I honestly don't understand why the reviews are so low here. I am a pho enthusiast; I've tried a lot of pho restaurants across the east coast, and this has to be one of the top 3 spots in my list. Everything tasted fresh and homemade. The pho broth wasn't oily at all and it was spicy and heartwarming. I got the noodle salad with shrimp egg rolls, and I love that they gave generous amount of vegetables. Shrimp rolls were also crispy and went well with the sauce. The server was super super nice and sweet and honestly he made the vibes of the place even better. The place also seemed to be renovated recently and I loved the calm and chill music they were playing. Can't wait to be back to try their seafood pho!! read more

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Fast and friendly service at this restaurant. It's a smaller restaurant, around a dozen or so tables. Classic Vietnamese menu, great pho and bun, and appetizers as well. The pho was good and spring rolls were as well. Great spot for lunch. read more

Pho 79 - #5 Pho Tai Gau Lean beef and fatty brisket - Vietnamese Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

Well, well, well...this spot lives up to the HYPE! An often recommended Pho spot was the destination for our Friday night date night and it delivered the goods on this frigid winter evening! Plenty of parking was available during our visit in the parking lot outside. Beware that this spot closes kinda early (7pm) so plan accordingly. The space itself is quaint, with an elevated "hole in the wall" feel. Everything was clean and organized during our visit. The staff was welcoming, helpful, and efficient as well. The food really shines at this spot! We started off with the fresh rolls and cream cheese wontons. You could tell they were both made fresh, and I particularly enjoyed the umami dipping sauce of the fresh rolls. The Beef Pho broth was phenomenal, served up with a sizeable amount of noodles and protein of your choice. This has to be some of the best broth I've had in the Cities. The perfect winter staple and will absolutely be added to our frequent rotation when in the mood for Vietnamese! read more

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Service: good Ambiance: pretty nice Food: disappointing Had the pho and spicy pho there, and they were disappointing. We also ordered a com bi suon trung, with grilled chicken instead of pork, to-go. The pho broth tasted watered down and bland and the beef had a refrigeration taste. My mom did not like the taste of the spicy pho at all. The com bi suon trung was ok. The chicken was a kind of dry. Overall, I wouldn't come back or recommend pho 79. read more

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Great pho and noodle salad. Nice portions. Reasonable prices. Definitely will be back again

This restaurant is located on the corner of Raymond and Energy Park Drive/Kasota. The restaurant is quaint and feels cozy. The food was absolutely delicious. Great menu choices. The portions are plentiful. Worth finding this place. Also takeout is offered. read more

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Pho 79 (been in business for over +17 years) Such a weird location. Located in an industrial area. Near the train. Good broth. Hot. Really no issues. You can smell the broth when you enter the building. That's a good sign because you know the pho broth has been cooking over 24hrs. Looks like it is owned by Vietnamese people. Not Hmong. Nice decor. Even the bathroom is solid. No Asian but American only. What do you expect at such a different location. I had the Pho Special which is item 0. It's actually a larger bowl than the rest. The others seem smaller. Broth was on point and meatballs and meat was perfect. Meat was soft so the meat was not frozen. Fresh cut. The egg rolls were good. Nothing bad. I was not expecting much because I came to this place from hearing online about them. The pho is actually good. I will be back next time. See if this place can be consistent. Pho 99, 126, and this place are pretty close to being best in town. The broth is clean and not oily. ***FYI, I'm a crazy pho eater that has to have pho from all over. I travel far and in between the states. Eating from LA, Vegas, MN, WI, MI, IL, NC, OH, Manhattan, NY, FL, KS, MS, D.C. Canada, etc. I've had the best pho (rated by the expert locals) in LA, Hollywood, Chicago, GA, and FL. I make reviews after tasting their pho. I know what pho is good and what is fake!*** Do not miss this GEM! My Star System: 1=Dumpster fire. Don't waste your money 2=Disappointed. Lot of issues 3=Average, 1-2 issues. 4=Above average, I might come again 1-3 times per year 5=Highest. I will come back a few times a month or more. If I live far, it's at the top of my list to visit when I'm in town. Highly recommended read more

