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Ninh Kieu
Category: Restaurants Vietnamese Vietnamese [Edit]
3116 Parkview LnHarrisburg, PA 17111
(717) 565-8095
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
25 reviews for Ninh Kieu
Review Highlights
"2003 - 2004 Pho Pasteur (moved to new loc."
(in 22 reviews)
"Go here and check out the new menu, its very nice."
(in 5 reviews)
"I always get the iced coffee too."
(in 3 reviews)
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25 reviews in English
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Review from Charles R.
Goleta, CA
8/24/2011
This is the best Vietnamese food I've ever had. To be fair, I haven't had a lot, but the vermicelli was excellent, and I liked the laid back atmosphere. Minus 1 star because when I went they were out of a few things.
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Review from bampf S.
Mechanicsburg, PA
8/1/2011
Very good Vietnamese food. This place is quickly becoming my go-to lunch destination in Harrisburg. I ve never had a bad menu item and we try to branch out as much as possible. The bun are great, the pho is very good. The spring rolls are good (though I prefer a thicker hoisin based peanut sauce and cilantro over the mint they often use).
There are significant language barriers, but I have never had a problem communicating what I wanted to the waitresses or owner (who seems to be there every single time we are there, no matter the time or day).
This place compares favorably with Rose's on the other end of town. The only Vietnamese in the midstate that tops Ninh Kieu would be Rice and Noodle in Lancaster (which is phenomenal). -
Review from Robin K.
Mechanicsburg, PA
8/11/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I love this place! Best Pho Ga in the area. They have a nice variety of chicken and vegetarian dishes and always willing to substitute.
I grew up eating vietnamese food and when my mom recommends a place...I go!! Closest I can get to my mom's awesome cooking in this area without going to her house!! -
Review from Kate O.
University Park, PA
5/5/2011
I really liked this place! My friend & I found it by chance after finding out that my first choice for Vietnamese food in the area (Rose's) was closed on Sundays.
Despite its outside appearance and the 3 TVs all simultaneously playing different shows with the sound on, I thought it to be awkwardly charming.
We were given a hot towel for our hands before our meal and the pho was very good. Unlike Rose's they have tripe & tendon to go in the house special pho.
Try it out, I think you'll be impressed! -
Review from Tim H.
10/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
The pho here is tasty. The decor is less desirable but that didn't really bother me since I was there for the pho. I tried the summer and spring rolls. Pretty decent. The only complaint I would have is that the platters don't come with much for the price. In my opinion, if you are looking for just pho then this is the spot but if you are in the mood for a platter, then be warned that it's not much food.
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Review from June L.
Austin, TX
10/10/2011
Soup was decent, not from powder, so that's a plus, minus 1 star for not having basil, minus another star for not having culantro.....(ngo gay) and the lime they give you is so small, didn't give small dish for the dipping of the beef and the beef balls......
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Review from Neal Q.
Boiling Springs, PA
9/13/2011
Horrible customer service. They always get the order wrong & are very rude when you try to correct it. Their beef Pho is $2.00 $3.00 than others in the area. During my last take out visit, their bank card machine was broken. When I asked the owner why he didn't tell my wife when she placed the order, he said she should of asked (This is after my wife called me upset because the owner was so rude to her on the phone). He followed this up by asking me and the customer behind me to drive to an ATM & come back. All the while it is pouring down rain. I finally got home with the $18.00 bowls of Pho & they were ice cold. Do not eat here. This is/was my last time ever going here.
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Review from Steve P.
10/4/2010 1 Check-in Here
Brought the wife in for a Sunday lunch. I initially wanted to get her to Roses', however they were closed. The place was a little busy with various groups of people watching the game and eating food and the atmosphere was pleasant enough. An elderly gentleman offered us any table we wanted and then treated us to a hot towel for our hands. The menu presented before us was very understandable with everything pictured and labeled to avoid confusion. We needed some time to digest all the information so we ordered drinks and some egg rolls. That gave us the time needed to decide on 2 noodle bowls, me, shredded pork, bbq pork, and egg rolls. Her, bbq pork, bbq chicken, egg rolls.
