Pho 36

Visiting Indiana and my best friend and her husband brought me here! I had the pan fried egg noddles with chicken and vegetables… I finished it ALL! It was perfect along with my slushy green tea bubble tea! Delicious!

This is one of my favorite restaurants in Indianapolis! The food is excellent as is the service! The vermicelli bowls are amazing and the spring rolls are the best! Everything tastes extremely fresh and has lots of flavor. The phở is very good and makes for a great meal! The only problem with this place is that once you go there you won’t want Vietnamese from anywhere else. We moved out of state but Phở 36 is one of our must go places when we come back to visit. This place is a MUST!

Awesome little hidden gem! Not many people know how great there food is, so you can generally get right in and quick service. If you have never tried Vietnamese food, this is a great place to start.

Good food! Decent choices if you’re vegetarian. I had the stir fried noodles (#48) which was pretty good! Looking forward to trying the phở next!

My first experience with Phở and I wasn’t disappointed at all! I was feeling under the weather so hot soup sounded so good! I got the chicken noodle phở and an order of spring rolls… Delicious! Fresh ingredients and wasn’t salty at all! You can add your own level of spice. Very quick take out service and the cashier was very kind. Can’t wait to go back!

Great food, the #11 is amazing!!! Will definitely come again. I love that it has a mom and pop feel to it. The beef spring rolls are super tasty

I have only been here one time, but it was phenomenal. The service was excellent. I had no idea what I wanted, so they took the time to explain the menu to me. The suggestions they made were spot on. Delicious!

I love this place. The soup is my favorite. Everything thing we’ve tried we’ve loved. Family owned, not a chain. Great food and service. We keep coming back again and again. The spring rolls are also a must have.

First time at Phở 36! First time eating phở! Wonderful! We got rare beef phở (not rare like steak) The owner explained the very thin beef is initially rare, but the very HOT broth cooks it in the bowl. It is fantastic! I loved being able to add the veggies and herbs at the table. Large portion! I had enough for next day lunch.
The egg roll appetizers… AMAZING! Best egg rolls i have had anywhere! Iced tea is wonderful!
Owner is also waiter, busser, cashier. He is helpful offering suggestions and answering questions. I can’t wait to go back!

I got the beef phở. The broth is a little different. I can’t pin point what’s different, but it’s pretty tasty! I can taste the flavor and the seasoning. It was delicious. I got a large for 7.99. You can’t go wrong with that at all! Next time I try this place out, I want to dine in. I got their egg roll appetizer. It was good, but not the best, but good. I definitely want to try their bubble tea and dessert! Until next time phở 36! I’ll be back.

Phở-​Nomenal!
This is an AWESOME mom & pop run Vietnamese restaurant. It was my first experience with this cuisine type, and the staff was friendly and knowledgeable about what the food was all about. I am officially hooked on phở!
We started with the fried rice cakes with egg. Quite tasty and filled with onions as well. They are bland (but I love bland), but they come with a spicy dipping sauce for those who care to indulge in that.
I also had the chicken noodle phở. It was great and came with sides of various herbs and veggies I could add to it to my liking.
For dessert, we had the creamed corn and tapioca dessert. Very different and not in a bad way. It was good, but it did take some getting used to the large tapioca in it. Still, I would order this again.
GO HERE! :)

I found my visit to Phở 36 to be rather interesting. I ordered the spring rolls and I believe they were $ 3.95 and well worth it. They were nice size and tasted very fresh. I would say these were some of the best spring rolls I have ever had. I would rate them a five.
I have been eating Phở for many years now, but have mostly just ate it at two different restaurants. As soon as I saw the bowl, I knew this looked different. I have always taken a few spoonfuls of the broth before ever adding anything to the bowl. Before I tried it, the broth looked clearer than I am use too. I took my first spoonful and I wasn’t sure what to think but it tasted good. By the second spoonful, I was like this is different but good. I added everything that you see in the picture and I enjoyed my Phở. When deciding what to rate this place, I was torn between a 4 and 5. I decided to give Phở 36 the five because the price for a large bowl was $ 7.99 and that is reasonable. The Phở itself would rate slightly higher than a four but not a four and a half.
This restaurant is located in a strip mall. There are about 8 – 10 tables and it looked like several people came in for carry out. The place is nice but nothing fancy. From what I could see the place was well taken care of and clean. The service was good, and the waitress accommodated my requests. I would recommend giving this place a try and I will be back myself.
If you are bored of chain restaurants and think for yourself and are not manipulated by millions of dollars in TV commercials to make yourself believe you have to eat average to below average overpriced food at some chain restaurant, I am one of you. Let’s all keep supporting the true food scene in Indiana.

