Best Pho in Houston: 9 Bowls Worth Finding
Date Published
Pho in Houston means something. The city is home to one of the largest Vietnamese communities in the United States, concentrated along the Bellaire Boulevard corridor that regulars call Little Saigon, up the Long Point and FM 1960 corridors, and in pockets from Midtown to EaDo. You can eat pho for breakfast seven days a week, at restaurants that have been doing it since 1978, and the bowls here rival anything you would find anywhere in the country.
This guide lists nine verified, currently-open Houston pho restaurants, organized by neighborhood. Every spot was confirmed via its official website or official social media page before publication.
The fact most Houstonians don't know: Mai's Restaurant on Milam Street opened in 1978, making it Houston's first Vietnamese restaurant by its own account. It still serves pho until 3 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
The quick list
- For the most storied bowl: Pho Binh, Bellaire — family-owned since 1983, Northern Vietnamese style
- For chicken pho: Dakao Restaurant & Bar, Bellaire — lighter broth, daily hours
- For late-night pho: Mai's Restaurant, Midtown — open since 1978, until 3 a.m. Fri–Sat
- For a family-run spot near downtown: Huynh Restaurant, EaDo
- For central Midtown access: Pho Saigon, Milam Street
- For the northwest FM 1960 corridor: Pho Danh, FM 1960
- For the Heights: Pho Binh Noodle and Grill, White Oak Drive
- For Alief/west Bellaire: Pho Duy, Wilcrest Drive
- For late hours on Bellaire: Pho Ngon, Bellaire Blvd
How we chose
We looked for restaurants with a current official website or active official social media page, a clear focus on pho, and something that makes the trip worth it: history, technique, accessible hours, or a role as a neighborhood anchor. Every spot on this list was checked for signs of closure before publication. Hours change seasonally, and pho shops often keep unusual schedules — check the restaurant's own site or social page before you go.
Bellaire and Little Saigon
Bellaire Boulevard between Beltway 8 and Highway 6 is the heart of Houston's Vietnamese dining scene. Plan a Saturday morning around this corridor and you can eat well for hours.
Pho Binh (Bellaire)
10827 Bellaire Blvd, Bellaire · typically Tue–Sun, opens 7:30 a.m.
The original Pho Binh opened here in 1983 and is still family-owned. The bowl is Northern Vietnamese style — a cleaner, more restrained broth than the Southern style, with a narrower garnish plate. That restraint is intentional: the broth does the work, and the kitchen has been making it the same way for more than 40 years.
There are now seven Pho Binh locations across Houston, but this Bellaire flagship is the original. The dining room fills early on weekends; arriving by 8:30 a.m. gets you a seat without waiting.
Order: Pho Tai (rare beef) or the combination bowl. Hours are typically Tuesday through Sunday, mornings only. Confirm at phobinhbellaire.com before you go.
Dakao Restaurant & Bar
11778 Bellaire Blvd, Bellaire · open daily, typically 9 a.m.–10 p.m.
Dakao Restaurant & Bar on Bellaire is worth knowing for its chicken pho — a lighter, more herbal bowl than the beef versions you will find elsewhere on this corridor. The restaurant serves pho alongside a broader Vietnamese menu, and the daily hours make it a reliable stop morning or evening.
Order: Chicken pho (pho ga). Official site: dakao.shop
Pho Ngon
10782 Bellaire Blvd, Bellaire · typically daily, later hours Fri–Sat
A few addresses west of Pho Binh on the same corridor, Pho Ngon keeps long daily hours that make it a reliable option when others have closed. Traditional pho and banh mi. For more on the Bellaire dining corridor, see our Bellaire and Chinatown restaurant guide.
Midtown and Downtown
Mai's Restaurant
3403 Milam St, Midtown · Mon–Thu 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–3 a.m.
Mai's opened in 1978. If that date is correct — and the restaurant says it is — that makes Mai's Houston's first Vietnamese restaurant. It burned in a fire in 2010 and the family reopened it on the same block. The pho is good, but the reason to know Mai's is the hours: it serves pho until 3 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, which is genuinely useful.
