We went around 5pm on a Saturday and about half the tables were filled. The place is nicely decorated and well lit. We were quickly seated and placed our orders. Barely 5 minutes later, our fresh spring rolls were on the table. It did feel like mostly shredded lettuce but it was still refreshing. The peanut sauce was pretty good. We were half way through the spring rolls when the pho came out. The broth was flavorful. Not the strongest I've had but pretty good. I got a regular size P7 and thought the meat to noodle ratio was pretty good. Overall, pretty good pho for the area. I would come back. read more

Pho Live - Fresh 2 Piece Fresh Garden Roll - Noodles Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

I'm really excited about this new Vietnamese spot in Columbia! The first thing that stood out to me was the colorful floral decor--it adds such a lively and welcoming touch to the space and makes the fast-casual setting feel warm and inviting. We ordered the chicken pho and the beef pho with steak, brisket, and tendon. I appreciated the generous amount of meat toppings in the bowl, which made the pho feel hearty and satisfying. The soups were flavorful and comforting overall. Personally, I tend to prefer a slightly lighter beef broth, but that's just my own taste preference. The service was excellent--everyone was kind, attentive, and the food came out quickly. It made the whole experience smooth and enjoyable. Overall, this is a great addition to the Columbia dining scene, and I'm looking forward to coming back and trying more items on the menu. read more

Pho Live - Noodles Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

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The positives I'd say were the service, ambiance and location. Service was friendly and it is a very clean restaurant. The decor is nice. Unfortunately, the pho broth seemed too light. It almost tasted a diluted to a degree. My family all thought it wasn't the pho broth was just lacking in flavor. The noodles were cooked well though and not mushy, which was a positive. The chili oil they have on the table was awesome too and really helped up the taste. The spring rolls were lacking too. They did not have much protein and felt like it was almost all just shredded lettuce. I would like to try this place again, but perhaps a bit in the future in hopes they depth of flavor is stronger. read more

So happy to have another good pho place nearby! We got two phos and one chicken vermicelli salad bowl and enjoyed our meal. The phos came out hot, had wonderful savory flavor, and was a good serving size. The chicken vermicelli salad bowl was refreshing but at the same time was full of umami, and came with a lot of toppings. Will be back for more! read more

Pho Live - Menu - Noodles Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

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Been here twice already since they opened in December and you can feel the heart the moment you walk in. It's clearly family-owned, and the staff are incredibly warm, welcoming, and genuinely happy to have you there. We met the owner Vivian and she's the sweetest! I'm no pho expert like some of these reviewers. I genuinely thought the pho here is great. Hearty broth, perfectly cooked noodles, generous portions, and fresh herbs... checks off everything on my soup list. We also ordered the summer rolls and crispy egg rolls, both of which were fresh and beautifully made. And don't skip the Thai tea with bubbles. Perfectly creamy and not overly sweet, a great balance. The boba balls are what my in laws would say "QQ" - perfectly bouncy :) If you're craving Vietnamese food with amazing service and a cozy, neighborhood vibe, this spot is a must-try. We'll definitely be back! read more

Pho Live - Noodles Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

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12.11.25 The restaurant celebrated its grand opening yesterday, and my husband and I stopped in for dinner around 5 p.m. I ordered the regular-sized bowl with flank and brisket, while my husband chose the eye round. We were both impressed by the generous portions--easily double what we've seen at other spots nearby. While I appreciated the abundance of meat, I personally prefer the flavor and texture of flank and brisket at other Columbia restaurants. The broth, however, stood out: fragrant and the darkest I've encountered anywhere. I also ordered egg rolls, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The space itself is cozy, with tables for two to four guests and a few counter seats by the front window. Seating is a bit tight between tables, but it adds to the bustling atmosphere. The staff were warm and welcoming, greeting us as soon as we arrived. They're currently offering a promotion of 20% off this week, which is a nice bonus for new patrons. read more

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Overall: super kind and fast service, casual sit down restaurant, fair prices, fine food, gendered restrooms, high chair available We tried pho, wings, and lo mein. Everything was fine, nothing I'd be itching to return for, but the meal was filling and reasonably priced with fast and kind service. read more

