Good-Great Pho -Pho Horn's in Providence is just a tad bit better. HOWEVER what is AMAZING is the Bubble/Bobba Tea - I've never had a FROSTY consistency tea with "soft" tapioca balls before - this is after a life time of eating in New York City. This incredible beverage is an amazing summer time Rhode Island treat, in the company of Del's lemonade, or Ice Cream from the Daily Scoop (or insert your favorite summer time RI ice cream place). I would drive to Cranston for the tea ALONE.
(4)
Rob K.
Nice to see they are settling in. The food still holds up with the best Pho places in San Francisco. Nothing better than a big bowl of pho tai and extra sriracha to keep ya warm when it gets cold.
(4)
Kenneth L.
Visited family and they brought us here since they knew we loved pho noodles back home in California. This location was very clean and had an authentic feeling. Ordered myself the bowl of pho and I was surprised! It tasted like the restaurants back at home. I was not disappointed with my bowl whatsoever. The owner was very friendly since he knew my cousin's family. Pricing is very generous and normal, not overpriced or anything. I am definitely coming back here when I'm on this side of the world again.
(4)
Nicole W.
I really love Vietnamese food and this place is the closest Vietnamese restaurant to my home. However, I don't visit here too often. The restaurant is on a tiny lot located directly on Park ave, which can be a nightmare of traffic -- so my excuse is mostly one of not wanting to fight with the line of cars. Their food is pretty good, plus I always have a soft spot for some bun and bubble tea. Probably my two favorite foods ever. I've never had the pho though, so I can't comment there. The inside of the restaurant is nothing fancy and the service is ok. If you work nearby (like I used to) this makes for a good lunch spot.
(3)
Sharon S.
Go for the Bubble Tea. Milk Tea Bubble Tea is the Best.Thing.Ever. Had lunch here too - my food was excellent as was my co-worker's. I've heard some food is hit or miss but I would eat here again in a heartbeat and then get a Bubble Tea for dessert. Restaurant is not fancy - just a few standard booths/tables. If you want ambience, go somewhere else. If you want good food - go here.
(4)
Holly L.
By far best Pho around. Other than the piles of meat and delicious broth the family that runs the restaurant is so friendly. Always checking to make sure everything is fine. They actually steap their coffee in the authentic Viet fashion. Tasty lemonade too.
(5)
Tena D.
I really have to say you can't find any better pho place other than here, family owned and the best Nime chow.
(5)
Sheri R.
Their pho is amazing. The owner prepares it a special way for us which is with cucumber slices, extra scallions, no meat, and tomatos. (Don't knock it til you try it!) The pricing is a little high but it's worth it for the amount of pho you get. We can hardly ever finish it! Before the pho we usually get their eggrolls and just... oh my. They are everything an eggroll should be. Warm, crispy, and flavorfull. They give you 4 with lettuce, shredded carrots, and cucumbers. Add some Sriracha and you will be in heaven! Their beansprouts are very fresh, the decor is nice and homely. The jackfruit shakes are great with the little bobas at the bottom!! Excellent fast service everytime we go. 10/10. My favorite pho spot, hands down.
(5)
Peter C.
Have driven by this place numerous times and never thought to stop in. My son said i have to try this place because they have amazing "Pho" and let me tell you if you have never tried it you have no idea what you are missing! I have been back at least 5 times since me initial visit and it has great consistency to the recipe. Incredible "Pho" and i look forward to trying alot of the other dishes. I see people have complained about slow servicd but cut them some slack there are not alot of employees just remember it is worth the wait for sure. Keep up the good work!
(5)
XB S.
Service was slow today with only 4 people in the restaurant during lunch hour. Pho was too sweet. I ordered the #2 pho combination - hardly any meat, 2 string of tripe, and one tendon. Like seriously?!? Never coming back here again. Spring rolls were not fresh either.
(2)
Shen D.
The food is great here. Service is awful- I have been waiting 15 minutes for them to refill my water. The pho is great!
(3)
Mandy D.
Oh man, this place is so good. We went for a late lunch one afternoon and everything was fantastic. The decor of the place is nothing to write home about. It's got very simple, diner-esque furnishings with some Vietnamese art to spice things up. The restaurant may be simple and the service may be casual, but the food itself is five-star worthy. We started off with some avocado bubble tea and shrimp rolls. That bubble tea is like one of the seven wonders of the world. I don't know how they make the delicious, sweet avocado smoothie... it's like nothing I've ever had... and the boba are perfectly soft and chewy. The shrimp rolls were fantastic. They were overstuffed, juicy and fresh. The homemade peanut sauce on the side was like none I've ever had. Most places sauce tastes like peanut butter, but this had more body and kick to it as well as some fresh peanut crumbles on top. I got the #9 pho with meatballs and steak. The meatballs were super flavorful and juicy. The steak was thinly sliced and very tender. The broth was amazing on its own, but I couldn't help but play around with their homemade sauces (one was really spicy and the other was on the sweeter side). All of it was so good that I couldn't stop eating even though I was stuffed. Definitely the best pho I've ever had. My boyfriend got the weekend lunch special, which was clay pot baked rice with shrimp, chicken and vegetables. The rice was sticky and moist, and sucked up all of the flavors of the accompanying toppings. Everything in the pot was tender, juicy and perfectly seasoned. Some of the rice burned on the bottom, but I would imagine that's pretty normal for such a dish. I also learned that they're BYOB, so next time I return I'll be sure to bring some beers!
(5)
Ali W.
Honestly, the pho was NOT good. Greasy, flavorless broth with hardly any meat... and my boyfriends noodles were undercooked and there was a HAIR in it.. Service was slow as molasses. There were noisy kids yelling from inside the kitchen. We pulled up on a Friday night, at 830 and there was NOBODY here. That should have been our cue to go to our old trusty Pho Horns.
(1)
Robyn F.
I was quite randomly driving through cranston when I came across this gem. I didn't think it was going to be very good, but I decided to stop, check out the yelp reviews on it with my handy dandy Samsung Galaxy, and give it the ol' college try. I'm so glad I stopped here. The Exterior of the building gives the place a nice look, but once you walk inside it looks like your traditional dumpy Ma' and Pa' restaurant-- but that's OK in my book, as long as the food is good and the staff is nice. Normally I would pick a random item off the menu, but I Was craving hot soup, and it so happens other yelpers pointed out the pho. So I ordered Spring rolls, and Pho with tripe and beef. The nice gentleman who took my order seemed to think I didn't know what Tripe was, but I did, and I wanted it anyway. However as Anthony Zimmerman likes to point out " If it looks good eat it." I'll try almost anything once ( When it comes to food that is ), and I have a feeling I've had it when I was in Taiwan, so the idea of eating it didn't really bother me. The broth of the Pho was out of this world, and the pile of fresh veggies that accompiend the soup and noodles was perfect. I'm so happy I stopped here, I'll certainly be going back sometime soon, and hopefully I won't be eating by myself! ( And yes, the spring rolls were just as good as the Pho, so try those too if you enjoy spring rolls! )
(5)
Joshua J.
I love the way they're strayed from the standard pho menu, i.e., listing all pho varieties and then providing a price for each as a small, medium or large. Rather, these bozos have like 10 options -- a Pho Xe Lua is only available as an extra large for example -- or if you want a well done flank and rare beef, only in small. It's possibly the most ridiculous thing I've ever encountered in life. The pho itself is actually OK, but my major gripe is the stinginess. I ordered a bowl w/tendon and well-done flank/brisket, and what arrived was a large bowl of soup, noodles, and about four 1.5" by 1.5" pieces of brisket and 1 tiny piece of (actually very good) tendon. I live in London England, one of the most expensive cities in the world, and come from Vancouver, Canada, recently ranked the 2nd most unaffordable in the world, and have never paid $9 for a bowl of pho. Even an x-large filled to the brim with meat and noodles is like 8.50. Paying that much for an offensively small portion irked me majorly. And the service! The lady paid me about zero attention, didn't reply when I thanked her taking order, bringing my meal, forgot my iced coffee, and generally was a zombie beast. Sad because the pho itself was reasonably good. Broth rich, noodles were flavourful and well cooked, and the tendon was super soft, only drawback was just mediocre beef (though so little of it that I hardly noticed). Providence is not a pho city so the denizens are under the very unfortunate mistaken belief this is a good restaurant -- 4 stars is utter insanity!
(1)
S Nicole M.
Getting my avocado bubble tea, of course...Even in the cooler months this un-sweetly bubble is a delight. The pho broth is second to none...no meatballs here...the "works" beef pho has all the beef trimmings (tripe, tendon, rare slices of beef and tender beef round). I've tried other pho dishes elsewhere and they don't compare. Byob, but I always do takeout. Family owned and operated...
(5)
Brittney K.
I usually start off with the nim chow for my appetizers and I absolutely love the peanut butter sauce that comes with it. Makes my mouth water just thinking about it. The pho broth is on point, I usually order the number 2. I also tried their pork chops, really good too when I'm not in the mood for pho. The only downside is the service can be kind of slow, but overall I'll definitely be back again.
(4)
Sarah X.
Slow service if you go on a busy day, but boy is the pho broth delicious! It's has a hint a sweetness with all the savory depth you'd expect from a beef broth that's been simmering for hours! We always go for the Pho #1 which is their version of an XL bowl with tripe, tendon, brisket and round eye.
(4)
Joe J.
Really good Pho soup. The broth is excellent. As a matter of fact, it's so good I usually order a soup to go after eating here. And extra broth too of course. This is a family place. They are very friendly and make you feel at home. Highly recommend to keep the chill out of your bones
(5)
Natasha G.
The food does indeed taste authentic, and like it's made with care. The stuff I had pretty solid, but there are a few little things that didn't make this quite a 5-star experience. Nothing was bad, and what I ate was tasty, but I can't say it's the best Vietnamese food I've ever had or even the best I've had in RI (I like Pho Horn's in Pawtucket more). The pho broth was flavorful and everything tasted fresh, but I'm used to having more meat in my pho, and the noodles were a little clumped. The fresh spring rolls were pretty good, but not sure if they're worth the $6 -- Apsara Palace on Hope Street in Providence provides great summer rolls (nime chow) for a few bucks cheaper. All that said, the service is gracious and friendly, and I wasn't totally disappointed my my pho. However, I just wasn't impressed enough that I'd want to go back. I think I may stick with Pho Horn's in the future. I do like family-owned businesses, but I found that the $28 I ended up paying (with tax/tip) for two bowls of pho and an order of summer rolls was a little steep for what I got.
(3)
Rob F.
This is a nice little family run place. When you walk in there is usually a little kid sitting at the front table playing on the computer. As I walk by I wait for him to say; "would you care for a game Mr Bond?" He just sits there and continues his world conquest. The owner of the place will probably seat you. He or his wife might wait on you... The cook is probably related too! Looking at the menu, as others have mentioned, They do have many pho varieties. I always get the extra large with everything. I find it weak and they hardly put any meat in it. We're talking half a meatball, two slices of steak, a chunk of tendon and tripe. I got it twice and it was the same. I don't think it is worth the money. I can think of a half dozen places close by that do it better. I ordered ban hoi the last couple visits. Grilled chicken, rice noodles, pickled vegetables and lettuce to wrap it in. It's small but it's eight bucks! I had the same grilled chicken over rice with two shrimp. I don't like the shrimp they use. I liked the ban hoi and I'd have that if I was in the area. The service people complain about can be patchy. I was there once when a table was complaining about service and the waitress told them to eat somewhere else when they were in a hurry. They got their food, ate two bites and had it all wrapped to go. So, don't eat there unless you have time, I guess! Don't expect fast food type service. Lastly, I don't like their tea. It's made with little curls of bark or something. Very bitter. If it's not watered down, it will make your toes curl! All in all, I have no compelling reason to recommend the place.
(2)
Mara S.
Ordered delivery, got two tofu dishes and the spring rolls. Everything was incredible! One of the best Thai meals I've had in a while. I don't usually like the non-fried version of spring rolls but these were so good with the peanut sauce that they are now my favorite kind!
(5)
Bobby G.
