I've been meaning to update... I haven't been back here for about a year now. Why? Because I saw a couple beetles scurrying across the floor. I'm sure it's avoidable in most hole-in-the-way restaurants, but I'd rather not chance it. I spent most of my meal worrying a bug would drop in to my soup than enjoying it. Makes me sad, because I really did enjoy their pho. :(
Review Source:This is my place for Pho.
It's delicious soup done right. Nothing fancy about it.
I have been coming here for years, even when it was a different pho place (same location different owner) and it has barely changed.
The soup starts out with the best broth ever combined with tasty noodles, your choice of multiple different meats and seafood (if you're not an adventurous eater I recommend you stick to just flank steak), topped with fresh bean spouts, basil leaves, and green chili pepper slices.
I typically go with a small pho and a bahn mi sandwich and I never leave hungry.
P.S.
Their bowls are gigantic.
Le's is almost a replicate of what restaurants look like in Vietnam - as if years living in America did not change these people's perception about what a restaurant should look like. Hence the "bizarre" decor: Mirrors are on all side as restaurants in Vietnam lack space so they used mirrors to fake bigger space.
Of course, that means for Americans - especially for those who are used to the customers-are-always-right attitude - are not gonna be a fan of the way Vietnamese communicate: inexpensive restaurants are never rated on their customer service - only their ability to make good food.
On to the food, I must say this is one of the most authentic experiences I had having pho in America. I am especially appalled by many people who claim expertise with Vietnamese cuisine. Here are some reasons for you to consider loving Le's:
A) In Vietnam, there's no such thing as Pho Special with all things you can imagine in. The Pho Everything is Pho Tai Nam Gau. And no, meatballs are not a part of the original Pho bowl. They are Chinese cuisine. If you come in and complain a bowl of Pho does not have meatballs, you probably have been fed the wrong types of Pho. (Meatball Pho is more of a product of Asian Americans).Le's Pho has the typical, authentic menu - no Pho Special!
B) the broth is great and the noodles are chewy enough.
C) It has Small and Large bowls. These options are typical for real Vietnamese restaurants. Wasting food is considered a sin in Vietnam so there has always been Large and Small bowl options. In Saigon, there is also an option of the Tank bowl (which is how Tank Noodles got its name). Ever since Vietnamese moved to the US, it seems that they start assuming that people all want giant bowls that they can never finish.
D) They provide a free pot of tea. I don't mind paying the extra $1 but having some tea after each meal is a tradition in Vietnam. All restaurants offer them for free because it's is *courtesy*. It's a shame restaurants think they should start charging everything.
E) my durian smoothie was good.
So for all those who pretend to know real Vietnamese restaurants - please don't pretend so just because you had some Pho in California. Deeper philosophy exists in Vietnamese cuisine and etiquette.
Also, I came really early and they had steamed buns out.
The pho was good-average here. Â I'd go back again for pho. Â What was surprisingly good here were the crab rangoons. Â I'm quite "meh" over crab rangoons, but my friend ordered them and they tasted very fresh and had a very good flavor. Â The shell was crispy and chewy and the cream cheese filling was nice and warm and melted in your mouth.
Review Source:Today I stepped out of my apartment ready to embrace the terrible Asian food Chicago had to offer. I have had Chinese food in Chinatown, Korean food in Evanston and Rogers Park, Thai food, everywhere, Sushi downtown, so far I can see why people here don't eat much Asian food, it really isn't that good here. Today that mentality changed, I actually found a place that serves decent pho, the last fortress of delicious  food stood firm. Coming from Southern California where the premium ingredients and Asian genre of food stretches as far as the traffic, I really didn't want to eat Pho here in Chicago, I was flat out scared I would lose one of my favorite foods here and be doomed to eat pizza and burgers (usually yummy pizza and burgers though).
I sat down, ordered a large pho tai (pho + rare steak) and waited. I got served some tea which was a nice touch but I can see where some of the complaints are for service but then again Pho places usually aren't a place to have a guy playing violin in the background for you.
