Pho Viet
80 Kilauea Ave, Hilo, HI, 96720
Pho Viet Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Hilo for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Hilo for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
80 Kilauea Ave
Hilo, HI, 96720 - Phone (808) 935-1080
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 8:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
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Brennan T.
Pho Viet has been one of my favorite Vietnamese restaurants in Hilo since I discovered it a few years ago. When I visited again last night with my family, we were once again delighted. LOCATION AND AMBIANCE: Tucked away behind Garden Exchange on a one-way street below the new downtown McDonald's, it is next door to Naung Mai Thai restaurant and the Taishoji temple. The restaurant is a hole-in-the-wall location that seats roughly 40 people. Park either on Kilauea Ave by entering from Haili St or on Mamo St and walk against traffic to the restaurant. Though we got to the restaurant about an hour before closing, at least 5 other groups entered, which meant a consistently packed dining room of locals, tourists, families, kupuna (senior citizens) and young adults. FOOD: Pho Viet serves excellent Vietnamese food. The pho is always served hot and sports a savory and delicious broth. I ordered the pho with flank, tendon, and meatballs, and there was a good amount of meat. My only complaint about the pho was that it only came with basil and lime, while many other restaurants also serve with bean sprouts, cilantro, and jalapenos. I'm not sure if this is common or if they just ran out since it was late in the day. My mom ordered the beef stew, which was more of a soup than a typical local beef stew, but it was AMAZING! Though slightly spicy, my mom still enjoyed it even though she can't handle spice. The bahn mi roll was soft and crisp. I especially like the garlic chili sauce that is served in a small bowl when you receive your food rather than sitting in a covered cup on the table. It has a nutty flavor that compliments the spice. The spring rolls (fried) and summer rolls (cold) are both good, though they seem small, and the spring rolls were not hot when we received them. SERVICE: Service is fine, though nothing to write home about. If you drink a lot of water like my family does, you'll have to ask for refills. OVERALL: Great food with minor complaints. Definitely try this place if you love pho, soup, or any kind of Asian cuisine.
(4)Donna M.
It baffles me that my mom could literally be anywhere in the world, and the number one food she'd wanna eat is pho. Pho, pho, pho. Even in Hilo! Come early or prepare for a wait because we came here on a weekday for lunch shortly after they opened, and it was already jam packed. A little hard to find, since it's off the main road, but super convenient since there are a ton of free street parking available outside. There are a handful of different combinations of beef pho to choose from, as well as pho ga (chicken), and a random offering of vietnamese beef stew as well. You can also get spring or summer rolls, but that sums up the food offerings here. The menu is very limited compared to other vietnamese joints, but why mess with what works? Obviously the pho is the shining star here, and for very good reason. The pho broth is savory, flavorful and full of dimension. The texture of the noodles is perfectly done, kinda with a little bit of a chew factor which I enjoyed. I got the combination with meatballs, brisket, tendon and flank steak. I thought that the portions were perfect, but bigger eaters might disagree. My parents both wished they had more meat in their pho and I could always go for more tendon, but for $7.50 a bowl, I really can't complain! While I normally avoid sauces like the plague when I eat pho, seriously, do NOT miss the spicy garlic chili sauce. It's amazing! Unlike the sauces you might find at other pho joints, you can really taste the garlic chips inside. Dip your meat in it, pour it into your soup, or just eat it by itself! Go crazy, because it's delicious!
(4)Kanoe I.
Most places.. If you like their food.. Your more then likely to return again. If you didn't like what you ordered the first time then you should give it another shot and order something different & that's exactly what we did. First experience we came at night. The place was fully packed with a line so it was about a ten minute wait to be seated! (Which you seat yourself) This place is pretty small serving hot phõ all day/night so thumbs down for having no AC, but mostly for having fans and leaving them off during our meal. (The fans were pretty dirty and linty so maybe it was actually best turned off) We ordered egg rolls which were only $3.50 and tasted good except for the fact that some of the noodles inside weren't fully cooked so there were some hard pieces here and there. We also tried the combination phõ with vermicelli noodles which I thought was good since I added a lot of their delicious garlic chili oil that comes with every phõ order and lastly we ordered the rare beef & brisket phõ since they were out of their beef stew phõ. Their phõ's were good, but not great! I don't think I should be adding tons of their chili oils for it to have flavor and for it to taste better. Second time dining here we came on a super hot day. Bad choice! The place we were looking forward to eating at closed for the Chinese New Year! This place was a hot sauna! They finally had their beef stew I've been wanting to try with vermicelli noodles, but of course once again they have to be out of something so no vermicelli with our beef stew so we got rice noodles instead. Their beef was yummy and super tender. I thought the phõ tasted good, but guess my boyfriend had better from the little comments he made. Lastly we ordered the cold vermicelli noodles with egg rolls. The only cold noodle dish and funny that they had vermicelli noodles for this dish and not for the beef stew. This dish was lacking a lot of flavor. Big thumbs down!
(2)Rain L.
I'm new to hilo. I was looking for a place to get some pho for sick people like. Luckily I found this place thru yelp. I love pho, it's my comfort food every time I get sick/flu. I can't believed I ate the big bowl of pho. They're bomb. I gave four stars because they don't have to go orders.
(4)Teri K.
If you love Pho, this is the place to get your fix! Seriously, the best Pho in Hilo. We've had pho at many different restaurants and NONE of them compare to the pho here. The stew is equally delicious! For an appetizer we suggest the fresh spring rolls which comes with an excellent peanut sauce. Wash it all down with a refreshing thai tea. The restaurant usually gets packed around lunch and dinner so get there early if you don't want to wait outside but please allow them to clear and clean the table before taking your seat. It's common courtesy. Too many times we've gone and watched people sit at a table that had food and utensils from previous patrons. We know the food is GREAT but please contain yourself for a couple more minutes! :)
(5)Micah A.
