Pho Dau Bo Restaurant

A friend said it was the best Vietnamese Restaurant in town. Initial impression ….modern, cool and they serve Cafe Du Monde from New Orleans! Hostess/Server was lovely and professional. My vermicelli bowl had an interesting/unique/pleasing flavour but the pork was overcooked & dry. My date had the Beef Stew which was very good and the meat was delicate & lean. We’ll come back and try a few of the nontraditional dishes on the menu.

Enjoy this place! The noodles are on the firmer side, which I don’t mind, not as soft as at most places. The broth is sweeter than other places, very fragrant, and full of flavor. One of my favorite pho places in the city!

I visited Pho Dau Bo for the second time recently, and sadly, I left quite disappointed. While I was initially excited to return, the overall experience fell short. The atmosphere felt rather gloomy, made worse by the large rays kept in a tank that is far too small for such majestic creatures. It was upsetting to see them in such a confined, barren space with no enrichment. It genuinely affected my appetite, and I found it difficult to enjoy the meal knowing animals nearby were visibly distressed. The food itself was okay, some of the Vietnamese crêpe options were creative and flavourful—but overall, the portion sizes were small, and I left still hungry, despite our bill nearing $100 for three people. Unfortunately, the service didn’t lift the experience either. Staff seemed disengaged, and the energy in the space was low. I’m surprised by the volume of glowing reviews, as my experience didn’t align with them. I appreciate the creativity in parts of the menu, but between the animal welfare concerns, small portions, and lacklustre service, I won’t be returning.

Run of the mill, nothing too special. Pho soup a little sweeter than usual, but also not super rich. Bone marrow was interesting with the baguette bun slices. I think it would be better as a topping with the pho to give it the richness it’s lacking. If that’s the case, a suggestion on the menu to “add bone marrow for a richer soup” would have been nice. We got the oxtail pho - oxtail was really just fatty and didn’t seem to add much to the pho itself.

Pho Dau Bo is a clean spot with friendly staff and solid service. The pho is good—not the best I’ve had, but decent overall. The broth is just okay though; it lacks that deep, rich flavor you’d expect from slow-simmered ox bones. One downside for me is that they use plastic bowls, plates, and utensils, which takes away from the dining experience. Also, prices are on the higher side for what you get.

My mom and I had lunch here and ordered the pho oxtail regular size. The broth was delicious at first, but the oxtail was incredibly tough and chewy. There was also a lot of fat around each piece. We informed our server, and she returned with our bowls. She explained that the kitchen boils the oxtail for 4 hours and said they never receive complaints about the meat. She didn’t even apologize and even suggested microwaving it. She said the only way she could replace our soups is if we didn’t have a bite of the meat. She also said that since we took a small bite of the oxtail, that means it soft. We were very disappointed so we decided to pack it to go. We also asked to remove the tea from our receipt since we barely drank it. We just wish they had been more accommodating and let us order another soup. Wasted $40. Sadly, we will not be returning.

I saw a big sign advertising 20% off food and drink, but unfortunately, I didn’t get the discount—I guess it doesn’t apply to takeout orders, which wasn’t clear at all. There was also a sign for free ice cream, but that too only applies to dine-in customers. I ordered a regular beef saté noodle soup for $16. The flavor was okay, but the portion was quite small and honestly not worth the price. Also, I heard from a friend that they charge for water, which is surprising and a bit off-putting. Would have appreciated more transparency and better value for takeout customers.

Loved this place!! We had the beef ribs pho. And bun mi. The meat was a little lacking in the bun mi. But the flavor was there. The soup was delicious. Will definitely be back. And highly recommend.

The pho noodle soup was so good! The soup was almost a little sweet from the meat flavor, it was perfect for the cold weather. The taro cake was pretty good too. The satay soup was also very tasty, but just be prepared that it's spicy. Bun Bo hue was also a decent soup base. The service was decently quick considering that it was a full house. The place was also pretty clean.

Located in a strip mall, this Vietnamese restaurant has an aquarium with some crazy looking fish We came here for the bone marrow. $11 with a few slices of baguette, it was spicy, and delicious We got the beef Rib soup, broth was very flavorful, but the meat was hard to get off the bone We ordered beef salad rolls which were very good and a Vietnamese sub Nothing crazy about this place Typical Vietnamese restaurant

I am not kidding when I say this is the best sub place I have come across in all my years and with such sweet people it makes it such an amazing small business I would come for generations, would give 10 stars if I could. the subs were some of the best things I could go on and on

I absolutely love this place! My friend and I decided to check it out on a whim because we wanted some Vietnamese food. We ordered satay phở and honestly, it's the best satay phở I've had. I was shook in the most positive way. We got the bone marrow which was delicious, and the beef carpaccio. I was really excited for the latter, but it was overpowered by vinegar, which was unexpected for me. I couldn't eat it at all - due to my own preference, I don't like vinegar. I expected it to be more limey (it's in the name of the dish - chanh)! We got the coffee slush and Hanoi egg coffee which were both amazing. AMAZING. I'm still thinking of them as I'm typing. Highly recommend! The staff were friendly and the restaurant was small but busy and cozy. Our craving was more than satiated - we wanted more long after we left.

