It was finally explained why the boba comes out at the end of the meal: because the chef himself prepares the boba from scratch because fresh ingredients are used. I'm willing to wait in order to get this high level of quality.
Also, the next time I ate here, the service was much more prompt despite being during lunch rush, indicating they are either improving in this area (or my last visit was not reflective of their normal level of service).
I was very glad that I found this place when we were in Denver on our way to Vail. Â We were disappointed by various other Pho places in the area and when we found this place, it really hit the spot. Â It was a surprise to find out that the owners were from Garland/Dallas area and really pleasant to talk to. Â I must say that their smoothie fruit drinks were great! Â This place actually uses real fruit which really makes a difference in the quality and taste. Â I ordered the Watermelon and it was done to perfection. Â The pho here was good as well. Â The portion sizing and noodle to meat ratio was great. Â Most place skimp on the meat and pack it on with the noodles, which I hate. Â This place has figured out the perfect balance, which made it enjoyable. Â I will definitely continue making my pho stops here when I'm in the area.
Review Source:I stopped here on the way home from work because I'm still sick, and pho is still my go-to comfort food.
All the staff were super friendly--probably the most friendly pho place I've ever been to.
The pho was up there among the better places I've been to. Â The broth was a little salty, but the flavor was good. Â They got my order right, and there was not a speck of evil cilantro in sight.
I'll definitely frequent this place as it's right on my way home from work.
Great vegetarian Pho. I think I've had better on Federal, but this place was excellent. Once the guy understood I was only down for vegetarian food, he was very accommodating, letting me know the spring rolls could be vegetarian as well. They were good, too. Not as good as it gets, but pretty dang good if you don't want to drive up to Federal.
Review Source:Order the Vietnamese Egg Rolls and the Tofu Pho. Â Egg rolls came with lettace, assortment of fresh veggies (bean sprouts, carrorts, mint, cooked rice noodles). Â Wrapped the egg roll in the lettace with veggies. Â Dipped in the savory sauce. Â Was a very tasty starter. Â Enjoyed every bit of it. Â Then came the Pho along with it's side of veggies (basil, mint, bean sprouts, lime, jalapenos). Â The soup broth was okay. Â nothing special. Â Overall the Pho was okay. Â I would go back for the egg rolls and maybe a rice or vermicelli dish. Â They have a good selection of boba but I didn't try it.
Review Source:The food is great but they really need to work on their service. Â I will go back someday but it's gonna take some time after my last experience. Â We asked the waiter to bring the Boba's right away because we have children with us. Meaning we don't want them after our dinner..... Last time they brought them after we ate because that is their custom. Â These boba's are almost as much as the meal..
Review Source:I've read in several reviews that the people who work here are the sweetest people. Â Ever. Â I thought that the other reviewers were exaggerating about this, until I went in on my way home from work one day. Â These people really are very sweet, and seem to really appreciate your business. Â Are there better pho joints out there? Â Yes, but this place is really pretty good, and it's in Aurora, not on Federal! Â I always stick to the chicken pho, and it never disappoints. Â They also have pretty tasty Vietnamese egg rolls and great boba. On my last visit, I tried the avocado boba, and it was delicious! Â you could actually taste the freshness of the REAL avocado used. Â Try this place for the service, but keep coming back because of the pho!
Review Source:If you are new to Vietnamese cuisine, then this is the best place to try it out... Staff is friendly, fast and helpful at suggesting dishes & how to eat it properly.
After spending a few hours getting my Colo license, I was quite surprised to find this little gem in the same strip mall... even more surprised to see the amazing reviews! When trying a new Pho place, I usually plan on bringing my own Roasted/Fried garlic as a Pho garnish but since this was a surprise I resorted to my back up meal, Rice Vermicelli noodles and Marinated Grilled Pork. If you like dancing flavors then the Marinated Pork is right up your alley.
Side note: Turns out they have the Roasted Garlic and I can't wait to go back and try their Pho... it was pretty busy on a Tuesday at 2pm so I'm confident I won't be disappointed. Updated review to follow.
PHO Review: Super Yummy! I've been here 2 times in one week for the Pho, once for Lunch and the other for Dinner - Both times were a manageable packed house. Out of the 700 Â choices this is definitely closest to what I was raised on. This is one of the top 3 Pho Restaurants I recommend!
Got wind of this place from my Vietnamese contacts at Alfredo's. Â If they are going to endorse it, I figure its got to be good. Â And they were right. Â The decor and set up was kind of simple, bordering on divey. Â Service was very responsive and polite. Â I ordered my usual pho and it was out fast. Â The veges and noodles were a little thin and the rare steak wasn't that rare, but all in all, it was a tasty little pho. Â Also for an area which I didn't think got a lot of traffic, there sure were a lot of people popping in.
