pho ba

hey, its sketch, but it has the best pho!   flavorful broth, where you can see the goodness in the richness of the broth.   you can taste the roast bones, the anise....it's really good. 

the place is sort of run down and you'll have to overlook a sticky table or two.   the menu's are under the glass on the table and it's graduated past the point where you just asked for a large or a small.   

homestyle at it's best.   it's goodness.

best pho in the city. easily the best pho in the city, though i agree with the previous reviewer, alas no free cream puffs. they do the free tea thing though.

atmosphere is a bit wacky (at least 4 lenghths of pipe running external along the ceiling - wrapped in fake green vines and phallic fake vegetables) but the service is friendly and fast. they also sign off with "see you tomorrow!" - not matter what day it is.

cash only.

tried this place for the first time tonight. heard such good things, but i have to say i was not impressed. broth was over salted and the condiments (basil, bean sprouts) were limp and not fresh at all. everyone raves about this place having the best pho in seattle, but in my opinion you have to go down into the rainier valley (still seattle, mind you) to get the best pho in the city (thanh thao).

amazing. i blame my days in seattle, dining here, for ruining most pho anywhere else for me. granted, have not been to vietnam (yet) but to die for are the little caramelized onions sprinkled on the pho ga (chicken pho). i always make it a point to swing by whenever i come by seattle, for a little pilgrimage to this joint...

i hadn't been back to pho bac in maybe years now (really?!), but was pleased to see the same staff and familiar menu items that i remember from our frequent visits when i worked closer by.

better than than bros, no free cream puffs. cheap and giant bowls of salty broth is what pho places should be known for right? the veggie broth is definitely better than than brothers but nothing special. better pho, no free cream puffs is a decent trade-off.

the seattle pho-natics! our club arrived at pho bac in the early evening. we had called ahead around 4 hours prior to our arrival and told them we would be coming in around 5:30pm for a group of a minimum of 16 and they said there wouldnt be a problem seating us. well when we go there we were told that nobody called and they werent expecting such a large group. so needless to say we had to put tables together and kind of "make do" with what we could. so that was a disappointment. the restaurant is clean, bathrooms are clean, but part of the ceiling had nails sticking out from it! rather odd.
service: as mentioned above, they said that "nobody called" when the reality of it, i did, personally, but being we had 16-18 people there, they were quite prompt at serving us. the staff were very friendly as well.
price: the price was the same as most pho restaurants. there were 2 sizes: small for $6.00 and large for $7.00 no medium size and cash only!
broth: the pho was actually very good! we all enjoyed it. however many of us later were chugging down water, so the broth must have been a little on the salty side. but that didnt stop most of us from finishing our pho. very tasty to the palate!
selection: from what i saw on the menu, they dont offer alcohol. but they have a variety of other drinks. they also have more than just pho. some of the pho-natics chose something other than pho off the menu and really enjoyed it! so there are other items to choose from. they do have a vegetarian pho for those of you that dont eat meat products. the also do have a list of appetizers, for the pre-pho nibbling!
location: in the international district. parking is difficult and only street parking is available, so make sure you get there early if meeting people there.
score: if we had to score pho bac on a scale of 1-10, i believe that we all as an average will give it a 8/10 for these reasons: 1. the parking can be challenging being all street parking 2. called ahead to notify them of our group and when we arrived they told us "nobody called". otherwise for price and the taste of great pho, pho bac is a great choice! thank you pho bac!!!! make sure you view our pictures as well from our club meeting here at pho bac on yelp!
sean hoops, president, the seattle pho-natics!

seattle's best pho!. pho bac is hands down the most flavorful, full-bodied, brothy deliciousness of seattle's pho offerings...add to that that they have on their menu a shrimp pho bowl and voila! life is good--even on a gray day in seattle! :) simply the best i've found there...and to date, anywhere else! if you're up for the meatball, flank and other versions offered [along with a phenomenal vietnamese crepe], then by all means...do! :)

to conclude pho week, we'll be visiting pho bac. this is my favorite place for pho in seattle, and i'm not the only one . another thing that is really cool is that tom douglas likes the pho here . always nice when one of the best food dudes in seattle lik

this place is legendary. all pho places pale in comparison to the greatness that is pho bac. i've had the privilege of eating here dozens of times since working in pioneer square. the store front is small, opening into a large, quaint place that is nearly

spoiled me for all other pho. something about the broth is so addictive, if i don't get it once a week i start *craving* it. also they bring me 4 limes every time, without my needing to ask.

even tom douglas likes it. booyah:
http://splendidtable.publicradio.org/whereweeat/travel_seattle.html

td doesn't lie and he knows his food, fool.

best pho in the city. so good. and the people who run it are soo nice!