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Pho So 1 Boston
Rating Details »
Category: Vietnamese [Edit]
Neighborhood: Dorchester223 Adams St
(between Arcadia St & Dorchester Ave)
Dorchester, MA 02122
(617) 474-1999
- Nearest Transit:
-
Fields Corner (Red)
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good for:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
19 reviews for Pho So 1 Boston
When it comes to Vietnamese food in the Boston area, this is the 5 star place. I've tried a variety of their dishes and have been impressed by everything on the menu. The pho is good, so it the vermicelli with pork, spring rolls, even their smoothies are good.
Parking in the back near the playground seems to be the best way to park.
The atmosphere is just a classic hole in the wall. Also, great prices!
My girlfriend LOVES this place. I think it's so-so, although I add that what matters is there.
Their pho is excellent, I won't lie there and so are their vermicelli dishes.
Their shakes/smoothies are terrible, by the way. They need to fix how they cook their tapioca balls because it completely destroys the flavor of the shake itself. :-(
no question about it, the BEST pho in boston. the best in the metro area is actually their Randolph location, across from Randolph High School in the Shaw's mall; but that's b/c of owner Tammy's special attention and fondness for all regular customers. Pho So 1 Dot is a no frills place that will satiate your hunger, warm you up better than any chicken noodle soup+micro fiber blanket could, and won't break the bank. at $7.75 for an XL bowl of pho, and 2.50 for an avocado smoothie (no pearls) i have to loosen my belt before i leave the table, and walk out happier than a family of flies in a factory of dung.
though the staff may not always speak the best english, or even passable english, they're always friendly, and happy to help. they add vegetables to our orders for no extra charge, and my g/f gets free tofu upon request in her vegetarian pho.
the pho is so good here, i've never even tried another dish - so i can't rate how they stack up against other spots in rice+dry noodle categories.
I grew up eating my Pho in Little Saigon Westminister CA. And I was getting ready to totally give up on East Coast Pho. Chinatown Pho sucks so bad. The places in Chinatown cater to naive white college kids and their twinky friends. This place is where it's at. They lose one star for service and atmosphere, but the food is pretty good. Not as perfect as Pho Kimmy in California, but an acceptable substitute for the time being.
With a dingy interior and lackluster pho, Pho So 1 doesn't stand up against the competition on the pho corridor of Dot Ave.
We liked the grilled pork over rice and the spring rolls were good, packed with some of that grilled meat and shrimp. But the pho broth was oily and bland. Go up the street to Pho Hoa for a much better bowl.
Pho So 1, however, is the best place for Vietnamese boy band videos.
Six weeks from now I'll be scratching the walls like a catnip-crazed kitty and screaming for some Pho So 1 back in England where we have approximately zero Vietnamese restaurants. Sigh. However, here at Dorchester's Fields Corner Pho So 1 isn't even the second best in town. I'd place it third behind the neon-crazy Pho 2000 and the grandaddy supreme: Pho Hoa.
It ticks a lot of the right boxes for Pho at least - great soup, a good ceramic spoon, cheap prices, big portions and friendly staff. But the little things niggle... the decor is a bit bland, the room was cold, the family next to us smacked their child for crying (awk) and the fried chicken app was a bit lacklustre. But beyond those niggles there are two major fouls which is why Pho So 1 comes in third place in the Field's Corner Stakes:
* Pho came out warmish but got cold quickly
* Vegetables didn't appear to be very fresh
Still even with these faults, I'll be craving this Pho or any Pho in six weeks and will be stuck with nothing. And don't tell me to take a $70 Pho cooking class - I'd rather just buy a one-way ticket for Hana T to come cook for me.
Pho So 1 Boston serves excellent Vietnamese food in the Fields Corner section of Dorchester. The service is quick and the restaurant is clean.
The shrimp and pork spring rolls were huge and delicious, they might be the best ones I've ever had. Needless to say, the Pho is superb.
Pho is basically a hot soup served in a large bowl. It is made up of white rice noodles in a clear beef broth with onions and coriander leaves. With each bowl of Pho comes a side plate of bean sprouts, basil leaves, mint leaves and lime wedges for you to add if you choose. With this standard soup mixture you have your choice of meat or seafood. Some common choices include: slices of eye of round steak, beef tendon, beef brisket, tripe, seafood, or chicken. I like to add some brown hoisin sauce to the broth and I generally stay away from the fish sauce.
If you've never had Pho just try it once and you'll be hooked. If you're a fan then you already know what I'm talking about. In any event, try this place.
-Thanks Ryan L. for taking me here.
I come from an extremely "FOB-y" Viet family and let me tell you, this place does NOT live up to delicious, authentic Vietnamese food. (And for those of you who aren't in the know, FOB = Fresh Off the Boat.)
Last time I went, the Pho had very little flavor and they were very stingy the Tai beef & Bo Vien. Big disappointment, especially compared to my mom's pho.
Much is left to be desired of the decor and service is neither friendly nor helpful. But I didn't mind the rice entrees so much; I didn't mind the Com Suon Bi Cha (rice w/Viet-style steak and pork rinds).
Pho So 1 is definitely NOT my cup of tea. At all.
The broth at Pho So (Number) 1 isn't as rich and smooth as Pho Hoa, but that's because I am a Pho connoisseur. If you are a fan of the meat in pho, then this place will be your best friend. They give hearty portions of meat.