My quest for pho continued with Minh Hai this week. The plan was to go on Tuesday - but since they were closed we pushed it out a day. I'm definitely still a pho novice with this being my 4th restaurant - but so far each place seems to be better than the last. I continued my tradition of starting off with goi cuon. Minh Hai does a great job on this dish, in terms of both presentation and taste. The rolls were cut in half and arranged on the plate with a cucumber slice between each half and the dish of dipping sauce in the center. The peanut sauce was a bit thicker than the last two stops and was super flavorful. The rolls were fresh and crisp with good size shrimp inside. These are some of the best goi cuon I've ever had - and the cucumber slices came in handy to get a few more tastes of the sauce. I went with the nam pho tai (eye round steak and well-done flank) to stick with my steak theme and in order to have equal comparisons from each restaurant. The broth was very flavorful and is now my new favorite. The steak and flank were plentiful and tender. The noodles were plentiful and done right. The plate of sprouts, basil and jalapenos was all very fresh and overflowing. There were lemon slices this time as opposed to the lime that usually arrives on the side plate - but I didn' squeeze any into my pho as the broth was delicious as is. I also had a few samples of friend's meals on this trip. The canh chua with shrimp had a nice broth, but the pineapple did take over slightly, making it a bit sweet. It was overflowing with ingredients and was tasty, but not what I was looking for. I also had a few bites of the banh hoi cha gio with pork. I loved the spices on the pork and will be asking about it next time, as it really reminded me of a dish from a favorite Thai restaurant out west, and I would order other plates with that spice combination. The waitress was very friendly and super helpful answering questions - but disappeared almost immediately after we ordered. The owner kind of took over as our server at that point and was also very friendly but slightly scarce - probably because he had other things to be taking care of. I think that with a modest improvement on the service side I would rate Minh Hai five stars. I will certainly be back as often as possible.
(4)
Vezna S.
The interior was small and not much to be dazzled by but that's only a small portion of the dining experience. I ordered their "Com Tay Cam" which is a rice dish that has shrimp, chicken, broccoli, mushrooms, zucchini, green beans and onion. It was delicious and at only 10.95, I thought it was an adequate deal since I wasn't really in the mood for Pho since I have it all the time. I also had their "Ca Phe Den" or Vietnamese Iced Coffee which was good but nothing really exceptional. It was only 2.50 and as a person who loves his iced coffee, I am willing to try any places to see if it's worth a follow on. What's awesome about this place is the fact that you can BYOB or "Bring your own beers". I love places that do that and those places are few and far between. The waitstaff was very helpful and smiling and the owners were nice. The parking is plentiful, considering the size of the restaurant itself. Overall, great place to eat. The food was good but not spectacular and the service was great.
(4)
Sandy V.
The food was phenomenal but the service is awful. We waited about 30 mins before the waitress asked us we wanted and waited another 35 mins before being served. We were the only the people in the entire restaurant. To top it off she never even placed our bill at our table when we were done eating.
(3)
K D.
Love love love this place! The family that runs it is so nice and the food is consistently delicious. Admittedly I haven't tried everything on the menu, but the pho is the best I've had in the state and the com is addictive as well. Before eating here I'd never had a blended (milkshake like consistency) bubble tea, but they are great. You can tell they use fresh fruit to make their teas, which makes a huge difference. My favorite is taro, but the coconut and jackfruit are both good too. Sometimes I feel they are a little light on the meat in the pho, but it's not enough to keep me from coming back. Service can be slow, but it's a family operation so it just is what it is. Oh and the fresh jalapenos they give you along with the pho are incredible!
(5)
Kellina M.
WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE EVER!! We went in a party of 9, and came in at 1 pm. We waited 45 just to get our water and my boyfriend never even got his, then we waited and hour just to get our nime chow (and we didn't receive 2 orders of them). When came to 2:30 we asked the women when our food would be done she said "5 minutes", 3 other parties who came AFTER US had their order taken, they were served, and left while we still waited. And the waitress never said a word to is the whole time. Finally at 2:40 we told the women we were leaving because we still haven't gotten our food and we had children with us. The women became mad that we were tired of waiting and hour and 40 minutes for PHO, when you literally just put noodles in a bowl and add broth and meat to it. Not to mention we froze the whole time, because they didn't have the heat on.
(1)
Chan P.
Yummy pho. Everything always taste fresh. The entrees are also nummy! The bubble tea is the best! Pho horn's is also another restaurant that has good Vietnamese food.
(4)
R. B.
Went to Minh Hai on the way home from work this evening, had a craving for #58 on the menu. Sauteed dark meat chicken in brown sauce served over fresh baby spinach. Asked for it extra spicy and ordered a side of rice. What a treat ! Ate the entire dish and all the rice. Do yourself a favor and order something from this place, anything, you won't regret it. Can't wait to go back. I have never been disappointed. Let me know okay, I want to hear ftom you out there in b Yelpville.....see you soon
(5)
Bryce J.
Been here at least a dozen times. Pho soup (we get # 6 and 7)is always consistent and delicious. We have had other items on the menu and never been disappointed. Prices are fair and the owners are very nice. It can get busy sometimes but is worth the short wait. By the way we drive 30 minutes one way just to eat here.
My gosh. How I love this place. Tiny little family owned hole in the wall with not much (or any) ambiance but, don't let that fool you. They're busting out some seriously amazing food that you can clearly tell is made with heart and authenticity. I can honestly say that there is no other pho in the Providence area that compares. The broth is to die for and the meat is always oh so tender. The coconut bubble tea is also my favorite after dinner desert! Yum! If you're in the mood for a sit down dinner with friends, be sure to bring a bottle of wine or beer with you. BYOB. Also, do expect a little wait for your food as I think the kitchen is usually only run by one person. And don't expect them to check up on you, just take it for what it is and enjoy your food. Take out is always a safe bet as well. They never leave any of the extra toppings out!
(5)
Dee H.
I had the shrimp rice bowl and it was flavorful. Service was a little slow with the pho, so expect to wait on waiting. Prices were fair, shrimp and chicken were fresh and the vegetables were crisp. We asked for a little spicy on the shrimp rice bowls and they came out perfect. Normally I would be looking for tabasco/sriracha/cayenne. Seating area seemed clean and the bathrooms were nice, better than your typical tourist trap Asian restaurant.
(5)
Jessica A.
Friends took us here saying the food was sooo good. It was ! Atmosphere could kick it up a notch but between the food and byob--it was a fantastic meal. We had pho, and the chicken salad appetizer as well as the thin shaved steak appetizer . It was all spectacular even the pad Thai I tasted! Highly recommend!
(4)
Dawn R.
I absolutely love this place!! I have been going there since it opened. I am very picky when it comes to Vietnamese food especially PHO noodle soup. I feel they have one of the best PHO! I recommend this place to everyone! The owners are always so welcoming and friendly!
(5)
Arun M.
I was visiting a friend who has special affinity for Vietnamese food, so she decided to go to Minh Hai. The interior is okay, nothing special. The owner/chef had his wife and kid in the restaurant, so looks like he is working really very hard to balance his work and personal life (the kid was screaming much of the time). Waitress does not even know how to pronounce the dishes on the menu, she looks asian but is totally american. The owner/chef is very grateful and tries to answer any question you have to select from the menu. The most important thing is food, and it is awesome. I loved their garlic noodles with vegetables (No. 62). It was so good I can still taste it in my memory after 4 days. Everyone on the table enjoyed the food and that is the most important thing about any restaurant. Hopefully the owner/chef will have enough money someday to hire a good interior designer and a good staff to help him, and I can say that if he will keep up the quality of food like it is, it will be soon. I will be going there again when in RI.
(4)
Ning T.
I've never eaten here until recently. We would ALWAYS stop by for bubble tea, but that was it...never tried their food. The place was always quiet, maybe 1 or 2 tables max. I never thought to try their food. But we would always make the extra effort for the bubble tea because other places just doesn't make it like them. On bubble tea alone, they get 5 stars from me. :) So one day we finally were hungry and this place came to mind. What's there to lose right? So we sat down, table of 4 at around 3pm. It wasn't as busy. Another table was there and another one later joined. We ordered 2 Pho bowls and 2 rice dishes. It took a really long time to come out. I'm talking painfully long because we were also starving at that point. The food finally came out, with the rice dish that I ordered, I asked for yellow rice and I'm not one bit disappointed. It came with grilled beef and chicken and I asked for a fried egg on top. It was sooooo good! The last time I had a good Vietnamese rice plate was in Boston and that place unfortunately closed down, so this meal brought back some fond memories. My friends that ordered Pho were also raving that it was so good and they finished their extra large bowl that they normally wouldn't finish at other locations. The following day, I was so excited about the place I brought my sister back. I definitely recommend this place. I decked a star because it was soooo slow. I'm sure it was probably because it was freshly made to order. So if I can give them 4.5, that's what I'll give them.
(4)
Zack H.
I will be honest, I am not trying to put this restaurant down. The food was bad. I don't know how people say this is the best. To me, it was the worst. The noodles were hard, service was bad, the annoying kid that yells was unbearable. That kid was just annoying the crap out of me. He was yelling at the top of his lungs with his mother just ignoring him. Terrible 0/10.
(1)
Shannon Z.
Family was far from home and looking for good asian comfort food. Based on yelp, this seemed like the best option near providence. Coming from San Jose and Austin, we weren't expecting much; RI doesn't seem like a mecca of Asian food, but we were pleasantly surprised. We all got beef noodles; the noodles were firm and the soup was pretty great. I was a bit thrown off at first by some interesting spices that I tasted in the soup... The spices tasted more appropriate for Indian cuisine. Still great though. Almost drank all the soup. The restaurant itself was very quiet, other than a phone that was insanely loud whenever it rang, which happened often. Overall clean, fast, courteous service. Only problem? Not enough actual meat and noodles for a bowl of that size. But great comfort food far.
(4)
Kaizen T.
Worst place ever!!!! Placed my order and waited an hour and still didnt see anything but a glass of water. Ask the lady that took my order how long it would take for my order to be done and didnt get an answer. Only one person taking orders and serving, probably only 1 cook too. A couple next to me got in before I did and got their egg rolls 45 minutes after I got in and thats only 2 egg rolls. I hope it was the best egg rolls ever for a 45 minute wait. I had to simply walk out after canceling my order.
(1)
Marisol S.
BEST PHO IN THE STATE!! Been going here for years they welcome you with open arms just like your family.
(5)
Hungry G.
I noticed this restaurant open years back. I started to visit and never stopped. The restaurant is family owned and operated. Everything is prepared fresh to order. My choice is PHO #1 it's great every time. I haven't tried all the the dishes but the ones I have are very good. I recommend this place to everyone that is looking for quality authentic meal. Very excellent you will not be disappointed.
(4)
Thearith C.
This is my first review, by far this is the worst place I have ever dined at. The waitress aka the owner aka the cook aka slow. Maybe you should wash your hands while youre muli-tasking. I waited 20 minutes for a greet and for water, keep in mind there was only only two tables of guest at the time. Im not against small businesses, but I am against horrible small business owners. Good food but terrible service. I will never come back. Come for yourself and see how horrible it is.
(1)
Trang L.
The food is great, a little bit limited menu probably because this is a family owned restaurant. The biggest problem with this place is the lack of staff. My friend and I came in on a wednesday night, 4 tables were in front of us, 2 people were waiting on their take-outs. We were sat down immediately but had to wait for about 15 mins until the lady came to take our orders. We had to wait for another 10 mins for our water to come. We ordered the spring rolls for appetizer, I had pho and my friend ordered the pork chop. 45 minutes later our appetizer came, and about half an hour after that our main course came. While we were waiting, a lot of other tables were in the same situation as us. The people sitting in the table behind us even asked the owner if they haven't made the food so that they could just pay for the appetizer and leave. We also had to get our own utensils since we didn't want to wait another half an hour just to get a fork to eat our appetizer. About the food, my pho was actually very nice, but my friend's pork chop was salty and smelly. We also had to go to the check out counter to get the check and pay, like many other customers, just because we don't want to wait again. I would recommend going to this restaurant for their pho because the owner/waiter/chef is actually nice, and if you have A LOT of time to kill.
(2)
Lilo P.
I am a noodle fanatic! and when my friend introduced this place to me today for lunch, oh em goodness! Vietnamese food is beyond delicious, but of course, I had to had to had to! try the pho. I'm not sure which one I got because the names were very hard to decipher (for me) but it was #4 on the "lunch menu." I put quotes because my friend said that it didn't differ from the regular menu? But I digress, the broth for the pho was absolutely delicious! I drank everything, consumed everything. Still feeling the bloatedness from all the liquid! When I went in for the noodles... .... They were amazing. Perfect texture, tasted delicious, and soooo good! Can't wait to try this place again! Side note: I love their slightly larger chopsticks! I love long chopsticks! The longer the better! ... hahaha (that's what she said...)
(5)
C S.
