Food is great! Service is good! Ambiance is ok. Restaurant is small and they took off the spring rolls!

Simple menu. Prices are decent. The rolls we ordered were very thin. I'm used to having them thicker and stuffed with more veggies. The pho and stew we ordered only had a little bit of meat. The stew said it was spicy, but it was fine for me (I don't always handle spicy very well). Dishes were tasty enough. Service was okay. Limited seating. read more

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I wasn't going to write a review after going there a few days ago but I must in order to help the yelp readers. Pros: The soup broth is very good and tasty. Noodles are decent. Cons: prices have increased which I totally understand due to inflation. However the portions of ingredients such as the beef has shrunk. I can understand the price increase but please don't skimp on the ingredients. This is a double whammy. The restaurant is in dire need of a facelift and needs to be cleaned up. Being in a horrible neighborhood is one thing. But please make the restaurant a little cleaner. I hate to think what the kitchen looks like. The front door screen is torn and looks horrible. So dirty looking and I hate to touch it. As for me, I won't be going back until I see an improvement. I might just buy the instant pho bowls at Longs and throw in some meat because it's pretty good! And it's only $1.50 on sale. You'll be satisfied! read more

This is my favorite Pho place in Hilo. It's behind the Farmers Exchange where Kilauea Ave is a one way street. Parking is difficult at times. The broth is hearty and tasty and the family run restaurant service is very good. I think the selections are authentic and all the ingredients are fresh. read more

Best pho in Hilo! They continue to give excellent food, great customer service & your food is out fairly quick considering how busy they always are. The beef stew pho is a MUST here. read more

Tucked away on a small street in Hilo, Pho Viet has the best pho in town, hands down. The broth is clean and flavorful. The noodles are always perfect. They provide plenty of sprouts and fresh basil. My boyfriend loves the house garlic-chili sauce, but watch out it packs a punch in terms of heat. My personal favorite is their Thai iced coffee, the perfect way to refresh and wake up! read more

Cute place! Owners are so nice too. Yummy food for the price! I love pho and this place was just enough. Also their chili paste when a pho restaurant has good chili paste you know they're legit read more

Had the beef stew pho no beef at all all noodles. Come on pay $9.50 for noodles the broth is good and beef soft but wish had more meat!

i know to find a good pho its soo difficult, even in a big city like LA... so i didnt expect a good one in the litlle town like hilo ( an island in hawaii) but i still had hope since they have 4stars ( thats why sometimes its hard to trust yelp reviews...) pros: - price $7.50 is "cheap" cons: - NOT cheap when there are just 2 slices of beef! thats really cheap ( of the owner) - almost no pho flavor in the broth ( but it happen with so many places, also in LA, the broth has no smell of what a pho soup should smell like, ginger, onion, staranis, cinamon...none of that...) def. not worth 4 stars...;( read more

Pho Viet - hard to find a good pho... had to add a lot of chiracha to give it some flavor - Vietnamese Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

A hole in the wall, a bit further inside the city. I had a Pho with chicken (mixed of dark and white meats). Verdict: Really nice staff and delicious cheap Pho. read more

Pho Viet - Chicken pho. - Vietnamese Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Great pho, especially for the price! I got the flank for $7.50. They don't give too much meat (I think I had about 2 slices in mine) but it's still very filling. Stop by if you're craving pho! My friend isn't a fan of pho usually but she actually enjoyed this one so that should say it all. ;) read more

The soup was good but compared to pho on the main land , it was lacking a lot of meat. We ordered the large deluxe which is suppose to have a lot of meat but we only ended up having a few pieces. Mostly broth and noddles. Not sure I would recommend to my friends in the future. read more

Pho Viet - Vietnamese Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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This place definitely has a legit pho feel to it. The meat is yum and the broth is hot enough to cook a handful of sprouts. I love that they use double insulated metal bowls to maintain the heat of the broth. The chili oil condiment here is really nice and has a good kick to it. The Cà Phê Sữa Đá is made in the traditional way and is delicious, wouldnt be surprised if they used Cafe Dumonde here. I am looking forward to coming again. read more

This place is awesome. The pho soup was perfect. Great service but 1 downfall was not enough vegetables for pho so it was only bean sprouts for my pho. It was still ONO tho and will return. read more