Really cute restaurant, nice and cozy! The Pho is killer and the egg rolls are phenomenal! Enjoy!!
(5)Vinay S.
Most flavorful broth we have ever had and we are from San Francisco so we are used to good Pho!
(5)Tommy N.
Best in Hilo, but probably the only pho place in Hilo. Good but nothing compared to main land food.
(4)Aubrey J.
I'm from Southern California and I've had a lot of pho at several establishments, but I'd have to say this place goes right up there on my top 3 Vietnamese restaurants!! That's a lot to say! I come to Hilo at least once a year & my go-to pho place was Hilo Rice Noodle, but that has definitely changed since trying the pho at Pho Viet just recently. The broth is on point; jammed packed with flavor! Wow. Either there's a bunch of MSG in there or that thing has been brewing for hours on end (I actually would nix the idea of the MSG since I did not receive a massive headache after LOL). The chili garlic oil is MOUTH-WATERING & is a must add to any order on the menu. Their Vietnamese coffee is more dark & bitter than the Vietnamese coffee I am use to which gives it the idea that it is essentially stronger in caffeine but I'd have to disagree. Though bold in flavor, I would say I've had far more Vietnamese coffees ("crack" as we say in SoCal) that will wake the sh.t outta you in seconds. Establishment is pretty quaint with very little seating available & no a/c, but honestly that wouldn't stop me from eating there... Even if I'm full of sweat & have no elbow room while dining LOL
(5)Johan L.
Super yummy Pho with veggies from Grandma's garden. Made the trip from Kona totally worthwhile, way better than the Volcano park ;)
(5)Gina T.
So we drove from Kona to Hilo to go to the farmer's market the next day....and of course to take pic of the sunrise the next morning. Went to several places for dinner but they were all closed, so finally decided for Vietnamese. This restaurant was the closest one to where we were so we GPSed ourselves there. It seems like a family run restaurant, inside is small, had about 10+ tables maybe? We all ordered pho, broth was quite good....could say maybe as good as mine. But the meat were missing. We had really tough thit tai. The other meat were kinda unknown we couldn't figure out what they were...hence the 3 stars. Kids had thai tea...it wasn't as strong as what we have here in Cali. All in all, it was a good dinner because of the hot broth.
(3)Jamie D.
The pho here is decent... customer service needs work on. The main female server is nice, but the other people are very rude. The food may be OK, but I wouldn't come back because the customer service is horrible.
(3)Tina Y.
It's a pho place and all they have is pho. Is that surprising? Do what you do best. To be honest, I knew they had pho but I really opted for the Vietnamese place over the Thai place as my last meal before leaving Hawaii so that I can get a bowl of really good fish soup. To my disappointment there were like 20 different variations on Pho and two appetizers. No fancy stuff. The pho had a much lighter broth then I'm used to but I assume the lighter broth is actually more authentic. Egg Rolls were okay, I read egg rolls and thought that was their way of saying spring roll. It really was an egg roll. The Summer Rolls looked amazing though, probably should have went for that instead. If I had a place that specializes in Pho just like this close to home, I might go everyday but as a tourist I was looking for something more. This is a local joint, don't expect anything fancy.
(4)Kimi F.
We drove out from Kona to Hilo for the day and decided we wanted pho. Checked YELP and this was the top place to go for pho. My husband actually went to another pho place that was lower rated, but said the decision was up to me. Alrighty then, let's go to the higher rated pho place. Upon entering there was 8 tables that could sit 4 people per table. We self seated ourselves and since no one welcomed us right away, my husband went to the front to grab us menus. I guess we were hungry since it was 3:00 p.m. and we had decided to skip breakfast. So after peering through the simple menu, I decided I wanted a pho tai. A few seconds later a young women comes up to our table, to tell us that all they had left was some stew and that was the only thing we could order. Say what? She mentioned that the pho would take 2 plus hours to have ready. Really? If the bulk of your business is serving pho, how can you run out of it? It's not like the establishment was jammed packed. Disappointed, we got up and left. Hungry and in desperate need of food, I pulled up the YELP app and quickly looked for another establishment, that hopefully, had food to calm the hungry monster within me. grrr.....
(1)Sanzi T.
One of the Top Pho place I have been to. Soup is delicious and even the noodles are soft and tasty. I'm a pho lover and came back with happy tummy.
(5)Lori H.
I went on a Thursday and arrived at the restaurant at 11:15am and it was already almost full. By 11:45 there was a slight line outside of the door. It's a good idea to get there just when they open if you want a seat. My friend had told me about the beef stew here and how delicious it was. She was absolutely right. The stew had the perfect amount of spices and flavor to it. The beef was super tender and there were quite a bit of pieces. I told my friend that it was the best stew/soup I've ever had. I can't wait to go back!!
(5)Janna B.
This is a cute little hole in the wall restaurant, maybe a little hard to find if you are not from Hilo. it is on a part of Kilauea Ave, that doesn't really seem like it should be Kilauea Ave, at the end, where it turns into Keawe St. Had never heard of it till my last trip to Hilo. I had the pho with beef and flank. Pho is not my favorite food, but my gf loves it, so I have been to quite a few pho places on Oahu. I must say this was the best tasting pho I've had in a while! Broth was hot and very tasty, veggies were fresh and crispy! I wish all pho tasted like this, then I'd be happier to eat it more often! Also had a spring roll, which was crispy and not too oily. Thai iced tea was good, as usual.
(4)Cindie Z.
It was a mistake to order beef stew with bread, the size of bread looks large enough but it just does carry any weight. I did not feel that I had anything after I finished one bread, and I want to order one more but was told it run out of order already. I am a female, and I usually do not eat much starch anyway. Also, you cannot take out. Overall, beef stew with noodle is the only dish that I may return for.
