Black Pepper Pho

I am so displeased with my most recent visit that I am sitting in the parking lot writing this before I drive back to Denver.
I walked in this afternoon, and immediately noticed that the no-​tipping policy no longer exists. Not a problem, the phở is so delicious, who cares?!
Well, there are a few problems with that:
1. The prices have always been high, but used to include the «tip». However, the prices aren’t any lower, and now I have to tip on top of rather steep prices.
2. Shitty service. Again, it was always shitty, but since I didn’t have to tip and the phở is delicious, I never cared. Today the service was not friendly, the staff was seemingly checked out; one guy brought me hot tea instead of the cucumber-​ginger gimlet I ordered.
3. Their normal music wasn’t playing. It was dead silent in the restaurant, and as a result, I could hear every word the staff was saying. One was talking about how someone didn’t tip them well enough, and that they deserved 20−25%. Another discussed how he WAS ARRESTED AT WALGREENS FOR STEALING, AND HAD $ 1000 IN HIS POCKET AT THE TIME.
Here’s a tip: stop blabbing and try doing your job.
I can’t believe I drove all the way to Boulder for this on my day off. WHAT A WASTE. At least the damned soup and cocktail were delicious.

I really love the vegetarian phở (noodle soup) from Black Pepper Phở! It’s delicious, the ingredients are always fresh and the flavor is really good! The chai boba tea with coconut milk is really good too!
The only thing is that the place is a bit small and sometimes it’s difficult to get a table with a large group, but you can order for take out :)

Be careful, not gluten free restaurant, but gluten free options.

Four stars for the vegetarian phở. It’s flavorful and satisfies cravings from my pre-​vegetarian days.
Two stars for the service — they have some kinks to work out. They seem a little understaffed and the setup is a little awkward when you first arrive. They don’t always see you’re waiting to be seated.

The food here is pretty decent for Asian cuisine in Boulder (they would be drowned out by better cheaper food in a city), but the kids who work here are kinda bratty with their attitude. It’s sort of funny but also mildly annoying when they acted irritated to wait on you (as in doing their job).
Alas, I’ll still go back. I know what it’s like to be a disgruntled underpaid college kid.

Phoget about everything you’ve ever heard about phở, this place is unphogettable!!! You will never phogive yourself if you don’t give this place a chance! Bepho you judge it based off its reviews, give black pepper phở a try! You will never phoget how amazing it is!!! Black pepper phở is truly a gift phở you and your family! So treat yourself out phở some delicious food!

This place used to be great. This is the second time I have been here since their no tip policy. The service was terrible both times. It was so bad today I almost walked out. The host sat 2 tables after me before getting a high chair. Then acted so bothered by my request. When I asked for a fork for my toddler (which I had to go to the bar for myself) he acted super annoyed. The waiter wasn’t any better. I observed everyone around me getting the same lack luster service. Anytime I needed something I had to get up and ask for it. Lame and overpriced.

I eat phở often but wouldn’t say I’m an expert! But I think this place great I would recommend. I have tried about every phở– the seafood with calamari is a little tough! But I probably like the beef or house noodle phở the best! I like doing takeout but it’s cute and little inside — fast take out!

The first time I came here, I ordered incorrectly. Their beef phở or chicken phở is OK. I have been eating Phở 79 and Chez Thuy for a couple years, and both their phở are mouth-​watering and delicious.
Then I came here with a vegetarian and tried their Vegetarian Phở. The Vegetarian Phở here is the best I’ve ever had. Amazing. Boulder’s Best.
Ever since I found out this is the place for Veggie Phở, it’s all I get here. It has Bok Choy, shittake, tofu and more. They even make their own Gluten Free sauces.
Try the Vegetarian Phở, I think it’s the best I’ve ever had.

After four years I decided to give Black Pepper phở another shot. This time I enjoyed the phở and appreciated the clean taste of the broth.

