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Pho Thy Thy
Categories: Restaurants Vietnamese Restaurants Vegetarian Vietnamese, Vegetarian [Edit]
4129 University Way NESeattle, WA 98105
Neighborhood: University District
(206) 632-4909
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- 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
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
94 reviews for Pho Thy Thy
Review Highlights
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"The cream puffs are always good, and cold which i love." In 13 reviews -
"All in all, a great spot on a cold day on the Ave." In 38 reviews -
"which gives the broth the yummy flavor." In 26 reviews
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94 reviews in English
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Review from Kittiya P.
Seattle, WA
Updated - 5/21/2012 1 photo
I needed some hot noodle soup after the nasty and rainy walk through the street fair. Pho was perfect. I order a small number 9, which was the noodle soup with round eye steak, brisket, and something. LOL I also asked for extra cilantro and onion, like usual. The food arrived in about 10 minutes or so. Added some lime juice and basil leaves. Had hoisin sauce and sriracha sauce - originally made in THAILAND by the way - mixed on the side for dipping. A perfect dinner on the nasty Seattle day.
Oh and I did get my cream puff this time. YUM!
On the side note...they printed out new menus. It's now pretty in pink. I'm pretty sure they've increased the price as well. It is now $5.45 for a small.Listed in: Best Asian Food or Drinks
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/9/2012
Pho Thy Thy is one of the two of my favorite places to go eat pho on the ave. I always get a small,… Read more »
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Review from Stacy Y.
Seattle, WA
4/17/2012 1 Check-in Here
I have been going to Than Brothers for over ten years now, and never went to any other pho restaurants in the U-district. I just happened to be in because Than Brothers was closed.
I was pretty amazed with how flavorful their soup is and a medium sized bowl came with lots of meat for only $6.25.
Don't expect too much from customer service, they will order, bring your food, and expect your to pay as soon as you finish the food. At least what I have always appreciate from pho is that you can be in and out in 30 minutes if you were a fast eater like me.
Do remember, there's an extra fee for take-out service because they charge for the containers. Overall, I will go back, and I'd love to hit that extra large bowl, which can easily feed two in the future. -
Review from Kevin W.
2/19/2012 3 photos
I remember this place being a very dark, dingy, dirty, crowded place back in my freshman year at UW. Owing to its proximity to campus, this place was always packed to the gills at lunchtime. I don't know what happened to this place within the three years since my last visit. When I came here for dinner recently, it was brighter, cleaner, and considerably emptier than I remember it being. They also had Whitney Houston playing loudly on the radio. Anyway, I decided to come back to this place because it's known for the large amounts of food you can get for cheap. And now, it's one of my favorite restaurants on the Ave!
My standard routine for pho restaurants is pretty much always the same. You'll always find me ordering the largest size bowl of whatever pho dish has the longest name. Longer name = more ingredients, usually. I don't know whether that's how the Vietnamese language works, that you string together nouns just by piling them up like that. In any case, it was the #15 extra large for $7.25 ($7.94 after tax) that I ordered. I was served water and the usual toppings for pho almost immediately. The wait for the pho took about five minutes, which I'd say is pretty good.
When the bowl came, I was impressed by its size. When they say extra large, they really mean it. It's actually not that much bigger than the other bowls, but the way it curves allows it to hold substantially more food. And it's also really heavy if you try to lift it. So for eight dollars, that is a lot of food. The unfortunate part about the food is that it's very thin. It's thin in three ways. The meat is sliced way too thin. The broth is also very thin, and there's not much color to it. And the food as a whole is very thin. There's one thin layer of noodles and meat on top of the soup, and that's that. In other words, the amount of food is kind of lacking. After finishing the noodles and meat, I had to slurp on the soup a little bit before I wasn't left hungry anymore. There's a lot of soup, so it's not likely for anyone to drink it all. But I think when you order extra large, you shouldn't have to use the soup to fill your stomach at all.
