Love Phodega! The soups and sandwiches are solid, but I love the Phodega fries and the Fried Chicken Rice. Husband tried the Oxtail Soup Pho special and it was delicious - wonderful broth with a generous amount of beef! Service is fine, some of the workers are naturally friendlier than others. No biggie, we're there for the food. Always able to score a table with little or no waiting. Ask for a rewards card and shop at the mini-bodega! read more

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We tried the pho bo, combination chicken rice, and Vietnamese summer salad. The pho was decent, I really liked the meatballs and the broth had good flavor. I don't think I loved the wider noodles they have here. The salad was pretty good, very refreshing but I felt like the ratio of the veggies were off -- there could have been a lot more cabbage and less onions in my opinion! The star of the show for me was the combination chicken rice. The fried chicken was crispy and juicy, and the poached chicken was very tender. The rice was so delicious and flavorful and a nice texture. All the sauces were great but my favorite was the dark sauce. I can see it being hard to find seating here when it's busy as you seat yourself, and order either at the counter or using the QR code at the table. It is a pretty small place. The ambience and decor in the restaurant was pretty cool, a bit grungy and definitely Vietnamese/Asian inspired! Overall definitely recommend! I would come back for the chicken rice, as well as next time I really want to try the Viet Dip! read more

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Went to the new consolidated spot in Wicker Park and loved it! I started with the crack wings which lives up to their name - perfectly fried wings with a great garlic, salt and pepper taste. I got the spicy chicken bahn-mi sandwich which was also fantastic. A fresh bun with juicy chicken and a heat that had enough kick for my palate. Service was excellent. They answered all our questions about the menu and promptly brought our order to the patio. read more

Phodega - Crack Salt & Pepper Chicken Wings (5pc) - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I hadn't visited Phodega since its move from Ashland, but the Division location is just as great, with even more seating and the same comforting food. The chicken rice is one of the best in the city - simple, hearty, and delicious (definitely add all the sauces). The interior is lively with funky decor, and the bodega section offers a fun selection of Asian grocery items. read more

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Have you ever gotten food-high? I have. From Phodega. The Viet Dip deserves every accolade. It evoked the same primal, emotional response as a gorgeous bowl of pho - which Phodega also does extremely well. read more

Phodega - The Viet Dip - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Had a delicious chicken pho with chrysanthemum tea!! Soooo delicious, adorable, and super quick service. My friend and I sat outside and enjoyed the ambiance. Highly recommend. Thank you! read more

Phodega - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Vibe was fun. Idea was good. Food execution - meh. We had Pho bo and the Hainan chicken. Broth was good but the noodles were horrible, so bad my Vietnamese parents couldn't eat it. If my dad won't eat it, it's not good.... We had the egg rolls. Pork was great but the shrimp was plain. Would've been better if they used ground shrimp in the egg roll. Chicken wasn't bad but I've had much better. And the sauces could use some work. Service was a little confusing at first but we figured it out. Parking - good luck! read more

We've dined in and delivery. Tasty flavors and reasonable prices. The Salt & Pepper Chicken Skins were addicting and super crunchy. I also equally liked the Salt & Pepper Chicken Wings. The Spicy Chicken Banh Mi was flavorful, and I loved the range of textures and ingredients. Pho Bo had generous amounts of meat and great quality. The broth was light and especially hits the spot when you're not feeling 100%. Smart packaging, so the noodles stay fresh and not soggy. "Send Noods" and support small business! ;) read more

Phodega - Salt & Pepper Chicken Wings (5pc), Shrimp Rolls, Pho Bo - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I was excited to see what all the hype was about at Phodega, and I finally had the chance to go. Nothing beats a warm bowl of soup on cold windy night. A small pho shop located in Wicker Park with limited amount of seating. We grabbed a table and scanned a QR code to order our food. We ordered salt and pepper chicken skin, salt and pepper crack wings, eggrolls (pork and shrimp), Pho Bo, and the chicken rice with both fried/hainan chicken. The eggrolls were our least favorite. They were over cooked, and the meat felt mushy and greasy inside. The chicken wings and skin were delicious and super crispy. I preferred the skins over the wings. On to the entrees: Initial bite of the chicken rice and it has good flavor. I wasn't as impressed with the chicken and rice together. They offered 3 different sauces to accompany the dish, but I still felt like it was missing the traditional ginger scallion oil. I actually preferred to eat the chicken skin with the rice. My favorite part of this dish was the side of chicken broth that came with it. It had the most flavor out of anything that was ordered from the menu. I was able to sample some pho, and the broth was very light clean and fragrant. It was a good ratio of meat to noodles to broth. Overall, the food was mediocre, and the service was meh. Every time we asked the server for something he would point to the station towards the front of the shop that housed utensils, napkins, to go container, and water. It was our first time there, so we overlooked that set up. Glad I was able to experience Phodega, if I'm ever back in that area and wanted pho I would consider it again, but not a place I would go out of my way to go to. PS. Don't forget to visit the wall of Asian snacks for purchase! read more

