Pho Binh

This is my #1 favorite restaurant in Memphis. Always great service and excellent food. Go during lunch when they have an $ 8 buffet– the restaurant becomes a microcosm of Memphis. Definitely a ‘hole in the wall’ but you won’t find more authentic Vietnamese anywhere else. I go every week and get the same thing: shrimp spring rolls and the Hu Thu Mem phở. Their peanut sauce is to die for

Lemongrass tofu all the way! I love everything this place has! When I lived nearby I would go weekly. Never disappoints.

My go to buffet lunch! Love all of the tofu dishes. Can’t get enough of the chicken wings or the egg rolls. I’ve been known to sit at the large table with total strangers when there was no place else to sit. I’ve never ordered off the menu or been there for dinner, but I’m sure it is equally delicious.

I’ve been here a few times for their lunch buffet, and it never disappoints. This place singlehandedly restored my faith that tofu can actually be good. If you haven’t had their lemongrass tofu, do yourself a favor and go try it. It really is a great spot for a delicious lunch for a really good price. But like some have said, the tables do fill up fast.

Just had the best tofu of my life. Lemongrass tofu is incredible. The buffet looked good, but I was dead set on filling my belly with tofu. The overall vibe is just what I want – casual and a little dingy. I’m still not certain if you’re supposed to seat ourself or see a host. Still, I got my food and loved it. Will return soon.

Words cannot express. The delicious food, the kindly service, the freakin’ lunch buffet which exhibits a worthy contender for the best fried chicken wings on the planet, the gigantic portions of rice, tofu and wheat gluten… and its so darn affordable! I haven’t tried everything on the menu, but I will continue to eat here until I do and probably long after that. The sad part is that you could easily pass this place on Madison and not think twice, but what it lacks in advertisement and decorative flair, Phở Binh excels in giving its customers scrumptious, nutritious food at an affordable price. The family that runs this place is so nice and welcoming. The Phở soup and the rice noodle bowls are my favorite, we also get the tofu spring rolls with the peanut sauce every-​single-​time. Why? Because you’ve never had peanut sauce like this. It is divine, painstakingly made from scratch, pure perfection. I would eat tree bark if it were covered in this sauce. Doubt me? Go to Phở Binh and prepare to have your life changed.

The Vietnamese hot and sour soup won’t disappoint. It seems a little high for soup but I usually get four meals out of it. And don’t forget to buckle your takeout in. I lost half of mine in the floorboard pulling out of the parking lot onto these Memphis roads!

Had the phở here. Waited for 20 minutes for it and was just okay (I think Philly phở has spoiled me). I’ve heard the lemongrass tofu is their thing, so I’m gonna go back and give them a try.

Enjoyed the food. Got there around 12:30 and they were running out of food. By the time we were ready to go, they finally refilled the buffet.
Good food. Enjoyed the tofu. It’s healthy unhealthy vegetables and tofu. I’d go again, but Id get there right at noon.
My mother said she would not go back. :) She thought it was unhealthy.

The regular menu prices are a bit high for my taste, but the food is good. Their soups are massive and the dishes are also big so don’t order too much.
The big draw to this place is the lunch buffet. It used to be cheaper, but is still reasonable. I just think is kind of limited in options, and some of them you have to get fast. I tried to get some chicken 2 minutes after they brought a new tray and it was gone.
The area can be a bit sketchy sometimes and I’ve had people ask me for money as soon as I get off my car, so be mindful of your surroundings.

My all time favorite place to eat in Memphis. The service is the best and the food is even better. Spiced to perfection. Tons of flavor. Their portions are huge too. Great for taking leftovers home.
Recommend: Lemon Grass Tofu, Spring Rolls

Good phở… just can’t five 5 stars because it was a little too salty for my liking. Other than that, super customer service, parking in the front, and it looks like it stays busy. Must go-​to if you are craving phở while in the Memphis area.

I may be missing something here and have not read the reviews. Walked in on Thursday afternoon one o’clock. The dining room feels at least eighty degrees. The buffet is demolished. Most of the buffet is completely gone. There are more dirty tables than there are occupied and would have to wait for one to be cleared. I picked up a menu which was impossible to understand and there was no lunch menu.
Sorry I walked out without giving you the benefit of the doubt. Also the sign out front is confusing advertising as a vegetarian restaurant when I did in fact see some meat.
If after reading some reviews I do decide to give you another chance I will try to have an open mind. One star for above reasons. Second star for the possibility of the food being good. The dirty tables are an indication of that.