What's also lacking is the taste. The taste is not very strong. This might be due to them not adding MSG, so I won't count it against them. It does make the food less of a pleasure to eat, though. The nice part is that you do get a cream puff at the end! And for the price of the food, it's hard to find much wrong with this place. I didn't leave much of a tip because they never came to refill my water, and you have to walk up to the counter to pay. But otherwise, it's not a bad place to get a decent amount of food while shelling out less than ten dollars per person! -
Review from Samantha G.
Seattle, WA
2/13/2012 1 Check-in Here
Normally, I hit up Than Brothers next door for pho on the ave but my friend wanted to hit up this place. She said the pho and ambiance of this place was better than Than Brothers so why not?
We each ordered a bowl of a small beef pho (I believe I ordered the one with almost everything in it) and split some spring rolls and the complimentary cream puff. The pho was decent and the small was enough to satiate my hunger. I personally couldn't find anything negative with the spring rolls or cream puffs but they were pretty standard to other pho places.
I also ordered Vietnamese coffee and they delivered me the iced version. Whatever, it didn't really bother me but the coffee did hit the spot.
I have to note that while I was in the middle of drinking my coffee, one of the servers came up to our table and kicked us out since there were people waiting to eat. Oh and he placed a to-go cup so I can finish my coffee on my way out. My friend and I were stunned so out we go. Yeah we had a good laugh when we were outside but seriously, what kind of restaurant does that? BTW, we were in there for less than an hour.
Based on the experience I would have gave this a 2 star review, but the pho was decent and I don't want to be douche and give it a 1-2 star review based on experience alone. So technically, this is a 2.5-3 star review. -
Review from Linda L.
Seattle, WA
1/1/2012
This is my favorite pho place in the U District, mainly due to the fact that they have really good chili sauce as a condiment and because it's the closest one to both campus and to my house.
While I admittedly like the broth at Noodle Nation much better, you just can't beat getting a huge bowl of noodles for $4.75, so huge in fact that I rarely finish it.
For a very long time, I would receive my huge "small" size of pho, squeeze a generous portion of plum and chili sauce on it, and dig in. However, I've recently discovered that neglecting the lime wedges was a huge miscalculation on my part because just sipping the broth with a couple of squeezes of lime juice mixed in is amazing and in my opinion, the best part.
I normally order the meatball pho, but they're asian meatballs, and most people I know hate the chewy, tough texture with bits of gristle mixed in, but what can I say? I was raised in a household where eating fish heads and chicken feet was the norm. If not meatballs, I would definitely go with the vegetarian option because tofu cooks the best in soup. However, if you just need to have meat, the beef is okay too. Just don't order the chicken pho. While I personally like boiled chicken (i.e. plucking the feathers off a whole chicken and boiling it whole), they just place slices of chicken breast in the soup and it comes out pretty much inedible.
They also have really good drinks. The coconut juice and lemonade are very fresh, and the thai iced tea here is the cheapest in all the U District. -
Review from Tamar S.
Seattle, WA
1/30/2012
We received really terrible treatment here. My boyfriend and I went through a time when we were sharing a large size bowl of pho to cut down on cost (we're grad students). That was never a problem at Pho Than Brothers (just up the Ave a ways), but our first time at Pho Thy Thy, they moved us from a table to a counter in the back and proceeded to entirely ignore us. We were given our soup, but no water or dressings (seriously). It's almost comical in retrospect, but at the time it was seriously hurtful.
SO, long story short, make the short uphill trek to Pho Than Brothers. Better pho, infinitely better service. -
Review from Whitney B.
Seattle, WA
11/28/2011
I find that coming here is either a hit or a miss. Having recently moved to the U-District, I have been familiarizing myself with the Asian cuisine on the ave. My first time at Pho Thy Thy was better than my second time, but I credit the first time as better because I was sick as a dog and could not taste much. As long as I had a warm soup, I was good to go.
