Pho 88 Vietnamese Restaurant welcomes you to their dining room. Their atmosphere has been described as casual. They are accessible by car and are found in an area packed with parks. Payments by Visa, cheque and MasterCard are recognized.
Let me start off by saying I have been to A LOT of pho restaurants in my restaurant. You can ask anybody from any culture whether they like pho and 9 times out of 10, they will say they like it. It's simply delicious!
Now, what I can consider good pho has to fit a lot of requirements. The soup/broth for one has to be spot on. It has to be nice and clear, nicely seasoned, and not overly salty to the point where you are dying of thirst after. The noodle is the best too. It's the authentic type ones, not ones that are like udon-styled noodles.
Aside from their excellent taste for pho, there prices are quite cheap compared to others and their quantities are amazing. They don't stinge out on meat and noodles and give you a big bowl of broth.
The service is fast and competent as well even when they are 90% full most of the times (even at night time they are still packed). I've never actually had to wait for a table though, even though it's full. I always manage to slip in to a table, probably has to do with their efficiency :)
A bonus, the owner, the lady is a treat. Very nice and warm hearted who always says "Hiiiiii" in her lovely way. You can't ask for more. Great service, great price, great quantities, and most important great taste. Pho 88 is the best joint for good ol' tasting pho.
I love noodle soups and this is one of my favorite things to eat. I could probably eat pho every meal of every day. :) Pho 88 is definitely one of the better pho restaurants I've been to and asides from the fact that they're always packed, I don't mind a little bit of waiting and brisk service for a nice bowl of pho. Their Pho Tai (rare beef) actually comes with a mound of sliced rare beef on the side of the bowl (instead of already in the soup as most restaurants do) so you can decide how much to cook your rare beef. Spring rolls are standard goodness just as most of their grilled meat dishes.
The food at this restaurant is decent. That is evident by the constant stream of customers. However, the service is absolutely terrible. It is at it's absolute worst when the place is busy in the evenings. The servers redefine the meaning of rude. One lady that works there (she is short, chubby, and a bit stalky) is quite possibly the most vile and miserable server in Toronto. I've seen her yell and scream at customers with no reservations, she constantly makes rude and insulting comments directly to the customers, she sometimes throws plates and bowls around when she's frustrated, and I saw her spill water on a customer and not care. Once I saw her grab the customer's handful of change as she was deciding on how much tips to give. I guess she got a few extra dollars that day.
The problem with this restaurant is that it is so busy, they do not care if they lose a few customers. If you do not mind horrendous customer service, you may find a decent meal here. Otherwise, go at your own risk.
This place is awesome!! My wife started eating here since she was in high school and the place has kept up it's great taste since then. We love visiting here and their spring roll is definitely the BEST in GTA (I've tried about 10 different pho places altogether).
We frequent the place and it can get really busy during regular meal times especially lunch time. Their price is very good as well and you get filled quickly. Excellent place!
With so many of my friends raving about Pho, I've tried many, many places, but I just never understood what was so great about it. It was just hot soup and raw meat, with no taste. That is, until, a friend introduced me to Pho 88 in Scarborough!
PRICE & SERVING SIZE:
Their traditional Pho is good, with very large portions at an extremely reasonable price. I eat a lot, and I can barely finish the Medium size, I think Small is good for many people, as the liquid quickly fills you up.
FOOD:
You HAVE to try the Pho that comes with Coconut Sauce. It is something completely different, and it tastes amazing. I didn't like the Pho with Shrimp, I prefer the chicken. Some of the chicken has a lot of fat on it, but if you take it out then it's fine. They give you all the standard stuff, been sprouts, mint, sauce, etc.
SERVICE & ATMOSPHERE:
It's busy, but with a quick turnaround. With a party of 6 people, we had to wait 15 minutes for a table at 7:30pm on a Saturday. Servers are good, but sometimes if you change your order after they right it down, they might bring you what you had originally told them, not the correction, so it's best to get it right the first time. Very friendly staff, always have a smile on their face.
SUMMARY:
With very reasonable prices, and huge serving sizes for the Pho, and a very friendly staff, I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a unique Pho experience.
My favourite Pho restaurant in Toronto and quite...
My favourite Pho restaurant in Toronto and quite possibly the best. The owners are very polite and hospitable, although the waitresses are not as nice. This restaurant stands out from the rest because of: 1) the taste, 2) the cheap prices, and 3) the very large portions.
I came here yesterday for lunch. The transparent noodle is a great change from their usual pho. This dish tastes great, it comes with shrimp, squid, fish balls, crab meat and shrimp cracker. This dish is for 6$ before tips and tax. It is really good for it's price. I love dipping the shrimp cracker after finishing everything else. The taste is amazing. The service was not too great today since they were arguing within my proximity while I was eating. Which I believe disturbs the customers from having a peaceful meal. However, I will still go here for it's food, service and great pricing.
Food is excellent as always, prob because it was...
Food is excellent as always, prob because it was Victoria's Day, the place still had a line-up when I left at 9pm. Service is terrible like all good vietnamese noodle house, but the food is quickly served which makes up for it (especially when ur hungry).
Tried many dishes there, and so far no complaint. Except I once had a stomach ache after having its Pho 88 special Peanut soup noodle, prob coz it's too greasy...but I still say its super yummy!
This restaurant is extremely packed. And service...
This restaurant is extremely packed. And service is fast and the food arrives quickly and hot. The price is decent and inexpensive like all other pho places. The shrimp rolls are filled with a lot of lettuce and is not firmly packed. The "Banh cuon" (for main dish - filled with beef and veg.) uses a wrap that is too thick and the meat is too little. Will never order that one again. The avocado shake is fantastic like other Vietnamese cuisines it tastes great!
Awesome food, and if you want to try something different - Try the curry goat/or anything for that matter. The sauce is great and the price is right. Pho there is also great, no complaints. $15 for two people (incl. Tax/tip)
Solid Pho establishment. The broth is always very hot which I like. $15. incl tips for 2 people. Very busy at lunchtime. Went at 2:30 PM on a Thurs and place was still half full...
Very satisfied with everything. Service was so-so, but it's an Asian place, you don't go for service but for cheap, good food.
Note that beers are cheap, a Corona will run you $3.25 or so.
Been to this place for a long LONG time (1.5 years+) and everything is great.
