Phở 88 Noodles & Grill

Average spot. My vermicelli Noodle bowl was good. The shrimp flavor was fantastic...however, they left the tail on which made it incredibly difficult to eat and messy. They only give you one small napkin which did not suffice. Our waters didn't get refilled and service definitely could have been friendlier. But all in all okay. Price is high, but that's how DC seems to be.

MARCH 2025: Late check-in to the hotel found the hungry family in a precarious situation. My mother-in-law is Vietnamese and wanted to sample some authentic Vietnamese cuisine. Chinatown seemed to be the most apt solution. We ordered 2 bowls of pho, 1 bowl of fried egg noodles, 2 orders of fresh garden rolls, 1 grilled pork rice platter, 1 order of flan, and 1 order of the spicy black bean spare ribs all for $115 before tips. PROS: * Food was delicious. They pho exceeded my family's expectations and had the authentic taste and ingredients. The pork platter did not. * The service was speedy. The food arrived within 15 minutes. * Restaurant ambiance was very eclectic reminding me of the streetfront restaurants near the University of Shanghai in China. I was impressed by how they managed such a challengingly narrow space feel so inviting. CONS: * I was slightly disappointed that the waitress was Chinese and not Vietnamese. I was expecting to practice my "Tiếng Việt" (Vietnamese language) and did not get the opportunity to do so. I must say that "Chinatown" is truly China town, and I was glad that they offered Vietnamese cuisine. We also noticed a few spelling errors with Vietnamese translation on the menu. "#7 pho rua cai" is supposed to be "#7 phở rau cải" or "vegetable phở with cabbage". * The waitress' accent made her English a touch challenging to understand. There was a mixup with the order, but I accept responsibility for not clarifying what I really wanted. She repeated the order back to me, and I was too ashamed to ask her to repeat it a 3rd time. 🤫😅 * My family was expecting homemade Fremch flan, but it was prepackaged. SUMMARY: I would go back someday.

Family of 7 and we all really enjoyed our food. We ordered 2 different kinds of pho, broken rice platter and more. The steamed custard buns were my favorite. The waitress was a very kind lady.

I had been a couple of time and the food it’s always good, I always go for the strawberry mil tea, THE BEST in all Dc area. The dumplings are good, the Pho is their specialty and the drunken noodles are so taste, fully recommend.

I can’t believe how bad their attitude is! The old lady scolded me for changing a table, and their pho is all broken into pieces! The worst pho I ever had!! Guys please DO NOT COME!!!!!!!

12/09/22 There were 2 servers in the restaurant, they are both busy, the waiter is okay he is helpful and respond my request quickly. The waitress is unresponsive, I had to asked her twice for the high chair because I wasn’t sure if she heard me or not, she just passed by and left, that made me upset and wanted to leave the restaurant but then she brought the high chair out. Really disappointed. Food is 7/10. Price is a little high average $20 per person

The service was mediocre not very friendly or welcoming just average. We had a few appetizers that were all delicious. The fried spring rolls, gyoza and chicken dim sum shumai... the fried rice lacked any type of flavor but had very generous sized shrimp. If i came back it would be for the pho and the dim sum

They serve Vietnamese food, but it doesn’t taste authentic. The staff are not friendly.

This pho literally came to the table 30 seconds after ordering! So quick! It tastes good but not quite worth the high price it cost.

African Americans beware this place is the worst. I was over looked, ignored it lady act like I wasn't there. Right after I sat down two white gentlemen came in and she walked up to them and asked what they would like to drink. She still had not said a word to me. So I took my money somewhere else.

One of my favorite spots when I was in undergrad and was so happy to go back! Their pho and summer rolls are to die for! I always get the same thing and they just bring me such warmth and comfort, and I never leave hungry. In the heart of dc, right in Chinatown, Pho 88 is a small little shop with great, consistent, and timely service, a reasonably priced menu, and some of my favorite pho in the city. My friend got pork dumplings and crab rangoon which I didn't try, but she said was delicious! The peanut sauce on the rolls is so so amazing! And the pho is classic and simple, but hearty and flavorful. Highly recommend.

Worst service ever. The waitress clearly did not want us there. She did not greet us and was unwilling to answer our questions about the menu. When we asked for an extra plate, she was very impatient and told us she couldn't get it right then. She didn't check on us even once during our entire meal. There was a mandatory 18% service charge, which she did not earn. She justified the charge by saying that the money goes to the restaurant owner, not her. When we gave her feedback about her service, she told us that if we didn't like it, we should never come back. The food was not bad; we liked the taste. But we will NEVER return because of the terrible service. We refuse to pay good money to be treated this way.

