The real deal! Â I know good Vietnamese food, and this place is authentic and better yet like a home cooked meal. Â Pho is certainly great here, but there are awesome viet specialty dishes that are hard if not impossible to find in Denver. Â A perfect example is Bun Bo Hue. Many places around town just spice up their Pho broth, but at Pho 53 Bun Bo Hue is made authentically from scratch as a weekly special. Another example of what makes this place special is Bun Cha. Â This famous Hanoian pork dish is charcoaled to perfection and served authentically with noodles and fresh veggies. So glad to find this place. Â Ca Cho Tho, Banh Canh Cua, lots more to explore...
Super friendly family run place too.
I'm new to CO coming from TX. I started eating pho a couple of months ago & IM ADDICTED! When i tried pho 53 we were the only ones in the place and the pho was delicious as always. The portions were great. HOWEVER there were many flies buzzing around us.. and the boba tasted more like a slushie instead of the creamy texture i expect it to be. The waiter was nice, but could of been more attentive, we mainly had to get his attention ourselves. Oh and the prices werent bad either. SO.. OK service, BAD boba, GOOD PHO!! BUT IVE HAD BETTER :) I will continue trying other Pho locations.
Review Source:The lowdown: I live right behind Pho 53. I have eaten here once in the month I have lived in my apartment, and I would dine here weekly if I weren't going through a rather unfortunate poor spell.
I will tell you this: living behind the place tortures me with the completely delicious smell. If I'm up at 4 in the morning, I smell them boiling the broth. They do it fresh every day. Now, Pho 79 is on the corner, and I can tell the difference in smell. I'm not  sure how best to describe this...when 53 is making broth, it has a full-bodied, aromatic smell, and the smell coming from 79 is not bad, but not even comparable, sorta more flat-smelling. So when I moved here, I knew that, just based on smell and cooking method alone, 53 would be my favorite.
True to the smell, the broth at 53 is wonderful. I've only had better a couple of times in my 12 years of eating pho almost weekly. The atmosphere is a little strange, as this restaurant appears to still have the 1980's Sizzler decor that no subsequent owner  (and there have been many, I'm sure) has ever changed. Part of my criteria for whether or not I should keep eating at a pho place actually hinges on this; if the place looks too much like it was designed to appeal to Americans, I don't go there. Similarly, I'm looking for authentic Pho music, or weird television buzzing away in some corner.
Pho 53 delivers. It's weird in that way that only an authentic pho eatery can be.
While there, I had occasion to try the Cambodian Seafood soup. What a treat! Because I have a kid who also loves pho, I got to try the meatball pho too. That broth is even tastier than it smells. Also, pho doesn't keep very well overnight, if you get it takeout. This meatball pho that we took home kept incredibly well, and was even better on *the third day* than on the first.
This place is great. I highly recommend it, and here's a little insight from their back-door neighbor: There is just one family struggling to keep this place alive in a faltering economy, where even pho officionados like myself  can afford to eat out only once in a while. So if you will, keep that in mind if you notice that the service is slow or whatever, like some other reviews report. God love 'em, they're trying, and if for nothing else, go here because they need more people to realize that this is a world-class bowl of pho.
I learnt a lesson here from the mango bubble tea. Don't take too long to drink it because the balls became HARD. I was wondering why some of my balls were so hard and dry after about 40min and turns out I took too long to drink it so the coldness of the drink causes some of the balls to become hard!
Other than that, everything else was great. I had the Goi Coun (seafood and rice noodles wrapped in thin rice paper) for my appetizer. It was soft  (not hard!) and delicious. For my main course I had pho. There were so many options to choose from- diff types of cow parts like the flank, and whatever, or chicken or seafood. I didn't want to try to sort out the diff beef cuts so I went for the chicken. It doesn't matter which part of the chicken I get as long as its not the intestines, organ, butt, feet or head. The pho was good- broth was amazing, noodles were great and we had lots of vegetables to put in our noodles.
I have eaten here two or three times and the pho does not fail me. Â I have not looked into any other dishes but the pho is good and from what I am told does not contain MSG. Â The same cannot be said for the other pho restaurants in Aurora. The best thing is that I can finish the pho broth to the last drop and then I do not feel wierd as if I have consumed a bunch of salt or MSG. Â
The service is friendly although she can get a little distracted and does not always understand English. Â Still, though, I like the smile and good attitude!
I went here based on all the reviews here and boy did I regret it. There were only 2 people working on a Friday night. 1 in the kitchen and one front of house. Aside from my group there was only 1 other group in the restaurant.