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Went on a Saturday. Service was great. Host and waiter was pleasant and helpful. Ambiance was very nice. Modern decor. Egg rolls, spring rolls, pork bank mi were all good. Would come back just for the spring rolls. Special pho was very good. Not too sweet like some places tend to do. Highly recommend. I have to drive 45 minutes to get here, and would do it again. read more

Upon entering, I was seated immediately and given the menu. Water is provided along with a smile. Ambiance is peaceful with up to date music that isn't too loud. Very subtle setting. Pho broth is good and if it is I usually only add the basil. Spring rolls could be better. Alittle on the bland side for me. The peanut sauce is good as I added a hint of sriracha. There are only two bathrooms. Overall, very nice and healthy tasting food!! If you're wondering what the food taste... I recommend trying this place out!! read more

Pho 79 - Decor - Vietnamese Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

A local work fav for lunch or a luncheon meeting.... Excellent spring rolls, delightfully delicious Pho with depth and complexity. You've got to try it out! read more

The egg roll salad is fantastic! Try it, you will be glad you did. Warm and friendly staff. Felt like I was visiting an old friend.

Gosh I wanted to like this place more. The service was so pleasant! And the prices are very fair. The cream cheese wontons are probably the best seasoned ones in the city, but they barely fill them. The other reviews of the pho broth being watery were very valid, it was disappointingly bland. I asked for the chili oil to add some zing, but it was really bitter. I just think there are better pho spots in St. Paul, but this place will do in a pinch. read more

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Stopped here for pho since my other go to spots were closed. This one looks like it had decent reviews but that was not the case when we went. When we got there there was one other table. We got seated then the server just walks into the back without giving us any menus. We had to get up and get our own menus after waiting a while.After we ordered we waited a while to get our food. Three other tables came in after us and ordered similar food we ordered and they all got their food first. By the time we got our food two out of the three tables were getting ready to pay already. Pho was bland and really disappointing. Eggrolls were ok. Spring rolls were ok. We ordered 3 bowls of who and none of them was finished. My kids usually tell us the pho is good when we go out but not this time. Hard pass for anyone looking for good to decent pho. read more

Absolutely fantastic food, and a great Ambiance! Always my number one pick after a night out. The service is always great and makes you feel welcome. Shoutout Andy for being the best server around. 10/10 highly I recommended. read more

Sadly I have no pictures but this place never disappoints. I had the rice noodle dish with pork and eggroll. The flavors and texture were spot on. The pork had a nice barbecue flavor, Rose crispy and soft at the same time and there was plenty of it . My son had a pork bahn mi. He said this was his favorite because the bread was fresh, soft, warm, toasted on the inside. It had massive quantities of pork and just enough jalapeno. The staff was there quick to take the order. Bring your food out. Just a fun little place. read more

I go to the U of M and have a class at the St. Paul campus which is near here. I went here once after class and has been my go to pho place ever since! My favorite Pho in MN! Their eggrolls are also my favorite! read more

Good food with great service! The pork Bahn-Mi was very good. I will definitely be back.

OVERALL: Great value, authentic, and delicious! SERVICE: The service from Andy was so accommodating and friendly. He's always willing to answer questions and our food came out quickly! waters were always full and we always had what we needed. He's spectacular! FOOD: We ordered a ton of food and loved every bit of it. Don't sleep on the spicy wings - those are so good and flavorful. On hot days I love the noodle salad with egg rolls but I'm always a sucker for soup as well. Truly you can't go wrong with anything you order. ATMOSPHERE: It's homey but still seats quite a few people. PRO: It also has a parking lot!! read more

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This place was really good when your craving for Pho. Service was great, everyone was really nice and greeting. I'm definitely coming back here for sure! I give this place a 10/10 read more

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This one of the best Vietnamese restaurant I've been to. The pho here is AMAZING THE wings are bomb! read more

Pho 79 - Pork vermicelli noodles and chicken wings - Vietnamese Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

We go here all of the time for lunch. It's close to our office and honestly the service is top notch. The guys who run the front of the house are super nice and even have remembered our order (we usually always get the same thing and order apps). The spring rolls are amazing and come with this delicious dipping sauce. 10/10 would recommend. read more

