The Best Pho in Boston: 9 Spots for Vietnamese Noodle Soup

Early in 2024, Quincy stalwart Pho Lihn quietly rebranded as Lê Madeline, with a focus on modernized Vietnamese food. With this sister restaurant to Dorchester’s Pho Hoa, the second-generation owner wanted to breathe new life into this location. It’s been a stunning success (the lobster roll is a must). They’ve kept the classic pho dac biet on the menu, and it’s a rich, flavorful example of how this soup should be executed, packed with noodles and all the toppings.

The Le family have been in the Boston-area restaurant business for more than 30 years, and their commitment shows, if you visit their classic Vietnamese restaurant in Dorchester. Hearty bowls of pho are ladled out 12 hours daily. You can’t go wrong with any choice on the menu, but we recommend the house special beef noodle soup, which is loaded with thinly sliced rare eye round, well-done flank, brisket, tendon and tripe.

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With locations in Newton Centre and Brookline, Pho Viet’s no-nonsense spots dole out big bowls of this noodle dish, along with excellent banh mi. The restaurant has the classic special beef noodle soup, along with fish and seafood versions, and this place has the strongest vegetarian-friendly menu amongst all of the Vietnamese restaurants in town.

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With quick-serve spots in Chinatown and Quincy, Pho Pasteur is a must-have. The dac biet here is packed with rare steak, well-done flank, brisket, tendon and tripe, offering an even beefier, heartier take on the classic. The bo vien, which features traditional meatballs, is a savory alternative worth slurping.

This bright pink spot in East Boston is hard to miss—and that’s a good thing because you don’t want to miss this charming noodle shop. The restaurant serves all of the classics, but we love the pho chicken noodle soup, which includes a comforting natural chicken broth studded with shredded chicken, rice noodles and veggies.

From the family that runs Lê Madeline comes a Field’s Corner fave since 1992. You’ll find a large selection of Vietnamese entrees and soups, but the stand out here is the 60 Hue special soup, which is based on a recipe from the Hue region in Vietnam. You’ll get a hearty soup of sliced shank, shrimp and pork meatballs, beef tendon and pork knuckle, all suspended within a beef and lemongrass broth minced lemongrass and served with a thick rice noodle.

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This Somerville favorite serves traditional Vietnamese pho (and rice dishes, obviously), including the classic bac diet. However, don’t overlook the pho tail, a beef noodle soup made with rare slices of steak, sliced onion, scallion and cilantro. The soup is served with fresh bean sprouts, basil leaves and a wedge of lime on the side.

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Tucked into a sweet little counter-service spot in the Orient Heights neighborhood, you’ll find top-notch noodle soups and Vietnamese sandwiches at New Saigon. They offer the traditional styles of this classic soup, but, for something different, try the seafood pho, which is filled with shrimp, squid, fish cakes, crab meat and vegetables. Don’t visit this spot without picking up a decadent Vietnamese iced coffee with condensed milk!

Thai-Vietnamese cuisine reigns at this eclectic Jamaica Plain spot. Settle into the cozy space and enjoy a flavorful bowl of dac biet with rice or yellow noodles, and the option to add veggies and tofu. Starters from across Asia—spiced wings, salt and pepper calamari and crab rangoon—round out the crowd pleasing menu.