The best pho in Des Moines area and although prices have gone up a lot in the last 6 years, it is still consistently the best pho in the area. read more

Located in the Fresh Market grocery store PHO 515 is a good place for Pho. I ordered the pot stickers which were very good. My smaller portion pho was excellent and filling. While the venue is a little unconventional but not unheard of. If you go take some time and stroll through the store. You'll see interesting items that are eye poppingly different than what you'll see in ordinary grocery stores. Open your eyes and see a different culture. read more

Have been going since they first opened. Really miss their papaya salad but that was way way back. We get their spring rolls with spring, shrimp & pork, beef, chicken or avocado & tofu. Their dipping sauce is my personal favorite for spring rolls in Des Moines. Pho tai, Pho ga, won ton soup, Vietnamese wonton soup, chicken and rice soup, fried egg rolls, fried shrimp, iced coffee, boba tea and limeade are all in our rotation for ordering. read more

Sooooo good .huge portions. Nice staff. Great place. A true gem hidden in an Asian market.

Ok, I know it is weird that this place is inside of a grocery store, but once you get over that the food is pretty good. They have a nice selection of traditional Vietnamese dishes and is one of the few places in town that serve Banh Xeo. They are the 2016 and 2017 Pho King award winners, so if you have never been here you need to try the Pho. I was in the mood for something light, so I ordered the combination Vermicelli salad. It had a lot of meat and vegitables just the way I like it, but it could have been a little spicier. Overall, you need to get over that it is in a grocery store and try this place, you won't regret it. read more

See all

Came here on a Tuesday night with some friends, I was very put off by the amount of trash on the floor & the lack of lighting I've gotten the spring rolls & Vietnamese sandwich to go before but this was the first time I've sat down with friends. Originally my friends ordered the firecracker shrimp rolls & was informed that there were none left so they ordered the crab rangoons instead. Then when the order for the rolls came, we were very confused because it looked like it was 2 shrimp egg rolls & 2 regular egg rolls. When we flagged down the waiter as to what happened to them running out of this item & that we were expecting crab rangoons, turns out they didn't even start on the crab rangoons.... so that was very confusing Then moving on to the pho portion, mines overall just tasted weird, the beans sprouts were very fresh like they had never been cleaned and my broth overall was not warm enough to cook the bean sprouts :( I still like the spring rolls tho, I'd recommend that read more

Let the photos speak for itself. I come here at least 3x a month for the past 3 years. Quite a regular here. Of all the things I have tried here, I will list my favorites. Appetizers 1. Crab rangoon - highly recommended. Lots of filling. An order comes with 4 pieces. The crab rangoons tastes crabby and it is good by itself or good with the accompanying sauce too. The sauce is thai sweet chili sauce. 2. Fried chicken wings - the wings are not breaded and very flavorful. It is accompanied by fish sauce mixed with swet thai chili and chili oil (i think that is what it is made of). Very good. Comes in 5-6 pieces in an order. 3. Firecracker shrimp - can i forget this awesomeness?! Of course not. An order comes with 4 pieces of shrimp rolled in wonton roll and cream cheese that you dip in sriracha mayo. Really really good Main courses 1. Pho - of course! This place serves the best pho. I usually get P2, rare steak with pho. Lots of meat and broth is great. You can taste the meat without biting a steak. Whether you add the thai basil, bean sprouts, and even lime is up to you. I think even without all these additives, the dish is still great. I suggest trying the broth by itself before adding these to suit how you want to eat your pho. Another tip, use the dish they give you for the bean sprouts and instead as a dipping container for your meat. I usually mix the sriracha, chili oil, and hoisin together and dip my steak as i sip my pho. That way I don't destroy the flavor of how pho should be. Edit: They also have a vegetarian version that did not use beef broth or other types of meat! 2. B2, vermicelli grilled pork and spring rolls - you add the fish sauce mixture thingy they give you and mix it all up. Highly recommended. Very meaty and huge. 3. Bird's nest combination - hong kong style pan fried noodles topped with combination of meats like shrimp and beef accompanied by a bed of vegetables. This is kind of a secret menu as it is not found in that folded menu. You just ask for "the other 1 page menu" or ask for the dish itself if you can't find it. Heads up, this is not a fast food place although I think they have fast service. I read a comment on this place that it took 1 minute for the reviewer to get his water. This is a sit down place inside C fresh market. They accept credit cards and cash. The main courses are $10 or less per dish. Highly highly recommended place! One of my favorite places to eat in Des Moines. read more