Ordered online. Arrived to find my order waiting. Return customer. If you're looking for a delicious soup broth based meal I recommend their pho. The location is a funky but the interior is warm and welcoming. Their Vietnamese French coffee is top notch! read more

The place looks small on the outside but it's actually pretty big inside. The service was quick but it obviously took a while for the food to arrive but the appetizers were made quickly. The cream cheese wontons could've had more filling in them but the sauce was delicious. The bathrooms were clean. The dumplings had a little shrimp and pork in them but still good, they did charge me for extra rice although I only had one plate of white rice. Overall it's okay. There is definitely other places where things are a little cheaper and have a better taste but this is not the worst. read more

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This has become our go place for pho since we live so close. We usually order online for take out - food is always very hot and stays hot by the time we make it home. We usually go with the spicy pho. This isn't overly spicy to us so we will add in Sriracha in. The broth is great and it's always so filling. We love ordering this in the winter - especially if one of us is feeling under the weather. We now have large pho bowls at home to make things easier! We also enjoy the combination fried rice. It's not overly greasy. Sometimes you get a lot of shrimp and other times, you are really picking through for it. We have also tried their banh mi sandwiches. Sometimes the meat is really fatty. Some people love this but we enjoy that less. So we stick to the pho and fried rice. Parking lot in front - usually have spots open! read more

My go-to place for Pho in the twin cities! If you've never had it before, Pho is a southeast Asian noodle bowl with a hearty beef broth and often includes sliced brisket and other meats, sprouts, Thai basil, jalapeños, green onions, and lime. I usually add a bit of savory hoisin sauce and Sriracha to my bowl as well. After tasting Pho in Vietnam, it's become something I crave all week long ! Pho 79 is one of my go-to places for not only Pho, but spring rolls, vermicelli noodles, cream cheese wontons, and more. This place has regulars who come back time and time again for the awesome service and consistently amazing pho. You need to check it out! read more

Pho 79 - Pho with Brisket (hoisin and sriracha added) - Vietnamese Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

Amazing Pho so glad we found this place. Service was great highly recommend. Family run with great menu!

Loved their pho! It was a perfect balance of flavor. The inside had a nice feel to it. The guy who brought our food out was super nice and provided great service. One of my favorite places. read more

great egg roll bun!!! and the atmosphere is chill and casual. i absolutely loved it. reasonable prices, good service, delicious food! great spot for vietnamese in st. paul! read more

Overall- mediocre food, ok pricing and small portion. I've been meaning to try this location- so my partner and I decided to stop by here for dinner on a week night. Although the service was quick, friendly and kind- the food was a bit disappointing for me. The menu is pretty small but there is a chicken pho, seafood pho and vegetarian/vegan pho (mushroom flavored). So at least- I appreciate the overall pho options. We ordered the cream cheese wontons and two chicken pho. The cream cheese wontons had garlic/garlic flavor cream cheese in it which I actually did not like and the dripping sauce for the cream cheese was definitely watered down. The chicken pho was really the true disappointment though. The broth was warm and watery- I ended up adding alot of fish sauce, the noodles were still hard and they dont have much condiments for you to flavor your pho (no chill oil). The portion was also small for $8, almost $9 pho. read more

Pho 79 - Vietnamese Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

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This was a delight! We weren't sure what to expect at this little hole-in-the-wall restaurant, but those tend to be some of the best places. We were seated pretty quickly and once we placed our order, it was probably no more than 10-15 minutes before the food arrived looking absolutely delicious. There is quite a lot to choose from on the menu. We ordered some cream cheese wontons which are filled with a garlic cream cheese. They were so crispy and dreamy. For a main dish, I ordered the #40 Egg Roll Noodle Salad. This is a vermicelli noodle salad with two cut up pork egg rolls on top. It comes with a dish of fish sauce which I promptly poured all over my salad. I would for sure get this again. The egg rolls were crunchy and the crushed peanuts and carrots on top gave it such a nice flavor. Great food, prices, and service! read more

