Polydish city guide
Best Pho Bo Saigon in Chicago
“Sweeter broth, and a garden on the side. The south believes pho should be a party.”
What the real thing tastes like
Saigon pho runs sweeter and rounder, served with a heaped plate of Thai basil, sawtooth herb, bean sprouts, lime, and chillies — plus hoisin and sriracha on every table. The diner finishes the dish themselves. It's the version that emigrated with the diaspora, which is why most of the world's pho tastes southern.
3,345 voices, one story
Reviewers embrace the ritual — tearing herbs, dosing sauces, building a different bowl every third of the way down. The north-south debate runs hot in the comments, with southern loyalists defending sweetness as generosity.
Order it here when it has
- customisation joy
- herb freshness
- generous bowls
- familiar worldwide
Walk away when you see
- purists call it busy
- sweetness varies
Restaurant-level rankings for Chicago land as the Polydish review engine processes this city's reviews. Explore the dish itself while you wait —
Pho Bo Saigon on Polydish →