I don’t know why I haven’t already written a review for this place, it’s definitely in my top 5 (arbitrary number) places to eat!!! I love the Vietnamese hot and sour soup, the chicken wings, the curried tofu or beef, the lemongrass tofu, any vermicelli dish… hopefully you get the idea that everything is delicious! Tam and/​or Joseph will probably be out in the front helping to make your experience better. Tam has this uncanny ability to remember everyone’s name making her one of the sweetest, most personable people I’ve ever met!
Oh yeah, it’s worth noting that they fry their tofu before it ever enters another dish so the tofu in the soup is crisp not mushy (same goes for every other dish you request it in)

A no frills joint with outstanding Phở! The place was busy when I visited and the crowd was a bit mixed, which made for good people watching. Service was a little slow, but very kind and nice. The long waits didn’t seem to matter because of how friendly the staff was. The Phở Thai was outstanding! When I couldn’t finish it they gladly packaged it up for me, which served as a second meal for me the next day! I ordered the spring and egg rolls (shrimp). Spring rolls were typical but the egg rolls were unexpectedly delicious. I don’t know what it was, but they were tastier and had an unusual flavor which left me wanting to order more!
The area this place is in is a little run down, so I would think twice before visiting alone after dark. Despite this, I’m already planning a follow up visit! Do yourself a favor and try this place!!!

The ladies who work there work their butts off & are sweet, so I give it 5 stars for that. But the quality is lower than Phở Saigon :(so 3 stars for that.
But the customers are always eclectic & interesting & it is in the heart of midtown

This is hands down my favorite place to eat in Memphis! I am a vegetarian and it’s sometimes hard to find something that will blow my mind from yumminess! And this place does that. Their tofu and wheat gluten dishes are something out of this world. My favorites are the BBQ wheat gluten and the bean tofu. So good! And I always have leftovers for the next day which is awesome. Great food for a very good price! And the family that runs the place is so incredibly sweet, friendly, and polite. When I eat there, it feels like I’m eating at my grandma’s house or something. Highly recommend it!

Their lunch buffet is roughly $ 7. All you can eat lemongrass tofu?! Yes please! They’ve been a staple in midtown for YEARS & for good reason. Service is friendly, food is yummy. Prices are great.
And again… lemongrass tofu!

A L.Y.C.H.E.E. review:
Location: This phở place is located in the «Vietnamese area» of Memphis. Not quite the safest area but good places are usually not.
Yum factor: I can not comment on the tofu, which is what most non-​phở reviews on here are about. I wished I did order some tofu though. The phở is decent. Perhaps it is the best in Memphis. The bun thit nuong, on the other hand, was just OK. The cook on the thit nuong, the star of the plate, was not fragrant.
Cost: Affordable plates, typical prices for phở in the area
Hospitality/​Service: Service was poor here. We had to ask for dipping dish for the hoisin/​siracha sauce the three times we went here. We also had to get our own chopsticks from the buffet section. Server was friendly, just not very attentive.
Environment: Let’s just say ignorance is bliss here when it comes to cleanliness. Very basic place with minimal décor.
Extra stuff: Good phở place for Memphis, just don’t order the bun thit nuong.

Honestly, this of my favorite go to, always satisfying, I am not cooking dinner tonight place in Memphis. Love this place so much that it inspired me to write my first Unilocal review.
I’ve eaten here many times and have never been disappointed. The shabby exterior and interior décor is extremely deceiving. This family-​run place is clean and the staff is incredibly nice and helpful. Not sure if it’s because I go there so much or because they care… but they always seem to know what I’m going to order!
I usually call in for pick up. The place is only ever half full during dinner time but I think they get slammed with to go orders. Average wait time is about 20 – 30 min from when you call. And they always offer you drinks or fortune cookies while you wait, which helps curve the hunger pangs.
My go to dishes:
–Hoa Binh egg rolls (mixture of pork and shrimp)…best way to start the meal. You get 10 mini rolls with a sweet/​sour dipping sauce and lettuce. Always have to fight my husband for the last one!
–MUST order the Lemmon Grass Tofu… both the fried and curry version are great. Amazing flavor and the perfect about of spice (though I usually ask for it spicier and they add a few more red chillies). Even if you are obsessed with meat or hate tofu, you have to try this!
The fired rice (both veg and chicken) and Lo Mein are also good. They always have tons of vegetables so you don’t feel too guilty when you finish the whole plate! I’m not the biggest fan of phở, but I’ve tried the phở ga (chicken) and it was super tasty and filling. The portion was huge and came with all the typical phở fixins. I have also tired several stir frys including black bean, Mongolian and Szechuan, all excellent. Basically you can’t go wrong here and the taste and quality of the food is very consistent.
But the absolute BEST thing about this place is the lunch buffet! It’s incredible. It has so many options, always fresh and hot and it’s only around $ 6. Definitely great way to try several different authentic dishes. This place gets packed during lunch time, so make sure you take a long lunch. They also have an option of carrying out the buffet for around $ 7. You get a huge styrofoam container and another container for rice… the amount of food you can stuff in there is insane.
Phở Binh gets the job done.
Love this place!