Pho 79 - #40 Egg Roll Noodle Salad - Vietnamese Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

I really didn't like this place because number one the woman that was waiting on us. I decided I didn't want any but I had my two sons with me so she had an attitude because I said I didn't want anything. Then she snatched my menu out of my hand, and she brought the pho out. It looked horrible. The meat was red in it. The broth was so watery so my son decided he didn't want it.(his friend is Vietnamese so he's used to eat good pho so she got mad because he didn't want it and I wasn't gonna pay for it so when I went to go pay for my other son's meal which was five little shrimp dipped with some sweet-and-sour sauce, which was eight dollars she snatch my credit card out of my hand so now I'm upset she had the nastiest attitude I would never go to this place again and the food don't even look the same on the website that it looks like in person read more

I've waited a year and a half to hit this spot up, it pretty much just never worked out for me to come here with my husband til today. And it was well worth the wait! We got the pho special, spicy pho hue, and the spicy wings. The portions are more than generous, the pho broth is flavorful before the typical additions one would add in, and is not an overly sweet broth which is our preference. Another plus is a large amount of meat, instead of the typical giant oversized bean sprouts and minimal meat we've encountered elsewhere. The wings are large and meaty and have great flavor. I definitely can't wait to try more menu items next time we go! 10/10 would recommend! I was so excited putting my pho together I forgot to snap photos of the wings or my husbands but just look at how amazing mine looks! read more

Pho 79 - Spicy pho hue - Vietnamese Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

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This is my absolute favorite pho in the twin cities! Highly recommend! The crispy egg rolls are also great :) read more

Pho 79 - Beef pho (extra veggie) - Vietnamese Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

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Tasty Pho. We both ordered Pho and were pleased. The broth is flavorful and the ingredients taste fresh the service is attentive and the prices are reasonable. The seating is comfortable, with a good amount of space between the tables. We will return. read more

Pho 79 - Vietnamese Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

This is my favorite bowl of Pho and probably my favorite casual place to eat at, period! I crave it, and eat at it more often than any other place. As often as I go there, I should've probably written a review years ago! The Twin Cities are full of places to get a good bowl of Pho. I've tried the pho at around 25-30 different restaurants in the area. They are all slightly different, and many of them are very good in their own right. Occasionally I get a craving for something different and check out one of them instead. But none of them make me as happy as Pho 79. There is something different about their broth compared to other places that I can't quite put my finger on, but I absolutely love it. And it's always served piping hot in a huge bowl. The meats are cut slightly thicker than a lot of other places which gives it a heartier feel IMO. And the fatty brisket especially, has the perfect texture and unctuousness to it. The noodles are never mushy, always with just a hint of chew left in them. And the chili oil, available upon request, is the best condiment for pho I've had anywhere! I've tried several different things on the menu over the years, and I've liked them all. But this review is really just to talk about the pho. Pho is finally starting to get noticed in this country by people from all walks of life and I couldn't be happier about it. It is my single favorite thing to eat. And this is my favorite place to eat it at. If you haven't tried it yet Pho 79 is a great place to start. And if you already love it but have never been here, do yourself a favor! read more

I was really questioning my friend's recommendation when I pulled into a gas station strip mall to pickup our to go order from Pho 79. I ordered the Chicken Vermicelli Salad and my coworker got ordered the pork Banh Mi. The flavors were amazing and the service was quick. So great that I went back the next day for the same salad! The salad comprised of romaine lettuce, cold rice noodles, carrots, scallions, cilantro, peanuts, INCREDIBLE marinated chicken and a delicious fish sauce. The friend that I dragged along (you're welcome Amanda...) got egg rolls and fried rice and is trying to convince me to go back for a third visit this week. Service was fast and the place was packed over lunch. I'm so excited to try the Pho and other GF dishes! read more

