I love visiting Aurora because of all the vietnamese restaurants there are, and especially because there are several places that sell banh mi, and this is one of them! The banh mi doesn't seem as popular as the pho but it is an option for take out, and it tastes pretty good, although not as good as other places I have had it. It is also pretty small. The pho here is huge though for the medium size, I wish I had gotten a small, but it was delicious nonetheless. The price is alright, pretty cheap for the portions. The flavor of the pho is very legitimate, compared to other pho I have had which are all very packaged and not homemade. They put a lot of meat in there as well and you can choose what kinds of meat you like such as the brisket, flank, tendon, etc. I only got the brisket, but my boyfriend got a whole variety. They give a lot of limes, mint, bean sprouts, and jalapenos as well on the side, so much that there was a lot of leftover mint. I felt bad because it was a waste. The waiters here are quirky and like to make random jokes, which was cool but awkward. Overall I love this place and it is great that it is nearby and cheap!
Review Source:I have been to Pho 79 several times, as a matter of fact, this is the first place I ever tasted Pho. From the first time I had it, it definitely had me hooked. I raved about this place for a long time and people who went there would come back to me with lack luster feedback.
So, about two weeks ago, I returned for the first time in about three years. Unfortunately, after being to several other Pho restaurants I realized that Pho 79 wasn't the ish....
The Pho: it was decent, it had flavor and it is what I would expect, nothing to call home about, nonetheless it was good. One thing that I noticed, it tasted like the chicken in my Pho was freezer burned... I didn't eat it, I was better off getting a vegetable bowl.
The service: We all  know, any Pho restaurant you go to lacks service. It is a "churn and burn" environment. They want you to eat, pay them, and get the hell out of there! LOL
The experience: Again, I wasn't wow'ed, I would go there again (if I was invited).
All in all, I love the cultural experience of eating Pho, I would just like to see this restaurant be a little more pleasant and inviting.
I tried this place based on the yelp ratings. I really wanted to introduce my husband to Pho because it's one of my favorite foods. I have eaten pho since I was about 10 years old and have tried it in many cities and places. I've been to places that were fancy and cost more and places in D.C. that were super cheap and only had rows of plastic tables, where you shared tables with random people. For me, as long as the Pho is good I could care less who I'm sitting with.
I could barely get my husband through the door because the stench was so bad... it literally smelled like human urine. It sounds crazy that I actually stayed to try the food but that is how determined I was... the tables were dirty and the menus were sticky and crusted with filth. Personally I am willing to overlook these details if the food is good... it wasn't. The broth was not flavorful and the side of goodies was missing lime and jalapeños, which I consider essential. The basil and sprouts were also wilted. I truly don't understand the good reviews. This experience pretty much ruined my husband from ever trying Vietnamese again, which is the biggest crime. We paid and walked out of the restaurant after only a couple of bites.
I gotta say, i was not impressed as much as before when we went today. Â We got the #10 and a Combo bowl. Â The noodles in the pho were undercooked and took a while to get to the right consistency (since the soup is still hot), the meat was also not as good quality as i'm used to, especially the brisket. Â The bowl was in no better shape... The noodles were all in a big stuck clump, the beef was way over seasoned and burned. Â The place is also looking a bit dirtier than usual... Such a shame.
Review Source:Oh, Pho. I only discovered you in the last few years, but I am a HUGE fan. The key is the broth. The best places start with a yummy, umami-rich broth. And by far, the best i've had in Denver is this hole-in-the-wall near the Costco in Aurora.
Pho places are tricky because they are named Pho 99, or Pho 78, etc. Weird right? And Pho 79 is about as simple as it gets. Plastic tables, no liquor, very fast service and super cheap. It's all part of the fun.
In fact, once I discovered Pho... I tried it at the 'high-end' restaurants around town thinking it would be even better. I was so, so wrong. Parallel 17, Cho-Lon, I love you but sorry. Nothing beats Pho 79.
Decent pho place.
Even though I had the bun.
I thought the meats were a little on the salty side, but I tried my friend's pho and it was solid.
Also the have a pretty extensive boba selection. NICE!
Fast, friendly service.