This place is my favorite place in RI for pho. Bucking the traditional inclination i actually prefer chicken pho which is fantastic from here--although i sometimes ask for extra chicken depending on my mood. The seafood pho is also delicious, lots of fresh squid & shrimp and a nice alternative. The #66 Veggies over garlic egg noodles is also fantastic. Their nime chow are really great, with decent sized & fresh shrimp--those little ones that other places feature in their rolls creep me out. Also, if you're feeling virtuous the veggie based pho is amazing, full of perfectly cooked veggies and tofu. Be warned the stock is definitely not vegetarian. As commented by other reviewers, interior is sparse and can be slightly awkward when its slow and empty. The service is not the best and can be really slow if they're busy--so bare that in mind of you're in a rush. Finally, take-out. I live in South Country which is like an ethnic food desert so i often will grab takeout on my way home from Providence. Regardless of what you order and how busy they are, they always say "10 min"--i usually give them a solid 20 min, to save myself some irritated waiting.
(4)
Katherine J.
Being a California native where cheap, authentic, and incredible Vietnamese food abound, I can be pretty picky. However, I think Minh Hai may be my new favorite go-to for Vietnamese food here in Lil' Rhody (keeping in mind that choices are pretty limited). I had the Pho Tai (#8), Cha Gio (#A), and my boyfriend had one of the rice dishes with beef. The place is BYOB as well, which is always an awesome money-saving feature. The food: The Cha Gio was very fresh and tasty, unusual in my experience for a fried spring roll. The combination of meat and seafood in it was interesting, but not in a bad way. Would definitely order again. The Pho Tai was sort of a mixed bag - the broth was AMAZING with an amazing and clean flavor. They are very generous with the accompanying bean sprouts, basil, and jalapenos on the side. However, when I dug into the soup, the noodles were in one giant clump at the bottom and I had to spend a few minutes trying to separate them out from the "noodle brick" shape they were in. I think maybe they were put in the broth last minute and didn't sit long enough? The cooked eye round steak in the Pho Tai was good, but there was barely any of it! I don't know if I had ordered one of the Pho dishes with more kinds of meat (tendon, trip, flank, etc.) there would have been more of it? I assumed the meat:soup ratio would be the same regardless of what you ordered. So, a bit disappointing in quantity but again, the flavor was fantastic. My boyfriend loved his dish, but it was little cold when it came out - I think due to some of the staffing issues mentioned below. The restaurant: This place is definitely not dirty, as someone else mentioned! The walls are painted with a sponge-effect, so the most they can be accused of is having an outdated sense of style. The decor is minimal, but nothing out of the ordinary if you've ever eaten at any authentic Vietnamese restaurant. As some others have noted, service can be slow. They day we went (Sunday night) it was only the two owners working, I believe both in the kitchen and front of house. They are both super friendly, but clearly a little overworked. It wasn't a huge problem for us, but I would be hesitant to eat here if I was in a rush. Probably a good idea to give them some extra time when ordering take out, as well. In short, if you're looking for quality, authentic, and cheap Vietnamese food prepared by very friendly people, this is your place. This is not a place for a five-star dining experience or romantic date night, nor is it the kind of in-your-face customer service you'd find at a chain like Chili's or TGI Fridays (gag me). Thanks Minh Hai, I'll definitely be back!
(4)
Jennifer E.
The Pho was good, the atmosphere was about average for a pho restaurant (nothing fancy), and the prices were a bit more than I've paid in the past, but still not too bad. Our server was friendly and pretty patient with my friend who can be a bit of a pain in the you-know-what when it comes to ordering food and drink. I'm usually satisfied with a small pho, as the larger bowls are usually too much food for me. It came with all the usual fixins' such as bean sprouts, jalepenos, lime, and thai basil. I also put some hot chili sauce in to mine to kick up the heat a bit. I would certainly return, although I don't spend too much time in Cranston. I would say that it wasn't the best Pho I have ever eaten, but it was pretty good.
(3)
Nicole R.
Hands down Best Pho in Cranston. The broth was really flavorful the lemon instead of lime that accompanied the soup was a refreshing change. I couldn't have asked for anything more, except maybe a second helping. Can't wait to go back again!
(5)
Tamara V.
Like others have said, this place is small and family owned- not fancy but the food is always fresh and tastes VERY authentic and delicious. I've never been disappointed here. The cold beef salad is amazing (fresh mint and cilantro with a mildly spicy sauce and fresh veggies). Another favorite is the "HOAC CA XAO LAN" dish. Don't worry- you can order by number but this is available with shrimp, squid, beef, fish, chicken or veggie. It's a coconut curry sauce with onions, black mushroom and clear vermicelli. Excellent with rice and is probably one of the most flavorful sauces I've ever tasted. Lots of fresh veggies and amazing flavors in their food so you feel like you're eating healthy too. One of my favorites. The owners are also very nice and friendly. You can tell they work hard and are providing high quality food for their customers.
(5)
J. F.
Well its a nice quiet place to enjoy some Vietnamese food. The Pho is about the same quality as all the restaurants around Providence. I think they might have found an instant soup mix which they all buy. But I liked it nevertheless. I have yet to try the banh hoi. All the other dishes I have tried has been good.
(5)
Margaret D.
Walked in here on a Friday night, around 7:30 pm. There was a waiter taking an order from a nearby table and he motioned for us to take a seat. We did..and waited 25 minutes for him to bring us a menu. After 25 minutes, the table near us still did not have water, either, but let us borrow a menu. Ten minutes after that, we got up and left. The waiter never came out of the back. All of the nearby tables had dirty dishes on them. Not sure what was going on - maybe they were understaffed and the waiter was cooking? I peeked in the kitchen and could not see anyone back there.
(1)
Nicole S.
Delicious food! Pho is great as are their rice plates. I recommend #47...a coconut curry shrimp dish. Always clean. Owner is very friendly and knows his customers well. Service can be slow but it's very worth it!
(5)
Annie W.
real pho! you know how long it's been since i've had a good bowl of pho? i have my go-to spots in NYC and boston (pho pasteur), and having moved to providence, and having seen the huge population of south asians here, i figured it was worth a try. the broth is rich, and dare i say -- spicier -- with a stronger hint of cinnamon than most other pho i've tried. i mean spicy with the best of intentions...it's more jazzed up, but by the chili pepper index, i doubt it bumps the broth up past half a star. the accompaniments (bean sprouts, lemon, jalapeno, thai basil) were ample, but not profuse, which as fine with me on a day where all i needed was good, steamy, soulful broth. some meat, yes, not too much. i shrug. prices were good. ~8-10 range per entree. i can see the prices run a little cheaper in NYC and boston, but then again, the competition is also stiffer. i also tried the com tay cam (rice in a clay pot with seafood and chicken and veggies). YUM. decor is really no frills. typical of an asian restaurant -- the emphasis is on the food, not on the decor. there's a little one playing some version of leapfrog on his own table, surrounded by presents and a grandfather clock. he had his own corner of the restaurant last night. don't mind him. it's a mom and pop, and he's cute.
(5)
Victoria K.
Wow! What a delicious surprise! My first time trying Vietnamese food and I already strike gold. Though the decor is simple, the service is great (even though I was only picking up take-out, the employees were very friendly), and the food was really impressive! When perusing the menu, I wasn't sure what the "safest" dish was to order, but honestly in the end I'm sure that anything would have been prepared equally deliciously. I tried a combo dish of flavorful and juicy grilled chicken, an "imperial roll" (a Vietnamese egg roll), and grilled prawns, all served over yummy rice and with a salad on the side (spicy vinaigrette, a lovely surprise). Anyway, long story short, I like Vietnamese food now! Yippee!! Thanks, Minh Hai Restaurant!
(4)
Mark D.
Minh Hai is one of those great places that can be overlooked. And that is a mistake. Right in the heart of Cranston is one of the best Vietnamese restaurants around. The Beef with lemon slices is out of this world, refreshing, and balanced. It keeps me coming back for more. And everything else I have had is excellent too. They are inexpensive, and are a BYOB, with a store across the street. You will enjoy your visit here!
(4)
Neil B.
I came to RI for a one night visit and my family and I decided to eat at Minh Hai. I had been there a few times and always enjoyed the food and service. Last night the food continued to be quite good but because they were short of help, Minh, the owner, was in the kitchen cooking instead of out front and the people waiting tables (his daughters?) spent much of the time playing with some little children off on the side rather than waiting their tables. There were five of us and we waited an hour and fifteen minutes for our food. Minh did make it a point to come out of the kitchen to apologize for the food taking so long. We understood that it was an unusual situation but there was no reason why we had to get up and find our own knives and refill our own water. This is the downside of a family run restaurant. The food was fresh and very good but the service was terrible and the restaurant very noisy with little kids running around making a lot of noise (which is the fault of both their parents and the restaurant). Again I hit an off night and would go back, but only when they are fully staffed and Minh is out front being sure his restaurant is being run correctly. March 2014: I've back a few times since my review in 2010 and the food has consisitenly been excellent. The service is always friendly, not always effiicient, but again it is a family run business. And since those little kids have grown up and are in college, you now feel more like you are in a restaurant and less like you are in someone else's breakfast room!
(4)
Vanessa T.
With the proliferation of pan-asian restaurants in Rhode Island, it's nice to come across a joint that only delivers a specific cuisine and does it very well. I'm leery of All Asian Cuisines Are More Or Less The Same restaurants. In need of a Vietnamese fix, I tried Minh Hai for lunch recently. I ordered here what I most commonly order elsewhere, as a litmus test: com. Perfectly grilled, marinated thin sheets of pork [and we also ordered beef], with lemongrass and sesame seeds. It comes with their "special rice" [that's what it's called on the menu] and salad. The special rice was remarkably flavorful, which I find isn't often the case, despite whatever cool name the rice gets. Everything was very fresh, tender, and delicious. Service was quick, friendly, and efficient, which is all one ever needs. A delicious lunch for two under $20 makes my heart sing.
(4)
Asp R.
Family- run business, they're attentive and very nice. I'd go for the regular stuff like pho and noodles rather than being adventurous. Their pho never disappoints, I have tried other dishes like spicy stuffed squids with steamed rice and a spicy sour soup, don't think they're freshly made or as tasty as the pho. Otherwise, they have a spicy tofu dish which is pretty good. Also try their milk tea! This is one of my fave restaurants in Rhode Island.
(4)
Adrian B.
I've been here a few times for lunch and loved it. Their "special rice" is delicious. Although they may be a wee bit on the slower side in cooking, it's worth the wait. Best Vietnamese I've had in a long time.
(5)
Ocheeto C.
I love this restaurant. Food is fresh and delicious. Their pho is amazing. Owners are very friendly and it's byob.
(5)
Andrew T.
I have been going to this restaurant for years, and am happy to see it continue to do well because the food is excellent, the prices good, and the staff very friendly. This is a small family-run business in a decent-size location, and it's definitely worth the trip. I am a vegetarian but there are ample selections on the menu; I usually go with the Lat Xa for the entree but I have tried several different items in the vegetable section and all are very good. My girlfriend usually has the beef vermicelli bowl and loves it. I have not had a lot of other Vietnamese food to compare it to, but my girlfriend has, and we both agree it is excellent. I particularly recommend the tofu rolls for an appetizer - the tofu is wonderfully crispy and the thick dark peanut sauce is dreamy. Service is good and the staff are very friendly. My only (very slight) criticism is that at the end of the meal sometimes they need some affirmative prompting to bring the check (so keep this in mind if you're in a hurry!), but I don't really fault them for it, I think they just don't want to interrupt any conversations or make anyone feel rushed. But overall excellent food for the money and definitely on our "short list" of local places to eat out (along with Thai Orchid right down the road, also on Park Avenue).
(5)
Kelly D.
The only reason I'm giving this 4 stars instead of 5 is their lack of atmosphere. But in all honesty it hardly matters, as I would eat there every day, if I could. For an appetizer we started with the Goi Cuon (also called nime chow). Definetely some of the best Goi Cuon I've had in RI. My "special" meal to go to is the Tom Muc Xao Lan. I've had several dishes there, but this is my all time favorite. Prices are very reasonable and the food always taste fresh and delicious. It's also BYOB, which more than makes up for a lack of ambiance.
(4)
Jim D.
Best food anywhere
(5)
Steven A.
I guess I'm in the minority here. I had a miserable experience at Minh Hai. It was particularly disappointing in that I hoped to find a good Vietnamese stop without having to go all the way into Providence. When I learned it was BYOB, I was psyched. Guess I'll have to keep looking. Based on my other experiences with small Asian restaurants, I wasn't expecting much in terms of ambiance, decor and atmosphere.. and that expectation was met. Bland, tight fit, tables crowded together... but that's OK if the food is great and the service acceptable. Long story short... the food was OK, the service oblivious. But what really made it memorable was the 5 year old who continually ran back and forth from the kitchen to the dining area, sliding under the tables and shrieking as though he had just arrived for a b-day party at Chucky Cheese. Then, he zeroed in on me... and decided to impress me his karate skills. I received a dose of three rapid fire kicks to my lower leg as I perused the menu... a sequence which amused the waitress to no end. I had to INSIST that she remove the child from sight. Call me picky. Call me a grouch. Call me a stiff... but there are limits even in a small family business environment. So, if you're in the Cranston area, want a mediocre meal and have a hankering for a good beating, Minh Hai is your place. Just bring your shin guards.
