I finally made it into the actual brick-and-mortar location, and it is a night-and-day difference from the tết festival version awhile back! The experience was much better across the board. The atmosphere is very cute and cozy. Reminiscent of a typical pho joint with the occasional modern artsy touch. Love the Việt themed mural inside and the actual "bar" type seating against the windows. ​The Banh Beo was a standout--it tasted just like home with flavorful nước chấm and crispy pork bits. The fresh house-made phở noodles remain the star of the show, and the meat was high quality and well-prepared. While the broth was good, I still find myself wishing for a slightly richer, deeper flavor profile. It doesn't taste like a 24 hr simmered broth like mom makes. On the drink side, the sugar cane juice was super refreshing. Natural sugarcane with no added processed sugar. Kumquat sugarcane was a favorite. ​The service was friendly and welcoming, and I was very glad to see they've removed the mandatory service fee that excluded server tip. However, the pricing is still a bit of a hurdle. For two regular phos, one large pho, an order of banh beo, and three drinks, the total was a little over $100. It's hard not to miss the days of a $15 "Xe Lua" (train) bowl of pho when I was growing up...now a small bowl is nearing $20. Also note it was very quick service, definitely a nod to their "express"! I definitely think it's worth a visit for the fresh noodles and refreshing beverages as a treat, just be prepared for the premium price tag. read more

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Quick lunch on dot ave had to try Pho Bar after all the socials we saw. The hangover cure def wouldn't cure my hangover. It's a tiny bowl of soup with scallion and cilantro. The bone marrow in it wasn't buttery. The pho i thought was pretty good, we got the eye round on the side. Broth had more depth but wasn't the tastiest imo, nothing beats mom's home cooking haha. The steamed rice cake Banh bro was straight. Extra fish sauce, more crunchy shallots that was probably my favorite dish here. Now overall great spot for a quick lunch, nice setup, but i would probably just come back for the sugar cane drinks, fresh, good flavor options, and great color! read more

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Pho Bar Express is newish to the area and I have contemplated coming here for a while now. I feel like Vietnamese food can be hit-or-miss in the area and I did not know how I would feel about a chain ahaha. To my surprise, our experience here was actually pretty solid! Of course we had to order their sugarcane juice to try, and the drinks were honestly the best part. They press the sugarcane here and both our drinks tasted very refreshing! We got the traditional nuoc mia/sugarcane juice and the passion fruit sugarcane juice. We came just in time for the start of their happy hour (3-5pm), buy one sugarcane juice, get one half off! I think if we came back again, I would get the traditional sugarcane juice. Whenever I see a passionfruit drink I always have to get it, but it was slightly too sweet for me. Still tasted good though! As for food, we ordered the bánh bèo chén (steamed rice cake), pho tái gau (eye round and brisket), and the trung tuy (hangover cure). The steamed rice cake was my favorite, of the food dishes we ordered. They came piping hot and I loved the fried shallots, minced pork belly, and shrimp with the fish sauce. I would totally get this again. The pho with eye round and brisket was okay. I ordered this in the regular size with the eye round on the side, so I can dip the meat in when the soup is still hot. This came with flat rice noodles, which I like. The broth was less sweet than other spots around but I didn't find the broth to be that impressive. I was expecting it to be more aromatic, as described by other reviews, and I found the broth lacked the depth I was looking for. Came with 4 slices of eye round steak and some brisket. Lastly, the hungover cure was disappointing. It is a VERY small bowl of broth with a little bone marrow and one egg. This was underwhelming. For this one, you have the option to add house noodles to it for an additional $5, but we opted for just the broth. It tasted different from the pho broth and honestly did not taste as good. We agreed that the pho tai broth would be a better hangover cure than the hangover cure dish's broth. Overall, I think Pho Bar Express is not bad. I would come back for the sugarcane juice and the steamed rice cake. I can skip the noodle soups for now. They are quite pricey ($15.50 for regular + $17.50 for large pho), $19.50 for bun bo hue, and $26 for their most expensive pho option. There are better options around, especially in this Dorchester area but it was nice to try! Staff was very kind and attentive. Parking: free street parking read more