The restaurant sort of feels like a cafeteria, but I kinda like that. =)
I've been to this Pho exactly two times. Once in high school during which I had an unsatisfactoy experience, and last night. Last night was much, much better. My husband and I both got the #5 and I ordered the summer rolls. They look weird but taste delicious. The Pho itself was yummy and filling. It was my husband's first time ever eating Pho and he loved it. We got take out so can't really speak to the service on that end, but the portions are huge and prices are small. Maybe there is better Pho out there, but for me, 79 will do just fine.
Review Source:Aw crap...gotta rereview and downgrade.
In the last 6 months, Pho 79 has seriously gone downhill on all fronts:
The service used to be impeccable no matter how crowded it was. Now, I've been ignored for 15 minutes at a time MULTIPLE TIMES..from getting a menu, to having my order taken...mostly to get a water refill -- damn near impossible. I'm more used to rationing my one glass of water throughout my entire meal then receiving a full, fresh glass. I'll ask one waiter or busser, and they'll never come back. And thus begins the vicious cycle of being blown off by the entire wait staff..always makes for a fun and relaxing dining experience. Note the sarcasm.
The food used to be much more abundant. I could make my meat last through my first bowl AND my side of noodles. Now I'm hard pressed to find a single shred of beef left after 5 or 6 bites. The veggies have been consistently wilted, oxygenated and lacking the last 5+ times I've been there, I have to ask for more lime and jalapeno without fail. I never have these problems at Pho 96 on Federal; they really spoil you there.
And really, what's making me rereview the most is giving a fair warning about the pseudo Russian busboy. My boyfriend and I avoid dining here now in fear of having to endure his antics. He's one of those bussers that is so entertained by themselves that they neglect to realize that they're making their customer uncomfortable. When he found out that my boyfriend and I work in the MMJ Industry, he very inappropriately asked for our phone numbers assuming that we would illegally sell product to him. I understand the assumption, but to be as tenacious as to actually ask for us to sell to him is unprofessional and gives the restaurant a bad image.
This is not a rewrite because of one bad experience. This was a culmination of many slips, many slides, and many disappointing downfalls that collectively, cannot be ignored.
So. Sorry Pho 79. You made me rekindle my love for pho after a brief hiatus. Then, like any young lover, I found the next bigger and better thing. When I'm in Denver, Pho 96 is the ONLY way to go. But my go-to Aurora pho will now be Pho 97 on Smokey Hill and Buckley.
I am brand new to the world of pho. Â I have no excuses. Â I just hadn't gotten around to it yet.
So Mr. P. and I finally decided we would give it a try and Pho 79 seemed like the perfect starting point. Â First, the atmosphere of the restaurant is not what I expected. Â I guess I thought it would be more dim and intimate but it's just one big bright open room filled with people hunched over steaming bowls of noodles. Â We were seated immediately and began to look over the menu.
If memory serves, the menu contains a few appetizers, several options for pho, and a couple of combination platters of some sort. Â They also offer 3 or 4 types of banh mi sandwiches that are, oddly, only available for carry out. Â Also listed are several varieties of boba tea beverages.
We started the meal with the Vietnamese egg rolls which we both really enjoyed. Â I ordered the rare steak pho and Mr. P. decided on something with three different kinds of meat. Â Portions here are ridiculously huge. Â The small size pho is a gracious plenty. Â They also give you a heaping plate of sprouts, dandelion greens, basil, jalapenos, and limes to season the pho to your liking.
I would like to emphasize that all of the food we received was made with the freshest ingredients. Â The steak in my pho was high quality and did not contain any gristle or fat. Â It's just...well, we weren't blown away like I expected we would be. Â The pho was interesting to be sure but definitely not as delicious as I imagined. Â The prices sure are right - you can't beat $20 for a Friday night dinner for two.
So it's probably just me and I will try pho again sometime again in the future. Â I will also make a return visit to Pho 79 and carry out a banh mi sandwich and one of those milkshake-looking boba teas.
I think I live in a small version of "Pho-town." There are no less than 5 Pho restaurants within a short walk of my house. Pho 79 is one of those offerings.