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Every time I go to Phodega I'm never let down. Today I had the combination chicken rice plate (steamed chicken and fried chicken) and it was amazing! I've also had the Viet Dip and Pho Bo and again like I said I am never disappointed. The portions are huge so you always have leftovers. The food is priced well, the servers are super friendly and they are always playing great music. I can't say enough good things. read more

Phodega was a recommendation by my son, who lives not too far away. It is quite unassuming and, as I think about it, hip. When you walk in, it looks like a New York Bodega. There are a small number of groceries as you walk in, mostly candies. It is small, and they offer counter service. That is where things start to change. The people behind the counter really know what they are doing. They are very patient if you have questions and are in no hurry to get you in and out the door. There were four of us who took the last open booth. There are only a handful of tables and three booths available. They must do a lot of take-out business. We ordered several things: Phodega Fries: Yum! What could be wrong about fries covered with thinly sliced ribeye, cilantro, onions, jalapenos, and gravy over french fries Fried Crack Wings: This one I didn't get to try, but I'm told they were great. Spicy Chicken Bahn Mi: Again, without being able to eat gluten, this wasn't on my dinner list. It was shared by two at the table, one of which is not a fan. She loved it. Pho Ga: This was my meal. While I can say I've had better Pho before, this was nice. The meat was tender; I liked the hard boiled egg, and they were very generous with the rice noodles and vegetables. Fried Chicken Rice: My son had this one. He goes there a lot and this is always his favorite. If you want a romantic candlelit dinner, skip this one. But if you want hot and delicious food, even if you haven't tried Vietnamese food before, give it a try. read more

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Food and service were awesome! Fun and unique concept. The Pho was amazing, of course, but we also had delicious egg rolls and fried shrimp here. Great for teens. read more

We came here for the hainan chicken and were shocked by the corner store aesthetic. The vibes there were interesting.  What we ordered: Hainan chicken: the chicken was not tough or dry, the rice was very aromatic, and it also came with a chicken broth on the side  Pho Bo: Tasted ok. I don't prefer the thick rice noodles in pho but the broth was good read more

Phodega - Hainan Style Chicken Rice - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Delicious chicken pho that's also naturally gluten free! As a person with celiac disease, it's a godsend!

"Surely they'll have AC in there, right?" Wrong. Maybe it was a bad choice to go for pho on a sweltering day, but sometimes the urge for comforting noodle soup cannot be ignored. Somehow, it was even muggier on the inside of Phodega than it was outside, without a trace of AC (fine). The fans installed around the restaurants weren't blowing (not fine). At least there was a nice self-serve station for water that I could cool myself down with...except there was barely any water left...to the point where the container needed to be tilted for the rest to come out. To be fair, it was less than an hour before closing, yet...they were still open. It's a smaller restaurant, one where you might expect to find the menu hung high on the wall somewhere, but the only easily available menu sat taped to the countertop where you order. To my surprise, there were fries on the menu. Fries at a pho place? It is called Phodega...so I suppose that's not too odd after all. Fries: Delicious! Came out hot, crispy, and with an interesting hint of sweetness. Pho Ga: I got this because it's my go-to pho and a great way to assess pho quality. When the broth did not assault me with a salty flavor, I was impressed! That is, until I realized there was not much flavor to the broth at all. The veggie sides were given in a pre-wrapped plastic bag. I understand the efficiency of prepping the right portions of everything beforehand, but at least remove them from the bag before giving them to a dine-in customer. Bottles of hoisin sauce and *sriracha are available on the counter for customers to grab. *I think it was sriracha. It came in the classic sriracha bottle, but the coloring seemed a bit off. The restaurant itself had a certain lighting that could be attributed to the off-red color, but not the off-sriracha taste. Our server was super great! She was wearing gloves, which I haven't seen done by a server before, and was helpful to grab to-go containers for us (located in the self-serve area, which I didn't notice). However, though the restaurant closes at 9, vacuuming began around 8:45pm. I've worked as a server myself for 2 years and understand the desire to wrap up at the end of a sweaty day, but it's courteous to at least wait for 9:00pm on the dot rather than rush people out with the whirrrr of a vacuum. read more