Wish I could say the same about the second time I went for dinner when it wasn't as busy as lunch time with all of us college kids. The second time I came here for dinner, I had a young waiter who could barely communicate with my boyfriend and me. I was all, "huh?" and the waiter was all, "huh?" the entire time. He arrived at our table in a total rush, as if doomsday was coming in the next minute or so. He asked if we were ready, and I'm like yes, I would like to order your small vegetarian pho. My boyfriend didn't get a chance to talk, and our waiter left our table assuming that I had ordered for the both of us. Strike one.
We fetch him back to let him know that I was only ordering for myself, and again, he's panting and hyperventilating as if he's going to pass out if he doesn't leave in the next second. My boyfriend orders his pho, and he splits from our table like a lightning bolt. My boyfriend and I look at each other not knowing whether or not he understood our order.
We get our pho, and I notice that my "vegetarian" pho consists of primarily tofu and canned mushrooms. Maybe it's something I missed because when you brand your establishment as a vegetarian, Vietnamese pho place, I just expected more vegetables to come with it. It's perhaps the stuck-up pho-loving side of me who just wants some damn greens in her pho, but oh well. The ave does cater to college students who want quantity over quality. The best part of this is that I received a medium bowl, even though I told him I wanted a small. Strike two.
My boyfriend's meatball pho consisted of two large meatballs cut into paper thin slices... but at least the size of his bowl was right. Strike three.
If you can forgive the miscommunication and the fact that the waiter hardly understands you and that the place doesn't seem very clean and that you are greeted by a very sad-looking Arowana, I would come back for the noodles. Maybe next time I will have just soup and spare myself the angst over subpar pho and service. -
Review from Madison L.
Seattle, WA
3/8/2012
It's good. Cleaner than most pho places on the ave and more spacious, too. My only complaint is that they don't really give you much meat in your soup. I usually order the specialty combo one that has all the different meats in it and usually I'm full from just a small for pho on the Ave but here, I'm left feeling like they didn't give me enough. Their cream puffs are okay, not a favorite of mine.
pro: good space
con: not enough meat and noodles compared to other places on the Ave -
Review from Ninette C.
Seattle, WA
11/4/2011
I came here for lunch a lot in college and still come now post- college. It's especially good for hangovers. heh.
I get the veggie pho here with the Vietnamese-style drip coffee. I think this place is pretty good and one of the better pho places on the Ave. The veggie broth is pretty typical...I didn't notice it to be more bland but then again I always get the vegetarian one. I also feel like the prices haven't risen as much compared to some other pho places. -
Review from Lisa N.
9/1/2011
I need to start this out by saying that you should never ask a Nguyen, Pham, Ngo, Le, Truong, Quach, [insert Vietnamese last name here] where the best pho is because their answer will likely be "in my mom's kitchen." That being said, sometimes you just need to get your fix when mom's not around to provide you with hot, clovey, anisey, beefy, brothy goodness.
I'm incredibly picky about what I consider even "decent" pho to taste like and I am absolutely not a fan of most pho joints in Seattle. Thy Thy, however, is on my list of "acceptable" pho places in general. Their broth is consistently complex enough to satisfy my tastebuds, they give you plenty of delicious pink meat to submerge in the broth, and a small is around $5 and plenty enough to fill you up. I'm not sure where the cream puff tradition came from (they do NOT give you cream puffs in Vietnam... or at Grandma's house), but Thy Thy gives you an excellent cream puff to accompany your pho. They also have non-beef options for those of you who are afraid of cow-borne encephalopathies: chicken and veggie and I think there's a separate tofu option, but don't quote me on that. There's something to be said about pho not being pho without the beef... but that's a completely different issue.
Thy Thy is easily my preferred pho venue on the Ave/in the greater UD/North of Downtown area. It's also a major bonus that it's at the southern part of the Ave so it will likely be less crowded than its upper Ave competitors.Listed in: University District Reviews
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Review from Clonal M.
Seattle, WA
11/23/2011
Problems: Not the cleanest place I have been in.
