Pho 777

Don’t let the fact that there is a deep-​freeze in the service area deter you. This is some seriously good phở.
Great for takeout on a cold Uptown winter day.

Great Vietnamese restaurant, authentic and simple just like the way we like it in vietnam.
Friendly and fast efficient service
Will come back for sure

My friend recommended this place so we went and got phở. We arrived on a Sunday at 8:00 pm but I felt that we were rushed into making a decision on our meal. Our server said «the noodles is the same the only difference is the broth» when asked which phở would he recommend. When our food arrived, our check was given to us a the same time. By the time we finished our meal and paid it was before 9:00 pm (the time listed of when the restaurant would close). While we were eating the restaurant was slowly shutting down which made the experience unnerving. My friend assured me that my experience wasn’t the norm. I would recommend this place for the phở.

This review will mainly be about their phở and iced coffee, which were two things I ordered for dinner with a friend. They have an extensive menu which includes vermicelli, rice dishes, and desserts but I didn’t have the chance to try them (yet).
Their phở here is top notch!
I surprise myself by saying this because I’ve been so loyal to Le’s Phở, but I really enjoyed their Phở #4 (mix of steak, tripe, tendon & flank). I’m not actually sure if Phở 777 has different sizes (i.e. small or large) because on their menu, the only prices were listed under a single column as «Large.» But… fine by me! No need to scale down :) A large was big enough for a full meal and leftovers to take home.
Their broth was darker and had more hints of five star anise (and all the aromas of five spice powder). It was definitely more fragrant/​smoky than the sweet, clear broth I’m used to, but it was delicious. The ingredients were fresh, noodles were solid, and the restaurant had a homey, mom-​and-​pop feel. It’s like a hidden, secluded gem, which is the total opposite a Tank Noodle experience; bustling, long lines, top-​40 hits, and waiters zipping around, working on their cardio.
Speaking of music, they were playing oldies French love songs, which I found endearing and nostalgic of a different time period. Colorful paper orbs were hanging from the ceiling at different lengths, which made it feel like wonderland. And they were all probably hand-​made DIY-​style to add to the coziness of the restaurant.
The iced coffee was strong, but I usually drink it even stronger (with the coffee at Dong Ky as my gold standard). $ 4.50 for a glass was on the pricier side, and it’s served pre-​mixed and iced (versus in a drip filter so you can mix it on your own).
All in all, it was a great decision for a friend to recommend this place, and satisfying to venture out from my usual haunts and try phở elsewhere. I had a great meal here. On a weeknight, it was pretty sparse around 7pm, but filled up around 8pm. I’d definitely come back and bring along my phở-​slurping family.

First of all, my BF and I walked in and got seated very awkwardly. We stood around for about a minute and wasn’t even greeted. The guy who finally sat us down threw our menus and napkins at us. I got the vietnamese vermicelli (#51) with beef. The beef was super flavorful and well seasoned, but I wish they served the bowl with a bigger egg roll. It was tiny and quite disappointing. The waiter actually turned out to be very nice when we ordered our food by giving us tips. We are not usually in this area, but would consider coming back next time we bike there.

Phở 777 is such a gem, for the sole virtue of it being the only place on Argyle that serves these three signature Northern Vietnam dishes:
— Bun Cha
— Bun Ca
— Bun Dau Mam Tom
All of which are admirably prepared. The Bun Ca is almost as good as back home (in Vietnam) and the quality of Bun Cha & Bun Dau Mam Tom is also close.
The dessert Che Suong Sa Hat Luu, too, is done in the Northern style, which is excellent. I cannot believe all other Vietnamese places here have not followed suit. They need to cater to the Northern Vietnamese customers too! (I am born & raised in the north)
One downside (maybe) is that the service can be overly friendly sometimes (my server insists on calling me brother, even touched my back at one point). But all that does not prevent me from enjoying the deliciousness of Bun Cha and Che Suong Sa Hat Luu.
My new favorite place!!!

We came here for lunch on Sunday. It was very busy and they only had two servers for the entire room. When we were finally able to grab his attention, I was able to place an order for phở with beef and tripe (very hot, noodles were still stuck together, a little greasy/​oily).
I would probably come back because although service was slow at the beginning, he was very understanding.

