Mott Street Phở Bằng

One of my old time old school favorites been coming here for 15 years at least, it’s a no fuss great pho free hot tea kind of spot. Great fast service fair prices for the area and they never change a thing! A proper institution!

The food was great. The service is not that good, they gave my fried chicken to another family and then when I asked about it, they tried to return it back to us. I told them that we’d like a new one. The older man in the front is efficient, but everyone else seems a bit lost and untrained. Overall, this place is tasty. But they also had a few flies around the place. This is one of those places where the food is great, but everything else is not. I’m conflicted.

Ran into this place randomly one night and ran into Rich Brian lol. The food was pretty decent t with big portions. The restaurant is more of a modernized asian cuisine with attentive staff. The menu has tons of unfamiliar items, if you feel confused just ask the staff they’ll explain it to you quickly. But I will say this, they have a very good selection on protein options.

The food isn’t anything to rave about. It’s decent at best. Or maybe I just came on the wrong day. It was a Sunday afternoon with not many patrons. As we entered we were greeted promptly and seated . They do need to work on training their staff instead of yelling and demanding the waitress. We found that pretty rude. The waitress was nice. The food came out on time. The summer rolls were okay. The pork in the summer rolls tasted a bit odd. The shrimp in the summer rolls were good. Also ordered the vermicelli noodles with grilled pork. It’s what I usually get at Vietnamese restaurants. Wasn’t blown away by the taste. The portion sizes on all dishes were great. But the flavor lacked on all the dishes. What disappointed the most were the fried spring rolls. They tasted super stale. My girlfriend got a seafood soup dish with noodles that she seems to enjoy, but she did mention the broth was pretty bland. Overall we had a decent experience. Nothing to rave about. We left with full tummies , but disappointed in the lack of flavors in the dishes. Staff was nice (except for the management yelling at the waitress in front of patrons) , interior is what’s expected for a hole in the wall. Probably wouldn’t come back here with there being much better options in the area.

Exactly the type of broth to warm your soul on a cold day. Some of my favorite pho in the city.

my favorite pho spot in the city. i’ve always ordered the same thing so i can tell you that #8 pho is super yum. service is good, i do find that sometimes i want a water refill and it’s a little slower, and sometimes i don’t want to wait for the bill so i just pay at the counter before leaving. atmosphere is homey, great place to chat with friends but maybe not the most glamorous

Yes, this spot has a C rating, but honestly every time my friend and I have come, we’ve never seen any bugs—and let’s be real, it’s the LES, so that’s not uncommon anywhere. We’re definitely going to keep coming back. The food is amazing! My friend and I are obsessed with the pho, and I personally love the pork banh mi—the baguette is perfect: soft enough that it doesn’t scrape the roof of your mouth like others do. I recently tried the iced coffee, and our server was so kind in showing us how to properly mix and pour it, which made the experience even better. We also really love the origin story behind this restaurant and supporting family-run businesses, which makes us want to root for them even more. Ending our meal with a pot of tea has become a little tradition, and we always finish every last drop. We truly hope this place continues to improve and thrive because we want to keep bringing all our friends here! <3

LOVEEEEEE THE FOOD HERE! Very delicious!!! Best ever I’ve ever had!

** I was able to pay with credit card, so it is NOT cash only (at least for our ~$50 lunch). They DO charge a bit more if you pay with credit card than cash (~3.5%) so probably better if you do pay with cash if you can ** I was craving a banh mi so I ordered the Banh Mi Ga Nuong, which was the grilled chicken banh mi sandwich. It was very good and had a lot of flavor! It was $11.25, and I know that is slightly more expensive than other places in the area, but I was still satisfied to pay that price since it was a large serving. My boyfriend ordered the Banh Mi Hoac Com Bo Kho, which was the beef stew. He got bread (a baguette) on the side, which was great to dip/eat with the broth. He also ordered an iced Vietnamese coffee. This was $7.50, which pretty pricey... but it was good (and very strong!) Overall Pho Bang has good Vietnamese food and good service. It does get hot as there are only fans here and not AC. I'd recommend both dishes that we ordered to anyone, depending if you're in the mood for a soup or a sandwich!!