See all

Ames doesn't have a single Vietnamese restaurant - don't go to Le's, it isn't Vietnamese and sucked even before it was bought by a Chinese person - and I'd gone nearly four years without Vietnamese food. So knowing I'd be in the Des Moines area I had to scope out the Vietnamese scene. Everyone talks about A Dong, but I wondered where Asians went to get pho. Seeing as how Pho 515 won pho competitions, I had to go taste it for myself. This place is the truth! I had the tofu pho, tofu bahn mi, and tofu spring rolls, and had leftover pho to take home. My wife had duck pho and shrimp spring rolls and had leftover pho to take home. We had the regular sized pho and couldn't eat it at all, I can't imagine taking on the large! Great customer service, wonderful food, ahhhh I wish they were in Ames! We definitely plan to visit again. read more

See all

Come here for your pho and taro smoothie fix! Food: passing through Des Moines, had a hanking for pho on this cold night- and pho 515 definitely delivered! -Pho: fiancé ordered the large P1 combo pho, which fully satisfied him. I ordered the you pick combo with rare round eye + brisket + well done flank. Loved the broth, round eye, and brisket. Would skip the flank. Super fresh basil, bean sprouts, and peppers (helps that they're inside the super market probably ;-) ). Noodles were just right. -Spring roll w peanut sauce: average. Would try something else on the menu next time. -Taro milk tea smoothie with boba: expected milk tea and was pleasantly surprised with milk tea smoothie. A little overly sweet but great taro taste! Bubbles a little hard. -Fortune Roll: the Thai fortune rolls have a scrumptious buttery sesame taste :) a unique different take on the fortune cookie Space: inside the supermarket and to the left. Restrooms right by the restaurant area. Service: one poor server for the whole restaurant dashing around during dinner hour, so took a little while to get our order in but the food came out fast! Server was super sweet and kind, very professional. Price: most bang for your buck! We paid $29 tip included for everything above. Parking: huge lot outside the supermarket. Note: the restaurant is inside the market and will not have a sign outside denoting it. Look for C Fresh International Food Market! read more

See all

DON'T ORDER TAKE OUT. I recently had a large take out order, and they gave me really skimpy portions. I was DISAPPOINTED and will probably not come back. I understand weekends must be busy, but it doesn't mean to go orders are a lower priority than the rest. read more

See all

This is the best Pho in all of Des Moines, hands down. Kinda hard to find at first, but it's in the Vietnamese store to the far left. Highly recommend the beef pho and the seafood pho. So good!! And the employees are so nice always coming to check in you. Also, try the spring rolls. You will not regret it. read more

Pho 515 - Seafood Pho and Beef Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Great late lunch here, left corner of an Asian super market. Lots of options for food. We got a regular size bowl $6.95 and large size bowl of pho P1 $8.50, which is a combo with all kinds of meat. Pho is delicious! Portion is big for the price (compared to where I'm from in CT). And a beef pad thai $7.50 which did not meet expectations, not too much noodles and noodles were hard. Overall good food! Clean and bright space. Easy parking in the lot. And cute thai rolled cookies when paying the bill. read more

Found this place on Yelp and decided to give it a try. We came here for lunch and found a short line of people, almost left but waited about 10 min for a table. Extremely glad we waited as I have found my new go to Pho spot. Chicken Pho was amazingly tasty, the broth was so flavorful. She had Vietnamese wonton soup, I personally like mine better but she enjoyed it and the wonton soup did have a lot of shrimp and pork in it. Spring rolls were a great appetizer. I can't wait to come back here and try more of the menu. read more

See all

TLDR: My place to go for Vietnamese food in Des Moines. Hole in the wall prices. Grocery store next door for shopping. Love this place. Don't expect high end service or decor but expect great Vietnamese food. I get the pho or wonton noodles whenever I come and it's great. read more

Loved the Wonton Soup and eggrolls. Reasonably priced, quality ingredients, hardworking service, seemed understaffed, but you couldn't tell. read more

