The best pho in Los Angeles

The hospitality might be blunt and to the point here, but the namesake soup is second to none at this longtime pho specialist with outposts in Rosemead and South El Monte (the latter named Pho Filet 2). At Pho Filet, northern-style pho gets pared down to the essentials: an aromatic, soulful broth with depth accrued from long-simmered bones; slightly softer, wide, flat noodles; and your choice of beef cuts. The final, exquisitely simple result is adorned with a smattering of herbs, has an ideal scallion-to-soup ratio and includes thin slivers of ginger that ultimately illuminate a perfect beef sunset in a bowl.

This restaurant with outposts in Alhambra and San Gabriel traces its culinary lineage to Pho 79, the James Beard Award-winning eatery down in Garden Grove. Run by another branch of the Tran family, Saigon Eden offers a bright, clear beef pho with similar flavor and vibrance as the one offered at Pho 79 down in Orange County. Made by simmering oxtails for over 12 hours, and infused with cinnamon and star anise, the fragrant bowls of soup simply can’t be improved upon.

Since 2017, this tiny shop in Rosemead has churned out freshly made bowls of organic chicken pho—and the crowds that still come in daily reflect that quality hasn’t dipped in the slightest. Choose from glass noodles (mien ga) or rice noodles (pho ga) for a taste of Hai Phong, the northeastern port city where chef-owner Phan Tran originally hails from. Compared to beef pho, chicken pho runs much lighter in flavors, but the version at Pho Ga District still manages to impart a deep, meat flavor to its broth. You’ll also find amazing steamed chicken here, as well as Hainan-style chicken rice—byproducts of culinary influence from Vietnam’s northern neighbor.

Across both its Alhambra (Pasteur) and Chinatown (Republic) locations, Pho Saigon is known for its amazing beef pho and the option to add on a platter of rib eye to cook on the side, shabu shabu-style. While we’d skip the bò kho (beef stew), combination rice plates and bò lúc lac (shaking beef), the light, fragrant broth here is easily one of the best bowls of pho in town. The roomier dining room in Alhambra offers a more extensive menu with dishes like com gà ro ti (Cornish hen with red rice) and a later closing time (9pm), but the more centrally located Chinatown outpost still offers a separate steel bowl of broth to swish your slices of meat in. Dutiful renditions of appetizers round out your meal at either location, including the harder-to-find nem nuong cuon (pork sausage summer rolls).

In our honest experience, most restaurants offering 50/50 Asian menus tend to falter at one or another, but that’s far from the case at Golden Delight, a sleekly designed eatery in Rosemead that fills up early thanks to a deftly executed mix of Vietnamese and Chinese dishes—particularly the unconventional hot stone pho. The broth stays warm for what feels like hours in the stone bowl, and the clean-tasting broth is one of the most light, flavorful versions we've tried in the SGV.

If you know, you know: This nondescript restaurant at the edge of Chinatown is home to some of L.A.'s best pho. With a deep, almost funkily beefy taste, Pho 87’s delicious namesake has drawn hungover Angelenos from near and far on late weekend mornings, but even the stone-cold sober will appreciate the affordable, steaming hot bowls of noodle soup. The family-run shop also offers a solid array of khai vi and combination plates with your choice of rice, vermicelli or banh hoi, but the reason to come to this lonely and desolate stretch of North Broadway is the pho.

This tiny old-school establishment inside Chinatown's Far East Plaza might only be open during the day, but the zippy, clean-tasting bowls of steaming hot pho, banh mi and other well-executed budget-friendly dishes all make a morning or afternoon visit here worth the time and planning. One of the most centrally located spots on this list, Thien Huong is the rare restaurant where everything—and we mean everything—is solidly delicious, but the modest bowls of pho in particular keep us coming back. Note: This place fills up quickly on the weekends, so head here early or you’ll have to wait for a table.

The undisputed pho king of the greater San Fernando Valley (with a stray location in the South Bay), this neighborhood Vietnamese restaurant offers the 818’s best beef noodle soup. Transparent slices of onion, strips of beef brisket and glistening cubes of beef tendon mark Pho So 1’s delicious, murky broth with notes of charred onion and cloves. The meal is completed by a plate of garnishes that catches the light like an herbaceous still life, if you sit by the window at the right time of day.

This family-run pho shop with locations in Little Tokyo, Gardena and Alhambra offers a deceptively simple menu that packs flavor into excellent versions of Vietnam’s greatest culinary hits. While you’ll find matriarch Lani Nguyen steaming up made-to-order artisanal mooncakes and a few more creative dishes at the newest location in Alhambra, both Downtown and South Bay locations offer impeccably made broth simmered for 16 hours, as well as a bountiful cold-cut banh mi served with a side of the same delicious pho for dipping. Pho Ever’s approachable take on bun bo hue, tasty combination plates and cafe sua da (condensed milk coffee) are also worth an order—if you can tear yourself away from slurping up their delicious, flavorful bowls of pho.

