Phodega
Pho restaurant · Wicker Park
1924 W Division St, Chicago, IL 60622
Highlights
Vietnamese soup cafe & market with creative pho & banh mi twists
Vietnamese soup cafe & market with creative pho & banh mi twists
"It probably won’t shock you to learn that Phodega is a combination of a bodega and phở shop, and it turns out this small Vietnamese spot does a good job at being both. The food menu is short (mainly tasty bowls of phở, rice, bánh mì, and fried chicken skins), and the market has a small selection of everything from paper towels and air fresheners, to a salted egg-flavored Lays potato chips—which are, incidentally, pair pretty well with a bánh mì." - sam faye, adrian kane, john ringor
"Considering this Wicker Park restaurant looks like a corner store and sells bowls of phở, Phodega is a fitting name. The namesake soup comes with meatballs, ribeye, wide noodles, and has a satisfyingly deep beefy flavor with a strong sweetness. And if you want to experience their signature dish in sandwich form, the Viet Dip sandwich with a side of phở jus is also excellent. But their non-phở-related dishes are also worth checking out, like the crispy, sweet, and spicy wings, bánh mì, or Hainanese chicken rice." - john ringor
"Considering this Wicker Park spot looks like a corner store and sells bowls of phở, Phodega is an appropriate moniker. The namesake soup comes with meatballs, ribeye, wide noodles, and has a satisfyingly deep beefy flavor with a strong sweetness. And if you want to experience their signature dish in sandwich form, the Viet Dip sandwich with a side of phở jus is also excellent." - john ringor
"Some would say Phodega is the best pho in Chicago away from Argyle Street. But this spot’s appeal goes beyond pho with a menu of habit-forming Viet dip sandwiches and a combo fried chicken/Hainanese chicken plate. It’s also a great spot to pick up oyster sauce and Korean honey butter potato chips. Owners Nate Hoops and Anthony Ngo previously operated outposts in Wicker Park and Pilsen, but in 2023 consolidated the locations into a much larger space on Division." - Ashok Selvam
"The Italian beef meets Southeast Asian flavors at Phodega, the local noodle shop and convenience store that relocated in 2023 to a prominent perch on Division Street. Owners Nathan Hoops and Anthony Ngo have come up with a variety of fun bites, and among them is a Viet dip consisting of shaved rib eye, cilantro, onions, and jalapenos on French bread. It’s also served with a side of pho jus for dipping so beef lovers who like their sandwiches wet need not worry." - Eater Staff
