Phở Lena

I had the pleasure of visiting Pho Lena recently and was so impressed, I returned just two days later. The food here is truly exceptional—authentic, flavorful, and generously portioned. The pho is not only reasonably priced but also rich, aromatic, and downright delicious. I also tried the brisket bánh mì, and it was outstanding—perfectly balanced with tender meat and fresh ingredients. The restaurant itself is simple and unpretentious in design, but very clean and well-maintained. The staff are efficient, friendly, and welcoming, creating a smooth and enjoyable dining experience. What stands out most is the atmosphere. The parking lot stays full all day, which speaks volumes about its popularity. Inside, families and friends fill the tables, sharing warm conversation in a way that feels homelike and comforting. Even dining alone, I felt right at ease in the relaxed and inviting environment. Pho Lena is now firmly on my list of go-to spots. Whether you're craving a hearty bowl of pho or a satisfying sandwich, this place delivers quality, value, and a welcoming experience every time.

After long travel, seeing homie Laos/thai place is like coming home. Even though we had a large group of 7, we got seated right away. The food is really authentic with fresh vegetables. Our sister servers Ann and Ying are friendly and helpful with suggestions. We had Larb pork, beef jerky, batted shrimps and squid, 3 phos, and Laos sausage. All are impressive. If you in anchorage and looking for authentic food, look no further. The parking is plentiful.

I got the duck pho and my husband got the oxtail pho the Super Bowl size.My kids got the fried rice, the teriyaki chicken with rice, and the sweet and sour chicken. Every thing tasted delicious and food was great. We spent $81.00 and it was worth it. Portions were perfect and some big but definitely delicious.

This place is GOLD. Just eat here. It’s so good. I got the Pad Thai and for only $15 it was some of the best I’ve ever had in my life. So good!!!

I came here just to order some dinner for takeout one evening. They have an extensive menu, with plenty things I'd want to try. I went with the seafood pumpkin and coconut soup and fresh rolls. The soup had good flavors and herbs, wasn't shy with the seafood portion, had good quality shrimp, and chunks of pumpkin -- great portion overall. The fresh rolls were pretty good -- the sauce added a lot to it. The place was relatively busy, but my food still came out in 10 mins. Based on the quality of my food, I'd be plenty happy to come back and try some curries and other dishes.

Delicious food, the waitress was great, the food was amazing and gi- normous! Didn't wait long at all. Price was relevant to the proportion of food. Friendly atmosphere and overall a pleasant experience.

The portion sizes are huge. Taste is pretty good. Enjoyed my pho and the egg rolls but wasn’t a huge fan of the rice.

First time eating here. I was pleasantly surprised with the portion size. You get an incredible amount of food for a reasonable price. The service was excellent and I did not have to wait long for the food to be prepared. I will definitely be visiting here again and try something else from their extensive menu choices.

I was on the hunt for a new place to get oxtail pho, as my usual spot is always super busy with long wait times and difficult to get ahold of. After craving pho and fried rice, I decided to give Pho Lena a try. I'd had their food before, but never tried the pho. I called in my order just 15 minutes before closing (I noticed the hours were listed incorrectly on Google), and despite the short notice, Pho Lena was able to accommodate my order for oxtail pho, fried rice, and tilapia. And let me tell you, the food was absolutely delicious! Everything was fresh, flavorful, and hit the spot. Pho Lena has officially won me over--definitely kicked my regular pho spot's butt! I'll absolutely be back for more. If you're looking for a tasty pho experience, give this place a try. You won't be disappointed!

Do you want enough fantastic food to have leftovers the next day? If so, pho Lena is your spot! The soup was flavorful, I was able to choose my spice level to my liking, and the ingredients were high quality. Our waitress was attentive and gave us a shrimp spring roll appetizer almost right away! Thank you pho Lena, I will be back soon!

The food was ok except for the brisket banh mi, that was sandwich was really good. But the service was not good. The food took forever to come out. I wish they would try to bring food out together. My friend got her plate first and was almost finished by the time I got my bowl of pho. They didn't check on us. They didn't refill our waters. Never brought us our coffee and still charged us for it. It's just hard to get anyone's attention here. I will not be coming back. I have two starts because the brisket sandwich was bomb.

Grabbed mango sticky rice to go. Was a little smaller than expected but still very delicious! The made it to order so we waited a little bit for the staff to prepare the coconut milk.