(3)Kaho N.
This place is terrible, super hot and stuff inside with only 2 fans. Ordered beef stew and pho, both of them only had very few pieces of small meat inside and 2 slices of carrot. Total rip off! Also not very tasty at all, if you really enjoy pho then this place is not authentic and will not satisfy your craving
(1)Przemek A.
The menu may not have much but they certainly know pho. Highly recommended haven't had broth this good since Vietnam. Prices are unbeatable as well.
(5)Cameron G.
Amazing food! Have yet to have Vietnamese food this well done in all of NYC. Amazingly sweet family too. Must go if in Hilo!
(5)Lauren M.
Pretty tasty pho and big portions! Love the huge silver bowls they come in as well. The broth is tasty and they offer this red pepper/garlic condiment on the side. I love garlic, so it's nice to add another element of flavor Nothing to complain about for the service. Food came out quick The prices are very reasonable as well. For the time being, this is where I'll go if I crave pho
(4)Andrew T.
Not a Pho expert but can't see any reason not to give them 5 stars. We went for lunch and then back for dinner the next day! I didn't try this place for a while because I just didn't know what Pho is. So if you're ignorant like me, here's the scoop. From Wikipedia : "Pho is a Vietnamese noodle soup consisting of broth, linguine-shaped rice noodles, a few herbs, and meat. It is a popular street food in Vietnam ." So basically for about $8.50 you get a huge bowl of piping hot broth, noodles, and your choice of beef served in a double-walled stainless steel bowl. You ALSO get a plate piled high with bean sprouts, an insane amount of gorgeous fresh basil, hot peppers, etc. And ketchup and mustard squeeze bottles that actually contain hoisin sauce and sriracha. I was like "uh, what the heck do I do with all this stuff" and the waitress replied "some people like to put it in their soup, it's up to you" so I just dumped the whole plate of veggies including all the basil in the broth ... it barely fit,,,, and it was delicious. Of the beef choices I tried in my Pho, I like the familiar eye round steak best. Beef stew was more like a soup than a thick stew, and the type of beef was a little unfamiliar to me (maybe oxtail??) but the broth was ONO. Interior is simple but attractive and clean, service was excellent, and they give you a huge glass of ice water with lemon. One of the little details that merits 5 stars.
(5)Emily S.
I'm not sure what the hype is about here. Cute enough little family run joint, and the beef stew was really tasty. I just wished that it had more than three pieces of their melt in your mouth beef. I ordered a baguette to sop up the great broth, and it didn't have the nice chewy crust that I like. The beef pho with 3 types of beef was okay, but really needed the spice condiments to make it interesting. Again, it was pretty lacking in beef. I add to buy a side of meatballs to appease my 24 month old, who wasn't satisfied with the two in the pho. After expressing disappointment in the lack of meat, a complimentary dish of a couple more meatballs would've gone a long way and earned them an extra star. You only get two salad rolls with your order and they were pretty average.
(2)Sara A.
The pho here is delicious! Okay, so I haven't had pho from any other place, but in terms of a soup Pho Viet wins in my book. I tried the pho with white chicken. Soup came pretty fast, despite every table being filled. The soup also came with fresh basil and sprouts to put in the soup, as well as a chili pepper sauce and hoisin sauce on the side. The price of the pho is very reasonable ($7.50) considering the portion size and taste. The broth was light but very flavorful; the noodles were thin and clear and not overcooked; and the chicken was just so juicy. I would definitely recommend this place and order the pho with white chicken again. Regarding the service, our waiter did not come to check on us at all once we got our food. Not even to refill our water or bring us the bill. I'm not sure if this is regular service or if it was just busy when we went. Nevertheless, I would definitely go back again.
(5)Crystal M.
Ok so my family and I used to live coming to this place because they have really good food. BUT..... Now, they do not do phone orders or take out. When I asked why, they said that they don't want to order the containers. Our bill was over $65 and we had the hardest time getting 2 foam bowls with covers!!!!! I guess I'll bring my own containers:(
(1)Do Y.
Our first day on the Big Island on 4/13, and we drove from Kailua-Kona to Hilo in search of our vacation rental. It was getting dark so we decided to pull up Yelp and see what good restaurants were in Hilo. We found Pho Viet. We both had the #11 pho soup with flank steak. The pho broth was clear and very tasty, it's definitely in the top 5 of best pho I ever had. Also had crunchy spring rolls for an appetizer, and they were great too. I live in northern VA where there are a LOT of pho restaurants, possibly 100+, and this is by far one of the best pho I've ever had.
(5)Sheila D.
Beef stew is my favorite. I don't remember ordering anything else on the menu... Soooo good! Too bad they're close on Sundays. This would have been our after church eating place.
(5)H N.
It's a shame that this is the only place on the big island that serves authentic Vietnamese pho. The place is small and often during lunch, you'll find yourself waiting 5-15 mins for a table. But the wait is well worth it if you're after a good bowl. The soup is bold and there is a strong fragrance signaling a great deal of thought was put in to prepare it. It lacks cinnamon and anise fragrance but that is common with Pho found outside of mainland/California. It also lacks a few vegetables like the culantro and cilantro. But they have basil and bean sprouts which are important and the great soup well makes up for it. The price was reasonable and it's in a perfect location. I'd eat there again the next time I get to Hilo.
(3)Theresa D.
Nice friendly staff. Ordered pho tai nam bo vein and cap phe sua da. Soup was good but extremely small pieces of beef and beef flank and 3 pieces of meat balls. Very cheap prices.
(3)Tiff H.
