Pho 515

I went here with a couple friends and I ordered some fried rice. It came with a small soup which was really good and a good portion for the fried rice (not too big or small). There was a good amount of meat and veggies on the fried rice and it was one of the best fried rice I ever had in restaurants. The service was good and we didn't wait for too long, the prices are very reasonable and cheaper than I thought. There also wasn't much customers when I came and the restaurant was clean too.

This restaurant is inside the C Fresh store, so if you don't want to cook after grocery shopping, here ya go. The Pho was phenomenal, and I love all the fresh options. I missed my crab Rangoon but tried the egg rolls and fried tofu. I'm not much on heat, but the red tofu is hot. The egg rolls are definitely homemade as unlike none other regular ones everywhere. I had to order to go and they were fast. Very friendly customer service. The worst part was closing time for a dinner is 7 pm yet understandable due to store hours.

Best pho and bun bo hue in DSM period comparable to places in Houston and California. Not heavy in MSG, wide selection of other items. Friendly staff. Attached to a great authentic Asian grocery store. They do close for lunch around 2:30 pm every day so just beware. Also it can get crowded but they'll do their best to find a table for you. Cant ask for more tbh

Went for a late lunch on a weekend. It was busy but not crowded. The staff are friendly. I was seated quickly. The menu is large with pictures and descriptions. I ordered crab rangoon and bahn xeo. The crab rangoon had an interesting filling. The bahn xeo came with two medium-large crepes with bean sprouts and sliced shrimp, as well as greens and herbs. The bahn xeo was crispy. The dipping sauce was flavorful. May return.

Really good Bhan sandwich, great bread, polite service, great prices too

The food was yummy! I always come here for boba tho 👍🏾

The service was fast and there was a variety of different entrées to choose from!

Great restaurant, I go here every time I’m craving Pho. The service and atmosphere are always great, and the wait time is never too long. I got the Large Pho and ended up not being able to eat it all and took an entire container to go.

This is still my favorite pho place in the metro! Even when I'm just shopping at C Fresh, I always take a minute to stop by to smell the food! The service isn't always fast but they do get to you and have always been friendly! And the ambiance is always bright and clean.

As a California Asian girl born and raised, I know my pho. Going to college in Iowa, pho was one of the foods I absolutely missed the most--and Pho 515 is the best I've had in all of Iowa. The broth is darker and more spice-heavy, not spicy but very fragrant. The Vietnamese iced coffees are small but strong and definitely get the caffeine job done with a rich and creamy texture from the condensed milk and strong, concentrated coffee taste. Whenever I'm in Des Moines with friends, I'll always recommend Pho 515 to scratch the Vietnamese food itch.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Good prices and decent pho. I felt that the broth lacked some depth and richness and felt that my combination pho bowl was scant on the meats. The restaurant is roomy and can accommodate larger groups. The servers were really busy, but efficient.

Ha well yes we got to try this one for pho And other goodie's See the pix Just over 50 bucks for two with some apps Crab Rangoon and shrimp roles and spring rolls New menu is posted as well Service was good busy prime time just after noon Yea the large pho was enough for two! So 1/2 came home for eve snack! Short hours just open for lunch only Closed on Thursday Cards ok for payment

Located inside C-Fresh Market, it's a great place to get some yummy food before grocery shopping. It's literally what we do every time we shop. The food comes out hot and is fairly quick too! Is it a first date vibe? Probably not since it's inside a grocery store, but it is a good place for brunch! We got the shrimp spring rolls, that are always good! The shrill is tender, the noodles cooked perfectly, and the fresh herbs always makes it better. The hoisin Peanut sauce pairs well with it as well. Our other dish is the Combination Pho and the Shaken Beef. The pho was good, this time was okay, I think a different chef cooked it because the broth was on the sweeter side. So more of a Lao/Thai style instead of Viet. A Viet style is usually on the savory salty side which I grew up with. So it wasn't the best this time for me. But if you like your pho on the sweeter side you'd like it. The noodles were plentiful and cooked perfectly tender. And the meat was thinly sliced to cook in the broth was perfect. The shaken beef super tender, savory, hint of spicy and sweet. Paired with the pickled carrots and daikon was a perfect balance to cut the richness of the dish! Overall the food, service, and ambiance was great. Highly recommend.

