The food at Pho was authentic and delicious. In addition, they have invented a very cool lime smoothie. The summer rolls were big with fresh shrimp and the soup delicious. A lot of people were taking out, but even though the space was no frills, eating in was fun. read more

Pho Madison - Vietnamese Near Me - Madison, Connecticut

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Coming from Southern California, I've been hungry for a decent bowl of Pho somewhere - anywhere - in New Haven. Most of the choices in the city are mediocre at best (see my other reviews) so I've been trying to make stops outside of the city to find some unexpected Pho treasures. This is one of them. Pho Madison sits outside of the charming city center, and it looks quiet and unassuming. The dining room was empty when we visited on a late afternoon in January, which worried me since a good pot of pho takes most of a day to make, and enough traffic to justify. But when the soup came out it looked good, and the broth was more than serviceable. It had flavor and a little weight, and the steak didn't come out raw in the hot soup, but was still tender when served. It was far more than we deserved if there was a pot bubbling in the back for the last 8 hours. We also ordered some Spring Rolls which had a nice snap in spite of the winter, but the accompanied peanut sauce was especially good. I'm sure this place gets a lot of love in the summer, but even in the winter (when Pho is at its best) this place is better than anything you'll find in New Haven. read more

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Never knew this little place was here. Took a chance and was glad I did. Had the pho beef and was very good. If you are looking for pho you won't be disappointed. read more

Consistent Yelp feedback says that the food here is very good but not authentic. This is very true. If you want something more authentic you should try Duc's in New Haven. I ordered a Banh Mi with what is described as shredded pork by here wasn't any shredded pork. There seemed to be some type of meat with a plastic-like red rind-pork roll maybe? The vegetables weren't pickled, didn't include any daikon and there wasn't any pate (essential to real Banh Mi). The bread wasn't baked in house either. When I questioned the owner about all of this she simply said that customers wouldn't like it if made authentically and that she would have to go all the way to Hartford to get certain ingredients including fresh bread. That doesn't make sense and she wouldn't know if people would like authentic food unless she served it. I also ordered a salad (forgot name but posted pic) which was very fresh and delicious. Again, the food tasted very good and the veggies and herbs were very fresh. But if you want authentic Vietnamese food, this isn't the place. read more

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amazing pho! really impressive and exactly what i was looking for - definitely a must try

Moved to the CT Shoreline a few years ago from the Wash DC area, and have been searching for good Vietnamese food. Had the Pho on a cold rainy day, it was delicious. Next the grilled pork, then the Bahn Mi. I recommend this place. Plus, the owner is great to talk to. read more

Pho? More like noodles in water. Absolutely no flavor. This is the first time I had to add hoisin sauce into my pho. And it still tasted like water. $10.25 a bowl? Overpriced and the worse pho I ever had. I've been to good and bad pho restaurants. But nothing compared to the horrific pho here. If you enjoy pho like I do then don't ever come here. Even if it's the only pho restaurant around the area. My boyfriend ordered Vietnamese iced coffee. It was some watered down coffee. Ridiculous. Waitress came over to ask how the food was. We told her the truth - that there was no flavor. She said it was made just last night. Was that supposed to be redeeming on the restaurant's part? She walked away without a sorry. Nothing done. Have no idea why this place has 4 stars. Should be negative if that were an option. read more

It pains me to say that this will be my very first Yelp review that I'll be doing since creating my account in 2013 or so (the quality of the food compelled me to do so). A little background - I live in the Bay Area on the West Coast with a huge abundance of awesome pho places (Yummy Yummy, PPQ anyone?). I'm visiting my girlfriend on the East Coast, and before she would take me to pretty good pho places so the East Coast, by no means has lower quality pho than the West Coast. Maybe I'm spoiled with eating good pho throughout my life on the West Coast. Maybe my girlfriend has been taking me to the good places in CT. Maybe, this place's Pho Tai was just inconsistent. Among a group of four, however, we unanimously agreed that the pho (3 Pho Tais and 1 Pho Ga) just sucked. To put into context, we ALL dumped hoisin and sriracha into our soups because of the taste. I've never done that out of sheer necessity in my life. The broth was beyond watered down, so the noodles, themselves, also suffered from lack of taste. The meat was very average, can't really say it was good nor bad. Additionally, I ordered what I believed to be a Viet Iced Coffee (as people may know, Viet Coffee tastes strong and IS strong). One, the waitress messed up my order and had to remake it (maybe it was during the rush of replacing my drink, the messup occurred). Two, I was basically drinking what tasted like instant NesQuik coffee with cream and LOTS of sugar (I felt the sugar bits as I drank the coffee). I normally tip 15-20%, and instead of not tipping at all, we graced them with a sub-10% tip which, in my opinion, was extremely generous. Maybe it was just a bad day, and maybe I'm spoiled with eating at a good pho restaurants (I mean this place does have a 4 star at the time of this writing), or maybe this place is just subpar. As always, take reviews with skepticism as everyone is different; however, I, personally, will not come here again even if I lived around the neighborhood. read more