Best. Pho. Ever. That is all! Small hole in the wall spot in downtown Hilo that is family run. Owners are sweet and service is always spot on. We never wait long for our food. We miss their spring rolls and summer rolls, but it's ok because we love their pho. Definitely one of our fav spots and our kids love it too! read more

The best Pho restaurant on the island period. Great broth that you'll never get tired of. We didn't get any of that MSG taste that most pho places have. You can tell the stuff you get here is real...if only I lived on the Hilo side we'd eat here every week. read more

Haven't come here in a while as it's a very small, usually packed restaurant with less than ideal parking, but recently made a visit and was able to get parking and a table. Parking is street side/sandwich parking and they share it with apartments and other stores nearby. It's really hard to find parking, but if you're lucky and you find parking, you won't regret it because their food is amazing. The menu has changed and they currently only serve pho. I was slightly disappointed because they used to serve other dishes and sides like spring rolls or vermicelli. However, they mentioned they might bring back other dishes to their menu so I am hopeful and excited for that. I must say that the pho is as amazing as I remembered it to be! Broth is excellent, meats and veggies are fresh and delicious, and they have all the condiments you could ever need--spicy chili seed sauce, sriracha, plum sauce, and shoyu upon request. Their Thai iced tea is elite! Not like some other restaurants that serve you pure sugar that is more condensed milk and ice than tea. They also give you water with a lemon or lime in it which is nice and refreshing. Let me tell you, they have the fastest service in town. My food came out within 7ish minutes of ordering and I was absolutely floored at how fast I got my food. I love coming here for my pho fix! Has and always will be my favorite in town, and I will gladly put up with the parking and wait for a table because it's so worth it! read more

On par with any Pho in Hawaii. Very simple and straight forward, but well done. Ingredients taste fresh, especially the noodles, which have a nice texture/chew to them. read more

My go to lunch place. I've tried most Pho Soup in all the restaurants in Hilo and I can't find a place to compare to Pho Viet. I would not go to any place but here. Highly recommended! read more

We like this place a lot. That's why we're frequently annoyed that they're closed on Wednesdays. Sunday, I get. Monday is common. Who the heck chooses Wednesday as the day to close their business?!?! Does their daughter have ballerina practice on Wednesday nights? Is it poker night? Does their religion call for no soup on Wednesday? I don't get it. We drove down there so many times only to find them closed before we finally got it into our heads that they are the only restaurant on earth to be closed on Wednesdays. I'll still give them 5 stars, though. Love the beef stew. read more

It's in the heart of town, though just a tad off the beaten track. This small Vietnamese restaurant has a great Pho (pronounced "do re mi FA so...") with meatballs and Vietnam's famous iced-coffee. You can customize your Pho--I ordered it without Cilantro/Chinese Parsley, I can't stomach that, but that's just me--and their menu prices are very sensible. A surprising treat that was made simple and absolutely fulfilling. I certainly advise that you make your way there and have a comparable, if not, exceedingly more so of an experience than we did that day. NOTE: They are open daily except Sundays and Wednesdays, and they close about 8:00 pm. (808) 935-1080. read more

We came here on our last day in hawaii. We were tired of Hawaiian food so we had Thai for lunch at supposedly the best Thai restaurant in Hilo but we didn't like it and ate less than half our food and then went to Akaka Falls. We can back through Hilo for a second lunch and tried this place for pho. Our expectations were low based on our first lunch, but this place was really good. I've been to Vietnam 6 times and live in seattle where there are tons of pho restaurants. I had the chicken pho and it was the best I ever had. The vegetables were all fresh and clean, like they were grown in the backyard or something. And I like the metal bowls as an interesting touch. If you're in hilo and looking for a bowl of pho, definitely try this place out. read more

