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I can eat phở every day. But quality and taste matter. Where can I get the best pho in Denver?
Phở or pho is a Vietnamese soup dish consisting of broth, rice noodles (bánh phở), herbs, and various cuts of meat. It is typically made with beef, but you can also get chicken and vegetarian pho nowadays.
Related: Beef and Oxtail Phở Recipe
The Denver Vietnamese community is pretty sizable. Little Saigon is located on Federal Boulevard between W Alameda Ave and W Florida Ave. It’s a hub with Vietnamese restaurants, delis, shops, and other businesses.
I’ve lived in Denver for about 4 months now and have tried some places that have been highly recommended by others.
Here is my current list of favorite pho spots in order of my favorite to least.
Best Phở in Denver
#1 O Liên Kitchen
O Liên Kitchen is a Huế (Central Vietnamese) restaurant. They are known for their Bún Bò Huế (BBH), a spicy pork and beef noodle soup, but their phở is one of my favorites in Denver!
The broth is balanced and very flavorful. They also serve their phở with their house-made saté (flavorful garlic chile oil) and pickled onions (hành giấm – pronounced “hen yum”).
They also have a pho happy hour where you can save 15% off any pho bowl! It’s EVERY DAY from 4 PM to close.
The family owns and works at this restaurant every day. So you know you are in good hands with O Lien!
Address: 781 S Federal Blvd B, Denver, CO 80219
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#2 Pho 555
Pho 555 serves “northern style” pho. The broth is much more savory, and it’s typically served with a flash stir fry of scallions and slices of beef.
However, their pho comes with a variety of cuts of beef of your choosing. My favorite pho to order there is the #19. It comes with tendon, tripe, and brisket.
The broth right off the bat is very flavorful and balanced. The noodles are cooked perfectly! They have plenty of stretch without breaking and a very silky yet chewy texture. The portions are also huge! You can get a large pho for $16!
And when you order, definitely ask for a bowl of nước béo (fatty beef broth with scallions), saté (chile garlic paste), and hành giám (pickled slices of onion). These items will enhance your bowl of pho!
Location: 1098 S Federal Blvd, Denver, CO 80219
@ilovebowljobs MUST TRY Phở in Denver! 🍜 Add Pho 555 to your list! They are known for their northern style pho. The broth is rich and flavorful yet it comes with all southern style accoutrements such as Nước béo (fatty broth with onions) and Hành giám (pickled onions). The noodles are silky, stretchy and chewy. And the fragrant broth has the perfect amount of sweetness. Definitely falls into my top three spots in Denver! Check them out and let me know what you think! Where should I go next? ☺️ 📍1098 S Federal Blvd, Denver, CO 80219 Thanks for taking me @TC 🥰 #ilovebowljobs #phorever #phoreviews #pholover #sendalexnoods #noodles🍜 #noodle #phooftheday #denverrestaurants #denverfoodscene #denverfood #denverfoodblogger ♬ original sound – I Love Bowl Jobs 🍜
#3 Vivi Pho
Vivi Pho most resembles OC-style pho. They also have saté and hành giấm upon request. They are family-owned and operated.
I also tried their Bun Bo Hue, but found their pho to be way more stellar. I’d love to try their curries next!
Locations: Glendale | Arapahoe
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#4 Kat’s Kitchen
Kat’s Kitchen specializes in baguette griddles (Bánh Mì Chảo), but they also serve a mean pho!
They have their regular pho and then their pho in a boiling stone pot! Either way, it’s delicious!
Kat works at the restaurant on weekends but lives in Arizona, where her family owns a sugarcane farm. You MUST try her sugarcane drinks. They are unbelievably refreshing!
During happy hour, their pho is only $10!
Location: 2058 S University Blvd, Denver, CO 80210
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#5 Com Nha
Com Nha is a pub-style Vietnamese restaurant. They aim to offer more street food options such as grilled seafood, bar snacks, and rice paper tacos.
They do have a delicious pho and bun bo hue on the menu.
Location: 2133 S Sheridan Blvd, Denver, CO 80227
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#6 CoNu’s Corner Cafe
CoNu’s Corner Cafe is a convenience store that sells Vietnamese dishes. They are mostly known for their Bánh Mì sandwiches.
We tried their Pho, and the broth was very clean and slightly sweeter compared to other restaurants. I still finished the entire bowl!
All their food is made to order by a mother and daughter duo. I highly recommend giving their grilled pork chop with rice/noodles and passion fruit mango drink. These are my favorite items on the menu!
Location: 4400 W 29th Ave, Denver, CO 80212
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#7 Now Phở
I LOVE late-night pho! Now Pho is open until 2 AM and is the perfect hangover prevention.
Everything they do is BIG. They have massive cơm tấm plates, shareable bowls of pho, and tasty boba drinks.
Location: 1195 S Federal Blvd, Denver, CO 80219
#8 Pho 89
We lived near Pho 89 and had to check it out. Their pho is surprisingly delicious and affordable. Their pricing ranges from small ($12), medium ($13), to large ($14).
They have saté but unfortunately no hành giám.
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#9 Pho Duy
SO MANY PEOPLE recommended Pho Duy (specifically the Federal location), but unfortunately, it was not our favorite.
The broth is not balanced, but it is a good broth if you don’t prefer your pho sweet. We had to add hoisin sauce for a bit of sweetness, but it just isn’t the same as when it is rock sugar cooked in the broth for hours.
The noodle texture was good, but a bit mealy.
We do, however, highly recommend their cháo lòng (offal porridge). Watch our cháo lòng review for more.
@ilovebowljobs Replying to @#💲 Ok I took y’all’s recommendation to try Phở Duy on Federal. Unfortunately their pho DID NOT bowl my mind. 😩 The broth is clean but lacked balance. We did discover that their Cháo Lòng (offal porridge) is 🔥🔥🔥 tho! Check out my cháo lòng review on @ilovebowljobs and give it a try. Pho 555, O Lien and Vivi are still my top three! Where should I go next? 🏃🏽♀️ 📍 925 S Federal Blvd, Denver, CO 80219 #ilovebowljobs #notabowliever #denverfoodscene #denverrestaurant #denverfood #denverfoodies #denverfoodblogger #denverasianfood #pho #phobo ♬ original sound – I Love Bowl Jobs 🍜
TBT (To Be Tasted)
Here are spots I haven’t hit up yet, but were recommended to me. DM me if you want to go check them out together! I love meeting people and eating with friends!
- Anise
- Bo Heo
- Com Nha
- Jenny Pho – Known for their viral lobster pho.
- New Saigon
- Pho 888
- Pho 96
- Pho Haus – Offers a lemongrass pho broth option.
- Pho Hong
- Pho-Natic
- Pho OK
- Pho Peoria
- Saigon Bowl
- Tony Pho
DNR LIST (Do Not Recommend)
- Golden Saigon – The pho portion here was big, but the broth was too oily, and it had way too many noodles. I really would not recommend this place for pho. I would, however, recommend Golden Saigon for other dishes such as bò kho (beef stew) and ca ri ga (chicken curry). Their sister restaurant next door (Golden Bánh Mì) makes some of the best baguettes in Denver! They do not have a traditional cold cut on the menu, but their fusion Bánh Mì is worth trying. see our video review
- Pho 95 – I did not like this spot at ALL. The noodles were too mealy, and the broth was so bland. It’s definitely pho for white people. There are two locations owned by different family members, so there’s a chance the Federal location is better than the Centennial one but I am not going to chance it. Both spots have full bars with tasty cocktails. see our video review
Related: Complete Denver Travel Guide
If you found my best pho in Denver list helpful, please share this. Thanks for your support!
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