service is quick and the prices are good.
I'm sure one of these days i'll venture out and try a vermicelli bowl or other grilled delight, but the pho keeps me coming back.
I went there yesterday. let me just say  their service was horrible. I wanted to order sandwich along with my pho soup. They charge $4 for( to go) $5 for (dine in )if you order sandwich. I asked the waiter why but he had nerve to tell me because its hard to clean the mess of your sandwich. I was very surprised.
Food didn't taste good either. I wouln't recommend this place to anybody i know. I will never go back there.
As a result of their rude and unreasonable service, I left no tip at all.
I want to start off by saying, it is July and cold outside, where is the summer? I was just on my lunch break for lunch looking for warm food, so I decided to try I LOVE Pho.
I wanted to try something that I have never had, so I went for the Won Ton Egg Noodle Soup. It was pretty busy, but then again it was around 12. I got a to go order,
I am eating at my desk as I type this. My food is fantastic. My taste buds are on an acid trip. Why am I giving this place 4 stars and not 5? Because the service was crappy. There were 2 to go orders after my own, and they quickly received their food and left while I waited an additional ten minutes while my food sat on the counter wrapped up ready to go.
In the future, if I see an order that may be mine, I might have to ask.
WOW this place was really authentic. I almost felt like I was in Westminster (LA) sippin' down some high-quality broth and chompin' on some fried egg rolls.
Service is great here, and you can't beat the location- right in the heart of downtown Mercer Island. Prices were about a dollar more than I'm used to in LA but the presentation and service definitely made up for it.
Good times for the belly.
Been going here for a while, and I love the Pho/soup. They have the best imitation chicken (sounds gross? Try it.) and really delicious broth. Their Banh Mi sandwiches though? REALLYYYY disappointing. The bread is totally dry (supposed to be flaky, not dry), and the sandwich itself seriously lacks flavor. Had much better ones many times. And although their prices are sorta on the high side, I really, really love the soup (and other dishes on the menu).
Lastly, what's going on with the new employees? New management? Everyone's taking vacation at the same time? Last weekend I called to order out during lunch time and it was like the person on the other line was totally caught off guard that anyone would be calling. Or, he hadn't been trained? It was so awkward, he had no idea what was going on. I had to repeat everything, and had to ask HIM when my order would be ready. I got there and one of the employees was eating and asked how he could help. I told him I had an order to go, and he and the other employee sort of argued about something.... completely confused about how to even ring up the order. So weird.
I give the food-5 stars, service, depending who you get 3 or 4 stars, hence my 4 stars. I have tried most everything on the menu: Â pho, buns (vermicelli), rice dishes, stir fried noodles, appetizers, sandwiches, and even their bubble tea.
Pros-
pho-5
bun-5
Rice dishes-4
Noodles-4
App- fried rolls-5
Cons-
Sandwiches-1
Dry meat, veggies weren't pickled well, not enough veggies and missing that "secret" sauce that makes Vietnamese sandwiches awesome. If you've ever had a GREAT one, you know what I mean. So, don't bother w/ the very overpriced sandwiches.
For sandwiches, stick to ID district or Whitecenter. There's a really good one on 16th ave SW.
My favorite part about this place is not the pho. Â Crazy right? Â Surprisingly, their expensive banh mi sandwiches are my favorite thing on their menu. Â I think this is a new thing that started not too long ago. Â
I've only tried their BBQ pork sandwich, but I'm sure the other meats are just as tasty. Â The meat here is cooked perfectly, and I love the sauce! Â I think that the pieces of meat are more fatty than others though, atleast that's what my brother told me. Â The bread is freshly toasted to your order, and there is a smear of special mayo, cilantro, jalopenos, daikon, and carrots layered between. Â Even when the sandwich has gotten a bit cold, it still tastes amazing. Â Everything melts into one when you take a bite into it. Â The sandwiches are huge, and I can only finish half in one sitting. Â I save the rest for later, so this sandwich can easily make two meals.
Though the banh mi is my favorite, I've tried other items on their menu. Â The first time I came here was with my brother. Â There had been a lot of hype about this place from my school friends, o we decided to check it out. Â Because the name of the restaurant is I Love Pho, we ordered pho...The pho here is more expensive than other places. Â A small costs $7.25 and a large is $8.25. Â My brother and I ordered the 'I love pho' which comes with rare beef, well done beef, tendon, meatballs, and meat balls. Â My favorite combo! Â It's rare to find this at other pho joints unfortunately. Â The broth here is sweeter than other places, which I don't mind. Â The meat is scarce, and noodles are alright. Â Worst of all, the tendon is not soft how I like it. Â On another sad note, they do not give you complimentary cream puffs.
Another time I came here was on a hot summer day with my mother for dinner. Â I remember she ordered the pho, and I got the lemon grass beef. Â I really like the flavor of lemon grass, and it goes so well with beef. Â The portion was perfect, and filled me up, but not to the point where I was stuffed. Â My mother seemed to be satisfied with her pho too.