You know you’re on to something good when you walk in and you get the aroma of some fresh phở being prepared– one of my favorite comfort smells of all time! I’ve been here countless times and it’s always a home run. The food is always excellent and the service is always good. Pretty impressive Thai is the only server for 10 tables and runs the whole front of the house with to go orders also. I would suggest getting the Rare Lime and Beef Salad, Phở (of course) and the Flan! This establishment is family owned and operated– support local businesses! Maybe the next time I’m here I’ll snap some photos for you Unilocalers if I don’t scarf it down first!

This is a really good place. Unassuming, so don’t expect much in the way of décor. It’s a few tables in a white room with a counter and some pictures on the wall.
That said, i go for the food and good service.
I don’t eat meat and there are quite a few veggie options here. They also will make spring rolls with out shrimp or pork upon request. I have been to places that will not do that and it’s always disappointing.
Of the Asian places I’ve been to, this is tied for top spot. Never mind — I just decided– this is my top go-​to spot.

Was in the mood for phở food while on the road, found Phở 36 and based on the reviews decided to give it a try. Well worth the drive off highway 70
Good food for the money

The service here was awesome. The guy running the place was super nice.
I LOVED THEIR SWEET CORN PUDDING. Please get this. It is sweet corn with tapioca and coconut cream. It’s to die for.
The phở and chicken phở broth were too sweet for my personal preference. I don’t know if they use MSG because I didn’t feel the effects after.
The egg rolls were good too.
But definitely get a Bahn Mi sandwich!!! Holy moly… These were so good!!!

I’m not a big fan of mint but I still enjoyed the spring rolls. And the phở was a tad too spicy for me. BUT I recognize tasty food, and great customer service. They’re definitely doing it right at Phở 36!

This place really doesn’t look like much. When I walked in, I was incredibly skeptical. A friend of mine had recommended it though so I decided to give it a try.
I got the standard bahn mi with the liver spread. The meat was rich and earthy. The vegetables were bright and crunchy. It has the perfect combination of sweet and heat from the slaw. The bread was light and airy with a crispy exterior. It’s a small sandwich but for $ 3.99 is a great deal.
I refuse to go to a place with phở in the name and not try their phở. It just wouldn’t make sense. I got the roast beef phở. The bowl is huge! It comes with a plate of aromatic herbs and veggies that you can add at your leisure. The broth smells like heaven. It’s bright and herbaceous with just a bit of earthy spice. It tastes great with a lot of Asian spices. The beef is nice and tender. It took a while to learn how to eat soup with chop sticks but once you do it’s pretty great. Am

After hearing many good things about this place I was expecting some pretty stellar food. And, ya know what… I got it! I was a phở virgin before coming here, and that helped make the experience all the better. They have an extensive menu with lots of phở choices and plenty of other choices to keep the whole group happy. We started off with their spring roll appetizer — the rolls were beautiful and absolutely delicious! Heck, I’d come back just for those again. Then the phở itself. Oh my. So freakin’ good. Plus, since I got the large size, I had plenty left for another meal later! Sure, the place is really small and nothing fancy, but our delicious dinner made up for anything lacking in atmosphere. Plus we were having a great conversation with some friends, so who needs fancy surroundings anyway?
Moral of the story? I should have tried phở long ago. And I also should have gone to Phở 36 much sooner too. Don’t make the same mistakes I made — check this place out and get yourself some phở!