This place has probably the best pho sate soup base (15$) I've had at restaurants. The dish would have been better if they gave a few more slices of beef. The soup to noodle and beef proportion was a little off. We also order their appetizer: bone marrow (8.5$) and bun bo hue. The bone marrow was rich in flavour and came with a few slices of baguettes. The bun bo hue was not spicy and a little blend in flavour. This venue is located in a plaza with free parking.

A bit out of the way for me but worth the drive! Excellent Pho had the beef broth with bone marrow. Place is very clean and service pleasant and efficient. Will definitely go again!

Came here on vacation looking for a pho place and found this place. Spacious. Family friendly. Generous portions. Decent price point. Would come back and try other things on their menu! Their price point comes to about $8-15. Ordered the pho special. Soup base was flavourful. Noodle go soup ratio was accurate! Yum!

I've only been to a couple Vietnamese restaurants in Calgary but am slowly working my way through a few of them. I stumbled upon an Insta picture of one of Pho Dau Bo's pho bowls and I was instantly intrigued. They're located in the same plaza as Noodle World and Bun Bo Hue Deli. I went on a late Saturday afternoon for lunch and the place was busy. The servers here are all very friendly and bring you hot tea when you sit down. The menu is standard but I had eyes only for their pho. Note: you can only use credit card if your meal is over $20.00 (otherwise it's cash/debit). - Pho sate ga hoac bo (A) ($12.00) - the broth was unbelievably flavourful; creamy, rich, sweet, spicy, aromatic, complex and full of depth. I could have swam in this bowl. The beef was perfectly sliced and stayed tender till the very last bite. I'd come back in a heartbeat. Those green bowls are legit.

Excellent food. All dishes tasted . I had the oxtail pho with beef bone marrow. Service was great, and food was fast.

Had a craving for pho after a long few days of playing in the woods in the National Park. The restaurant was pretty busy around 3pm so it was a great sign that it was going to be yummy. Overall, great service, clean restaurant and good food.

Tasty veggie pho and shrimp vermicelli. Staff was friendly. Get there before 11:45 on weekends to avoid the lines.

Love the satay beef pho mmmmm I dream about it lol so delicious service is good and lots of seating i the dining area , lots of options on the menu

Last time we were there the pho was so good, we went again this time and they seem to have gotten even cheaper. 18$ for a bowl of pho, they bring you hoisin in a tiny little to go container, the meat was so dry, and the broth was bland as well. When you order two bowl of pho they only bring you enough bean sprouts for one person and they aren't fresh they are floppy. I don't understand the hype of this place, it's not good at all.

Was really bad ..not authentic. Soup was not tasty and rich like other better restaurants. Think it's too noisy too with all.the younger people there.

The soup broth is so good, u can tell tht they spend long hours to make the soup broth.. the vietnamiese spring roll is just ok,, not really amazing.. But yeah all dishes we tried here are great: chicken curry, spicy beef soup, and pho.. by the way they charge $1 for tea and 0.50 for additional limes.. i am not sure if you need to charge us for this price where anywhere else dont charge any for these (thts the only downside), because of this i will give only 4 stars..

Prices are good, and the soups are delicious! Staff are very friendly and the overall atmosphere is Vietnamese restaurant type. Will not disappoint!

great food. fast and friendly. good for a date night even better service. clean restaurant

Great pho, great people. Food was excellent and staff really friendly. This is my go to Pho place when I am in the area. One comment ... the menu pictures might be outdated on here so confirm the order if just doing numbers. Enjoy

A friend and I stopped in here after I kept seeing all the delicious looking pho and bone marrow pictures they were posting on instagram. It did not disappoint. I had the spicy sate beef noodle soup and an appetizer of bone marrow. Lots of marrow on the bone and for a great price compared to other restaurants in Calgary. There are so many amazing pho places around the city but this has to be in the top 3 easily. I'll be making the trip to forest lawn specifically to try more things on the menu in the near future.

Several of us went to check this place out. We sat down at a booth near the door. The place was basically empty except for two other tables. Roughly 10-15 minutes later, a server came with water and menus. That is as much service as we received. After another 20 minutes had passed, I went to the cash register, waited another 5 minutes at which time a man appears and asks which table. I pointed at our table, and said we would like to order please. He said wait and walked away. Came back 2-3 minutes later and said someone will be with you. I sat down. Another 20 minutes goes by we decided to leave. Never going back.