The best pho place in hilo..I cant go anywhere else!! The meat balls and tai iced tea are my fav. Plus their fast. Small place though maybe about 8 tables? But worth the wait!
(5)Gina B.
Amazing food, fast service. I ordered the spring rolls and one of the pho's number 18 I believe. If you're wanting some good pho this is the place to go.
(5)Mark T.
This is my favorite Pho place in Hilo. It's behind the Farmers Exchange where Kilauea Ave is a one way street. Parking is difficult at times. The broth is hearty and tasty and the family run restaurant service is very good. I think the selections are authentic and all the ingredients are fresh.
(4)Jacqueline G.
BEST PHO IN HILO! Hands down! Reasonable prices. Nice people. Parking can be a drag. I prefer to take out. Dining area can get crowded. They pack their pho to go really well. Stays hot when you get home! You must add the garlic chili oil to your pho. I must have a spoonful with every bite. Addicting! The beef stew pho is my favorite! Meat is super tender! A must have!
(5)Jane D.
We went twice in one day... so I guess we liked it. Well, really we went in at lunch on a rainy day for a hot bowl of pho ga, and the chicken wasn't ready so we had the cold noodle bowls with egg rolls... they were fine, but we wanted pho ga, so we went back at dinner and finally the chicken! Specially liked that they give you a choice of white, dark meat or both.. Meat was tasty, but broth was not interesting. Nice people, nice crowd in the place. Probably it is the best in town, but we didn't get a chance to compare.
(4)B G.
Tuesday night, almost closing. A line at the door. We get a seat and have the special, 2 spring rolls, and Thai tea. The food is served quickly, and has a great presentation. The smells, wonderful. The food, fantastic. Well worth any wait. This was a recommendation from a friend. Thanks! Will I go again? No question!
(5)Young C.
Awesome pho. Clear broth, tasty almost-chewy noodles. It can go head to head with some of the best pho in California. Would recommend stopping by here. It's very close to the Hilo market. Not fancy at all but looks like a local's favorite. They also take card.
(5)Melissa K.
We were across the street a few weeks ago when the scent of hoisin sauce made us turn around and spot this tucked away restaurant. A few nights later, we dropped by for dinner. The decor is simple but the food is quite good. The summer rolls were pretty standard, on the smaller side, but in addition to shrimp, had some kind of sliced meat, perhaps ham? It was quite surprising because we've never had that in a summer roll before and we didn't know what it was. We also ordered chicken and beef pho. The broth was clear and delicious in a subtly savory way. It didn't taste like anise or any other traditional Vietnamese herbs but was very good and clean tasting. I was overjoyed that the noodles were separated instead of clumped. The side vegetables included tons of basil and jalapenos but no bean sprouts? Likewise, it would be nice if entrees with rice could be available during dinner. Although the internet menu listed rice and entree dishes, the in-restaurant menu omitted these dishes and when we asked the server, he said the restaurant was out of rice. Entrees with rice would be a great addition to the menu because it's easier for families to feed chicken and rice to young children than to feed them broth and noodles. We really enjoyed the in-house made chili pepper sauce! Prices are very reasonable and the portion size is good. A quality meal at a reasonable price.
(4)Yuzen Y.
Delicious pho! I have been there many times and will continue to be a repeat customer! The restaurant is clean, and the lady who is always there is friendly. If you haven't tried the beef stew with noodles, I suggest that you give it a try. It's like beef stew meets pho.
(5)Karine W.
One of the best Pho I've tried! Definitely the best Pho on the Big Island! Love it! I'm gonna miss it!
(5)S C.
Fast & friendly service. The beef Pho was the best I've ever had. It's a hole in the wall kind of place, and you won't regret going here!
(5)Hiep N.
Super legit hole in the wall Pho place. There's no air conditioning so don't be surprised when you're sweating while enjoying a hot bowl of Pho. The broth is thick and flavorful. If you're craving Pho, than Pho Viet will definitely satisfy your craving.
(5)Mew I.
Best Pho restaurant in Hilo. Prices are good and food comes out fast. Sometimes wish there was more meat in the Pho, but can't complain with the price they charge.
(5)Bill B.
This is, quite honestly, the best Pho I've ever had...and I have had a lot of Pho...in a lot of places! I'm surprised that more Yelpers either don't know about or have not reviewed this place. Tell your friends...it's a hidden gem!
(5)JK C.
THE BEST PHO I EVER HAD! Thanks Yelpers!
(5)Chris K.
You want some noodles in Hilo, this is the place to go. This place has the best noodles and broths I've found on the Big Island so far. It's a little hole in the wall place, but the decor and staff remind of my days traveling through Asia. Try this place... you won't be disappointed. I recommend the beef broth, especially if you have a cold. Add a little more pepper, and it will knock the cold right out of you. The flavor always shines in this place!
(5)Frederick T.
I never had pho in my life before coming here and it's soooo delicious. Never found a better pho place than here. Cheap and DELICIOUS!!!
(5)Kate L.
Food and portion of pho (soup) was good, but it didn't have enough meat and noodles, felt like it was a lot more of broth.
(4)Susan M.
Pho was pretty good, broth was flavorful. Do not order the beef stew - it will not look like any beef stew you are used to if you are local. It is also lemon grass flavored, and much thinner than what you might think. Papaya salad was one of the best we've had - very fresh, a little different and small (but it is only $3.50), but very tasty.
(4)Mike Z.
Went with some friends for a casual dinner. It's a very unassuming place. Well lit but small. The night we went it was packed, but I imagine it's that way all the time. We all a variation of a beef pho. Surprisingly there is no seafood pho. I felt the pho was really quite good. Lots of additional condiments brought to the table to enhance your dish. I ate the whole thing. All of us did as a matter of fact. Service was good, but the prices were very reasonable. 2 for dinner was $16! We only had water but left full. High point: really good pho Low point: more variety than just beef combo pho Chances we'll be back?: yes. Loved Pho Viet!