Ordered a bubble tea with tapioca balls and jelly. Way too sweet, and the tapioca balls were stale, in that they were kind of hard and cracking, not smooth and chewy like they should be. Did not try anything else, but avoid the bubble tea.
Positives: convenient area, nice fish tank. -
Review from Jenn C.
Seattle, WA
7/17/2011
I came here remember a friend telling me this is better pho than others on the ave, but sure, it might be better, but other more obvious pho places with cream puffs on the ave aren't all that great either, but here's my beef (heh, heh) with the place:
I'm a veg and my bf's not. They have a veg and a beef spring roll. Each order is 2 rolls and they are both the same price. You'd think it's easy enough to have one veggie and one beef, but no, you can't, can't be done, nope.
Ok fine. I understand some restaurants don't like substitutions, but what's with the skimpy ingredients? These skinny rolls only had lettuce, vermicelli and two slices of tofu. Where's the basil, the mint leaves, the sprouts? Where are the ingredients that makes it taste Vietnamese??
Next is our veggie side plate. Again, where are the basil leaves? And the soup base, ok, great, there's no msg. But it seems like there's nothing else in the soup base either? The veggie pho barely had taste in it, and really there could be more veggies than a few carrots, but my bf must've put a cup of hoisin sauce in his soup cuz he couldn't taste anything. C'mon guys, cooking without msg doesn't mean cooking blandly!
Also, I don't like a whiff of strong windex when I'm eating my pho. Thanks, but no thanks. -
Review from Kevin L.
5/8/2011
During lunch hour on weekdays, this place is jam packed with students and often, four random students will have to share the same table, kind of awkward, but efficient I guess.
The broth is alright, but I've had better. I would prefer a rice plate from there, but they only serve Pho. At the end of the meal, they give free dessert. Service is decent and they're quick. -
Review from Mindy W.
Seattle, WA
1/6/2011
This is a standard pho place just as good as any other standard pho place I've been too. I am only giving 1 star because I was treated very bad on my last (and final) visit.
I ordered a vegetarian tofu sandwich to-go while on a lunch break. When I got back to my work and sat down to eat it, it was a beef sandwich. I walked all the way back to exchange it and the woman behind the counter (an older woman) pointed a finger at me and argued that this is what I ordered and refused to fix it. Ummm, I've been vegetation for over 20 years, I think I would remember ordering a BEEF sandwich. Anyway, I just can't support people who treat customers so poorly - not okay. -
Review from Gumikoya R.
Issaquah, WA
3/20/2011
I love this place. My friend and I come here almost every Friday as a weekly tradition called "Pho'kd up Fridays". We've tried out a couple of pho places, but we've made Pho Thy Thy our 'regular' place.
Although there are plenty of pho places on the ave, Pho Thy Thy is conveniently located super close to campus, just in case you have a sudden pho-craving where you're allotted only 30 minutes or less between classes. Service is quick, and you get a free cream puff! -
Review from Ben C.
2/3/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Pho Thy Thy is our go to pho spot BUT only during lunch and normal dinner hours.
Lots of pho places on the ave, this one is convenient because it is at the beginning of the ave so a bit easier to find parking. The menu is simple, different versions of pho and a handful of appetizers. Food comes quick once it is ordered and the noodles and meat are usually pretty good. In the end you get your cream puff and you are on your way.
Now I've been there many times and I've had one bad experience and it was the food. It was so bad I couldn't finish my large pho. We went towards the end of the night so it was maybe 40 mins before they closed. Now I'm not 100% on how Pho is made but I believe the soup is being cooked all day and the noodles are prepared in advance and sit there waiting for the next customer. Everyone in our group of 5 people had really really really mushy noodles. Like the noodles were sitting ALL day and dumped into the soup and immediately sucked up all the soup and just turned into mush in your mouth.
This could be possible at other pho places as well BUT my recommendation stick to lunch and regular dinner hours. Don't go at the end of the night when they are closing. -
Review from Aaron S.