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Came in during lunch rush on a Wednesday and the restaurant was full. Service: (5/5) Only 3 people on the floor who was able to seat people, take orders, refill drinks, bus tables, and bring food out. I was impressed. My drinks were always filled, dirty dishes were taken away promptly, and food came out really fast. Cream cheese wontons: (3/5) I didn't really like these even though I'm a huge fan of Cream cheese wontons. They were fresh and hot but I thought it was boring and I didn't like the overly crispy wonton wrappers they used. Was like eating chips with cream cheese. Vermecelli Salad with pork and egg rolls:(5/5) Loved the colors, texture, freshness, and flavor of this salad. It's sweet and tangy with savory pork and egg rolls. I would recommend it. read more

Pho 79 - Cream cheese wontons - Vietnamese Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

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I happened to see the reviews and ratings that Pho 79 gets, so I mentioned it to my friend and coworker, Jack earlier this week, and that we should go sometime. He said he's been there (without me) as per his review on December 18, 2012. And since he went there without me, he loses one star on the friend rating scale. Today was (surprise) yet another dreary wet spring in Minnesota, so we thought it would be a perfect Pho day. Jack mentioned (as per his December review when he went without me) that there wasn't a lot of seating, so we decided to try and get there just before the lunch rush. We were the last ones to get a table right away, and everyone else behind us had to wait as diners slurped down their meals. We both ordered the Spring Rolls, which consisted of pork & shrimp. The sauce wasn't a typical peanut sauce, but more of a Hoisin sauce. Still, it was tasty. For our meals, we both ordered Pho, and Jack's Special larger Pho 79 bowl (Rare lean beef, well done flank, fat brisket, soft tendon, tripe and meat balls) was large enough to feed an army...or me. I opted for the Spicy Pho, which had everything but the tripe. The value for this meal, as well as all the wonderful flavors make it worth the trip. Really. Why would you drop more money at that Clown's burger joint, when you get some fresh food for less than or about the same price? Located in a strip mall on the border of a neighborhood and industry, it's easy to miss. But miss it you should not. Just remember to avoid the busy times or you'll have to wait. We were perplexed at people taking this to go, but given there's not a lot of seating area, I guess some Pho is better than none at all. I'm glad Jack and I went to Pho 79 for lunch today. I guess he earned back that one star on the friend rating scale. read more

Absolutely delicious! Loved absolutely everything we orderd. Combination Fried rice-yum!!! Some of the most flavorful, fluffy rice I've eaten in a long time. Nice chunks of pork, chicken,veiny shrimp and vegetables. Really liked their rice and the flavor. Chicken wings. Decently meaty and good flavor. Vermicelli Noodle sadly. Big chunks of pork. Chicken Noodles soups were delicious and very good finally so,etching my toddler will eat. He loves noodles and broth. They were both excellent. I will re-order soon. This as delicious! read more

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We have been to the Pho 79 in Minneapolis a few times and enjoyed it, but we thought we'd try the St. Paul location for a change. It is smaller and located in a small strip center, but it is definitely convenient. The menu is also smaller, though it has a good representation of beef pho, chicken stock pho, rice bowls, etc. One thing I really missed from the other location was the noodle bowl options, which are kind of like cold noodle salads with no broth at all. I also was hoping for a bubble tea, but they don't do those here either. What we did order was good. I got the #35 which is egg noodles in a chicken base with shrimp dumplings and pork. Pretty tasty. The pho comes with the normal lime, sprouts, thai basil and jalepenos on the side. Price-wise, you can't beat it. We both ate and got a shrimp roll appetizer (just OK) for $20 including tax. Seriously. Service-wise, I would say it was just meh. The woman who was waiting on us seemed very impatient. She seemed annoyed when we asked for a few more minutes to look at the menu. She came over several times basically to check to see if we were done and then took my bowl away the minute that I was finished. Then she hovered to see when my husband would finish. We were coming up on their 8 oclock closing time, but it was still before 8. We came in with plenty of time to eat and it seemed like she was just annoyed at us for having the gall to want to eat during their operating hours. She also did some things that i consider rude, like coming to our table in the middle of our meal and unceremoniously shoving more chopsticks into the container of chopsticks on the table. We were also not ever offered anything to drink except water and had to ask for a water refill. So in all, the food was good, though we thought the selection was limited compared to the other location. This will do in a pinch but we are more likely to go to the other Pho 79 next time. read more

Pho 79 - #35 - Vietnamese Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota