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Love this spot! Food was incredible and worth the wait. Rotin Curry Dip- I could drink the dipping sauce it was that good. Edamame- too salty. Need to tone down the salt but still good Panang Curry- incredible and if I lived here it would be my go to dish.
I don't know where to start for my review of Pho Basil. As a small business I want to give them as much credit as I can, but be as honest as possible. I ordered the Pad Thai with no modifications other than no bean sprouts, My group also ordered the Curry Puffs, Drunken Noodles, Pad See Ew, and Thai Tea. To get the worst out of the way before I get to the better part of my visit, the Pad Thai was majorly disappointing. It was sauceless and very dry, and lacked flavor other than lemon. If i'm being blatantly honest, I genuinely, truly, and honestly proceeded to order myself some pizza after I tried a bit of my food, and left it for a friend to finish (I fear she wasn't even keen on finishing the meal, and unfortunately it went to waste). 2/10 What I can say works WELL for this restaurant is the Drunken Noodle Dish with steak, it was full of vegetables, sauce, and very flavorful and tasty! I strongly regret not ordering that to begin with, as I tried some of my friend's dish and was jealous! 8/10 My other friend ordered the Pad See w/ shrimp, and it was okay, but lacked some flavor, she ended up adding sauces from home to liven up the dish, Not as good as the drunken noodle, but not as disappointing as the Pad Thai. 5/10 The stars of the show, besides the drunken noodle dish, were the: - Curry puffs, which I loved 9/10, - & Thai Tea 7.5/10. Not the best I've ever had, but definitely not bad. The actual space itself is a bit crowded if i'm being truthful, there is seating for in house customers so don't fear that factor, but for those who are ordering take out be aware that there is not much of a waiting area, which isn't a huge necessity, but makes things a little awkward when you have three women waiting for their order somewhat imposing on a couples intimate date due to lack of space. Take that as less of a complaint, and more of something to take note of. I'd recommend waiting outside if possible. The staff is kind! I have no complaints regarding their service. Overall i'd be hesitant to say I'd to go back, I've had better, but I wouldn't rule them out entirely. For what it's worth I was the only individual of three who felt outright disappointed in my meal. So I personally wouldn't get it again, but would not steer anyone away from trying them out on their own!
Lots of options to choose from, generous portions, and speedy service! The pho broth is sweet and fragrant, and the Kao Soi was quite flavorful and savory. The pickled daikon and carrots helped balance out the heaviness of the soup, and the crispy chicken was so juicy and tender.
The place is cute and everyone was super friendly. The food was more on the Thai side but it was really good.
Khao Soi at Basil Pho I've ordered it a handful of times now and it genuinely never disappoints. The chicken is perfectly crispy and adds that extra heartiness and protein that makes this feel like a REAL meal. One thing though: in person is definitely the superior experience. When you get it to-go or delivered, they separate the chicken, noodles, and broth so you can assemble it yourself (which honestly keeps everything from getting soggy), but eating it fresh in the restaurant just hits differently. The service is quick and the restaurant is small. There's always usually a line but the food is worth it.
This place is very close to Boston Symphony Hall, so I brought my colleagues here after the concert! Pad Thai: Just like at Nine Tastes, my first bite was overwhelmed by the strong sourness... According to ChatGPT, American Southeast Asian restaurants may use concentrated tamarind sauce instead of the original tamarind-infused water, or reduce the sugar to suit American tastes, hence the extra sourness of Pad Thai. Learned something new! The shrimp was very fresh, firm and tender; the rice noodles were stir-fried with a great wok hei 鑊氣(wok aroma), and the portion was huge, but it got a bit oily towards the end. My favorite was the peanuts--they were incredibly fragrant, and not too finely ground, giving them a better texture. Also, a larger plate is really needed; it would be much easier to mix all the ingredients together. Drunken Noodles: The wide flat rice noodles were authentic. The spicy flavor added another layer of wok hei, and the thin layer of chili oil helped retain heat and enhance the aroma. Although a bit spicy, I felt it was the best of the three. Saigon Noodle: It felt like a combination of the two above, with a touch of sweet and sour and a hint of spicy, but neither was particularly prominent. It had a hint of sesame oil, but I personally don't really like sesame oil.