The server came with our appetizers and then we put the order in. My wife explained she was going to create her own bowl, and using the menu as a guide, pointed to exactly what she wanted. I was keeping it simple and just ordering #18 directly off the list. He jotted some things down and trotted into the back. Meanwhile we ate our rolls which are good, the best part of the meal by far I would say. After a few minutes a waitress brought 2 bowls of food and set them in front of us, we knew immediately that the plates were incorrect. Mainly because we didn't order Pho, and that's what both bowls contained. We informed the server who was different than the gentleman taking our orders that this was incorrect and pointed towards the menu exactly what we had ordered. She apologized for the error and went into the back again.
After a few minutes she returned with two noodle bowls. I would like to say these looked correct, however they looked sickly. I don't know if they were low on meat, or maybe just decided to flub the pictures they took of their dishes. Whatever the case may be, for 7.95 I was expecting a lot more than a lot of lettuce, a few slices of cucumber, some mint leaves, noodles, and a few strands of pork. My wifes chicken was burnt to a crisp and there was barely any of it on top. As far as the BBQ Pork went, it was 1 pork ball that was cut into 1/4's. Seriously? Wow. I've seen more meat in the poverty stricken streets of India. I completely regret not taking a picture of it so I could imprint on the viewer the difference between reality, and fantasy. None too thrilled my wife was with her first visit. But like I said, the egg rolls were great. -
Review from Rick K.
Schuylkill Haven, PA
6/27/2010 13 Check-ins Here
Have been here many times now and haven't been disappointed yet. The Pho is excellent, as are the spring rolls. Ingredients are fresh. I like the laid back atmosphere. Employees are friendly.
I highly recommend this location. -
Review from Carole R.
Harrisburg, PA
4/8/2011 3 photos
Good place to go for Pho. The owner said if the food is not good, DON'T pay. But too bad the food is pretty good. Portion are OK. You can also do party there. No need reservation. The menu is excellent, there're pictures on it, so it help you to see what food look like. They also ope pretty early like 9 AM. Definitely will come back for more.
Listed in: Good for Groups
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Review from brian r.
Harrisburg, PA
Updated - 6/11/2010
Been a number of times recently and I have to say the quality of the food here has definitely increased, heck I'm bumpin it to 4 stars!
I've been pleased with the pho and the bun are all very tasty indeed. If you haven't been in a while it's time to stop back in and give it another go!Listed in: Pho Fever!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/2/2008
Many names, but nothing really changes about the place. I'd say average in the way of price,… Read more »
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Review from Hannah N.
Salt Lake City, UT
3/27/2010
I actually love this place, horrible service and all.
The pho is just that delicious. I've been here maybe 20+ times, and it is definitely my go-to place when I am craving pho. Take out is possible, even for the pho, so if you have someone sick at home craving pho this is the place to be. Additionally, I've tried their ban mi sandwiches, vermicelli dishes, rice dishes, and duck stew. All were really good. I always get the iced coffee too.
The pricing is more than reasonable for good pho in the middle of central PA.
The owner a great and generous guy, he volunteers free pho to the homeless every week or so. He is a much better server than the lady - he just seems much happier. They also have a few interesting deals - free pho for A students, 1 cent phos at certain times on Wednesday if you are unemployed. I am also embarrassed to admit I've left my credit card here once, and it was returned to me unharmed by the great owner dude a couple weeks later when I visited here again.
The server lady is always a little slow at getting to your table and brusque when receiving orders, but she is not intentionally rude. I know that the service may put some people off, but these things are a little expected from authentic Asian restaurants. Sometimes the orders take a lot longer than you expect - especially if you have a big party. Surprisingly, none of these really detract anything for me because I enjoy the food that much.
It's not a fancy place you'd take a first date (especially if you have nothing to talk about), but a great place to go to with friends, a significant other you've been dating for a while, and family members. It is that delicious. I've taken my sister and many a friend here, and everyone enjoyed it immensely. Just don't expect fanciness and you'll be more than satisfied.