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summary: new pho spot located in the Columbia Crossing shopping center that literally opened like a week ago (~12/15/2025). Has a selection of commonly found Vietnamese dishes with a few other things. This used to be a Ramen/noodle place and they kept a lot of the old decor, but everything is still pretty fresh, new, and clean. As mentioned, they are still very new, so when we went it did feel very much like the staff was still finding their footing; nothing bad, just a bit scattered, which I feel like is pretty expected. It's a pretty cozy location with a decent amount of indoor seating (probably somewhere like 15-20 tables total). The food was decent. When I get pho, I look for a certain amount of richness and depth in the broth as my measuring stick. While the broth did have good flavor, I did feel like there was a little bit lacking in the depth. The meat and other add-ons were very fresh though. As for the wings and the chicken lo mein, they didn't quite feel all that special. The lo mein had a nice touch of wok hay flavor (kind of like smokiness) and the wings had an okay crisp. Pretty solid spot though and would recommend if you're in the Columbia area. read more

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Very fragrant pho broth rich in flavor and big portions when ordering just the regular sizes! Highly recommend this new Vietnamese pho restaurant! I saw a 20% off promotion for Pho Live's first opening week and went to check it out with my friends! The restaurant serves many appetizers, bubble tea, classics like fried rice and lo mein, and various pho noodle soups with different cuts of meat. For a $12.50 regular sized bowl, we received a big portion of pho with lots of meat and toppings like cilantro, onions, and more. The broth had a rich beefy flavor that had us slurping every drop of it! If you were looking for other noodle soups like bun bo hue, this place does not have it FYI; their specialty is pho. As for the fried rice, this dish had a nice, smokey flavor and the portion was also HUGE! It tasted even better when adding a bit of chili oil onto it. The mango smoothie was ok and not too sweet; I'd come back to try their other drinks. Lastly, the service is quick and very considerate; they always had our waters refilled and asked if we needed anything else. Overall, great spot especially right now during this cold weather for a hot bowl of pho! read more

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Was happy to try Pho Live on their opening day! The place is well decorated, feels open and clean. Staff are nice and responsive. The food was good! Not mind blowing but tasty. Price is average for the offerings I think. Was a good buy coming this opening week where everything is 20% off. Was pretty excited to get some fried dough (ban quay, same as Chinese you tiao) which was delightful dipped in the soup. My guess is that it was frozen then fried, but was hot and fresh coming out. Would come back for it since I don't see it offered in many places. The fried tofu was well flavored, nice and crispy on the outside. I got a veggie pho for entree. It was a pretty full bowl. Lot of veggies and noodles. Condiments available on the table include sriracha, hoisin, and chili oil/crisp. (And ketchup for those who like that) Overall, good food. Worth a try. read more

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Loved Pho Live in Columbia, MD! The pho chay vegetarian soup was comforting and flavorful, the vegetarian fried rice was delicious, and the spring rolls were fresh and crispy. Café-like ambience, super relaxing, and the service was great. Will definitely be back! read more

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This place is honestly a joke. Probably the worst pho I've had in the past couple of years. I understand you can't directly compare it to the great spots in Virginia, but even with tempered expectations, this was a huge disappointment. As soon as you walk in, the restaurant is overwhelmed by a strong burning incense smell. It completely ruined my appetite and interfered with both the smell and taste of the food. It feels like basic restaurant common sense not to overpower the dining area with incense. The garden rolls (summer rolls) were poorly balanced, ratio was just off, and the peanut sauce was one of the worst I've had. The pho itself lacked depth and flavor and definitely didn't taste like it had been simmered properly. It tasted rushed and flat. The most shocking part was being charged $4 for sliced onions, which just felt like pure greed. Overall, the food quality, pricing, and execution were extremely disappointing. I don't see how anyone familiar with good pho would want to come back. I don't think the owners are Vietnamese either which makes perfect sense why everything tasted off. read more