Hai Yen is my favorite place for phở in Argyle. Unfortunately, Tank Noodle and a handful of other shops are closed on Wednesdays for some reason.
I was elated that Phở 777 was open – because when I’m craving something… I need to have it or it gets ugly. My boyfriend and I ordered two bowls of phở. I always get Phở Tai Bo Vien (rare beef & beef meatballs).
We usually like abnormally large amounts of bean sprouts in our phở. There was only one server there and when we asked for more, he demanded we finish our plate of veggies before he brought back more. We asked immediately because we knew that we would use it all and we wanted more as soon as possible so they could cook a little in the soup. The fact he demanded we finish the veggies off was annoying and unprofessional. I also felt that the soup was much more sweet than I prefer, so I also asked for more limes. By the time the bean sprouts and limes came (he needed reminding) my soup was only slightly hot and I was highly annoyed.
Not the best service, nor the best broth. Guess I’ll be sticking with Hai Yen and my mom’s cooking.

The service is always on point, even offering forks to those who they think don’t use chopsticks, not that I have this problem. The broth is hot and steamy every time. Servings size is very generous. Both times I have been here I got the #20 the BBQ pork and I always have a to-​go container to take home.
The fresh squeezed lemonade is refreshing on these hot, humid summer days as is the Iced Coffee. *Bonus points* our lady server showed us exactly how the tea is made from the drip coffee maker.
It is becoming a Sunday regular brunch place for me. I love it much more than Tank Noodles just right up the street.

Food: 4 crispy spring rolls and beef phở
Service: 5 quick and efficient
Cleanliness: 4

I took my daughter there to eat brunch. I ordered the broken rice dish and it was served with what appeared to be leftovers of old ground pork square and grilled pork that was dried out and very hard and cold. My daughter ordered shrimp wrapped in rice wrapper and she said the shrimp tasted like it was rotting. I don’t understand the good ratings that this place received. We may have been there during off hour, but standard is standard. I’ll never go back there again.

I got here a few days ago with my friend. We had a soup and veggie noodles, which were very good, tasty and flavored. The meals were served quickly and the waiter was nice.
Only disappointment: portions are a bit too small for my large appetite.
However this place is very good gor value. I will go back there somedays.

I came here a couple days ago and had mixed reviews on the food. I had the egg rolls, shrimp spring rolls, papaya salad, phở (#2), and honeydew bubbled tea. The highlight was the papaya salad! It was the best I’ve ever had and the mix of flavor was perfect. The phở broth was also very good (above average compared to other restaurants I’ve been to). The egg rolls was tasty with the sauce. I’m unusual… but I judge a Vietnamese restaurant based on the peanut sauce for the spring rolls. I would give the peanut sauce here a 1.5… it was very bland and the spring rolls were also tough and didn’t have much flavor, so I wouldn’t order this again. The bubbled tea selection was good, but tapioca was too hard for me. I’d prefer the tapioca to be soft and chewy.
Overall:
Food: 3
Atmosphere: 3
Service: 4

Phở 777 is located a little bit farther away from the L stop than Tank, but it’s worth the extra three minute walk because this place dishes up some solid phở. I personally like it better than Tank! I came here with three of my friends. It’s a smaller restaurant than Tank so the interior was definitely cleaner and nicer, but I think the service is definitely about the same speed. Three of us ordered phở and my other friend ordered fried rice, which she raved about. I think fried rice is an easy filler dish for most Asian places, but you can tell from a simple dish like that whether it’s a good restaurant or not.
Onto the noodles! The broth wasn’t the best I’ve ever had, but it was very good. I liked that it was sweeter instead of herbal-​y like Tank. Very well-​seasoned and rich for sure. The meat was cooked well BUT a) I wish they had a rare steak option, b) they didn’t have fatty brisket (my absolutely favorite) and c) there wasn’t enough of it. Sadness. The noodles were nice and fresh, no complaints there. But I definitely thought they didn’t give us enough basil, bean sprouts and lime wedges for three bowls of phở. It was literally the same amount they would’ve given for one bowl. Blah.
However, because I did enjoy my meal here, it’s a 4 star place. I would absolutely come back, and I think the prices are slightly better than Tank.

In my opinion, this place is as good as Tank Noodle– maybe better, because it’s much more intimate and slow-​paced. The owners are very friendly and sweet– you can tell they really care about customer satisfaction.
For the price, the phở is very good. The portions are huge, and the broth is just right. It tastes authentic (I wouldn’t know, however). Although there was a lot of meat, some of the meat was a bit questionable. We set the «questionable» meat aside on a seperate plate. The chicken bahnmi sandwich I had was quite amazing as well. It was filled with fresh vegetables and chicken! And best of all, it was only 5 dollars. What a deal.
If Tank seems too busy, just go next door :).

