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After a concert when it's cold, this was one of the first places that had something warm....so I obviously wanted to stop! I originally wanted to order the Pho, but they only carry beef broth, which is a reason I took a star off. So I went with the vermicelli shrimp bowl and had them give me a side of peanut sauce to add some more taste to it. I also ordered the shrimp summer rolls and my friend and their kids ordered a steak pho, shrimp meal and a beef meal. They stated everything was great. The ordering process can be a bit confusing as you can order on a kiosk or there is someone at the register that you can also order from. Would be a dream for someone that doesn't prefer interaction. The bathrooms were REALLY nasty. Seemed as if they had not been cleaned in a while. There were also several tables that were empty but also dirty. I took the spray bottle since there wasn't an employee around to clean it myself. All in all the place is decent but they can do some tweaks to fix the location up.
I came with a friend for lunch on the weekend. The food was excellent but the restaurant was kind of chaotic. When we first got in it was a free for all. Every table was full but no staff was at the front of the restaurant. People were coming in and getting in line to order food without a place to sit. They would get to the front of the line and be told to go back and wait for a table. Other people would stake out tables and swoop in to grab them. There was a server talking to customers but she was running food, resulting in chaos. We found our own seats and ordered food. By the time we began eating, the server had restored order and organized a line outside for tables. Hopefully the chaos was just a one off! I could tell why the restaurant was so busy though! The food was truly incredible. I've had a lot of pho and this was top notch. The broth was delicious and complex, the noodles plentiful, and the beef was perfectly cooked. I highly recommend! But maybe consider take out.
I was really craving spicy broth, and decided for pho instead of ramen. I was in the area and looked up Vietnamese near me, and saw that 54 Restaurant was within 10 minute walking distance. When I arrived, the sign says find a seat and then place your order which seems counterintuitive. I found a seat, but then figured I could easily lose it if I went to place my order, and someone else came in, so I just went to the front to order. I ordered the chicken crispy spring rolls and beef brisket pho, then found my seat. The lady who took my order at the front desk wasn't the friendliest and didn't seem like she wanted to be there. She didn't let me know where to get water or even ask if I needed to order a drink. Once I sat down, my food came out quickly. The spring rolls were fresh, crispy and tasty, but the pho was delectable. There were generous portions of thinly sliced beef brisket, bean sprouts, and herbs. I really enjoyed the meal. I definitely will return soon.
54 is a decent spot for out of town tourists (me) to refuel in between museum hopping. It's a 10 minute walk from some of the more attractive Smithsonians (just enough to avoid the food truck superinflation zone) and checks the boxes for speed and convenience. Both the banh mi and pho are serviceable at least, and likely a step above for those hailing from a 'pho desert' without access to much Vietnamese food.
A vermicelli noodle bowl with grilled pork and spring roll is my typical order at Vietnamese places so it's what I ordered here as well. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either mostly because of the pork which was overcooked and not very flavorful. If I went again, I'd try it with the shrimp instead maybe.
One word...DELICIOUS! I've walked past this restaurant many times with the intention of going after work because I never thought I would be able to sit down and eat. With my office having its last day of funding during this awful government shutdown, I said let me just go in to see what they offer. When I walked in the restaurant was cozy and clean. I immediately saw take out orders and customers coming in to pick up orders and was intrigued. The customer service was impeccable and all my questions were answered. This restaurant only offers BEEF BROTH!!! Even if the veggie bowl. I love the fact that I could get pho to go! Everything was packaged separately. EVERYTHING was good! No misses! I will for sure be back.
Nice spot, very casual. You have to go up to the counter and order - like Panera - and the Pho was good, however I've had better broths. It lacked a little bit of more flavor and depth overall for my taste. The shrimp spring rolls didn't have anything other than noodle and shrimp. Usually it has some sort of carrots or pickled veggies in there, so that was a little underwhelming. The chicken fried spring rolls were yummy. Service was good.