Did takeout today. Had deep fried beef and taro spring rolls excellent. Beef stew on noodles was good. As far as lunch goes good.

best satay. small portions but it's worth it. Servers are really nice and good costumer service

We ordered through SkipTheDishes and the food was cold. It was just tossed in the container! I have eaten in the restaurant and it was a wonderful experience. So very disappointed

The best sate pho in Calgary! I always come here if I'm craving sate pho even though it's out of the way, I also love their curry chicken with baguette and my husband loves their beef stew on rice. Highly recommend this place if you want sate pho it's not the super peanuty creamy broth like golden bell and not just a plain broth with added chilli in there. You just need to try it for yourself :)

Great place to stop by and enjoy a bowl of Pho! The ambience is perfect for a quick lunch or dinner with friends or family. I usually get the pho ga (chicken noodle soup) and it was delicious as it could be. The portion was perfect for the price point and wow this place is clean! The customer service is great and I truly would recommend this place to everyone!

I was recommended to go to Pho Dau Bo and try the popular satay beef soup. That is exactly what I ordered and I was a little disappointed. I prefer satay soup that is a bit creamier and spicy. The flavour was enjoyable but this bowl was not my satay beef preference. The restaurant is open and clean and the server was very friendly! If I'm in the area, I will definitely go back and try another dish.

If you want vermicelli then go to any restaurant that has it. They all taste the same to me. But pho...you can't mess that up because it makes or breaks you. There's only a handful of pho restaurants in Calgary that impresses me and this is one of them. First off, yeah this place is in the ghetto but the best Pho in town are in the ghetto. This isn't your typical ghetto pho restaurant though. The place is clean and modern which is a bonus but I'm here for food and I could care less if they have nice lighting fixtures. Still though, it's nice to go to a clean and modern place. 1 star for that. I recommend their Pho Satay but you can't go wrong with any pho. The soup is hot (I hate warm soup where it doesn't cook the raw beef) and the vegetables are fresh. The spring rolls here are great too so don't pass that up. 2 stars for good food. The service is your typical - here's your food, see you when you're done type of service. That's fine by me. I'm at a pho restaurant. Bring me my food without your finger in my soup and I'm fine. 1 star. Would I come back? hell yeah!!!..1 star... Total 5 stars!

The best pho place in town. Always order there pho sate oxtail. The broth is so rich and has so flavour. It is a little bit pricier for where it at in the area. But whatever I'm willing to pay even if it was pricer as long as it delicious and food always taste the same I'm willing to pay. Don't want to pay for cheap food and it doesn't satisfy your cravings. I Minus a star because staffs don't always look nice and friendly but it is a hit & miss.

I pity the 'pho who hasn't yet eaten at Pho Dau Bo. Don't let the fact that it's in Forest Lawn keep you away. Mr. T wouldn't. Just keep it to daylight hours. Fast and friendly service and quality food, this spot is a palate pleaser for sure. With a simple and modern interior and plenty of seating, you can be assured of a lovely lunch and still be back at your desk well within your lunch hour.

Pho Dau Bo is probably my favorite spot for Pho /Vietnamese food. I remember coming here since I was a little girl, about 3-4 years old with my family and til now (20 years later) I'm still going here. Sarah treats us well, almost like family. My boyfriend and I come to Pho Dau Bo almost every week. The quality of the broth is so flavorful and not watered down like some Vietnamese restaurants I've experienced. Their cha gio (spring rolls) and goi cuon (salad rolls) are a good size! I highly recommend trying this place out cause I'm sure it'll become one your favorites as well! I recommend trying the sate broth! It's what they're known for. :)

Man, their sate is spicy! There's a reason their bowls and places are red! It's really really addicting though. I stopped and realized, I'm just drinking spoons of chilli, peanut sauce and water... Maybe there a bit more secret stuff in there too. Definitely worth trying out. With a cup of well made Vietnamese ice-coffee, or lemonade, you'll fall in love with this place in no time. Cozy, familyplace comparing to the modern looking Basil Ultimate Pho from the other day. (What's wrong with Calgary's restaurants and music?) I'll definitely come back after their renovation to try out some of their non-spicy dishes.

Holy moly! This place is fuego The best satay pho I have ever had in Canada. Can't believe the best pho is in Calgary I recommend this place for all! Would I come back? Yes!

I don't know how anyone could give this less than full marks (other than the obvious answer of just clicking on another value) because this place truly is as good as it gets. The Pho Sate soup is great, a nice big bowl of spicy soup can easily be ruined in several ways, as I've experienced at other "Pho" restaurants trying to change things up by adding things to it... These guys add one simple secret ingredient that makes it stand out from all the others, without bringing everything crashing down. The Pho isn't the only reason to come, as they also have the usual Viet fare, some of which I've tried, and quite enjoyed, but honestly, I go every week, and get the exact same order every time... Large beef Pho Sate, salad rolls with shrimp, and Iced Viet coffee with milk... Sometimes I'll add extra beef to the soup, but other than that, it's always the same, and they know me for it.