Pho Viet - the best chicken pho i ever had in hawaii or anywhere - Vietnamese Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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I'm from Southern California and I've had a lot of pho at several establishments, but I'd have to say this place goes right up there on my top 3 Vietnamese restaurants!! That's a lot to say! I come to Hilo at least once a year & my go-to pho place was Hilo Rice Noodle, but that has definitely changed since trying the pho at Pho Viet just recently. The broth is on point; jammed packed with flavor! Wow. Either there's a bunch of MSG in there or that thing has been brewing for hours on end (I actually would nix the idea of the MSG since I did not receive a massive headache after LOL). The chili garlic oil is MOUTH-WATERING & is a must add to any order on the menu. Their Vietnamese coffee is more dark & bitter than the Vietnamese coffee I am use to which gives it the idea that it is essentially stronger in caffeine but I'd have to disagree. Though bold in flavor, I would say I've had far more Vietnamese coffees ("crack" as we say in SoCal) that will wake the sh.t outta you in seconds. Establishment is pretty quaint with very little seating available & no a/c, but honestly that wouldn't stop me from eating there... Even if I'm full of sweat & have no elbow room while dining LOL read more

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Delicious pho! I have been there many times and will continue to be a repeat customer! The restaurant is clean, and the lady who is always there is friendly. If you haven't tried the beef stew with noodles, I suggest that you give it a try. It's like beef stew meets pho. read more

Pho Viet - Vietnamese Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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I came here back in 2013 and left pretty indifferent but it is very dear to the hearts of the local UH students so I had to try it again. Previously I got the beef pho with all the types of meat and found it rather bland. The noodles were consistent with most pho places but the meat was sparse. I was ready to write this place off as it ranked pretty low even among the worst pho places in the mainland on the broth alone. I came here again to give it another try just last week, this time getting the chicken pho. The broth was WORLDS apart. It was delicious with a sweet savory flavor that you can only get from chicken. There wasn't that much meat again but it didn't matter. The broth won. This time I was also given a small sauce cup of this fried garlic and pepper sauce that was really unique. The garlic was crunchy and not at all over powering and the spiciness perfectly complimented the broth, noodles, and meat. I didn't even have any more need of the sriracha and hoisin sauce. Also as a side note, their thai iced tea isn't anything different from other thai ice teas but it really hits the spot on a hot day. So even with my bad experience in the past with this place, their chicken pho has redeemed this place is my eyes. read more

This place was a great find for me! I love their chicken pho white and dark meat. Totally a little hole in the way type of place and there's not much room for bigger parties but it's a cute place to sit with a friend or two. read more

The food here is pretty good, and it comes out really quickly. That earns them the 2 stars. But recently we tried to go here for dinner on a Tuesday night. They are supposed to close at 8, we showed up at 7:35, plenty of time for us to scarf down a bowl of pho and leave before 8. But they had already locked the doors, and the staff was sitting there eating dinner! That sucks. If you dont want to work until 8 then change your hours. read more

It's a shame that this is the only place on the big island that serves somewhat palatable Vietnamese pho. The place is small and often during lunch, you'll find yourself waiting 5-15 mins for a table. But the wait is well worth it if you're after a good bowl. The soup is bold and there is a strong fragrance signaling a great deal of thought was put in to prepare it. It lacks cinnamon and anise fragrance but that is common with Pho found outside of mainland/California. It also lacks a few vegetables like the culantro and cilantro. But they have basil and bean sprouts which are important and the great soup well makes up for it. The price was reasonable and it's in a perfect location. I'd eat there again the next time I get to Hilo. read more

Pho Viet has been one of my favorite Vietnamese restaurants in Hilo since I discovered it a few years ago. When I visited again last night with my family, we were once again delighted. LOCATION AND AMBIANCE: Tucked away behind Garden Exchange on a one-way street below the new downtown McDonald's, it is next door to Naung Mai Thai restaurant and the Taishoji temple. The restaurant is a hole-in-the-wall location that seats roughly 40 people. Park either on Kilauea Ave by entering from Haili St or on Mamo St and walk against traffic to the restaurant. Though we got to the restaurant about an hour before closing, at least 5 other groups entered, which meant a consistently packed dining room of locals, tourists, families, kupuna (senior citizens) and young adults. FOOD: Pho Viet serves excellent Vietnamese food. The pho is always served hot and sports a savory and delicious broth. I ordered the pho with flank, tendon, and meatballs, and there was a good amount of meat. My only complaint about the pho was that it only came with basil and lime, while many other restaurants also serve with bean sprouts, cilantro, and jalapenos. I'm not sure if this is common or if they just ran out since it was late in the day. My mom ordered the beef stew, which was more of a soup than a typical local beef stew, but it was AMAZING! Though slightly spicy, my mom still enjoyed it even though she can't handle spice. The bahn mi roll was soft and crisp. I especially like the garlic chili sauce that is served in a small bowl when you receive your food rather than sitting in a covered cup on the table. It has a nutty flavor that compliments the spice. The spring rolls (fried) and summer rolls (cold) are both good, though they seem small, and the spring rolls were not hot when we received them. SERVICE: Service is fine, though nothing to write home about. If you drink a lot of water like my family does, you'll have to ask for refills. OVERALL: Great food with minor complaints. Definitely try this place if you love pho, soup, or any kind of Asian cuisine. read more