Black Pepper Phở is my go to place to get phở in Boulder. It is always delicious, fast, and fresh. They have many options and multiple sizes to choose from. I usually go for the chicken phở with vegetarian broth. Also, everything is gluten free which is a big plus.
Last time I was in there I got a rice plate with grilled chicken. I loved all the fresh veggies that came with it and the flavor was great.
The best thing I’ve ever had at Black Pepper Phở is their coconut cream rice pudding with mango! As someone with gluten and dairy allergies it is hard to find a dessert I can eat. Not only can I have this rice pudding but it’s amazing! I would eat it everyday if I could!

I stopped in here for lunch with two coworkers around 12:40pm on a Thursday and there was no wait.
This place doesn’t have as much variety as most of the other Vietnamese places I’ve been to; their menu is one page and consists of appetizers, Phở, Buns (rice noodle bowl), Rice Plates, and salads.
I opted for the tofu bun (boon) because I’m picky when it comes to vegetarian phở. The tofu noodle bowl consisted of one vegetarian egg roll (a larger one), two slices of pickled carrots and two daikon radish slices, bean sprouts, a fair amount of tofu, and a lot of rice noodles over a bed of shredded lettuce. The bowl was served with a sweet and tangy soy sauce-​type dressing on the side that was pretty good. The bowl itself was on the more expensive side ($ 11.65), but I was filled up around ³⁄₅ of the way into the bowl.
My coworkers got the vegetarian phở and it looked like the bowl came with a hefty amount of noodles and a decent amount of veggies (bok choy and mushrooms).
The interior was clean, and the service was fair.
Everything here seemed to be on the more expensive side compared to most of the phở restaurants in the Denver/​Aurora area (~$ 8/​medium phở). The food was decent, a bit Americanized and overpriced, but decent nonetheless. I probably wouldn’t stop by again, unless one of my coworkers decide to go here again.

Excellent menu. Love the Vietnamese noodle bowl with chicken. Their meat is just right smoky, the veggie bowl has tofu that’s done very well too. Their egg rolls are delicious. Very fresh fish sauce for the dish and great drinks! We had the mango boba which was made with frozen mango instead of a mix. Our kid prefers the boba at other shops better just FYI.

Thumbs down! I never write reviews, so it speaks volumes that I am making a particular effort in this case. The service was terrible (so much for their «we don’t tip because we have excellent customer service that doesn’t require payment» policy). We found our waiter to be cold, unhelpful, and impatient. We were rushed in ordering, and when we asked for help, his body language indicated his irritation with our questions.
The worst part: I was sick for a week with food poisoning! I ordered phở soup, and it came to the table warm. This was a red flag for me, as I’ve had many phở soups and lived in Asia, and they are ALWAYS scalding hot to kill any bacteria that may be present on the raw vegetables that are added at the end, and the meat. Please be warned!
It was freezing the night we were there: it was a stormy evening, and the air-​conditioning was on high. I asked for them to please turn down the air-​conditioning, and they did not comply. I ate with my coat on.
After the food poisoning episode, I felt compelled to return and inform them. They did not reimburse my meal, and although they were apologetic, there were no immediate efforts to reassure me that this would not happen again.
I will personally never eat here again, and will advise others not to.

I’ll admit, I’m not an expert when it comes to Thai food, but I like this place, so I’ve come back a few times, and always left satisfied.
Pros:
The food is mostly tasty, though I haven’t tried everything.
The service is usually very good.
The restroom and restaurant areas are clean and well kept.
The décor is pleasing.
Cons:
I’m sure the portion sizes have shrunk some over the past couple of years.
I think they are overpriced for the portion sizes.
I don’t like the parking; it’s very tight here due to it sharing a small lot with several other businesses that are well patronized too.
Recently, they stopped allowing tipping, as policy. Now, they include the tip in the menu prices, which I’m generally not a fan of, especially if I’m getting take away. I don’t normally tip for take away because I’m not being seated and served. So, I don’t know how it works for take away. Will it stop me from patronizing Black Pepper Phở?
Not likely, since I come for the food, but since it’s now more expensive, I’ll not be coming as often.