(2)
Tram V.
My boyfriend and I found this place on our GPS on a random day while shopping in Providence. We gave it a try after refusing to ever try any Vietnamese place in Boston ever again. Too many bad experiences to talk about. We're originally from Atlanta where the Vietnamese population makes way for very good and very competitive cuisine. Minh Hai has the best Pho I've had in New England. If you're sick of the watered-down, nasty, no-taste, fatty pho at all of the other restaurants, go here. 10 times better than Pho Pasteur, Pho Horn, Pho Paradise, Pho Le or any of them! Also try the chicken salad (Goi Ga) and grilled chicken vermicelli (Bun Ga Nuong). I'm Vietnamese and my parents had shares in one of the best-known pho restaurants ever in Atlanta and I've had this stuff all my life. I'm telling you, this place is good (for the Pho, particularly). The environment is casual and clean--typical of your usual Vietnamese restaurants. The service can be slow at times but it's family-run so cut them some slack. The food will be worth the wait. Bonus: it's BYOB!!
(5)
Jere S.
[Update, 4/30: Was pleased to see a response from someone at the restaurant who was very kind. And I expect that because they seem REALLY nice, like I said. So try the place if you like--just tell 'em to go easy on the salt!] I got the Tofu curry, #69, as I'm always trying to find something around here like at get at Saigon Grill in NYC. And I ended up feeling like Henry Hill at the end of Goodfellas when he's in the witness protection program when he ordered pasta and got spaghetti and ketchup. It was a small bowl of veggies (and just ONE piece of tofu) which might have been okay....if they hadn't spilled a vat of pepper on it. I'm okay with a dash of pepper, but when somebody loosens the cap on you as a prank and you pour the whole thing on your meal, you throw it away. And that's what I felt like doing with this dish as soon as it arrived. I tried to remove the pepper-covered garnish, but it was too late, the whole sauce was full of pepper. I knew right away I wouldn't be able to eat it, so I took a few bites, and to add injury to insult, I accidentally flung some of the pepper sauce into my eye, despite that I had glasses on. If there is a god, he/she was just screaming at me to run away from this food. After I came back from washing my eye out in the bathroom, I just ate handfuls of rice and drank water to try to wash the pepper out of my system. The menu described my meal as "simmered in a coconut milk, lemon grass, and curry spices." Nope. Just pepper water. I feel bad because the staff was really nice. And the spring rolls were fine. Yeah that kid was running around but that wasn't a problem. If they didn't serve the Peppery Death Bowl I'd probably really like this place. But I don't think I'm ever going back.
(2)
linda s.
3 stars is generous... Service...a couple young girls very nice but not good waitresses...very slow...we ordered ice coffee and the girl told me it takes 10 mins...basically we got our meals..which took about 20 mins and still no drinks..we finished our meals and still no drinks..dying of thirst..paid the bill and the girl asked us if we still wanted our coffee...so they can add ice..ughh Food...i had pho...had a smell..some kinda spice i dont recognize..idk..very skimpy on the meat...pho noodles was way overcooked..and for some reason the bean sprouts were all broken ..prob reused..gross my bf had vermicelli..he said chicken was good but the vermicelli was really soggy..his other complain was the bowl was too small..not the portion..just the bowl... my daughter had the beef and rice ..the rice was yellow?!? i mean not old yellow..just yellow...weird...she hated it.. i def had better..service could be better...we never got tea..everyone else got tea..i dont drink tea..but wouldve still like the option..overall i would never go back..only cause if its a viet rest..and pho is a staple it should taste good..and it didnt..or maybe not get the pho next time...no there wont be a next time..
(3)
Matt P.
Is the service slow? Yes, the service is pretty slow. It's family run and the owner is sometimes your cook and your server. Do I give a shit? No, I don't give a shit. I wouldn't come here if I were in a rush. I would come here when I want some satisfying healthy soup. The pho is excellent. The Vietnamese hot and sour soup is chock full-o-goodness. Everything that I've ordered here has been lick-your-plate-clean good. If you want fast go somewhere else. Hon's, around the corner, is quicker. But I think that Minh Hai has slightly better pho.
(4)
John L.
best pho in ri. their bo tai chanh is addictive. what a nice family who runs it too. really glad we found it.
(5)
Peggy H.
The food here is really excellent. Much better than any of the Vietnamese options in Providence. In terms of quality, the food here is right up there with nick's and julian's but about 1/3 of the price and no need for reservations. I highly recommend it!
(5)
J R.
Had the pho a few times, definitely a good choice and can't go wrong, however... I gotta say, i'm disappointed in the ingredients left out, and also the meat portion... When i was first introduced to Pho, it was up in Boston. This place was amazing... Lots of sliced beef in it, whole basil/cilatro leaves, few lime wedges, a lot of bean sprouts, equal amount of rice noodles, lots of scallions and onions, etc.... The dish iself should look rather bright, given the amount of veggies used. Unfortunately Mihn Hai does not deliver in this department. I had the Hu Tien Do Bien (Seafood Pho basically) and the gf had the Pho Tai (Eye-round steak)... While both dishes delivered in the flavor department, i feel like this would have been far better if the proper ingredients were used. For my dish, it was good... bean sprouts were there... it would have been nice to have more than 2 pieces of Calamari, and there were maybe 5 pieces of shredded chicken. 4 prawns, and about a quarter teaspoon of both chopped cilantro and scallions... (weak) For the gf's dish... 4 thin thin slices of beef, no sprouts, no cilatro, nothing... just a tiny bit of beef and the rice noodles. (super weak) Oh yea... WHERE THE EFF ARE MY GODDAMN SLICED THAI CHILES! Anyways... I am going to try a few other places to see what the (inferior) competition is offering. Next time I order, I don't care if they'll add several bucks to the tab, but i am going to ask for double meat, bean sprouts, sliced green chiles, whole basil or cilantro, and a couple wedges of lime. I hope they can accomodate or else i'll have to find a new favorite Pho place. Wiki "Pho"... you'll see what this dish is really supposed to look like, especially the rare beef and well done brisket a bit further down on the right hand side.
(3)
Ashley L.
This is my favorite place in Providence for pho. The broth is very beefy and well rounded, they don't skimp on meat and everything tastes very fresh. It's a little slower than some of the other places but I'm willing to wait it out for the better food. The owner is very nice and takes the time to make sure you are happy. I haven't tried anything else from here but the summer rolls (which are fairly good) but I'll repost if I do. Prices are good too but I expect that when I eat Vietnamese.
(4)
Clifton P.
This is a nice quiet place to enjoy a bowl of pho. I like how every pho shop tastes different and this one is up there with taste. I've been to some places that are all done up but the soup is crap. This place is plain but soup is great.
(4)
Susanne F.
I love this restaurant. It's family-run, clean, and extremely friendly, but best of all the food is great. Among the appetizers is an excellent dish (called Spicy Chicken Salad, I think) that will get your meal off to a fine start. Another starter is a dish with finely sliced lemons arranged over thin slices of beef, served with a fantastic dipping sauce. You might also try the marinated beef salad, also a favorite of mine. Among the main dishes, it's hard to choose, but I especially like their vegetarian selections-- there are a good number of them. I'm told the pho is very good, but I haven't tried it yet myself. Oh yes, the clay pot is another good choice. There are many good choices, so you can't go wrong. Very reasonably priced, too.
(5)
E P.
So after we picked up my dad from the airport, we wanted to find a place to eat. So i used yelp and found that this place had good reviews. Plus, I love vietnamese food. The staff are nice and the food was good. I had the tofu in spicy lemongrass soy sauce with broccoli, mushrooms, onions, and cucumber. Overall good, but the broccoli was definitly the best part- it soaked in the flavor. THe rest of my family had pho and they said it was also really good. Likely going here again if im in the area
(5)
Kim S.
I LOVE Minh Hai. I've been a fan ever since it first opened years back. The owner (I'm assuming) is always super friendly and the food is always on point. I will say that if it gets crowded it does slow the service a little, but the food is worth the wait. They have these fish dishes topped with vermicelli, mmmmm. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the (Vietnamese) pho here tastes the most authentic in RI. I highly recommend.
(5)
Aaron W.
Hit this place by accident on my way back from Cape Cod a few weeks back. Really good food and even better service. I asked for a few things off the menu as my 3 year old is pretty picky and the owner came out and said "No problem!" I would definitely go back here. Very authentic Vietnamese food, free parking, and plenty of seating inside. What more could you want with your spring rolls!
(4)
Bob B.
Daughter in law is Vietnamese and she raved about the Pho broth. We all enjoyed everything. It's definitely on our to go list - even though they live in Middletown and I live outside of Chicago. The grandkids liked it and the prices and service were excellent. The artwork, by the way, is authentic - -
(5)
Domenico D.
Went in here with couple buddys to try it out, do to all the good reviews and the online menu sounded delisious. We ordered some apps, like the egg rolls which were great and the bubble tea that is popular there. Then we all ordered Pho. The pho was pretty deliscious i got the #1 i think, the one with everymeat that they had in the pantry in it. It was delisious specially with couple drops of the vietnamese hot sause on eat spoonfull. I dont reccomend pouring the hiot sauce derectly into the bowl with the entrire soup cause it makes it alittle too hot to handle for some. The bubble tea on the other hand ehhh. I ordered the cantalope flavored one which i highly reccomend to all but what i didnt kno was that they put a rediculous amount of tapioca balls at the bottom (which is why its called bubble tea) the size of garbanzo beans and then give you a straw the size of a garden hose to slurp them out. I didnt mind it at all i just wish they didnt over due the tapioca, it was literaly allmost half my cup full and the same with the others. Next time i will deffenetly order it without them and i will be a happy camper. Go here, its good, family owned, nice poeple. Tasty food.
(4)
Neil G.
Had 40 and 24 and shrimp rolls. Fantastic! Tried bubble tea for the first time. The texture made me smile. Chewy and delicious!
(5)
Tick R.
This place is great and is a great value. I've been inundated with Vietnamese places that just taste cheap and horrid in the past but this is so not that. Everything is fresh and delicious. The service can be slow sometimes, but the people are friendly.
(5)
Trey F.
There pho lacks flavor however their strawberry bubble tea is delicious. I also like their meat and rice plates. I actually like them better than their pho.Friendly people though.
(4)
virginia p.
I've been going to Minh Hai since the first ProJo review. The food is consistently fresh and wonderful. My adult children, both foodies, love this place. Try the fish dishes, the thin sliced beef appetizer with lemons and peanuts, the tofu...........I've never had a disappointing meal.....and yes, sometimes the family is present. The food is awesome!
(5)
Robert R.
Minh Hai is a small nondescript restaurant on Park Ave that you could easily drive by without noticing. If you did drive by, you'd be missing out on some delicious Vietnamese food. The lemon and beef carpaccio salad (I don't remember what it's called) is the best thing to eat here. It's amazing. Also good are the stuffed squid, the pho (best broth in RI) and the beef salad. Small, family owned. Pleasant and friendly staff.
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : 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
Charles W.
Good-Great Pho -Pho Horn's in Providence is just a tad bit better. HOWEVER what is AMAZING is the Bubble/Bobba Tea - I've never had a FROSTY consistency tea with "soft" tapioca balls before - this is after a life time of eating in New York City. This incredible beverage is an amazing summer time Rhode Island treat, in the company of Del's lemonade, or Ice Cream from the Daily Scoop (or insert your favorite summer time RI ice cream place). I would drive to Cranston for the tea ALONE.
(4)Rob K.
Nice to see they are settling in. The food still holds up with the best Pho places in San Francisco. Nothing better than a big bowl of pho tai and extra sriracha to keep ya warm when it gets cold.
(4)Kenneth L.
Visited family and they brought us here since they knew we loved pho noodles back home in California. This location was very clean and had an authentic feeling. Ordered myself the bowl of pho and I was surprised! It tasted like the restaurants back at home. I was not disappointed with my bowl whatsoever. The owner was very friendly since he knew my cousin's family. Pricing is very generous and normal, not overpriced or anything. I am definitely coming back here when I'm on this side of the world again.
(4)Nicole W.
I really love Vietnamese food and this place is the closest Vietnamese restaurant to my home. However, I don't visit here too often. The restaurant is on a tiny lot located directly on Park ave, which can be a nightmare of traffic -- so my excuse is mostly one of not wanting to fight with the line of cars. Their food is pretty good, plus I always have a soft spot for some bun and bubble tea. Probably my two favorite foods ever. I've never had the pho though, so I can't comment there. The inside of the restaurant is nothing fancy and the service is ok. If you work nearby (like I used to) this makes for a good lunch spot.