Been coming here since I was a teenager to get pork chop over rice, pho, and vermicelli bowls. They're fast, reliable, no frills, great prices for excellent portions. The thing about Chinatown viet places is that no single place seems to have it all when it comes to pho, the ones w the best cuts of beef tend to have average or mediocre broth, and then the ones that have excellent broth that really heals the soul tend to have average quality cuts of beef. Pho bang falls in the excellent broth camp for me- which is crucial because they're who I turn to when I'm under true weather.

Quick service with tasty pho. The portions are quite large for the price, so you're getting a great value. The interior is nothing fancy but clean and welcoming.

Been awhile since I have been here. Came here on a cold winter's day so a bowl of pho was what we needed. We ordered the extra large pho bowl with extra noodles which cost us $19. Also ordered a grilled beef dish that came with vermicelli noodles and also garnishing on the side which were very yummy. Would love to try other things on the menu here. Would be a good place to try out with a large group.

Tip should only be encouraged NEVER forced. This disagreement between me and a manager left a sour taste in my mouth, so I wont be returning.

Pho is one of my favorite dishes, and this is my go-to spot whenever I'm in Chinatown. I usually order the Regular Pho with fresh eye of round and tendon ($13.50) and Vietnamese Spring Roll (4 rolls - $9). The broth is very flavorful, and the spring rolls are legitimate. The food never disappointed me. I would like to try the Banh Mi next time. My friend and I went during the holiday season, so it was pretty crowded, but the staff is usually very quick. The prices have increased over the years, and it's not the cleanest place as it has been around for a while, but honestly that's how you know it's old-school authentic. Haha. I have yet to find a better place in the area, so I don't see myself going anywhere else.

LOVE THIS PLACE FOR 5 years!! The most authentic Pho restaurant in Chinatown, NY. Only Cash but it worth it to try. Always love to have Spring rolls and Beef pho (Tai) love their broth and table settings. People are very nice and friendly. Just sad that prices raised nowadays- Used to get the pho only $11 but the taste and everything I trust is still here :) I would definitely recommend

Returned back to NY and made sure I got one of these delicious bowls. Cost is up to $16 for a bowl of pho. Almost twice the price of what it was 5 years ago when I first wrote this review. Good local Chinatown joint. Quality mom and pop shop. Community restaurant with Asians and non Asians alike.

Pros: - Love and recommend the appetizers here: Fried Spring Rolls, Grilled Pork on Rice Noodle + Shrimp Chip, Grilled Shrimp and Fried Garlic over Pressed Vermicelli Noodles Cons: - Don't recommend the Pho (the soup is OK and the noodles are grainy, although the meatballs are delicious) and the Grilled Pork Chop over Rice Noodles (the pork was thin and not juicy)

I recently got the claypot rice. Pork Claypot Rice: Pork was nice and tender, however the rice was only ok. Alot of areas had no crisp, while other areas were burned. It wasn't the best, it wasn't the worst. Stick with their pho, it is way better.

I was too hungry and didn't take any pictures. The service is super, very nice people would give a 5 stars to the service. Restaurant is not renovated, it has two separate bathrooms for men/women Let's talk about food. The vietnamese coffee doesn't taste like viet coffee and it's not strong, very disappointed for this price. Pho combos has quite good amounts of meat, the spicy pig feet pho also has 3 big piece of pig feet. however the soup is very blend, couldn't taste the beef flavor. The noodles is very scratchy rough texture, not chewy. The fried vietnamese egg rolls $18 for 8. The skin is too thick and hard to bite off, i had very good one in Brooklyn, can't turn back anymore. But overall the egg roll has pork at wood ears as filling it's not bad, however it's also lack of flavor, missing some seasoning there (maybe fish sauce & not enough black pepper?) Not Worth the money tho.

Delicious pho and papaya shrimp salad. The salad was fresh flavorful and delicious. Pho was great too- broth was flavorful and rich. It was perfect for a winter day. The outside seating wasn't warm enough with the heaters for a cold freezing winter day, but we managed with our winter coats. Service was fine for being outside - food was served quickly.

There is a sign saying 15 dollars mins if you want to use credit card. Otherwise, cash only. I ordered more than 15 dollars only because I want to by card. However, what I did not know is that there is additional 3% service charge if you pay by credit card. I didn't know that until after I paid by Card. No one told me beforehand. Why not put 3% servers charge in the sign as well!? Food is average and price is average.