Since it has been a few years since I first reviewed Phở 36, I thought I would do an update.
Phở 36 is now my FAVORITE location for phở in the Indianapolis area. It is a great restaurant that is locally owned and operated by a Great family. Phở 36 would be the perfect location for someone new to Vietnamese cuisine & phở to take their first «test drive» of the options. I also think this restaurant would be a good choice for someone new to any kind of «non-​American» cuisine to try to broaden their palates to something different than burgers and chicken fingers.
The owner will take his time to explain menu items, answer questions you have, make recommendations, and even offer suggestions on how to eat trickier/​more complex items like phở (especially in the case of phở. My husband & I both learned how to eat phở by basically spying on other people in other restaurants or by watching Anthony Bourdain eat it on TV, lol. We would have loved a real in-​person explanation when starting-​out). When we are in there, I love hearing him take his time to explain items, even when the place is packed. He is the waiter, server, busboy & cashier simultaneously, WORKS HIS REAR OFF, and still takes the time to educate his customers & offer suggestions if needed.
The owners are also great about recognizing their regular customers. Case in point, when we were in last evening, after a 2 – 3 month hiatus (sorry :-(), he brought 2 iced teas to our table without us even asking. He knows us. Speaking of their iced tea, it is jasmine tea that is unsweetened (sweeteners are available) and it is OUTSTANDING. I feel like I probably drink a gallon of it when we’re in there, and sometimes I feel guilty about that, but it’s delicious.
Another perk about this restaurant, It. Is. CLEAN! The dining room is kept in great condition and from the peeks I have seen back into the kitchen from the dining area (through the door or window), and it looks impeccable compared to some other restaurants in town I have had Phở in…
Some people might complain about slow service, but this is a truly family run business with a small crew who all have to multi-​task to the extreme. We don’t mind that it might be a while until we get our check on a busy weekend night… because we know the owner is off providing excellent customer service at another table and will get to us when he can, and it gives my husband & I a chance to slow-​down & just enjoy being present.
A few of our favorite dishes at Phở 36:
*Appetizer– Fried Rice Cakes with Egg– This is our favorite appetizer and it is what we tend to start our meal off with each time (I think the owner has it written down on the pad before we even open our mouths to order now… lol). The rice cakes are kind of the consistency of little dumplings, that have a lovely pan sear on them. They are then sauteed with eggs & green onions. Then topped with a lovely pickled carrot/​daikon garnish & black pepper. It is then served with an amazing dipping sauce that is so yummy I could drink it with a straw… but no worries, I restrain myself.
*Appetizer– Spring Rolls– I’m not normally a fan of the soft/​cold type of spring rolls, but I like them here. The couple times we have had them they have been freshly made & delicious.
* The Phở— They offer several variations of phở, with most of the variations being what type of meat is served in it. There’s no mystery meat at this Phở Shop! (some would be sad by the lack of mystery meat… but I like easily recognizable cuts of meat). I typically get the rare beef with meatballs. My husband normally gets a combo with brisket & rare beef (I think). I love to super-​spice mine with the hot sauce, especially in the fall when my sinuses start rebelling. I am always impressed with the quality & quantity of the garnishes that are served here (typically includes cilantro, basil, bean sprouts, jalopeno & lime… and a heaping pile of it).
*The Vermicelli– it’s outstanding here, and they offer several varieties of this too. My personal preference is for the grilled pork with eggrolls option… because it is like getting your entrée with a bonus appetizer surprise in it. I love the delicious complexity of their vermicelli sauce here. For those that aren’t aware, the noodles in vermicelli are served cold. This was a shock to me the first time when I didn’t know, but it’s delicious.
*I forget the name, but they have a «pork in a clay pot» dish that is Delicious. It’s served to you in a clay pot, with tender, delicious slices of pork that are in a bubbling-it’s-so-hot sauce that is delicious (but very salty, be sure to drink lots of that delicious tea, as mentioned above). It’s served with a side of rice. You can get it with catfish too, but I can’t attest to how that version is, since I don’t eat catfish.
*Boba Tea – it’s ok here. It’s served smoothie style & it fills a boba tea craving for me (why aren’t there more boba tea places in Indy?!)