Honolulu, HI
10/12/2010 1 Check-in Here
"#9 large with extra meat!"
Pho Thy Thy has been a staple in my hangover diet for years! We call it the elixir of life!
The pho always comes out fast and and it's pretty cheap!
The egg noodle is also excellent, the beef broth is tasty and comes with char siu, shrimp, and squid (if my memory serves). But if you are here after a night of drinking, the pho takes the cake! When it's super salty and tasty it's the best!
A big upside is that this place takes credit cards, many of the other pho establishments on the ave don't, so if your wallet is empty after a night of bar hopping like how mine usually is, just whip out that credit card and charge it to your parents!
The only downside to this place is that the broth is sometimes hit or miss, it can be bland but good nonetheless! -
Review from Micah A.
7/17/2010 22 Check-ins Here
Ah, I love this place. They are quick, their tables aren't disgusting and unkempt, they're not too crowded and they have my order memorized (Pho Chay) so that I don't even have to order it anymore. The guy looks at me, nods, says "Same thing?" and goes and grabs it in minutes.
At this point, it's ridiculous to expect good service or friendly staff at any small, family owned Pho place, so if you go there expecting them to chat you up, you have strange standards. Still, the staff is not unfriendly. They're just there, bringing food and cleaning up. Also, they take debit card, and they have a big fish tank if that matters to you, which it shouldn't, because that would make you weird.
Otherwise, it's the only place I go on the Ave for Pho, so I'd obviously recommend it.Listed in: Pho Queue
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Review from Zoe D.
Seattle, WA
3/29/2011
Yummy pho, quick service, cheap prices.
What more could you ask for? -
Review from Misty M.
Tacoma, WA
11/6/2010
Pho was one of those things I always avoided. I don't even know WHY, I just figured there was weird crap in it that I wouldn't like.
So then my choir friends demanded we go here one afternoon after singing our faces off for two hours.
Thanks guys, because now I have a new favorite food. Pho makes me happy, it's incredibly perfect for rainy days. I love that I can come here after a terrible day at school and get lunch for 7 bucks, tax and tip included. It cheers me up, especially since my mom isn't close enough to make me soup anymore.
I love this place in particular, partly because it was my first experience, so it's the one all other pho places are compared to. Mostly I love it because it has veggie pho and it's so close to school I can come here instead of eating the icky food on campus. The service is always pretty good, it's always incredibly fast too. It's incredibly tasty especially given that I'm eating veggie pho, which can be so bland. Also, paying with a credit card (with .35 cent fee) is pretty rad too. -
Review from Bunneh L.
Seattle, WA
10/4/2009
I usually order a small at most pho places. But here, their small is TINY. I had to order extra noodles after I finished mine. Thankfully, it was only $.60 extra. The one thing they do right here is not overcooking their noodles. Nice and al dente.
The broth was hella greasy and not salty enough. They didn't even have fish sauce on the table, so I tried to season it with lots of salt, pepper, and hot sauce, but it really didn't help much.
The service pissed me off. Even for an Asian restaurant, the attitude of the staff was abysmal. When I asked for a refill on my water, the waiter simply pointed to the soda fountain near the cash register. To add insult to injury, the water from the fountain was lukewarm and the ice dispenser was broken. I also asked the waiter for change for a dollar so I could feed the meter, and once again, he pointed to the cash register and made me go up to get it myself.
So basically, don't expect the wait staff to bring you ANYTHING except for your food. They refuse to do anything beyond the bare minimum. Fuckers. I won't be back. -
Review from Ian S.
6/19/2007
This is like Tran Brothers Plus. Everything is just a little better.
This is also the home of vegetarian pho. I heard that it couldn't be done, but here it is. I didn't order it, but it comes out looking like a ramen rather than a pho. It's full of stuff and I'm tempted to try it out myself in the future.
So yes. It's basically the same as Tran Brothers only the broth tastes a little better, the tendon was cooked correctly, the cream puff wasn't soggy (as it can be sometimes with the Trans from too much time in the fridge, I think). Just slightly better.