Ambience is zero and so is the passion for Vietnamese food at this sad joint. I've eaten here twice, and it seems like it's getting worse. Whoever's cooking doesn't care anymore. I get the same vibe from the two older gent servers who aren't that helpful and do the minimum required. For lunch on a Friday, I had grilled chicken with lemongrass over rice for $14 and my friend had grilled shrimp over vermicelli for $15.50. I expected better for the price. My chicken was kind of sweet and oily, and the shrimp was bland. With all the good restaurants in this neighborhood, I can't see why I would come back. But the summer rolls were fine. Nothing special.

So one thing I didn't realize is pho bang and the ban mi restaurant are the same place, it's just two different menus. The place is about average for Vietnamese food, it has a good selection of ban mi. The soup is flavorful, and the meatballs in the noodle soup is great. The tendon however, is a bit too chewy. We paid for tendon as extra, should not have paid for extra tendon. The service is pretty fast. The atmosphere is casual and quiet.

the best beef pho in Chinatown! their broth is incredibly rich with beef flavor, will cure you or any sickness you may be suffering from

The banh mi was pretty good, but the pho was not our favorite. This is a casual, convenient spot for lunch or dinner, probably better for take out.

Pho Bang has old school interior, but the staff are nice. They speak English, Cantonese, and Vietnamese which is very impressive. My husband wanted the beef salad and I got their Vietnamese coffee. It took around 15 minutes to prepare and then I paid in cash. The beef salad was a huge portion and the fish sauce dressing was soooo addictive. They have two fish sauce dressings. The coffee is really good and super strong! Definitely a good coffee to start the day or a pick me up during the day but you just might not sleep that night! I'd definitely go back to try the pho and bun bo hue! I highly recommend!

Place is awful, high prices small portions. Bu Lac Loc very small portion mostly lettuce Fried squid fishy and not fresh Claypot seafood bowl seafood not fresh Hope I don't get sick Better go elsewhere

This was my first time coming here and I would never come back the service was terrible. The waiter was extremely rude. There was a family of three that came at the same time as us and got seated towards the center, but the waiter decided to seat us right next to the entrance. They had already gotten their main courses, while we hadn't even gotten our appetizers. We were seated at a corner where it's harder to get their attention. They were more focused on the center area compared to us. While we were waiting to order, this Karen and her child seated themselves right next to us at the same table. They didn't ask us and welcomed themselves. She complained about us ruining her appetite, but it was the restaurant's fault for being unsanitary. We found a cockroach in the napkin holder and when my friend got her grilled chicken, the whole thing was raw. They only grilled the outside but when we cut it, the inside was jelly-like and pink. We didn't feel like eating anymore and decided to leave. This was the worst experience I've had with a restaurant.

My friend and I were seated and provided iced water upon arrival which was nice. The employees were kind and accommodating. Both of us ordered pho which I found very fresh and light especially combined with sprouts. We also ordered the shrimp summer rolls that were crunchy and paired well with the peanut sauce. The place was clean and tidy.

For over 18 years I have come here for my cà phê suã dá (strong coffee black, condensed milk, over ice), or cà phê suã nóng (hot version). Best I've found in this city. Despite my pronouncing it wrong every time, they are always patient, nice and offer water on hot days. I rarely get to eat the delicious pho, but when I do I always enjoy it. Now, if only they made egg coffee cà phê trứng like I had in Vietnam... thank you Pho BANG!

Their beef balls are so good. I order my usual pho w porkchop and tripe.. Pho soup amazing noodles noice and gives me a heartwarming hug feel. Staffs were so friendly and kind and nice, but the pork chop was weird tasting. Spring rolls omg so good. bathroom is calm single man and single woman

Great spot and well loved! I live in the area and have always passed by this place, but finally went inside. From the outside, it's not much. Their signage has age. Inside, there are a good number of tables. They even accommodate large groups. An extra large bowl of pho is $14.50, and it was enough to split amongst two people. Staff is swift. Food was delicious. They take credit cards. We'll be back!