I truly believe Pho 515 is the best Vietnamese restaurant in Des Moines. I live out of town and am only able to dine there about every other month, but I have yet to have anything but a great meal. I alternate between the pho and Vermicelli Noodle Bowls. The pho broth is very fragrant and flavorful, and there are many combinations of ingredients for the vermicelli noodle bowls. I enjoy the combination of grilled pork, shrimp with an eggroll on top. Almost more than one can eat! The restaurant is situated in a corner of the C Fresh Asian Supermarket. The ingredients are always fresh and tasty. The wait staff are always extremely friendly. Plus when you're done eating, you can wander the aisles of the supermarket.

It might be the best broth in the city. Ingredients were fresh and large portions. If you want a more our of the typical comfort zone option they have tripe in many if the pho options.

We ordered to go on a Tuesday night and from what my husband was saying this place was poppin! Despite being the hot spot on a Tuesday night around 5/5:30 they quickly took the order and the wait wasn't very long. We ordered Pho and the spring rolls. Pho soup had AMAZING flavor, meat was fresh, plenty of noodles and then some, plus a great assortment of toppings that were quality. The Spring rolls were PACKED...huge... so delicious! Some spring rolls I've had mostly have the noodles and not a lot of veggies or meat, not these bad boys!! I couldn't believe what a great value everything was. We were in the area only for a hospital stay with our son, but wouldn't might the trip down to eat here again.

The pho tastes like cinnamon water, literally no seasoning just water and sugar. Disgusting, also the tendons aren't cleaned properly at all, just hair all over.

We went to eat at Pho 515 in C Fresh Market on Saturday and was happy that the food was still delicious!! Only thing lacking was The kid's pho. It was meh. The boys just picked at it and ate the meatballs. It definitely wasn't their best broth. And they are just picky and prefer my homemade pho. BUT the kids ate up the Combo fried rice, Egg rolls and Spring Rolls. The Banh Xeo (Vietnamese Sizzling Crepes filled with pork, shrimp, bean sprouts served with nuoc cham dipping sauce and veggies) was... dare I say it... as good as mine! If not better! Very flavorful and fragrant! Only difference is I load mine up with meats, cause I can! Hopefully stays that way so that whenever Hubby or mom and Dad has a hankering for it, I can just order it from there and say... "Banh Xeo is served!" lol The Pho Ap Chao was deliciously crispy and just as tasty as I remembered it! I didn't have to add anything except chili oil! For anyone who hasn't tried it, basically thinner chow fun/lad na noodles (white rice noodles) that are crispy almost deep-fried like with a stir-fry ladled on top. It's like the Vietnamese version of Lad Na. But it's not a gravy sauce. Basically Mi Xao/Mi Krob but with Crispy rice noodles.

The Vietnamese food competition out here is tough but Pho 515 and All Pho You come out on top in my book (although I haven't been to Vietnam Cafe yet). It sits in the corner of the C fresh Asian supermarket so it's convenient to kill 2 birds with 1 stone and do some grocery shopping on your way out after eating. I like that it still feels like a standalone restaurant when you walk in rather than a mall food court. I usually start out with shrimp spring rolls which always hits the spot, although a few times I found the skin/shrimp/noodles a bit dry/stale but when you come so often (every other week-ish) you're bound to find some variation. I see them premake them in the morning which makes sense, it's fair for the price. Their pho ingredients and broth are consistently fresh and aromatic, I can't speak to the authenticity myself but my Viet friends say it's the real deal so I believe them. If you're basic like me and always get the regular pho, give the Banh Canh Cua Rieu (crab & shrimp tapioca udon soup) a try if you're a seafood lover! It's much more viscous and flavorful than the pho broth so it took me a few times to get used to it but now I'm hooked and hardly ever get pho from here anymore even though it's all I used to get.

Very fresh and flavorful. Large portions. Friendly staff. Outside light/windows.

We're back! Phó for me, please! They've made some excellent dining upgrades without losing the sense of community that I felt here. It was here that I had my first Phó which was suggested to me by me "neighbors, an elderly Chinese couple. This time too, the food was excellent and the service quick and friendly!