The pho arrived in a matter of minutes, the broth was clean but not boring, the meat a bit rare (which is good, you immerse them under the noodles), the noodles chewy and not stale, and the produce was fresh.
Perhaps I am being too kind on this place because it tastes a bit like home, but well if a bowl of pho can warp you back for a few precious minutes back home, I think it has done a pretty damn good job. I will be back, ready to try some of the other items they have as well.
I love grocery shopping in the Argyle hood for my Asian cuisine and whenever I do I never forget to stop in one of the many Vietnamese restaurants in the area. Â We chose Le's Pho over Tank Noodle just to try out a different place. Â The spring rolls were okay, but the rice vermicelli noodle with beef was pretty good. My sister, however, felt that the Pho is better at Tank Noodle. Â I can't comment since I haven't tried pho at either place. Â :/ Â Overall, it was a pleasant lunch, but don't know if I'll go here again.
Review Source:The pho here is so good that I'm even willing to NOT deduct a star for their terrible banh mi. Â The pho broth is clean, tasty, and they give you a hearty portion of meat! Â Quick service too. Â I thought about giving it 3 stars because the banh mi was incredibly disappointing and actually very unappetizing, but then I realized today while stuck in traffic that I had another craving for the same bowl of pho. Â Mmmm. Â Try the #1.
Review Source:Rating is strictly on pho. Â I find the price of pho in general to be pretty low. Â In regards to Le's Pho, they may have the cheapest price for a bowl in Argyle.. well maybe aside from Dong Ky's. Â However, I much prefer the broth here.
Come here for a quick meal to warm up your tummy. Â Don't expect anything else to amp up your experience aside from the hoisin and siracha sauce people.
For pho in Chicago, it's the best, period. Â There is no other worth going to.
Don't know about the service complaints, I've never been treated with anything less than total respect and excelent service there. Â
Reading the comment from 10/17/2011 about "spoiled meat", I'm way more than sceptical. Â Le's is hopping pretty much anytime you go into it. Â They may have competition, but not for quality of food. Â I've been eating there pretty much since they opened, and I have never seen a bad bowl of soup.
this is my go-to place for pho. It's affordable, has a yummy light flavor, and they give a good amount of meat in their soup. I've been coming to Le's with my parents and friends for years and I've never had a bad bowl of pho there. They're smoothies are also good too.
I personally like it better than Tank Noodle because it's cheaper and you get more for your money. I also like a few of the other pho places in the area for different reasons (mostly difference in flavors of the broth and amounts of meat portions). But I still end up going to Le's on a more-or-less regular basis.
This place has great Pho!!! I had the beef pho and shrimp spring rolls. The portions are HUGE even the small is really big. The broth is great!!!
I will agree with most of the other reviews and say that the service isn't the best, not a lot of communication going on there but you get what you pay for and its pretty cheap and fast!
I definitely recommend this place to anyone looking for a good bowl of pho!!!
After dining at nearly 20 different Vietnamese restaurants, looking for the perfect bowl of pho, we have found Le's Pho to be the fail-safe destination when the withdrawal symptoms start kicking in :D
Same order every time. An order of spring rolls and two large number ones (sliced beef). It's even great if you get it for take out. The broth is perfect! It's not too sweet, and doesn't have the strong cinnamon aroma that I've found with so many other broths. If there was something I had to "complain" about, it would be that once in awhile the noodles aren't as tender. But, it doesn't happen often, and after a few extra minutes of swimming in the broth, the noodles are just right.
The place is a hole in a wall, the service isn't the most friendly, but the pho keeps us coming back. Time after time. Byob. No fluff, just authentic pho.
Not a bad place to have Pho. Â The broth is not as seasoned as their competitor down the street (Tank), but you can't go wrong with the Pho at Le's Pho. Â My wife did try an entree dish with grilled meat, veggies, noodles, and an eggroll. Â She wasn't to thrilled with the taste and mentioned she had better else where. Â But if your in the mood for a decent Pho, not the greatest, but decent, Le's Pho is a place to try.
Overall, okay food, okay prices, okay service.