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Good pho is hard to find outside of Argyle so i'm excited that Phodega has good pho!!! Although your pho options are pretty slim, the beef broth at this hip pho spot is legit. There's table seating on the inside but since it was sunny and warm out, we opted for outdoor seating. You scan the QR code and order on your phone. We got the Pho Bo and the Viet Dip, which according to my bf is the "best sandwich in the city". When I don't want to drive up to Argyle, i'm getting my pho fix at this spot from here on out! read more

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Home sick today. Was craving a delicious, warm and filling soup to make me feel better . I found it here and loved their pho . So delicious. Packaged perfectly with the broth separate and sauces and bean spouts separate to add into the bowl which was filled with yummy noodles, chicken, cilantro, jalapeños and lime. Will return and definitely recommend! read more

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First time in a long time the portions of a meal have defeated me. Maybe first time ever. Unbelievable amount of pho. Meat was mid but flavor was all there read more

I have been craving banh mi for the longest time so when my friend suggested to meet here for lunch I was super ecstatic! I got here early (like 11am) so there was still plenty of street parking. I've been on this street/neighborhood before and street parking can be a hit or miss if you come later. I ordered the House Special Banh Mi and the combo chicken rice. My friend ordered the The Viet Dip and the fried chicken skins. My banh mi was perfect - crispy bread on the outside and the inside had a good ratio of meats to veggies. I forgot to take a picture of the cross section which means I'll just have to come back again! It was super delicious and if I lived closer I would order it all the time. I was kind of disappointed in my combo chicken rice. Both of the chicken were dry to me. My friend loved her Viet Dip and the chicken skins were nicely crisp too. The staff were very attentive and friendly. I would totally come back for the banh mi and I would like to try their pho as well. read more

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The servers were really sweet, and ordering process for dine in was really simple done through a QR code at our table. A very lowkey spot with really great food, I'm glad their menu selection isn't incredibly large since it allows them to focus their attention towards perfecting the items that they do have. The pho was really rich and flavorful with a good portion of meat to noodle ratio. I do wish the spring rolls were a little bit larger for the price. read more

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We had the opportunity to come by Phodega on their last day at their old location at the beginning of August. We were craving pho, and this definitely hit the spot! I am a big sucker for larger noods, and this pho came with thicker noodles with an ample amount of beef in my soup. My sister ordered the half and half chicken rice and it was delicious as well. The side soup was a bit salty, but it was still tasty with the rice. This location was small, but the ambiance was nice, and the service was efficient. I would love to come by their new location whenever I'm back in Chicago! read more

Phodega - pho bo // ig: @sandyeatslocal - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This spot almost brought a tear to my eye. I was walking around Chicago and came across this spot and liked it's look from the outside, so I decided to have lunch here! I got the chicken pho which had a delicious broth and lots of noodles. I would have preferred a liiiitle bit more chicken in the pho, but it was alright since I ended up getting the chicken skins, wings, and the chicken fried rice! The chicken skins are unique, delicious, and come with a decent amount per serving. They might have been my favorite part. The rice here tasted like it was maybe made in a chicken broth? Not sure, but it was heavenly. There wasn't an item here that I didn't like, and I was also in LOVE with all the staff there! This is a really cool spot and I'm glad I stumbled upon it. read more

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Phenomenal creative Vietnamese-inspired food. In the dead of a Chicago winter, a hot bowl of pho is a great comfort meal. We decided to come down here and see what Phodega had to offer. Every single thing we ordered was delicious. We also ordered a bowl of pho and the fried chicken skins but unfortunately the phone wasn't able to eat first but some standouts include: #The Viet Dip Such a satisfying sandwich! Generous amounts of thinly sliced ribeye harken back to a cheesesteak or an Italian beef texturally while still referencing the thinly sliced beef associated with a bowl of pho. The jus was extremely well seasoned (think star anise, beef pho broth, some lemongrass) without being too salty. Jalapeños add some great crunch and heat. Would get again. #Fries These fries had no business being this good!! Every bite was a delight with a gravy that also references the light savory complexity of pho broth. We were surprised at the amount of ribeye the fries came with and we loved the fresh onions, cilantro, and jalapeños. This could honestly be a meal in itself. #Combination Chicken Rice The fried chicken was great. Loved the garlic fried rice. Haianese chicken was just ok. Can't wait to make my way back to phodega! read more

