Mama Pho
Mama Pho
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$ Price range Under $10
8 reviews
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Since coming to the city, it's been unusually difficult to find an authentic pho restaurant. Mama Pho is unique both in its interior and method of ordering. Interior is very minimalist, clean, and bright which was a nice change of pace from the typical Asian restaurant. To order, you head to the back of the restaurant and place your order at the counter and they'll bring out your food to you.
For a starter I ordered the Vegetable Spring Rolls. Nothing special about them but I love spring rolls and they satiated my cravings for them. For my main, I ordered the Ribeye Pho with extra Beef Brisket added on. Honestly, I couldn't even tell that extra brisket was added; at least enough for it to justify the extra $1.50 charge. The broth here was actually pretty decent but light. I'd say on par with Saigon Shack. The noodles however were very disappointing for me. The consistency was very grainy and chewy which was very unusual. Portions were also a little on the small side for $9.
Service is only when they bring out the food and to refill your waters since all the utensils and napkins are are self-service at the table. I wasn't sure if they brought out the check to the table so I payed at the counter.
Overall, Mama Pho did everything mediocre and while I'll still come here to satisfy my cravings, I'll still be searching for that authentic pho elsewhere.
Note: Loved their 90's Pop playlist.
It doesn't look like there's many options for pho in this neighborhood, so we gladly gave Mama Pho a try. The interior has some interesting artwork on the walls. It's the kind of place where you order at the counter, grab a seat, and they bring the food out to you. They have a simple menu with the usual Vietnamese comfort dishes.
We ordered…
$5.50 Classic Banh Mi – Pork roll, pate, ground pork, pork belly and headcheese, with cucumber, cilantro, pickled carrots and daikon radish, toasted baguette:
It was quite a tasty banh mi with good bread. The pork was salty and delicious. The vegetables were fresh and tasted lightly pickled. I was intrigued that the banh mi included headcheese, but I couldn't quite taste it in the banh mi.
$9 Ribeye Pho – ribeye, brisket, beef ball, rice noodles, Thai basil, onions, cilantro, mung bean sprouts, jalapeno slices in slow-cooked beef broth from scratch:
This was some pretty good pho. The broth was pretty light. The noodles were alright. We usually ask for beef on the side, but forgot this time. So we were happy to see the the soup topped with rare beef.
The food is not bad. $9 is more than I am used to paying for pho. Sure I've had better elsewhere. But if I were in the neighborhood with a craving for simple Vietnamese dishes or just wanted to sit down to a relatively inexpensive and quick meal, Mama Pho is a pretty good option. I give it about a 7.5/10.
Wow…. Really great food at a super price!! Mama's is definitely no frills. You order at the back register and the food is brought to your table.
The space is small but gives a more spacious feeling. It has a counter & chairs on one side. The other side consists of wooden tables with one bench spanning the length of the wall. The acoustics are phenomenal. There is no noise pollution or loud music to spoil the food experience.
The menu is awesome. There is a choice not jut for everyone, but also for every season. My kids wanted Pho for my Grandson who had a cough & stuffy nose. But the weather was a little warm for me to order soup, regardless of how tasty.
It's wasn't easy to narrow down the menu choices to one. I settled for the Classic sandwich, which included a number of different pork sampling along with a generous amount of sweet shredded carrots & cucumbers. The roll was really good but would have been better with a less thick crust around the sides. The ingredients should be the main focus.
It was my first experience with Thai iced tea, which is amazing. I am sipping "to go" seconds even as I type.
There was one problem. The restaurant had absolutely no knives. That's a problem with a 2 1/2 year old who wants to eat his own Pho. Mom must pre-cut the noodles.
The restaurant was clean, well lit & staffed for efficiency. The clientele was classic Williamsburg.
Mama Pho
NY BK East Williamsburg
9pm Wednesday 8th June 2016
Three Stars
This place started at Togo/Seamless/ondelivery place and probably should have stayed that way. We were not greeted when we walked in. We waited too long to order, get our food, and paid especially since it's a pho place. There are essentially four things on the menu: 1) Rolls 2) Salad 3) Bahn Mi and 4) Pho. Also I would get the the Bubble Tea. It was cloyingly sweet with some tired bobba. The Summer rolls ($5) were not bad. The wrapper was thin; the shrimp were plump; the vermicelli noodles were soft; the cucumber was fresh; The peanut sauce was straight out of the bottle; I wish they had fish sauce. Overall it was filling and enjoyable. The Ribeye Pho ($9) wasn't amazing but it got the job done. My huge complaint was that they gave us the smallest side of fixings. The plate had two springs of Thai Basil, two limes wedges, and a few unevenly slice jalapeños to share between the both of us. There were no beans sprouts and when asked they said there were some already inside. The broth was clear, briny, and slightly sweet. The noodles were plentiful but a bit overcooked. The previously frozen meat was slightly rare on top. The meatball was quartered and pretty weird tasting. Overall, Mama Pho is affordable and filling (just don't come here thinking it's going to change your life).
I am still thinking about this bahn mi so I feel it's only appropriate that I write a review. My friend and I had a long day and she wanted something cheap, veggie and close to our trains. I'm a fan of East Willamsburg because you can still find cheap deals, good dives and locals.
We made our way and were not disappointed. The place is huge and it was not very full. We did not let this fact deter us from the grubfest. There's a ten dollar minimum on cards. Meals are so cheap it's almost easier if one person pays for two. We got the mushroom bahn mi's.
The bread was perfectly toasted and not too much bread versus filling ratio. The mushrooms were super juicy. I loved the fresh vegetables that are stuffed in the bahn mi like carrots and cilantro. Distinct flavors this don't compete with one another but compliment each other, the sandwiches were huge! And still wayyyyyy under ten bucks each. I secretly miss these lunch deals!
I will be coming back with cash and an empty stomach. Please open a location close to Bushwick so I could just eat bahn mi's and watch Netflix!! #livinthedream
I will be back and I know what I'm getting!
Really budget friendly Vietnamese food spot in the Williamsburg area that I didn't even know existed. Nice hole in the wall spot that has the typical Viet dishes such as summer rolls, banh mi, and pho (to name a few).
After a rough night of drinking prior to this– we decided we needed something wholesome more than a burger or bagel to cure our ailing body…so we decided on pho.
No regrets! Super huge portion, quick service, hot food, and cheap price. The bill came out to around a little over 20ish for 2 pho dishes, a drink, tax/tip. IMO not too shabby for a hipsterish spot in the neighborhood where most prices for 2 person meals is probably gonna be double that or more.
Went here late night last week. There was a line and there was a wait. I could tell that they had a lot of take out orders also. My sister, her boyfriend and I all ordered the classic Bahn Mi while my other sister and her husband ordered the ribeye Pho. The food was yummy. No complaints. A-OK.
Since my last visit, this place has made some good changes 1st off the customer service has truly changed. The young lady that took our order was super friendly and checked on us frequently. When the young lady was busy a gentleman took are dishes and asked us if we needed anything else. We had the shrimp dumplings which I have to say were incredible. I also ordered the chicken Bann mi which I can report happily that the flavor was good. I will need to visit this place one more time before I can give it 5 stars so far I see a big change.