So to start off - I love Pho. You probably do too. Or you wouldn't be reading this review. The Pho here is just ok - it's decent. Not the best, certainly not the worst, and for the price you can't beat it. There is another shop just next door to this one, and honestly - it is better. However, the service at the smaller location is so pushy that I'd rather come here than deal with someone standing at my table for 40 minutes while I'm trying to eat my Pho. Plus, Pho 79 does great take out. Grab a to-go menu, shove it in your glove box, and you will always have a Pho option on the way home from work.
I have eaten here on weekdays and weekends for lunch/dinner numerous times. I keep returning because it is reliable for both its quality and portion size. There are three Pho places that I go to on this side of town: Pho 79, Pho Duy II on Peoria, and Pho 888 in Aurora. Pho 79 is not a quiet dining atmosphere or upscale, but its food is solid and the place is clean. There are two TV's in either corner of the restaurant (which is arranged like a mess hall) that usually air sports channels (you can't hear them though).
At Pho 79, I have tried their combination vermicelli bowl, combination rice bowl, Pho, and Vietnamese iced coffee. All are good, but the best is their Pho. They give you an ample amount of meat, and I am full off of their medium bowl. The side veggies are always fresh, and their broth is solid.
Usually I have to flag somebody down for a water refill or to request anything, but I recently had a great experience with their customer service. I had ordered what I thought was my normal selection for Pho, but when the bowl arrived, I realized that the bowl had numerous fatty cuts of meat (which I can't eat). After asking a waiter, I realized that I had erroneously ordered the flank (which was almost all fat), so almost 50% of the meat in my bowl was going to be wasted. I did not ask for them to do anything (since it was MY mistake), but without hesitation (and with an understanding smile), the waiter said no problem and brought me a side bowl of fresh brisket in broth without charging anything extra.
And it's stories like that one that explain why I will keep coming back...
Good pho, broth was very flavorful, summer rolls were excellent with great peanut sauce. The avocado slushy was superb as well.
The only cons I had were the restaurant had more of a cafeteria like atmosphere and they seemed to be pretty short handed with staff because it took awhile to finally get my slushy although it was fairly busy on the Wednesday I went so I'm sure that didn't help...
Overall I'd recommend the place definitely.
The Vietnamese language is a lot like its food. Vietnamese is the largest member of a family of languages in Southeast Asia. Because of significant influence from China, there are a large number of Chinese words in Vietnamese. And because of French colonial presence, Vietnamese is the only language in the region to be written in the Latin alphabet of Europe and has many French words as well (cà phê for example means cafe)
Vietnamese food is likewise a delicious sum of disparate parts. At Pho 79 you definitely sense this in the complexity of its food. The soup uses Chinese originated rice noodles and is made with delicious cuts of beef, the preferred meat of the French colonists. The broth itself here is deep and complex, using the charred onion flavor common in French onion soup. And of course the pho here has that wonderful umami flavor likely derived from the Vietnamese originated fish sauce known as nuoc mam.
I bring up history in this review, because Pho 79 has the best Pho I've ever had. And I had to know how this soup came into my world.. The Banh mi here is also excellent (Love the mixture of a French baguette and Vietnamese ingredients like the seasoned meat and pickled carrots).
We should all be grateful for the way world history has turned out. For all of its tragedies, we now live in a world where in the middle of the United States you can get a cuisine that is a mixture of Southeast Asian, French and Chinese parts all for an affordable price. IThat's pretty awesome.
This is the first pho that I've ever had and it still remains one of the best locations for pho. Â Very reasonably priced and accommodating service, I love coming to Pho 79 whenever I get a pho craving (which happens often).
Asked for steamed bean sprouts for a smoother (aka not so crunchy) meal!
I was very pleased with the pho here. Â It's definitely worth the trip, as its quite a far cry from central Denver. Â The broth is pretty damn good, and the veggies are extremely fresh.
My favorite part, I think, was seeing guys in wife-beaters coming out of the kitchen. Â In any other establishment, I think it would have grossed me out, but it definitely fit the bill for the sweaty, but delicious, food.
I've got a creepy experience that may make your skin crawl that I'd like to share with you since it's Halloween. Â Ready?
I recently went with a large group of friends after a volleyball tournament nearby. Â I got the trusty-looking #7, and was very pleased with everything. Â The broth was delicious, the noodles tasty, the accompaniments were decent. Â The service was solid as well.