(4)Alan H.
woot, definitely a fan of this place. This a new business in Hilo, only 5 months old but it does have that hilo feel to it. It is a small joint, relatively hard to find unless you know what to look for. To get here. you want to go down kilauea until the street becomes a one way, make the first left, then left again back onto kilauea going the opposite direction. Parking is fairly limited on this one way section. The restaurant itself is nicely decorated, with an orchid on each table and a fairly clean atmosphere. Though the place is pretty new, the menus looked a bit worned down (hence the hilo feel). When I entered, the waitress greeted us and allowed us to take up any table. She then brought out menus and leopard stained water glasses. Each glass had a slice of lime in it, a nice classy touch. Being called Pho Viet, I went ahead and ordered their combination pho soup. It came with the standard flank steak, tendon, and meatball; along with a side plate of bean sprouts, basil, and jalapeno. The great thing about it was that the side plate of veges looked very fresh, unlike some other places you might go to around here. The soup was flavorful, and had a good amount of noodles and meats. Pho bowls are between $7.50 and $8, and they do accept credit card so i didn't have to try to find an atm.
(5)Gopi V.
The papaya salad was fresh and delicious. Obviously, this place is for the pho, but unfortunately because we were taking out food, could not try that. The spring rolls were ok.
(4)Marian P.
This place is great found it here on yelp while browsing for places to eat. I brought my friends here and we automatically fell in love with it. Yesterday was the fourth time I've been here. I had Pho viet three times the week before because it was absolutely amazing, especially on a rainy day in hilo! Pho Viet is a definite WIN!
(5)CB B.
Unfortunately, they don't have any vegetarian items and they weren't willing to make anything veg for me. So, we had to leave and go to another restaurant down the street.
(1)Bonnie S.
Pretty darn good. I was wandering around town today with the slow, congested feeling from my cold. I decided what I needed was some soup. I had heard good things about this place from random people, which I figured was a good sign. I was supposed to eat here with my sisters 2 days prior, but had to cancel because I got sick. The craving was upon me from all those factors, so I went on in. The menu is very limited. Besides spring rolls and summer rolls, they only have soups and stews (the Vietnamese style which is as thin as a soup but with different seasonings). I ordered the spring rolls (eggrolls) and the pho bo ko (noodle stew) to-go. I was pleased at how much care they put into wrapping a to-go order. The environmentally overly conscious might disagree, but let them. The care they put meant the difference between soggy noodle and herb soup that leaks everywhere, and soup as clean, crisp, and fresh as if you ate in the restaurant. The woman who served me even kindly gave me a to-go cup of lime water. Now on to the flavor. Stew broth was well flavored with a hint of Vietnamese 5-spice powder and chile pepper. Wasn't spicy at all, just a nice hearty broth. Of course, they load you with mung bean sprouts, basil, and their famous sauce. They had the noodles on the side, so I was able to control the amount I added. The soup itself had carrots and some extremely tender slow cooked beef. They were a little skimpy on the beef, but that is probably healthier. The spring rolls were very good, but with 2 small rolls given per order, it leaves you wanting more. I would order 2 orders of those next time. All in all, good. The veggie offering in the dishes aren't very diverse or expansive there, and no vegetarian options. Sorry herbivores, but you don't really have a reason to go there. For us omnivores though, yum yum.
(4)V M.
Yummy food, okay service. Had the beef stew, which really shouldn't be called 'beef stew' because it's really just extra-flavorful beef soup (which I expected, so this is not a complaint!)
(3)Kimi N.
My favorite pho place in Hilo!!
(5)Anya E.
Through word of mouth, I have heard many great things about Pho Viet. After a tiring day, we decided on take out for our first try here. I got the dark-white chicken pho, and my husband had the beef pho. Our meal was accompanied by two types of hot sauce and fresh basil, bean sprouts, and lime wedges. The chicken pho had a lightly seasoned broth. It had a hint of ginger which I liked. The chicken was a mixture of dark and white shredded meat. The beef pho had a rich and fatty beef broth. The beef was thinly sliced and completely rare, which we prefer as it will cook when added to the hot broth. The vermicelli noodles were of standard quality and topped with sliced green onion. The noodles and protein were packaged separate from the broth which was great for preventing noodle bloating and overcooked meat. Once we assembled everything in a bowl, we added the fried garlic-toasted red chili oil sauce. This was our favorite of the two sauces. The other was a combination of sriracha and sweet plum sauce. We are both satisfied with our pho and the quality of the ingredients. Everything was fresh, bright and light tasting. Menu prices are very reasonable and service was fast and friendly.
(4)Kahuku S.
Yum! I've been eating Pho for 25 years and this is the best Pho I've ever had. Seriously tasty.
(5)Adam L.
Going in, I had never been to a Vietnamese restaurant before. When i went in, i was seated immediately by a very friendly young girl. I looked over the menu, and when ready to order by the only woman i saw there, i asked for her input. She recommended the beef noodle soup. What a great meal! I started with the spring rolls, which were insanely fresh. The mint leaf tasted like it had just been picked, and the shrimp were great. They serve the spring rolls with a homemade peanut sauce which was really one of the best id tasted (i have had Thai many times). When the soup came, it was something that looked like it could have been on Top Chef. The presentation alone was great. It was honestly THE BEST, and i don't use that lightly, soup i had ever had. There is a spicy sauce made of oil, garlic, and chile's which adds so much to the soup. The noodles were perfectly cooked. This was hands down the best meal i had in Hilo.
(5)smriti s.