Great food, good customer service. The wait time is never long. The food comes out quickly and precise.

Superb every single time!! This restaurant tucked inside C Fresh Market is my absolute go to for Pho! They have so many options and the ability to customize your pho as well! Spicy level is your choice as well so no surprises! The service is great every time and so is the wait staff! This place does have limited seating to a certain degree but it is so worth the wait! Plus since it's inside the store, you can expand your home menu by shopping in the store! It's a win win for me!

Delicious and plenty of it. I got the regular Brisket Pho and the bowl was bigger than my head. Great service too!

A must have when we are in Des Moines. Conveniently located inside an Asian Market, Pho 515 offers many authentic flavorful dishes! My go to is the Bun Bo Hue, which they know out of the park. The combination pho, egg rolls, vermicelli noodles and milk teas are to die for too! Would definitely recommend!

The more I come here the more I like it. Chicken wings here are really good. Pho is good. Vietnamese crapes are really good too. Like many Vietnamese restaurants it has the common atmosphere that's not like a fancy restaurant and not fast food but like a mom and pop sit down and eat at home style. I don't know. It's fantastic for lunch and since it's inside C Fresh you can shop too.

Never tried Pho before it was amazing. Would recommend to those that want to try something new.

Pretty good. Not the best pho broth I've ever had, but I'm from So Cal (the 626) so my standards are high. All said, it was a nice surprise to find a decent Vietnamese spot all the way in Des Moines. Service was solid and the dining area was nice. Overall, I was pleased with my meal and the experience. Also, it's in the same location as an Asian market so you can do some shopping afterwards.

I visited this place 7/31/23. The staff was friendly and attentive! We got the combo pho which was ok. The bahn mi sandwiches were good. They do automatically tip 15% if you go in with a group even if you pay separately. My biggest disappointment was the chicken pad thai. The chicken looked awful. It looked like they just took some chicken breast from a rotisserie chicken and hand ripped it and threw it in the dish. Probably one of the worse pad thai dish I had since I usually get pad thai. Unfortunately, I did not get a photo of the dish to share.

Best & Strongest Iced coffee I've ever had! Pigs feet are amazing too! Don't get me started on the Pho, Omg Don is very kind and welcoming! Remodeled dining area looks great too!

Stopped in one night after hearing great things from multiple people. They were all so right! Best pho spot in town that I've already been back to. Small comfortable space inside of C Fresh Market. It's been busy both times, but we still got seated pretty quickly. Servers are on top of it. The crab rangoons and beef brisket pho are my faves there. I tried the chicken pho which was also amazing but beef brisket is to die for. They also have the best avocado boba smoothie; I've tried many avocado smoothies in different states and locally. Authentic and delicious! Make it your next pho venture!

Vietnamese Style Pad Thai was excellent! My kids got to try traditional boba milk tea. They didn't like it, mostly because it is sooo sweet. That doesn't mean it was bad, just not what they like. I'm still thankful they were able to try it in an authentic way. There have been many many giggles about the Phu King trophies.

Sooooo good .huge portions. Nice staff. Great place. A true gem hidden in an Asian market.

What can I say, I have probably had 515 people tell me I needed to try Pho 515. Well after much debate about where to eat for the evening with multiple choices being discussed we decided to make the 515 experience for me a reality! Sure it's a restaurant in a grocery store and sure they don't have booze but I got over those to things pretty darn quick, after biting into the tofu/avocado fresh spring roll with peanut sauce.. The spring rolls were huge and delicious! Some of the best I have ever had! As for the main dish, I had the vegan tofu and veggie pho and oh my gosh, I have never been at a place where a bowl this size of anything came out.. I'm talking large popcorn movie theater style bowl! And the price was only 8.95.. I was losing my on the portion and the price. Oh and did I mention it tasted fantastic.. Absolutely delicious and I finished the bowl, even though I probably should have taken some home.. But hey when it's that good, just keep putting it down right! I bet you never heard this one before but I will PHOsure be back!

This place is awesome.. Its located inside of an asian grocery store. All the food looked good and the prices are great. I ordered the pork spring rolls and a Banh Mi sandwich.. firstly they make all their own bread and it is great.. It was probably the best banh mi Ive ever had. I had the crispy grilled pork sandwich. Others in our group got the pad thai, pho, and salads... everyone loved their food.

