Outside of a small section of Washington Ave. in South Philadelphia, it is difficult to find any Vietnamese restaurants to satisfy a hankering for the brothy, beefy noodle soup, let alone a GOOD one. Where’s a body to turn?
Buckle your seatbelts and take a ride, and not very far! It turns out there are quite a few places to grab a cheap pho lunch outside of the city.
Top 7 Stops to Slurp Pho in the Philly ‘Burbs:
Stop 1: Pho Street, Springfield
First, I went to Pho Street, a recent addition to Baltimore Pike in Springfield, and it took me by surprise. I was familiar with the location, as it used to be a diner, and the décor remains very diner-esque. It is an environment I am comfortable in, but it didn’t seem to fit with pho.
Regardless, I ordered a Pho Tai Nam Gau Gan Sach, which is eye round, flank, fatty brisket, soft tendon, and tripe. It came out a short ten minutes later to a watering mouth courtesy of the smell that preceded the waiter to my table.
The promises the aroma made were not unfulfilled. Pho Street had by far the best broth of any of the locations I visited. I was surprised as it was an in-house stock; I hadn’t pegged Pho Street as the type of place that would take the time to do that. The pho was heavy on the flank, with only one small piece of tripe, but otherwise very well balanced.
Stop 2: Banh Mi Bar & Bistro, Norristown
I traveled to 31 W. Main St. in Norristown on a tip that Banh Mi Bar and Bistro was a must. After having to street park in a metered spot, I decided to get my pho to-go rather than pay another dollar for half an hour. It was lucky I did, as Banh Mi seemed to be staffed by only one person.
I ordered a simple beef pho with beef eye round, shank, and meatballs and settled in to wait (roughly for 30 minutes).
What was identifiable about this pho? The broth was more mild than most, the meatballs’ were heavily seasoned with fennel, and the remaining ingredients ranked relatively standard in the pho-tasting spectrum.
Stop 3: Saigon Harbor, Havertown
I was wary of Havertown’s Saigon Harbor and its unassuming storefront at 1501 West Chester Pike. As soon as I walked inside I was put at ease—Saigon Harbor transports diners into a very authentic-feeling Vietnamese café.
My beef ball pho was ready in five minutes and just scrumptious. The broth was fragrant, if not extremely flavorful, and the meatballs added all the kick I could ask for.
Saigon Harbor is also a BYOB conveniently located next to a Wine and Spirits with a reputation of having the best wine selection in the area. I will definately be going back.
Stop 4: Anh Hong Pho Cafe, Upper Darby
For my next trip, I visited my roots in Upper Darby’s Terminal Square. Anh Hong Pho & Café at 7036 Terminal Sq. reminded me of a deli—a deli filled with all things Vietnamese. There were baked goods in a case and lining shelves, and they also featured bánh mì (Vietnamese hoagies).
I ordered Pho Tai Nam, or beef flank and brisket. The broth was OK, but reminded me of a package of College Inn chicken broth. The flank was very fresh, and was served on the side raw so I could add it and cook it in the broth—a very pho thing to do.
Stop 5: Little Saigon, Upper Darby
My second stop in Terminal Square has been around for a while—25 years to be exact. Little Saigon at 113 Fairfield Ave. has been an Upper Darby staple for years, and I immediately saw why.
When I walked in, two tables were taken by people rapidly speaking Vietnamese with the waiter about what was happening on the TV, which was in Vietnamese with English subtitles. I felt like I’d been transported.
Here, I ordered Pho Tai Gan, beef flank and tendon. The broth was divine, and the tendon was melting in my mouth instead of the slightly chewy gelatinous bits I’d gotten up to this point. The pho was heightened by the friendly atmosphere of the small restaurant, and I left full and happy.
Stop 6: Le Saigon, Paoli
My next stop took me to Paoli and Le Saigon at 82 E. Lancaster Ave. Again, my waiter was very friendly, actually sitting down at my table to take my order, which was flank and beef ball pho.
The pho arrived five minutes later, and was delightful. Surprisingly, it was the noodles that really made Le Saigon shine. Though the noodles make up about 75% of pho, they are usually not the star. It didn’t hurt that the broth was made in house, the meatballs were delectable, and the flank was fresh and flavorful.
My only complaint here was I only got a few small basil leaves—I generally like four or five big leaves in my pho. The restaurant was small, but surprisingly spacious, and the music was a piano, setting a very soothing ambience.
Stop 7: Bamboo House of Noodle, West Chester
My final stop was at Bamboo House of Noodle’s new location at 1502 West Chester Pike. Another BYOB, Bamboo House was busy at 12:30 p.m. with only a few free tables in the large dining area that was filled with chatter, laughter, and wonderful smells.
I ordered my Bamboo Pho (tendon, tripe, flank, meatball, and eye-round) to go, and got a surprise when I got home. It was spicy, even before I added the jalapenos! I have never encountered this with pho before, and I liked it. The broth was clearly made in house, and while very flavorful, was also very fatty, as though it hadn’t been properly strained.
Besides the spice, there was a good amount of meats, and a good balance of the different types. The flank was a bit stringy, but otherwise good.
All of these locations were within twenty minutes of my home in Wallingford. Most provided a good, filling meal for under $10. The best was, surprisingly, Pho Street, and after each I had no desire to travel all the way to Washington Ave. to get pho. Good food is right around the corner, you just have to look!
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