I only came here because Tank Noodle House was closed. It was alright, I brought my parents after a morning of grocery shopping for Asian stuff in Argyle, and they also liked Tank better. We ordered a variety of things to share - soup, a meat dish, rice, appetizers. Nothing spectacular, but decent nonetheless.
My servers included an older man who was ok, Â and a young (I hate to say it, but:) "thuggish" guy who put a big plate of fresh herbs and sprouts possibly for pho on our table. My mom and I were surprised that such a big plate of stuff came for the one soup we ordered, and sure enough, the Thug-waiter came 5 minutes later and took the plate off our table without an explanation... Awkward. Only 2 stars because I expected more from a place in Viet town ... specially with all the competition around, you'd think they would try harder.
Bottom line: stiff competition from neighboring businesses is forcing this joint down a negative feedback spiral. On a recent visit, they served spoiled beef and left it medium rare.
I have been to this place many many times and have noticed that it has gotten worse and worse (business has gotten worse as well). I am sure the owners have good intentions, but with less and less customers, they are probably forced to keep meat for longer and longer - hence serving discoloured/spoiled beef; this is aggravated by the fact that they still keep in tradition with authentic pho by serving it raw.
Really would like to give this place a good review as I have had many good experiences in the past. However, it is definitely trending downwards (gave it 2 stars in light of all the positive experiences in the past).
Back to Chi-Town to visit my family!
My parents took me their favorite Pho restaurant. Â :) Â
To me, its nothing compared to a home made bowl of pho. Â But this wasn't that bad.
The pho aroma was up in the air. Â I had a small bowl of Pho Tai Nam. Â The broth was pretty yummy. Â I just wished my bowl was hotter in temperature.
I also had a refreshing soda salty lemonade (Soda chanh muoi). Â Now that was yummies!
Tank was closed because it was a Wednesday so we just decided to come to Le's as a back up....
I'm not sure why there are so many decent reviews here...
this was my 3rd time here...and what a disappointment!
I knew already from my previous visits that the owner guy is not the most friendliest person in the world.... my boyfriend said that's because his English isn't that fluent... I beg to differ... even if one didn't speak a word or English, they can still be friendly, especially if you own the business!
We were there for an early dinner so it was pretty empty...
We ordered egg rolls to start off...
at the end of my egg roll, I discovered a red plastic string looking object from my egg roll. I was horrified and disgusted!!!
Of course, it took us forever to get someone's attention.
I showed one of the servers that came by to our table my remaining egg roll with the object and he didn't seem to be shocked at all. Didn't offer to give me a new egg roll... he just said that he would take it off the bill!
Well, that's an obvious, isn't it?
My boyfriend ordered the Pho and I ordered the pork sandwich.
The wrong pork sandwich came... I asked one server about the pork and he said that they don't have the marinated pork... and then another server came and told me that they do have the marinated pork. Apparently, what I received was the bbq pork!!! It's got this red coloring and looks like a fake ham or something.... I didn't eat it because that wasn't what I had ordered and they didn't offer to do anything about that either...
What a dinner that was for us...
I will NEVER go back!
Save your money!
So let's talk about something other than pho for a second. Was it me because I smelled pee when I walked in last week. I don't know if they used the floor soap that's usually for the toilet on the dining floor or was the bathroom clogged? Regardless, it smelled horrendous!
I thought to myself, this better be worth it. Turned out the pho broth was decent, definitely better than Tank Noodles. Not the best pho I've had though. The banh cuon tay ho ($8) was more expensive than the pho and it wasn't good at all. There's not a whole lot of banh cuon, mostly lettuce and vegetable garnishes, cha lua and a fried shrimp fritter that was dense and unappetizing. Worst banh cuon I've had so far. Oh, and the Thai iced tea was expensive and watery ($3).
Service? Meh. I don't think I will be back anytime soon.
I've been coming to this place back when it was Pho Hoa and I'll still be coming back until their pho stops being good. My family's from the suburbs so for as long as I can remember we would make day trips every summer just to have big bowls of pho here. We've tried other pho places in the area and none of them ever  compare when it comes to the broth.
