Pho Bac earns praise for authentic, comforting pho and other Vietnamese classics, with hours of simmered broth, generous portions, quick service, and a warm, family run vibe cited by many diners as a great value in Chinatown; reviewers note consistently tasty broth and fresh ingredients, though a few mention issues like a strong odor in the dining area, occasional recipe or price changes, and occasional service hiccups, yet the overall impression is a reliable, welcoming spot that locals and visitors return to for flavorful bowls.
My family have enjoyed Vietnamese cuisine across a number of US cities. Our favorite has always been bowls of hot, steaming pho. While visiting MTL, we stopped in & Pho Bac 97 truly serbes the best pho we've ever had. The pho broth comes from hours of simmering beef bones -- the old fashioned time-honored method to make the best stock. It has a depth & unctiousness which no one else's pho stock every had. Stop by & treat yourself to our gold standard of pho at Pho Bac 97.
Today I ordered grilled chicken RICE bowl & I even re-confirmed with the cashier lady that I'm ordering grilled chicken'RICE' bowl, the cashier lady said.. yes okay. It was a take out.. so when I came home & opened my food, they gave me GRILLED CHICKEN NOODLES BOWL. I'm soo upset, I didn't get what I originally ordered & paid for! 0 zero they don't carefully listen to customers when ordering!
Dec 18, 2025
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service was so excellent we were seated promptly & there was hot tea on the table. i got the beef vermicelli bowl & the beef was very tender & well seasoned. overall great experience! duck in from the snow & get some great hot food
Pho Bac 97 has always been one of my favorite spots whenever I visit Montreal. It is right in Chinatown, which made it really easy to get to since our hotel was only a few minutes away.
The people here are honestly the best part. The owner, the male staff, & Hannah were so sweet & welcoming. They made us feel at home right away & it's clear they can connect with anyone because they switch so easily between English, French, Vietnamese, Chinese, & probably even more languages. That kind of warmth really makes a difference.
We ordered two Pho Dac Biet XL bowls & one Bi Cuon roll, & with taxes & tip it came to around $50 for the two of us. The food was comforting, flavorful, & authentic. As someone who is part Vietnamese, I really appreciate when a restaurant captures those traditional flavors, & this one absolutely does. At the end they even gave us fortune cookies, which was such a simple but thoughtful little touch.
I'll be honest, there is a strong smell around the bathroom area that can be a bit distracting, maybe from the age of the building or cleaning issues, but it didn't take away from how kindly we were treated.
I still want to give five stars because this place feels special to me & the staff treat you like family. Thank you again for such a lovely experience. Sending love from Candy & family from Toronto. 😋🍜
Eating there is now a depressing experience. The old team is still there holding the fort. The decor needs major love. The bowl sizes have shrunk & the meat got dry, business is booming regardless, but I've lost hope.
Places like these show that a good bowl of pho can't be found in c-town anymore.
I ordered a small bowl but it was more than enough to fill me up. They served me tea at the beginning, which was really nice & comforting. The service was friendly, & overall I had a pleasant experience. The only thing I'd mention is that the side salad seemed a bit carelessly presented, but everything else was great.
I grew up going to an incredible authentic Vietnamese place called Pho Barclay, when I was 15 they closed shop & moved away. For almost 6 year I have been looking for a bowl of Pho which compares to their level of excellence. Pho Bac has done it, what an outstanding bowl of pho accompanied by such a lively & familiar feeling atmosphere of tight seating & rich smells coming from the kitchen. If I had one night in Montréal City, this is where I would have dinner 100 out of 100 times over.
Feb 9, 2025
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Authentic pho 100%. I'm from the west coast, visited in 2019, had a bowl that made me want to come back for round two. Finally got a chance to visit in Oct 2024. Unlike most places, the broth here is hearty & not overly salty, the meat is tender, & the proportions are extremely generous. An XL bowl size is a good amount of food to share with someone. Hai, one of the people who work there, actually remembered me from five years ago. We had a good chat before we left. I'm writing this review from Vancouver because I'm hungry & thinking about Pho Bac. I can't wait to go back. This is the place for pho. It's just incredible.
Food was fantastic. Very authentic. They had a few employees who spike English so no issue with communication. Cost with tip was CAD 69 for two pho bowls, a shrimp vermicelli bowl & a pork vermicelli bowl. They have gluten free choices but it's mostly limited to pho or the soup options.
I ordered Phở nạm / well-done beef pho. The taste was surprisingly okay. My only complaint would be that the beef didn't have enough fats 🙁 (way too lean, actually). The broth was light like Northern Pho, obviously the taste wasn't there yet but def acceptable. Really optimal for quick & feel good lunch. The service was really efficient, I ordered when I got seated & got my bowl of Pho ~2 minutes later. You paid at the front. The restaurant was crowded when I was there. The order lady does speak broken English & French if this is your concern.
Mar 27, 2024
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This is one of my favorite places to eat ever! I come almost every time I go to yhe city. The pho soup is so good, it's crazy. I always get the number 7, I think it's the best thing on yhe menu. If you've never had this soup, your life is incomplete. You NEED to go here & get some. Fairly cheap, massive bowls, & fast service. Even if you don't love the food, yoy can't complain about anything else, this place is literally perfect. They also serve you tea the second you sit down & it's really good. I love it so much.
Phenomenal place to satisfy pho cravings! I ordered a medium sized pho with everything & the portion size exceeded my expectations; I couldn't finish it all! The service is extremely quick but virtually nonexistent so it's great if you don't want to be bothered while having a quick bowl of pho, but not ideal for a special occasion. I'd definitely come back for a bowl once in a while.