Excellent pho and such a light yet flavourful broth. It had a jasmine flavor which hit the spot. We also got the special vermicelli with egg rolls which was fresh simple and super healthy. Highly recommend this little restaurant. Great price for great food.
(5)Leisha A.
SO GOOD! I remember having pho before and not liking it. But tonight my mom really wanted to eat pho so we drove across town and hoped they would still do a takeout....they did! Simple menu, nice people, amazing prices, cute ambiance. The broth is so good, I didn't even have to add anything to it. I'll definitely be back.
(5)Anthony H.
Beef Pho (Tai) is flavorful (not sweet, perfect by its self) and meat is tender. This place is better than many places in LA.
(5)A G.
Broth was above average. First time I've every had pho in a metal bowl. Portions were okay. I left satisfied.
(4)Connie H.
Excellent PHO...and I have tried a lot of places, their broth, the essence of pho is fantastic. My fave, the brisket. Cute little hole in the wall, clean, great chicory. The Beef stew is to die for, Vietnamese style...delish!
(5)Heather A.
The best beef stew pho in the world! This place is a small hole in the wall treasure. Fun to take your friends to. Busy at lunch, so go off peak times to guarantee having one of the 8 small tables. Don't over do it on the awesome garlic chili sauce or you'll be sorry.
(5)Li S.
I like rice noodle soup 13 and 16 on the menu. It is delicious and the spicy sauce is so hot that I cannot bear it, but attractive.
(4)Leo M.
Wow! A 5 Star stunner! Amazing pho and summer rolls. The broth, noodles, and meat were all perfect. The shrimp in the summer rolls was fresh and tasty. Truly the best Pho I've had on any of the islands. But while these dishes were impressive and wonderful it was the beef stew that was truly, truly AWESOME and unique. Hot, aromatic, spicy and accompanied by a small loaf of hot, wonderful, Viet/French bread. The spring rolls are also perfect - which again is not common in a Vietnamese restaurant. You must eat here.
(5)Kenji I.
Ono pho. I preferred the taste of their broth than places in Hilo.
(5)M C.
5 stars - Great Phos. Quick Service and Friendly Staff. Pho Viet serves great pho with homemade broth.(*) Their broth tastes real. It is mildly sweet from bones and not too salty. Definitely have your pho with their fried onion oil condiment. It adds depth to your noodle soup. Not just too spicy like in other restaurants. Pho Viet serves better phos than popular pho places in Honolulu. By the way, this is a pho place. They does not serve Buddha Delight or Home Style Tofu. Too many people came here to eat "some vegetables." Vegetarians do not have any entree option. All restaurant do not have to serve all people. I ate there everyday during my stay in Hilo and went to both lunch and dinner. Their website does not have updated menu, so I am reporting what they serve during lunch and dinner as far as I know. Lunch Beef Pho, Beef Stew Dinner Beef Pho, Beef Stew, Chicken Pho, BBQ dishes (Buns), Appetizers I think that they made good decision to simplify menu for lunch. They serve very quickly, and the level of their food is always good. (*)Too many Asian restaurants are depending on commercially made soup powders. The powders are too salty and far away from the real tastes of broths. Also, some restaurants are misleadingly claiming "No MSG." "No MSG" does not mean that they do not use the powders. The soup powders contain many other chemicals than MSG. You can check their bottles in your Asian grocery stores. Although I expect that most Asian restaurants use the powders or other artificial flavors, I am still disappointed when I noticed that their food tastes all chemical. Food at Pho Viet tastes, at least, more real to me. Their broth is mildly sweet from bone. The ratio of marrow and meat in their broth is good too. Not too marrowy. As a fact, I know that they make their own broth. When I asked if they have a bowl of chiken pho around noon, they said that they were preparing chicken broth for dinner. Although I did not confirm if they add any artificial flavor to their broth, I did not strongly taste. That is acceptable to me when I eat out.
(5)Jordan N.
Just like everyone else said, come here for the pho. It is called "Pho Viet" so I do not order anything else from here. Stick to what they do best--and it is at least the best pho on the east side for sure. The lady there makes her own chili garlic oil, and it is unreal. Be sure to add that in for some heat--forget the sirracha. I actually love the vegetable pho when I need something refreshing. It has some nice thin cut mushrooms in there that I love, so this is my go-to to degrease the pipes after I go on one of my week long junk food eating binges. A bowl of vegetable pho from here gets my stomach feeling easy again...enjoy
(5)Samdooby R.
Good Pho. Nicely seasoned, fresh veggies, love the chili oil sauce, and inexpensive. I am a Pho fan and this one ranks up there. My only gripe is that they are skimpy on the meat. I ordered the everything Pho (tendon, tripe, flank, brisket, etc) and literally my Pho came w/ ONE piece of everything. Other places give more but Pho Viet is worth trying. Cheehuu!!
(3)Sam V.
My favorite pho restaurants are in DC/VA. Its hard to find good places in NYC that serv pho. When I found this place in Hilo near our B&B, decided to give it a try. Hit the spot. Cheap with quick service. The place was crowded with tourists and locals. Definitely worth going to if you are hungry and looking for some pho.
(4)Felisha B.
Pho Viet was very clean and bright as we walked in. You will seat yourself as it is a small family operated restaurant,the children, mother and father were on site( all working ). They were very friendly and answered any questions we had. The menu is easy to read and not to large with normal choices you would find at a Vietnamese restaurant. We placed our order for egg rolls and two chicken pho's. The food came very quickly and "hot".The plate the egg rolls came on was dressed neatly and served with two dipping sauces, one spicy and one slightly sweet. Our pho was generously portioned with equal noodles and meat. Also loved the glasses our water was in, I thought they were pretty. We will most likely return before our stay in Hilo is over.
(5)Peter V.
