With the temperature drops in Florida, you might just think we're experiencing a proper “winter.” If you're anything like me, your go-to is a nice hot bowl of delicious soup to warm your insides! While you can get soup almost anywhere, there are some great places to enjoy a hot bowl of Pho in Tampa.
What is Pho, you ask? Well, let us tell you, it's one of our favorite soups! Pho is a Vietnamese soup traditionally featuring a delicious, aromatic broth (typically a beef bone broth) with rice noodles, herbs, and raw, thinly sliced beef.
<div id="c3be0912bb716eee4ca644c1dfc4ecde4"></div>Most Pho restaurants will serve bean sprouts, basil, lime, and Jalapeños on the side, along with hoisin and sriracha sauce that you can add to taste. Don't worry, the raw beef is sliced so thinly that it cooks when the hot broth is poured over the top.
Now that we've given you the run down on Pho, without further ado, here are some great Tampa Pho spots!
Best Spots for Pho in Tampa
Pho 813
- Location: 3701 Henderson Blvd., Tampa
This is one of my personal favorite spots to get Pho in Tampa. Pho 813 has a fantastically rich broth that isn't oily or fatty. Their Steak Pho is delicious with some fat in the cuts to add extra flavor. Usually, the steak in Pho is very lean, but I personally enjoy this fattier steak since it adds another layer of flavor. Pho 813 also uses red onion instead of white onion, which helps add to the flavor depth.
Pho 813 is open for lunch and has a brief closure before their dinner service, so be sure to take this into account when making your plans!
Viet Haus Taste of Saigon
- Location: 1000 W Waters Ave. #6, Tampa
The Pho at Viet Haus Taste of Saigon is known for it's great flavored broth without being oily
Gao Restaurant
- Location: 8405 N Himes Ave. #105, Tampa
What's different about Gao Restaurant is your option to select which type of pho noodles you would like in your soup. Guests can choose between the fresh flat noodle or the dry and thin rice stick noodle. The default option is the fresh flat noodle, so be sure to tell your server if you would like to change.
Pho Huong Vietnamese Cuisine
- Location: 4034 W Waters Ave., Tampa
Pho Huong is a newer restaurant that offers great Pho and delicious Spring Rolls. While many Vietnamese restaurants offer the traditional Bahn Mi sandwiches, Pho Huong does not offer them on the menu.
Bamboozle Heights
- Location: 7107 N Florida Ave., Tampa, and 109 N 12th St., Tampa
Bamboozle Heights is an iconic Vietnamese spot in Tampa featuring delicious Beef Pho, Oxtail Pho, Duck Pho, and more. They also have a few Vegan and gluten-free options on the menu, so you can still enjoy a great bowl of Pho! Their Bamboozle Fresh Rolls are also a delicious option for an appetizer.
Doodle Noodle Bar
- Location: 1202 E Fowler Ave., Tampa, and 9620 W Linebaugh Ave., Tampa
This is Tampa's quirkiest Pho spot, and once you step inside, you'll understand why. The entire restaurant looks like doodles straight off of black-and-white comic book pages! We had their Steak Pho, which came with a lot of broth and thicker-than-usual cuts of steak.
Doodle Noodle Bar also allows you to select which toppings you want on your Pho; they don't automatically add all the toppings if there is something you would prefer to leave out. This is also the only Pho restaurant I've ever seen to have a drive-thru!
Saigon Deli
- Location: 3858 W Waters Ave., Tampa
Saigon Deli is an ultra laid-back place to get Pho in Tampa, and it very much gives the “family recipe handed down through generations” vibes. Aside from Pho, they also offer Báhn Mì Sandwiches, fried rice, and a handful of other soup options.
Tada's Kitchen
- Location: 11237 Causeway Blvd., Brandon
Tada's Kitchen is another great spot for rich and delicious Pho in Tampa, and they also offer some of their own specialty soups like Spicy Beef Noodle Soup, Vietnamese Pork Noodle Soup, and a few others.
The Glass Noodle
- Location: 681 Central Ave., St. Pete
This is also another one of my personal favorite spots to get Pho in St. Pete. The broth is perfectly rich without being fatty or oily, and the noodles are always cooked to perfection, so they don't overcook while sitting in your broth.
I also love eating at this spot because the roll-up doors let in some great fresh air!
With so many great spots for Pho in the Tampa Bay Area, you'll be able to ward off the cold weather no problem!
Still too cold? Check out some awesome locations in Tampa Bay for tea service! You can also find some great indoor date ideas for rainy or cold days here.