Pho Viet - Pho! - Vietnamese Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

AMAZING! Hilo finally has a real pho place (not like other unnamable places here which are totally disgusting!). So yah, the broth is absolutely amazing (totally clear, so you know they cooked it right). The portions are huge and they actually serve it right with a lil cilantro in the soup and the basil, sprouts, lime and jalapeno on the side. Absolutely amazing and I gotta say, probably the best I've ever had (this says a lot since I pretty much tried every top reviewed place in Seattle and Portland). The beef was also done right! It was not precooked, but added to the broth raw in super thin slices so it cooks in there and stays amazingly tender. ABSOLUTELY PERFECT! TRY IT NOW! Gotta keep this place open! read more

This place is what's up. High quality meal and consistently good every single time I have gone. The staff and are friendly and the environment is mellow. Probably my favorite restaurant in Hilo! read more

Pretty darn good. I was wandering around town today with the slow, congested feeling from my cold. I decided what I needed was some soup. I had heard good things about this place from random people, which I figured was a good sign. I was supposed to eat here with my sisters 2 days prior, but had to cancel because I got sick. The craving was upon me from all those factors, so I went on in. The menu is very limited. Besides spring rolls and summer rolls, they only have soups and stews (the Vietnamese style which is as thin as a soup but with different seasonings). I ordered the spring rolls (eggrolls) and the pho bo ko (noodle stew) to-go. I was pleased at how much care they put into wrapping a to-go order. The environmentally overly conscious might disagree, but let them. The care they put meant the difference between soggy noodle and herb soup that leaks everywhere, and soup as clean, crisp, and fresh as if you ate in the restaurant. The woman who served me even kindly gave me a to-go cup of lime water. Now on to the flavor. Stew broth was well flavored with a hint of Vietnamese 5-spice powder and chile pepper. Wasn't spicy at all, just a nice hearty broth. Of course, they load you with mung bean sprouts, basil, and their famous sauce. They had the noodles on the side, so I was able to control the amount I added. The soup itself had carrots and some extremely tender slow cooked beef. They were a little skimpy on the beef, but that is probably healthier. The spring rolls were very good, but with 2 small rolls given per order, it leaves you wanting more. I would order 2 orders of those next time. All in all, good. The veggie offering in the dishes aren't very diverse or expansive there, and no vegetarian options. Sorry herbivores, but you don't really have a reason to go there. For us omnivores though, yum yum. read more

Pretty tasty pho and big portions! Love the huge silver bowls they come in as well. The broth is tasty and they offer this red pepper/garlic condiment on the side. I love garlic, so it's nice to add another element of flavor Nothing to complain about for the service. Food came out quick The prices are very reasonable as well. For the time being, this is where I'll go if I crave pho read more

I Dream of Pho, specifically from this tiny, little, hole in the wall, Vietnamese, soup kitchen in Hilo! They say that the goodness of Pho is all in the broth, well I have yet to try a bad Pho. I think that the generations perpetuating their family's cultural dishes are staying true to the ancient recipes and that's a beautiful thing. What sets Pho Viet apart from all other Pho I've tried on my travels, is the crispy, fried, garlic bits they put in their chili oil! Being a true garlic lover, it really makes the meal for me! I mix it in with the peanut sauce for summer rolls and the sweet vinegar dipping sauce for the spring rolls in addition to spicing up their Pho. They are closed on Sunday and Wednesday. read more