(3)Sharon S.
Go for the Bubble Tea. Milk Tea Bubble Tea is the Best.Thing.Ever. Had lunch here too - my food was excellent as was my co-worker's. I've heard some food is hit or miss but I would eat here again in a heartbeat and then get a Bubble Tea for dessert. Restaurant is not fancy - just a few standard booths/tables. If you want ambience, go somewhere else. If you want good food - go here.
(4)Holly L.
By far best Pho around. Other than the piles of meat and delicious broth the family that runs the restaurant is so friendly. Always checking to make sure everything is fine. They actually steap their coffee in the authentic Viet fashion. Tasty lemonade too.
(5)Tena D.
I really have to say you can't find any better pho place other than here, family owned and the best Nime chow.
(5)Sheri R.
Their pho is amazing. The owner prepares it a special way for us which is with cucumber slices, extra scallions, no meat, and tomatos. (Don't knock it til you try it!) The pricing is a little high but it's worth it for the amount of pho you get. We can hardly ever finish it! Before the pho we usually get their eggrolls and just... oh my. They are everything an eggroll should be. Warm, crispy, and flavorfull. They give you 4 with lettuce, shredded carrots, and cucumbers. Add some Sriracha and you will be in heaven! Their beansprouts are very fresh, the decor is nice and homely. The jackfruit shakes are great with the little bobas at the bottom!! Excellent fast service everytime we go. 10/10. My favorite pho spot, hands down.
(5)Peter C.
Have driven by this place numerous times and never thought to stop in. My son said i have to try this place because they have amazing "Pho" and let me tell you if you have never tried it you have no idea what you are missing! I have been back at least 5 times since me initial visit and it has great consistency to the recipe. Incredible "Pho" and i look forward to trying alot of the other dishes. I see people have complained about slow servicd but cut them some slack there are not alot of employees just remember it is worth the wait for sure. Keep up the good work!
(5)XB S.
Service was slow today with only 4 people in the restaurant during lunch hour. Pho was too sweet. I ordered the #2 pho combination - hardly any meat, 2 string of tripe, and one tendon. Like seriously?!? Never coming back here again. Spring rolls were not fresh either.
(2)Shen D.
The food is great here. Service is awful- I have been waiting 15 minutes for them to refill my water. The pho is great!
(3)Mandy D.
Oh man, this place is so good. We went for a late lunch one afternoon and everything was fantastic. The decor of the place is nothing to write home about. It's got very simple, diner-esque furnishings with some Vietnamese art to spice things up. The restaurant may be simple and the service may be casual, but the food itself is five-star worthy. We started off with some avocado bubble tea and shrimp rolls. That bubble tea is like one of the seven wonders of the world. I don't know how they make the delicious, sweet avocado smoothie... it's like nothing I've ever had... and the boba are perfectly soft and chewy. The shrimp rolls were fantastic. They were overstuffed, juicy and fresh. The homemade peanut sauce on the side was like none I've ever had. Most places sauce tastes like peanut butter, but this had more body and kick to it as well as some fresh peanut crumbles on top. I got the #9 pho with meatballs and steak. The meatballs were super flavorful and juicy. The steak was thinly sliced and very tender. The broth was amazing on its own, but I couldn't help but play around with their homemade sauces (one was really spicy and the other was on the sweeter side). All of it was so good that I couldn't stop eating even though I was stuffed. Definitely the best pho I've ever had. My boyfriend got the weekend lunch special, which was clay pot baked rice with shrimp, chicken and vegetables. The rice was sticky and moist, and sucked up all of the flavors of the accompanying toppings. Everything in the pot was tender, juicy and perfectly seasoned. Some of the rice burned on the bottom, but I would imagine that's pretty normal for such a dish. I also learned that they're BYOB, so next time I return I'll be sure to bring some beers!
(5)Ali W.
Honestly, the pho was NOT good. Greasy, flavorless broth with hardly any meat... and my boyfriends noodles were undercooked and there was a HAIR in it.. Service was slow as molasses. There were noisy kids yelling from inside the kitchen. We pulled up on a Friday night, at 830 and there was NOBODY here. That should have been our cue to go to our old trusty Pho Horns.
(1)Robyn F.
I was quite randomly driving through cranston when I came across this gem. I didn't think it was going to be very good, but I decided to stop, check out the yelp reviews on it with my handy dandy Samsung Galaxy, and give it the ol' college try. I'm so glad I stopped here. The Exterior of the building gives the place a nice look, but once you walk inside it looks like your traditional dumpy Ma' and Pa' restaurant-- but that's OK in my book, as long as the food is good and the staff is nice. Normally I would pick a random item off the menu, but I Was craving hot soup, and it so happens other yelpers pointed out the pho. So I ordered Spring rolls, and Pho with tripe and beef. The nice gentleman who took my order seemed to think I didn't know what Tripe was, but I did, and I wanted it anyway. However as Anthony Zimmerman likes to point out " If it looks good eat it." I'll try almost anything once ( When it comes to food that is ), and I have a feeling I've had it when I was in Taiwan, so the idea of eating it didn't really bother me. The broth of the Pho was out of this world, and the pile of fresh veggies that accompiend the soup and noodles was perfect. I'm so happy I stopped here, I'll certainly be going back sometime soon, and hopefully I won't be eating by myself! ( And yes, the spring rolls were just as good as the Pho, so try those too if you enjoy spring rolls! )
(5)Joshua J.
I love the way they're strayed from the standard pho menu, i.e., listing all pho varieties and then providing a price for each as a small, medium or large. Rather, these bozos have like 10 options -- a Pho Xe Lua is only available as an extra large for example -- or if you want a well done flank and rare beef, only in small. It's possibly the most ridiculous thing I've ever encountered in life. The pho itself is actually OK, but my major gripe is the stinginess. I ordered a bowl w/tendon and well-done flank/brisket, and what arrived was a large bowl of soup, noodles, and about four 1.5" by 1.5" pieces of brisket and 1 tiny piece of (actually very good) tendon. I live in London England, one of the most expensive cities in the world, and come from Vancouver, Canada, recently ranked the 2nd most unaffordable in the world, and have never paid $9 for a bowl of pho. Even an x-large filled to the brim with meat and noodles is like 8.50. Paying that much for an offensively small portion irked me majorly. And the service! The lady paid me about zero attention, didn't reply when I thanked her taking order, bringing my meal, forgot my iced coffee, and generally was a zombie beast. Sad because the pho itself was reasonably good. Broth rich, noodles were flavourful and well cooked, and the tendon was super soft, only drawback was just mediocre beef (though so little of it that I hardly noticed). Providence is not a pho city so the denizens are under the very unfortunate mistaken belief this is a good restaurant -- 4 stars is utter insanity!
(1)S Nicole M.
Getting my avocado bubble tea, of course...Even in the cooler months this un-sweetly bubble is a delight. The pho broth is second to none...no meatballs here...the "works" beef pho has all the beef trimmings (tripe, tendon, rare slices of beef and tender beef round). I've tried other pho dishes elsewhere and they don't compare. Byob, but I always do takeout. Family owned and operated...
(5)Brittney K.
I usually start off with the nim chow for my appetizers and I absolutely love the peanut butter sauce that comes with it. Makes my mouth water just thinking about it. The pho broth is on point, I usually order the number 2. I also tried their pork chops, really good too when I'm not in the mood for pho. The only downside is the service can be kind of slow, but overall I'll definitely be back again.
(4)Sarah X.
Slow service if you go on a busy day, but boy is the pho broth delicious! It's has a hint a sweetness with all the savory depth you'd expect from a beef broth that's been simmering for hours! We always go for the Pho #1 which is their version of an XL bowl with tripe, tendon, brisket and round eye.
(4)Joe J.
Really good Pho soup. The broth is excellent. As a matter of fact, it's so good I usually order a soup to go after eating here. And extra broth too of course. This is a family place. They are very friendly and make you feel at home. Highly recommend to keep the chill out of your bones
(5)Natasha G.
The food does indeed taste authentic, and like it's made with care. The stuff I had pretty solid, but there are a few little things that didn't make this quite a 5-star experience. Nothing was bad, and what I ate was tasty, but I can't say it's the best Vietnamese food I've ever had or even the best I've had in RI (I like Pho Horn's in Pawtucket more). The pho broth was flavorful and everything tasted fresh, but I'm used to having more meat in my pho, and the noodles were a little clumped. The fresh spring rolls were pretty good, but not sure if they're worth the $6 -- Apsara Palace on Hope Street in Providence provides great summer rolls (nime chow) for a few bucks cheaper. All that said, the service is gracious and friendly, and I wasn't totally disappointed my my pho. However, I just wasn't impressed enough that I'd want to go back. I think I may stick with Pho Horn's in the future. I do like family-owned businesses, but I found that the $28 I ended up paying (with tax/tip) for two bowls of pho and an order of summer rolls was a little steep for what I got.
(3)Rob F.
This is a nice little family run place. When you walk in there is usually a little kid sitting at the front table playing on the computer. As I walk by I wait for him to say; "would you care for a game Mr Bond?" He just sits there and continues his world conquest. The owner of the place will probably seat you. He or his wife might wait on you... The cook is probably related too! Looking at the menu, as others have mentioned, They do have many pho varieties. I always get the extra large with everything. I find it weak and they hardly put any meat in it. We're talking half a meatball, two slices of steak, a chunk of tendon and tripe. I got it twice and it was the same. I don't think it is worth the money. I can think of a half dozen places close by that do it better. I ordered ban hoi the last couple visits. Grilled chicken, rice noodles, pickled vegetables and lettuce to wrap it in. It's small but it's eight bucks! I had the same grilled chicken over rice with two shrimp. I don't like the shrimp they use. I liked the ban hoi and I'd have that if I was in the area. The service people complain about can be patchy. I was there once when a table was complaining about service and the waitress told them to eat somewhere else when they were in a hurry. They got their food, ate two bites and had it all wrapped to go. So, don't eat there unless you have time, I guess! Don't expect fast food type service. Lastly, I don't like their tea. It's made with little curls of bark or something. Very bitter. If it's not watered down, it will make your toes curl! All in all, I have no compelling reason to recommend the place.
(2)Mara S.
Ordered delivery, got two tofu dishes and the spring rolls. Everything was incredible! One of the best Thai meals I've had in a while. I don't usually like the non-fried version of spring rolls but these were so good with the peanut sauce that they are now my favorite kind!
(5)Bobby G.
My quest for pho continued with Minh Hai this week. The plan was to go on Tuesday - but since they were closed we pushed it out a day. I'm definitely still a pho novice with this being my 4th restaurant - but so far each place seems to be better than the last. I continued my tradition of starting off with goi cuon. Minh Hai does a great job on this dish, in terms of both presentation and taste. The rolls were cut in half and arranged on the plate with a cucumber slice between each half and the dish of dipping sauce in the center. The peanut sauce was a bit thicker than the last two stops and was super flavorful. The rolls were fresh and crisp with good size shrimp inside. These are some of the best goi cuon I've ever had - and the cucumber slices came in handy to get a few more tastes of the sauce. I went with the nam pho tai (eye round steak and well-done flank) to stick with my steak theme and in order to have equal comparisons from each restaurant. The broth was very flavorful and is now my new favorite. The steak and flank were plentiful and tender. The noodles were plentiful and done right. The plate of sprouts, basil and jalapenos was all very fresh and overflowing. There were lemon slices this time as opposed to the lime that usually arrives on the side plate - but I didn' squeeze any into my pho as the broth was delicious as is. I also had a few samples of friend's meals on this trip. The canh chua with shrimp had a nice broth, but the pineapple did take over slightly, making it a bit sweet. It was overflowing with ingredients and was tasty, but not what I was looking for. I also had a few bites of the banh hoi cha gio with pork. I loved the spices on the pork and will be asking about it next time, as it really reminded me of a dish from a favorite Thai restaurant out west, and I would order other plates with that spice combination. The waitress was very friendly and super helpful answering questions - but disappeared almost immediately after we ordered. The owner kind of took over as our server at that point and was also very friendly but slightly scarce - probably because he had other things to be taking care of. I think that with a modest improvement on the service side I would rate Minh Hai five stars. I will certainly be back as often as possible.
(4)Vezna S.
