What The Pho

Not much to the menu at this place, but what they do — Phở — they do well. Flavorful and inexpensive to boot.

A pretty decent dining option that’s a nice change of pace. That’s how I’d describe it. A coffee shop turned Vietnamese restaurant.
More and more I’m becoming a fan of Vietnamese food. It was phở that lured me in, but the other options are what have kept me interested. So I was pumped to try this place after seeing it pop up on Unilocal.
I like the building. Despite the surplus TGI Friday tables (they’ve got to be – the red and white stripes just shout suspenders and flair) it’s a cool space. Cool chandelier/​light fixture, rad red electric piano, and a patio out back that sits on the canal. A great, chill place to kick it and worth a stop when you’ve got nowhere to be.
I was especially heartened to see bánh mì on the menu. Many of the local phở shops leave off this sumptuous Vietnamese sandwich, so huzzah for another place with options. Naturally, that’s what I ordered.
My sandwich was the simple BBQ pork, and at around $ 3.50 (was it $ 3.25?) you can’t go wrong. It was served with a good amount of pork, cilantro, a few slices of cucumber, a jalapeño slice, and pickled carrots. Unfortunately, the bread was a little dry and the pork not quite juicy enough, but I still ate the entire sandwich. Others in the group got the beef variety, and I have to say it was impressive. the bun came unsliced, and served with a plate of all the goodies. Cilantro, beef, lettuce, pickles carrots, and a beautiful fried egg. With the dry bread, though, I’m told it came off a little parching as well. But still finished by both buddies who ordered it.
I also sampled the spring rolls, served with shrimp and pork. The rolls were fresh and tasty, but the peanut sauce lacked a certain punch. Again, though, for the price and for the generous portions you’ probably can’t complain.
I’m bookmarking this place to come back and try the phở. I mean, it’s in the name and I definitely need to give it a go. With warm weather now upon us, it may be a few months before phở seems like a craveworthy endeavor. But when it does come a calling, I’ll be back.

I was introduced to Phở by a good friend of mine. The first place we went to get Pgo was at Green Papaya, in West Valley. I’ve been since then to some of the best places in Utah for the same meal, because it is absolutely one of the most hearty meals ever invented.
What The Phở, is just down the street from my house, and our family has passed it by several times. I started craving some Phở, again as we Phở eaters often do, so we all wet there one night, and we have been there once a month ever since. In the few times that we have gone, so far, the menu has already tripled. The price, and value for the price are AWESOME (we can feed a family of four with veggie rolls, Phở, and drinks for under $ 40, and walk out with to go boxes.
The family that runs the place is phenomenal. They remember us every time we come in, and lay out the red carpet. Wether you are vegan, veggie, or omni, What The Phở is a great place to take the family for cheap, and enjoy some authentic Vietnamese cuisine over and over again.
The rolls are amazing, and they are half the price of other Phở places, and just as delicious. Parking is just fine there, really. The inside is very simple, painted nice, a few TV’s on the walls, looks and smells very clean.
The only downer is, they do not have fountain drinks, so they give you ice in a cup and a can of your favorite soda.