We sat ourselves as instructed by the hostess. The menu was literally stuck to the table there was a audible sound as it was removed. Â It was noticeably dark I'm not sure if they had lights out or what.
There were 3 of us and they got our drinks wrong. Then proceeded to leave the unwanted drink on the table.
We ordered pho with everything, seafood soup and the Cambodian noodle dish. They gave the bowls to the wrong people and left. They never brought out the pho fixings - peppers, sprouts, lime etc. The waitress did come by later and apologized for not bringing it. Â
The Cambodian noodle dish was literally chicken broth, noodles and 8 thin slices of chicken.
The boba still had chunks of ice in it and was so bad I left it behind.
This was the first time I went to a pho restaurant and left hungry.
-1 star for service, -1 star for cleanliness, -1 star for food, -1 star for atmosphere.
not one of my favorite places to eat and the host (possible owner) was dressed as if she was waiting to serve her 9 kids in her trailer although very friendly when I eat Pho i don't want to see your bra strap unless I brought you there.... Nothing wrong with the Pho just that the broth was kind of blan.... I also feel I was cheated on my boba it was only 1/2 full
Review Source:A friend of mine recommended this place. I usually go to Pho 79 next door since it is very close to my house. I have always wondered why would anyone start a  pho business next to a very successful pho restaurant. I guess it's  either you have a lot to offer or you are just stupid, I don't know. I was told  that the restaurant wasn't much to look at but their pho was much much better that Pho 79. I really have  secretly hoped that Pho 53's food was phenomenal so I could come back (rooting for the small guys) The place was too warm to enjoy pho soup and wasn't all that like what my friend had said. I had better pho broth at next door.  There was no airconditioning. It was dark and dusty. I had this one fly buzzing around my food the whole time I was there. I found another fly dead on windowsill by my table. I don't think this place will last very long. There is really nothing special about this place.
Review Source:I thought this place was pretty amazing! I got a medium number one which had all the different types of meat in it. I never leave leftovers, but they put sooo much of everything in there it was impossible for me to eat all of it! It was flavorful and delicious! a must for anyone in the area. I have to go across the street and try pho 79 so i can determine which one is best, but so far i love this place!
***updates***
A year later, and with a better refined palate for pho, I now know that my above review was mainly because I found Pho that was better than that of the ones in FOCO. Still good place, but definitely not the best. If you had to choose, go down the street to 79.
I drive down Havana quite a bit and have been wanting to try the various Pho restaurants. I started with this one. I took my toddler for lunch. For him I ordered what was described in English as "chicken noodle soup." I ordered the House Specialty - sorry, I didn't get the Vietnamese names. His soup had a very flavorful broth, nice pieces of chicken breast, lots of noodles and fresh herbs. He loved the noodles, so that was a hit.
Mine had fish balls and thick translucent noodles. I was warned that what I ordered would be spicy and I was looking forward to it. It wasn't. I kept adding spoonfuls of the red chili paste which helped but I was looking for a deeper spicy. Our garnish didn't include hot peppers, either. My dish had a nice flavor but I'd probably try something different next time.
The woman running the place was very friendly. A pleasant lunch overall.
My only real complaint was the lack of cleanliness. It seems to need a thorough scrub down. The fish tank was dingy. The glass doors covered in fingerprints. The chill paste dish had a hair looping in the grease lid. Obviously it didn't stop me from eating there but I wouldn't want to try the bathroom.
Never had Pho before and always wanted to so I stopped by here yesterday because a friend recommended it. Â Doesn't look like much from the outside but both the service and food were excellent. Â Don't remember what it was called but I had the seafood pho with shrimp and crab and I really enjoyed it. Â I got the medium bowl which I thought was huge so I probably should have gotten a small. Â Had a mango drink with the beads at the bottom which tasted awesome. Â The waiter was friendly and we talked about the Saints for a few minutes. Â Really enjoyed it and the prices were great.
Review Source:I've been here 4 times now, and I think this is my favorite Vietnamese restaurant in the Denver area. Â I love the atmosphere - comfortable booths, and it's never crowded. Â They are always friendly and glad you came. Â The sound system plays great authentic Vietnamese "fado."
And the food is my idea of perfect. Â Generous portions, they never skimp on the ingredients. Â Tonight I ordered the Mi Nam Vang pho.. mmm.. savory broth, chunks of fish ball, pork, chicken, and four huge shrimps.
We also had the Bo Nuong Cuon Spring Rolls with grilled beef - the best spring rolls I've ever had anywhere. Â I like these better than the shrimp ones now!
