Pho 96

Not the best. Meat was well over cooked and the noodles tasted like wheat not rice noodle. The broth was ok, but overall wouldn’t recommend.

For someone who is obsessed with Phở Lang Thang at Findlay Market but can’t afford to drive all the way there all the time, this phở restaurant does just fine. I really liked how the menu included photos of all the dishes, and ordering at the counter made things easier than having a server. Phở Lang Thang is still my favorite, but Phở 96 is closer to me and I still want to try their bubble tea.

This phở place is legit, as in made with real authentic Flavors and ingredients. I have been searching for authentic Vietnamese food, and this is only the 2^nd «Vietnamese» restaurant that I can say is authentic. The flavor of the Phở reminds me of ma’n’pop Phở shacks (the good joints) back in LA.
I also ordered the Vietnamese Banh cuon (rice paper pancake), which was good but not as good as the Phở. The pancake condiments were great, but the pancake was rather generic. The highlight of the pancake dish were the grilled pork and the sauce.
Service was also great!
FYI: you don’t wait to be seated… just walk up to the cashier counter and order first. They will bring the food to u.

Yum! Love the phở. Very consistently good food, service, and atmosphere. We even won a free desert one time– a nice surprise.

We tried it for the first time. I ordered chicken a a my sister ordered one of the beef bowls. Chicken was ok, very bland. The beef soup, though it states beef, had a big piece of ham at the bottom, which she found half way through. My sister took it up to them saying that the bowl had a big chunk of ham and that it’s false advertising since it doesn’t specify that there is ham. We don’t eat any pork so we were frustrated and explained to them that we can’t finish it. At first the guy in the front offered us something else for free, but then the owner/​girl came out from the back arguing that it’s half eaten and that we can’t get anything else. She was outright rude. Don’t expect customer service and make sure you ask what’s in your food because the menu doesn’t specify what’s all in the dish. It says beef, but it has pork in it. Not going back because of rudeness And no customer care or concern. Cheap and rude Asians behavior, as usual.

Decided to have Phở Soup with our friend Mamm and treated her. My wife was craving for the spring Rolls with the peanut sauce. so we ordered 6 rolls 2 roll for each of us. I wanted my pork Sandwhich with fish sauce. it was good. We got large Phở assorted meat. that was Awesome!!! flavorful broth was sensational and piping hot. Mamm ordered the pork lunch, it was good. they also ordered the taro tea tasted good with Bubba drink. ill come back here again :-)…

This was the best meal I’ve had in a really long time. Worth every penny and more.

Wife stopped in for a bubble tea, she’s an addict, and an order of sesame balls. $ 16+
One (1) bubble tea and and order (3) of sesame balls. $ 16+
My hope is that she was overcharged. We’ll top by to check it out but I think they gouged her.

A great casual, cheap place to get your Phở fix. Also have quite a few different options of Vietnamese food. I had one of their sandwiches (cant remember which) with pork that was crazy good. The standard Phở tasted great. I got the Strawberry Bobba… which was good but it had that fake strawberry powder after taste similar to what you might taste strawberry milk nesquik.
will be coming again

Best phở in Cincinnati! I love the vegetarian noodles! Definitely check this place out, you will not be disappointed.

My daughter is eating here for the first time. She loves it! She’s 11 and will try everything. She had the dry noodle dish with shrimp #29 and I had my normal #16. Bubble tea of course afterwards.

Wow, great phở! Better than homemade! The papaya salad was ok. Not as authentic as it should be. The flavor in the beef was lacking. Bubble tea was okay at best. I wouldn’t get it again. I like that they have Vietnamese desserts. I will have to try it next time. I want to try the phở challenge but I know it is impossible. 150oz of broth, 2lb lobster and noodles??? No way.

Pretty good spot. I had the raw round phở which was very good and huge portion (I couldn’t finish) the egg roll was nothing to write about but the experience was nice. Tried the pork rice plate which was very good. The papaya salad was a little off but not terrible. It is kind of pricey though. But justified for the portions. The bubble teas was just ok I have had better around town. Phở land Thang will still be my go to… also they have a phở challenge 4.4 litters of broth plus noodles meats and a whole lobster in 45 minutes for 50 $ (not a bad price considering the amount of food) if you conquer you get your 50 bucks back, a tee shirt and 150 in gift cards but no one has ever won! That much liquid in 45 mins ??? People have died from consuming that much liquid in one sitting, overhydration ! Seems like a lawsuit waiting to happen if you ask me… nice idea though good luck !

Prices are fair and the food is good. Staff has little interaction with you so their non interest doesn’t make too much of a difference.

Pho96 is really gettin’ into it. Their broth is on target, their summer rolls are great, and every time I go in they have new items on the menu. The wait staff has changed and they’ve added some fresh faces and after so many months, they have only gotten better.
They offered a kumquat juice, which is incredibly unique for the Midwest and is quite delectable! I really can’t add much more to my review because you’ve just gotta make your way out here. Yes, its far, but seriously its worth it. They’ve even got an eating challenge for a chance to win $ 150 to use at the restaurant or lose $ 100 if you can’t beat your competitor. This is how a hip restaurant does it. Oh how I miss those spicy ramen competitions back home!
My reason for updating my review is to express how delighted I am with their consistency, their openness to trying new things, and to never settle down. They’ve got a ton of business and its always busy when we come. It almost feels like home! And with their coffee offerings and free WiFi, this should really be your go to co-​working spot.