My very favorite place in Des Moines! The food is better than ever every single time and so is the service. The servers are the nicest I've ever had. I recommend the chicken wings, pho, duck soup, and spring rolls! The Thai tea is amazing as well! Good prices for good food, you won't be disappointed!

If anyone's confused, this little cafe is located inside the C Fresh market! It just opened up again this past week after some renovations and I had been dying to try it for so long. I ordered the Korean beef short ribs (Kalbi) carry out which came with rice, salad, and kimchi on the side. It was AMAZINGGGGGGG. The ribs were garlicky yet sweet, cooked in a soy sauce based glaze. They had bone in which made the meat so tender and juicy. The dish was around $18, but that's typical for Kalbi. Please try it! This place is also known for their Pho, although I'm not a huge pho fan so I didn't try it but I've heard great things. The cafe looks super nice now too after all the renovations! Very modern and clean. It's not at all what I would have expected from a tiny cafe located in a grocery store. I will be going back again, and next time, I'll be dining in!

We had D3, crab cake vermicelli noodle soup, crab Rangoon and a sausage steamed bun. Yes please! Fabulous!!!! D3 soup with the yellow noodles was fantastic but I wish I didn't have to eat around the tendons of the pork. Loved the sesame thing when it was soaked in the broth. Loved the fishball. I didn't like the flavor of the quail egg. So much food and it beat me! Crab cake soup was interesting. I think it had liver in it and another type of seafood or sausage ball. The crab cake didn't fall apart which I expected. They actually had real crab in it and it wasn't small pieces. The broth brought the meal together with a tomato base. Loved this broth. Loved the steam bun with sausage and egg. Crab Rangoon were good but had an odd additional flavor that was a surprise. Not in love but nothing that hot sauce can't fix!

In the shell of a former budget supermarket is this combination of an Asian grocery store and a Vietnamese restaurant. If I was judging this restaurant on food and service alone, it would easily be a five star establishment. The pho broth is loaded with aromatics and spices for a delightfully delicate flavor balance. Portions are more than generous compared to some places in the suburbs--a "regular" sized bowl is $6.95 and is plenty. The "large" at $8.50 would be enough for two normal-sized people to share. The waiter at my last visit was friendly, checked in regularly, and kept drinks refilled. So why the three stars? Cleanliness. The bathrooms don't appear to have been deep cleaned since Albertson's left the Des Moines market c. 2005. Makes you wonder what kind of condition the kitchen is in and if proper hygienic practices are used. If this doesn't bother you, stop in, because the food is very good.

Top notch customer service and food. Best pho in Des Moines. I totally recommend it to anyone who wants fast service and good food!

The best pho in Des Moines area and although prices have gone up a lot in the last 6 years, it is still consistently the best pho in the area.

Located in the Fresh Market grocery store PHO 515 is a good place for Pho. I ordered the pot stickers which were very good. My smaller portion pho was excellent and filling. While the venue is a little unconventional but not unheard of. If you go take some time and stroll through the store. You'll see interesting items that are eye poppingly different than what you'll see in ordinary grocery stores. Open your eyes and see a different culture.

Have been going since they first opened. Really miss their papaya salad but that was way way back. We get their spring rolls with spring, shrimp & pork, beef, chicken or avocado & tofu. Their dipping sauce is my personal favorite for spring rolls in Des Moines. Pho tai, Pho ga, won ton soup, Vietnamese wonton soup, chicken and rice soup, fried egg rolls, fried shrimp, iced coffee, boba tea and limeade are all in our rotation for ordering.

The service is getting better. They seat you with water right away. The restaurant could use more cleanliness as time goes by it will get dirtier. The staff is trying to accommodate the busy times and nice as always/

We always make this a stop every time we're in Des Moines! A pretty no-frills place, It's located inside of C-Fresh so it's also an easy stop when you need to pick up some groceries or snacks as well. The menu is pretty large with all your standard Vietnamese fare as well as some things I haven't seen at a lot of restaurants. The pho is good, but if you want to branch out and explore other Vietnamese food there are a lot of options! I have had a few things from here including the pho, bun rieu, and banh xeo. My favorite is probably their bun rieu, but the pho dac biet is good as well as definitely worth the money. Everything I have tried has been super tasty, fresh, and great portions for the price. Service has always been prompt and I've always left full and satisfied! I'll definitely be back!