As the bowls are quite large, I wasn't able to finish everything, so I asked for a to-go container as did a few of the others. Â It turns out however, that our night wasn't over. Â No, we headed over to Caldonia's for a nightcap and left our pho containers in the car. Â After about an hour, it was off to home we went. Â In taking the containers in, I noticed mine to be feeling particularly empty. Â I looked around for broth stains and noodles and meat all over the car. Â Nope. Â I opened the container which was completely empty, albeit with a stain from what appeared to be pho. Â WTF? Â My pho disappeared into thin air?
Yep, cause it's Halloween. Â Or, there's a pho burglar that hangs out in Caldonia's parking lot.
Wow this place got better! We used to ditch class to eat here only because the early opening when in high school. The food wasn't that good and hurt my stomach
That was then, this is now...
The pho was delicious! Â A lot of the pho joints are adding variety so we got spring rolls that were DANK!
They lose a star for communication. I like the fatty brisket and ask for it but it wasn't fatty.. Â And it gets busy had to wait five minutes for a table the other time...
I've been coming here for almost 10 years and the food never changes. It's the best pho I have ever had in Colorado. The food is always consistent and delicious. The prices are outrageously cheap, always have been! My parents know the managers at this point and they always take care of us.
This place is ALWAYS packed. You can't be shy to sit super close to strangers here. The food comes out lightening fast. Don't expect the servers to come check up on you to see how everything is. They are always so busy you see them when you order and when you get your food. There are other servers that come around and fill your water cup but.. that's all they really do haha.
The food totally makes up for it though. You won't really need anything else! I love that they have expanded their menu and now they have take out orders of Vietnamese sandwiches. Which are equally AMAZING!
Be prepared to wait for a couple minutes when you go to dinner! But I promise it's worth it!
It was gray and dismal out and if I was still in my youth in the Midwest my thoughts would turn to my Mom's homemade chicken noodle soup. Â However I am a big girl now... OK OK I am an old lady now and live in Denver so when bad weather beckons my thoughts turn to pho.
It happens that not too far from my abode there resides two pho places, neither of which I have tried yet (for shame). Â I turned to my trusty Yelpers to guide me in the right direction and Pho 79 it was.
I sat down and ordered a small #1 - meatball. Â The wait staff was efficient - not very personable- Â but definitely efficient. Â When my bowl arrived WOW - I have been to various pho places around Denver but I have never had this much meat in a bowl before - I mean I had to dig through all of it to get to the noodles. Â Overall it was a good dining experience - the only reason I deducted a star was because the broth was a little on the light side.
Pho 79, you are awesome! Â Sitting down in your restaurant today made me feel like I was part of the version of "Cheers" that you support. Â Everything that I've ever ordered, or asked for at this restaurant; has been provided as described, if not better.
Also, I'm confident that the recipe for broth here is something one must kill three Unicorns in order to enjoy the heaping rewards of. Â
Regardless if they make their broth from cooking down a kilo of Cool Ranch Doritos's, or squeezing, just the right amount of Panda and Orangutan tears into the broth that makes it so delicious; I don't care. Â Whatever they're doing, please keep it up. Â
As if it needed to be said, "Continue doing what you do best Pho 79!"
Just so that you know:
1. I live in Orange County/Los Angeles which means I'm an expert, and that I'm officially honorarily 1/5th Viet.
2. This place isn't as good as "XXXX" in either San Jose, CA, Houston, Texas, Garden Grove, CA, etc because I'm that worldly.
3. I am Vietnamese, or I've eaten pho with a full Vietnamese person who knows good pho, so I know pho because just like every American knows a good burger, every Vietnamese person is an expert on pho.
4. I've seen Full Metal Jacket, Platoon, Tropic Thunder and every other movie about Vietnam multiple times, and I secretly rooted for the Viet Cong every single time.
5. I've never cooked pho (I have), been in a kitchen before, but I know what I'm talking about in regards to the preparation of pho. You should still definitely listen to me.
6. I've dated/hooked up with Vietnamese chicks even one that did nails, so you can't get anymore Viet than that.
How's that for qualifiers for how legit this review is? Yes, I know I borrowed some lines from some other reviewers (like a couple of the reviews below), but I'm being sarcastic.
