Pho 88 - Lowell

It's not good the food is very cold and the service is bad I wouldn't recommend going here

Have been a customer of this place for the past twenty three years. Quality has remained the same for the whole period. I highly recommend their Pho and Fried Rice. Their meats are well seasoned and very well done. Their wait staff are always polite and courteous.

ABOUT PHO 88 There are numerous Vietnamese restaurants across the United States named Pho 88 . I don 't know exactly why this is, but I DO KNOW that these Pho 88 places are NOT PART OF A CHAIN. I have done some extra research, and I think it may be because the Pho 88 brand name is a very loose franchise that is accessed for lease privately through various Vietnamese immigrant community support groups, such as VIETNAMESE AMERICAN SERVICES, or the VAO (Vietnamese American Organization . Otherwise it is possibly a brand that is Family owned, thus as the decades pass by, and the family has more and more of its children growing up and wanting to open their own branch of the restaurant that they have to open in other cities so as not to compete with their family 's other branches. And the third and maybe most likely reason that Pho 88 restaurants can be found in almost every city that has a large Vietnamese community is because back in Vietnam there is the first and most famous Pho 88, which most probably opened in Saigon during the Vietnam War when Vietnamese copyright trademark laws were non-existent. And so, when immigrants from Vietnam came to America after the war, wanting to open a noodle shop of their own, they simply used the only name for a noodle shop that their American customers already knew: Pho 88 . And now, 60 years later, Vietnamese Noodle Restaurants named Pho 88 are everywhere. ABOUT MY VISITS HERE That said, I have here (having lived in Boston , and to numerous other Pho 88 Noodle Restaurants, many times. It is also one of daughter 's favorite restaurants. Unlike many other Vietnamese places where the noodles in the Pho are too soft, or too thin, or too gummy, or they break: PHO 88 makes their noodles just right. Here they are wider, and longer, and they hold together well, with just the right bite and chew. ABOUT PHO Phở, or in the US, Pho , is a Vietnamese soup consisting of clear seasoned broth (traditionally beef broth , rice noodles called bánh phở, a few herbs spices (such as star-anis, cloves, cinnamon, licorice root, and other elements of Chinese 5-spice , and various cuts preparations of meat (usually beef, but sometimes chicken, pork, seafood, or occasionally a specialty item like quail, eel, duck, or soft-shell crab . However, traditional Street-Pho is primarily made with either beef (phở bò or chicken (phở gà . Pho is the most popular street food in Vietnam (eaten at night with beer , and is the specialty-dish of a number of restaurants (both mom pop places as well as chains around the world, including this Pho 88 . WHICH PHO TO ORDER Try the regular sized bowl of traditional mixed beef (BO Pho noodle soup (called DAC BIET , or get the large bowl of the same thing (XE LUA if you have a big appetite. Both have different sized portions of the same traditional beef-meats: which are rare steak (raw when added , well-done brisket, beef-flank, tendon (which is my glistening favorite bits of tripe (spongy for texture with no real flavor . I recommend this, but order some extras to add to it. EXTRAS TO ADD TO YOR PHO I recommend ordering an additional side of their Perfectly cooked Tendon: This is my favorite side-order, and it 's hard to find Tendon as well prepared as it is here. The texture is its main draw, being in between a slightly denser gelatin and a see-thru beef flavored gummy-bear; only it is lighter than either of those and it ends up melting into delicious butter-broth in your mouth . No-one prepares tendon as well as the Vietnamese . All soups come with a side plate of Fresh BEAN SPROUTS, Thai BASIL Leaves on the stem, and Fresh Slice LIME Wedges. Also ask for a plate of thinly slice raw white onions, plus a side of Vietnamese beef-balls (like very finely ground meatballs , and an extra order of clear broth (in case you add too much Hoisin or Sriracha to your main bowl (both sauces are necessary to add to your taste, but if you over-do it, the extra broth can dilute it . THE CONDIMENTS ON YOUR TABLE Hoisin or Sriracha should be on your table, along with chopsticks, small empty dishes for you side-sauces, plus salt pepper shakers, some Chili Flakes, a small jar of Hot Red Chili Paste, some small Green Red Thai Chili-Peppers in vinegar, and a container of salty-fish-sauce which is filled with delicious Umami. NOTE: if you want an extra kick, add some Chilis, or some WHITE Pepper to your soup, but don 't add the pre-ground Black Pepper that 's on the table, (it will look like dirt and taste like dust . Also, DO NOT Add Soy Sauce (it 's the wrong flavor for the soup and it will kill the taste Also, don 't add any extra table Salt (save your added saltiness for the Hoisin and the Fish Sauce, both of which are super salty. OTHER DISHES THAT YOU SHOULD ORDER There are No Fried Crispy Eggrolls better than Vietnamese Fried Crispy Eggrolls: CHA GIO. Wrap them in Lettuce with the Pickled DAIKON, CARROTS and MINT, All Provided. ENJOY!

One of my favorite spots passing through. Amazing Pho broth and side dishes. Went there for Shabu Shabu for Valentines Day and it was absolutely delicious. I would recommend this place 100%!

I think I just found my favorite spot to get BUN BO HUE! I live in Boston but I'm here in Lowell a lot because I have family out here. I stumbled across one of my friends IG Story and saw that they were here at Pho 88 eating Bun Bo Hue. Immediately the color of the broth caught my attention. A lot of bun Bo hue at restaurants I've been going to is usually light colored and not spicy at all. This had the red coloring and was packed with flavor and a strong spicy kick. By far the best bun Bo hue I ever had at a restaurant. I would literally drive 40-45 minutes to get this every weekend. I highly recommend this for all my BBH LOVERS! Haha Overall, food was excellent. I'll try their pho next time when I'm here! Service was good. Super friendly staff. Very welcoming.