This is the second best pho restaurant in Boston. They are super friendly when you walk in and they serve you well, especially if you are non-vietnamese because they want you to come back.
ah, Pho So 1 Boston.... I have such a soft spot in my heart for this place. Used to live right down the street. On cold, snowy, winter days nothing would beat being able to walk down to this joint and feast for short money.
Pho quality: inconsistent, you never know what you're gonna get here. I've been dazzled by the best pho here as well as diffused by the worst.
Other food: they have like chickens feet and pig knuckle, standard Vietnamese fare. The menu is a trip. Very good spring rolls, avocado smoothies, great hot tea.
Atmosphere: This is where this place shines. It is culture shock walking in here, the smells are decidedly un-American, the Viet-pop blaring on the cd player skips every other track, theres about a 15% English language recognition factor going on, and usually cute young Vietnamese ladies serving your food (if you have a fetish for that sort of thing).
it has been said before (see: sunrise review) and i'll say it again: get yer pho in dorchester. otherwise, no pho.
i was a big fan of my neighborhood pho joint, sunrise, until one day my vietnamese co-worker said, "that place is lazy. their pho is not so good." oh? what's better?
a:
1-his wife's. but this takes days of preparation, and i am not invited.
2-his mom's, but i think he's just saying that.
3-pho so 1 boston!!
and he wasn't kidding. the pho is still big, even though it is a whole dollar more expensive than other pho joints in the area. (so, 7$.)
the beef-base pho is quite meaty and the broth is dense with thick cow-flesh extract. but with delicate and balanced spices (as with anywhere, add hot red paste, fish paste, and vietnamese basil to taste). the broth really elevates this above other places.
if you get tripe and tendons in your beef pho, and i do, they are very soft and not gummy, and the tripe doesn't taste or smell like acid.
the seafood pho is also quite good, with each component holding onto its unique fishy-ness, instead of melding together into sea-blah. and but the broth is also better than other joints' sea-pho.
i have also been here and gotten some super-fine special dish that they only have on saturdays, that is not on the menu, and requires that you have knowledge of vietnamese culture and language (i brought a friend) and it was extra special.
On my visit to Boston, my friends took me out to get a taste of Vietnamese food outside of CA. I was pleasantly impressed beyond belief with this place! I'm ridiculously picky on what "good" Pho is, but I enjoy even the most mediocre Pho because it's just that good in general. But this place is the 2nd best, if not the best Pho place I've been to in my life. The prices are great, the bowls are filled sufficiently with everything, and the broth is brewed to perfection. I don't know what else to say, just go here, it's top-notch!
my vietnamese friends like this place a lot. the food is authentic and tasty, the diners are mostly vietnamese and the interior decor is simple. but if you aren't used to MSG or can't eat it, make sure you ask if there's any in your food before you dig in like i did. i often have a little MSG in my food, but it wasn't close to the amount they drenched in my soup. i had the BIGGEST migraine in my life, which lasted for a good 3 hours. i gulped about 2 gallons of water and i rested my head on my desk until the pain slowly subsided. it truly was a horrible experience.
if they don't understand your english, make sure you ask someone to translate. the food is so not worth your system crashing down on you like that. MSG is EVIL.....
Pho So 1 is flat out da bizommb. I've had pho at many a place (Pho Woburn, Pho Pasteur, Pho Vietnam (when it was still around), Pho Tian Tian, Saigon(in brighton), Pho lemongrass, pho hoa, and little vietnam out in LA and this place makes a good bowl of pho. Prices are crazy cheap, portions are huge, and the taste is fantastic. Parking is decent as there's alot of street parking on Dorchester Ave. The rolls are excellent and huge as well. Big place that can fit alot of people. As I am not vietnamese, I can't truly say this is the best place but it's gotta be up there.
This place is delicious! I always went to Pho Hoa, which is like three blocks away, but now I think I will always come here. The service is godly compared to the Pho Hoa service in Dorchester. The pho broth tastes amazing, not much different from Pho Hoa. The only thing I don't like is that the brisket isn't fatty, but I don't really care much about that. The price is reasonable, and the setting is very amiable.
Also, the smoothies are delicious!
I love this place. The bun {vermicelli) with egg roll or grilled shrimp is the best. The fresh spring rolls are fab.
only good for pho nothing esle, not very fresh http://either.useta be real good but started slacking off maybe cuhs of bad business?
Excellent, authentic Vietnamese cuisine! I love coming back to the Boston area for holidays, particularly for the wicked Vietnamese in Dorchester (don't tell my folks, LOL!). I even dragged my Mom & Dad, who don't usually go for this sort of experience, and they loved it too. We had a duck salad appetizer, which was huge, had tons of duck slices over a crisp and flavorful salad. The salad would have been nice even on its own - loads of chopped cabbage, nuts, and a lemongrass dressing - and the duck was a nice touch as well. We also had their fresh rolls, which had ham and crispy noodles inside; I hadn't seen that before. Their bahn mi comes as a soupy stew, with bread on the side. You take the beef bits from the soup, dress the bread with the broth, and eat - it was zesty, tasty and unique. The pho was very special, chart topping stuff. Tons of fresh eye round, rich & savory broth (WAY better than that fake stuff in NY), just a joy to eat, and so fresh and clean. It's the kind of meal you can stuff yourself on, and still feel not-too-gross afterwards.
awesome vietnamese food!!