A good friend of mine, Gailen B. and I got together on a sunny day to hang out. Â We took a walk around her neighborhood, and were getting hungry. Â Her mother took us to I Love Pho for dinner along with her sister, Trinny B. Â I ordered the chicken curry, Gailen B. got tofu fried rice, her mother asked for a noodle dish, and Trinny B. ordered rice and plum sauce (don't ask...). Â My curry was pretty tasty, and there was plenty of pieces of properly cooked chicken and vegetables. Â The sauce was perfectly seasoned as well. Â
I honestly wouldn't mind coming back here again, especially for those sandwiches. Â I do want to try more of their menu though. Â Spring rolls, grilled meat skewers, and Saigon styled meat dishes all sound great. Â The vermicelli bowls sound pretty appealing too.
The Seattle Pho-Natics club arrive at I Love Pho on June 14th at 4:00pm, in Mercer Island. Â The staff was great at accommodating us with our group of 11.
Interior: The restaurant was very clean inside and the restrooms were very clean as well. Â One great thing was they do have an outside seating area! Â There was plenty of space outside for our 11 club members, plus additional seating for other people who wanted to sit outside. Â Needless to say we sat outside on that sunny Seattle day!
Service: Â I have read a couple of reviews here and noticed some people saying the staff was slow and inattentive, however we did not find this the case at all! Â When we arrived, they were very quick to seat us outside, and our food was brought out very fast. Â The staff were very friendly and excited to see our club at their restaurant!
Price: $7.35 for a small bowl and $8.35 for a large. Â A little more expensive then the "hole in the wall" Pho places, but very worth it! They do take credit/debit cards as well.
Broth: Â The broth was very good! Â Had a lot of flavor. Â Not sure if they use MSG, but after I finished, I wanted more as it was really good!
Selection: Â They have a very large menu! Â Their spring rolls were good, although more expensive than some Pho places ($4.50 for 2). Â They had some nice rice dishes, as well as other types of Vermicelli bowls. Â They did provide chili oil, which one of our members really likes with his Pho- a lot of Pho restaurants don't have the chili oil, so this was a treat! Â They do have a selection of beer and wine as well. Â The amount of jalapenos, sprouts, and Thai basil was plentiful. Â They also have vegetarian Pho as well.
Location: Â I Love Pho is in Mercer Island, WA. Â The do have parking which was great!
Score: Â As a general score from the club we give them a 8/10. Â 2 reasons: Â 2 of the members got the Vermicelli bowl, and they both said it was really dry, and "didn't have enough sauce in it." Â Those that got the chicken Pho, said the "chicken was really dry." Â Based on what I had, I would give them a 10/10. Â Great service, friendly staff, large menu, great Pho and parking gives them a A+ in my book!
Thanks again I Love Pho!! Â I will definitely be back!!! Â Sean Hoops, The Seattle Pho-Natics President
The restaurant has a nice decor and an outdoor dining area. Â I ordered the Shrimp Pad Thai ($11) and small Pho ($7.5). Â The Pad Thai was good. Â It had nine good size shrimp. Â The dish was a tad bit greasy and very small portion. Â I've seen appetizers larger than that. Â The small bowl of Pho was actually decent size. Â The broth was very good, but they didn't give a lot of meat. Â Overall, it was a good place to eat. Â But it was expensive compared to other Vietnamese restaurants. Â Then again, it is in Mercer Island.
If I'm in the area, I would eat there again. Â But I wouldn't go out of my way to eat there.
We were planning to eat lunch at Roberto's Pizza but alas they were not open for lunch on Weekends so we made the best of it and tried the I love Pho next door. We are glad we did. It is a small but comfortable place with a great menu and a friendly staff. We shared  the fresh shrimp rolls and I had a giant bowl of chicken pho. It was delish!  The broth was flavor filled but still not to heavy. My friend had a Vietnamese  sandwich that had basically the same ingredients as my soup only in a sandwich roll, I will try that next time, it looked really good. Next time we are on Mercer Island it will be a tough choice pizza or pho,  ;-}   OK - maybe both. Les
Review Source:I couldn't tell if it was the weather,,,,?
In the rainy, chilly, afternoon, way passed the lunch time we went in with our empty tummies.
It's our first pho together, me and someone special.
Can this be an illusion,,,,,,? Is the situation too perfect,,,!?
I don't know,,,, But the pho is pretty fckn good!
When was the last time I truly finished my small pho?
I can't remember,,,,and today, I did.
So yes, I'll be coming back.
I've always been partial to the sweet ribs really, but the pho is definitely good and one of the few convenient option in the immediate bellevue area. Â That said, if you've ever wondered why their broth is so good..... apparently they prepare that ONE full day in advance to let the flavors soak in and blend really well (hehe they let me back in their kitchen once). Â Definitely tasty stuff... so swing on by when you need your weekly pho fix.... cause as they say ... its good pho you.
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