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Hip spot for some pho, among other things. Order at the counter and grab a seat, but they do get busy so don't be surprised if you have to put your name down for a table. The food comes out quickly so you won't be waiting too long though. Decent pricing with large portions. Happy to have a great pho spot not by Argyle. read more

Phodega - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I'm usually suspicious of trendy Asian restaurants, but Phodega gets the pass because every menu item is genuinely delicious and fun. The portions are generous and filling but you already know that in addition to splitting the combination chicken and dip sandwich, I had to order an extra pho for myself, it's BULK season. The combination chicken plate is so nice bc you can have the fried chicken in addition to the soft gingery hainan chicken over a bed of fragrant hearty rice. The Viet Dip is a banh mi and Italian beef crossover, where the gravy to dip is pho broth. I mean you literally can't go wrong with banh mi and Italian beef fusion, it's as mouthwatering and delicious as you can imagine. The pho is good but I prefer it from other shops up in argyle, come to phodega for some of the creative items! read more

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Vietnamese is one of my favorite cuisines, and this place does it with a great modern spin. It's got a cool atmosphere with nice quick counter service. The people working are kind and get you in and out. I had the Viet dip sandwich on a friend's recommendation. Delicious meat. Lovely roll that was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Having a small side of pho to dip your sandwich in is a stroke of (Chicago Italian beef inspired) genius. The slaw I had on the side was fresh and flavorful. The iced coffee they have bottled there is the classic style with condensed milk. It was delicious. I also got a pho takeout for my wife and she said it was some of the best she's had. We've both been to Vietnam, so take that for what it's worth! You can't go wrong here. read more

Phodega - The Viet Dip & Vietnamese Iced Coffee - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Good solid pho on a cool breezy evening, just what I needed. Staff was friendly & attentive. Always be careful with the chili oil or ask for more lemon just in case lol read more

Phodega - Pho Bo - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I ate here over the weekend with my boyfriend and we had a fantastic experience. I like that it's self serve for the most part. It's a very fast casual place with a cool aesthetic. The service was excellent - some really kind servers were helping us. The food was phenomenal. I also got a coffee that was fabulous. Would recommend. read more

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I super excited to try this place. As a viet myself, this was a good find! Unfortunately, upon arrival, the cashier who rang me up was too busy on her phone to notice I was there. I ordered the beef pho and it was super oiled down. The flavors just weren't there. And neither was the service. Cool place and aesthetic but would not return. read more

I have been to Phodega many times and everything I have tried was very good. My favorites are the hainanese chicken rice, viet dip, dumplings and pizza puffs - basically almost their entire menu! Their staff are always friendly and helpful. Highly recommended. read more

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Super friendly service - greeted so warmly upon arrival, cute spot! Excellent egg rolls, pho was good as well- tasty broth. I'll be back soon to try more dishes and the Vietnamese iced coffee! read more

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Ok hear me out... I was skeptical at first. I mean, look at the name... anytime I see anything fusion I have a high level of skepticism that this is gonna be bad... but I went with it, why not? Snuck out of work and came to grab up lunch. Menu is short and sweet. I had asked the person which I should pick the chicken skin or the egg roll and he had suggested to go with the eggroll Since I said I wasn't too hungry and I can easily pack it up. Got my viet dip and my eggrolls, presentation wise, the sandwich is loaded. The amount of beef you get.... The au ju or pho broth is pretty thick looking and cloudy aka it is full fat and flavor. I took the first bite without the dip, and the beef is definitely full of flavor and marinate it for a while. you also get the white onion as well as the cilantro. This is definitely more of a pho banh mi then a traditional banh mi. Second bite, dip! And the broth is definitely not something you should be drinking on its own. It is super rich and potent in that beefy goodness. And the bread is soft enough for this dip versus your traditional crunchy baguette. My only con is...I wish there were more onions in my sandwich, this was so rich of a meal with so much beef and the potent beef broth that I was really really full after this. I want it more onions to help cut the fattiness as well as giving it more texture since the bread is pretty soft as well. The eggrolls were good, I got the combo which is to pork and two shrimp. I definitely could've skipped out on the eggrolls based on the sandwich alone. The pork eggrolls, or my favorite, but they definitely double wrap the egg roll, which gave it a really good crunch but a little bit too bready. They do not skip out on the meat, the pork was filled to the rim. The shrimp was OK, I think they just wrap a whole shrimp with the wrapper and added a few greens in it. I'm also a purist, but I prefer the fish sauce step over the sweet Thai chili sauce, which was what was provided. Overall really really good meal - would come back again read more

Phodega - The Viet Dip (egg rolls in the back) - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