Came in on a Sunday afternoon and got seated pretty fast. Ordered the crystal shrimp dumplings, fresh spring roll, a chicken rice plate, pho, and pork vermicelli. Overall it wasn't too bad. The dumplings tasted like they were just microwaved and not steamed. The pork in the roll and the chicken was dry. Besides that the rest of the food was good and filling. The food came out fairly fast and they are good portions. It's a nice homey feel and service is good.

This is a mandatory stop for me while in DC. The atmosphere is relaxing, and the pho is great.

It might look like a tourist trap but it's not too shabby. I'd say the food is on par with what you can get in NoVa. PS-- was expecting broken rice in the rice platter but it was actually regular broken.

The food was all delicious. Our server was kind and everything came out quickly. The atmosphere was tastefully decorated with photos of various meals and cans of the drinks offered.

My husband likes going here when I'm the area. It's good PHO - flavor of broth is decent - although I've had better in Arlington and Annandale without the need to add more brown sauce. The crab Rangoon was really good. Lightly fried, lots of cheese, not to heavy - no crab obvi. Everything was really fresh, friendly and efficient service. The Sonos speaker next to our table would drown out the rest of the echoey chatter from neighboring table. Playing dinner 80's music. Worth a visit.

This was probably the worst pho experience I've ever had. I came in with and ordered and got served waters. Then nothing else came out for another 30 mins. Other tables were getting their food while my friends and I sat there waiting and we asked server who we think is the owner and she said the kitchen is closed and she forgot she took our order.

I absolutely do not understand the low star rating for this outstanding neighborhood Pho house! I've lived in the area, but this is my first visit. The service was attentive, but not overbearing, polite an efficient. My Pho Tai Chin was absolutely superb. A wonderful balance of flavors for the broth, and a very generous helping all the stuff inside the soup as well as the plate of addings. I will absolutely return, and highly recommend the restaurant, if you want authentic, wonderful, tasty Pho.

Great and filling pho. Went here for lunch during a conference and enjoyed it all. Bubble teas were truly delicious too, we really wanted to get a second set but did not have the time. I tried broken rice platter, my table mates mainly tried pho and enjoyed. Big portions and decent price especially so close to the conference center

We use to eat at a Pho 88 on Orlando so as soon as we saw this one on the map in DC's Chinatown we knew we had to have some Pho Ga. Not as good as home, but it's hard to mess up Pho Ga! Kind of a small plate of herbs, but I was happy. The spring rolls were "ok" but I loved their peanut sauce. (Not in a photo) was the chicken vermicelli bowl- good but very plain. We did ENJOY our beer!!!!

Had lunch here on a cold day so the pho was perfect. Their bubble tea is also great. It did take awhile as there was only one server for a full room of patrons so I hope they get him some help because he was doing the beat he could. The restaurant was a bit chilly that day but other a nice place to stop it for a warm bowl of pho.

I was hoping my first meal in DC Chinatown would be something spectacular and memorable, but unfortunately, it wasn't. I decided to try one of my favorite meals of all time, a Banh Mi!! What's not to love about a sandwich with a rich, savory meat, pickled veggies and crispy, flaky baguette, right?? Well, let me preface by saying that I've had so many top notch Banh Mi in the Boston area and this restaurant's Banh Mi doesn't compare, not even in the same stratosphere. My issue was primarily with the bread. It was a little too rigid and didn't have the contrasting crispy, flaky and internally soft baguette. The grilled chicken was a bit rubbery. The only thing that was spot on was the pickled veggies (hard to fail here). Also thought it was a bit expensive at approximately $10 for the sandwich. I've had other excellent Banh Mi for a third to half the price. The staff was, however, pleasant, the food came out in a timely manner and the atmosphere seemed mellow and accommodating. The sandwich wasn't terrible, but it wouldn't be my first option in this area. -ODL Follow my IG: @AOEAT

Great place for pho and dumplings. Reasonably priced for the flavor and options. In the center of chinatown, the place is clean and cute.

Worse customer service. Place owned by Chinese, not an authentic Vietnamese Pho soup. I'm not recommended to this place.

I would give my meal a 2.8 if decimal points were an option on Yelp lol. But I am only rating this on my banh mi experience. The place was small and cute and the staff was nice. But here's my thoughts: The bread for the banh mi was not the best quality. It harden quickly and was thicker than most. The cost of each banh mi made me go whhhhat!? This better be delicious! I have never paid this much for a banh mi before. 1) Tofu banh mi- they put way too much pate in it. The most item in there were the veggies. There was not much tofu at all. The taste was ok 2) chicken banh mi- same as the above but there were only a small amount of chicken. And the chicken was not too flavorful and a bit dry. Overall, I don't know if it was an off day for them or not, but the banh mi were just ok.

Pho 88 is located in Washington D.C.'s Chinatown. There's metered street parking available and they're currently offering dine in, takeout, and delivery. They offer a pretty wide variety of Vietnamese and Chinese food, and they have a selection of beers and bubble teas as well. I ordered the Pho Dac Biet ($17) and it was pretty mediocre considering its price. The broth was too sweet for my liking and it didn't have a strong beef flavor to it. Pho Dac Biet is supposed to have sliced steak, beef tripe, brisket, tendons, and Vietnamese meatballs, and I maybe got half a meatball and one piece of tripe. My friend got the Pork Buns ($8) and the Steam Ginger Pork Bun ($10) and both were cold when they came out. I expected more especially since this was at the heart of Chinatown and it's pricey for Vietnamese food. TLDR: Subpar Vietnamese food for the price.

The food here was excellent, and this is coming from someone who's not super into pho. I would come here again!

It was almost a 3, but the summer rolls were amazing and that's my favorite thing to have at a pho place! My son also liked his beef pho. The service was okay. They didn't have Splenda or even sugar to add to my tea (so I wasted $4). The bathroom was gross. I would do carry out, the food is good!

I was really disappointed that everything seemed frozen and that the prices were obscene for the kind of food that was served. We ordered the first pho option and the combination vermicelli noodles. I only tasted a bit of the pho, but I didn't deem it anything special. The proteins in the vermicelli noodle (shrimp, beef, pork) all seemed either rock hard frozen or cooked and frozen before being blasted on the grill. Properly cooked shrimp has a plump and succulent texture, but this had the texture of an old tire. The pork was very charred so I had to take off all the burnt bits from the portion. The beef was very tough as well, as evidenced by the effort it took to get it off the wooden skewer. The prices were also quite high and not indicative of value, but I get it, business must be slow and prices must be hiked to cover that (although not a good strategy with a subpar product). This is why I don't go to places without doing a thorough Yelp search beforehand. To those that gave this place 5 stars, shame on you for not having any standards for food.

Food was ok . Service was rushed and hard to understand . Probably won't ever eat here again or recommend it but I might order from uber eats if it's the only available. Not bad but definitely not to DC standards

Love these types of places! No clear entrance but lots of signs. Climb the stairs and there it is! Looking forward to just a light snack after flying in from Iowa. I'll have to come back to try the Phó! Veggie rolls were so good!!

The food was alright but the owners were very racist. They were yelling at us and treated other guests fairly. They said that they ran out of water but served other guests water as well.

Review: I recently visited a Vietnamese restaurant and unfortunately had a less-than-pleasant experience. The quality of their pho left much to be desired, and the service was subpar. Firstly, I ordered a spring roll, but was served a fried spring roll instead. When I brought this to the attention of the staff, they responded with an attitude, insisting that a fried spring roll was the same as a regular spring roll. This exchange left me quite disappointed. Moving on to the pho itself, I found it to be lacking the authentic flavors I associate with Vietnamese cuisine. Instead, it tasted more like a Chinese soup with Vietnamese noodles. The distinct aromas and tastes that make pho special were missing, and it did not live up to my expectations of a genuine Vietnamese dish. Furthermore, the service I received throughout my visit was far from satisfactory. The staff's attitude when I had a simple question about the menu was unwelcoming and unhelpful. Their lack of attentiveness and disregard for customer satisfaction was quite evident, leaving me feeling neglected and undervalued as a patron. In summary, my experience at this Vietnamese restaurant was disappointing. The pho failed to capture the true essence of Vietnamese cuisine, resembling more of a Chinese soup with Vietnamese noodles. The service was lacking, with staff members displaying a dismissive attitude and providing poor customer service. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this establishment to those seeking an authentic Vietnamese dining experience.