Super Tasty!!! I wanted to find the best pho restaurant in Calgary and Pho Dau Bo kept coming up. Well today was the day we ventured to the SE to see if it lived up to its hype....it was fantastic!! I'll definitely be coming back!!

One of my favourite places to grab pho, ever. I've been coming for a few years now, and they make an amazing satay pho! I just tried their regular pho broth yesterday and it was excellent as well. The beef is good quality and they do not skimp on the quantity! The service is fast and friendly, and there is plenty of seating and parking available in the plaza. Come here if you want an excellent, piping hot bowl of pho!

One of my favourite pho places in town! I've been going here since I was a kid. We always get the pho sate, pho tai or pho dac biet and I love the amount of meat they give me each time.

Great spot ! Amazing food ! It's in a good location off 17th ave , I love their subs ! The staff is very friendly

Great Pho and Vietnamese sandwiches. The best part for me was bone marrow appetizer that they've started offering this year!

Our favorite place in Calgary for pho, pho sate, oxtail pho, subs and spring rolls. Everything we've had here has been awesome and tastes home made and fresh. Helps that the service is good too

Simply Best Pho in town. broth is good and portion is generous. if you like the authentic vietnamese pho this is the place.

My favourite Vietnamese by far. The staff is excellent and super friendly. The place is very clean and well kept.

Sate beef was sate right. Clean place too. Love the unique bowls they have. Great attention to detail

Delicious pho here. The noodle and beef were cooked well and tasty. The broth was delicious, wasn't too salty. The tendon was different though, I prefer the thicker soft tendon that other viet places usually serve. But for ~$9 for a bowl, it's a good deal. The service was average. The food takes about 15 minutes to serve (which seems a lot longer than other typical viet pho places). I would come here again~!

I've always been a fan of their pho satay. The broth is always hot and very flavourful. If you enjoy pho satay; I think you should definitely give this place a try. The only downside is they have very limited vegetarian food options.

Food is good as always, but when the restaurant is run by the young workers, I advised just to get take out or go across the street, their pho is pretty good too and the service is like any other place but at least you get treated with respect. The younger workers at Pho Dau Bo are rude and the way they treat/talk to customer just disrespectful. I don't think any business should talk to customer the way they do. I came in and asked to sit inside cause it's -30 and sitting by the window is cold but they wouldn't have it. They told me to sit in front, I'm sure it's so that the restaurant can look busy. I didn't want to make a fuss so I just ate with my jacket on. There was another group that walked in before me and sat down, told to sit at front as well. One of the girls came to take the order less then a min of me getting my menu and I said I wasn't ready and she said she'd give me another min with a frustrated tone and then went to the group that sat before me. Through out the experience from ordering to paying it was a snide remark here and there and a tone of I don't want to be here. One of the comments they said was quote "we won't JEW you...". Who talks to customers like this? Don't get me wrong I got served and fed. But next time I'm getting taking out or going some place else if it's the young kids running the place again.

Impeccable service. It's hard to fault anything about this restaurant because of the quality of their service. From the outside, it looks like just another little place in a strip mall but the inside is quite large, well-lit and airy. We went on a Wednesday night, were promptly seated and our order came out in less than 10 minutes. I ordered the #15 which was pork chops, shredded pork, quiche and fried egg on rice. (Tryna channel my inner cave person). It tasted much better than it looked. The kids shared taro bubble tea with lychee which they thoroughly enjoyed. Speaking of kids, bonus points for being kid-friendly. There was no kids menu but the servers were nice to my kids, brought them kiddie bowls and accommodated our special requests. I counted at least 5 high chairs and 4 booster chairs. All in all, it's worth the drive.

If you want a great bowl of beef sate soup, this is the place to go! Just the right amount of spice, the broth is the right consistency for sate, and packed full of flavor. Probably one of the best sate's I have had in town. The restaurant itself is in the heart of Forest Lawn on 17th Ave in a strip mall, with a simple, clean interior. The service was good, we were in and out within 40 minutes over lunch.

I live in metro Detroit, close to the unofficial vietnamese captial of Michigan (Madison Heights, MI) I love going to different cities and trying their Phó. So when I saw that Calgary had a wide variety of Vietnamese restaurants, I was excited to try one. I picked this location based off the high reviews on Yelp, and it did not disappoint! Service was fast and friendly. This place has a good ambience, and the special satay phó was very tasty! It was nice to try something that has a unique taste. Overall, had a very good experience, and if I ever return to Calgary, this will be my go to place for phó.

By far the best pho in the city. We drive all the way just get some bowl of soup and mini sub to dip into that soup. We had full intentions to take photos before eating for yelp but completely forgot with great foods in front of us.