A lot of good pho places have opened up around here. In this very tiny place they have a counter to order at, and you can also get some Asian groceries like many noodles. Phodega is a very casual place. Feels like you're eating in some tiny shack in Vietnam almost. They also have a vegan friendly pho soup. It was getting cold so we knew we could warm up by getting some hot pho here. Once we saw the sign in the window advertising the vegan pho we knew we had to check it out. This place is fucking tiny. It's not only a restaurant but a grocery store with a few convenient Asian items. Most of these looked like bags of ramen noodles, but there were also spices. It only has a few tables inside. We still were able to get a seat because it's not a busy place. It's because not enough people know about it. We got the Pho Chay, the vegan version of pho. It's $10 for a lot. This has vegetable broth with baby corn, rice noodles, and straw mushrooms. On the side there's basil leaves and bean sprouts to add in. The broth had good flavor, with its only problem being salty. Lots of noodles, which were thick and hearty. There could have been more vegetables but they had a good assortment in it. Check it out up on Ashland Avenue. It's a small place so you can miss it. This isn't good for large groups so for those get takeout. read more

Phodega - Pho Chay - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The food and the portions were good and very large. The flavor of the soup was better than I expected although untraditional. I got the weekend special ox tail pho and the ox tail was super tender. They used a wider noodle than what I am used but I would order it again! The restaurant is very much bodega style look and feel. Very small restaurant but interesting decorations. It is mostly self service but the staff often checked in on us and we're very friendly! read more

I ordered the chicken pho when I had COVID. The kit was super cute and came with a ton of sauces and add ins! Overall I wasn't super impressed with the chicken pho flavor / taste but will try again and try the beef pho! read more

Phodega - Pho Ga - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I tried this place last weekend with a friend and we both CLEARED our plates! This Vietnamese restaurant was a great mix of pop culture and uniqueness. The snacks and drinks our eye eye-catching and a great addition to any entree. The whole crew was very friendly, constantly checking up on us, and they even let me order different types of fried dumplings (veggie & beef) since they were out of spicy pork. Overall, Phodega is now one of my FAVORITE spots for a bite and I can't wait to go back to try a new entree and drink. They also have a punch card that allows you to get a free entree after the 10th. So, the 11th is on me :) 10/10 recommend! read more

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Absolutely amazing sandwiches. I would give it five stars but there's been many times that I've ordered it that I've had missing items. I've got a refund, but it's frustrating for it to happen on a consistent basis. Usually I wouldn't let that affect my rating, but, it's happened a few times. I recommend going in instead of using DoorDash because the food is absolutely delicious. I'm so glad they have their location on division Street now. read more

Once again came to grab some pho after a night out. I had a close friend hype it up so I came in with heavy expectations. Sadly I don't know if I would ever come back. Maybe it was just a bad day, but overall the only thing it has going for me is that it is somewhat close to me. Ideally when I get pho it comes out quickly - we waited a while so I had a hunch it wouldn't be what I expected. Pho Bo: overall it looks fine! It just didn't taste anywhere near what I imagined it to be. It was bland, maybe like watered down beef stock :( the quantity had me wanting a bit more. I had to force myself to finish it sadly as every bite was just me knowing what it could've been. 4.1/10 My friends rave about it still so maybe one day I will give it another chance... read more

Phodega - Pho Bo - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Hands down my favorite sandwich in the city right now is the Viet Dip! This take on a beef sandwich is pack with flavor on its own but you dip it in the pho broth and HOMYGAWWWWWD!!! It's truly a euphoric experience for your tastebuds. The fries were also really good. We got this order to go. The place literally looks like a bodega inside with a variety of international offerings. They had limited seating. All the food coming out of the kitchen looked amazing. The cashier was a super dope and gave me his recommendations. The spot was just real laid back no frill putting out quality product. They have me hooked, plain and simple. read more

Phodega - The Viet Dip with fries - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We came here in the winter time and ordered both the beef and chicken Pho's. These were incredibly satisfying on a cold winter day, and reasonably priced this close to downtown Chicago, coming out to about $12-$13 a bowl. The inside dining space is small, there are maybe only 6 or so small tables inside, most seating parties of 2. The turn over is pretty fast though so I would say it's worth waiting for a table to eat the noodles fresh! I also like how there is a small Asian grocery market inside the shop, which sells all sorts of drinks, snacks, and miscellaneous items. We also ordered a Vietnamese iced coffee and this was absolutely delicious! It had a strong aromatic coffee flavor which was amplified with a hint of sugar but not too sweet. One of the best Vietnamese iced coffees I've had in the city! read more

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