We were starving after exploring DC so we decided to have dinner here before going back to our hotel. The restaurant was packed at 5:30pm. We had to hunt for table from other customers who finished their meal. We ordered at the cashier and were given numbers for our table. We managed to sit at the high table facing the window. - grilled pork bahn mi: bun was perfectly toasted (crunchy at the outside & soft). The grilled pork was delicious! The meat was tender and I could taste the smokiness from the grill. The pickled radish & carrot were crunchy and fresh. The portion was big (although I was starving, I couldn't finished it). - chicken pho: it was a good portion. The chicken meat was tender. The broth was savory and not too salty. The noodle was perfectly cooked and chewy. - spring roll: good and fresh. The peanut sauce was delicious.
54 restaurant is becoming one of my favorite work lunch spots. It opens at 11am, and gets really busy during the lunch rush so I recommend going right after they open or some minutes after if you want to beat the rush. However, their service is pretty fast so the wait may not be super long. They have a variety of pho options, Thai curry and noodles, and some really great milk tea boba options. The staff is always nice and welcoming. Looks if searing inside as well if you wanted to eat there, and can accommodate small and large (6+) parties. Definitely stop by!
An introverts dream, because this is TRUE casual dining. You go up to a counter and order and then take a seat, self serve water, no pleasantries need. Super fast service, a literal five minute wait. Great portion sizes, reasonable price, and great vegetable, meat, soup, and noodle ratio for the Pho Dax Biet. Will 100% come back. Loved it I am coming back tomorrow no joke.
I came here to grab a quick lunch in between conference meetings. It was very busy but the staff was very efficient in managing the crowd and I got my order in and out swiftly. It wasn't hard to find a vegan option on the menu and food was delicious. I would come back again with friends as the ambiance is definitely casual.
Flavor: 5/5 Price: 3.5/5 Environment: 3.5/5 This is a place where you order at the counter and they give you a number. They bring out the food to you along with the beansprouts, basil, and lime to mix into your soup. Definitely not cheap at about $16 a bowl of pho. But the broth tastes authentic and rich with a satisfying amount of meat.
Washington, DC (Penn Quarter) - "there's a line for everything," I heard a man quip while standing outside the single working bathroom as the men's room was out of order. It was busy on a Saturday at lunchtime and there was a wait for tables at this clearly popular spot. After staking the first free table you see (while impatiently hovering over diners getting ready to leave), you place your order at the counter, take a number, and your food will be brought to you when it's ready. The service is very fast, with many staff bustling about, but the atmosphere was rather chaotic. Unfortunately, the food didn't measure up to the anticipation. The pho was fine but nothing to write home about. The eye of round is tender and sliced admirably thin, but the broth is pretty meh and a bit sour. The banh mi bread was dry: crusty but in an over-toasted way not a crackling fresh way. The grilled pork rice plate with anemic strips of pork also underwhelmed. I suppose I had high expectations, having been spoiled by the excellent pho and banh mi I regularly eat in NY & NJ. It's serviceable Vietnamese if you're in the area, but not something I'd go out of the way for.