This place is awesome! I'm a huge fan of pho and have ate at many pho restaurants across the nation and their pho is delicious! It has that great aroma of pho and the taste is so good. Most places I've ate at has so much MSG and no "pho" smell. Pho Viet has it all. Their menu is nice and simple with mostly pho, other soups and some egg rolls and spring rolls. A nice small local restaurant with good food. A must try!
(5)Doug Z.
Update: I still love this place, but they only make one kind of noodle salad- with fried spring rolls.
(5)Kahili A.
THE BEST PHO ON THROUGHOUT THE ISLANDS. I've had friends from Oahu tell me that this pho is better than any pho place in Oahu and I've even had a friend from Vietnam that said this place was up to par with Vietnam. Great service, food comes out fast, proportions are perfect, and the soup is perfect. They also make this bomb garlic chili sauce that is to die for. LOVE this place!
(5)Arocel F.
..best Pho to be had! I've been to many, many Vietnamese Pho places but this is, by far, the best flavor! I think it's because in Hilo, all vegetables are grown organically, so you can taste the basil, mint, cucumber, and bean sprouts just as they are - fresh and raw, nothing else. Same goes for the thinly-sliced beef pieces and meatballs. My husband, who is Vietnamese-American also loved it. We even told the owner that the broth is as close as you can get to being in Vietnam and eating it there! Of course, he thanked us for the compliment! If we are ever on the Big Island again, we would definitely go back and have some more!! Try it once, and you'll see what I mean.
(5)Gilda B.
If you are looking for Pho this place is it. That is the only thing they serve for a main course. Noodles were cooked perfectly, flank steak was bursting with flavor and the broth was perfect. My one year old loved the noodles and broth. So glad we ate at this place. Only negative is that they only have one high chair.
(5)Victor L.
This place is great! I've been going since they've opened up. Everything is pretty good on the menu, but I go time and time again for their BEEF STEW. It's actually not like local beef stew. It's more like Chinese style Beef Noodle Soup. I rarely get Pho now that I've discovered this, but the Pho is the best in Hilo too. If you do get the Pho, make sure you ask for the garlic sauce thang and it just kicks that whole bowl up a notch. Perfect for those rainy Hilo nights.
(5)kate d.
AMAZING! Hilo finally has a real pho place (not like other unnamable places here which are totally disgusting!). So yah, the broth is absolutely amazing (totally clear, so you know they cooked it right). The portions are huge and they actually serve it right with a lil cilantro in the soup and the basil, sprouts, lime and jalapeno on the side. Absolutely amazing and I gotta say, probably the best I've ever had (this says a lot since I pretty much tried every top reviewed place in Seattle and Portland). The beef was also done right! It was not precooked, but added to the broth raw in super thin slices so it cooks in there and stays amazingly tender. ABSOLUTELY PERFECT! TRY IT NOW! Gotta keep this place open!
(5)A. L.
good pho great summer rolls prices can't be beat :)
(4)Brad W.
nice cozy atmosphere, people were attentive, had the "beef stew" very flavorful, unlike "moms' beef stew" (not saying mom's is bland if your reading this mom). Would have given it a 5 stars but when we arrived the broth for the beef pho wasn't ready...next time..
(4)T F.
Finally, a good pho restaurant has opened in Hilo! The other options are not so stellar... Pho Viet has a nice atmosphere, a decent menu selection, and most importantly Delicious Soup! As any pho aficionado will tell you, it's all about the soup broth. Pho Viet doesn't disappoint as their broth is obviously made fresh and is not a bullion. You also get a nice assortment of fresh herbs, bean sprouts, and lime (not lemon like 1 Plus 1 gives you). I've seen other menu items come out of the kitchen and they look and smell delicious, but I have yet to order anything but the pho. I will definitely keep coming back to this spot as long as it stays open. It's right across the street from the back of Garden Exchange.
(5)Jenn C.
My husband and I were just staying in Hilo one night prior to departing back to the mainland. I found this restaurant on Yelp and it definitely lived up to the reviews. A must try in my book!
(5)Kathy K.
All other Vietnamese restaurants I have eaten in provide some veggies w/meals! This place is big on meat, noodles and broth; they consider basil and raw bean sprouts adequate. I want my Asian food w/veggies and plenty of them! This place did not meet my criteria and we left w/o trying the food, to be fair in my posting!
(1)Peacock Q.
i thought there isnt possibly a decent VN restaurant across the pond...until i found this place. pho and grilled meats were awesome and had excellent flavors for my native taste buds! our group was a bit demanding during our ordering processs, but the owner was very accommodating. it was a very satisfying food experience!
(5)Hilo H.
Very good Vietnamese food at a reasonable price, especially the spicy beef stew and the best pho in town. Fast and friendly service. Portions are not huge, but should be enough for most diners. Atmosphere is good for friends and families, okay for dates - decor not quite matching yet, definitely casual. Store and parking is not so easy to find, but it's worth it!
(4)William F.
Ate the Pho' Tai Nam and it was good. If you're in the mood for some Pho, you should check this place out!
(4)Chelsea A.
Once I got there they were very kind. I was surprised with how fast I got my food. I ordered the pho meat combo and thai tea. It was delicious. The beef was really shredded into small pieces (not used to that and i like to chew big pieces of meat) but overall the best pho i had in Hilo. Even the chili oil had lots of fried garlic which made it super yummy :) Very good food for very cheap
(5)Kenton W.
Hands down the best pho in town! Their beef stew is amazing as well. I'd recommend getting it with rice noodles. The crispy spring rolls are a great starter.
(5)Nikki D.
We were here on vacation and love the pho here. We are Vietnamese and live in southern California where the standards for pho is very high. This place meets our standards for pho! We ate here 3 days out of the 4 days that we were here. I guess we couldn't stand being away from Vietnamese food. We didn't try anything else but pho so we don't know how the other foods taste like. Definitely recommend the pho though!