Update: 4÷23÷15 alas, the bubble tea is not good as well. I was craving dessert but I didn’t feel like driving 30 mins for Boba cha. Taro bubble tea is what I got! Whoever said the boba are the right texture are dead wrong. The boba still have a grainy texture in the middle and aren’t cooked thoroughly. The taro flavor was muted and watered down a bit. Whoever said they use all fresh fruits forgot to mention there are exceptions. Taro, coffee, and coconut, and who knows maybe more, are artificial flavors. Next time I’ll make the drive. This isn’t worth it for $ 4
I just had a to-​go order, but the service was good. I asked for substitution in type of noodles and they did it for me without a problem.
As for the soup, it was okay. It hit the spot, I’m from dayton and Lihns Bistro is absolutely fabulous. Their prices are also a little cheaper than pho96 and the quality is better. That would be the reason why I’m underwhelmed, but otherwise it was good!
The broth was flavorful in my bun bo hue. The noodle was good. They aren’t too generous on vegetables, but that’s okay, since I never eat all the veg they give me at lihns.
BUT the meat is fatty. like. really fatty. I’ll post a picture to illustrate. HOLY triglycerides! I heart skipped a beat (probably literally). I’m probably going to be back. It’s just down the street from me and I’m not sure how I feel about it yet.

This is definitely my favorite Vietnamese restaurant in the city. I almost always get phở when I go there. This place is kind of self served, so you order and pay for your food first, then you get your own drink at the coke machine and u find your own table. Once the food is ready they’ll bring it out to you. I’m always confused as to whether I need to leave tip or not because all the personnel there are really nice, but its self served …
Phở, as any usual Vietnamese restaurant, always comes in a big bowl so don’t worry about not having enough food. I think with phở, the most important thing for me is the broth, it has to be right. It has to have flavors other then msg. i think they made it just right. Granted i’m always afraid of drinking the soup because i always feel incredibly thirsty afterwards, but thats true for any phở you order from anywhere.
their atmosphere also sets this place apart from others. it feels very down to earth, very casual. maybe thats just due to my personal preference of self served restaurant vs a high end restaurant.
anyways, all in all, its a great place to eat phở here, any time any day, all day every day.

Our usual place was closed so we decided to try something new. Big mistake.
I got the phở combo that came with a drink and an appetizer thinking «it’s a deal!» When we walked in everything about the place lead to us expecting great things. My current favorite phở is phở kimmy and given some reviewers recommended phở 96 saying it much better, I thought why not give it a try… after all phở kimmy was closed on a wednesday evening.
Unfortunately our expectations were wrong… although the prices look like a better value, the appetizers only come with one meager roll and although they are good it’s not worth the extra amount you are paying for (you are better off opting for your own full order… if there is such an option.) The worst part of the meal was the phở… the broth smelled chemical-​y and wrong before our first bite. After adding all the vegetable condiments and lime squeeze… it still tasted just as off as it smelled. I never had phở that tasted like this before.
I wouldn’t recommend coming here unless you are not planning on having phở. The bah mi combo looked appetizing but I didn’t try it. I’m giving this place a 3-​star with NO RECOMMENDATION only because the service was so pleasant and the place had a nice upkeep. It feels like the people who own the business care about their customers unfortunately the food is not quite there for me to give this place another try. So this place is worth a visit if you have no strong preferences on phở. Otherwise, I advise trying something else.

Finally came to Phở 96 after hearing all the praises from my friend, and man, I have to agree, this place is legit!
You order and pay first with the cashier and they bring you your food. They have good combo deals, ~$ 7 for a sandwich and soda, ~$ 11 for phở, an appetizer, and a soda.
I love that they are not stingy with the veggies that come with the phở (lots of bean sprouts!). Their phở and the broth are very authentic and don’t seem to have loads of MSG; very flavorful yet not too salty. I’ve had very flavorful phở but was so thirsty afterwards b/​c it was loaded with MSG, but not here. They are also generous with the meat they give you in your phở. If you have a big appetite, you can supersize your phở for $ 2.30 more.
They have a good variety of bubble tea & smoothies, avocado, mango, pear, and kiwi smoothies are made with fresh fruit and not powder. Their boba/​tapioca actually exceeded my expectation, not too hard or soft, it’s just right, very chewy.
I agree with Sarah’s review that their prices aren’t as cheap compared to other big cities’ phở, but it’s very good for Cincy. I cannot wait to come back and try their rice dishes and cold noodles!

I haven’t had Vietnamese food in quite some time prior to this visit, so looking at the stellar Unilocal reviews to this place just served to solidify my decision to come here. Even prior to walking in, we were greeted by the delicious smell. The inside is very cute, with plenty of seating, televisions and electronic screens which display their menu over the counter. Once you order, you’re given a number that you bring to your table so the staff knows where to bring your food.
The employees were incredibly nice and welcoming. The food was absolutely delicious and the prices were par the course for good Vietnamese cuisine.