I didn't give 5 stars because the place is in a terrible location (downtown Hilo behind McDonalds), with only street parking, and a big one for me- no take-out service. I came here for the first time and had the chicken pho and spring rolls. Best peanut sauce I've ever had. The pho broth was tasty, serving size was big. I know they offer ridiculously larger sizes in the states, but one bowl is more than enough to satisfy one customer- not sharing sizes. Price is decent and thai iced tea was pretty good. Food comes out quickly, staff is quiet but friendly. One bathroom available. Small place, fills up fast on rainy days and during lunch/dinner hours. Before this place, I did not care for pho at all. Changed my mind and it is now a favorite. read more

It baffles me that my mom could literally be anywhere in the world, and the number one food she'd wanna eat is pho. Pho, pho, pho. Even in Hilo! Come early or prepare for a wait because we came here on a weekday for lunch shortly after they opened, and it was already jam packed. A little hard to find, since it's off the main road, but super convenient since there are a ton of free street parking available outside. There are a handful of different combinations of beef pho to choose from, as well as pho ga (chicken), and a random offering of vietnamese beef stew as well. You can also get spring or summer rolls, but that sums up the food offerings here. The menu is very limited compared to other vietnamese joints, but why mess with what works? Obviously the pho is the shining star here, and for very good reason. The pho broth is savory, flavorful and full of dimension. The texture of the noodles is perfectly done, kinda with a little bit of a chew factor which I enjoyed. I got the combination with meatballs, brisket, tendon and flank steak. I thought that the portions were perfect, but bigger eaters might disagree. My parents both wished they had more meat in their pho and I could always go for more tendon, but for $7.50 a bowl, I really can't complain! While I normally avoid sauces like the plague when I eat pho, seriously, do NOT miss the spicy garlic chili sauce. It's amazing! Unlike the sauces you might find at other pho joints, you can really taste the garlic chips inside. Dip your meat in it, pour it into your soup, or just eat it by itself! Go crazy, because it's delicious! read more

Not a Pho expert but can't see any reason not to give them 5 stars. We went for lunch and then back for dinner the next day! I didn't try this place for a while because I just didn't know what Pho is. So if you're ignorant like me, here's the scoop. From Wikipedia : "Pho is a Vietnamese noodle soup consisting of broth, linguine-shaped rice noodles, a few herbs, and meat. It is a popular street food in Vietnam ." So basically for about $8.50 you get a huge bowl of piping hot broth, noodles, and your choice of beef served in a double-walled stainless steel bowl. You ALSO get a plate piled high with bean sprouts, an insane amount of gorgeous fresh basil, hot peppers, etc. And ketchup and mustard squeeze bottles that actually contain hoisin sauce and sriracha. I was like "uh, what the heck do I do with all this stuff" and the waitress replied "some people like to put it in their soup, it's up to you" so I just dumped the whole plate of veggies including all the basil in the broth ... it barely fit,,,, and it was delicious. Of the beef choices I tried in my Pho, I like the familiar eye round steak best. Beef stew was more like a soup than a thick stew, and the type of beef was a little unfamiliar to me (maybe oxtail??) but the broth was ONO. Interior is simple but attractive and clean, service was excellent, and they give you a huge glass of ice water with lemon. One of the little details that merits 5 stars. read more

Best Pho in hilo for sure, broth is so delicious. I always use their chili oil to make it spicy. Staff friendly. I usually come here at least once a week! read more

Incredible pho for super reasonable prices. The chili paste they provide is to die for. One of if not the tastiest chili paste I've ever had. There's usually a small line and wait depending on time of day but so totally worth it. I'm addicted to this pho! :) They no longer serve spring rolls or egg rolls :( read more

..best Pho to be had! I've been to many, many Vietnamese Pho places but this is, by far, the best flavor! I think it's because in Hilo, all vegetables are grown organically, so you can taste the basil, mint, cucumber, and bean sprouts just as they are - fresh and raw, nothing else. Same goes for the thinly-sliced beef pieces and meatballs. My husband, who is Vietnamese-American also loved it. We even told the owner that the broth is as close as you can get to being in Vietnam and eating it there! Of course, he thanked us for the compliment! If we are ever on the Big Island again, we would definitely go back and have some more!! Try it once, and you'll see what I mean. read more