Some may automatically give blind praise to Orange County (CA), Little Saigon pho because they believe somehow that it's going to be better, but I'd say that Colorado pho is definitely better. 303 pho fo life!
The major thing that sets it apart is the meat quality. The meat specifically at Pho 79 is most definitely better than most pho restaurants I've eaten at in SoCal and the fatty flank at most SoCal restaurants is like some tore up pastrami lips.
I order the Pho Dac Biet (the special), and Pho 79's is also one of the best I've had in regards to value. The bowl sizes and quantity of food is enormous. One large bowl is almost big enough to feed a tiny village.
Taste wise, it's got a good depth of flavor, but if you say it's got a "watered down" taste it maybe due to the lack of MSG because if you're used to the others, then you may be used to "flavor enhanced" pho. It's also the reason why a lot of products, especially soups in most commercial franchises use it - guess what makes that baked potato soup you like so much, so good?
Well I think Colorado pho restaurants are better than most OC restaurants, but then again I'm only honorarily a 1/5th Viet.
I was finally convinced to try this famed food by Brittany H. Â She has been at me trying it for quite awhile and I guess her persistence finally got to me.
We headed on over to Pho 79 on a Friday night & were immediately seated, despite the fact that the place was PACKED. Â Water & menus delivered and since I was the newbie to the Pho scene, I went with the sisters suggestions. Â We ordered rolls with a nice peanut sauce for an app, which we managed to destroy with our less than amateur use of the chop sticks, but they were very wonderful in the taste department. Â
Next up was the "small" bowl of Pho with rare steak & well done brisket. Â Added a few spouts and sriracha sauce to the bowl, let the meat cook a bit more and then dug in. Â The steak and brisket tasted great and the broth was very satisfying. Â Now, while this was my first time trying this classic dish and I wasn't completely blown away with it, I am definitely wanting to try it again as I have been told that it only gets better with many, many tastings.
I *finally* got my happy arse out and tried the deliciousness that is pho!
Although I have absolutely no basis for comparison, I thought Pho 79 was fantastic. Â My friend Fuji and I started out with spring rolls and egg rolls. Â Since I'm terribly unadventurous with food, I was so surprised that I liked both rolls. Â Very tasty! Â
And of course, the main dish. Â I went with a small bowl of chicken pho, figured I'd be a bit safe. Â Holy cow, the small here at Pho 79 could serve two of me, while the large, which Fuji ordered, was HUGE! Â I couldn't believe any person, even a bottomless pit like Fuji, could inhale that entire dish. Â Even though I was extremely awkward with the chop sticks and spoon, I did alright and enjoyed my first bowl of pho!
We finished the meal off with boba (sp?) smoothies. Â I was impressed with these little delights. Â Who knew tapioca in a smoothie could be so good? Â Yum yum yum!
Pho 79 is right around the corner from my apartment, so I could potentially see this joint becoming a regular in my rotation. Â Great little restaurant that always seems to be packed! Â
Definitely check out Pho 79 when you're in the Havana area. Â Great food and great atmosphere.
Now I know, I know... Pho 79 in Aurora has already gotten plenty of love from y'all, but nevertheless I wanted to throw in my two cents.
My favorite pho bowl here is the #8 Special. This way I get the best of all worlds - rare steak, brisket, flank, tendon and tripe! And Pho 79's meats are so good, and the broth is so flavorful, I usually only end up doctoring my meal with Tuong (Vietnamese soybean sauce - no Hoisin here people!) because I just love that condiment so much. These folks know their soup!
I also like the Goi Cuon Chay (tofu, veggies and rice noodles in a soft rice wrapper), served with a peanut-Tuong sauce that's out of sight. I can almost taste them now! If you're so inclined you can even do the make-your-own-rolls thing.
But who am I to tell you what to do?
This place used to be good, until other pho restaurants came and invaded Denver with great broth, great service, and an overall great experience for cheap...
Went there last night, place was packed since the weather changed quickly from 80's to cold in a day. Parking lot was packed, service was really slow, 2 servers running around taking orders only, no other communication like other places...
Food and boba came pretty fast.