Service is fast! Mee Ka Tee with extra crispy pork is the bomb! I'm not really into curry but I need to try this one. I didn't finish it though the serving is really huge. We also tried the famous Pad Thai and chicken wings is so flavorful, the sauce is so good it was marinated with spicy and sweet garlic sauce. My belly is full!

When I speak to my coworkers about my favorite pho place, they usually beat me to the name- Pho Lena always comes up first. Best place to warm up from the inside out. Tasty and hot pho comes out quickly and the staff is pretty friendly and knowledgeable. I love the phos they have, the fresh rolls, and the sesame balls (if they have them. They sell out fast!). The super bowl comes out as massive bowl, enough to feed 3 people! Decided to try it tonight because I wanted many leftovers. This place is just darn good no matter when you go- lunch, dinner, second dinner.....I highly recommend!

There's a reason they have 3 locations in town! Service is solid and the food is delicious. Portions are generous and prices are in line. What are you waiting for?!

I have been here many times through the years. Tonight was supremely disappointing and will not go back. I would tell you how my food was but I never I it....my son did get his soup which cooled off for 10-15 minutes while I sat there with nothing. Another 5 mins goes by before someone decided to stop by the table to alert me that my drunken noodles would take another 5 mins....I canceled that order. I didn't come out to spend money and eat- too not eat within the same 30 mins that the other food arrived. I wasn't able to flag anyone down as it was busy but not frantic. And honestly it should not take the staff 15-20 minds to realize their table only had half the order. So wild I enjoy the food usually, this was a bust and not worth the effort.

I love Thai food and this place did not disappoint me at all!! The staff is super nice and prompt service was good as well. I recommend coming here. The place has plenty of seating.

Pumpkin curry with brown rice Fantastic flavor and ample quality to go. I received first Class service. I love this place

Really disappointed about price, first time I been ordered Medium combo pho, steaks on the side, I paid $ 13.95 . Three days later, I came back same order but they charge me $ 18.95, now forever, I won't be back here, bad service too

This is the best place for pho. The price here are amazing, hope they keep the price the same. The food was amazing, I recommend getting the pho combo regular. That bowl of pho, so amazing and just the perfect amount. Ask for some crispy pork on the side with your pho, trust me it's the best combo! The papaya salad was also pretty good. We also got the fried spring rolls, they came piping hot and was so good! The banh mi, chefs kiss! The service was really good, love our server, came by to check on us. And we got the food pretty quick. Overall, amazing place!

In 2015, I randomly tried #42 with subbed chicken for tofu and added flat noodles + Taro Shake. Since then I've shown so many people this incredible combo, and last time I went, I heard someone ordering it behind me! So: GO GET THIS. It will ruin your life in the best way possible if you're visiting, and make you an addict if you're local. :)

Great vegetarian pho. I have lived in NYC, Philly, and many other cities. This is the second best vegetarian pho out of 15 vegetarians phos across the country. Crowded but seated immediately. Very friendly and quick service. Food family place/environment to sit down and enjoy food. Cost is fine.

Coming from the lower 48, this place was average. Personally this place was basic. Walked in with a party of 6 and the place was crowded. Had a bit of a wait to be seated and to get our food. Ordered the pad Thai and Lao salad as our appetizers. The pad Thai was alright, the consistency wasn't sticky but the noodles were quite thick and stuck together. The Lao salad was like a palette cleanser, refreshing dressing but very peanuty. The broth to both pho was very clear and tasted good. I wish it was a little hotter when served. The kao piek sen was better though. Thicker broth and thicker noodle. Didn't need to add anything else, except sriracha. The crispy pork made every bite crunchy! The noodles were soft accompanied with the crispy pork belly- mashing the best combo. I'd come back to get the Lao kao piek sen again.

This is pho done right! We got great service and the pho came out fast. I'm so glad I got a small bowl because the servings are huge! Everything in the combination bowl was delicious! It was seasoned well and wasn't over salted. This was an absolute bargain! Great food, great service! Thank you Pho Lena!!!