Also they take credit cards if you don't mind some strange 25 cent fee. -
Review from Mimi L.
Seattle, WA
6/16/2009
Oh CY, I can't believe we're talking about the same pho joint. I'll admit that this place used to be not so good but they have gotten so much better this year. I even like them better than Pho Bac (that pink rambler on 12th and Jackson)...and way cleaner!
Not only is the broth very tasty...they don't use much MSG if any at all. Bonus, they add tons of ginger into the broth...I saw the workers peeling a bucket of fresh gingers..which gives the broth the yummy flavor. I'm actually a really picky pho eater since my mom makes them so good but Pho Thy Thy is awesome! -
Review from Calvin Y.
6/11/2009
Came in on Sunday at 9:07pm. They closed at 9PM, but they still served us anyways, which I appreciated.
Realistcally I only eat here for 2 reasons:
+ I'm lazy and it's not that far up the Ave.
+ I never have cash and they take plastic (for some sort of miniscule fee)
I like the soup base at Pho Than more, but whatevs, it's farther up the Ave.Listed in: Pho the Win!
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Review from Marina M.
Seattle, WA
7/18/2008
I'm becoming a huge pho fan and therefore have to check out every pho place in Seattle, just in case I'm missing something.
They had "French-style iced coffee" on their menu, and I was horribly undercaffeinated, so I tried it. It came out in a nifty little press that percolated the espresso at my seat, along with a styrofoam cup of ice. It's nice to have fresh espresso and all, but it took longer for the espresso to brew than it did for me to eat my food.
Unlike most other pho places, they have four sizes: small, medium, large, and extra-large. The small is a normal small, and the medium is what I'd call "regular" elsewhere. The extra-large is just huge. A family of four could live off it for days.
They have one veggie pho option, which had an adequate amount of tofu. (I am spoiled by having been introduced to pho at Pho Cyclo in SoDo, which piles on the tofu. Yum.) They have a wide selection of bubble teas and their watermelon bubble tea is exceptionally pink.
I'm looking forward to trying more pho places in the University District, but this is a solid standby. -
Review from Natalie W.
Raleigh, NC
8/15/2009
Good Solid Veggie Pho!
I am a little wary of all the Pho places on The Ave- They can't all be great or even good- can they? After researching, I set out to Pho Thy Thy on a breezy and slightly cold Saturday afternoon. Stepping inside the restaurant I realized that I had found a clean well-oiled Pho machine. They took my order quick- Veggie Pho (the first item on the menu)- and hurried back with my plate of accompaniments and water. The pho followed within a few minutes.
The veggie (tofu) pho- small- had about 5 mushrooms, three baby carrots, and 3-4 pieces of small fried tofu. This was a disappointment. The pho broth was flavorful- one of the best I have had. It was not too sweet or thin. It was well balanced and I did not have to add much too it. The small came with an appropriate amount of noodles and sides. I enjoyed my bowl and left full. I wish it had more veggies and tofu- It would have been perfect then.
FYI's~
* They take your order at your seat
* You can seat yourself or they can seat you
* You pay afterwards at the till by your table number
* There is places for large groups
* This seems to be a popular place for pho on The Ave
* A small pho was $4.75 with tax
* They have many meat pho options
* One of the fastest restaurants I have been to -
Review from Nicole S.
Seattle, WA
Updated - 1/9/2011
I've been done wrong one too many times the past couple months at Thy Thy. I'm going to have to find a new Pho place in the UD :(
I know, good luck to me right?1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/18/2010
This is the best place for pho in the U-district. I come here twice a week for lunch. The beef pho… Read more »
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Review from Sky C.