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Phi was an amazing server and truly made our experience enjoyable from start to finish. He was attentive, friendly, and made sure we were always taken care of. He constantly checked in on us, made sure everything came out right, and created such a welcoming atmosphere. His great attitude and attention to detail really stood out and made the experience even better. Thank you, Phi, for the excellent service! read more

The rice cakes and kumquat sugarcane juice were DELICIOUS!! Our server was really attentive and helpful, giving us time to order but also prompt with service. The vibes inside were super cute and pretty, with artsy flair everywhere. I definitely want to come back to try the pho! read more

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If you're in Dorchester, you can't skip Pho Bar Express. The pho broth is very unique when compared to other pho restaurants in Dorchester. I would say it is more aromatic. Pho Bar has the best Banh Beo in town. Their drinks selection are amazing as well. Their prices are much much higher than surrounding Vietnamese restaurants but the quality is matches the higher price. The interior is rather small, and feels crowded overall. The table next to ours was closer than my comfort level. Service was amazing! As many have stated, the tipping system is annoying. I dislike it so much I don't think I would be returning soon. I prefer to tip front of the house (waiters) and back house (kitchen staff) all at once rather than figuring out how much to give each. I just want to enjoy a meal, check a box for percentage of tip, and go. I hope they remove their additional tipping system. See my pictures? read more

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This place is cool but doesn't compare to the original locations in Florida. The menu is limited and doesn't include any seafood options, unfortunately. Despite that, the pho is still good and very flavorful. They work pretty fast and staff is attentive for sure. This location also has a nice scenic vibe, perf for a nice lunch date (solo or with company) or just calm vibes. read more

Pho Bar Express - Crispy Fish Sauce Wings - Vietnamese Near Me - Dorchester, Massachusetts

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This new pho spot on Dot Ave. is more modern than its nearby counterparts, albeit at a higher price point, but the reason to keep coming back is for their fresh flat pho noodles. They are different from your typical pho noodles, wider and more opaque, and offer a unique textural experience to your standard bowl of pho. The pho broth itself had a good depth to it, too. Definitely a must-try! The crispy fish sauce wings are huge and indeed very crispy, I appreciated that the fish sauce dipping sauce was on the side so the wings wouldn't get soggy. I also love the BBH - anybody who knows me knows I can't help but get the BBH if it's on the menu somewhere. The meat is tender, noodles cooked well and the broth has a good baseline spicy that you can amp up with the table chili oil. You can complete your meal with some nuoc mia/sugarcane juice - get the kumquat one for the most OG version. The staff are friendly, helpful, and work fast. I don't recall the service charge on my bill that earlier reviews noted, so they may have gotten rid of it. There was only street parking but easy enough to find a spot - be careful crossing the busy street! read more

Pho Bar Express - Bún Bò Huế - Vietnamese Near Me - Dorchester, Massachusetts

Decent bánh beo. The restaurant decor looks very nice and cozy. Pho is okay not too elite. Services are okay, will come back for the bánh beo if they have more of the cake, topic are full but the cake portion is quite small read more

Pho Bar Express - Vietnamese Near Me - Dorchester, Massachusetts

Amazing food and service. Large portions great vibes and ambiance. Pho is super authentic. Taste like what my parents would cook at home. read more

Pho Bar Express - Vietnamese Near Me - Dorchester, Massachusetts

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I went to Pho Bar on a weekend a couple weeks ago and it was okay. It was fairly busy and there were lots of families around. There was a lot of seating so the turnaround was quick. My group got a couple different items to try and think my favorite dish was the chicken wings and their sugar cane juice. The wings were seasoned well and had a nice crunch and the juice was really refreshing. As for the Pho, it could be that we went on an off day but I'm not sure if I loved the flavor of it. I found my broth heavy on the cinnamon and it was kind of overpowering. The noodles were fresh, but the texture was a little too soft for my taste. read more