This place was great. The reviews led me straight here.
I had the Phở with beef. the #1. It was tasty. The veggies seemed fresh.
I also had the chicken wings… These were my favorite.

I must say that Unilocal!results, as a group, are very accurate. I found Phở Binh while on the hunt for Memphis phở and I was not disappointed. When I saw the plain, slightly run-​down exterior, I knew I was in for some good hole-​in-​the-​wall eating.
The interior is also very simple and humble as expected. The menu was basic phở plus a few Chinese dishes that slightly broadened the offerings. The hot Vietnamese coffee was already mixed instead of coming out in a press over a cup of crème. The beef phở and seafood phở were authentic and tasty. A generous plate of veggies accompanied our phở bowls.
The service was polite and fairly efficient. I will continue to try other offerings here in Memphis but I will return to Phở Binh too.

After weeks in TN, I was finally a little burned out on BBQ. I had plans to try Central BBQ and Rendezvous while in Memphis, but after my first mediocre bbq experience in TN, I craved — absolutely just JONESED — for an Asian food fix. Preferably phó. I asked Siri for the top-​rated Asian restaurant near my then-​location and Siri — and the online reviews — all directed me to Phó Hoà Bình (walking distance from SCO — the Southern College of Optometry).
When I pulled into the strip mall where PHB is, I was frankly scared. It looks dirty and run down. I seriously wondered if I should risk it (I had a flight early the next day). Even some of the most hyperbolic Unilocal reviews admitted that the place has a less-​than-​desirable health score (!) and straddles the line of hygienic propriety, but that the phó IS JUST SO WORTH THE RISK.
My BFF (a SCO alum) freely admitted that she had loved the place when she was in grad school, that the prices were unbeatable and that she «only regretted going there once — but I was back the next week». With trepidation I entered the poorly ventilated and tiny restaurant (it looks even worse on the inside). Dirty tables everywhere, food congealing on the tiny buffet display, and you can practically slice the air with how heavy and greasy it feels.
My server, a sweet guy, quickly seated me, wiped down the table and brought me ice water in a HUGE glass (you won’t need refills). The buffet display, leftover from the lunch crowd (I was here around 2:30) did not look appetizing to me and I hoped wasn’t indicative of anything I would order (note: other reviews rave and love the buffet lunch). I ordered the sliced beef phó and against my better judgment the shrimp spring rolls.
While I waited for my food, I had a chance to survey the other patrons. An eclectic mix: elderly black and white gentlemen were gently joshing with one another; two pretty, preppy sorority girls were digging into bowls of soup, a business-​suited young woman was attacking her phó; and a skinny jeans-​clad hipster was eating tofu while looking artistically morose. It was all funny and very reassuring.
My food arrived promptly and things got awesome. Two tiny Asian women brought me my shrimp spring rolls and dipping sauces (a chili sauce and a peanut sauce). They presented them to me almost proudly, and with the sweetest smiles. And they should be proud! Those huge shrimps rolls were stuffed with iceberg lettuce and tender large shrimp and rice noodles, encased so tightly that a Cuban cigar afficionado would be jealous. The dipping sauces — especially the peanut — were delicious. The rolls might have been enhanced with some basil leaves or carrot inside — but seriously, I was too busy dunking them in sauces and greedily shoving them into my face to really form a convincing point.
My phó WAS AMAZING. The cauldron (i.e., it’s a huge portion) of broth was steaming hot and so perfectly flavored that I didn’t need any additives like hoisin or Sriracha — it could stand on its own. The beef was just a little too overdone (fault of the boiling hot broth) but that was the phó’s only detraction, and a minor one. And my server brought it with the typical bowl of sprouts, citrus wedge and a veritable BRANCH of basil leaves — nothing stingy or scanty about any of the portions here.
My final bill was crazy for the kind of food (and amount) that I for: $ 9.50. The phó is worth double what they charge. It is the best I have ever eaten. I will definitely be returning the next time I am in Memphis. The phó IS JUST SO WORTH THE RISK.