Pearl Bistro

This place is great. Really lovely phở, their appetizers are super good. Bahn mi seem to be a little hit and miss — sometimes they’re great, sometimes it’s a little dry. Such nice people, great service, exactly what a phở spot should be like.

It’s a hidden gem, the food is so good and the prices are really reasonable. They’re not afraid to let you eat and feel full after a meal! They’re not stingy at all with their portions and the quality is top notch.

This is a great Vietnamese place on the ave and the owner is really nice. The service is much better than phở places lower on the ave, also it’s cheap. I’ve had the beef combo phở, beef short ribs, and fresh rolls, all of which are great. Also try the fried banana banana dessert!

This place is pretty fantastic and definitely worth trying out. The owner is very friendly and there are a lot of options on the menu. I ordered a number one combo that came with a grilled pork skewer, a shrimp skewer, a huge pork cutlet, and a fried egg. The pork and shrimp skewers were grilled to just the right amount to leave them tender and juicy. The pork cutlet was huge and immensely flavorful. And the yoke in the fried egg had just the right texture pull everything together. It was a massive amount of food that hit the spot after a long day.
As another reviewer said this is definitely a solid option in Udistrict. Especially if you are near Ravena park.

I love this place!!! The owners are a married couple I believe, and they are so friendly, the man is always cracking jokes and is so sweet. I love their Bahn Mi, the bread is crispy and warm, the tofu is fried and flavorful and it tastes so fresh. The Jalapenos are HOT HOT HOT be careful if you aren’t a fan of spice. The combination of cilantro, pickled diakon radish and the jalapeño gives you the freshest tasting Bahn mi ever!

Owner, owner, owner. Very nice owners. They really try to give you the best experience. Every time I eat here, I order the phở. May be a little pricier than other phos, but I think its well worth it. It has a zestiness that makes it really tasty and different. Never really tried the other foods, but my friends like to order other things. So it must be good as well. I do think this place is underrated for the phở though. The only thing thats keeps this place away from all customers is the location (at the very end of the ave).

Good thoup

This place is a hit or miss in terms of quality and taste.
Banh mi — Bread used to taste stale but they have since gotten new bread. Unfortunately since their move up street they got rid of a lot of their sandwich options. BBQ pork is still tasty but it wont wow you by any means. Watch out for the fresh jalapenos they add. It will literally burn your mouth off.
Bun bowls — Ok sized but pricey. I’ve gotten the pork and egg roll bowl. It’s just okay, something about it throws it off for me maybe its the fish sauce, it tastes kind of funky. I LOVE a good fish sauce so it’s not like I am unfamiliar with the taste either.
Fried rice — Total miss. This would have been good if not for the fact it is salty as all hell. I literally thought I was eating salt. Could not finish it.
Phở — Ok. Phở is such a subtle dish that really its all dependent on the broth. It’s just Ok will fill you up but nothing to write home about. Also expensive for phở.
Egg noodles — This is about the best thing I have had here. Same broth as the phở but it works better with these noodles. I got the BBQ pork and wonton noodle. Wontons were barely filled with anything. I would give it 3 stars though. It was still satisfying.
I live literally right across the street so I go if I am feeling too lazy to go anywhere else and not in the mood for Pizza or a Deli sandwich. The owner is very nice and I am sad that I can’r give him a better review but I am just being honest.

I am a huge fan of phở and in my opinion this place is no bueno. Even though phở restaurants go by different names, they are essentially a chain with similar food an drink options. That said, once you’ve been to a few, it’s easy to compare the quality of the food.
First thing I noticed here was the ambiance; it was bare and the lighting was a little funky. Next thing was the prices which were a little higher than average. A small phở costs $ 7.97, tax included, and spring rolls cost over $ 4. It’s a small inflation in price, but pretty noticeable when it comes to phở.
I got a small phở combo. The food overall was decent, however, the soup was a little too oily and the meat had parts that were weirdly colored. Strangely enough the weirdly colored parts actually gave it some extra flavor lol.
The restrooms here were soooo nasty! Definitely need some TLC. Don’t expect much of a service either, the server simply brought the food and left me alone the entire time.
I won’t be coming back, but it’s not a terribly bad place to grab a bite of phở if you don’t have other alternatives.

Reposting this from their old page. These reviews cover my experiences eating here over the last several years.
New review: 2 stars
Again, prices are higher. Worse, the banh mi seemed empty. There were hardly any pickled vegetables inside, and the cucumber was missing. There was hardly any tofu, about half the usual amount. The spring rolls were hastily rolled, but tasted fine. Unfortunately the quality just keeps going down. I’ll skip them in the future.
3-​star previous review:
Prices have increased for all Vietnamese sandwiches. There is also now a minimum purchase required to process credit cards. While I understand both of these decisions, they are why I will be visiting less frequently.
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Previous review, 4-​stars:
This is my favorite Vietnamese restaurant, not because the food is the best sandwich or phở I will ever have, but because it is consistently good and reasonably priced. The tofu sandwiches are $ 2.95 and reliably great every single time.
The owner (Tony) makes the customer always feel welcome. He’s friendly, fast with the food, and makes Pearl Bistro my first choice for cheap, fast, and satisfying Vietnamese food.

Reasonably priced and on the Ave. Pretty much what would you would expect for somewhere in U-​District. Serves Phở, rice, and vermicelli dishes. Nothing special worth traveling to, but a decent choice if you’re nearby.

Sweetest little place in the U District. Food is fresh and well made. They family that runs it is friendly and appreciates our business. Lots of Choices. And they put up with my particular needs that seem to switch from week to week. (no noodles, yes noodles, no broccoli, yes broccoli)

The staff are really friendly and I like them. There phở is unique and I like it but it’s kinda pricey. Everything is good but their banh mi (in my option it’s weird) This place is down the block from my apartment and I would like it if it was cheaper. I wish more people knew about it since it’s not really on the ave.

This is one of our favorite places in the University District. Really fresh food, delicious sauces and friendly prompt service. It’s a family-​run place that is still getting its business built back after having to move. (the whole block is being redone at the old location).
We like everything we’ve tried on the menu — which is most of it. We really like vegetables so we chooser Extra Vegetables for $ 1 more.