P.S. If you like intense and sweet coffee, vietnamese ice coffee is always truly amazing. They use Cafe Du Monde beans (which is a) from New Orleans, and b) has chicory in it) and sweetened condensed milk.
*EDIT* If you have a big party, try to sit in small separate tables. The past few times I've been there with 8+ people, it took around 40 minutes to an hour to get our food. For some reason, I've come to the conclusion that smaller parties get their food served faster since tables of two that came in 20 minutes later than us would get their food first even if it seemed they had ordered the same stuff we did. -
Review from Jeff S.
Lemoyne, PA
5/13/2009 2 photos
I am so hooked on Pho. Admittedly, I've only had it at a few places, and wouldn't know authentic Pho from a hole in the ground, but the soup at Ninh Kieu was definitely to my liking - full of ingredients and covered in a tasty broth. The spring rolls were also delicious, freshly made and served hot.
I'm giving 3 stars for the atmosphere, which is not bad, but not fancy by a long shot. Ninh Kieu is not a place for a first date, where you're looking to impress your dining companion. It would be, however, a great place for a well-established couple or even a family to dine. (I think even picky children would like Pho.) The bottle of Hoisin sauce at my table was all sticky and there was a television playing the nightly news above the counter.
The service was ok. My food came out quickly, but my water glass sat empty for my entire meal. I had to go up to the counter to get my check. The server's accent was very thick, which made ordering difficult, but she was pleasant in the highest degree.
I think this would be a great place for lunch as it is inexpensive, delicious, unusual and quick. -
Review from David R.
Harrisburg, PA
10/9/2009
Go here and check out the new menu, its very nice!
The new menu deserves 5 stars: Its brand new, has clear pictures, descriptions, options, and prices. It would be great if the owner uploaded it to the internet on Myspace or Facebook for all to see.
The service was never terrible for me and I've been going for close to a year... it's just a busy restaurant at lunch time. I go for lunch with coworkers quite often. We go at 12:00-12:30 on Wednesdays or Thursdays and its usually packed. There is one waitress to serve all the tables, so service is usually a little slow. I usually decide what I want before I get there and get my order in as soon as I sit down - just to get served and back to work within my lunch hour.
I've tried quite a few dishes here (lots of pho bowls, vermicelli, friedrice, tofu) and every single one was great. They also have pretty good viet style hoagies (banh mi), we usually get one and split if between a few people to go with the pho.
Ive eaten at most of the viet restaurants in Harrisburg and this one is my favorite. -
Review from Lisa A.
Harrisburg, PA
4/23/2009
Yay! We found our Pho place! John, the owner, is very friendly and chatty when he has time. He said he tried all the Vietnamese restaurants in the area but wasn't satisfied with the taste. So he opened Ninh Kieu.
He's from Virginia (like us) and knows how Pho is supposed to taste! We tried the original Pho 75 in Virginia, long long long ago before Pho places started multiplying. Ninh Kieu tastes like that - original!
Side note: If your child is a straight A student, bring in their report card - they will receive a free meal there! -
Review from David M.
New Cumberland, PA
1/17/2011 3 Check-ins Here
An excellent choice for authentic Vietnamese food. The noodle soups are wonderful.
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Review from Asia B.
Alexandria, VA
1/15/2010
Wow! Who knew you could get good Pho in Harrisburg?
Tried this today, and it was delicious. Also tried the cold shrimp spring rolls, which were also good. Also recommend their spicy noodle soup for something a little different. -
Review from Alexis M.
Harrisburg, PA
6/2/2009
I love this place. As some other reviewers have mentioned, the atmosphere is not anything to write home about, but that is in-keeping with the spirit of pho restaurants. The idea is not to sup in opulence, but to very casually enjoy slurping up noodles and piping hot broth as quickly as possible to enjoy the soup while it's still fresh and hot. If I expect to have broth running down my chin and falling onto my shirt, I don't need atmosphere.