The interior was small and not much to be dazzled by but that's only a small portion of the dining experience. I ordered their "Com Tay Cam" which is a rice dish that has shrimp, chicken, broccoli, mushrooms, zucchini, green beans and onion. It was delicious and at only 10.95, I thought it was an adequate deal since I wasn't really in the mood for Pho since I have it all the time. I also had their "Ca Phe Den" or Vietnamese Iced Coffee which was good but nothing really exceptional. It was only 2.50 and as a person who loves his iced coffee, I am willing to try any places to see if it's worth a follow on. What's awesome about this place is the fact that you can BYOB or "Bring your own beers". I love places that do that and those places are few and far between. The waitstaff was very helpful and smiling and the owners were nice. The parking is plentiful, considering the size of the restaurant itself. Overall, great place to eat. The food was good but not spectacular and the service was great.
(4)Sandy V.
The food was phenomenal but the service is awful. We waited about 30 mins before the waitress asked us we wanted and waited another 35 mins before being served. We were the only the people in the entire restaurant. To top it off she never even placed our bill at our table when we were done eating.
(3)K D.
Love love love this place! The family that runs it is so nice and the food is consistently delicious. Admittedly I haven't tried everything on the menu, but the pho is the best I've had in the state and the com is addictive as well. Before eating here I'd never had a blended (milkshake like consistency) bubble tea, but they are great. You can tell they use fresh fruit to make their teas, which makes a huge difference. My favorite is taro, but the coconut and jackfruit are both good too. Sometimes I feel they are a little light on the meat in the pho, but it's not enough to keep me from coming back. Service can be slow, but it's a family operation so it just is what it is. Oh and the fresh jalapenos they give you along with the pho are incredible!
(5)Kellina M.
WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE EVER!! We went in a party of 9, and came in at 1 pm. We waited 45 just to get our water and my boyfriend never even got his, then we waited and hour just to get our nime chow (and we didn't receive 2 orders of them). When came to 2:30 we asked the women when our food would be done she said "5 minutes", 3 other parties who came AFTER US had their order taken, they were served, and left while we still waited. And the waitress never said a word to is the whole time. Finally at 2:40 we told the women we were leaving because we still haven't gotten our food and we had children with us. The women became mad that we were tired of waiting and hour and 40 minutes for PHO, when you literally just put noodles in a bowl and add broth and meat to it. Not to mention we froze the whole time, because they didn't have the heat on.
(1)Chan P.
Yummy pho. Everything always taste fresh. The entrees are also nummy! The bubble tea is the best! Pho horn's is also another restaurant that has good Vietnamese food.
(4)R. B.
Went to Minh Hai on the way home from work this evening, had a craving for #58 on the menu. Sauteed dark meat chicken in brown sauce served over fresh baby spinach. Asked for it extra spicy and ordered a side of rice. What a treat ! Ate the entire dish and all the rice. Do yourself a favor and order something from this place, anything, you won't regret it. Can't wait to go back. I have never been disappointed. Let me know okay, I want to hear ftom you out there in b Yelpville.....see you soon
(5)Bryce J.
Been here at least a dozen times. Pho soup (we get # 6 and 7)is always consistent and delicious. We have had other items on the menu and never been disappointed. Prices are fair and the owners are very nice. It can get busy sometimes but is worth the short wait. By the way we drive 30 minutes one way just to eat here.
(5)Jason Y.
Great
(5)Paul T.
I might have a Pho addiction and by 'might' I mean 'definitely'. They have an exceptional stock... So good. In fact, the food is excellent and I've tried most of the menu. So it pains me to give this rating because I think the owner is a wonderful man. BUT 1.) They need a waitress!!! Too many times I've waited an unconscionable amount of time before being greeted and/or served. Unless you go when it's dead, you'll wait. If you go when it's busy you have the chance of waiting over 30 minutes before being greeted (happened 3 times) and/or waiting an hour to have your entrée served AFTER THEY FORGOT TO BRING YOUR APPETIZER (happened twice)!!! Somehow, I'd sit there feeling bad for them and I continued to go back (for the food) but enough is enough!!! They're screwing themselves over by not having a simple freaking wait staff!!!! 2.) The place could be a little cleaner. (It's not disgusting, just could stand a little wall love) 3.) The waitress (wife?) added a cash tip on my credit card slip when I purposefully/intentionally left none!!! Having been a former bartender, I've only done that twice in my life and both times were completely deserved. For this visit, I brought my son so he could try bubble tea and pho for the first time. We got there at exactly 6:15 on a Friday night (received a phone call as i walked in so I checked). It was pretty busy so I didn't sit right down like I normally do. Instead, waited for the wife to walk past us three times before she told us to 'go ahead' while pointing to a small table in the corner. At 6:32 she dropped 2 glasses of water and no menus... Didn't even say anything... Just walked away. So I got up and got my own menus (like I've done many times before). She didn't come back to the table until much later to take our (simple) order: 2 bubble teas, nime chow, 2 bowls of pho. At 8:07 - 8. 0. 7. - she dropped off OUR PHO!!! NO BUBBLE TEA... NO NIME CHOW!!! LOL I was already pissed so when I said to her that we didn't even get those items, and she said, "No bubble tea right now." I actually had to stop myself from snapping. I said, "What about the nime chow!?!?!?" and AGAIN she walks away WITHOUT SAYING ANYTHING!!!! So then I get my own napkins, hoisin, sriracha and silverware and just start eating. My son is upset about the time, the nime chow and the bubble tea but we're too hungry to give a shit at this point. @8:45, 2.5 hours after we walked into the place and had SOUP, we stood up at the counter to cash out. [And, somehow, THIS, is where it gets bad!] We wait, and wait, before she finally comes over to give us our slip and it freaking HAS THE BUBBLE TEA AND NIME CHOW ON IT!!!! Then I just start laughing when she walks into the kitchen only to come back out with the nime chow in a to go container!?!?!? I mean, she's joking, right!?!? We're on some hidden camera show!?!?!? It took another 5 minutes for her to correct the check, after getting mad at us for not wanting our appetizer as a dessert. I then wrote $0 on the charge slip, only to find out 3 days later that she gave herself a $4 tip. Just amazing. Completely, utterly amazing. The worst service I've EVER had, and she tips herself. Such a shame because the food is really well done.
(1)Amanda M.
My gosh. How I love this place. Tiny little family owned hole in the wall with not much (or any) ambiance but, don't let that fool you. They're busting out some seriously amazing food that you can clearly tell is made with heart and authenticity. I can honestly say that there is no other pho in the Providence area that compares. The broth is to die for and the meat is always oh so tender. The coconut bubble tea is also my favorite after dinner desert! Yum! If you're in the mood for a sit down dinner with friends, be sure to bring a bottle of wine or beer with you. BYOB. Also, do expect a little wait for your food as I think the kitchen is usually only run by one person. And don't expect them to check up on you, just take it for what it is and enjoy your food. Take out is always a safe bet as well. They never leave any of the extra toppings out!
(5)Dee H.
I had the shrimp rice bowl and it was flavorful. Service was a little slow with the pho, so expect to wait on waiting. Prices were fair, shrimp and chicken were fresh and the vegetables were crisp. We asked for a little spicy on the shrimp rice bowls and they came out perfect. Normally I would be looking for tabasco/sriracha/cayenne. Seating area seemed clean and the bathrooms were nice, better than your typical tourist trap Asian restaurant.
(5)Jessica A.
Friends took us here saying the food was sooo good. It was ! Atmosphere could kick it up a notch but between the food and byob--it was a fantastic meal. We had pho, and the chicken salad appetizer as well as the thin shaved steak appetizer . It was all spectacular even the pad Thai I tasted! Highly recommend!
(4)Dawn R.
I absolutely love this place!! I have been going there since it opened. I am very picky when it comes to Vietnamese food especially PHO noodle soup. I feel they have one of the best PHO! I recommend this place to everyone! The owners are always so welcoming and friendly!
(5)Arun M.
I was visiting a friend who has special affinity for Vietnamese food, so she decided to go to Minh Hai. The interior is okay, nothing special. The owner/chef had his wife and kid in the restaurant, so looks like he is working really very hard to balance his work and personal life (the kid was screaming much of the time). Waitress does not even know how to pronounce the dishes on the menu, she looks asian but is totally american. The owner/chef is very grateful and tries to answer any question you have to select from the menu. The most important thing is food, and it is awesome. I loved their garlic noodles with vegetables (No. 62). It was so good I can still taste it in my memory after 4 days. Everyone on the table enjoyed the food and that is the most important thing about any restaurant. Hopefully the owner/chef will have enough money someday to hire a good interior designer and a good staff to help him, and I can say that if he will keep up the quality of food like it is, it will be soon. I will be going there again when in RI.
(4)Ning T.
I've never eaten here until recently. We would ALWAYS stop by for bubble tea, but that was it...never tried their food. The place was always quiet, maybe 1 or 2 tables max. I never thought to try their food. But we would always make the extra effort for the bubble tea because other places just doesn't make it like them. On bubble tea alone, they get 5 stars from me. :) So one day we finally were hungry and this place came to mind. What's there to lose right? So we sat down, table of 4 at around 3pm. It wasn't as busy. Another table was there and another one later joined. We ordered 2 Pho bowls and 2 rice dishes. It took a really long time to come out. I'm talking painfully long because we were also starving at that point. The food finally came out, with the rice dish that I ordered, I asked for yellow rice and I'm not one bit disappointed. It came with grilled beef and chicken and I asked for a fried egg on top. It was sooooo good! The last time I had a good Vietnamese rice plate was in Boston and that place unfortunately closed down, so this meal brought back some fond memories. My friends that ordered Pho were also raving that it was so good and they finished their extra large bowl that they normally wouldn't finish at other locations. The following day, I was so excited about the place I brought my sister back. I definitely recommend this place. I decked a star because it was soooo slow. I'm sure it was probably because it was freshly made to order. So if I can give them 4.5, that's what I'll give them.
(4)Zack H.
I will be honest, I am not trying to put this restaurant down. The food was bad. I don't know how people say this is the best. To me, it was the worst. The noodles were hard, service was bad, the annoying kid that yells was unbearable. That kid was just annoying the crap out of me. He was yelling at the top of his lungs with his mother just ignoring him. Terrible 0/10.
(1)Shannon Z.
Family was far from home and looking for good asian comfort food. Based on yelp, this seemed like the best option near providence. Coming from San Jose and Austin, we weren't expecting much; RI doesn't seem like a mecca of Asian food, but we were pleasantly surprised. We all got beef noodles; the noodles were firm and the soup was pretty great. I was a bit thrown off at first by some interesting spices that I tasted in the soup... The spices tasted more appropriate for Indian cuisine. Still great though. Almost drank all the soup. The restaurant itself was very quiet, other than a phone that was insanely loud whenever it rang, which happened often. Overall clean, fast, courteous service. Only problem? Not enough actual meat and noodles for a bowl of that size. But great comfort food far.
(4)Kaizen T.
Worst place ever!!!! Placed my order and waited an hour and still didnt see anything but a glass of water. Ask the lady that took my order how long it would take for my order to be done and didnt get an answer. Only one person taking orders and serving, probably only 1 cook too. A couple next to me got in before I did and got their egg rolls 45 minutes after I got in and thats only 2 egg rolls. I hope it was the best egg rolls ever for a 45 minute wait. I had to simply walk out after canceling my order.
(1)Marisol S.
BEST PHO IN THE STATE!! Been going here for years they welcome you with open arms just like your family.
(5)Hungry G.
I noticed this restaurant open years back. I started to visit and never stopped. The restaurant is family owned and operated. Everything is prepared fresh to order. My choice is PHO #1 it's great every time. I haven't tried all the the dishes but the ones I have are very good. I recommend this place to everyone that is looking for quality authentic meal. Very excellent you will not be disappointed.
(4)Thearith C.
This is my first review, by far this is the worst place I have ever dined at. The waitress aka the owner aka the cook aka slow. Maybe you should wash your hands while youre muli-tasking. I waited 20 minutes for a greet and for water, keep in mind there was only only two tables of guest at the time. Im not against small businesses, but I am against horrible small business owners. Good food but terrible service. I will never come back. Come for yourself and see how horrible it is.
(1)Trang L.
The food is great, a little bit limited menu probably because this is a family owned restaurant. The biggest problem with this place is the lack of staff. My friend and I came in on a wednesday night, 4 tables were in front of us, 2 people were waiting on their take-outs. We were sat down immediately but had to wait for about 15 mins until the lady came to take our orders. We had to wait for another 10 mins for our water to come. We ordered the spring rolls for appetizer, I had pho and my friend ordered the pork chop. 45 minutes later our appetizer came, and about half an hour after that our main course came. While we were waiting, a lot of other tables were in the same situation as us. The people sitting in the table behind us even asked the owner if they haven't made the food so that they could just pay for the appetizer and leave. We also had to get our own utensils since we didn't want to wait another half an hour just to get a fork to eat our appetizer. About the food, my pho was actually very nice, but my friend's pork chop was salty and smelly. We also had to go to the check out counter to get the check and pay, like many other customers, just because we don't want to wait again. I would recommend going to this restaurant for their pho because the owner/waiter/chef is actually nice, and if you have A LOT of time to kill.