The new management added a lot of menu items, but they still serve its staple and that's the only thing I ever get - the pho. As I said, the broth is uncontested, and this is what matters the most in good Pho. I usually prefer to try something new when I come back to a restaurant for a second - or twentieth - time, but this place is the exception. I always get the round steak and tendon pho, and a jelly and tapioca dessert cup. It has sweet beans, green and red tapioca jellies, ice, and coconut milk. It never fails to hit the spot after a large bowl of hot pho.
I also haven't had a stronger cup of coffee, traditionally dripped, dark roasted and thick from the condensed milk and brew strength. I highly recommend the coffee if you're in the mood for it.
There's free parking out front, but it shares the lot with other stores so sometimes there can be a line to get to the parking lot. It's usually only a short wait, even on the busiest days (like memorial day weekend). Otherwise, there's plenty of free street parking if you drive around the block.
If you're expecting stellar customer service, you won't get it. This is a hole in the wall place and always has been. It's pretty family friendly though, maybe depending on the kind of family you have. You'll see grandparents eating with their grandchildren here in the middle of the afternoon, families who've been in the neighborhood for years. For me, this classic, authentic pho joint is a staple of the Chicago community. One thing it never was and ever will be is pretentious or trendy.
So this is the first pho place I've gone to that isn't Tank Noodles.
So, I love Tank Noodle. What I don't love: standing in a small space for 45 minutes watching huge bowls of pho passing under my nose and being cramped when I finally sit down to eat my pho.
Le's Pho solves these problems. Much more seating arranged in a less cramped fashion, and in general less crowded. Bonus points because it's right next to an Asian grocery store.
I had the pho (of course) and it was pretty good. Maybe not as good as Tank. My main complaint was that it didn't seem there was as much stuff in the pho as I'm used to, and the vegetables and things they give you on the side to add to the pho were much less that I would've wanted.
We had a couple appetizers, the shrimp and pork Vietnamese crepe which was really good, and a grilled beef lettuce wrap dish. The grilled beef dish was AWESOME. The shrimp and pork crepe was alright.
I will come back here because the food was good and there was no wait, but if I'm being totally honest, my return here will only come on nights when the wait at Tank Noodles is more than 15 minutes.
Decided to try Le's instead of the usual Argyle Street places, and it turned out pretty well. I ordered the Pho Bo Vien (my usual) and it was good. My friend liked the Bun Bo Hue. We also ordered Banh Beo and Chao Tom, which were also good. Usually don't see banh beo as a selection so I was pretty happy to have it (a taste of home).
Would definitely come again, and bring others. Like!
The pho is just "ok" here for me. Â The soup lacked a LOT of flavor, I had to add fish sauce to it because all I tasted was sweetness which was most likely due to an excess of msg or sugar.
i just felt bad cuz it was my friend's first time trying pho and I wanted something out of this world. He did enjoy it though. The size of the bowls are decent.
Although they changed their name, I liked it better when it was Pho Hoa. I remember coming here a decade ago and the pho was just on par! Now, it's just alright. I'd rather wait for my mom to make some pho. She rarely makes pho; probably only once a season.
However, I'd come here much more often if I lived nearby.
Tip: get the small bowl of pho instead of the large.
This place is probably the best pho I've had in Chicago. Only thing is, I think it hates me. Out of the 4 times I've tried to introduce this place to my friends, only once has it actually pulled through; the restaurant always has a water, electricity or some weird problem - this seems to only happen to me though.
The summer rolls are AWESOME!!!
Welcome to another episode of Argyle Street
Today's bowl of Le's Pho was brought to you by the letter D
As in Diarrhea.
As in the Diarrhea I've had since the pho I ate on friday and now it's monday and I'm dying at work because everything I eat comes out as Diarrhea and has been coming out as Diarrhea for the past 3 days.
My butthole hurts. Â Because of. Â Diarrhea.
Diarrhea.
Grade: D
...as in Diarrhea.