Very quaint place with friendly, smiley staff. Had the Vietnamese Egg Rolls and the Spring Rolls. Both are excellent, especially the sauce for the egg rolls. I had the pork with vermicelli noodles. Really healthy entrée with a small dish of fish sauce on the side. Quite a delicious dinner! read more

If the goal was a milk toast pho joint bathed in fluorescents, well, then, this is a success. But for a brand new restaurant, I was expecting to at least find toilet paper in the bathroom. Nope. Got the last square and debated using the cardboard roll. On to the food (don't worry, there was handsoap and a soggy paper towel roll standing on the sink's edge): We ordered the egg rolls. I asked if they came with lettuce and mint like every other Vietnamese restaurant I've ever been to. They did not, but the owner was intrigued and served the dish to us with these new accouterments. It would have been excellent if the egg rolls were hotter. They were lukewarm at best. On to the pho: the broth is decent, steak is fine, and the noodles were aplenty. Where is the bok choy and onion slices? Oh I think I see an onion sliver, right next to my single jalapeno wheel. For an $8 bowl, I was hoping to see more veg. The soup was also not very hot when it arrived at the table. This place has potential. Add some plants, dim the lights, get some artwork on the walls, stock the bathroom, and for crying out loud, remove the empty and running Coke refrigerator from the dining room. Unless you're going to put something in it. Is that where you're keeping all the egg rolls? Hashtag: Confused. Seriously, one trip to Home Goods, $100, and I think you could up the ante here. Winter is coming. Pho would really hit the spot for more than a few shoreliners. You could really make some money. http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Vietnamese-Fried-Spring-Rolls-231177 read more

I LOVE PHO!! My favorites are the #1 and the #10 (with the roast pork). I order from here at least twice per week and although the summer rolls can be a little different depending on who rolls them, they are consistently DELICIOUS. This is my #1 take out place for lunch. I don't always check in because I often send my husband or assistant to pick up my lunch. The food is ALWAYS GOOD and very reasonably priced (cheap)!! If you like Vietnamese food and are in the Madison area, this is definitely a place you need to drop by and try. You will be glad you took my advice. read more

Decent new Vietnamese place down by Hammonasset beach .. Not a lot of vegetarian options on the menu but we figured out some things with minor substitutions that worked for us and they were all good .. They said there is a new menu coming soon and it will have a vegetarian section, so we will be back soon and see how they do! Worth stopping in! read more

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Dear yelp friends - we have a diamond in the rough on our hands. Let's hope this place remains our little secret and does not get so big we have to wait for our meals. This place is AMAZING. Best Pho in CT. Phenomenal serving sizes and portions at unbelievable prices. I recommend the #7 read more

It is important to keep in mind that family Pho restaurants like these are not the typical Pho restaurant that you would expect (like Pho 501 or Pho Boston), but rather a place for a quick dinner/lunch. Do not expect much from the decor or the service, but I have to say using the 10 years old son as the waiter shows a lack care and pretty sure it's illegal. Depending on how much Pho you've had in the past, you will give different opinion about their food. My brother, who previously never had Pho, thought that their Pho tai and vietnamese rolls were decent. I, a frequent Pho fan, however, thought differently. The Pho soup were a little bit bland and there were only three pieces of beef in my pho tai for $8.95. So, if you never had Pho and you live near Madison-Clinton area, this place offers a decent start to expand your cultural culinary spectrum. But keep in mind, there are better Pho place out there. read more

I love when the focus is FOOD! Basically I love me a dive. This place is not close to authentic in spice level as a Vietnamese joint, (sadly seems the owner has overly catered to white bread tastes) but, it's a great fresh affordable option adding much needed food variety in this area. The Good: 1) Fresh!! Oh so fresh Vietnamese-ish style food. Quality ingredients. 2) not fancy, not pricey, bigger portions. 3) family run, caring owner. The Bad: bland. My husband has never had Pho, and had no problem with the spice level which I thought was a bit lacking. Since he isn't a huge fan of fish sauce, and had a sore throat he was happy to have a mild warm soup and control his own spice level. He felt that the broth was not bland as some other reviews have said, and in fact, was quite nice to taste the subtle flavors without a lot of salt. Still to ME this was too Americanized, lacking some snap that I associate with Pho, (fish sauce? Lime? Hot pepper?) but to HIM he was happy and satisfied all around. We'd def go back when in the mood for comforting soup. My green papaya salad was huge, and loaded with shrimp. Everything was very fresh. This was a light and Americanized interpretation of this popular dish. If you aren't into bold funky tastes this will hit the spot but I needed to add hot pepper and wished for a little more fish sauce. ((When I make it at home my recipe uses garlic, fish sauce, and hot pepper all of which weren't in this dish. )) Overall I'd def go back for fresh light fare, and enjoy it for that, and not expect 100% authentic Vietnamese flavors. read more