We were invited to join friends for an early dinner Had not been to Chinatown in years. This restaurant is simply and nicely decorated. All of us ordered different vermicelli bowls. Generous portions. Fried spring roll appetizers were very crisp and tasty. Finished our meal with a wonderful coconut custard dessert. Great service. Great atmosphere. Would love to go back. Also recommend to others.

This interior of this place is beautiful, authentic Asian style, dim lighting and cozy atmosphere. I had stopped in this place before last year and it was empty. I figured it was because I came at the least busiest time. Tonight I decided to dine in after work and I was incredibly disappointed. The server was interacting with two guest in their native language. Initially, I received a warm warm welcome. After I ordered, the tone totally changed. After the food came out, no one checked on me by that time I was the only guest dining. When I checked out, I wasn't asked about the food and the server acted like she didn't want to make eye contact. I said all of 30 words (respectfully) to the server, sat alone quietly and I felt discarded and invaluable as a customer. It does not bring me pleasure to give a negative review. It's important that I share my experience and provide honest feedback to my fellow Yelpers.

We were craving for some good pho and glad there was one in the DC Chinatown area. You walked up a few stairs up to the restaurant. There are a few tables in the front and apparently there were more seatings in the back area. Pho #1 was good with the usual ingredients and the portion was decent. The pork chop rice platter was flavorful. Staff was friendly and service was quick. Would come back again when we crave for some good Vietnamese food.

This place is mediocre only and the pho soup sucked. The Thai fried rice is okay.. I asked for chili oil pepper and I was charged a dollar for a small 1 ounce cup. I don't recommend this

food is okay, but the service the give to people they have so much attitude and they force you to give 18% tip. They are not nice at all.

Great food and great variety! Good and quick service! Super cute place and quiet vibe.

When this place was PhoDC the decor, service, menu, and vibe all made sense and was generally very good value and quality. Today it is run by people who don't care about service, have no problem mixing in very bad dim sum with viet and Thai menu items, and just feel like they are rushing you out the door. Happily the pho itself is reasonable if not over priced. This place is good for a nearby pho fix but the dim sum and other dishes are kind of awful.

I geek out over good noodles; give me a bowl of spicy broth, filled with glass noodles, chunks of perfectly cooked meat, veggies, and chilis, and I am your friend for life. Pho 88 never disappoints. I tried the spicy soup this time around, and it was like a bowl of pho on capsaicin steroids. Nothing like building a sweat when you're eating! Highly recommend this place for a great selection, reasonable prices, and an easy escape from the hustle if you're visiting from out of town. Also a great lunch option for the DC work crowd.

Awful experience. Do yourself a favor and listen to all the other reviewers. The owner is a psycho. Super rude. Yells at you. The deserts are terrible. She touched our desert with her hand when we said it is different from what is shown on the walls. AVOID THIS PLACE!!

Feb 2023 - egg rolls were good. Spring rolls were extremely large with a little too much noodles. Ordered the Banh Mi with BBQ pork. Pork was very flavorful. Bread would have been better toasted. Good portions of everything.

Love pho and ramen shops. However this pho was not the greatest - broth did not have a lot of flavor and the meat was scarce for some reason. Would not go back to this place.

We ordered custard tarts (3) and custard buns (3) for take out. Our server asked us to wait 10 minutes for the steaming. After 30 minutes, she explained the buns were frozen and we would need to wait longer. We asked for them "as is" and she added one extra bun. But when we got home, we only got 2 tarts! Maybe it was an exchange? In any case, steer clear of the buns - and maybe check your order before you leave.

I really liked the look of the restaurant and that it was super modern. The spring rolls were very tasty but I wish they were hotter. Maybe I should have said, can I have them first rather than, the waiter bringing them with my pho. My pho was pretty good, I have had better broth from other restaurants, but this was a 7. I do like that you could choose your broth so next time I may try a different broth. I had the beef broth. Our waiter was super helpful when it came to choosing food on the menu. We had a first-time pho eater with us and she really enjoyed her shrimp pho. I would definitely come back again. Also, be careful with the type of card you bring. They are really weird when it comes to payment. Some days they except all debit/credit cards then other days they claim they don't accept certain cards like Discover or American Express. This is not ok and made our checkout process very unorganized considering my friend had been their several times before and used her American Express card. Maybe just bring cash or go to a different location.