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New spot in Dorchester, cozy but clean offering a small menu focused primarily on pho. This is probably best pho in Boston, and probably top 3 for BBH (bun Bo hue) outside of someone's Vietnamese mom's home kitchen (always the best). A big bowl of flavor comes at a price, at least $15 but probably around $20 on avg with the most expensive is $26. They were sold out of the chicken and vegan phos (by 5:30pm) so we didn't get to try those out. We got the banh beo, chicken wings, the pho dac biet (pho with everything), and the BBH. The banh beo was good, but not amazing. It's little steamed cups of rice with shrimp and pork that you pork fish sauce on. The texture and flavor were there but it's not something I would travel for. The chicken wings were fried well, and not overly sweet. The fish sauce gave it a little funk, I wasn't a fan but not to discourage others to give them a try. Now onto the good stuff. The pho broth had a deep flavor with some delicious noodles. They aren't your normal vermicelli noodles, it's a little thicker, something you'd find in Vietnam. The BBH had the traditional meats of beef, pork hock and blood pudding. The broth was tasty, with a hint of spice but if you like it spicy, you can add the table side chili oil. The noodles were a more standard bbh noodle, but still very good and better quality. The only thing I didn't like was the beef in the bbh. It was too tough. This place is not great for large parties (6+) and it appears to be only street parking. The service here was excellent. They were respectful and thoughtful in their service. read more

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Super excited when I heard they were opening up. I had Pho Bar before but at their Florida location. Decided to drive by and quickly tried their sugar cane. They have a few options. I really wanted to try the coconut sugarcane one but was recommended to try the passion fruit one by the hostess. First sip, packed with flavor! The sugarcane in general was so good. Freshly pressed by their machine. Passion fruit was sour and sweet and tart. My only complaint? There was a lot of passion fruit seeds LOL every sip was filled with like 10-15 seeds. Thanks for the recommendation! Will definitely come by and dine in to try their food. I know the price is very expensive for a local pho restaurant but, I've heard really good things so far. read more

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Pho Bar is hands down the best pho I've had in Boston. The broth is incredibly flavorful and tastes just like the authentic pho you'd find in Vietnam. The noodle is fresh-made in house. It also comes with all herbs. Everything was fresh, clean, and well prepared. Service was great, the restaurant is very clean, and the prices are very reasonable for the quality you get. It's true comfort food that genuinely makes me feel at home. So glad Pho Bar opened in Boston, I literally come every week. read more

Pho Bar Express - Vietnamese Near Me - Dorchester, Massachusetts

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Holy crap. My friends recommended this place to me and boy, the broth is PHOnomenal. Lol. See what I did there? Boston doesn't have a lot of good pho places, most of them are just okay. We came here on a Sunday. I ordered the egg rolls, brisket pho, and wagyu pho. We ordered the fresh noodles. The egg roll was hot and crunchy. Good flavor. I wanted to try the banh beo but my husband is allergic. I plan to try it in the future. The pho broth was sooooo good. It had the right spice scent and taste. Not sure if they use MSG but I don't care because it was really good. The brisket was tender. I've never had fresh noodles like the ones we were served. It was good. Soft and reminded me of a pasta but less starchy. Usual pho noodles are more "hard." My husband loved the wagyu pho. Broth was garlic-y. Not typical pho broth but a good soup. Had a lot of wagyu as well. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit and will most definitely be back. read more

Added our name to the waitlist but didn't get a call back. No call, no text, nothing. Customer service needs improvement!! read more

This review was kinda hard to write.... This location is on Dorchester ave, in Boston. There is plenty of on street parking and it's in an easy to find. When you arrive you are greeted by a host and taken to your seat by a server, there both very nice. The interior is modern, and quaint. I ordered the short rib pho which was good, but I have had better. The spring rolls were not good, and could have been better. Now, the taro iced tea is really good, and authentic. Ok so here's the kicker, I spent 100 dollars on this meal for two people, I think the prices are too high for this area, and for what you're getting. There are other places around that have good pho, with better prices. read more

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Fairly new Pho place in Dorchester. Casual setting with friendly waitstaff whom were quick to seat me and take my order. I ordered the Bun Bo Hue which came out quickly. The flavor fell a bit flat for me in terms of spiciness and salt. The lemongrass flavor was faint. The meat in it was tender, containing pig blood cake, fatty beef, and pork hock. I would go again for the efficiency and yo try their signature pho. The pricing was a little high, but that can kind of be expected nowadays. read more