Originally from Ventura, this newer restaurant serves the best bowl of pho in Koreatown, and thus most of Central L.A. Each batch of soup is made with Wagyu beef and simmered for 12 hours, and unlike most of the watery, one-note soups you’ll find in the neighborhood, Pho Gyu offers a complex blend of aromatics in each sip. For those in the mood for spice, there’s a house special spicy pho, plus chicken, veggie and shrimp pho varieties, but the main draw here is still the beef version. The cheapest option includes lean brisket, but you can also jazz up your bowl with Wagyu beef slices, beef belly or bone-in beef ribs for a few dollars more. Help yourself to toppings at the self-serve station by the cashier after you order and enjoy.

Run by a pair of siblings, this mini pho empire stretches from Northeast L.A. all the way to the Westside—and there's a perfectly good reason for it: a crowd-pleasing, milder pho with springy noodles, high-quality beef and plenty of bean sprouts and herbs. Stop by Sage Blossom (the Chinatown location) for the largest menu, but even the more pared down offerings in Santa Monica, Atwater Village and Venice will satisfy those in search of a decent bowl of pho. Food aside, the stylish interiors and friendly staff also set Blossom apart from the rest of the pack—the presence of some semblance of hospitality, in truth, actually makes a huge difference.

Since 2003, this strip mall restaurant has quietly kept the South Bay fed on the kind of breadth of high-quality Vietnamese cuisine that wouldn't be out of place in OC's Little Saigon. You'll find a deeply satisfying beef pho here—one that doesn’t need to be tricked out with hoisin sauce and Sriracha to give it life. An expanded outdoor seating area and remodeled dining room have given Saigon Dish a more polished look and feel, but the brisk, no-frills service and weekday crowds showcase the fact that this busy spot in Lawndale hasn’t lost touch with its neighborhood roots.

Despite its Italian-sounding signage, this no-frills Vietnamese café serves a solid pho tai (thinly sliced rare beef) that nails all the clean flavors of the beef broth and its fresh, fragrant accessories. The chicken pho is equally delicious, especially when topped with cilantro and thinly sliced white onions—the perfect thing to order on DoorDash whenever you're feeling sick. The end result? An excellent takeout Vietnamese lunch that's a cut above most of L.A.'s more modern Vietnamese restaurants.

Since 2018, this bright, airy strip mall eatery along Lincoln Boulevard has delighted Marina del Rey and Venice residents with a rich, dark brown pho with strong notes of anise, cloves and cardamom. Simmered for 72 hours (versus just 12 to 16 at other spots), Camp Pho's namesake soup showcases the deeper, funkier but no less delicious side of Vietnam’s national dish. A handful of vegan-friendly items, including two kinds of plant-based pho, help round out the menu selection—and the all-around delicious offerings means Camp Pho easily ranks among the top pho options on the Westside.

Located in the heart of Cambodia Town, this longtime corner shop serves the best pho in Long Beach. The deep brown, richly flavored beef broth is the ideal backdrop for your choice of beef cuts, chicken or shrimp. Better yet, it comes in three size options, so you can downsize if you’re looking for a light meal or upgrade when you’re particularly hungry. Run by a Chinese-Cambodian family, Pho Hong Phat also serves Hainan chicken rice and Phnom Penh noodle soup, a delicate, pork-based broth served with shrimp, crushed peanuts and thinly sliced pork. On your way out, order some sesame bread and Chinese doughnuts for the road.

We searched far and wide among Koreatown’s many strip mall pho joints for the area’s best Vietnamese noodle soup, but very few come close to Khanh and Helen Tan’s pho shop hidden along a busy commercial stretch of Western Avenue. Though consistency and excellence aren’t words we’d necessarily apply to every dish, Tan’s above-average pho stands out from the crowd with a beautiful, deeply aromatic broth and high-quality toppings. Unlike other minimalist pho shops in the neighborhood, Ktown Pho doesn’t skimp on garnishes—which makes it easy to sit a spell and enjoy your bowl of pho in the roomy seating area.

This noodle shop with locations in Atwater Village and Santa Monica offers a pricier, but decent bowl of pho for those in the neighborhood. Flat, soft rice noodles and the usual accompaniments make for a hearty, comforting bowl of the Vietnamese soup—and while the broth on its own wouldn't exactly win any awards, the sleeker dining room, relative convenience for locals and vegan options make this one of the better pho destinations in both Northeast L.A. and the Westside.

With one location along Sawtelle, another on La Brea and a soon to open location in downtown Culver City, this modern Vietnamese shop gets the job done with a serviceable, familiar pho that nourishes with a singular, beefy purity and flat rice noodles. High-quality cuts of meat and plenty of garnishes round out this solid pho destination, which also offers vegetarian broth topped with tofu and organic oyster mushrooms.