However, I had to knock them down a notch for missing some side benefits, lack of pepper paste, sodas in a can, which means no refills. But pretty good pho.
Pho-shizzle I love pho!  The location is sketchy but  these are the kind of restaurants I prefer for 2 reasons--cheap and tasty.  It's thrilling and adventurous to know I'm risking my safety for my stomach.  Because at the moment I crave, I am in hunter mode and all weekend it was for pho. Typical variations of pho are offered but with 3 different sizes.  I ordered a medium rare beef and tendon pho and iced coffee with condensed milk.  My sister-in-law ordered the same pho and an avocado shake with boba.  First, the broth is flavorful without being salty and oily like some places that do not take the time to drain the fat or add too much fish sauce.  The avocado shake was fresh, not powdered, and the boba balls soft.  Although our service was friendly, and our water refilled constantly no explanation was offered for the long wait on the avocado shake. Perhaps the server drove across town and picked it off fresh from his avocado tree?  Who knows.  We were ready to pay the bill when her drink was served so of course due to the anticipation, my sister-in-law's avocado shake was in her words, "Perfect".  Glad I didn't get mugged, but it may have been worth it.
Review Source:I've got SUNSHINE....on a cloudy dayyy...
Happy a friend introduced me to my new go-to place for Pho, close to work and home, I am coming back for a steaming bowl when it's cold outside...or even in the month of May...
I'll bet, you'd say..nothing makes me feel this way...
I loved the cleanliness as opposed to a prior review of a Pho  I found on Colfax a while back. Just because you are in the far reaches of Saudi-Aurora, doesn't mean you should skimp on keeping your place clean ! The service is wonderfully friendly. I again had meatball..which for some reason is my favorite. I'm excited to try the other items on the menu when I return. See you soon Pho 888 !
It's kinda hard not to be happy with everything at Pho888. Â You can't beat the comfort, satisfaction, and thriftiness of a steaming bowl of pho. The freshness of the ingredients won me over, the fresh mint practically slapped me in the face! Â The broth has just the right amount of spices, not overwhelming. Â Service is very friendly, Â I look forward to making this my go to for a cheap, filling, satisfying meal when I'm slum min' it!
Review Source:I am a pho snob. I just am. I crave pho all the pho-rickin time and I am in a mission to find the BEST pho I can find. So, after reading all the rave reviews on here, I thought, "why not?"
So it may not be the best pho I have ever had, but the broth was good. It was loaded with tons cauliflower, which I am not a huge fan of. Where's my broccoli and bok choy??
The service was really really great, the guys there are really helpful and friendly, and the boba was AMAZING. If you aren't a fan of pho, just come in and get an avocado boba. Yes, avocado. Who woulda thought?
Pho 888 is great! Â Dig the Pho the most. Â Lunch or dinner their service is quick friendly and attentive. Â The broth is out of this world. Â It has it's own distinct flavor maybe it's a splash of cardamom that makes it good. Â Whatever it is, it's awesome flavor. Â The Boba is probably the best I've had in Denver. Â Worth the drive is you're around. Â Check it out! Â You wont' be disappointed.
Review Source:So this is my second review since I've come back and tried more things. Â I have been going to this Pho place pretty often now. Â It's right by my work and it's probably the best Pho I can find in Aurora/Denver. Â
In a nutshell:
This place as many great dishes, not just pho. Â All of their food is tasty. Â The boba here is legit and actually tastes like fruit. Â Their customer service is awesome.
A TIP FOR ANY VIETNAMESE PERSON OUT THERE:
They have bun bo on Saturday and Sunday only so come get it on those days!
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Dishes I like:
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When I'm looking for something warm and soupy, I always get the Pho Tai (which is the regular beef one). Â There are other beef ones too which are probably just as good. Â The broth here is very good compared to many other places I've tried here in Colorado. Â It is not bland at all so I love it. Â I always add bean sprouts, hoisen sauce, and lime to my Pho. Â That's how I like it, and I almost finish the whole bowl including the broth.
The second dish I love there is the vermacelli noodle bowl with beef. Â Note that this is a dry noodle. Â I add eggrolls to this as well. Â They give you a very good portion of beef, noodle, and veggies. Â Adding the fish sauce just tops it off and you've got a delicious plate in front of you.
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Other things:
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Last but not least, you've got to get the boba/smoothie when you're here. Â This is the only place I've found that has LEGIT boba (not the kind made from powder that doesn't even taste like the real fruit). Â They use ACTUAL fruit in their smoothies. Â I absolutely LOVE the mango one. Â To make it even better, they add whip cream to it! Â You can ask for no whip cream if you're trying to be a LITTLE healthier haha. Â
I am a full blown Cali girl. Â Boba is EVERYWHERE in SoCal so I really miss the boba shops. Â I wish they had some kinda boba shops here in CO that were good, but for now I'm good with coming here for good food and boba.