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New place with a decent size interior setup . Menu can be intimated with the price . They have varieties of pho with either ox tail , wagyu or brisket . The noodles are handmade and the broth are clean but could be better with flavor . Meats are tender not chewy . The sugar cane and coconut drinks are refreshing . Basically most of their drinks are . You can't do wrong with any . Staffs are nice and friendly . read more

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Food, need little more msg? Maybe ‍ I don't know but I feel it needs little more flavor. Service is ok... just like a normal Vietnamese restaurant, You have just started eating your appetizers when they are already serving you the main dishes... ambience not complaint at all is beautiful! The manager is on top of everything I appreciate that! read more

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The restaurant itself was vibrant and pleasing. Our server was polite, but he never refilled our waters or checked up on us. We ordered two House Special Phos and one eye round with brisket. The pho had a good broth, but the portions of meat were quite small. For a pho spot in Dorchester, I found it overpriced. I found it overpriced for Fields Corner since it is not in Boston or on Newbury Street. The bill came out to about $22 per person for three people. Overall, it was decent but I don't think I'd come back again read more

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I've been to the Florida location so when they open I had to try it out, Their pho is very fragrant and I love the fresh noodles. I think this will be the first pho place that I know that has fresh pho noodles. The dry pho is a must try if you haven't had something like that before - it also comes with a small bowl of pho soup. I love their sugarcane drink, it's soo fresh I recommend the one with the kumquat. I also had the orange honey drink - this one was overly sweet in my opinion so id say skip that. The pho here is a bit pricey but you're paying for the quality of the pho. Overall, this is my new favorite spot for pho and sugarcane. deff worth a visit read more

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New pho spot in Dorchester. Really clean and great service. Would return! The banh beo was tasty, probably the best I've had in the area. The rib for my short rib pho was pretty tough but the flavor of the soup was great. I especially liked the Bo Vien. I also appreciated the fresh noodles! Overall happy to see a new Vietnamese small business open! Will continue to support them. read more

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Pho only no rice if you want to eat rice. Broth so so delicious, Noodles are not reg noodles maybe the healthier ones? A bit pricey for the food I guess that's eberywhere. The services was exeptional amd very attentive more like American restaurants where they really pay attention to the customers. It's beautiful decorations read more

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Service is amazing . Seated quickly and food arrived promptly. I had the Wagyu beef pho ($26) and I gotta say. It's overpriced and over rated. The broth is decent but the Wagyu was just ok. They sautéed and marinade the beef prior to serving. I would have prefer good grade Wagyu served on side. Ordered with fresh noodles and the noodles are delicious. Sugarcane drink was so good but at $9 it is steep. read more

Pho Bar Express - Vietnamese Near Me - Dorchester, Massachusetts

Regardless how well or good your food tastes. You just lose me as a customer with your service charge and tipping system. I wouldn't go there for a bowl of pho and walk out of there with $30 on tip and service charged. read more

We have dinner here tonight. The menu is limited and foods are very expensive. We are a residents of dorchester and want to supports small and local businesses but this place is ridiculously over priced compare to other pho restaurants on Dorchester Ave. On top of that there is an 18% gratitude added to your bill regardless the service is bad or good or the size of your party. The pho is alright, nothing special compare to Pho Le , Pho Hoa ... right across the street. This is our first and will be our last time coming here. read more

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Giá quá mắc bún bò Huế không ngon Bánh bèo giá cắt cổ 6 cái 15₫ quá đáng còn nói tiền típ 18 phần trăm Không bao giờ tới vì mắc mà không ngon Tô phở vài miếng thịt read more

You will NEVER look at Pho the same way again! I don't even normally review places, but about halfway through the meal I knew I was going to have to. Phi, our waiter, is extremely knowledgeable and patient. The service was EXCELLENT. We ended up having the Bánh Bèo to start, and this blew my mind away, I don't know how it's not more popular because it is that good. I also had Bún bò Huế, which is a type of Pho originating from the city of Huế in Vietnam. The noodles, as everyone mentions, are made fresh and they are amazing as well, a perfect compliment to their 24 hour broth. It was absolutely phenomenal, very fresh, very aromatic. The atmosphere was really good and welcoming too! My only complaint would be the added service fee, but it was really good service, so I can't be too mad. read more