I had just flown into Des Moines about four months ago and wanted to get some supplies for hot pot and was also absolutely famished. And what do you know - a place to get both done in one go! I'm a HUGE fan of pho (I'm kinda a pho connoisseur, lol) and always have a craving for pho. We got the combination pho, beef brisket pho, and the spring rolls. Overall everything was fine. It definitely isn't the best pho I've ever had but not absolutely disgusting either. We thought that the broth was too sweet and didn't have enough of the meaty flavor. The large portion was decently sized (I couldn't finish it) and the price is a steal! I think it's in a convenient location but I wouldn't go out of my way for it.

3 stars because the broth was very dark in color and super salty where I was not able to taste the Anise. I ordered the following: Pho with tendon, rare beef and tripe ($7): It was salty and not enough of the proteins. Nothing to brag about. Chicken Wings ($5.50): this was good, the wings were moist and flavorful and not salty at all. If I was back in Des Moines, I would look for another Vietnamese restaurant.

I tried the bo kho today. I would advise against getting this dish here. It's very starchy/thick and the meat and tendons needs to be cooked longer. But, as mentioned before, they have a ton of other delicious dishes to try.

4.5 I liked it. You have to walk into the supermarket to get to this pho shop. A friend that lived in Iowa (local) said this was the spot for pho. He said that it's the best pho in town. I thought the broth was very flavorful, and I liked that you can create your own pho by picking the meats you'd like in your bowl because that's what I did. They can get pretty busy because it's not that big of a shop, but we got in and got a table right away. The iced coffee- I guess they drip it in the back because it came out in a coffee cup already.

Service is usually pretty good here. Can get busy at times, but the servers are quick. Order at the table and pay at the counter. What we usually get: Pho - you cannot go wrong with this dish here. Usually our go to dish when we come. Decent amount of meats and noodles and your usual vegs. Fried rice combo - shrimp, bbq pork,chicken and eggs. Lots of vegs and cilantro. Our son loves this dish. It comes with small broth bowl too. Pork chop dish - it is not the best around town, but comes with pork chop, shredded pork skin, fried egg, steamed pork/egg, tomato, cucumber and lettuce. Dipping sauce and broth bowl comes on the side. Dynamite shrimp roll - cream cheese with shrimp. Served with dynamite sauce (mayo and hot sauce). Pho fried noodles - they pan fry wide rice noodles and put a stir fry on top. Mixture of broccoli, carrots, and meats. Cafe sua da - cant go wrong with iced coffee! Other dishes that are okay imo: Bun bue hue, crispy pork with rice, egg rolls, and crab rangoons.

Ok, I know it is weird that this place is inside of a grocery store, but once you get over that the food is pretty good. They have a nice selection of traditional Vietnamese dishes and is one of the few places in town that serve Banh Xeo. They are the 2016 and 2017 Pho King award winners, so if you have never been here you need to try the Pho. I was in the mood for something light, so I ordered the combination Vermicelli salad. It had a lot of meat and vegitables just the way I like it, but it could have been a little spicier. Overall, you need to get over that it is in a grocery store and try this place, you won't regret it.

Came here on a Tuesday night with some friends, I was very put off by the amount of trash on the floor & the lack of lighting I've gotten the spring rolls & Vietnamese sandwich to go before but this was the first time I've sat down with friends. Originally my friends ordered the firecracker shrimp rolls & was informed that there were none left so they ordered the crab rangoons instead. Then when the order for the rolls came, we were very confused because it looked like it was 2 shrimp egg rolls & 2 regular egg rolls. When we flagged down the waiter as to what happened to them running out of this item & that we were expecting crab rangoons, turns out they didn't even start on the crab rangoons.... so that was very confusing Then moving on to the pho portion, mines overall just tasted weird, the beans sprouts were very fresh like they had never been cleaned and my broth overall was not warm enough to cook the bean sprouts :( I still like the spring rolls tho, I'd recommend that