Overview:
«What The Phở» is a fairly new Vietnamese restaurant that just opened. We wanted to try it out to see how it was. The place serves «ban mi» (vietnamese sandwiches), coffee, juices, smoothies, and of course, entrees.
Parking:
Parking is very limited and tight. Luckily, the place hasn’t become too popular, yet, so there weren’t many cars when we went. Just make sure you back out carefully when you’re leaving! You wouldn’t want to back up into the wall or trash cans.
Pricing:
The pricing was fairly decent. Most entrees where about $ 6.50 to $ 7.25
Drinks hovered around $ 2.50 to $ 3.25.
Dining Experience:
It was a Saturday morning and when we went, there were only two other older guys in there having some coffee. So it was fairly quiet, but I definitely liked how the place was laid out. They had two TVs playing Vietnamese music shows; something nice to watch while dining. We were greeted and taken to a table.
Throughout our time there, the waitresses didn’t really check in on us and asked us how we were doing or refill our drinks. That’s a big disappointment whenever I eat anywhere.
Food:
There were quite a few choices to choose from the menu. As mentioned earlier, there were all sort of sandwiches, phở, juices, coffees, and smoothies. All were fairly cheap. After perusing through the menu, we gave our order.
We decided on the macaroni beef, and two bowls of phở. I also ordered an Iced Coffee Lover. It didn’t take too long for the food to be prepared. First off, I got the Iced Coffee Lover. I wasn’t sure what was different about this coffee from the others. After tasting it, it was a thick, chocolate coffee. My complaint about this was it came in a narrow glass and only half-filled…wish I had more of it, since I thought it was pretty good.
Next, came the two bowls of phở accompanied with the usual plate of bean sprouts, and basil leaves. I didn’t actually eat it, but from what I saw, it looked okay… It did have chunks of fat in it (which I’m not a big fan of), and the broth sure was oily.
My plate, the Macaroni beef, wasn’t too bad. It really wasn’t macaroni, but another type of pasta. It had chunks of chewy beef in it, carrots, celery, and cilantro.
Not really a true Vietnamese dish, but cooked in a «Vietnamese style».
Go or No Go:
The food was decent and so were the prices. The service was non-​existent, at least on this visit. I would have expected them to check in on us at least once, because we ended up being the only customers after the others left. But, if you are looking for Vietnamese food and are in the area, give it a try.

It’s really sad, because this restaurant has so much potential. I had heard about this restaurant through word of mouth and I thought the name was so clever! Supposedly this business was originally opened as a coffee shop but the owner decided to incorporate a restaurant into it as well.
The inside of the restaurant is definitely very cozy. I love the lighting, the décor, and the cleanliness of the building. Parking is not a problem, as they have their own lot, with a drive-​thru as well. I’m wondering if you’re allowed to use the drive-​thru to order food or if it’s only for drinks.
When I took a look at the menu, I was surprised at how cheap their food was! Their appetizers range between $ 1 to $ 3 with their entrees averaging about $ 6. I decided to take advantage of that and ordered an order of spring rolls, a Vietnamese sandwich, and the special egg noodle. One thing I found odd is that they had an appetizer called «summer rolls,» and when I asked the owner about it, I realized that they were eggrolls, just FYI.
The spring rolls were delightful, but however, the rest of my meal wasn’t. My Vietnamese sandwich wasn’t very enjoyable. I saw them toast the bread in front of my eyes, but when I ate it, the bread tasted stale and old. I couldn’t take more than two bites and ate the meat separately after throwing away the bread. My egg noodles were assembled beautifully. They came with shrimp and pork but the broth did not have a good flavor.
I sent my sister back the next day to order their Phở, since I felt stupid for not trying it the first time, as the restaurant IS called, «What The Phở?» Again, the food was packaged beautifully, but I could not say the same about the taste. The broth had a weird smell, as if they put yeast in it. I couldn’t help but think of beer every time I took a sip. Their noodles tasted like there was a hint of lime in it, which worried me, because it could be a sign that these were old noodles. The most troubling part however… was my steak. Normally, your steak is red before it is cooked in the soup and after, it’s supposed to turn into this light brown color. Mine however… turned WHITE! I thought that it was tripe when I first picked it up… but looking closer at the texture, it was the steak! I had never seen such a thing! Now I’m praying that I won’t get sick.
Nonetheless, I always give newly-​opened restaurants a second chance. I know that it’s tough to make it out in the restaurant industry and I plan on coming back in the future and trying something else on their menu. I might even try their phở again, just to see if it makes any improvements. But for now, I’m not very impressed with the food. My sister does recommend the Thai Tea though. Perhaps their drink menu might be more satisfying?