Tank Noodle
Vietnamese restaurant · Uptown ·
Extensive Vietnamese menu with pho, banh mi, and bubble teas
Extensive Vietnamese menu with pho, banh mi, and bubble teas
"The stretch of Broadway in Uptown near the Argyle red line stop has been a stronghold of Vietnamese restaurants since the 1970s, and Tank Noodle is one of the staple spots. With the exception of a few bubble tea posters, white walls and fluorescent lights make Tank Noodle look a little like a doctor’s office waiting room. But it’s actually a comfortable place to sit and eat a casual meal. A pho craving is usually why we go, but there are plenty of other things to try. The menu is massive, a legit book with different pages dedicated to appetizers, banh mi sandwiches, congee, pho, noodles, rice dishes, and more. Food Rundown #7B Fresh Spring Roll With Shrimp If you’re looking for an appetizer, we recommend spring rolls. The shrimp version wrapped with noodles, lettuce, mint, chives, and bean sprouts is light and tastes great. #40 Combination Pho With Sliced Beef Pho is where it’s at. The classic Tank Noodle version is served with well done brisket, flank, tendon, tripe, and a meat ball. Make sure to get the bean sprouts, jalapeños, and hot sauces on the table involved. #24 Grilled Marinated Beef Sandwich Pretty standard banh mi with marinated beef, cucumbers, cilantro, jalapeño, carrots, radishes, and green onion. A great value if you’re on a budget. #36 Duck Congee The pho bowls are big and easily shareable, so consider sharing a pho and a congee with someone else if it’s possible. We like the duck congee with garlic pork oil, onion, cilantro, and ginger fish sauce. #89 Grilled Pork Vermicelli A great vermicelli noodle dish with sliced marinated pork, vegetables, and peanuts. We know we said come for the pho, but you really can’t go wrong. #107 Special Tank Combination Rice Dish If you want to get after a mishmash of stuff, this combination rice dish is great. A simmered jumbo prawn, grilled pork chop, sunny side egg, Chinese sausage, and rice. The prawn comes in an excellent sauce, so make sure to mix it with the rice." - Sam Faye
"Tank Noodle in Little Vietnam has friendly service and very tasty Vietnamese food. There’s an extensive menu, but the combination pho with sliced beef is the best thing here. Get a bowl of that along with some spring rolls." - adrian kane
"A classic Vietnamese restaurant in Uptown. For $11 you can get yourself the namesake Tank Noodle pho and be happier than you've been all week. Seriously, if you're been feeling down, Tank Noodle will cheer you up. Bonus points because no matter where you live, it's easy to get to on the red line." - sam faye
"Tank Noodle is a popular spot for Vietnamese food in Uptown. There’s an extensive menu that will make you want to order a lot, and it’s all good. Get everything from pho bowls, congee, and rice dishes to banh mi." - adrian kane, courtney sprewer, veda kilaru, john ringor
"Since opening in 2002 at the busy Argyle and Broadway intersection in Uptown, Tank Noodle filled a niche for Chicagoans wanting Vietnamese food and helped open the door for other Vietnamese restaurants, though many have arguably surpassed it. Over the past two years the Ly family courted high-profile controversy after images circulated of ownership team members traveling to the January 6 rally, and federal authorities later forced ownership to pay nearly $700,000 in back wages to 60 workers after a Department of Labor investigation found the restaurant failed to pay some workers direct wages (compensating them only with tips) and that management siphoned off a share of the tip pool; subsequent reporting revealed multiple failures by city and state officials to enforce labor laws. For some in Chicago’s Asian restaurant community this underscored feelings of invisibility, as chef Palita Sriratana observed, and the family now says all staff members are being paid "correctly" as they seek to move forward." - Naomi Waxman