Was excited to see Pho Live was finally open although I was sad to see them replace one of my favorite Ramen spots. They are a solid Pho restaurant. Not my favorite Pho, but not the worst. My issue with it is prob something most pho lovers wouldn't have an issue with. It had a lot of meat. Like a lot of meat. Again, something most people wouldn't complain about, but for me I felt uncomfortable after my experience. The broth was also a little too dark for me. I prefer a lighter broth. I think everyone had their preference when it comes to pho, so you have to give it a try to see what you think. Service was on point and prices were reasonable. Not sure I'll go back but definitely not a bad experience. read more

New place. Very nice. Very quiet. The waitstaff is very polite. Menu is much smaller than we expected, at least the written menu that they had in the restaurant. Others have posted pics of other mains but we saw only pho. It was quite good though. A dozen-plus options to choose from. It's not as small as it seems to be from others' reviews, but not huge. Easy to get to; big typical Columbia parking lot. We'll be back for sure. read more

Decided to try this place out on a cold night. Ordered the summer roll, P1 and the pork chop with rice. The dish might not look as appetizing but it's packed with flavor. Delicious I would say and service was great. I think I found my go-to pho place around my area. read more

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I didn't realize this place had only been open for one month as it seemed pretty well run. We were seated very quickly after we came in. The lady took us to a table off to the side since we had a toddler requiring a high chair and turned on a space heater to make sure it would be warm enough which was nice. I didn't notice it being any colder in that corner but it was nice that she preemptively turned on the space heater. I was relieved the pho was priced well - around $12.50 for regular bowls, more for larger sizes ones. The broth was not as flavorful as some places but still passable. My husband also got the grilled pork chop. He was disappointed that it was overcooked and cooked with any Vietnamese flavoring like lemongrass but to be fair, the menu didn't advertise the pork chop to have lemongrass flavor. Overall, our experience was positive and the service was fast and friendly and the restroom was clean. read more

We normally go to PHO la cay. We figured we would try this new restaurant as they just opened recently and we wanted to give them our business. We ordered appetizers and PHO to go. When we got home, there were no toppings for the broth, only broth and meat. No basil, cilantro, onions, sprouts or jalapeño. I did let them know that I only received broth once I got home. We decided to return today and give them another shot. Just got home and there's no hoisin sauce and no chili sauce. I told her last time they left out the toppings so she pulled them out of the bag and I said thank you. Then when I got home and called them back, they said that that sauces should be in the bag which clearly they were not. I think we're going back to pho la cay. Never had a problem there. read more

Pho Live - Noodles Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

Had a good time. Service was quick and efficient. It is a smaller space, but very comfortable. I had the pho with steak and had a great time. We also ordered pho with the beef meatballs, but the broth seemed to lack the same flavor as the other pho broth. The shrimp and chicken fried rice was very good. I'd recommend anyone to at least try the food here. read more

Pho Live - Noodles Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

Rounding up to 3 stars, but more like 2.5. I had been waiting eagerly for this spot to open, but sadly it was just ok. My Vietnamese family tried the: - beef pho: The meat was excellent and portion was very generous especially for the price. However the broth was lacking in flavor - not bad broth, but certainly not great either. According to my mom, you should get the pho here if you want very nice tender meat, and in good quantity, but not if you care about deep pho flavor. For reference, though, she thinks it's better than An Loi, and much much better than Baltimore's Pho Bac. She says that she would come back here if it were a chilly day and she wanted hot soup to warm her up. - vegetarian pho: Quite bad - I haven't found a restaurant in the DMV that makes their vegetarian pho with any pho spice or flavor, so it wasn't a surprise that the one here was also just plain veggie broth and noodles. However this veg broth was by far the least flavorful I've ever had and I would not come back for it. You could do better by getting store bought veg broth and boiling your own noodles at home. Also, doesn't come with any tofu as noted on the menu. - Vietnamese fried chicken: Nothing Vietnamese about this, just plain crispy fried chicken without any seasoning. As a fried chicken lover, my dad still enjoyed it - but note that it is not the usual Vietnamese chicken with fish sauce, nor does it have any other flavorings. Some positive points: cute interior, decent service, really incredible prices in this economy. read more

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I was really excited about this place opening recently. I ordered the shrimp pho, after finding out there was imitation crabmeat in the seafood pho. I specifically asked for no imitation crab meat. Got home it was full of it anyway. And if you don't ask, you won't get bone broth with anything but beef pho, the chicken broth and all other broths are NOT bone broth. That was very disappointing. read more

Service is good. Restaurant was clean. Food was mediocre at best. The pho broth had very little flavor. Seemed diluted.