Wanted to check out a Vietnamese spot before leaving town. My sister and I were greeted by three Caucasian twenty-​something males. Our first thoughts were: «oh no, this won’t be authentic!» We got seated and knew there was no going back now.
I ordered the Viet iced coffee and my sister the taro smoothie with boba. My coffee was extreme strong, but that’s just how I like it. Others may not like that or prefer more condensed milk. My sister said her drink was average. It came in a glass and she was hoping to take it to-​go. If that’s your intention, I would consider asking them to put it in a plastic cup up front.
My sister ordered the chicken dried noodle bowl, something neither of us have ever seen on a Viet menu before. It was funny having the server explain what it is to us using his limited Viet vocabulary. His pronunciation was way off, but we appreciated his effort. I tried her food and I really liked it, but she didn’t care for. Being the fatty that I am, I finished her food for her after eating mine. She didn’t think it was worth carrying the rest out on our 10 hour drive home.
I ordered the steak and meatball phở. It didn’t taste completely like phở broth that I was used to, but it was still delicious. I guess that’s what happens when you do not add as much oil, salt, and no msg. «Healthy» phở as I like to call it. The steak was sliced really well. The meatballs were cut for me, something I don’t care for cus I actually like the whole pieces and like to see how many I actually get. I was disappointed I didn’t get a lime with my topping plate. Could have used more cilantro, too.
I really appreciated the disclaimer about the tipping policy. I feel good paying patronage to a place that pays the servers well enough that I do not have to tip. They all contribute to providing good service. So it’s normal to see 3 or 4 people helping you out instead of 1. Any tipping gets donated to charity which makes me feel good about where the heart of the owner is. Who by the way is Vietnamese and makes all of the authentic food. Only thing about the no tipping rule is that the prices are higher than any Viet place I’ve ever been to. Typical phở where I am from (Omaha, NE) is $ 5-​$ 8. The regular bowl was almost $ 11.
A few last thoughts: this place gets very busy for lunch time, but service does not go down. The atmosphere was very comfortable and chic. The place was very clean, a little tight, but it probably won’t bother you as much as you’d think. Lastly, the three servers that work there will provide some great eye candy while you enjoy your delectable food. They’re even dressed well to serve you.
I will definitely return when back in town.

It was a very neat looking restaurant with very low quality of phở.
I really wish it had great food but it just wasn’t a good phở. I can not go back there…
Still give 3 stars cause they do have cute, neat interior and part-​time kids were very kind. And I didnt try the other food so…

Not the best phở in Boulder and extremely over priced. Every time I’ve been here I find that the broth is just so bland that I end up adding so much like, hoisin sauce, and siracha to it that its a completely different dish than what they served me. Without a doubt the worst phở for the price in Boulder.
The location and space itself is great but the phở is lacking in all flavors. I would recommend skipping this restaurant all together.

We were traveling through and love phở… especially on cold days The phở was excellent! We had the chicken and the vegetable!
I am giving 5 stars because of the flavor but also the quality. Everything is locally sourced, GMOFREE, MSG Free, Gluten free. There is grass fed beef available also
This place is a NO TIP establishment which inspires everyone to work in the best interet of the customer!
If you are nearby– you may really want to check it out.

I went back last week (September 13) when I was in town and the food was even better. And you cannot skip the cocktails.
My boyfriend and I agree that their spring rolls are the best we have ever had. We are both Asians who live in the L.A. area. That’s our cred.
I had a cocktail with ginger (can’t remember the name). I thought it would be a ginger syrup or beer. But no! It was topped with real ginger! It was quite refreshing.
For the entrée, I had chicken phở with vegetable broth. It didn’t taste the same as the phở I usually have. It tasted… healthy. I could really taste the veggie broth. I guess that’s what happens when you don’t put msg. We each ended our meal with a boba to-​go. I had mine with coconut milk.
Maybe I’m lucky but I have never had bad service.