(5)julie j.
I was surprised how good their broth was. The pho was really good but a little scant on the meat. I would give it five stars if they gave more meat. The egg rolls were ok. The spring rolls were disappointing.
(4)Carrie Y.
Apparently this place is ranked the number one pho place in the eyes of UH Hilo students and being a fan of pho myself, I had to give it a try. Luckily when I went, it was a Tuesday evening and parking although limited, was easy to find. In my opinion, the neighborhood doesn't seem like a very safe area at night, so come with company, especially since there is only street parking. The restaurant is very small and simple and also very stuffy due to the summer heat. Even the fans there didn't seem to be helping much. The staff were friendly and laidback. The menu selection is quite small as they only serve pho and a few different appetizers. I ordered the combination pho and the egg rolls while my roommate had the pho with meatballs. Even though there were three other parties besides us, our food came out quickly. There are only two egg rolls per order for $3.50 which isn't too bad. The pho came out in large metal bowls and were less than $8 each. The first thing I noticed was that even though I had ordered the combination pho, there wasn't a lot of meat. The amount of meat was sparse (I swished around in my bowl and found one piece of tripe lol), and for my roommate's pho, there weren't very many meatballs either. All I saw were noodles. Nonetheless, the taste of the broth was flavorful and good. What I really liked the most was the homemade chili oil sauce they have. I believe it had bits of garlic in it, which made the taste much better. My roommate and I ended up talking story until closing time and the waitress didn't even hurry us out or have a problem with us not noticing the time go by. The waitress also didn't have a problem splitting the bill either since I'm sure it's common that many students who go in groups always pay separately. I would definitely come here again if I ever had a craving for some pho :)
(4)Courtney G.
The positive part of this experience was that this place is a great bang for your buck and serves decent pho in large servings. My rating would be higher except that the menu listed online is incorrect (they ONLY serve pho now) and this restaurant does not do take-out as listed. We brought this to their attention and were told that the restaurant apparently "does not have any control of their Yelp site" and doesn't care about properly advertising their business. This was an attitude changer when hungry vacationers were hoping to get some quick dinner.
(3)Christopher L.
I came here back in 2013 and left pretty indifferent but it is very dear to the hearts of the local UH students so I had to try it again. Previously I got the beef pho with all the types of meat and found it rather bland. The noodles were consistent with most pho places but the meat was sparse. I was ready to write this place off as it ranked pretty low even among the worst pho places in the mainland on the broth alone. I came here again to give it another try just last week, this time getting the chicken pho. The broth was WORLDS apart. It was delicious with a sweet savory flavor that you can only get from chicken. There wasn't that much meat again but it didn't matter. The broth won. This time I was also given a small sauce cup of this fried garlic and pepper sauce that was really unique. The garlic was crunchy and not at all over powering and the spiciness perfectly complimented the broth, noodles, and meat. I didn't even have any more need of the sriracha and hoisin sauce. Also as a side note, their thai iced tea isn't anything different from other thai ice teas but it really hits the spot on a hot day. So even with my bad experience in the past with this place, their chicken pho has redeemed this place is my eyes.
(4)Amy C.
Yummy yummy phó spot on the Big Island! :) Boyfriend & I were trying to find a phó place near us, but couldn't find any. We were planning to have a day trip in Hilo during our stay on the Big Island. Hilo was about 2hrs away from our hotel so hence the day trip. Phó Viet is a tiny place that seems clean and pretty simple looking. We found parking on the street about a few feels away. Service was fast, pretty friendly, and good. The phó came out silver bowls which was very different from the normal white ceramic type of bowls that we're usually used to. I actually really like the silver bowls! The phó was delish, and my boyfriend really loved the meatballs. Upon leaving, I went to their restroom & it's like their toilet is on a little throne. It's on an elevated floor from the sink. The mural in the restroom is also pretty with the turtles, and other sea animals. We still crave their phó nowadays. It's THAT good! :D
(5)Moani H.
Delicious! Beautiful fresh vegetables, amazing metal bowl that never gets hot, garlic chili sauce that makes the soup absolutely delicious! The beef stew is my all time fave! Only bad thing is that she's not too good on refilling water! Water for me is crucial when eating pho so it's a real damper for me, otherwise would've gotten 5 stars! But she is a very nice lady!
(4)Krystal G.
I've never eaten pho until I moved to the big island. And now I can't get enough of this place. I've tried other places both hilo & kona side and this is the best! They're always quick & the food is delicious.
(5)Mistah M.
Pho-king Majah! Will be back. Cannot bring plenty peeps. The tables are made for only 4 people and cannot push the tables together!
(5)Mia L.
I like the spicy sauce here. It's better than the ones I had in Bay Area. Highly recommended to anyone who like noodle and spice!
(5)Anne C.
Decided to give Pho Viet another chance. So glad I did. The pho is tasty. I ordered pho #12. Delish. The best in Hilo, I think. My friends enjoyed the Vietnamese style beef stew. The food is yummy and affordable. It is a small restaurant and can be hard to get a table. You can bring your own liquor here. I like it here. Just don't try calling ahead for a takeout order.
(4)Won C.
Solid broth - less amount on the meat (compared to Pho places in CA) still really good.
(4)Anita M.
Just a normal pho place. Pho was tasty, I loved the chili oil. Ordered 2 orders of the fried Egg roll &' a pho &' came out to under $16. Only thing I didn't like was how little they serve the veggies &' the meats in the pho.... I had two slices of cut onion lol &' 1 stalk of basil.... &' this place only has two options.. pho or rolls. Most Vietnamese places I've been to had rice dishes... My girlfriend had to watch me eat.
(3)