One of the oldest Pho - Vietnamese restaurants in Chinatown. Haven't been here for a long while. Still the same good taste.

My go-to Pho spot in Chinatown. Pho Bang has been around since I was a child and it's a simply decorated restaurant, no frills. The waiters have been there for years and are nice. Really reliable spot for pho and everything is marked at a great price. Support your local restaurants in Chinatown and fix your weekend hangovers here!

This was my second time having Pho Bang and my first thing eating in the restaurant. The service here was really great. Our server was sweet and polite. The ambiance itself wasn't fabulous, and I think Pho Bang does mostly takeout. Pho was on point. Make sure to get the Vietnamese spring rolls!

I came here for dinner with some friends! The place is really homey and nice and smells delicious as soon as you walk in. The food is around $12-14 which is a pretty good price for New York. The flavors were so so yummy and I would definitely come back again. The service was also superb!

One of the very few authentic viet places around. Good is on par to my expectation at a reasonable price. It's one of the those places you don't expect to find advertised, but only go when you hear about it from friends.

They accept credit cards now. $15 minimum and a 3.5% charge for using credit cards. Regular bowl of pho is now $13.50.

I was pleased to find that Pho Bang has a delicious veggie pho! Sometimes veggie pho lacks flavor, but this was really good.

Nice for a casual bowl of pho in Chinatown. Prices are very reasonable. We managed to beat the dinner rush and got seated pretty quickly. Service was fine they took our orders and brought water. Don't expect a fancy, upscale experience and you will walk away happy. I appreciate that menu had basically every meat combination listed out for your convenience lol, including the no meat option. A lot of other restaurants get confused when you ask for no meat and give you a vegetable broth or something, so I was happy to get a bowl of pho with an actual meat broth.

Best pho in Chinatown. It's all in the broth, and here it simply is what it's supposed to be, no fuss, just great taste, rich and soothing. The place to go for pho.

If you're looking for some good Vietnamese food, Pho Bang on Mott Street in Chinatown is a great choice. Their pho is especially delicious, with rich broth, perfectly cooked noodles, and tender meat. But their menu has a lot of other tasty options too, like crispy spring rolls and banh mi sandwiches. The staff is friendly and helpful, and the prices are reasonable for the quality of food you get. The restaurant has a laid-back and cozy atmosphere, making it a good spot for a casual meal. Overall, if you're in the mood for some Vietnamese food and want to try a good spot in Chinatown, I definitely recommend this place on Mott. Treat yourself don't cheat yourself.

Combination Pho - average, nothing special. Meat was good but the stripes were oddly very shredded. Spring Roll - they use the rice paper, so after it's fried, texture becomes rubbery.

Service was quick and fast. Food was fresh. Didnt feel heavy. Nice spot to try a few things and enjoy your journey though Chinatown.

My sister and I do to poor planning was not able to get into restaurant we had on her list. Of course I could always eat pho so we found this place that had a good rating plus it was near Little Italy where we wanted to check out. I place this is a cash-only place which we didn't realize but thank goodness we had cash. We ordered two bowls of pho and some fresh summer rolls some places this will be called spring rolls. The restaurant was that too busy but had quite a few patrons there. It was your traditional hole in the wall type of restaurant. I can't recall if staff wore masks. After being in New York for a couple days it was just so common to see mask can't recall when someone didn't wear one. The food was okay. It was rather Bland from what I'm used to. Not sure what's more Southern Vietnam Style versus Northern I has more of the strong flavors I'm used to. It did not provide much vegetables that I'm used to either other than cilantro and bean sprouts. Where was the Thai Basil or mint leaves? I guess I could have requested some. After finishing most my pho some other table asked for it. I added meatballs which was an extra cost. I liked that they added a a couple of meatballs. Other places skimp and just had one and cut it up 4 pieces. The prices for the food was great. The summer rolls were a good size and fresh. The description said it had both shrimp and pork. But I didn't taste any pork in the rules we had. Overall it was okay. Not the best pho I have had before.

Decent Pho place, authentic flavors, quick food service. The value is lacking. I ordered the largest pho and it is no bigger than the regular bowl at other places. The old days you get generous servings of tripe, tendons, and brisket. These days just tiny smidgeon of meats. Disappointed but broth and pho is fine.