In the cafeteria of the prior grocery store, Now a C-fresh market. Had the pho combination minus the tripe. 2nd chance would be minus the tendon as CPU's only add flavor (unknown) as inedible (gummy anything would take less chewing). Great pho tho am not a conic oeuvre. Beef, tofu, personal addition of some lime, Thai basil, and bean sprouts. Large is enough to take some home. Spring rolls in rice paper included meat, carrot, green leaf, great sauce included. Service decent though a server and a food delivery. Small space busy shoes its popular amongst those who probably know pho better than me. read more

Pho 515 - Combo pho large - Vietnamese Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Went to C Fresh Market with co-workers to buy some items for our work's upcoming International Food Fair and we decided to have lunch at Pho 515. The restaurant is located inside the market near the back left hand corner. There are plenty of seats available and the service was very prompt. For this place being inside a market, the menu is quite extensive. They have sort of an open kitchen, and everything looks clean too. You'll find the usual items that you would normally find at Vietnamese restaurants. So you will see all types of Pho dishes, banh mi sandwiches, spring rolls, vermicelli dishes, and other noodle dishes. I ordered the large bowl of pho with beef and meatballs, which cost $9 including tax. The regular sized bowl cost $6.95 w/out tax. It came with the usual bean sprouts, mint, and basil. When the pho came out it looked very...hmm what's the word I'm looking for..."fresh" :) The broth tasted like it was cooked for today and there was plenty of beef, meatballs, and noodles. The pho was not bland at all, which has happened at other restaurants. Overall, I was very satisfied with Pho 515 and will definitely go back and try their other dishes. Plus they have roasted duck and pork that looked very appetizing! Also, once you're full from eating, you can walk around the market and burn some calories and buy more food :) It's a win win situation! read more

See all

We'd heard about this little pho shop inside C Fresh from friends and decided to give it a shot. P2 + PC8 with extra tofu/veggies = $16.30+tip. The pho was very good, but very sweet - that might be the only thing I would change. The veggies are fresh, as well as the herbs. The traditional hot plate has roasted garlic chili oil & that is our favorite. The setup of the restaurant is cozy, I really love the feel and the separation from the market. It's first-timer friendly too, we walked in and felt welcomed and inviting. Staff was incredibly attentive, filling waters and checking on us often. We will definitely be back, the atmosphere was upbeat and lively. read more

Pho 515 - PC8: Beef meatball, medium-rare beef with extra tofu & veggies. - Vietnamese Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

great authentic food. A friend told us about the authentic food and told us to give it a try. We are very pleased! This isn't a dress-up and visit place. But excellent for a relaxing evening. Also, pretty nice view of downtown through the picture windows. read more

I've had many carry-out and DoorDash orders from this place and as often as I go to C-Fresh to shop, I've never dined at Pho 515 until recently. The place is inside C-Fresh Market onto the left side. Nothing fancy at all but that's what makes these kind of restaurants all about the food. I will say that Pho 515 is my favorite pho here in the metro area. They also very much prove that by being the Pho-King winners multiple times. Everyone that knows me knows I love pho and it would also be my last meal request. Don't know if it would be my mom's or this one... (don't tell my mom please) Anyway I can go on forever about my love of pho but let's talk about this place... The servers are really friendly and I didn't have to wait for a table or get water. I think those who are familiar with Asian restaurants knows refills on water can be hard to come by and I will say I got a refill close to my cup being empty so it's a win on that. Like I said, this has become my new favorite place for pho, next time I suffer from a bad hangover this is where I'll be going. read more

Everything we've gotten here has been delicious. Wait times can vary a lot, especially at typical meal times, so recommend calling ahead.

Pulled in thinking it would be a separate establishment from the International Market; however, it was actually inside of it! Super random, but pretty neat. It's definitely a "dive" or "hole in the wall", little seating but worth a wait. Quick turn around. We had the Pho and Pad Thai - OMG! One of the best I've had. The broth was amazing, the Pad Thai had 3 different option of how spicy you wanted it - "level" 2 wasn't bad at all! Great service. Good prices! This is a must stop whether you live there, or just passing through. We will be back! read more