2 years ago
2 years ago
What I liked: The food is tasty with high quality ingredients at a great price. I got the pork banh mi and was very satisfied with the flavor of the marinaded meat, the freshness of the vegetables and herbs. The sandwich was very large and I had to wrap half of it to go (which I always love to have as a snack later). We also got the veggie spring rolls which we also good but perhaps a little more doughy than I would have preferred but still very flavorful. The Vietnamese iced coffee is not to be missed! The staff were helpful and attentive which was good, because I wasn't expecting to walk in and order by counter, then find a seat. Perhaps my misconception when I searched for a place for lunch and expected a sit down restaurant. No worries though, because a staff member caught my confused look when I walked in. There was ample seating and the food came out amazingly quickly. If I was looking for an above average spot for lunch and I worked in the District, this would be one of my go-to places. Areas for improvement: There's something about the place when you first walk in that leaves you confused about whether to seat yourself, look for a hostess, or walk the long way across the dining room to the counter. I don't know what the fix is but they need to look into it. I also was not so pleased that the restaurant offers sushi HOWEVER not on Sundays and it's not noted on the menu. I respect it if it's due to the ability to get fresh market fish on Sundays, but it needs to be noted somewhere. Lastly, I was expecting my food to be served on a plate when dining in. We received our banh mi's wrapped as if ready to carry out. Not sure why I was asked if I was dining in then. Overall, I had a good experience here. The food was good, lots of choices, but there's room for improvement. read more
Excellent pho that comes out pooping hot and on record time. It's a beef broth base, and super tasty. I also got a boba taro smoothie that was fantastic. Order at the counter and your dinner appears practically before you sit down. Despite being in the city there's a definite family feel that makes it all that much more comforting comfort food. read more
Fast casual pho is the best way to describe 54. We were immediately greeted with "do we have reservations? " thankfully, reservations were not required as the food was amazing. Great for vegetarians and non vegetarians 54 had something for everybody. The vermicelli fried tofu bowl was fantastic, the pho Tai Nam was plentiful and the fried tofu was well... fried tofu. Perfectly bland. Couldn't ask for anything more from a fast casual pho restaurant. read more
Perfect, easy, comforting lunch for anyone in the area. Was walking around downtown in touristy way and this was a lifesaver for fueling up before heading to the National Mall. You walk in and the staff will probably hand you a menu and seat you somewhere, but you have to order at the counter. They were nice and very quick with delivering everything. It was a very calm environment (though started to get a little busier around peak lunch time). The Thai iced tea was top notch, really really delicious and probably the standout of the meal for me. The rolls were also great (delicious peanut sauce) and the pho was flavorful; I had the beef combo and if I have one criticism it's that the meatballs were the least good of the assorted beefs included. But overall a pretty good experience, and affordable when compared to probably many other spots you'll find walking around this area. read more
2 years ago
Came here for lunch and I was disappointed that they didn't have any other broth besides beef for their pho, even for their chicken and vegetarian pho. As someone who doesn't eat beef this was really disappointing. I got the lemongrass chicken vermicelli bowl instead and it was alright. The chicken was kinda of dry and I couldn't taste much of the lemongrass flavor. read more
3 years ago
Came here for dinner recently. It's a really open space, with tons of seating, and operates a bit like a cafeteria; you order at the front, grab your ticket, then they bring the food to you. I got the special beef pho, and overall it was good! Deep rich broth flavor, but a bit too sweet for my taste. The beef was good too, but not the most tender I've ever had. The beef meatballs in particular were too chewy. It comes with a huge pile of bean sprouts and jalapenos, which is awesome. Overall, still a great bowl of pho on a cold day, but nothing too special! read more
What a great find just blocks from the White House. Their Vietnamese dishes are well made, very tasty, with large portion sizes and very very fresh ingredients. For our first meal at this establishment we had the stir fry egg noodle entree, lemon Grass chicken Banh Mi Sandwich and the Banh Mi Grilled Pork sandwiches. All these entrees were very well made and Oh so tasty and large in size. The thing that stood out most was the pocket friendly prices of the food at this establishment versus their competition which is so impressive when you consider its location relative to the white house. This is truly a business not to be missed especially if you are budget conscious retiree like me where you will be hard pressed to find food this good at these prices in central DC. Five Stars plus plus! read more