Delicious food!! We came for lunch and got the pho dac biet along with the beef pad see you and both were flavorful and well made.
Pho basil never disappoints and is our favorite go to ordering place for Vietnamese food! We had just come back from a big trip and hubs was not feeling well came down with a cold and cough. So what better than to order some hot pho noodle soups! We ordered 2 pho ga and 1 pho chay. All very satisfying and I just love all the veggies in the pho chay soup and that broth is super flavorful!! We also ordered the fried rice with chicken which was also quite good and a huge portion too. The chicken wings and dumplings were great! Delivery came quickly. Leftovers for a couple lunches were great!
This place was packed with a line out the door right before one of the BSO concerts. That was already a good sign. Once we were seated, the portions that came out were HUGE, not to mention delicious. I got the drunken noodles with crispy chicken. Although the crispy chicken didn't really go with the noodles, they were still all delicious. I was only able to eat half of the portion and took the other half home.
This spot is the perfect place if you're looking for a hearty, cozy, and delicious meal! Located in the back bay, Pho Basil specializes in Vietnamese and Thai cuisine. Their portions here are huge, prices are really good, and service is very quick and kind. I got their Saigon Noodles (something I've never seen at any other spot) and the dish came in a portion big enough for two meals. Super flavorful and bouncy noodles. Absolutely loved this place.
I've been to Pho Basil several times, with the experience ranging from great to mediocre. My favorite time to come is for the lunch special, when the restaurant is relatively quiet and dishes are even better value. In the evenings (even on weeknights), the restaurant fills up quickly. There are no reservations here, and the wait often trails out the door as diners circulate. Service is quick, especially in bringing out food, and the restaurant is quite casual. Drunken noodles here are decently spicy and a favorite. On the other hand, I found the kao soi to be average. While also spicy, I didn't enjoy the pickled vegetables much.
This right here is the place. Sign up for the waitlist online because it is worth it. The menu is extensive, the scallion pancake is the crispiest you'll ever have. The tofu curry was insanely flavorful. The pho is good but potentially a bit overpriced. I'm still dreaming of the curry from here, it's that good.
Came with a friend for a 6pm dinner on a weekday and there was only a 5-minute wait. Staff was decently attentive; we were in the corner by the window so didn't get passed very often and had to flag the waitress down a few times. Restaurant itself seemed pretty clean with good lighting. My friend ordered the pho dac biet and I got the pho bo vien. I found it interesting that they don't halve the meatballs like most other places. Bowl had a good amount of noodles and the broth was not bad but not the best I've had. The Thai iced tea I ordered as a drink was pretty solid. They did seem a little antsy to get us out and give us the check despite the restaurant being only half-full when we finished eating. I would be okay coming back but don't think I'd seek it out.