This is my go-to place for a special weekday lunch around $20. I always order the same pho, I think it's #43, with coconut milk in the broth. It's good with both the chicken and the fried tofu, although if you order the chicken sometimes you get a smaller portion than other times. I always add some chili oil to give the broth a kick. The amount of sprouts and jalapeños you get on the side is generous, I never leave hungry or disappointed. For $20ish I think it's a pretty good value, especially with most places you can go these days costing upwards of $30 for a single person unless you're eating fast food. It's not the fanciest, but I think it's one of the tastiest. All they need is a beer menu-- I would give 6 stars!

Visited this place twice about a year apart. The food was unimpressive both visits. The first time I ordered a pumpkin curry which was not very good. The more recent experience I ordered a stir fry which was average. Portion sizes are large, but the quality it very average.

Great food and service. I got the beef pho and my husband got teriyaki chicken. Both hit the spot!

Spring rolls were a bit fishy in taste but over all not bad- served with a sweet and spicey sauce rather than peanut Yellow curry- I went mild no spicey but it was still to spicey for me- my mouth was on fire- not sure if it was just my lack of spice tolerance or they accidentally gave me a couple stars of spice. Over all friendly, small -and adorable place worth stopping by.

Delicious! There's a reason why it's often busy. Pretty quick even with that. The lunch specials are the best because you get some of several things at an affordable price.

Delicious Asian food in Anchorage! We really enjoyed this restaurant and there were plenty of vegetarian options. Lao vegetarian pappardelle pasta - homemade flat noodles in a creamy curry mixed with veggies and tofu. This was a unique and delicious dish. The portion size is huge!! I definitely had enough leftovers for lunch. The potatoes were a little undercooked but I would order this again. Thai iced tea- the flavor was good but it was very sweet.

The food was excellent! Our group ordered pad Thai with tofu, drunken noodles with chicken and chicken pho. Very delicious. The restaurant itself seemed like they did not have enough staff to handle their business. Several rolling trays of bust dishes were at the edge of the dining room. Not terrible, but definitely distracting from good ambience. We were traveling in from out of town. Next time I would probably order to go.

Seriously everyone at Pho Lena never made a bad dish of food ever. Best Thai food in Anchorage hands down. Go to this Spenard location.

If my favorite restaurant is measured by the number of time I visited, Pho Lena is clearly my favorite restaurant in ANC- not unusual to hit it 3 times in a five day trip. Lunch is quick and they have a bunch of filling comfort food items that will be on you table quick. Dinner is a chance to check out the menu and try something new. If I had any complaint it's that they don't had pad prik, my favorite Thai dish.

Good food with extensive menu. Very reasonably priced. Service was quite quick given how busy they were.

Authentic Lao food. what??!! Totally unexpected on my trip to Anchorage. Flavors were amazing. Lots of dishes I have not been able to order at other Lao restaurants (albeit there aren't many in the Lower 48). Khao paek, khao poon, pumpkin coconut soup, larp (I like mine not too wet), Lao sausage etc. Has vegetarian options. Has wheat free and dairy free dishes but they are not labelled. You need to inspect and ask. Greeted with total Lao hospitality. A "Sa Bai Dee" (which means good day) goes a long way. Don't miss eating here. Their souper bowls are extra large portions, but the regular bowls were already large.

Always fresh and hearty soups!! Friendly staff. There noodles are tasty. Very family oriented and relaxed atmosphere.

This place has a huge menu and most things I've tried are pretty good - but there's one dish everyone needs to try that I consider my favorite overall flavor in Anchorage: #42. Lao Tom Yum Wonton (with homemade flat noodles and add chicken if you're so inclined) This is a Tom Yum soup base, made Lao by the addition of coconut milk, with tofu, wontons, and you have to ask for the flat noodles that great with it. This is a veggie dish, but I recommend adding chicken.

Great food! Ordered papaya salad (Lao style, medium spiciness) combo with fried chicken wings, pad saeeww with chicken. The salad was on point! Pad saeeww was delicious and reasonably priced! The service was awesome. The restaurant had traditional decor with pictures of food on the walls. I highly recommend!

My oh my....anchorage wins the award for the best PHO in all the states I travel for work. The coconut broth with lemongrass and chicken, 3/4 the way down the menu - rocked my world!

I ordered pho from Pho Lena three times while visiting Anchorage! It was delicious!! Highly recommend the pho gai!