Ambiance is nice, severs are friendly and great! Pho broth is good but the fresh noodle is mediocre, I personally prefer other pho noodle place that has more of a chew or bounce and is much thinner. Not enough meat compare to other places and is very expensive. What got me is the extra automatic charge of 18%. Which does not include gratuity. Wouldn't come again until they start paying their employees and not have the costumers be responsible for their workers pay. read more

Pho Bar Express - Ridiculous service charge. - Vietnamese Near Me - Dorchester, Massachusetts

Food - got the house pho - soup is good. The 5 spice is definitely in there. Noodle is nothing to crave about. Regular old noodles you get at the Asian market. Soft and light. Service - nothing over the top. Ask what you want. Bring food. And check on you once and check. Ambiance - they did sought an interior designer for the space or the restaurant owner knew a thing or two about interior decorating. Decent place. Price - over priced for decent food. Now what the F is up with the 18% service charge. How you going to charge that mandatory and then say gratuity isn't included. Then when you see the percentage that's recommend for the tip, Max is 8% then custom amount. I gave 8% just to support the business. Decent food but shit I'm not gonna go out of my way to go back there. Pay your employees or build it into the price menu. If you think your price is going to be way too much then it is. This is coming from a person that owned a restaurant before... read more

I came here once with my boyfriend when it first opened and was very impressed with the menu and service. Our waiter did a very good job explaining everything to us and we did have a pleasant experience. My boyfriend ordered bún bò and he said it's a little bland for him. We shared a bánh bèo and it was good. Our passion fruit sugarcane drink was just ok, nothing impressive. The 2nd time I came back with my group of friends I know right away I wanted bánh bèo and dry noodles again the same as what I had ordered the 1st time I was there. But this time I ordered my sugarcane drink with kamquat and I liked it better than the passion fruit sugarcane. 3rd time I came with my daughter and her boyfriend and they were very pleased with their tasty Phở đặc biệt and of course gotta have those bánh bèo again and the sugarcane and kamquat drinks!!! The restaurant is very clean and they weren't kidding when they say "express "! We were in and out in 30 mins and that was great!!! read more

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Gia quá đặc cho một tô phở, mà phổ chi thấy nước phổ chứ không có thịt hay bánh phở, thật là thật vọng. Tôi nghĩ tiệm phở này trong tương lai sẽ bị ế . read more

Went here last week. Pho is nothing special, bun bo hue is super salty and used much of the meats shared with pho. Price is higher than places in the vicinity, which I don't really care as long as the food is decent. Bun bo hue was so salty, feels bad to ask for more water as the waiter running around like crazy and by the look of his eyes, he might faint anytime from serving people and have to do deal with register duty as well. The 2 girls was practically inefficient if I'm being nice. The highlight of the whole experience was the free desert at the end. read more

Shameful place won't even price their menu correctly or pay their workers properly. $20 pho + 12% service charge + 6% kitchen charge + tax + 6% tax + gratuity? WTH! read more

The food was fine, I guess nothing I'd rush back for, especially at those prices. And the mandatory 18% tip? Bold move for service that barely showed up to the table. If you're gonna force a tip, at least pretend to earn it. read more

I had high expectations coming here to try traditional Vietnamese dishes like pho, bun bo Hue, and banh beo, but unfortunately the experience was very disappointing. read more

The restaurant might suit other people's tastes, but personally, I found the food underwhelming, the service slow, and the prices a bit high compared to the overall experience. read more

I saw a lot of posts saying this restaurant is overpriced. But I think the portion is fair for the price. The spring rolls are so fresh compared to others Vietnamese restaurants that I've tried. The place is clean, service is good. Will come here again! read more

The food is overpriced, $9 for a sugarcane juice is outrageous. The restaurant is small and giving casual Eat-n-go vibe. I understand the 18% service fee they're trying to implement, but it felt uncomfortable when that fee was automatically added to the bill and the server still prompted us to tip at least 7% more using the card reader. I'm not against tipping, but this isn't a high-end restaurant that justifies so many extra charges. Covering basic operating costs should be the responsibility of the restaurant, not passed onto the customer like this. Dining at a small, casual place shouldn't feel this frustrating. read more