Edit:
This video, to emphasize:
<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D6GIEHPGj9sI&s=c51a7bee961b7e21114968874c7f915816fbf4180b7f019f3e629142790c8d3d" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/w…</a>
My rating is for the Pho alone. I'm sure their other dishes (e.g., Vietnamese spring rolls are good) are just fine, but I've been going to this place (through all the name changes) for more than a decade because of the Pho. It's the only Pho place I would consider traveling to within Chicago and I miss it severely now that I'm in the burbs. I go here for the quality, value, the quick, no-nonsense service, and for consistency.
If you're a Pho snob (I consider myself a noodle soup connoisseur, after being raised by two parents who could make a variety of noodle soups), consider this place. Their primary focus is Pho, which means their beef stock is fresh and made from scratch (vs. some of the instant soup-mix types I've had in other restaurants). The flavor is strong, balanced with the spices, therapeutic (I swear by Pho when I have a cold), and most important, consistent. The noodles are put in fresh, so they're never soggy or mealy. The condiments (Thai basil, cilantro, lime, jalapenos, onions) are plentiful and never missing (a good measure of whether a restaurant really knows it's Pho).
I'm glad that over the years, even with menu and name changes, the Pho hasn't suffered. I've lived in city neighborhoods where restaurants change all the time, prices go up drastically, recipes change, and service suffers. This is a rare type of place I've actually valued for its predictability and consistency!
P.S. I recommend the old-school, Vietnamese-stye, slow-drip, mini-French-press iced coffee with condensed milk.
I was sick all week after meeting with an ex -- somehow every time I see this ex, I always get sick. I think it's a sign! -- and my ex decided to bring me some chicken congee from Le's because this was the first place we ate at. My ex's awfully sentimental, don't you think? I, for one, am not so happy about it.
Anyway, I found out that this restaurant do take-outs. I also found that I really don't like their chicken congee. I'd suggest getting it from Pho 888 or Tank Noodles if you need some delicious-tasting chicken congee to make you feel all better. Though to be quite honest, I think I'd have been okay with Le's chicken congee had they not put in this awful preserved vegetable that I hate -- Tianjin preserved cabbage. Gross.
Like my Tank review, I provide absolutely no credibility as to the taste and quality of pho. However, at Le's, I decided to go with the grilled pork chop plate and the crazy 3 bean/tapioca drink or whatever.
I haven't had a f'd up grilled pork chop dish at any Vietnamese restaurant before, and the same goes for Le, everything was fine. After drowning the plate in fish sauce, I dug in, cleaned house, and sat there satisfied like a pig after feeding. If there's anything I would knock, maybe they could've given me 2 pork chops instead of 1 or something, which would've put me over the top, and my friends probably would've had to roll me out the door.
As for the crazy drink, it was alright... Could've used some more sweetness to it.
3 star default.
A fine place for pho. Â It tastes good and appears to be consistent. Â I can't say it's much better than any other pho on Argyle. Â But it's not bad at all. Â There are lots of Vietnamese people who come here, so it must count for something, eh? :)
Le's Pho is nestled within this small strip mall on Broadway, which has perhaps the worst parking lot in the city! Â Well the lot itself is ok but small - imagine seeing all these crazy Asian drivers trying to park in it! Â You must avoid this lot like the plague!!!
Inside, the place is rather brightly lit. Â Typical no-frills decor. Â But they have a picture menu so novices have an idea of what they're getting into :)
Warning: The environment here is kind of bizarre, mirrors everywhere, a plasma tv that plays anything from Asian dance videos to Erin Brokavich, the bathroom has a terrible and incredibly strong fish smell, and the service while not terrible, is fairly unenthusiastic and utilitarian.
Now for the good stuff the Pho, buckets and buckets of it with a variety of meats (try the soft tendon looks weird but oh so good). I have had Pho at several restaurants on Argyle and beyond and Le's is the only one I continue to go back to time and time again. It is oh so good and a perfect remedy for a cold Chicago winter day.
I've been here a couple of times now, and I've been pretty satisfied each time. Â This is a no-frills kind of soup shop...with it's bright lights and TV in the corner, it feels less like a restaurant and more like a diner or cafeteria. Â Not that that's a bad thing, really...but it makes the place unmemorable. Â Easy parking is a plus, though.