I've been here enough times with enough different people over the years to have a fairly well rounded opinion of PHO LENA- Spenard. Frankly, I don't know what ever possessed me to give them 4 stars. I've tried a variety of different dishes, so have my companions- they're all good- every time! My only complaint is how busy they are (boo hoo) and their parking lot is too small. Lucky me I can walk. Honest to goodness what I got for dinner tonight was so good it gave me goosebumps. That's not hyperbole. #104- Tofu option (available with meat choice). If you want to know what a mouthgasm is... this is a great place to find out.

Oxtail soup is one of the best! It's always a little pricey wherever you go but worth it. Pad Thai is good too but I love my soups so pho and the oxtail is really yummy.

I love their broth and food so good. It's not a big restaurant but I also don't feel crowded.

Really great Pho for Alaska. This place is my fav in anchorage. The bowl was like a swimming pool. The broth was full of flavor and super hot. I am not a fan when the broth is like...just warm. I also got the spring rolls which tasted very fresh. My lovely wife of chicken teriyaki and loved it.

Hungover? Sad? Happy? My absolutely favorite comfort food is the "Khao Piak Sen" (#46 lol) at Pho Lena on Spenard. It's a thick, savory broth with chewy udon noodles made of tapioca and rice flour. Traditionally, this is a Lao chicken noodle soup, but my go-to is to order crispy pork. But here are the golden tips: (1) Order the crispy pork ON THE SIDE and add a little bit as you go, so that they stay crispy. Since they're dehydrated, they actually turn pretty hard if left in the broth too long (not sure if anyone has tricks around this). (2) The reason why I specifically go to the location on Spenard is because you WANT the crispy fried garlic bits. I always add two heaping spoonfuls along with a generous serving of chili oily to get that extra umami kick! But if you're not good with spice you can obviously skip the chili. Thank me later.

Rude customer service. Don't waste your hard earned money here! Better places to get pho in anchorage.

Took a while because they were busy and seemingly understaffed that day, but staff was pleasant and the food delicious!

Fantastic - everyone this place has exceeded expectations- get there early as the place fills. Mongolian beef is amazing. Spring rolls are delicious as well

Highly recommended. I had the pho soup and it was amazing. Great service we ordered to go.

I'm super new to the city and stopped in on a whim but will absolutely be back. The waitress (Kenzie) was super attentive, gave fantastic recommendations, and seemed to really love her job(: The food was amazing and exactly what I needed on that cold wet day. I ordered the chicken pho which was flavorful and quite filling. Ended up loving my food so much that I ordered a yellow curry with chicken, to enjoy at home (: I especially loved how comfy the interior of the restaurant was.! Felt like I was snugg at home on the couch, actually ended up just eating and playing Pokemon for like an hour and a half lol. All this to say, my service and food were both fantastic and I shall return! Super shout out to Kenzie, she really made the experience(:

If your looking for Thai food that is good and customer service is friendly then this is the place. Consistency is better than most other places as far as quality and taste. Well worth trying it out if you want a good Thai food fix.

Dont have to wait to be seated just find at table and place your order. During our time there they were short staffed and service was poor. While waiting noticed lots of insects flying around the dining area which is not good. The food though was good and tasty. Just improve on service and dining environment and all is good. We will still return as the people here are nice and friendly.

I eat here almost weekly. This is one of many Pho Lena's in town, and I heard they are all part of the same family but this location is my favorite. The food is fresh and served in huge portions. The staff here are hard working and friendly. There is one server here that doesn't take your sh*t, so if you're rude, God help you. You get what you give. Come in and get the lunch special, comes with the soup of the day, a salad or fried roll, and your choice of heaven for $10! The yellow curry here has the perfect thickness and flavor. The pumpkin squash soup is a delight and packed with squash. Hands down some of my favorite pad Thai in town. The Pho is legit but I think they add way to much rice noodles, but I'm a broth lover so don't take my word for it. Come on in and try something new. You'll leave happy.

Please check back on your tables you first served. My entree was cold and had to wait a long time to close out my ticket.

Delicious Pho, a bit too crispy on the pork belly but I was too hungry to let it settle for long. Wonderful ambiance for a laid back eatery, I'd recommend getting a Thai Tea!

Best Thai in town, hands down. I've tried them all, this is the one I go back to. Their coconut soups are incredible and so are their curries. Pretty classic and amazing pad Thai.

Very good soup noodle. Our Uber driver told us about this location. We were not disappointed. This looks like it's locally owned and the servers work very hard. I would highly recommend this place if you're looking for some authentic Asian food.