Pho Lien is a Vietnamese restaurant that offers great quality food for the whole family at an affordable price. The menu features lots of soups, some noodle-based dishes, spring rolls and grilled mains flavoured with lemongrass and sesame.
Pho Lien is widely praised as a long standing Montreal favorite, with many describing its broth as incredibly flavorful and its pho among the best they have had, a comforting go to on cold days with generous toppings and fast service. The dining room vibe receives mixed notes, ranging from a lively authentic atmosphere and friendly staff to a colder, louder space with slower, disorganized service and sometimes a sterile feel. Cash only is a frequent gripe, though some reviewers mention an ATM on site or nearby, while others say the policy dampens the experience compared to places that take cards. Portions and value are often praised, fresh herbs and chilies are highlighted, and the idea of a reliable, nostalgic staple persists, though a few reviews describe issues like thin noodles, small meat portions, or broth that can taste flat or MSG heavy. Overall the reviews converge on a beloved institution that inspires strong loyalty and memories, with a hope that consistency and reopening stays true to its character.
So far it has been the best Phô i have found.
Reasonably priced with reasonable portions.
It's nice that you can sit down & just eat Phô & get out.
My biggest drawback is the''cash only'' rule.
Honestly, if i have to choose between paying 5$ of fees for withdrawing cash in their machine or paying 5% (50¢ per 10$) of my transaction to credit card companies, i know it is much cheaper for me to use my credit card...
I imagine there is a reason why they don't have credit cards but i would give 5 stars if they can manage to enter the 21st century & modernize their payment options. Because honestly, when i'm in the area i always think twice before going because i never have cash on me (as many younger generations do). Do that & i'll change my review for sure !
The best, most authentic pho outside of Vietnam! this is really an institution. the service is speedy, friendly & warm & the food is so so excellent. The broth is rich, deep & perfectly seasoned & full of flavour. The noodles are fresh & bouncy & the beef is excellent quality. Hands down the best pho I've had! Service Dine in Meal type Dinner Price per person $10-20 Food: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 5 Recommended dishes Pho Soup Raw Beef Pho
Ordered stir fried beef & grilled chicken vermicelli bowls to enjoy. Service was friendly, quick, & enjoyed our meal on patio. Each bowl currently priced at $18 CDN when we dined there in September 2024. I would recommend this place to family & friends. Cash payment taken, no cards unless it's debit.
Best Pho restaurant in town. The broth is amazing. However, very small meat portion. Really small & crowded place, but friendly staff. The service is quite fast. They don't accept debit/credit cards, which is really annoying nowadays. Also, the price has drastically increased over the past 5 years (passing from 11$ to 18$ for the x-large).
Food is good! Waiter was rude & made sure to show me it was a problem that i was alone to eat telling me numerous time that he would have to move me if 2 people ore more came in.. he seated me to a 4 person table himself... i mean i understand but while im eating you dont move me. The pho was good tho! Portion are small & prices high
Love this place! My girlfriend has been going to this place for almost 20+ years. & for the past 7 years or so, it is one of our most common restaurant destination. Food is great, tasty & fresh. I recommend the "Soup Tonki" (chicken or beef "well cooked"). Their spring rolls & imperial rolls are also delicious. Love ending super with their traditional cold coffee (strong coffee, slowly dripped into condensed milk). What a great finish to an amazing meal. Whole family loves this place. Service is nice. Only (small) complaint about this place is that parking is sometimes difficult to find, & depending on time, paid for. As for the place, it is absolutely tiny. & usually quite busy. So you are sometimes "crammed" (if you will). When we see that it is too packed & we have the whole family, we just decide to take it out instead. Prices are very decent & affordable. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone!
Apr 16, 2024
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Best pho I've tasted in Montreal. We usually order in (frequently!!) but for once we went there. Reasonable price. Killer broth. Wish you were open every day but I'm happy everyone takes at least one day off!
Service was very quick & the food arrived fairly quickly. The place itself is quite cramped when the restaurant is full. The food was very good & filling. Although the prices have gone up. Overall would recommend!
Don't order/delivery from this place. Quite shameful portion for an extra large pho, looks like medium.... & don't even ask about the large pho, it's a joke for the price you pay... They gave minimal toppings & no thai basil... Only a few branches of coriander.... I work in a hospital (RVH) with health care professional, doctors & nurses. For a Vietnamese who wanted work colleagues to discover & enjoy Vietnamese food, this is a slap in the face & a kick in the butt.... I think it would have been better to eat in the restaurant itself?! Haven't tried it so I don't know & the reason for my 2 stars, otherwise I would have given them 1.5 star because the food tastes just ok... du ma...
Very disappointed. I've been coming to Pho Lien for years & tonight's meal is by far the worst I've had. There are better Pho restaurants out there than Pho Lien. The chicken Pho soup is boiled sliced chicken, not even grilled chicken. Not worth the price at all & I will not be coming back at all. Nobody from my table enjoyed their meal. We should have gone elsewhere tonight instead of going there!!
rating: 3.8 / 5 ☆ Prior to 2020, I used to have lunch here fairly often with my family. Out of the many pho restaurants located in Montreal, we preferred Pho Lien because of their appetizers, three-coloured drink & obviously, their pho. Over the past 3 years, we hadn't dined here due to multiple reasons, the main ones being the implementation of restrictions associated with covid (lockdowns) & the 45 minutes drive it takes (used to come here after tutoring lessons back in high-school). On Friday, October 6th at around 11:15am, my family & I decided to come for lunch, as we had plans in the vicinity. We (4) were seated immediately & ordered the following: - pho (beef) - spring rolls - papaya salad - rice cakes & eggs - three-coloured drink (+ more pho for takeout) For starters, overall, the quality & the taste of the dishes are what I remember them to be. Although I have noticed that the broth contained slightly less MSG than before (based on its taste alone), which i personally prefer. Also, the three-coloured drink was extremely sugary & the taste of coconut was much less prominent, which sadly altered the taste. On a positive note, the spring rolls I grew up loving taste just the same & the peanut sauce is still to my liking. (I'm quite picky when it comes to the consistency & the taste of peanut dipping sauce, truthfully I'd give theirs an 8.5/10) However, the portion of some dishes are significantly smaller than what my family & I remember them to be- which is rather disappointing, considering that the price has increased as well. I understand that the rise of food costs leaves businesses no choice but to increase the prices on their menu, however diminishing the dishes' portions on top of that is simply a bad business move. For instance: - the amount of noodles in the pho was nowhere near enough when taking into account the size of the bowl ordered (the amount of beef was fine though) - the rice cakes & eggs dish has shrunk by a lot (this is my mom's favourite dish, therefore she noticed right away) - the glass used to serve the three-coloured drink is shorter & smaller, as the handle of the spoon used to be barely visible when inserted in the glass & while mixing the drink before taking a sip I sincerely hope this review reaches the business well & serves as constructive criticism, as I truly wish to continue supporting this restaurant whose food takes me back to my childhood & other memories that I'm fond of. Service: Waiter was polite & the dishes were served fairly quickly, though we went before rush-hour took place.