Sad ambiance. I ordered pho w beef meatballs. The broth was flavorless. The only saving grace was the add ons and the siriacha. The "beef meatballs " were flat, dense, triangular chunks of compressed meat w hard white chunks in some pieces. Definitely not meatballs more like canned beef cut into triangles. I asked about them and was told they were indeed beef . It was the hard consistency of spam. I wasn't offered a chance to change my order so I just ate the noodles and some of the broth. Of course, I paid and tipped but I won't be back. Just a heads up. Hope you all have a better experience if you choose to go there.

I entered the restaurant 40 minutes before the shop closed and there was a lady working at the counter, I asked if the food could still be made and got a yes. But after placing a to-go order, I followed up with her wish to remove some kind of side dish. She yelled at me that I should not step into a place other than tables and chairs, ordered me to sit down loudly, and refused my request. What I'm trying to say is that you should put up a sign if you don't allow customers to enter the aisle, and if you don't want to work when it's closing time, you should say that you can't serve food any more, instead of taking the order and scolding the customer with a bad attitude, she seems to be taking the whole day Fatigue and anger were transferred to me.

Big taste for a small Banh Mi. To be honest, when I saw the size of this thing, I was disappointed. For $8 I expected a much larger sandwich, this one looked like a six inch sub from Subway. What I found out quickly is another matter. Size does not matter. For a tiny sandwich, it packs quite a punch! The bread is absolutely terrific, and it is toasted to perfection. You can pick what you do and do not want in it, but trust me, keep everything in it. Keep all the vegetables, and get both the mayo and pate. You will not regret it. In every bite, you get some meat, some daikon, carrots, and that savory pate to go with that mayo. A delicate number choreographed so perfectly that it would make Busby Berkeley faint. It also helps the customer service is terrific too. The woman behind the counter was lovely to deal with and was super sweet. She will make sure your Banh Mi is made with love, which after all is the hidden ingredient to making most dishes a hit. Just like this one. After all if you really do love something, size should never matter... when it comes to food.

This Vietnamese restaurant is definitely not exceptional, but is a decent place to check out in Chinatown. I tried the Thai tea and garden rolls with tofu. The Thai tea was actually rather unusual in my opinion as it was extremely thick and strangely frothy. I did enjoy the texture of the tea, however it was way too sweet in my opinion. The garden rolls were moist, and had a good texture to them. The hoisin sauce was mixed with peanut. The dish was definitely nothing exceptional, but it was fresh and on point with other Vietnamese places I have been to. My friend really enjoyed his beef pho. The service here was pretty prompt, not very friendly, but they get the job done. Overall: would I recommend this place? Yes, if you're not going out of your way. Would I return, definitely yes. I want to try their phô or another 'main' dish so I can get a better judge of the place.

Too expensive given the quality of food and dining environment. Service is very bad too. There is not enough meat in the pho soup. Not recommended.

Good food, large portions for the soup and noodles. Service is regular, pretty hands off. Quiet place, not a lot going on some music in the background. Not many people were there when we went.

I could eat here every day. I had some not sho good pho experiences, but this place changed that for me. The service is quick so you can grab lunch during working hours or stay and relax for dinner. It's never crowded most of the time, so you're seated right away. The tables are very close up front but everyone is friendly. I would give this 5 stars if you had a little more room to stretch out wow you up. The food is outstanding. Go for the jacket shrimp and spring rolls as a starter. They're not overcooked, and the sauce complements they well. I'm hooked on the combo Vermicelli (beef, pork and shrimp). You will be back for it again and want more to take home. Last you can't come here and not get a bubble tea. I always get the mango w/mango popping. Hope this place continues to provide excellent service and food, I would love to continue coming.

My husband brought me here on Saturday. Boy was it awesome. Everything was so fresh. Due to Covid mask were expected. We waited outside for about 10 minutes to be seated. I will definitely be back.

I'm surprised by previous reviews- thought it was a solid experience. Just came by for takeout of pho and combination of broken rice bowls - fried tofu and pork chop. The two women there were nice and the inside was modern and cozy.

This is nothing like authentic Vietnamese food. Oh I know they are Vietnamese. They are just dishing out tasteless crap. $9 for a boba smoothie? Gimme a break. Won't be back.

Being from Seattle we do pho - a lot of pho. I was told this was *the* place to go. I'm just not sold. Perhaps this is good pho for DC? If that is the case I'm sad for the taste buds of the DMV. This was mediocre at best and SO far overpriced. All said and done the party of 4 was just over $100 with tip. In Seattle it's half that. The broth wasn't worth the price.