8 years ago
Pad Thai is one of my favorite dishes and this one was delicious. The noodles were flavorful and soft while all the veggies were crisp! Usually I find the veggies have the same texture as the noodles, so this was pleasant surprise. We thoroughly enjoyed the pad Thai and scrapped every last bit off of the plate. In addition to great taste, the portion size is huge and can easily be shared by two people! read more
2 years ago
10 years ago
Tasty Vietnamese / Thai food, reasonably priced, giant portions! Really wowed by their drunken noodles (worth the hype) and friend enjoyed the vermicelli bowl - super fresh. The drunken noodles (opted for beef) were chock-full of fresh basil ftw, green beans, peppers, bamboo, mushrooms - bursting with flavor and just really quality ingredients. We also enjoyed the bánh xèo (classic Vietnamese savory fried pancake) with shrimp, cucumber, tomato, green onion, and bean sprouts. If you have a sweet tooth, the Thai iced tea is a must. The wait is real, avoid peak if you can. Friendly, fast service. Taste, value can't be beat - will be back for the combo pho, basil chicken and Tom Yum fried rice! read more
8 years ago
Da Best Vietnamese / Thai place in Boston! I love their Calamari, Pad Thai and fried rice! Make sure you either pick chicken or seafood for protein option as they taste better than beef or pork in my opinion. There is always a waiting line for this place so be prepared to wait if you do not make reservations on weekdays. They do not accept reservation on weekend(Friday, Saturday, Sunday) unfortunately. or you can simply order takeout without waiting and starving :P read more
Nice vietnamese place bang opposite berkley school of music.. place does not take reservation so you need to wait in line right outside the restaurant..vegetarians beware since most of the non veg dishes cannot be customized into vegetarian dishes due to the use of chicken broth in their dishes..we loved their veggie fried gyoza delicious and fresh out of the kitchen and the saucy cake.. the pho chay was also nice and mildly flavored and the crazy udon was tasty as well.. well worth the wait..service was awesome and the server was very friendly and explained all the veggie options well to our confused lot.. value for money 10/10.. definately recommend.. read more
So... being Asian, more like an islander (Filipino)... after eating never ending Italian... chowders... and seafood, this gal was craving some good old rice after two days! I dragged a friend here for lunch since it was just walking distance from the Sheraton (where we were staying...) Walking in after 1 pm... it was packed and I told my friend ... "yep this is a legit place since it was filled with Asians!" and she agreed =) I ended up ordering: Com Ga, Heo, Bo (grilled beef) with fried egg and Thai Iced Tea. The food came pretty quickly... and the portion was huge! First bite... YEP... the good stuff! The grilled beef wasn't filled with fatty meat... it was actually lean and grilled perfectly. The seasoning wasn't over powering (from previous experience) and I grubbed! My friend got the Thai Fried Rice combo lunch plate and she was in awe of the portion size as well. I didn't manage to taste her food since I was busy grubbing but she said she liked it... though she didn't finish it since she got that full. If you're in the area... staying at nearby hotels... need some cheap but good grubbing... this is the place for you! Delicious. Oh and friendly and quick staff as well! read more
5 years ago
7 years ago
5 years ago
One of bestt Vietnamese Pho vegetarian version I have had till date! Quantity and the taste was amazing. Very authentic and recommended for vegetarians too read more
3 years ago
Meat wasn't very well cooked and there was egg shell in my meal. I was excited for the food because of the reviews but disappointment overall. Got the fried rice with ground beef read more
While staying at the Sheraton Boston, I looked on Yelp for Pho and found Pho Basil. I was initially leery of the place as Asian places that purport to do more than one Asian cuisine often can't do both well. It was a pretty darn cold evening in Boston - perfect for a steaming bowl of Pho! I was praying that their Pho Ga was made with a chicken broth - NOT a beef broth like the lazy Pho places offer. Lo and behold, when I arrived and read the posted menu outside the door - it specifically mentions that the Pho Ga is made with a rich chicken broth! Score! So I ordered the Garden Rolls and Pho Ga. The Garden rolls were very tasty, filled with a very fine shred of iceberg lettuce, like a very fine Chiffonade, and herbs and shrimp, rolled in rice paper, and served with a peanut dipping sauce. Of course I added Sriracha sauce directly to the peanut dipping sauce, as well as applying additional squirts of Sriracha directly to the rolls. Very yummy! I can't speak for what the Thai food is like, but the Pho Ga was excellent! Rich, savory, tasty broth, tender chicken (white meat), noodles not clumped or overdone, fresh sprouts, lime, and Basil. One thing was off though - no hot