So, I know some people will give bad ratings because of customer service. Â I think yelp should be more for the food but sure. Â There's no worry when it comes to this pho place. Â The workers as well as the owner are very friendly. Â They ask how you're doing, if your food is good, they laugh at whatever stupid jokes you may have, and so on.
Another minor tip:
I don't like the chicken pho here. Â I'm used to the chicken being shredded. Â Here they have sliced chicken breast. Â I have noticed that this is actually pretty common in CO. Â Guess that's something to expect here in CO. Â In CA you definitely will get the shredded chicken. Â I still give this place 5 stars because it's the best you'll get here in CO.
This place is a 4 star going on 5 star. Â
As with most Pho places it is in an unassuming strip mall. Â When you go in it is the typical question if you just sit or need to be seated (for some reason that is the norm for Pho), but someone quickly came out and directed us to a table. Â The place is pretty big and the tables are well spaced out. Â Our waiter came over quickly, was super friendly and was attentive throughout. Â
Pho meatball was delicious. Â The meatballs were pretty big and they plentiful in the bowl. Â The broth was really flavorful and balanced. I usually take a sip of it first to see how much of everything I want to add and I have to say I took more than a few sips enjoying the flavor. Â But what can I say, I need my sriracha kick so spiced it up to my liking. Â All the side veggies/herbs were fresh and they weren't stingy about anything. Â
I really like the place. Â I think it is one of the best ones I have tried. Definitely a must try for Pho fanatics!
We're on a big Pho kick lately and Pho 888 was close to where we were so we thought we'd try it out.
As others have said, the service here is excellent. Very friendly staff and came over several times to refill the water and ask if we were doing all right.
The Pho was excellent. Broth had good flavoring and a good portion of meatballs and noodles.The meatballs were a bigger slice than you usually get, too, which is nice.
I got the medium, which seemed a little smaller than the medium I've gotten at other places, but still a good size. I've certainly had smaller mediums and larger mediums, so it's hard to judge. I thought the prices were pretty good, too. Can't beat going out for lunch for under $15.
Friendly service, good prices, yummy food, and large portions! What more could you ask for?
During a weekend trip to Denver for a wedding, this was the third shop I visited! (My mom was really craving the stuff!) So for once, I actually didn't order pho at a pho shop! We walked in a bout 5 minutes before closing (oops) but they were still very welcoming. I ordered the the chicken rice plate with eggrolls on the side just because I wanted something a little different, and boy...was I glad I did! They used chicken breast and cooked it up perfectly...i.e. not dry! I also liked that the flavor was subtle and not overpowering...usually chicken riced dishes are dumped with lemongrass, and while you can definitely taste that here, it wasn't overwhelming (good thing, because I actually hate lemongrass -___-). So order this if you're in the mood for something a little different than pho!
Overall, a winner in my book.
As many have mentioned, the service at Pho 888 is excellent. The staff is exceptionally friendly and very willing to help out newcomers who weren't familiar with the different types of meat available for pho.
The pho itself was pretty standard with all the usual toppings (sprouts, jalapeños, lime, etc.). Of course Sriracha hot sauce was readily available on every table.
I also got one of their bubble drinks (they call it a "jelly" drink) and was a little caught off guard by how sweet it was (Mango flavor). It's definitely more of a smoothie with tapioca pearls than anything.
Still fantastic!
I was here today and wow, they are still fantastic. Â
What's cool to see here is there is a real mixed crowd here, all from different backgrounds, enjoying the fruits if Viet culture in a friendly, no-frills, family-style setting.
Make sure you get the Vietnamese coffee (cafe sua da). Â It's smooth and strong! Â
Great job guys!
People weren't joking about the friendly service. Â It's so good, I almost feel like they must be playing with me. Â Let's see how over the top we can be with this guy. Â Every single person who works there must be living on cloud 9. Â Def more + than I'll ever be.
Spring rolls: on par with most places. Â No grilled options, but good still.
Pho: Â large, cheap, great broth, sprouts, etc. Â Asked for less noodles and the waiter offered more meat to take its place. Â Yes please!!
Combo plates and vermicelli bowls: Â Looked awesome and will try soon.
Boba: Â yummy!
It's too bad I just found out about this place with only 3 months left working in the Aurora area. Â Will be sure to get my fill while it lasts.