The menu is limited, but the owner is working on a new menu, and all you have to do is ask and he will bring you something new to try that is not on the menu. In fact, sometimes you don't even have to ask - sometimes he will ask if you want to try something new when you order. The broth for the pho is wonderful and, unlike a lot of pho places in this area, the noodles are not all clumped together. Also unlike a lot of pho places in this area, the spring roll wrappers aren't crusty and dried in spots - in other words, the spring rolls taste like they were made when they were ordered.
This place is cheap and it's very good. If you are looking for atmosphere and an extensive menu, go elsewhere. If you are looking to slurp up some great pho and killer vermicelli, give it a try. -
Review from J R.
Harrisburg, PA
5/25/2009
Very limited menu. This is the most disappointhing thing about this place...the menu. Not much too choose from. Food is good but wish there were more of of to choose from. Very good Pho.. I asked a few times about what is not on the menu and got the impression he did not want to make anything that was not listed. I tried describing some basic noodle dishes I get at the other places and John was not sure of what I was talking about. Expand your menu and I will go more often... The PHO is very good and the egg rolls are good as well but the main entree's that I end up with were were just ok. I am changing my rating to a 3 star since the PHO was very good.
Well I went back here since they have a new menu but I still can never find what I would get at Roses or Little Saigon. I explained to John what I am looking for and he seems to understand but whatever the chef ends up making is nothing close to what I was wanting so still disappointed in the new menu. Roses and Little Saigon still my favorite. -
Review from Steve G.
Mechanicsburg, PA
A neat little hole in the wall kind of place. Nothing fancy, but the food is decent. I had a couple of spring rolls and a large bowl of pho, and my total was a smidge over ten bucks.
The menu looks to have quite a bit on it. It's confusing for the first timer here, though. There are many different kinds of spring rolls, but if you just say "spring rolls," I think they give you the default version (fresh wrapper with shrimp).
I ordered the beef brisket pho, which has a nice flavor. The beef had a little too much fat, though...but that was a rather minor issue. Again, the menu showed a lot of different stuff I wasn't familiar with. But I was there for pho, so I didn't look at too much other stuff.
The service was decent. The waitress (the only person working in the place, other than the cook) handed out hot washcloths before taking orders, which was something I didn't expect. Food was delivered promptly and efficiently. -
Review from Dan R.
9/28/2007 9 photos
this is pretty decent, they have a basic menu with only a few items. parking was always a pain in the butt. you had to park kinda slanted and they didnt have great direction signs. this is a great place to go and eat if you didnt know what you wanted to get.
they have the typical vietnamese music and video playing when you walk in that just loops over and over and over, i swear if you tried to learn the language this might be a good place to start. khamang! haha. they have basic pho soup, large or small with some standard rice dishes. pork, beef and shredded pork. i kind of like it because the one dish was 8.50 (far more expensive that a typical vietnamese rest) but it included beef, rice, mini-salad and crispy spring rolls. the food's pretty good quality.
formerly:
2003 - 2004 Pho Pasteur (moved to new loc.)
2005 Pho Vietnam (closed by dept of health)
2006 Pho Van Hoc (closed after like 2 months)
2006 - 2008 Ninh Kieu (still open)
~~~~~UPDATE 6-05-08~~~~~~~~~~
This place is still going strong, it is a little house at the corner of Paxton and Parkview Ln, near the Rent a Center, South Philly Hoagies & Underdog's. The food is as good as ever! I originally spelled their name wrong in my review last september, so now im correcting it. as of summer 2009 they have a new picture menu and more food to choose from.Listed in: Harrisburg = Delecious!
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Review from Susie M.
Harrisburg, PA
6/10/2010
I first stopped in to Ninh Kieu my first week in Hburg, and I was hooked. Mr Pham's pho is fantastic- always intensely flavorful and packed with goodies. His Bun Bo Hue is, in my estimation, among the world's great soups. I have eaten it in winter for days in a row and never tire of it. New to Vietnamese food? You can be intrepid at Ninh Kieu- if you find you don't like what you ordered, Mr Pham will take it away and replace it with another dish. grilled chicken spring rolls, cha gio, and the fried rice are also stand-outs on an illustrated menu full of wonderful choices. Ever one of my favorite lunch spots, and a great place to take friends for something a bit different.
