Among the many great places to eat in the many strip malls along Buford Highway in metro Atlanta is Pho Bac. An unassuming family run restaurant that is has an appealing decor and a nice atmosphere. It serves some of the best Pho I have ever eaten…even if I ordered PHO TOM and received PHO DAU HU instead. It was tofu and it was divine! No, I never expected to ever say that about anything containing tofu.
The CHIN + NAM was good, but it was the least favorite of the dishes we ordered. Don’t get me wrong; we liked all of the dishes we ordered. The beef was thinly sliced and tender. The vegetables were fresh. My daughter and I just happened to like the flavors of the tofu pho better; my husband preferred the beef pho.
My other favorite and the cheapest was their Bahn Mi. It was a very good sandwich with grilled pork for only $3.75. They have other Bahn Mi’s available including tofu, chicken, fried eggs, pork meatball, and more. It cost a little more than Lee’s Bakery and Quoc Huong, but I think it may have been a little bigger and it definitely had more hot peppers. Unlike these icons of Bahn Mi on Buford Highway, Pho Bac actually cuts the sandwich in half making it easier to eat. Plus, it was after 2 p.m. and they were not sold out as is usually the case with Quoc Huong. Honestly, I don’t know which of the sandwiches are my favorite, but the ones at Pho Bac are definitely in the running.
All of the dishes on the menu of Pho Bac are VERY reasonably priced. The large Pho bowls are probably the most expensive items. I am not sure how big a large is, but I do know not one of us could finish a medium bowl of Pho. Great food at a really good price in a nice environment. Who could ask for more? Well, they also have a large selection of drinks that includes “soda with yolk and sweetened condensed milk,” coffees, etc. My daughter loves that they have a selection of teas and smoothies to which tapioca can be added (bubble tea), which is her favorite drink.