This review is 2.5
Maybe we were there during a bad day, but we were not that impressed by the food. We had the shrimp spring rolls to start and the filling was mostly noodles and there were not enough herbs. They were kind of bland and not as good as at other places. My husband’s phở was decent, but he said the broth seemed a little watered down and the meat was tough. He did appreciate that the beef balls appeared to be home made. The portions were large but smaller than at other places around this area. Another couple that was seated near us ordered the egg rolls and we heard them tell the waiter the egg rolls were cold. There was a very large party there that day and the wait staff seemed swamped, so it is possible that the restaurant was just having an off day. However, with so many other great Vietnamese spots in this area, we will probably just go somewhere else next time.
To be fair though, we got the combinate pork rice plate to go and my husband said that it was very tasty.

I ended up getting the combo with rice noodles and it was quite good. A great amount of meat in it and was really a fan. The flavor wasn’t too big on it, but I added some of my own sauces and spices and it really kicked it up. The bubble tea really hit the spot but was quite standard. I would return for sure to this place, but there are so many options in that area that I still would love to check out.
Service was very good and the owners of the restaurant were very accommodating and nice.

Came for dinner last night and while it wasn’t my first time, I didn’t remember the service being that bad. I will say though, that I’m not all that surprised about the service considering Asian restaurants are notorious for treating Asian patrons like nothing. SMH.
Anyway, we both got the Phở Dac Biet — Special 777 (eye of round steak, well done flanks, fat brisket, soft tendon, bible tripe and meatball) and enjoyed it well enough. The broth was great!
Plentiful street parking, but good luck during the weekend!

As everyone knows, Phở cures all wintery ills, from frostbite to head cold. My husband was down with the latter while we were on a quick jaunt around Uptown, so we stumbled into «Asia on Argyle» and looped around to Phở 777 for a couple bowls for an early dinner around 5 pm on a weekday. Another group was seated across the dining room with the friendly host seating us right up against the front windows.
We asked for beer and were directed next-​door to a small shop where my husband grabbed some Asahi and a Sam Adams Seasonal (don’t judge… gingerbread apparently pours well aside a bold broth!), and our orders were taken right away, the «Special 777» (Phở Dac Biet: phở complete with all the interesting portions of cow from trip to tendon) for him and the simplest of the phos with only the round steak for me.
A communal dish complete with all the typical phở trappings was immediately slid between us, and the phở was delivered to the table within a few short minutes. We labored through delicious spoonful after spoonful until we were too full to continue and left happily.
For me, as this was my third or fourth bowl of phở ever, it’s a little trying to reach for comparison, but I can say what makes this place worthy of at least three stars for me. Unlike some other phở joints, this place is actually dressed as a restaurant, complete with tablecloths, waiters, and appropriate lighting that doesn’t blast you in the face with the yellow-​tinted wattage of a dozen overhead lights. Additionally, the broth is well-​balanced and bowls are so full that sharing is an option for those who have smaller appetites. Also, as other Unilocalers have noted, the tables are dressed with everything you’d ever need to properly amble your way through your phở experience, regardless of what you care to throw in, and the fresh ingredients that are delivered to your table are plentiful.
My only regret is that we didn’t bother to try other dishes on the menu, particularly the spring rolls, which are always a hit to me. While the phở itself wasn’t the very best I’ve ever had, the broth being a little mild, I will say that it was seriously good, and worthy of a return visit for sure.

I was craving phở cuz it’s been pretty brisk outside these days. I decided to try this place out since the reviews seemed pretty solid.
I ordered the #2 with beef flank, tendon, and tripe. It was okay, nothing to write home about. I’m a little disappointed at how much MSG they use in the broth. It’s been over 6 hours since eating here and my mouth still has that dehydrated post-​MSG sensation. Bleck.
The service was actually good. My water was refilled twice without needing to flag anyone down.
The price is what ultimately deters me from coming back. For a small bowl of phở, it cost me $ 8.75 (after tax, before tip). That’s about $ 2 more than I’m used to spending on really good phở. I don’t wanna spend more than that on mediocrity.
My search for good phở in Chicago continues!