Everything was great!! Inside was very comfy and clean, and the staff was friendly. I had a bowl of Pho and spring rolls and it was delicious. Will definitely be back again. read more

The food portions are huge! it's worth your money and has good flavor, nothing artificial or bad for you. They gave top tier service, they were super efficient and welcoming, it made the atmosphere so relaxing. I recommend this spot and will definitely come back to visit again. read more

Pho Live - Noodles Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

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Service was wonderful, the staff were so kind and friendl! the ambience was calm but welcoming, me and my family were so happy to come here. Food tasted so wonderful, I was definitely satisfied, especially with the drinks and soup! read more

Food is not authentic Vietnamese. Has to be the worst Vietnamese food I've had. The staff was nice.

I was so happy when I saw that this place was open on Christmas. I was hesitant to go there when they first opened because I have many Pho places that I like to go to and this place seemed to be like some one off franchise or something. I can tell you that I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food and the service. I was also happy to find that they were open on New Year's Day and were very busy. So Pho was the first meal that I had of the new year. Happy New Year everybody! Give this place a try you won't regret it. read more

I have been here twice. The first time was during the first week of March with my friends, a party of 6 people. We really liked the service and the decoration of the place. The owner put some thought into the decoration and it definitely reflected it. The food was good so I decided to bring my husband to try out 3 weeks later. We each ordered the special phở, my husband added the spring rolls and I added the summer rolls. I couldn't believe how much the phở broth flavor changed within 3 weeks. The first time I was here I thought the broth was decent but not this time. The noodles were cooked right but the broth was just bland and not hot enough. Don't get me started on the summer rolls. They looked nothing like the picture. The rolls weren't even sealed. They looked like the rolls when I first taught my children when they were little on how to wrap at home. The order came in 2 rolls. I tried very hard to finish the first roll and I had to send it back to the kitchen. I hope the owner or the "chef " reads this. I have eaten summer rolls my entire life (over 5 decades) and they have a complex flavor of fresh herbs. These rolls should not have only iceberg lettuce, noodles and shrimp. If this is a Vietnamese cuisine then stay true to it. These rolls should have a well balanced of (at least) basil and mint, green leaf lettuce, cucumber, pork and noodles. When you bite into it the roll should not fall apart in your hand! I will give this place another try in the far future but for now I do not recommend the summer rolls. read more

The portions were good, but the overall service was okay. There weren't enough people working so it felt like it was busier than it was. A lot of online orders were coming in so the table service a bit slower as well. read more

Ordered eye round, flank and brisket. Got what looks to be tripe and tendon. Brought it to the waitresses attention. She asked me if I could just scrape it to the side or they could do it in the back if I liked. The right answer should have been: Sorry. That's not what you ordered. Let me take this away and get you what you ordered. One and done for me. read more

Pho Live - Stuff they told me to pick out of my soup after they got my order wrong instead of making it right. - Noodles Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

Pho Live is a family business with many great surprises. If you have never experienced Pho soups you will enjoy the variety and the additional vegetables, herbs, and citrus to your own taste provided. The 3 table sauces are spicy, rich with crunchy red peppers, and a lovely sweet sauce that you can eat on veggies, or put directly into your soup. We had the chicken soup with amazing noodles, along with a veggie roll with peanut sauce... Families with young children filled the restaurant and the servers and cook were extremely helpful and shared some cultural cooking ideas when they brought us the food. It was my friend's birthday and a generous piece of key lime pie was provided to help us celebrate... it was "on them". We enjoyed the evening very much. read more

Everything is good, the service was excellent and friendly. I wish the soup were hotter.