peppers offered on the plate of veggies/aromatics. Most places tend to offer jalapenos. I asked my server - she said they had no jalapenos. I asked if they had something comparable. She told me they had these really hot small green Thai chiles. I asked if she could bring me some. She asked if I wanted it whole or chopped up. I asked her to please slice or chop it up. So she brings me this small souffle cup half filled with the sliced green Thai chiles. She is looking at me with this dubious look - like she thinks there is no way I can handle these peppers. I tasted one and then proceed to dump most of them in the broth. I though her eyes were going to pop out of her head! But she didn't say anything. The peppers made the broth delightfully spicy and hot! As regular readers of this Yelpers reviews probably know - I love hot, spicy food and have never encountered something that exceeded my spice capacity. These peppers made the broth significantly hotter than jalapenos. But I loved it and after eating all the chicken, noodles, and veggies (with many squirts of Sriracha sauce added directly to most bites), I added some Sriracha sauce to the broth, stirred it in, and began slurping down spoonfuls, the drained the bowl. It seemed like my server came to check on me a couple of times as I was guzzling the broth. She asked me how it was and I told her excellent! If the top of my head is not perspiring, it's not a quality Pho experience! Will definitely come back here next time I am in Boston! read more
I was craving pho and this hit the spot. Open till 10pm but last call at 9:45pm. They have Vietnamese beer, Ba Ba, which is nice. The Pho Xe Lua is a pretty big bowl. Broth is flavorful and a solid base. Soft tendon is on point. I also got the steamed mussels, plenty of mussels and pretty cheap. I'll be back for future cravings! read more
7 years ago
One of the best pho restaurants in Boston! Will definitely come back again! We ordered the Bun Bo Hue - $10.95, Kao Soi - $10.95 and iced Vietnamese coffee. They all were really good and impressive. We were there on a Sunday noontime and waited approximately 30 minutes for a table. Service was fast and staff was very helpful and friendly. read more
4 years ago
I've been to Pho Basil twice and it never disappoints! Great Vietnamese food at an affordable price. The food is delicious, and you'll probably have leftovers if you're not starving when you come in. Each dish is flavorful and filling. I've also tried the Saigon Noodle with Crispy Chicken, which was also satisfying. Service is satisfactory. The place does usually have a wait though, so come before or after peak dinner rush! read more
2 years ago
4 years ago
Usually this is my spot but the last couple of times have been disappointing I don't know if they have a new chef but it's not as good as it used to be. The noodles for the Kao soi soup was soggy. They do have fast service you never have to wait more than 10 mins for your food. read more
Great, affordable Vietnamese / Thai food in Back Bay! Came here on a whim with a friend. Venue / Service: brightly lit inside and huge windows to let even more light into the restaurant. This place was more on the spacious side vs other Vietnamese places; in fact, my friend and I had come with suitcases and they were kind enough to store them near the cashier in the back of the restaurant. This place does get a bit crowded / busy; we came around noon and there was a bit of a line. There were a lot of Asians in the restaurant as well as non-Asians. Luckily we were seated within 15-20 minutes. Service-wise, the waitstaff were very quick- they quickly came to take our orders. Food probably took 15-20 minutes to prepare and serve/ My friend and I ordered their Dac Biet (Famous Vietnamese beef noodle soup with rare steak, well done flank, tendon and tripe)($9.95). The broth was a bit heavier than other, more traditional Vietnamese pho places, but it was still quite tasty. Lot of meat in the dish, perhaps a bit too much noodle (had a good chunk left in my bowl). Even so, the balance was still good; would maybe characterize it as slightly more catered to non-Asian tastes, but still good nonetheless. Price was great though for what we got. Overall, a solid spot to visit in Boston. Not sure if it's as authentic as other places I've been to, but it's still good enough for me to want to go back again. read more
10 years ago
To all the pho lovers, dont miss out on this one! An awesome place with Vietnamese and Thai menu and super delicious items. All the items were nominally priced and taste amazing,especially the pho. This place is packed with people,which is a good sign in itself. I only wish the staff were a bit more attentive.If there were a 4.5 star I would have chosen that (with 1/2 offf for the service). They do have a decent selection of cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks. read more
3 years ago
3 years ago
2 years ago
loved dining here and all the food was amazing and tasty. want to come back soon and potentially try the viet food bc the thai food was delicious read more
2 years ago
