Mrs. B Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 New restaurant coming to Park Road west of 14th Street opening Thursday 3/19. Soft opening pictures here. I will report back shortly. I'm keeping fingers crossed for good pho on the eastside, or for that matter on this side of the Potomac! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acevedo81 Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 My fingers are crossed as well. It would be nice to have awesome pho in the city limits Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest CJD2008 Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 My fingers are crossed as well. It would be nice to have awesome pho in the city limits It is finally open. Walked by today (April 1, 2009) and no this is not an April Fool's Joke! I hope to try it tonight and report back! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antonio Burrell Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 It is finally open. Walked by today (April 1, 2009) and no this is not an April Fool's Joke! I hope to try it tonight and report back!Went today for lunch. I've been eagerly anticipating the opening of this place, cause really, I NEED a place like this near where I spend almost all of my awake hours. Unfortunately, the pho isn't much better than pho 79 in CP. Unlike 79 however, the noodles weren't mushy and that makes a big diff to me. They also serve bun and bahn mi, the latter clocks in at $8-9 on platters. They also serve a great iced coffee, very sweet and very strong, just like I like my crack...er..coffee. The coffee was free today because of the opening, so that made up for the middling broth of the soup. For me pho is all about the broth, and having pho 75 as a bench mark, most fall short....Gonna try the other stuff soon. Owing to the fact that it is three minutes from my kitchen to theirs, I'm sure I'll become a regular for something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhone1998 Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 Just got back from dinner there, opening night as Antonio mentioned. I give them a bit more credit for the broth...agree it's not quite up to Pho 75 standards, but still pretty good. The meat in the soup was very tasty, and plentiful. The place was PACKED. I think, and hope, it will do really well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheldman Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 While I am not a certified pho expert, I had a really nice bowl of soup today at Pho 14 in Columbia Heights (14xx Park Road NW) - 9 dollars for a huge bowl that was very tasty. About 20 different options for pho or non-pho soups, as well as various vermicelli dishes and some nice looking banh mi. And a pretty atmosphere and nice server. Can't beat that. Maybe there is a separate thread on this place already, but I find myself stumped when trying to search a 3-letter word or the phrase "pho 14." Anyway, a lovely place for lunch and I will go back soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 Maybe there is a separate thread on this place already, but I find myself stumped when trying to search a 3-letter word or the phrase "pho 14." Google donrockwell pho 14 and/or check the dining guides. Thanks for your post! Cheers, Rocks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs. B Posted April 29, 2009 Author Share Posted April 29, 2009 I had a carryout combination Banh Mi today. The meats were tasty and the veggies good (although I wouldn't mind a bit more hot pepper). The dressing/mayo was on the light side which only served to accentuate the fact that the bread was not as fresh as one would hope. This will not stop me from returning. I'm sure it was just bad timing on my part. Price = $4.35 including tax. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antonio Burrell Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 I had a carryout combination Banh Mi today. The meats were tasty and the veggies good (although I wouldn't mind a bit more hot pepper). The dressing/mayo was on the light side which only served to accentuate the fact that the bread was not as fresh as one would hope.This will not stop me from returning. I'm sure it was just bad timing on my part. Price = $4.35 including tax. cool, I didn't realize they were serving sandwiches only. When I glanced at the menu I saw Bahn Mi Platters and was wondering what I would want on a platter with my bahn mi except another bahn mi. Going to go tomorrow for my thursday coffee fix and try the pho again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
synaesthesia Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 The meat is quite good on their banh mi - I really liked the grilled pork, which is not the usual stringy poor quality meat. But like Mrs. B said, I would strongly advise going earlier in the day as the bread was mighty stale and quite unextraordinary. They were pretty slammed last night, and my takeout banh mi took about 15 minutes to walk out with. I think I would also ask for extra veg on the sandwich. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legant Posted October 8, 2010 Share Posted October 8, 2010 Okay... evening temps have dropped to the 50s. It's time for pho. Additional comments about Pho 14? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mame11 Posted December 5, 2010 Share Posted December 5, 2010 I've been in remiss in posting about the best bowl of Pho I've ever had. It was at Pho 14. The broth was rich and fragrant, with strong hints of cinnamon (I think). Today I had a a banh mi for the first time, at Pho 14 and ever. I don't know what a banh mi is supposed to be but what I had at Pho 14 was delicious. The sandwich was served on a crusty baguette filled with pickled veggies and meat. In addition to being delicious, it was a bargain! $9.00 gets you a large sandwich, cup of soup and an appetizer! If you only want the sandwich its $4, I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam23 Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 Looks like they are opening a location in the old Jerry's space in Van Ness. Or I assume it is them since it has the same name. Very excited. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweaked Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 Please be true, please be true. Although the ban cha and banh mi I ordered several months ago from the Columbia Heights location were not good. The noodles in the ban cha were mushy and banh mi was all bread, and not in a good way, and the bread also suffered from being stale as mentioned above. But if decent pho can be had in the hood then I would be happy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sluggo Posted September 21, 2012 Share Posted September 21, 2012 Can confirm a sign is in the window - Pho14 coming soon! An end to treks to Arlington can't be far behind! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbara Posted October 15, 2012 Share Posted October 15, 2012 There' s "Coming Soon Pho 14" sign in an empty store front (used to be a Pizza Hut) on Columbia Road, next to the Radio Shack. I wonder if they are expanding too fast. Still, will be glad to get a bowl of pho closer than Columbia Heights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielK Posted February 13, 2013 Share Posted February 13, 2013 Very disappointing meal tonight in Columbia Heights. To start, we had the Banh Xeo (crepe). The crepe itself was pretty tasty, very crispy, and chock full of "stuff". Unfortunately, the stuff was some tasteless vegetables, shrimp with the tails still on, and pork so dry we picked it out of the crepe - completely inedible. The accompaniments on the plate were plentiful and fresh. A bowl of Pho #1 (steak, flank, brisket, tendon, tripe) was ok. The broth was salty and on the thin side - none of the richness from the roasted bones that you want in a good pho broth. They were a little skimpy on the meat, most of which were fine except for the brisket which was stringy and just bad. Noodles, as Antonio mentioned above, were well prepared. Grilled Pork Meatball Bun was ok. The noodles here were overcooked, but the meatballs were excellent. The springroll, however, was just bad. Dense, flavorless, and room temperature. Coffee, at $4 for a small mug, was a complete ripoff. Prepared in the kitchen, so you don't even get to play with the press at the table. It was weak and barely warm. Service was excellent, but $44 for this meal for 2, not including tip, is a huge disappointment. My +1 said that she has had much better meals in the past, but for now, this is off our list for Columbia Heights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweaked Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 Pho 14 - Van Ness opened last week. Friday night at 8:30 every table was full and a handful of people waited at the door. First time in my four years of living in the nieghborhood that I have witnessed a line out the door at a Van Ness restaurant. Unfortunately the food was terribly mediocre. The fried spring rolls were soaked in oil. The fresh summer rolls devoid of flavor. The banh mi was served in a regular sub roll of Potbelly quality. The pickled daikon/carrot were barely pickled. Fillings were skimpy. As Dan mentioned above the pho broth was thin and weak with none of the cinnamon, star anise, ginger and other flavors one generally associates with pho broth. Liberal helpings of hoisin, siracha, and leftover nouc cham helped, but not much. The meat balls had no flavor and the tripe was chewy. Honestly the only part of the meal that was pleasant was the pot of green tea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 Pho 14 - Van Ness opened last week. Friday night at 8:30 every table was full and a handful of people waited at the door. First time in my four years of living in the nieghborhood that I have witnessed a line out the door at a Van Ness restaurant. Unfortunately the food was terribly mediocre. The success of Pho 14 shows just how desperate DC residents are for authentic ethnic cuisines. I had lunch at Pho Hot in Annandale last week - if this was in DC, Pho 14 would be having a much tougher time of things. One thing many people don't realize about Pho 14 is that they deliver (and pho reheats *very* well in the microwave, assuming they package the broth separately). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monsterriffs Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 The success of Pho 14 shows just how desperate DC residents are for authentic ethnic cuisines. I had lunch at Pho Hot in Annandale last week - if this was in DC, Pho 14 would be having a much tougher time of things. A lot of people seem to forget that Pho Viet is right around the corner on 14th and is much better than any other pho place within the boundaries of the District. Pho Hot still remains my favorite in the area (you've reminded me I need to make a pilgrimage soon...), but PV is my go-to in town. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gadarene Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 A lot of people seem to forget that Pho Viet is right around the corner on 14th and is much better than any other pho place within the boundaries of the District. Pho Hot still remains my favorite in the area (you've reminded me I need to make a pilgrimage soon...), but PV is my go-to in town. I live in Mt. Pleasant, and the few extra blocks between Pho 14 and Pho Viet definitely make a difference when we decide to go out for Vietnamese (which is fairly seldom). If Pho Viet delivered, though, I would order from there all the time -- I still remember the bun vermicelli bowl I had from them the one time we made the trek up 14th; absolutely delicious. As it is, I order from Pho 14 occasionally and have found that it's a decent delivery option. I'm also a sucker for the spicy beef hue at Nam-Viet in Cleveland Park, and if they delivered I don't think I would order from Pho 14 at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkstar965 Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 I haven't been to Pho 14 but, from the reviews here, I'm not sure I would. Nam Viet in CP and Pho Viet are both decent options for within DC. IMHO, Lad Kai Lemon is absolutely right about Pho Viet being underrated here and elsewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gadarene Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 To be clear, I've never had the kind of bad meal at Pho 14 Columbia Heights that DanielK described in post #17. But I've never had a great meal there either, that I can recall. In my experience, the pho is generally fairly serviceable and not-bad, and I don't really get anything else from there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qwertyy Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 One thing many people don't realize about Pho 14 is that they deliver (and pho reheats *very* well in the microwave, assuming they package the broth separately). On the contrary. One of the reasons for Pho 14's success is their excellent delivery service, which includes online ordering and conscientious packaging that lets the dishes' components retain their integrity until it gets to you. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gadarene Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 On the contrary. One of the reasons for Pho 14's success is their excellent delivery service, which includes online ordering and conscientious packaging that lets the dishes' components retain their integrity until it gets to you. Their delivery service really is excellent; I concur. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithA Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 I'm right around the corner from Nam Viet in CP (which I like alot and eat their food several times a month) so I don't have a distinct need for another pho place, but I decided to check out Pho 14 in Van Ness to compare and try their ban minh, which Nam Viet doesn't serve. Unfortunately (or fortunately based on the comments above), the waiter told me when I came for a later lunch yesterday that they were out of sandwiches. Not sure if they used up all of the bread or what, but so much for trying something different. I ended up with the vegetarian crispy rolls and pho with eye of round and fatty brisket. The rolls plainly sucked. Small, greasy, overfried and flavorless. However, the nuoc mam and sweet chilli dipping sauces were good FWIW. The soup only ok - the best part was the strong beefy flavor of the broth. Wasn't over salty to me like others commented. The nice thing about Pho 14 vs. Nam Viet is the choice of cuts of meat (I guess more authentic/traditional to have the choice) whereas Nam Viet just gives you flank steak. BUT - Nam Viet's meat is flavorful and plentiful. Pho 14's eye of round was ok but skimpy and I chose badly with the fatty brisket - not tasty and mostly chewy strips of flat and also skimpy. The noodles were nothing special and clumped together. The accompaniments of thai basil was good - but I found myself adding lots of it, limes, and sriracha - not a good sign to have to add so much. So unless you have a craving for a particular cut of meat, I'd head the short walk or metro down the block and stick with Nam Viet for pho and it many other good dishes (including excellent crispy and spring rolls). Maybe I'll try Pho 14 again for the sandwich if they don't run out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweaked Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 KeithA - Don't even bother with Pho 14's Banh Mi. Waste of time, effort, money, and calories. They are served on ordinary sub rolls, often stale sub rolls, the meat offerings skimpy, and the carrot/daikon relish barely pickled. Avoid! Avoid! Avoid! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gadarene Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 KeithA - Don't even bother with Pho 14's Banh Mi. Waste of time, effort, money, and calories. They are served on ordinary sub rolls, often stale sub rolls, the meat offerings skimpy, and the carrot/daikon relish barely pickled. Avoid! Avoid! Avoid! On a similar topic, the carrot/daikon at Hanoi House weren't pickled AT ALL when I ordered bun there last Fall, which was bizarre to me. I wonder if they've improved; it was a pretty bad meal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbara Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 On a similar topic, the carrot/daikon at Hanoi House weren't pickled AT ALL when I ordered bun there last Fall, which was bizarre to me. I wonder if they've improved; it was a pretty bad meal. I got the distinct impression that they were promoting their cocktail program to the yuppies who now live all over U Street. I've eaten my last meal at that sorry joint. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gadarene Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 I got the distinct impression that they were promoting their cocktail program to the yuppies who now live all over U Street. I've eaten my last meal at that sorry joint. The cocktail I had was underwhelming as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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