The pho was good...make sure you see the difference in size between "small" and "large" before ordering...the small is pretty huge! Â A decent place, just not something I'd go out of my way to hit up.
I'm really surprised that I like this restaurant so much more than the other reviewers! Â Usually I'm the one who's very critical of a place that everyone else raves about. Â In the case of Le's Pho, it's the total opposite.
I love Vietnamese food, and I've been searching all over town for a reliable place I like. Â I tried Pho Viet and Tank Noodle on Argyle street, and just wasn't impressed. Â So, I turned to Le's Pho next in my process of elimination. Â I really like it. Â
I can't judge their Pho, because I usually order Bun vermicelli bowls  The Bun at Le's is fantastic: cool noodles topped with fresh mint, sprouts and peanuts.  My favorite comes with grilled pork, grilled shrimp paste and an eggroll.  I treat myself to a fresh lemon soda, and the entire meal is completely indulgent and delicious.  Perfect for a summer day.
As for the space, yes it is office-esque with fluorescent lights and drop ceiling panels, but the restaurant is clean and full of light. Â I much prefer it to the cramped and crowded Tank noodle, which smells foul every time I go in there.
And I have to dispute the claim that they don't like or serve white people, or single diners. Â I'm about as white as it gets and I've eaten here by myself more than once. Â I've never had a bad experience with the staff. Â Actually, everyone I've ever dealt with has been extremely nice. Â I've always been greeted and served with friendly smiles. Â If the service has been slow (and perhaps it is from time to time), I wouldn't say it's based on anything other than the fact that they're busy.
This place sucks. Let me tell you, I really think that they just don't like white people. I got NO service at first. I sat there while everyone else (Asian) got served. I finally, after 20 mins, got to place my order. Then I had to ask for water 3 times from two different people before they gave me some.
The pho sucked. It was cold and tasted like bath water. My stomach hurt for two days since I ate that crap. This place should be shut down. I only hope they didn't food poison me since I'm a white woman in America.
I came here with the parentals before grocery shopping because we were hungry. Boy, was that a mistake! Le's Pho used to be called Pho Hoa -- and I wish it was still Pho Hoa. My mom ordered pho with meatballs -- but her pho came out with just noodles. She gave them the bowl back to have them return with a handful of meatballs SEPARATED from the pho. I ordered pork chops with small grain rice. What did I get? I got pieces of pork chops with DRY long grain rice with no veggies on the side. And to make things worse, it was super bland. I asked to try the pho broth and I think I was better off drinking water; it lacked so much flavor.
I decided to end the meal with iced coffee because you can never go wrong. Well, the coffee filter was filled about 3/4 with coffee which then made it feel like I was drinking super bitter Robitussin. What a disappointment!
Overall, I don't see myself coming back here at all. As I was walking out, I saw plenty of unfinished bowls and then it all made sense.
Le's Pho used to be Pho Hoa. Under the old name/management, the pho was excellent. The soup was bright and complex, the portions were generous and the prices were exceptional. That was when the menu comprised several pho options plus a handful of appetisers.
Then sometime in the Fall of 2007 Pho Hoa reemerged as Le's Pho, along with a dramatically expanded menu. At first, the quality held up remarkably well. I liked such additions as the fried shrimp cake and certain rice dishes. Then the bottom gave out. The pho was more like pfft -- limp noodles, flat soup, a total disappointment. After a couple of subpar experiences, I decided it was all over.
The mitigating factor is that the portions remained large during my last visits. So if you're really hungry and really can't bear to walk the extra 3/4-block stretch to get the good stuff, by all means go for it. I think they also reconfigured the entrance so that it's a little less awkward (to slip out).
I guess their bubble teas and smoothies are still quite good. It would take someone completely inept (or evil) to ruin bubble teas or smoothies.
There are other reviews under different names, Pho Hoa, Pho Le... but the actual name of the restaurant is "Le's Pho" and it has effectively set the standard for pho (pronounced "fuh") in Chicago.
Perfect for families and large groups... and for that wikkid hangover. Â Lots of tasty treats on the menu, but the pho is def the shining star here.
And they actually have durian bubble tea. Â You read that right. Â Durian.
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