What a bust. For a $15 plate of Bun Cha Hanoi ($20 with tip), I want more than just a small plate of Vermicelli noodles, five pieces of pork, and absolutely no pickled vegetables. I got plenty of lettuce and other garnishing, but nothing else. Where are the pickled carrots and daikon? The meat could have been cooked a bit longer, it was a little dry and I feel some of the pork patties are cooked too thick. It made it a more cumbersome experience than it should have to eat this. The other grilled pork pieces were little slabs of sadness. It only helped the dipping sauce tasted pretty good and the noodles are great. However, I ask the same question: Where are the pickled carrots and daikon? For a cash only experience, I want more, and for a Chinatown establishment, the amount of food for the price is a downright shame. Shame on you Pho Bang. In the past, I have had excellent Bun Cha for a fraction of the price. This experience left me Bun Cheated.

Great Banh Mi. Awesome service. No frills, yet I still had a great time here. The service here is quick and direct. The waiters here speak so many languages. At our table, we had friends who spoke Cantonese, Mandarin, and English, and our waiter understood all of us. I was amazed by his polyglot skills, but then again back to the food. I thought the meal was great. I love the pho, and it was a huge portion of noodles. I also had the barbecue pork chop which was sooo sooo yummy and well marinated. My friends split a delicious chicken banh mi (without mayo...now I usually have this, but one friend is not a fan, so I was flexible) and it was heavenly. I would totally go back and try a ton more items. It was a great meal!

Had an amazing experience at this pho restaurant! The staff was friendly and their food was delicious! We ordered summer rolls, Tai Gau with a side of tendons (#8), and Com Ga Nuong Xa (#55) with a side of fried rice. Highly recommend for an authentic Vietnamese dining experience!

Pretty solid place for pho in Manhattan. Service was very fast and friendly, prices were very reasonable and portions were very large. The broth was rich, but not quite as high quality as some other places I've been. I'd still say the mask was pretty satisfying and the tea that comes with it was pleasant as well.

My favorite pho on the east coast and NY's best pho you'll ever get to go to. I've not been back for a year+ and not sure if they still include a pounded chicken thigh alongside.

Great food and the service was excellent. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone who enjoys Vietnamese food or is looking to try it for the first time. The staff was very friendly. They do take credit card here so don't worry about needing cash.

Front desk man was a little angry (probably from all the San Janeiro festival bathroom asks) but the rest of the staff were nice and polite. Pho was very delicious. Had all of the elements with a good amount of meat, and the broth was nice and rich. Probably the best pho in Chinatown. Sauce was generous and flavorful.

Used to get #8 with request the raw beef on the side with extra lime/basil and jalapeños. You see, No pho places in NYC that I have been to in 35 years has the most tender and fresh beef-raw and perfectly sliced. So , reasons I argue with my friends are...... Fresh meats, clear soup, crisp condiments and the old guys who have been there for a long time.

Reading some reviews, it sounds like Pho Bang is the last of several NYC locations of an international chain, a holdout from earlier days and one of the oldest Vietnamese restaurants still operating in the city. Keep that culinary history in mind when dining here. I ordered the pho with rare steak and brisket ($9). The bowl of soup was presented no more than 5 minutes later. Broth was mild, a little greasy, not bad. There was plenty of meat and the noodles were slurpable. Overall, an inoffensive bowl of pho. It's hard to find a cheaper bowl of pho in New York, though Chinatown would be the place for it. I personally wasn't blown away by the food; would've enjoyed more cilantro, and some hot chili peppers, even jalapenos, would have been nice. Still, the service was decent, and I could see this place being dependable and consistent.

Food/Pho is uncomplicated and delicious. It's not a Michelin starred restaurant so don't expect gourmet BS - but this place has been around for decades. They know what they're doing. Service is friendly. Mostly older staff but I love that. Strong grandpa vibe. Came here during a rainy day and it was like a warm hug.

A pretty solid pho spot near chinatown. Portion sizes are VERY generous. Staff are nice and the food comes out quick. The complimentary tea was a nice addition to the meal. I would say, the quality of the Pho broth was definitely not the best.... but given price and portion size, this is still a solid 4/5 for me.