The experience has always been the same when I have come in, whether for lunch or for Dinner, whether alone or with my Vietnamese BF. Â He agrees that it is one of his favorite Vietnamese restaurants in the area. Â We can't figure out why Pho 79 down the street is always packed with cars, when Pho 53 isn't. Â We felt Pho 53 is more authentic in their food preparation and flavors, and more generous with their ingredients. Â And we much prefer the quieter, nicer atmosphere.
We will be back regularly. Â This is a family owned and run business that is a real treasure.
In my pho sampling adventures, I had to make a point to stop here since I drive by it pretty often. Â I walked in around 6 last night. Â The place was empty and a man was vacuuming. Â I asked him if they were even open and he very enthusiastically said YES!
I sat down at a table and looked over the menu. Â Two orders of "Tai" (steak pho) and an order of egg rolls. Â A woman came out and brought me a glass of water. Â I thanked her and she said "Why you come here?!" in a somewhat demanding and derogatory fashion. Â She kind of caught me off guard and I asked her to repeat herself. Â This time with more emphasis in what she said, "WHY YOU COME HERE?!" Â Then I caught on and asked her if she meant how I found out about her establishment and she said "YES!" Â I told her I've driven by and saw their sign and that I love pho. Â She smiled and walked away. Â Odd... to say the least.
A few minutes went by and I stood up (after sitting all day, it was necessary). Â The man who was vacuuming when I walked in started to talk to me about how great their pho is and that they are the best as his gums were bleeding over his teeth (I am NOT kidding, it was hard to look him in the face and carry on a conversation). Â He was very nice and very proud of his restaurant, but over eager to please.
The same woman came back out with my to-go order and half of an egg roll wrapped up in a napkin. Â She said "Here! Â You eat!" Â It was tasty, a little chewy, but I kind of like that.
After finally getting home and re-heating my broth (pho broth just doesn't stay hot enough during a 10 minute car ride home in the snow) my boyfriend and I dug into our meals. Â As another reviewer put it, it's pretty standard pho. Â It wasn't the best, nor the worst I've ever had. Â It was just simply average and about what you could expect. Â The egg rolls were the same as what I had sampled in the restaurant, only there were some pickled veggies, noodles and nuac cham sauce with them that made them oh so delicious!
In the future, I don't think I'll come out of my way to come here. Â But it's not a bad option if you're on this side of town. Â It's definitely A-OK.
Pho 53 was formerly a Korean-American diner called Grace's Home Cooking and if you go there now, you will at first wonder what has changed. Much of the decor is exactly the same as it ever was (to shamelessly borrow from David Byrne).
But this will become clear when you actually sit down and order. Start with the rice-paper roll called Nem Nuong (which takes the traditional soft Goi Cuon, and elevates it with sour pork sausage and a crispy eggroll wrapper right inside!) or perhaps Tau Hu Ky (shrimp paste enveloped in a bean-curd skin and then fried). Exquisite!
Then move on to the main course. Sure, they have Pho with all of those odds 'n' ends you like so much. But maybe Hu Tieu Nam Vang will grab you? Based on a Cambodian noodle soup with Chinese influences, this dish combines a subtle broth with pork, seafood and rice noodles (or if you prefer, egg noodles, in which case you're in fact ordering Mi Nam Vang).
Quench your thirst with a sweet creamy Soda Sua Hot Ga (club soda with condensed milk and an egg yolk) or even a tart Soda Chanh Muoi (club soda with preserved lime and lots of sugar at the bottom).
The lady who runs Pho 53 is always pleased to see new faces, and you can be sure of a good meal too.
Well.. that was pretty good standard pho. I could think of a few places with more flavorful broth that Pho 53 though. The biggest downside of this restaurants are surprisingly the seats. It's not like they were uncomfortable or anything... they were just so low. It felt very awkward to eat when the table goes halfway to your chest. Yeah... it was very uncomfortable.
With Pho 53, I can now proudly boast the fact that I've been to every Pho restaurant on Havana Blvd!!! Nice.
To quote American Idol's Randy Jackson, "It was 'aight. Â Kinda pitchy..."
Okay, okay - no pitch problems with the pho...but it was only aight. Â Good broth, noodles were undercooked and some of the cuts of meat were a little too chewy for me. Â I was also grossed out by the jar of jalapenos being stuck to the table. Â The atmosphere was kind of fun - in one of those old-school chain restaurant diners. Â Nice change of pace from the usual strip mall standards of Aurora.
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