We came here after saw the reviews and the pics post on yelp. I was so happy to find a Vietnamese eatery on the shoreline. My friend, who grew up here warned me, this might not up to standard of New York city and West coast. I insisted we should give small business an opportunity. We ordered for take-out, and it might be why we GOT CHEATED. Decor: plain, which is expected as a Pho place Service: very warm and friendly, this is why we even gave it 2 stars Food: HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT! She gave us an apparently reheated LEFTOVER pork chop (#11), dry and hard like a log. We gave up after a couple of bites. The fried noodle was plain and I had to add seasons to make it more edible. My friend liked the summer rolls tho, but the peanut source was off. Most of the items are now $1-2 more than the menu shown on Yelp, which is very pricy compare to what they offer, and probably 20% more than other similar Pho places. I really wanted to like this place, but by serving a really old and stale leftover pork chop ($10.95), she def. doesn't deserve my business. read more

Pho Madison is a welcome addition to the shoreline where Vietnamese restaurants are a rare occurrence. I have eaten here three times. My first experience was not great with the restaurant being disorganized and many items not available listed on the menu. I chalked this up to it being a new restaurant and tried the place again. I was pleasantly surprised. The service was excellent. My server Alice was lovely and eager to please. The food was delicious, reasonably priced and well presented. The Goi Cuon or summer rolls were fantastic. I will return again and am pleased that they are here. The only suggestion is that they need more vegetarian selections. Jim read more

It's great to see a Vietnamese restaurant in this town. I stopped randomly and when I saw it I had to try it. friendly service with good food. It's more catered to local tastes so Americans will like it. I had the banh xeo and goi cuon, with Vietnamese iced coffee. Enjoyed all 3. read more

Pho Madison - Banh xeo. Cut off a piece of the banh xeo, put it in a piece of large lettuce, roll it up and dip in fish sauce. Yummy. - Vietnamese Near Me - Madison, Connecticut

When I first learned of Pho Madison, I couldn't wait to try it. It is now one of my favorite places to treat myself to a quick lunch. The decor is nonexistent and the staff seems very small. I usually see only one person working, maybe two (although I'm sure there are more employees in the kitchen). The wait for food has always been 15 minutes, whether I stop in to eat or place an order to pick up. The pho is definitely my go to order here. The broth is so tasty, especially with the added sauces, culantro, sprouts, and a bit of lime. I also like the summer rolls, particularly with the sauce. So good! If I get the summer rolls and an order of pho, I can easily share it with another person. When not sharing, I have enough pho leftover for lunch the next day as well. I actually almost look forward to getting a cold or having one of my kids come down with the sniffles so we have a great excuse to pick up pho for lunch! read more

Best Vietnamese on the Shoreline. Next to Hammonasset Beach. Wonderful family restaurant. Pho is outstanding. read more

Pho Madison - #5 Bahn Xeo Special style of Vietnamese pancake. - Vietnamese Near Me - Madison, Connecticut

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Ridiculously good! Everybody needs to try this place at least once. I came once and have gone back 8 times since. This pho is better than the pho I've had in NYC on several occasions. read more

Pho Madison - This pho is ridiculously good. - Vietnamese Near Me - Madison, Connecticut

Terrific, authentic pho and a wonderful variety of noodle dishes. Try the mango salad for sure! Cleanly. Thoughtful about COVID.

Loved it. I stopped going for take out as I can't seem to get a good meal during the pandemic until now. Can't wait to go back and sit there and enjoy my pho. read more

Eating the #7 (Pho Tak?) right now. It's amazing. Adding this place to my weekly rotation. No idea what other reviews mean about small portion sizes... It's a ton of food for $9. read more

I have Eaten pho for over 8 years, this is the Worst pho that I have ever eaten, High price and low quality. Didn't use the right beef to cook the pho, and only 3 pieces of them, literally 3 pieces. Dirty spoon, gave me the check while I was not finished the food. I will never come back here again. read more

The menu needs to be rewritten because it is hard to understand. We ordered at random and got the spring rolls, soup and a main dish, Everything was delicious! read more

It is alright. Food is average. Bowl and portion smaller than most pho places. Not much selections in the area so it is alright for what it is. However, I am not too pleased, out of principle, with their hidden service charges in the receipt. I found this out randomly pulling the receipt out much later to look. Ignorant on my end at time of payment. But Putting service charges and not not being upfront to the customer is poor form. Won't be going back. read more