Tacoma, WA
4/4/2006 ROTD 4/10/2006
One of several spots to get some delicious pho on the Ave. Incredibly fast service and very reasonable prices. A decent vegetarian soup offering and tasty fresh spring rolls make this place worth a stop. They're almost identical to another spot down the street... I think that's mentioned in another review, too. The only difference I've noticed is that one serves carrots and the other serves broccoli in their veggie pho -- but never both. This one, if I recall correctly, is the carrot place. :)
Credit cards accepted, but they'll tack on about 50 cents if you don't order a minimum amount. Parking's relatively easy; park for free on the street after 6:00 (or meter parking before then). -
Review from Allan L.
12/5/2007
What can I say? Vegetarian (tofu) pho pretty much taste the same everywhere you go. This place was fast and friendly (enough). The urinal in the men's bathroom had a big clear plastic bag over it. I assume it's to discourage its use. Yet, at the sight of it, I had a strange thought. I wonder how many jerks have urinated all over the bag and if they had, I wonder if it was better to actually have the plastic bag or not. Then I thought, if they really wanted to be a jerk, they probably would urinate all around the bathroom, while they walked around, and then write homophobic remarks on the wall.
Anyway, if you know Tagalog, you'll probably think the pronunciation of the business name is funny. If you don't, well, then it's just another business with the word pho in it. Nevertheless, it's a solid pho place, and doesn't make your clothes smell like pho for the remainder of your night. -
Review from Eli G.
Seattle, WA
11/19/2006
I usually enjoy cheap Vietnamese food, but I thought PTT was unusually weak. My meal consisted of their marinated beef with rice plate, with a side of veggie spring rolls.
The beef was super-greasey (ribs), with almost no meat left after you scraped off the bones and fat. Waaay too much rice. And the spring rolls arrived about 10 minutes after the food (I'd assumed they'd forgotten about them), with underwhelming peanut sauce.
To top it off, the cashier was surly. I won't be returning. -
Review from A E.
Greensboro, NC
6/7/2007
This is my favorite Pho place on the Ave! The soup is flavored very well (unlike how other places dilute!) and not too salty. The prices are Ave prices--way cheaper than outside of the U-dist. This place is cleaner and taste better than Than Bros. And their creampuff is yummier also!
I never tried their rice dishes--but who goes to a Pho place to eat rice dishes anyway??? Just go across the street and up the hill to ThanVi! -
Review from andrew d.
Lisle, IL
12/16/2008
My experience here was a disappointment. Admittedly, I rarely eat Pho and I'm far from being an expert but the meat here seemed overwhelmingly cheap. Steak-umms frozen cheese-steak cheap. Perhaps this is simply a matter of "you get what you pay for." Perhaps I just ordered the wrong thing?
I'll revisit Pho Thy Thy after I've developed a better taste for Pho or perhaps joined with a more experienced tasting party. Until then, I really feel no overwhelming desire to give them a second shot.
I'll bump them up from two stars to three for the cream-puff. -
Review from Josh D.
Seattle, WA
7/1/2008
Cream Puff : CHECK
Language Barrier: CHECK
Dirt Cheap: CHECK
Dirty Bathroom: CHECK
Fast: CHECK
Fish Tank: CHECK
This is my favorite place for PHO. -
Review from Roman S.
12/8/2008 1 Check-in Here
XL PHO! - finally a place that caters to me.
usually i never get enough pho but with their XL choice i came out stuffed.
so..
they have several sizes: small to XL and the price is pretty cheap.
the soup tasted good (not amazing unfortunately) but it had plenty of meat.
I wouldn't hesitate to eat here again.
Update 2/13/09: Large pho with DOUBLE the meat.. SO good.. -
Review from Allie S.
5/26/2009
I always end up ordering a medium. I know better than to order a medium, I leave a ton there. But I can't stop myself -- a huge bowl, bright red with the roostersauce with a smattering of jalapenos [yum] is just comfort food to me. And a medium is $5.19 with tax. Yeah, a meal for $7 including tip... a meal that actually *fills* me for that price. Sure, I can see the grease gleaning on the top, but grease is flavor. And grease's flavor is particularly wonderful, when combined with liberal amounts of Sriracha.
