I needed some Vietnamese cuisine in my life. I also had a 50 mile race coming up within the next two days. Definitely need those carbs within those noodles!
I found out that there was a top rated Vietnamese restaurant in the heart of Crystal Lake, Illinois. I was like, OK let's see what's going on here that makes it so awesome. And so, I invited my friend who lives in Crystal Lake to join me. After flying into Chicago O'Hare that day, took a Uber to Crystal Lake. Upon arrival, we were here around 8 PM. The dinner crowd had largely finished up and we were treated to empty tables, which were ready for us to sit almost immediately. And so, my friend and I were seated very immediately after the owner I assume came out to greet us. It was suspiciously large for a Vietnamese restaurant, but large is good. Can't see the same for the bowl of Vietnamese soup though that it came in. I've seen larger bowls in other restaurants in other cities, but it is what it is. The total time spent here was about one hour or so. It was nice to have a great company to talk about marathons and running, while having a nice large enough bowl of Pho. I ended up having an order of summer rolls along with the aforementioned Pho, which was the combination one. The restaurant itself was definitely clean and well-maintained. The service here was very friendly and casual at the same time while being typical and awesome. Definitely can't complain since it felt like being at home. Asian cuisine always seems like it is healthy enough versus American fast food, but it is what it is.
The overall experience here at Royal Pho Vietnamese restaurant in Crystal Lake, Illinois was very good and above average, while maintaining typical and friendly ambience. I definitely liked the company here since my friend came to join me. It was very quiet and you could tell that it was just a few people besides us that were here that Wednesday night in November 2024. Scattered throughout the restaurant but we had our space for sure. We sat close enough to the restroom. There wasn't really any air conditioning to speak of, since the weather outside was already cold enough in early November. The Pho was definitely awesome and hit the spot. We were served the summer rolls first before the veggies were brought to our table. Then maybe 2 minutes later, the server brought out the Pho for both of us. It was a magical time since Pho was involved. The meal was good and I ended up finishing everything while my friend ate half of her meal and asked for a To Go container for her Pho broth and other items left from her bowl. In hindsight, I definitely needed all that soldium and carbohydrates that night, since I was going to something in 2 days that would be considered legendary at least in my mind. In the end, it was definitely legendary for sure. I enjoyed myself here and hope to be back
Sometime soon. Even my friend who lived in Crystal Lake didn't know this place existed, she admitted to me. Though that was funny.
Royal Pho Vietnamese restaurant is located at 230 W Virginia Street in beautiful Crystal Lake, Illinois, which is about an hour from Chicago O Hare international airport. They accept major credit cards as well as cash. As far as parking goes, Royal Pho Vietnamese restaurant is connected to a semi large commercial district, so they have plenty of space for you to park here. Best bet is to park next to the restaurant so you don't have to walk that far. Then again your choice how ever you want to do it. If you're like me, you would have friends here to take you in their private car, like how I did for this evening in Crystal Lake. If not, aspen is to plan ahead and rent a car and get you here as quickly as possible. If that doesn't work, is to have the Uber or Lyft app on your phone and call for a ride. That's the best way to do it, but it cost a little bit of money. If you're a fan of public transportation, I'm not sure if Crystal has his own bus system, but it does have a train system going from Crystal Lake all the way down to the city of Chicago. If you have the time, you can train it from Chicago to Crystal Lake, but after that you may be on your own. Best bet is to check around to see if there is a bus system around Crystal Lake to see if you can get around without using Uber or Lyft. With that said, this may be the best Vietnamese restaurant in the city of Crystal Lake Illinois, Royal Pho vietnamese restaurant stands out because of their user rating on Yelp. That's what gravitated me towards coming here for dinner. It is definitely a place you would want to check out for dinner or any meal that you require. Definitely Recommended if you're in the area and need your Vietnamese food fixed for the day, week, or year.
4.5 stars for the overall experience. 5.0 stars for the ambiance and the service. 3.0 stars for the prices, but 4.0 stars for the food.
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