Let the photos speak for itself. I come here at least 3x a month for the past 3 years. Quite a regular here. Of all the things I have tried here, I will list my favorites. Appetizers 1. Crab rangoon - highly recommended. Lots of filling. An order comes with 4 pieces. The crab rangoons tastes crabby and it is good by itself or good with the accompanying sauce too. The sauce is thai sweet chili sauce. 2. Fried chicken wings - the wings are not breaded and very flavorful. It is accompanied by fish sauce mixed with swet thai chili and chili oil (i think that is what it is made of). Very good. Comes in 5-6 pieces in an order. 3. Firecracker shrimp - can i forget this awesomeness?! Of course not. An order comes with 4 pieces of shrimp rolled in wonton roll and cream cheese that you dip in sriracha mayo. Really really good Main courses 1. Pho - of course! This place serves the best pho. I usually get P2, rare steak with pho. Lots of meat and broth is great. You can taste the meat without biting a steak. Whether you add the thai basil, bean sprouts, and even lime is up to you. I think even without all these additives, the dish is still great. I suggest trying the broth by itself before adding these to suit how you want to eat your pho. Another tip, use the dish they give you for the bean sprouts and instead as a dipping container for your meat. I usually mix the sriracha, chili oil, and hoisin together and dip my steak as i sip my pho. That way I don't destroy the flavor of how pho should be. Edit: They also have a vegetarian version that did not use beef broth or other types of meat! 2. B2, vermicelli grilled pork and spring rolls - you add the fish sauce mixture thingy they give you and mix it all up. Highly recommended. Very meaty and huge. 3. Bird's nest combination - hong kong style pan fried noodles topped with combination of meats like shrimp and beef accompanied by a bed of vegetables. This is kind of a secret menu as it is not found in that folded menu. You just ask for "the other 1 page menu" or ask for the dish itself if you can't find it. Heads up, this is not a fast food place although I think they have fast service. I read a comment on this place that it took 1 minute for the reviewer to get his water. This is a sit down place inside C fresh market. They accept credit cards and cash. The main courses are $10 or less per dish. Highly highly recommended place! One of my favorite places to eat in Des Moines.

Everything we've gotten here has been delicious. Wait times can vary a lot, especially at typical meal times, so recommend calling ahead.

Ames doesn't have a single Vietnamese restaurant - don't go to Le's, it isn't Vietnamese and sucked even before it was bought by a Chinese person - and I'd gone nearly four years without Vietnamese food. So knowing I'd be in the Des Moines area I had to scope out the Vietnamese scene. Everyone talks about A Dong, but I wondered where Asians went to get pho. Seeing as how Pho 515 won pho competitions, I had to go taste it for myself. This place is the truth! I had the tofu pho, tofu bahn mi, and tofu spring rolls, and had leftover pho to take home. My wife had duck pho and shrimp spring rolls and had leftover pho to take home. We had the regular sized pho and couldn't eat it at all, I can't imagine taking on the large! Great customer service, wonderful food, ahhhh I wish they were in Ames! We definitely plan to visit again.

Loved the Wonton Soup and eggrolls. Reasonably priced, quality ingredients, hardworking service, seemed understaffed, but you couldn't tell.

I stumbled upon Pho 515 thanks to a work lunch organized by a co-worker and am so glad I did! The restaurant is an unassuming place tucked in the corner of the C Fresh Market on University, but don't let that description fool you; it is a dedicated restaurant with plenty of seating. There is also a convenient pickup / order counter you can visit without entering the restaurant. The service was great from the moment we walked in -- friendly, quick seating, and water delivered right away. I started with the spring rolls -- shrimp, pork, lettuce, bean sprouts, mint, cilantro, and vermicelli noodle -- served with a delightful peanut dipping sauce. Let me warn you, you will need a "to go" box for the entrees as they are HUGE portions. I went with the Grilled Pork and Eggroll Vermicelli -- with fresh lettuce, cucumbers, Vietnamese pickled daikon, carrots, and crushed peanuts to garnish. The grilled pork was not what I expected; in a good way -- more akin to a deeply browned bacon, it had plenty of punch and a salty kick. Against my better judgment, I ate the entire portion -- should have saved some for dinner. I will definitely return here for future lunches, and now have a spot to order takeout dinner on the way home from work. Stellar!