Verdict on pho:
*Broth was clear with almost no reminiscence of meat from bones, tasted metallic (that's probably how Richard Kiel in Jaws vs. James Bond would taste pho 79's broth), and quite salty.
*Meats: I had the meat combo, with tendons, and tripes (#10 or #9, not sure) when I started digging in, I had a glimpse of eating a chirashi zushi bowl instead of pho... No, this one didn't have any fish, but it was a very skimpy servings of meats, mostly 1 to 3 slices of each, and 3 being very generous...
Pho 79 was my favorite for years, until recently. Went to the Havana location and halfway through my meal, i found a toothpick in my Pho. i received a quick "sorry" as the bowl was whisked away. They didn't offer to comp it either. Never going back.
Decided to not judge them by locale, and gave them another chance with their Federal location. Horrible service and portions have gotten extremely smaller. Never going back.
Been hearing how great Pho 95 & Pho Duy are, so i decided to give one of them a try. Chose Pho Duy 1st. The place was packed, the service was fine, the Pho was good.
Good luck Living off of Sheehan's endorsements, Pho 79. There are many other Pho joints and it appears that the Pho Phans are already flocking to them.
The pho with tendon *yummm* (#4) was very good, a medium was too much for me. The ball-n-chain had the medium meatball pho (#1) and he thought it was great - he doesn't worship the pho properly but will go with me just to stop my incessant whine about the blessed pho. Someone earlier commented on the noodle clump -we had that too, just sort of a blob of noodles, but they were noodlishious. Â Also, there was a good balance of broth, meat and noodles.
The tables are stocked with Sriracha, hoisin, fish sauce and a chili paste - which is nice because so many places only have hoisin and Sriracha. The veggie plate was piled high with lots of limes, beans, basil, saw-leaf herbs, and hot jalapenos. The ball-n-chain thought the basil was a little old and limpy, but maybe it was just organic!! :-)
A good place if you aren't hung up on atmosphere. The place is loud and busy (not a bad thing) and there are waiters sprinting throughout the joint. The ball-n-chain was hesitant to go in - the outside is, interesting....as in dubious at best. Must try the Durian Boba next time!
Oh-and why do these place all have the cheapest, thinnest napkins?
I don't call myself a Pho expert by any means, and I don't really have much else to compare it to, but this is the kind of thing you eat if you are really stuffed up with a cold or it's really gloomy outside. The soup warms you up instantly (add some Sriracha if you are really daring!) and clears up any kind of sinus problem you may have. Â The soup is bursting with flavor and I usually order the rare steak (this way, the hot broth cooks the meat).
I'd give it more stars but last time I ate here, I felt really trippy and out of it afterwards. It was really strange. Maybe I went too crazy on the Sriracha and whatever other sauces were sitting on the table.
One more thing-They have the most amazing bubble tea that I have found in Denver thus far. The green tea milk tea is a MUST HAVE.
It looks like an abandoned business on South Havana. There are weeds and trash in the parking lot. But the neon "open" light is burning bright, so I'm going to treat myself to lunch.
I am instantly greeted by the man who will soon be my waiter and I settle in to my chair in the corner closest to the front door to take in my surroundings. No booths, only tables, each with a napkin dispenser, plastic flowers, and Sriracha. It reminds me of a cafeteria, or an above-average food stall in a large market.
I don't know what kind of meat to get, so I ask the waiter and he recommends the #6. I get a small and a soda lemonade.
I am not disappointed.
As I eat, I suffer an attack of tunnel vision and I see my own life in the future: I will dream of the soda lemonade for months to come as I am bent over the field of purslane in my vegetable garden. I will crave the feel-good earthy warmth of the pho in the fall as I make pie from the fruit of my apple trees. I will try to bring friends to the restaurant but they will all laugh at me, and I will have to sneak away and eat here alone again. I will become a regular, always sitting at Table 2, and someday I will even master the use of spoon and chopsticks. Other patrons will watch me as I slurp away in the corner and they will imagine I have lived in Vietnam and wonder why I always eat alone....
I look down at my bowl, I am satisfied and I can't finish it. I give the nice lady at the register $10 for food, drink, and tip, and I go back outside, half expecting to find that someone has taken my motorcycle. But the car wash guys next door have kept a good eye on it, and I carefully go on my way again.