1 year ago
Decent Asian food in the DC area. We wanted to grab a quick bite and wanted Vietnamese food. Found 54 restaurant on yelp and was pleasantly surprised by their food. Ordered pho, banh mi and egg rolls. Really liked the pho - soup had a strong flavor / not watered down. Price was steep ~$17 but definitely good quality pho. Egg roll was OK - your average egg roll, nothing too special about it but not bad either. We ordered a pork banh mi and the portion was pretty generous for $12. We enjoyed it though could've used more greens & sauce. read more
2 years ago
nice place to have lunch when take city walk in DC. Order at the counter and they'll serve you to the table. Yes, you need to tip. Help yourself for the Complimentary water and post meal candy. Candy is delicious which is 中国话梅糖about $35 for two nowadays was not bad! Recommended read more
8 months ago
2 years ago
I came here because of the reviews and Vietnamese food is one of my comfort foods. I was surprised by the huge portion, but I guess that's normal in America I couldn't finish the entire bowl, but the flavor was amazing And don't forget to order the spring rolls! Crunchy and delicious! read more
1 year ago
3 years ago
Came here looking for something warm and filling to escape the cold. I ended up ordering the Special Beef Combination and was surprised at how much pho you're given. It is a big bowl and was basically perfect for what I was looking for. The broth is flavorful and you're given a large helping of meat. The proportion of meat to noodles was also on point, very satisfying by the end. Be sure to add those bean sprouts. This place feels like a lowkey spot conveniently located near the national mall. If you're in the area or just want something good to fill you up after touring all the different sites, this is definitely the spot. The service is quick and with plenty of seating. The place is actually larger than it looks. It does start to get a little busy, especially around dinner when I went. If you're a solo diner, there's also counter seating by the windows. read more
1 year ago
Great spot for the tourists visiting DC! Such good Vietnamese food! I got the pork vermicelli noodles and green thai iced tea. I loved it! read more
1 year ago
2 years ago
Pho was awesome and kids loved it! They have a large selection of items on the menu. The fresh rolls were also spot on. We'll have to try bahn mi next time. read more
2 years ago
Convenient spot close to everything. Came for a lemongrass Banh Mi sandwich and asked for the cilantro on the side. The bread was soft on the inside and crispy on the outside. The chicken was seasoned nicely and the sandwich was a good size. I would like more of the pickled vegetables, especially the cucumber. The Thai iced tea was sumptuous. Not too sweet, just right. read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
Excellent food! Restaurant was full at 2pm and service was great! There were 4 of us and we all ordered different dishes and all were delicious. Great stop if you are in DC! read more
I'm so glad this restaurant is in the neighborhood! There is a serious lack of good non-western restaurants in this area. I ordered takeout from here a couple of weeks ago, which was excellent, and finally was able to eat in for lunch recently. I ordered their pho with eye round, flank steak, and fatty brisket. It was fantastic! The broth was complex, sweet, and piping hot. I almost didn't want to add any condiments, but I couldn't help but squeeze the lime and drop some Thai basil leaves that came with dish into the bowl. The beef was super tender and flavorful. The portion was generous and ambiance was nice. I ordered and received my food with a couple of minutes. This restaurant is an amazing value for the quality of food a d service. Don't hesitate from stopping by! read more
10 months ago
11 months ago
Close by the White house & Smithsonian museum, it was walking distance! You pay first and sit down, and then they deliver it to your table! There's a lot of soup in the pho so I recommend getting extra noodles if you have a large appetite. The pho with extra noodles can feed 2 people with normal appetites. The service was quick and the staff was very nice! The tables by the wall were slightly bunched up, but I highly recommend! read more
2 years ago
It has a real taste of traditional Vietnamese food, the pho broth very tasty of the beef and clear looking. My husband have Vietnamese sandwich know @ bánh mì also delicious , creepy chicken egg rolls is standard good read more
The restaurant is awesome. The food is fabulous. You walk in find a seat order your food at the counter and pay. The staff deliver your food in minutes. Hot delicious meals. Fresh ingredients we are in town for the week and have been there 3 times. Definitely a good choice. read more
2 years ago
1 year ago
2 years ago
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1201 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20006
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(202) 843-3189
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http://www.54restaurantdc.net
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54 Restaurant - vietnamese - Updated October 2026
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