(2)Lilo P.
I am a noodle fanatic! and when my friend introduced this place to me today for lunch, oh em goodness! Vietnamese food is beyond delicious, but of course, I had to had to had to! try the pho. I'm not sure which one I got because the names were very hard to decipher (for me) but it was #4 on the "lunch menu." I put quotes because my friend said that it didn't differ from the regular menu? But I digress, the broth for the pho was absolutely delicious! I drank everything, consumed everything. Still feeling the bloatedness from all the liquid! When I went in for the noodles... .... They were amazing. Perfect texture, tasted delicious, and soooo good! Can't wait to try this place again! Side note: I love their slightly larger chopsticks! I love long chopsticks! The longer the better! ... hahaha (that's what she said...)
(5)C S.
This place is my favorite place in RI for pho. Bucking the traditional inclination i actually prefer chicken pho which is fantastic from here--although i sometimes ask for extra chicken depending on my mood. The seafood pho is also delicious, lots of fresh squid & shrimp and a nice alternative. The #66 Veggies over garlic egg noodles is also fantastic. Their nime chow are really great, with decent sized & fresh shrimp--those little ones that other places feature in their rolls creep me out. Also, if you're feeling virtuous the veggie based pho is amazing, full of perfectly cooked veggies and tofu. Be warned the stock is definitely not vegetarian. As commented by other reviewers, interior is sparse and can be slightly awkward when its slow and empty. The service is not the best and can be really slow if they're busy--so bare that in mind of you're in a rush. Finally, take-out. I live in South Country which is like an ethnic food desert so i often will grab takeout on my way home from Providence. Regardless of what you order and how busy they are, they always say "10 min"--i usually give them a solid 20 min, to save myself some irritated waiting.
(4)Katherine J.
Being a California native where cheap, authentic, and incredible Vietnamese food abound, I can be pretty picky. However, I think Minh Hai may be my new favorite go-to for Vietnamese food here in Lil' Rhody (keeping in mind that choices are pretty limited). I had the Pho Tai (#8), Cha Gio (#A), and my boyfriend had one of the rice dishes with beef. The place is BYOB as well, which is always an awesome money-saving feature. The food: The Cha Gio was very fresh and tasty, unusual in my experience for a fried spring roll. The combination of meat and seafood in it was interesting, but not in a bad way. Would definitely order again. The Pho Tai was sort of a mixed bag - the broth was AMAZING with an amazing and clean flavor. They are very generous with the accompanying bean sprouts, basil, and jalapenos on the side. However, when I dug into the soup, the noodles were in one giant clump at the bottom and I had to spend a few minutes trying to separate them out from the "noodle brick" shape they were in. I think maybe they were put in the broth last minute and didn't sit long enough? The cooked eye round steak in the Pho Tai was good, but there was barely any of it! I don't know if I had ordered one of the Pho dishes with more kinds of meat (tendon, trip, flank, etc.) there would have been more of it? I assumed the meat:soup ratio would be the same regardless of what you ordered. So, a bit disappointing in quantity but again, the flavor was fantastic. My boyfriend loved his dish, but it was little cold when it came out - I think due to some of the staffing issues mentioned below. The restaurant: This place is definitely not dirty, as someone else mentioned! The walls are painted with a sponge-effect, so the most they can be accused of is having an outdated sense of style. The decor is minimal, but nothing out of the ordinary if you've ever eaten at any authentic Vietnamese restaurant. As some others have noted, service can be slow. They day we went (Sunday night) it was only the two owners working, I believe both in the kitchen and front of house. They are both super friendly, but clearly a little overworked. It wasn't a huge problem for us, but I would be hesitant to eat here if I was in a rush. Probably a good idea to give them some extra time when ordering take out, as well. In short, if you're looking for quality, authentic, and cheap Vietnamese food prepared by very friendly people, this is your place. This is not a place for a five-star dining experience or romantic date night, nor is it the kind of in-your-face customer service you'd find at a chain like Chili's or TGI Fridays (gag me). Thanks Minh Hai, I'll definitely be back!
(4)Jennifer E.
The Pho was good, the atmosphere was about average for a pho restaurant (nothing fancy), and the prices were a bit more than I've paid in the past, but still not too bad. Our server was friendly and pretty patient with my friend who can be a bit of a pain in the you-know-what when it comes to ordering food and drink. I'm usually satisfied with a small pho, as the larger bowls are usually too much food for me. It came with all the usual fixins' such as bean sprouts, jalepenos, lime, and thai basil. I also put some hot chili sauce in to mine to kick up the heat a bit. I would certainly return, although I don't spend too much time in Cranston. I would say that it wasn't the best Pho I have ever eaten, but it was pretty good.
(3)Nicole R.
Hands down Best Pho in Cranston. The broth was really flavorful the lemon instead of lime that accompanied the soup was a refreshing change. I couldn't have asked for anything more, except maybe a second helping. Can't wait to go back again!
(5)Tamara V.
Like others have said, this place is small and family owned- not fancy but the food is always fresh and tastes VERY authentic and delicious. I've never been disappointed here. The cold beef salad is amazing (fresh mint and cilantro with a mildly spicy sauce and fresh veggies). Another favorite is the "HOAC CA XAO LAN" dish. Don't worry- you can order by number but this is available with shrimp, squid, beef, fish, chicken or veggie. It's a coconut curry sauce with onions, black mushroom and clear vermicelli. Excellent with rice and is probably one of the most flavorful sauces I've ever tasted. Lots of fresh veggies and amazing flavors in their food so you feel like you're eating healthy too. One of my favorites. The owners are also very nice and friendly. You can tell they work hard and are providing high quality food for their customers.
(5)J. F.
Well its a nice quiet place to enjoy some Vietnamese food. The Pho is about the same quality as all the restaurants around Providence. I think they might have found an instant soup mix which they all buy. But I liked it nevertheless. I have yet to try the banh hoi. All the other dishes I have tried has been good.
(5)Margaret D.
Walked in here on a Friday night, around 7:30 pm. There was a waiter taking an order from a nearby table and he motioned for us to take a seat. We did..and waited 25 minutes for him to bring us a menu. After 25 minutes, the table near us still did not have water, either, but let us borrow a menu. Ten minutes after that, we got up and left. The waiter never came out of the back. All of the nearby tables had dirty dishes on them. Not sure what was going on - maybe they were understaffed and the waiter was cooking? I peeked in the kitchen and could not see anyone back there.
(1)Nicole S.
Delicious food! Pho is great as are their rice plates. I recommend #47...a coconut curry shrimp dish. Always clean. Owner is very friendly and knows his customers well. Service can be slow but it's very worth it!
(5)Annie W.
real pho! you know how long it's been since i've had a good bowl of pho? i have my go-to spots in NYC and boston (pho pasteur), and having moved to providence, and having seen the huge population of south asians here, i figured it was worth a try. the broth is rich, and dare i say -- spicier -- with a stronger hint of cinnamon than most other pho i've tried. i mean spicy with the best of intentions...it's more jazzed up, but by the chili pepper index, i doubt it bumps the broth up past half a star. the accompaniments (bean sprouts, lemon, jalapeno, thai basil) were ample, but not profuse, which as fine with me on a day where all i needed was good, steamy, soulful broth. some meat, yes, not too much. i shrug. prices were good. ~8-10 range per entree. i can see the prices run a little cheaper in NYC and boston, but then again, the competition is also stiffer. i also tried the com tay cam (rice in a clay pot with seafood and chicken and veggies). YUM. decor is really no frills. typical of an asian restaurant -- the emphasis is on the food, not on the decor. there's a little one playing some version of leapfrog on his own table, surrounded by presents and a grandfather clock. he had his own corner of the restaurant last night. don't mind him. it's a mom and pop, and he's cute.
(5)Victoria K.
Wow! What a delicious surprise! My first time trying Vietnamese food and I already strike gold. Though the decor is simple, the service is great (even though I was only picking up take-out, the employees were very friendly), and the food was really impressive! When perusing the menu, I wasn't sure what the "safest" dish was to order, but honestly in the end I'm sure that anything would have been prepared equally deliciously. I tried a combo dish of flavorful and juicy grilled chicken, an "imperial roll" (a Vietnamese egg roll), and grilled prawns, all served over yummy rice and with a salad on the side (spicy vinaigrette, a lovely surprise). Anyway, long story short, I like Vietnamese food now! Yippee!! Thanks, Minh Hai Restaurant!
(4)Mark D.
Minh Hai is one of those great places that can be overlooked. And that is a mistake. Right in the heart of Cranston is one of the best Vietnamese restaurants around. The Beef with lemon slices is out of this world, refreshing, and balanced. It keeps me coming back for more. And everything else I have had is excellent too. They are inexpensive, and are a BYOB, with a store across the street. You will enjoy your visit here!
(4)Neil B.
I came to RI for a one night visit and my family and I decided to eat at Minh Hai. I had been there a few times and always enjoyed the food and service. Last night the food continued to be quite good but because they were short of help, Minh, the owner, was in the kitchen cooking instead of out front and the people waiting tables (his daughters?) spent much of the time playing with some little children off on the side rather than waiting their tables. There were five of us and we waited an hour and fifteen minutes for our food. Minh did make it a point to come out of the kitchen to apologize for the food taking so long. We understood that it was an unusual situation but there was no reason why we had to get up and find our own knives and refill our own water. This is the downside of a family run restaurant. The food was fresh and very good but the service was terrible and the restaurant very noisy with little kids running around making a lot of noise (which is the fault of both their parents and the restaurant). Again I hit an off night and would go back, but only when they are fully staffed and Minh is out front being sure his restaurant is being run correctly. March 2014: I've back a few times since my review in 2010 and the food has consisitenly been excellent. The service is always friendly, not always effiicient, but again it is a family run business. And since those little kids have grown up and are in college, you now feel more like you are in a restaurant and less like you are in someone else's breakfast room!
(4)Vanessa T.
With the proliferation of pan-asian restaurants in Rhode Island, it's nice to come across a joint that only delivers a specific cuisine and does it very well. I'm leery of All Asian Cuisines Are More Or Less The Same restaurants. In need of a Vietnamese fix, I tried Minh Hai for lunch recently. I ordered here what I most commonly order elsewhere, as a litmus test: com. Perfectly grilled, marinated thin sheets of pork [and we also ordered beef], with lemongrass and sesame seeds. It comes with their "special rice" [that's what it's called on the menu] and salad. The special rice was remarkably flavorful, which I find isn't often the case, despite whatever cool name the rice gets. Everything was very fresh, tender, and delicious. Service was quick, friendly, and efficient, which is all one ever needs. A delicious lunch for two under $20 makes my heart sing.
(4)Asp R.
Family- run business, they're attentive and very nice. I'd go for the regular stuff like pho and noodles rather than being adventurous. Their pho never disappoints, I have tried other dishes like spicy stuffed squids with steamed rice and a spicy sour soup, don't think they're freshly made or as tasty as the pho. Otherwise, they have a spicy tofu dish which is pretty good. Also try their milk tea! This is one of my fave restaurants in Rhode Island.
(4)Adrian B.
I've been here a few times for lunch and loved it. Their "special rice" is delicious. Although they may be a wee bit on the slower side in cooking, it's worth the wait. Best Vietnamese I've had in a long time.
(5)Ocheeto C.
I love this restaurant. Food is fresh and delicious. Their pho is amazing. Owners are very friendly and it's byob.
(5)Andrew T.
I have been going to this restaurant for years, and am happy to see it continue to do well because the food is excellent, the prices good, and the staff very friendly. This is a small family-run business in a decent-size location, and it's definitely worth the trip. I am a vegetarian but there are ample selections on the menu; I usually go with the Lat Xa for the entree but I have tried several different items in the vegetable section and all are very good. My girlfriend usually has the beef vermicelli bowl and loves it. I have not had a lot of other Vietnamese food to compare it to, but my girlfriend has, and we both agree it is excellent. I particularly recommend the tofu rolls for an appetizer - the tofu is wonderfully crispy and the thick dark peanut sauce is dreamy. Service is good and the staff are very friendly. My only (very slight) criticism is that at the end of the meal sometimes they need some affirmative prompting to bring the check (so keep this in mind if you're in a hurry!), but I don't really fault them for it, I think they just don't want to interrupt any conversations or make anyone feel rushed. But overall excellent food for the money and definitely on our "short list" of local places to eat out (along with Thai Orchid right down the road, also on Park Avenue).
