Pho Tran

Pho was excellent. Smaller than most places and on cold days , expect to wait 10-15 minutes, possibly more for larger parties. Pho here is darker than most, that means they used lots of bones and meat for the main stock. Service was a bit slow dies to amount of people there, but not as fast as other pho places. If you limited on time for lunch, keep an eye on time as you might go over. Service was 4 stars as we felt rushed by our server, and pressured to order quickly. Atmosphere also a 4 due to being an older restaurant with older table and chairs. Not an issue for us as food was excellent. If you request the bone with marrow and meat and tendon still on the bone, it is free. They do give you scissors to remove meat and tendon without making too much of a mess. They also offer bone marrow already removed from the bone if you are lazy, but it will cost $3 extra. Pho was very good but Bun Bo was also great.

This was my first time eating at Pho Tran, located in Lion Square next to Sun Wing Supermarket in Little Saigon. I recently found my new go-to banh mi spot inside Sun Wing, and the owner, Andy, recommended I try Pho Tran. I had also read several reviews mentioning that their pho comes with a large beef bone, which is pretty unique and not something many other pho restaurants offer, so I decided to give it a try. I ordered a bowl of pho, and my partner ordered bun rieu, a tomato- and crab-based soup that we both really enjoy but is harder to find since not all Vietnamese noodle shops serve it. We arrived on a weekday around 1 p.m., and it was quite crowded. We had to put our name down and wait outside for a table, but the wait was only about 10 minutes. The dining area is fairly small, but it’s clearly very popular—almost every table had at least one bowl with a large beef bone. The staff were friendly and welcoming. One thing to note is that the beef bone only comes with an order of pho. If you order one of the specialty dishes, like the bun rieu, it does not include the bone. Pricing is noticeably higher than many other pho spots. A small pho is $13.40 and a large is $14.80. For comparison, Pho Ben in Sugar Land—one of my go-to pho restaurants—charges $10.50 for a small and $11.50 for a large, with very flavorful broth. While Pho Tran says the beef bone is included “for free,” the higher price makes it feel like you’re essentially paying about $3 extra for it. If you dine here and don’t want the beef bone, you’re probably overpaying. Unfortunately, the pho itself was a bit disappointing. It wasn’t piping hot like pho usually is—it was more warm than hot—and the broth lacked depth of flavor. The veggies were fresh and standard: bean sprouts, basil, lime, and jalapeño. The beef bone experience was enjoyable, though. It’s served separately with scissors so you can trim off the meat, collagen, or fat and add it to your bowl. Inside the bone is marrow, which you can scoop out or even use a straw for. The marrow was very tasty and definitely the highlight of the meal. If you’re curious about trying pho with a beef bone, this is a good place to experience it at least once. However, it won’t become one of my go-to pho spots. I still prefer places like Pho Ben in Sugar Land or Pho Dien in Little Saigon. Parking is easy since it’s in a shopping center. Overall, worth trying once for the beef bone, but not a repeat visit for me.

This was my first time visiting Pho Tran, and I'm not sure how long they've been open. They're located in Lion Square where Crown Seafood, Merryland Bakery, and Sun Wing Supermarket are. I noticed they highlight bun rieu in their name, so I assumed it was one of their specialties and decided to try it. My husband ordered a bowl of pho. We arrived around 1:00 pm, and the place was packed, mostly with Vietnamese customers, which is usually a good sign. Almost every table had large bones on it, which caught our attention. When we asked about it, the staff explained that when you order pho, you can request a bone and they'll include one. Sure enough, my husband received a large bone with his pho, while I stuck with the bun rieu We both ordered the small size, which was $13.40. That's a bit on the higher end, especially for bun rieu, which is often around $11-$12 elsewhere, sometimes even in larger portions. As for the my soup, the broth wasn't tomato or tangy, and it wasn't hot. The minced pork and crab were flavorful, but the dish also came with a generous amount of dried shrimp, which I'm not personally a fan of and hadn't encountered before. Given the flavor and portion for the price, I probably wouldn't order this here again. My husband enjoyed his pho especially the bone, which had quite a bit of meat and made the meal very filling. I tried the broth and it was kinda light and not hot. While $13.40 for a small bowl is still on the higher side, the added 'free' bone makes it feel more worthwhile. One thing to note: service was a bit slower than what we're used to. Pho usually comes out within five minutes at many places, but here it took closer to 10 minutes. That said, since people tend to take their time eating the bones, table turnover isn't very fast anyway. Overall, we'llbe back--but specifically for the pho, not the bun rieu.

Go w #2 Large and ask for bones. It was fun cutting the meat and tendons. Broth was flavorful. The slices of beef was ok. The waiter was very helpful. The grandma has beautiful white hair 😀 close early.

We order Bun vit and pho dac biet. Both are great A cute and cozy little family run restaurant in bellaire. Service is mediocre Dont expect much. Pho is good flavor and rich.