Pho Oregon

I just talked to them and placed a pick up order, and it sounds as busy as ever. They are NOT closed but alive and well.

This place changed names… but not owners (if you like the name, then Phở Oregon on 82^nd is still there). So same great Phở (some of the more flavorful and most side veg additions of any in town), new name… wish I could remember what it changed to.

You know what? My mom doesn’t even know what phở is. I guess I have to sit at McMenamin’s and piss and moan about how my mom’s tater tots are better. Heh.
Oh, yeah! The phở here is pretty good. The place feels utilitarian and a little sterile, but the soup was solid. There’s a little bit more star anise in their broth than some places, which I totally dig.
Plus, the buiding looks like it was built for a Whataburger in 1968, which is totally hilarious.

Many revews here say, «It’s not as good as my Mom’s.» You lucky bastards! My ma did a mean burger cassorole and fish sticks. Not much Viet cooking in Iowa in the 60s, ya figger? That all said, I really like Phở Oregon better than most in town. Really generous portions for a pig like me, decent broth richness, quick service, nuthin’ fancy, no frills…

When I heard the name Phở Oregon, I did not want to go. I was afraid it would be too Americanized, but since I was new to Portland, I didn’t have other choices that I was aware of. I was happy to taste that it wasn’t Americanized.
I don’t really eat the phở that often (though it is decent) I eat the nem noung. Which I like because I make the rolls myself. my one complaint is that the pickled vegetables are cut up like GIANT fries! How am I going to fit that into a nice little roll? So overall at least it’s not catering to the Caucasian pallet and a decent Vietnamese joint with lots of varieities. not alot of places serve Bun Rieu by the way. which I think is better then Phở! Yup. I said it. I think it’s better than Phở!
Typical asian restaurant surroundings. nothing special. Service is decent or as expected :-)

You would think that the state of Oregon would tax anyone using its name so gratuitously as Phở Oregon does. Who the hell does Phở Oregon think it is, anyway? It’s not like it won a statewide phở pagent or anything. I guess it’s now acceptable to just don a phở-​sash and call yourself miss Phở-​Oregon 2007? The nerve of some people!
The name aside, this place actually has some pretty dang good phở. This was another phở place I went to with super high expectations. A Vietnamese guy I used to work with swore up and down that the phở at this Phở Oregon location is the best in all of Portland. Filled with excited anticipation at trying phở better than Phở Hung (yeah, he said it was better), I ventured deep into the hinterlands of NE Sandy to the little round phở-​hut that is Phở Oregon for a taste…
I was disappointed, but I think only because it had been built up so much. In fact, the phở is not too bad here. The broth is very beefy, and chock full of star-​anise-​y goodness. Thicker and headier than many, this broth definitely a notch or two higher than your average phở place. Still, it’s just not the ‘Hung.
As I neared the end of my bowl, I felt a swell satisfaction welling up from deep within. Not only had I just consumed a bowl of tasty, warm beefy salt-​broth, but I felt as ever secure in my notions that the phở place I call home (the Hung) is consistently better than the rest. No, I haven’t been missing out all these years. I can sleep that much easier tonight knowing as much. I guess I got more out of the meal than I bargained for.
The serving size, price, and amenities were all up to standards here. Plus, as others noted, you get the joy of sitting on molded plastic furniture and eating in what must have been some classic old burger joint in days past.
If you find yourself off the beaten path out here on Sandy… stop in and try a bowl. Get Phở’d up.

Phở Oregon is on Sandy just north of the Hollywood district. The best thing about this place is the tables, which are more thick and solid than most Phở joints, but the red stackable hotel chairs fit the image. The Vietnamese love songs piped in over the speakers was behind the SoCal ambiance norm of the large plasma showing Vietnamesee DVD variety shows.
We had Phở Tai and Phở Ga, large size, $ 6.50 each. The Phở Tai was ok. The meat slices in the Tai were quite large compared to many places, and quite a few. The broth was so-​so, not hot enough to fully cook the rare beef as quickly as it should. They had 2 mint leaves, but they weren;t as fresh as they could be, neither the bean sprouts. They have other popular soups like Hu Tieu and Bun Bo Hue ($ 7.50) as well as Com (rice plates).
To generalize, Phở Oregon is not as good as Phở Westmister or Phở San Jose, and about $ 1 more expensive. If you are not a Vietnameese food expert (or raised on your Mom’s cooking. Mom’s is always the best!) then this place will do for a quick lunch or dinner.

I thought this place was decent. Nothing fancy but good phở and had a wide variety in their menu. The restaurant was spacious, a little messy, and a good crowd. Service was decent, too. Price about average for Phở.

I too had the bun rieu, even before reading precious’ review. and i do agree, it was mediocre. when times like this occur, there’s nothing a shitload of sriacha and nuoc mam can’t fix! one extra star because i didn’t have to ask for shrimp paste, however i didn’t recieve enough! my mama makes the best bun rieu in the world, especially because its vegetarian.
anyway, the boyfriend got phở tai, which was good, but he’s had better, and this is coming from a guy who started eating phở 2 weeks ago. i’m very bitter that the goi cuon is $ 4 for two rolls wtf man.

When here today for some phở but I ordered a bun rieu (vermicelli w/​crab paste etc.) It was mediocre. Nothing like my mom :(There fish balls in it, tasted kinda funny. The crab paste was so thick & hard. There were 2 shrimps hiding under the vermicelli. My friend got a special phở (everything in it). Pricy since it was $ 7. I also got a rau ma (green drink made out of rau ma (leaves) that’s suppose to be healthy for you). It wasn’t the real thing. The green color was barely there. I’d prob not come back here. I tasted the phở broth, tasted diff than other places I’ve tried.
It was so annoying when we were eating ’cause one of the worker sat at a table & threw spoons into a big container. We had to deal w/​the constant clanging noise.