Pho 888 is a truly great Vietnamese place. Â Service is friendly and efficient. Â The food is superb. Â We had spring rolls (the white transparent ones) and the pho (soup). Â My friend had the vegetarian, with a variety of veggies in it. Â I had the meatball. Â They bring big stalks of basil and bean sprouts fresh on a side plate. Â Everything was so delicious. Â Finally, we opted for the jelly drinks. Â The mango jelly drink was outstanding. Â No added sugar (I don't think), just thick mango juice with very tasty tapioca jelly beans at the bottom. We ate a lot but I didn't feel overfull. Just ignore the Mexican karaoke going on next door...
For lactose intolerant customers --- the mango is one of the few jelly drinks with no milk in it. Â However, they like to top it with whipped cream, so make sure to specify no whipped cream either.
About two weeks ago, after 30 hours of labor and the birth of my first child, my man asked me what I wanted for dinner. Â
The food was fantastic and exactly what I wanted. Â Fresh, flavorful and not too heavy. Â The bobas are...very odd and delightful. Â We've been back three times since then and I'm still a huge fan. Â
It's tucked away in the shopping center in a truly horrible location (as it pertains to visibility), so go forth and discover this jewel.
After our office relocated to Aurora, I thought it was going to be a real task finding a decent place to eat...let alone a Pho joint close enough for lunch breaks. Â I didn't have to look far! Â Thanks to Yelp, I was able to find a Pho place that was A) in close proximity and B) rated so dang high.
I think the reason this place earned an extra star over my previous favorite, is because they have boba/smoothies AND their service is fantastic. Â They ask you if you have ever eaten Pho before and are quick to answer any questions you may have. Â If looking for a boba, they suggest their favorites and also which ones are made from fresh ingredients...as opposed to using syrup as flavoring. Â I found this very helpful because I can be a bit of a health freak and try to stay away from syrups as much as I possibly can. Â After much deliberation, I decided to try the avocado boba...sweet jesus, I LOVE IT! Â It's slightly sweet, a little fatty (in a good way) and super smooth. Â Momma like. Â I've had the peach boba on another occasion and it was very refreshing. Â As for the Pho, it's delicious! Â The broth is piping hot, flavorful and smooth and the fixins are fresh.
Not much else to say except that I have found my new lunch spot!
My new fav for cold evenings - When I get the craving for Pho, I no longer yelp to find restaurants in my area cuz this is where it's at - Pho is delish, broth is just a little sweet and has enough anise and savory flavors to balance each other to belly warming satisfaction - The spring rolls and Vietnamese egg rolls are a good addition to any meal. Haven't tried the boba, but I've seen it at other tables and looks good. Â
I'm a rare beef fan, hubby digs on the rare beef and brisket combo.
Owner always comes out to greet customers and has already recognized us after only a few visits.
This is the best Vietnamese restaurant I've ever been to. The food is delicious, the service is great, the servings are huge, and the price is very reasonable.
The pho was delicious; the broth was savory and the ingredients were fresh. Aside from the pho, I recommend trying other items.
My favorite special: Our group had a lotus salad, which included veggies, jellyfish, meat, and lotus that you scoop and eat off of asian chips. I've never had anything like this before and it was delicious. This is an occasional special unless you have them cater.
For dessert, try one of the many flavors of bubble tea. Many of them are made with fresh ingredients and some are made with syrups. Flavors I like are avocado, Thai tea, peach, and mango.
Service: Great! Linh, the owner, is super nice, and the rest of the wait staff is friendly. Random fact: Linh is a pop star in his home country of Vietnam! He showed us a youtube video.
This restaurant was a nice find and is located close to DEN airport. You should make a visit if visiting Denver!
This place is the best pho I have ever had (on a large selection, all over the country). Â The broth is extremely fresh and flavorful without being overdone. Â The meat is as you would hope, with thin cuts of rare steak, great pieces of tripe, etc. Â The appetizers (imperial rolls, noodle salad, and off-the-menu daily special lotus root salad) were all amazing (especially the last).
Prices were excellent, with large servings and all the expected accoutrements (basil, lime, jalepeno, bean sprouts, sauces, and tea), and an unexpected leafy green which was also excellent in the soup.
The service was fantastic. Â We called 30 minutes before closing to ask if they were open. Â They said they were just about to go home, but would stay open for our group. Â Inside, the service was very helpful, with personal recommendations from the owner on bubble tea.
In summary, this place can't be overstated. Â Strongly recommended for any local or skiing visitor.
According to the owner, 888 refers to "good luck". Â I can't argue with him about that. I felt rather lucky to find Pho 888 just across the way from where I spent my day working. By evening, I was more than ready to square off to a bowl of noodles, some won-tons, and an iced coffee. This was the best place to do just that.
Their food quality is wonderful, their friendly service is world-class; the dining room was spotless, bright, and open; and the price was exceptional.
I'll be back!
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