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Review from Leo M.
New York, NY
6/14/2010
Seldom does a restaurant need a food/service ranking system as badly as Ninh Kieu.
Pho and Summer rolls - 5*s...easily. I've sampled Pho in Hawaii, California, NYC, etc. and Ninh Kieu ranks up there with the best. (Though I do note that the #1 includes meatballs which taste out of place).
Service - 2. When the summer rolls came we ordered refills of lemonade - which never arrived. And then we sat...and sat...and sat... People came, people left, and the pho simply took FOREVER to be served. When it came and we unwrapped our setups we discovered some of them were missing spoons. We went up to get more and we given nasty looks by the waitress...as if we were going to 'steal' all the good spoons. There was also no way to get more water - unfortunate when slurping salty soup. There were a couple of periods of 10-15 minutes where there simply was no staff in the dining room. And in the end, finding someone to pay a problem.
Overall - The owner seems to be an incredibly nice man and a very good cook who simply doesn't know how to run a restaurant. So please come and keep him in business - just don't try to eat during lunch or dinner.
Note to owner: I can understand that you may feel that you can't afford more wait staff. If so, please just accept that fact and switch to a semi-service style restaurant. I've been perfectly happy eating pho in places where the eating utensils, soup condiments, and beverages are out where the customers can serve themselves. Then you can focus on sending out steaming hot bowls of perfection. -
Review from Amy G.
Hampden, PA
Updated - 1/24/2010
I'm done. Service stinks. This time there were four things wrong with the order. Hubby and I ordered HOT coffee. After the last visit where the server brought the hubby iced coffee when he requested hot coffee we went out of our way this time to make sure the server understood that we BOTH wanted HOT coffee. She brought out two iced coffees and she left so fast we couldn't get her attention. She didn't come back for a while and we couldn't find any other workers so we went ahead and drank it because we were thirsty.
One of the items we ordered wasn't even brought to the table. My son had nothing to eat. You'd think that when they bring out the dishes and realize there is nothing for one of the people at the table . . . geeze. We finally asked for an extra bowl and hubby shared his sandwich with the boy.
My soup had almost no meat in it (left there starving). It was also missing one of the key ingredients. I checked the menu to make sure I had the right thing. I think it was correct . . . just incomplete. The duck in the soup was so insignificant it was mostly lost in the noodles. It was about $9 for a bowl of broth, noodles, and fried onion bits with a few slices of almost flavorless duck. There couldn't have been even 1/8 cup of duck slices. The duck also had the skin on it (not a problem except the skin was rubbery and "gucky"). I ordered the large so I could share some with my daughter . . . she was happy until she ate what was the largest piece of duck in the bowl. I think it was a gray piece of duck liver. I'm not sure. It was some type of organ, but by the time I saw her put it into her mouth she was already cringing and spitting it out. (Duck liver was not on the ingredient list.)
Food still tasted pretty good . . . but the incorrect orders, dishes with key ingredients missing, and lack of protein make me put this restaurant on my "once in a blue moon" and "rarely if ever again" lists.
Note to the owners: When you are serving a simple dish with only a few key ingredients . . . if you are out of one of the key ingredients (particularly if it is one of the expensive ingredients in the dish) you should inform the patron and ask if they would like something different or offer to substitute something. You shouldn't serve the dish and then disappear . . . are you hoping we won't notice and will be happy to pay the same price for something we wouldn't order without that ingredient?
I'm not heartless, I recognize that the server might have limited English skills . . . still, when two patrons at the same table BOTH order HOT coffee and even point to the picture to make it clear . . . there are no excuses.2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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9/27/2009
Just ate here yesterday. Totally new menu. Grilled quail, design your own pho, etc. Prices also went… Read more »
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Review from Art C.
Harrisburg, PA
6/17/2009
I was not impressed at all. Rose's is much better.