Affordable and high quality food. The price is lower compared to other similar restaurants around the area, but the wait time is also longer, especially during lunch and dinner times. We had crab rangoon, pho dac biet, and drunken noodle with duck. The pho dac biet was authentic, but the drunken noodle (with duck) was phenomenal. The spices blend in so well with the chewy noodles and creates a perfect balance of taste. The ambience is best for a casual dinner with friends & family. It's a small restaurant and depending on the time of the day, can get very crowded. read more
4 years ago
11 years ago
Pretty small place, so if you come in with more than 4, be prepared to wait a bit while they move around tables since it is mostly for groups of 2 or 4. Pho is fantastic, really flavorful broth and it comes out as soon as they add the broth, so the meat is still pink/cooking (which i like because i prefer my raw steak to be a little more raw than the average person, even in my pho). Gyoza are delicious as well!! The service is simple and minimalistic but the portions are large and the food is inexpensive. Definitely a great choice for some quick pickmeup pho :) read more
3 years ago
I recently traveled to Boston and my friend recommended this restaurant. I am so glad they did because every time I talk about my trip to Boston, I rave about this restaurant! The service, ambiance of the restaurant, and the quality of food was superb and I give pho basil a 10/10 rating!! If I travel back to Boston, I will definitely be back to eat here. read more
4 years ago
I've been frequenting Pho Basil for quite some time. It was my go-to place when I worked across the street a few years ago, and my go-to dish was Pad Thai. Pho Basil was always fast, hot, and tasty. Recently, I was craving khao soi, after having it in Canada, and to my delight, I discovered that Pho Basil serves it! On a freezing Sunday night after working late, I ordered khao soi, and took it home to snuggle (in my belly). ZOMG. It's amazing! It's like a hug in food form! It's bursting with flavor and the soup makes you feel instantly comforted and loved. I ate the whole thing (it's a LOT of soup, I feel like I should be ashamed for eating that much, but it was so delicious and warming!). Will definitely be back again and again for the khao soi. read more
Skip the Pad Thai and the Drunken Noodles - dishes you can find at any Thai restaurant and go for the super authentic Khao Soi! It is a curry noodle dish that I have rarely been able to find outside of Thailand. The soup was so rich and delicious. The crispy noodles added such a delightful crunch. The actual noodle itself was an egg noodle sitting under the soup along with a breaded chicken thigh. Paid $11 in total for one of the best, most homey dishes I've had in Boston. What a steal! P.S. don't mistaken the pieces of ginger for bamboo shoots! read more
2 years ago
Came here for early dinner so didn't have any of the lines other mention. Got calamari for appetizer and it was solid not best I ever had. Very crispy. For entrees we got the drunken noodles with crispy chicken and khao soi which is soup based with noodles and chicken. Both dishes were fantastic! Portions were huge and very tasty. Especially impressive given the price and portion. I feel many other restaurants could learn from this. Drinks were also very moderately priced. Would def come back!! read more
8 years ago
Big portions, wide variety, good taste. But expect to wait! This place gets crowded, even at 2 pm on a Saturday. The ambiance inside is casual and cramped, so I'd that's an issue this probably isn't the place for you're looking for. The Boba is great - not to sweet and they give you a good amount of Boba balls. I also had the Pad Thai with mixed seafood. One of my constant fears with ordering seafood is that a place is not going to give me my money's worth but this place did not disappoint. I counted 3 shrimp, 3 scallops, and a lot of squid in my Pad Thai. Apart from that, the taste was pretty good restaurants. I find that the back bay area is a desert of good food with prices that give you good value - this place is an outlier in the best way possible. read more
8 years ago
Oh my word, what a yelp find. Traveling through but sure wish this spot had a home in LA. My three favorite dishes, chow fun, duck, and curry. Wouldn't you know it, this slice of heaven has a duck chow fun with a coconut curry sauce. Beautiful blending of texture, flavor, heat, sweet, etc... If this slice of goodness is in your neighborhood, be sure to check it out. Major tip: absolutely positively order TAKE OUT. When I arrived, there was about 20 people waiting to get in (the restaurant is on the smallish side of things.) and if we hadn't pre ordered, I can't imagine the wait. Happy eating :) read more
More info about Pho Basil
177 Massachusetts Ave
Ste A
Boston, MA 02115
Symphony
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(617) 262-5377
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http://www.phobasilboston.com
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