I stumbled upon Pho 515 thanks to a work lunch organized by a co-worker and am so glad I did! The restaurant is an unassuming place tucked in the corner of the C Fresh Market on University, but don't let that description fool you; it is a dedicated restaurant with plenty of seating. There is also a convenient pickup / order counter you can visit without entering the restaurant. The service was great from the moment we walked in -- friendly, quick seating, and water delivered right away. I started with the spring rolls -- shrimp, pork, lettuce, bean sprouts, mint, cilantro, and vermicelli noodle -- served with a delightful peanut dipping sauce. Let me warn you, you will need a "to go" box for the entrees as they are HUGE portions. I went with the Grilled Pork and Eggroll Vermicelli -- with fresh lettuce, cucumbers, Vietnamese pickled daikon, carrots, and crushed peanuts to garnish. The grilled pork was not what I expected; in a good way -- more akin to a deeply browned bacon, it had plenty of punch and a salty kick. Against my better judgment, I ate the entire portion -- should have saved some for dinner. I will definitely return here for future lunches, and now have a spot to order takeout dinner on the way home from work. Stellar! read more

Grilled pork chops here aren't seasoned like standard Vietnamese restaurants. It had a strong curry flavor and was just not very good. The vermicelli noodles were also thicker than the typical vermicelli noodles used for the dish I ordered. They messed up our order and gave us the wrong entree. We asked for our egg to be well done, but they still gave it to us raw in the inside. The guy taking our order didn't write the numbers down, so that could be why he remembered incorrectly. But maybe he should start writing it down anyway (they write it down at the counter already, so why not just write it as he's taking our order?) When we dined in, there were spider webs all over the napkin holders, etc. :( read more

Pho 515 - Wrong order. Ordered the one without shrimp. - Vietnamese Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

See all

Always delicious authentic vietnamese food. I recommend the pad thai combination. Most of the tables order a soup - the bowls are large read more

Pho 515 - Vietnamese egg rolls - Vietnamese Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

It was a gloomy day, and I was craving some pho. I had heard of this place but had never been even though it's right by my house. It was full because it was a Sunday afternoon, but they still got us right in and put our orders in right away. I ordered the beef pho and my BF ordered the chicken Pad Thai with a level 4 for heat. The pho came out smoking hot, still cooking the thin strips of beef. It was accompanied by a plate of veggies and herbs and sliced jalapenos and limes. It was one of the most flavorful broths I have ever had. I could taste the different herbs that they used to make it, like culantro, basil, and cilantro. Even before I used the lime there was a touch of citrus as well. My BF liked his Pad Thai but the level 4 was a little too spicy and he was only able to get through half of it. I tried a few bites and it was hot but it also had flavor so it was too bad that it was so spicy. People continued coming in and being seated, but even though it was super busy the servers were friendly and helpful throughout the entire meal. We will definitely be back. read more

Pho 515 - Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

See all

Always good they have a nice mix and they boil their own bones and have their own spices. I always get the brisket and flank steak slices... They also have good appetizers and other traditional Vietnamese Noodle and rice dishes. You need to come for an early lunch by 11:15 or a late lunch after 1:15. read more

*disclaimer-my family owns restaurants from coast to coast, including some in this area and around the state. This is a very traditional Vietnamese noodle dish, often referred to as Vietnamese gumbo. If you don't like seafood, I would steer clear of this dish; it has pork, seafood and eggplant. Spicy (just a bit) all on its own, I add jalapeños and a ton of chili oil in addition too. Pho 515 KNOCKS this dish out of the park. It's base is a lot of seafood pastes, so I reiterate...if you don't like seafood this isn't your dish! I've suggested this to a number of people and they love it. Highly recommended!!! And on such a cold day, hits the spot. The Vietnamese iced coffeenot on my Keto plan but YUM! It'll be worth the extra workout to burn off. My ONLY complaint about this place has always been the bathrooms. I realize that the bathrooms are shared between the restaurant and the grocery store, but when I leave a bathroom feeling more dirty than when I walked in, it's a very unsettling feeling. I always wash my hands before eating anywhere, but here I always remember to take hand sanitizer because I never feel clean leaving the restrooms. -- eating bún mm at Pho 515. read more

If I can want pho, this is my favorite place to go. Service is always good and their broth is some of the best in the city. I wish I could review other food items other then pho but I have only tried vegan spring rolls with avocado and fried tofu (amazing). But back to the pho...their broth is literally untouched by any other place in the city. I wish I was joking but there is only one other place that comes close but its further away. You don't have to take my word for it.... go to their restaurant and you can see their Pho Cook Off trophies that they have won 2 years a in row. If you love pho or want to try it for the first time I highly recommend coming here. read more