This place is great because they take cards, their cream puffs are consistently awesome and they're incredibly quick. I have enough time to do my homework AND get lunch during a one hour gap. And they're friendly to those of us who frequently dine alone. -
Review from Kira I.
Seattle, WA
3/17/2009
Absolutely my favorite Pho place on the Ave.
Yeah sometimes during busy times they forget your spring rolls, but otherwise they make sure to get the essentials out to the tables; water the side stuff to put in your pho, and the pho itself. So good!
The owner is always really nice to me and my friends and that's one of the most important reasons I come back.
Good peanut sauce too! -
Review from Tula K.
Seattle, WA
5/19/2009
I really enjoy this place - I searched my brain for reasons to give them 4 instead of the prestigious 5 stars and the only thing I could possibly come up with is the sometimes under-par creampuffs...but then again they're often less under-par than other pho places so that didn't do it. 5 stars it is.
Why? What makes Pho Thy Thy the 5-star stand out against Than Brothers that it is for me when I'm looking for Pho on the ave? Well, the answer is simple, I generally eat Pho alone. When I'm on the go, need a quick bite, etc. And Pho Thy Thy lets me eat, alone, in a nice comfy booth rather than in the center of a ring of nice comfy booths being eyed by all the happy lovey couples occupying them (I have been repeatedly admonished for attempting to do the former at other Pho places). That is all.
Well, actually they're just a wee bit cheaper, that's always nice. And they play soap operas incessantly in case you ever get a bit bored sitting there all alone... -
Review from Tori B.
Seattle, WA
11/12/2007
My co worker and I have literally been eating Pho for lunch every day for almost two months now, and we just discovered Pho Thy Thy about a week and a half ago. Amazing! The veggie pho is great- I feel like they serve way more tofu, cilantro, and veggies than other places. And although I myself don't indulge in the cream puffs, my coworker says they are unparalleled (for the U district, at least).
My only complaints are that there is more packaging for to-go orders than other joints (I usually walk out with a three tiered plastic bag right on the verge of snapping), and the somewhat surly cashier. And I don't really like how they cut their carrots, but I have a feeling that's more a "me" thing than a "they" thing. Ahem. -
Review from Sonya L.
2/1/2008
My boyfriend and I were looking for a place with some great veggie pho and we definitely found it in Pho Thy Thy.
The pho itself is absolutely delicious, and they include plenty of tofu and veggies to keep me satisfied. I will say that I do find the halved baby carrots in the pho to be a bit odd, but they tasted fine along with everything else.
The food is MEGA cheap, the portions are extremely generous, and the service is surprisingly quick. The cream puffs that come with the pho are to DIE for and I'm getting hungry just thinking about them...!!
Overall I don't have too much to complain about. I do know that I probably wouldn't enjoy sitting in the very back by the bathroom, as it seems cramped and is, well...by the bathroom. Speaking of, the bathroom itself could be slightly cleaner, but that's pretty much the case in most restaurants.
I will definitely be back to Pho Thy Thy. It has some of the best pho I've ever had! -
Review from Zerina C.
Seattle, WA
12/26/2009
It was another rainy Seattle day and my roommate and I were craving a nice, hot bowl of pho after some intense midterms, so we scouted out the ave for any open joints. We would usually frequent Pho Than Brothers, but that night they were closing early and, turns out, Pho Thy Thy was open!
The service was great! I felt much more comfortable here than in the Than Brothers' restaurant, probably due to the lighting and lack of mirrors. I ordered the #15 and the service was very quick. Though their portions are smaller, the price difference wasn't big enough for me to make a huge deal out of it. I was pleasantly surprised that the meat was much better and their broth was considerably richer. The basil was also fresher and washed. What topped it off was that the creme puff was absolutely PERFECT! It was moist and sweet and melted in my mouth, unlike the creme puffs at the Than Brothers that I always thought were more like custard on stale bread.
Needless to say, I'm definitely going to be frequenting this place more often ;)
