This CID restaurant has a lively bar and pink neon glow from signs that say things like “Phởcific Northwest.” But you don’t need a big bright sign—you’re here for the phở. While we like the brisket and meatball versions, our favorites are the massive short rib bowl and the off-menu, only-available-sometimes phở with an entire half-chicken that’s been slow-poached in broth. That chicken phở is the kind we’d find a way to shrink ourselves just to dive into the bowl and hang out on a drumstick.

Phở Bắc first brought its eponymous noodle soup to Seattle in the early 1980s; now, the children of the original owners proffer an equally pioneering Vietnamese restaurant. The recipes and flavors hew tightly to tradition, but the space and style come wholly from a young, modern perspective. The photogenic oversized beef ribs sticking out from an enormous bowl of noodles and broth have become iconic, as have the shots of whiskey served with hot pho broth.

The folks behind Phở Bắc are unsure about whether their pho is really the best in Seattle (“Maybe. Don’t really know. Who cares, just eat it.”), but we’d venture to say that yes, it is indeed front of the pack. A couple of locations are still closed due to COVID-19, but luckily, the Sup Shop on Jackson Street is ready when you are. Grab a PhoCup to eat ASAP (all ingredients in one) or a takeout pho.

In a city swimming in good pho, the bowls here are some of the most storied and simply some of the best—artfully layered and assertively seasoned. The pho sùon bò, with its beef rib bones jutting from the bowl, is the most photogenic. But the tendon, meatball, and brisket bowls will treat you just as well.

The red boat-shaped restaurant credited as the city’s first pho shop has transitioned to the next generation of owners, and to a big, blocky structure just across the parking lot. The rich, delicately spiced bowls of pho are the same; the new menu of bar snacks walks a tasty line between classic Vietnamese flavors and American bar food. Definitely order the fries with herbaceous garlic-lemongrass dipping sauce, and if you can tear yourself away from the classic pho, the menu’s other noodle soups are definitely worth exploring.

Though pho is aplenty in Seattle and a go-to comfort food, especially on those chilly winter days, Phở Bắc Sup Shop in the International District stands out for its consistently flavorful broth – the foundation of any satisfying bowl of pho. Steamy bowls of noodles are served alongside small plates like shrimp spring rolls and jumbo chicken wings. Diners note that the short rib pho is a must-try; they also suggest arriving just before the lunch and dinner rushes to snag one of the limited parking spots in the lot.

Yenvy and Quynh Pham’s parents opened the boat-shaped Phở Bắc at 14th and Jackson in 1982. Now phở shops strew the city and the next generation runs the homegrown mini chain, including this flagship restaurant just steps from the first one where they show how traditional food fits into a modern setting. A neon sign on the Instagram-friendly white walls welcomes diners to the "Phocific Northwest" and oversized beef short ribs stick out from a bowl of noodle soup made from the original Phở Bắc recipe.

Pho Bac, known to many as Seattle's first pho restaurant, has been serving pho out of that big red wooden boat on the corner of Rainier and Jackson since 1982. It's safe to say the Pham family knows pho—so when their kids opened Pho Bac Súp Shop in the same lot earlier this year, you knew it would draw a following. Everything, from the neon signage to the drink list featuring bourbon with pho aromatics (a MUST!), pays tribute to the family's roots through a modern, hipster lens.

Not many soups require sticky fingers and wet wipes to eat, but that's the beef rib pho at Pho Bac Súp Shop. The bowl comes filled with their rich, delicately spiced, and herbaceous beef broth ladled over a pile of rice noodles with a slab of fatty, cartilaginous beef ribs (or sometimes a single Flinstones-esque specimen). It's a glorious mess I like to wash down with a salty egg-yolk soda.

Pho Bac Sup Shop should be your go-to for pho when you want a fun dinner without having to change out of your sweatpants. It’s easy to get in, appetizers (like fries with lemongrass mayo) will go nicely with your soup, and we could eat the slow-poached chicken pho all day. In case you also like to party while wearing an elastic waistband, there are blue cocktails and a photo booth.

There are dozens of pho options in Seattle, but Phở Bắc tops the list for me — it's a casual restaurant that's a perfect place to get out of the Seattle rain. Choose your pho with beef, chicken, prawns, cari chicken, veggies, or tofu. In addition to the classics, don't skip its french fries, which come with a delicious lemongrass dipping sauce.

Pho Bac was named after the national dish of Vietnam Pho, pronounced as “fuh”. They use silky rice noodles, slices of rare strip loin, slow-cooked brisket, green onions, fresh cilantro, and other garnishes to bring out their delicacies. Visit Pho Bac and get to try out new things like putting Chinese doughnuts in the pho.

website | locations: Chinatown-International District ( get directions) and Downtown ( get directions) | cuisine: Vietnamese. This may be controversial, but I like Pho Bac’s pho better than Ba Bar (the popular spot that got started on Capitol Hill’s 12th Ave). I know Ba Bar has a cult following for their pho.

The long-standing, family-run Pho Bac business has changed guards with the opening of Pho Bac Súp Shop, a passion project of the owners’ kids. With the revamp, they added a few new items to Pho Bac’s notoriously short menu, including this excellent meat-filled bowl.

Pho Bac, the sister to Pho Bac Súp Shop, is the first ever Pho chain in Seattle!. With a short but delicious menu, this spot will steal your heart as almost everything is gluten-free!. Expect a wait around lunch as this place is constantly overflowing with people.

🍽️ Vietnamese / Pho | $ | Website | 📍 Google Maps | 📞 (206) 568-0882. Winter may not be the most popular time to visit Seattle, but nothing hits the spot more than pho on those cold and rainy evenings. Fortunately, good pho isn’t hard to come by in Seattle.

Seattle’s Pho Bac is often named the best pho spot in the city, and after trying it, I can see why. The noodle portion was large, the brisket tender, and the broth perfectly flavorful and melt-in-your-mouth good. It felt well-balanced and surprisingly filling.

It’s hip, it’s delicious and you can really never go wrong with it. Pho Bac has been a family business since 1982 and has been satisfying Seattleites’ food cravings ever since. Grab classic bowls of pho or opt for something more unique like the beef rib pho.

Pho Back Súp Shop is one of the downtown Seattle restaurants to try if you’re looking for authentic Seattle food. With savory dishes of noodles featuring tender meat and fresh cooked veggies, this is the perfect dish for a cold or rainy Seattle day.

pho chain in Seattle (as they put it on their social media bio: "Best phở in Seattle. Maybe. Don't really know. Who cares, just eat it"). They have locations all over town, including the hip spinoff Pho Bac Súp Shop Like List in Little Saigon.

Pho Bac Sup Shop is a staple in Seattle’s Vietnamese food scene, and the family legacy is being carried out by sisters Yenvy and Quynh-Vy. Pho Bac Sup Shop offers Vietnamese meals with a modern twist.

Seattle boasts a multiplicity of hubs for all manner of steamy, slurp-worthy pho on rainy days. We'd suggest the short rib pho from Pho Bac Súp Shop. It hits the spot every time.

1240 S Jackson St, Seattle, WA 98144Phone: 206-568-0882 Visit Website. View this post on Instagram. A post shared by P H Ở B Ắ C (@phobacseattle)

UPDATE: Tove and I have since eaten at James Beard Award-nominated Pho Bac Sup Shop. It surely brought its A-game to the table as well!

Pho Bac Súp Shop serves some of the best pho noodles in Seattle. You have to try their ox-tail pho. It’s super flavorful.