Very friendly owner. I was not expecting good pho in a tiny shopping area in Madsion CT

The rain was too chilling for the end of May, reminded us of January in Hawaii where we first discovered pho. This is our 3rd visit and the first time dining in. Thoroughly enjoyed the spring rolls with peanut sauce - the picture attached in another review was accurate. They were delicious!!! The hot tea was jasmine. The pho was wonderful and very similar to the best pho on Oahu. The broth wasn't quite as salty as I could have stood. I didn't see (or ask for) soy sauce but I did brave a drop or two of the (very) hot sauce (appeared to be homemade). Not enough to sweat but it really brought it up a notch. Sirracha was on the table, a large bottle. There were other diners. I got chicken, my friend got beef. We were stuffed and it was all-in-all a great dining experience. read more

I love the spring rolls. I love the summer rolls. I love them both so much I can't decide between them. So I order them both. This is not a problem since the food is as light, healthy, and delicious as it is reasonably priced. And the pho is wonderful, too. My wife and I eat here as often as we can. You should, too! read more

They are so friendly and the food is full of flavor. My husband and I enjoyed a nice meal there. When we were done I walked away leaving my purse behind. We went for a drive and when we got back to camp I noticed my purse was missing. We hurried back to the restaurant worried it might be gone. The two ladies who waited on us held it in the back and tried to look us up online to try and notify us. She said she even ran out to try and stop us. You can imagine my relief! They are closed on a Sunday and were ready to ask the restaurant next door to keep it there just Incase I came back. I think they are amazing and I am so grateful. read more

I really enjoy this moderately priced Pho option so close to home. This has the potential to be the best Pho I have ever tried (outside of Cambodia). The broth is better than anything and literally boost immunity and runs off a cold (or hangover) in hours. I always go for the Pho Tai and get a generous portion of lime, Thai basil, and sprouts to mix with the scoops of chili paste that I put in there. My friend Walter lives by the motto that 'if your face isn't sweating, it's not hot enough.' The owner is such a friendly, energetic woman and will almost certainly be your server. She is awesome and a reason alone to come here - come alone or with a party and she will make you feel comfortable. A 5 Star Rating will come with some better quality beef and an update to the decor. I also know that will come with a price increase. I will see you soon Doane (owner). read more

I love the family atmosphere and they are really very friendly. However, their broth is often lackluster and could definitely use to be more flavorful. I have been spoiled by very good pho in different cities around the US and theirs doesn't quite compare. However, considering their location and the lack of other options in the area, I still go here from time to time. Another thing that bothers me is that they do not give you Sriracha hot sauce on the side, they give you a knock off. So if you are picky about your hot sauce like me, I recommend either bringing some or getting take out and using your own. read more

Good service, good food, small place with family run atmosphere. Yes more vegetarian choices would be good.

Delicious. Didn't realize we had such a great Vietnamese restaurant so close to us! The Pho was yummy, ate every bite. Loved the owner, so friendly, funny etc. Might be our new go-to place. Would it be bad if I ate there twice in one day? read more

First time Yelp has led me astray. Detour for dinner on road trip home. Waste of time and a meal. Not authentic Vietnamese food at all. Meat was tough. And no soap in the bathroom. Yuck. read more

First the pros- the woman waiting tables was very sweet and doted on my 2 year old son. Also, the vegetables in our dishes seemed very fresh. The fresh rolls were good. Now the cons- the food was extremely bland!! I had to add a ton of sriracha to my pho to give it any flavor. We ordered a vegetable pancake, shrimp pho and vegetarian pho. All of our dishes were not seasoned and had little to no flavor. The place did not seem clean, the dish of chili sauce looked like it was caked on the spoon as though it had been sitting there for months. On the table were containers with spoon, chopsticks, etc and it appeared quite dirty. I should have listened to all the other reviews. While the woman was very nice, I won't be going here again. read more

I have eaten Vietnamese in various cities in the US. Based on that I found the service to be good, the shrimp rolls excellent, fresh everything Herbs, sauces, etc. 3 items weren't available due to heavy traffic night before But I ordered #10 w beef, fantastic broth terrific beef, pretty presentation And very reasonably priced. This place will improve everyday hopefully, I plan on making it a regular lunch spot for us. read more

Really good food! I couldn't tell you how authentic it is, but we ordered the chicken pho and the #10 with beef and some summer rolls. Everything was refreshing yet hearty and delicious. Neither I nor my dining partner really knows Vietnamese food so after we ordered the meals, the owner came out just to make sure we knew what to expect, which honestly I was glad to have someone explain since Vietnamese is the one cuisine I rarely eat. Anyways great lunch or take out spot! read more

Delicious, authentic pho. Also I had the spring rolls also delicious. Owner very sweet, she came and chatted with me. Best Vietnamese food in the area. read more