(5)Kelly D.
The only reason I'm giving this 4 stars instead of 5 is their lack of atmosphere. But in all honesty it hardly matters, as I would eat there every day, if I could. For an appetizer we started with the Goi Cuon (also called nime chow). Definetely some of the best Goi Cuon I've had in RI. My "special" meal to go to is the Tom Muc Xao Lan. I've had several dishes there, but this is my all time favorite. Prices are very reasonable and the food always taste fresh and delicious. It's also BYOB, which more than makes up for a lack of ambiance.
(4)Jim D.
Best food anywhere
(5)Steven A.
I guess I'm in the minority here. I had a miserable experience at Minh Hai. It was particularly disappointing in that I hoped to find a good Vietnamese stop without having to go all the way into Providence. When I learned it was BYOB, I was psyched. Guess I'll have to keep looking. Based on my other experiences with small Asian restaurants, I wasn't expecting much in terms of ambiance, decor and atmosphere.. and that expectation was met. Bland, tight fit, tables crowded together... but that's OK if the food is great and the service acceptable. Long story short... the food was OK, the service oblivious. But what really made it memorable was the 5 year old who continually ran back and forth from the kitchen to the dining area, sliding under the tables and shrieking as though he had just arrived for a b-day party at Chucky Cheese. Then, he zeroed in on me... and decided to impress me his karate skills. I received a dose of three rapid fire kicks to my lower leg as I perused the menu... a sequence which amused the waitress to no end. I had to INSIST that she remove the child from sight. Call me picky. Call me a grouch. Call me a stiff... but there are limits even in a small family business environment. So, if you're in the Cranston area, want a mediocre meal and have a hankering for a good beating, Minh Hai is your place. Just bring your shin guards.
(2)Tram V.
My boyfriend and I found this place on our GPS on a random day while shopping in Providence. We gave it a try after refusing to ever try any Vietnamese place in Boston ever again. Too many bad experiences to talk about. We're originally from Atlanta where the Vietnamese population makes way for very good and very competitive cuisine. Minh Hai has the best Pho I've had in New England. If you're sick of the watered-down, nasty, no-taste, fatty pho at all of the other restaurants, go here. 10 times better than Pho Pasteur, Pho Horn, Pho Paradise, Pho Le or any of them! Also try the chicken salad (Goi Ga) and grilled chicken vermicelli (Bun Ga Nuong). I'm Vietnamese and my parents had shares in one of the best-known pho restaurants ever in Atlanta and I've had this stuff all my life. I'm telling you, this place is good (for the Pho, particularly). The environment is casual and clean--typical of your usual Vietnamese restaurants. The service can be slow at times but it's family-run so cut them some slack. The food will be worth the wait. Bonus: it's BYOB!!
(5)Jere S.
[Update, 4/30: Was pleased to see a response from someone at the restaurant who was very kind. And I expect that because they seem REALLY nice, like I said. So try the place if you like--just tell 'em to go easy on the salt!] I got the Tofu curry, #69, as I'm always trying to find something around here like at get at Saigon Grill in NYC. And I ended up feeling like Henry Hill at the end of Goodfellas when he's in the witness protection program when he ordered pasta and got spaghetti and ketchup. It was a small bowl of veggies (and just ONE piece of tofu) which might have been okay....if they hadn't spilled a vat of pepper on it. I'm okay with a dash of pepper, but when somebody loosens the cap on you as a prank and you pour the whole thing on your meal, you throw it away. And that's what I felt like doing with this dish as soon as it arrived. I tried to remove the pepper-covered garnish, but it was too late, the whole sauce was full of pepper. I knew right away I wouldn't be able to eat it, so I took a few bites, and to add injury to insult, I accidentally flung some of the pepper sauce into my eye, despite that I had glasses on. If there is a god, he/she was just screaming at me to run away from this food. After I came back from washing my eye out in the bathroom, I just ate handfuls of rice and drank water to try to wash the pepper out of my system. The menu described my meal as "simmered in a coconut milk, lemon grass, and curry spices." Nope. Just pepper water. I feel bad because the staff was really nice. And the spring rolls were fine. Yeah that kid was running around but that wasn't a problem. If they didn't serve the Peppery Death Bowl I'd probably really like this place. But I don't think I'm ever going back.
(2)linda s.
3 stars is generous... Service...a couple young girls very nice but not good waitresses...very slow...we ordered ice coffee and the girl told me it takes 10 mins...basically we got our meals..which took about 20 mins and still no drinks..we finished our meals and still no drinks..dying of thirst..paid the bill and the girl asked us if we still wanted our coffee...so they can add ice..ughh Food...i had pho...had a smell..some kinda spice i dont recognize..idk..very skimpy on the meat...pho noodles was way overcooked..and for some reason the bean sprouts were all broken ..prob reused..gross my bf had vermicelli..he said chicken was good but the vermicelli was really soggy..his other complain was the bowl was too small..not the portion..just the bowl... my daughter had the beef and rice ..the rice was yellow?!? i mean not old yellow..just yellow...weird...she hated it.. i def had better..service could be better...we never got tea..everyone else got tea..i dont drink tea..but wouldve still like the option..overall i would never go back..only cause if its a viet rest..and pho is a staple it should taste good..and it didnt..or maybe not get the pho next time...no there wont be a next time..
(3)Matt P.
Is the service slow? Yes, the service is pretty slow. It's family run and the owner is sometimes your cook and your server. Do I give a shit? No, I don't give a shit. I wouldn't come here if I were in a rush. I would come here when I want some satisfying healthy soup. The pho is excellent. The Vietnamese hot and sour soup is chock full-o-goodness. Everything that I've ordered here has been lick-your-plate-clean good. If you want fast go somewhere else. Hon's, around the corner, is quicker. But I think that Minh Hai has slightly better pho.
(4)John L.
best pho in ri. their bo tai chanh is addictive. what a nice family who runs it too. really glad we found it.
(5)Peggy H.
The food here is really excellent. Much better than any of the Vietnamese options in Providence. In terms of quality, the food here is right up there with nick's and julian's but about 1/3 of the price and no need for reservations. I highly recommend it!
(5)J R.
Had the pho a few times, definitely a good choice and can't go wrong, however... I gotta say, i'm disappointed in the ingredients left out, and also the meat portion... When i was first introduced to Pho, it was up in Boston. This place was amazing... Lots of sliced beef in it, whole basil/cilatro leaves, few lime wedges, a lot of bean sprouts, equal amount of rice noodles, lots of scallions and onions, etc.... The dish iself should look rather bright, given the amount of veggies used. Unfortunately Mihn Hai does not deliver in this department. I had the Hu Tien Do Bien (Seafood Pho basically) and the gf had the Pho Tai (Eye-round steak)... While both dishes delivered in the flavor department, i feel like this would have been far better if the proper ingredients were used. For my dish, it was good... bean sprouts were there... it would have been nice to have more than 2 pieces of Calamari, and there were maybe 5 pieces of shredded chicken. 4 prawns, and about a quarter teaspoon of both chopped cilantro and scallions... (weak) For the gf's dish... 4 thin thin slices of beef, no sprouts, no cilatro, nothing... just a tiny bit of beef and the rice noodles. (super weak) Oh yea... WHERE THE EFF ARE MY GODDAMN SLICED THAI CHILES! Anyways... I am going to try a few other places to see what the (inferior) competition is offering. Next time I order, I don't care if they'll add several bucks to the tab, but i am going to ask for double meat, bean sprouts, sliced green chiles, whole basil or cilantro, and a couple wedges of lime. I hope they can accomodate or else i'll have to find a new favorite Pho place. Wiki "Pho"... you'll see what this dish is really supposed to look like, especially the rare beef and well done brisket a bit further down on the right hand side.
(3)Ashley L.
This is my favorite place in Providence for pho. The broth is very beefy and well rounded, they don't skimp on meat and everything tastes very fresh. It's a little slower than some of the other places but I'm willing to wait it out for the better food. The owner is very nice and takes the time to make sure you are happy. I haven't tried anything else from here but the summer rolls (which are fairly good) but I'll repost if I do. Prices are good too but I expect that when I eat Vietnamese.
(4)Clifton P.
This is a nice quiet place to enjoy a bowl of pho. I like how every pho shop tastes different and this one is up there with taste. I've been to some places that are all done up but the soup is crap. This place is plain but soup is great.
(4)Susanne F.
I love this restaurant. It's family-run, clean, and extremely friendly, but best of all the food is great. Among the appetizers is an excellent dish (called Spicy Chicken Salad, I think) that will get your meal off to a fine start. Another starter is a dish with finely sliced lemons arranged over thin slices of beef, served with a fantastic dipping sauce. You might also try the marinated beef salad, also a favorite of mine. Among the main dishes, it's hard to choose, but I especially like their vegetarian selections-- there are a good number of them. I'm told the pho is very good, but I haven't tried it yet myself. Oh yes, the clay pot is another good choice. There are many good choices, so you can't go wrong. Very reasonably priced, too.
(5)E P.
So after we picked up my dad from the airport, we wanted to find a place to eat. So i used yelp and found that this place had good reviews. Plus, I love vietnamese food. The staff are nice and the food was good. I had the tofu in spicy lemongrass soy sauce with broccoli, mushrooms, onions, and cucumber. Overall good, but the broccoli was definitly the best part- it soaked in the flavor. THe rest of my family had pho and they said it was also really good. Likely going here again if im in the area
(5)Kim S.
I LOVE Minh Hai. I've been a fan ever since it first opened years back. The owner (I'm assuming) is always super friendly and the food is always on point. I will say that if it gets crowded it does slow the service a little, but the food is worth the wait. They have these fish dishes topped with vermicelli, mmmmm. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the (Vietnamese) pho here tastes the most authentic in RI. I highly recommend.
(5)Aaron W.
Hit this place by accident on my way back from Cape Cod a few weeks back. Really good food and even better service. I asked for a few things off the menu as my 3 year old is pretty picky and the owner came out and said "No problem!" I would definitely go back here. Very authentic Vietnamese food, free parking, and plenty of seating inside. What more could you want with your spring rolls!
(4)Bob B.
Daughter in law is Vietnamese and she raved about the Pho broth. We all enjoyed everything. It's definitely on our to go list - even though they live in Middletown and I live outside of Chicago. The grandkids liked it and the prices and service were excellent. The artwork, by the way, is authentic - -
(5)Domenico D.
Went in here with couple buddys to try it out, do to all the good reviews and the online menu sounded delisious. We ordered some apps, like the egg rolls which were great and the bubble tea that is popular there. Then we all ordered Pho. The pho was pretty deliscious i got the #1 i think, the one with everymeat that they had in the pantry in it. It was delisious specially with couple drops of the vietnamese hot sause on eat spoonfull. I dont reccomend pouring the hiot sauce derectly into the bowl with the entrire soup cause it makes it alittle too hot to handle for some. The bubble tea on the other hand ehhh. I ordered the cantalope flavored one which i highly reccomend to all but what i didnt kno was that they put a rediculous amount of tapioca balls at the bottom (which is why its called bubble tea) the size of garbanzo beans and then give you a straw the size of a garden hose to slurp them out. I didnt mind it at all i just wish they didnt over due the tapioca, it was literaly allmost half my cup full and the same with the others. Next time i will deffenetly order it without them and i will be a happy camper. Go here, its good, family owned, nice poeple. Tasty food.
(4)Neil G.
Had 40 and 24 and shrimp rolls. Fantastic! Tried bubble tea for the first time. The texture made me smile. Chewy and delicious!
(5)Tick R.
This place is great and is a great value. I've been inundated with Vietnamese places that just taste cheap and horrid in the past but this is so not that. Everything is fresh and delicious. The service can be slow sometimes, but the people are friendly.
(5)Trey F.
There pho lacks flavor however their strawberry bubble tea is delicious. I also like their meat and rice plates. I actually like them better than their pho.Friendly people though.
(4)virginia p.
I've been going to Minh Hai since the first ProJo review. The food is consistently fresh and wonderful. My adult children, both foodies, love this place. Try the fish dishes, the thin sliced beef appetizer with lemons and peanuts, the tofu...........I've never had a disappointing meal.....and yes, sometimes the family is present. The food is awesome!
(5)Robert R.
Minh Hai is a small nondescript restaurant on Park Ave that you could easily drive by without noticing. If you did drive by, you'd be missing out on some delicious Vietnamese food. The lemon and beef carpaccio salad (I don't remember what it's called) is the best thing to eat here. It's amazing. Also good are the stuffed squid, the pho (best broth in RI) and the beef salad. Small, family owned. Pleasant and friendly staff.
(5)