Yes. Just do it. You know it. I know it. Just eat here. Duck soup will change your life. Combination pho will kill you with flavor. The iced coffee will bring you back to life. Fried chicken wings? Shut up. Firecracker shrimp? How dare you? Shaken beef? Who do you think you are? After being ravaged by an older, more sophisticated restaurant that really knows its way around, cool your junk with some avocado boba. Afterwards, take a walk through the isles and think about what you did. Dirty bitch. read more

There is a reason they won best Pho 2 years in a row at the Pho King Cookoff. This place is legit. Tucked away in a International Supermarket Store, it doesn't need any flashy signs. The food does all the talking for them. I am assuming they get all their ingredients from the market so it is guaranteed fresh I started off with the Spring Rolls and Crab Rangoons. The spring rolls felt fresh and I liked dipping sauce. The Crab Rangoons really wowed me. I normally don't expect much but these were a surprise. I think it had real pieces of crab inside, I never got a chance to ask but it tasted amazing. I got the large combination pho which was decently priced. Generous amount of meat and veggies to go along with it. The broth was a tad too sweet for liking. I like my broth more savory but this debate always depends on the persons preference. Overall it was amazing. I will be back pho sure :) read more

I almost hate writing this review because it was my first true Pho experience, but it was AMAZING. Just like everyone one else says in their review, it is not an easy place to find. Located in a small grocery store that is an experience by itself, if you didn't know that it was there you would miss it. The Combination Pho was like nothing I have ever had before. The broth was rich and flavorful, noodles were perfect and all of the ingredients were spot on. My wife and I are already planning our next visit and the next one after that and the one after that one. See you soon Pho 515! read more

Tried this place during the Pho King Cook-Off this year and their pho is INCREDIBLE! There's a reason why they won! We went back to their restaurant and the pho still didn't disappoint. It doesn't matter the location; the food is amazing and you should try it! We got the beef mix and the seafood and they were both tasty! I recommend this place to anyone! read more

I would give it a - 5 if I could. Three wait people and only 6 tables but we waited 10 minutes in line. And then we had to wait 30 minutes plus for food. In that time only one table was served. It takes 1 minute to bring out a coke! Next table had to wait 5 minutes before they got water. They seem to be more patient than our family. They must have one really really slow cook. I asked them twice on our food and got the same response and result. Never again - pho 559 if you are reading this - we are the family that left your restaurant. Terrible service. Two tables next to us not even bussed and clean. What the heck are the three wait people doing???!!! We left for mCdees next door - my kids were starving and you wasted our time! This is not a real restaurant! read more

The food is good, but this place is 100% dirty. Had I not already paid for my food, I would have left. I watched a guy spit in a sink as he walked over to it, then proceeded to wring out a cleaning rag from the same water. Literally wanted to vomit. read more

Great restaurant that is in the local international grocery, with access to fresh fish that they will fry up head and all...I came for pho of course and they delivered a great one with chicken and fried tofu...even to go it was all there with all the goodies; bean sprouts, basil, cilantro, peppers, hot chili sauce. It all came together with rice noodles...I also walked about 10 feet from the counter and boom they had Peking duck, Asian Pork, Roast Pork belly, oh yeah it all went in there for one awesome takeout dinner. Mango and a Green tea bubble tea smoothie to give your tastebuds a sweet cool down. Next time we'll dine in setting at a nice little dining room with lots of orchids and colorful decor. This place won best Pho in Des Moines Pho challenge in 2016 and Took "Jurors Favorite" this year as seen with trophy's. read more

See all

Wow!!! This food is SO good!! I ordered Spring rolls. They are big and they don't skimp!!!! Fresh fresh fresh!!!! I also ordered Pho with beef and meatballs. It was amazing!!!! Flavor is just perfect!! It was hot (temperature wise). I got it all to go. There isn't a sign that says Pho 515, it's inside an international market. Which, I wish I had had more time to browse in! You can also eat in. It's just tucked away! This is a MUsT if you love Vietnamese food!!! Great service!!!!! read more

Their pho is delicious. If it's busy you may be waiting a little longer than expected. If it's not busy, food comes out quickly. They could be more friendlier with their customers. read more

I've almost tried every pho place around Des Moines and this is the best one yet. I used to love homemade pho until I started coming to Cfresh's Pho 515. The soup doesn't even need to be seasoned. They always check on you and the food is timed perfectly. I love it here. read more

i have ordered multiple times with different workers but sometimes when i go in there with certain workers i get treated horribly because of the color of my skin. read more