Order: House pho, or banh hoi (thin rice noodle sheets with grilled meat) if you are with a group. More restaurants nearby: best restaurants in Midtown Houston.
Official site: maishouston.com
Pho Saigon (Midtown)
2808 Milam St, Midtown · daily, typically 9 a.m.–8 p.m.
Pho Saigon's Milam Street location is straightforward and reliable: daily hours, a central location, and a menu built around pho fundamentals. An easy first stop for anyone inside the loop who hasn't made it to the Bellaire corridor yet.
Official site: thephosaigon.com
Huynh Restaurant (EaDo)
912 St. Emanuel St, EaDo · Mon–Fri 11 a.m.–3:30 p.m. and 5–9 p.m.; Sat 11 a.m.–9 p.m.; closed Sunday
Huynh has operated in EaDo for more than 17 years, a family-run spot that stayed put while the neighborhood changed significantly around it. The pho is solid, but the kitchen's broader Vietnamese menu — duck salad (goi vit), banh hoi, house spring rolls — is what keeps regulars coming back. A second location is at 2720 Richmond Ave in Upper Kirby.
Order: Start with the pho, then add goi vit (duck salad) if you are sharing. More nearby in our EaDo restaurant guide.
Official site: huynhrestauranthouston.com
The Heights
Pho Binh Noodle and Grill
2916 White Oak Dr, The Heights · check hours at phobinhgrill.com
The Pho Binh family opened this Heights location to bring their Northern Vietnamese pho to a neighborhood that didn't previously have a nearby option. More dining options in our Heights restaurant guide.
Northwest Houston and Alief
Pho Danh
11049 FM 1960 Rd W (Hong Kong City Mall), northwest Houston · call (281) 890-4011 for hours
Pho Danh has been in the FM 1960 corridor for years, anchoring a Vietnamese dining cluster in a part of town that gets far less food coverage than Bellaire or Spring Branch. The website does not publish hours; call (281) 890-4011 before making the drive.
Official site: phodanh.website
Pho Duy
6968 Wilcrest Dr, Suite F, Alief · typically Wed–Mon 8 a.m.–6:30 p.m.; closed Tue
Pho Duy sits in the 77072 zip code just west of Bellaire Chinatown, in the dense Vietnamese restaurant corridor around Wilcrest. No official website, but the kitchen posts actively on Instagram and Facebook — search Pho Duy Houston.
What goes in the bowl
If pho is new to you, here is what you are ordering:
- Pho bo (beef pho): the standard. The broth simmers for hours with beef bones, charred ginger and onion, star anise, cinnamon, and cloves. Cuts to know: tai (rare beef cooked by the hot broth at the table), nam (flank), gan (tendon), ve don (tripe). A Dac Biet combines several.
- Pho ga (chicken pho): lighter and more delicate, with a cleaner herbal broth. Most spots offer it; Dakao on Bellaire is a reliable choice for chicken pho.
- The garnish plate: bean sprouts, Thai basil, lime wedges, jalapeño. In Northern Vietnamese style (Pho Binh), the garnish plate is minimal by design — the broth stands alone. In Southern style, pile everything in.
- Hoisin sauce and sriracha go on the side. Add to the bowl yourself, or taste the broth plain first.
Save this: Bellaire pho morning
Bellaire Boulevard on a Saturday morning covers three of these spots in about a mile.
- Start at Pho Binh — arrive by 8:30 a.m. for the Northern-style bowl in the original 1983 dining room.
- Walk or drive east to Dakao (about 0.8 miles) for chicken pho, or save it for a second visit.
- Stop at Hong Kong Food Market (near Bellaire and Beltway 8) for banh mi and Vietnamese groceries before you leave.
Note: Pho Binh (Bellaire) closes by mid-afternoon, so this is a morning route. Dakao stays open until 10 p.m. if you want to split the visits.
Before you go:
- Pho Binh (Bellaire) closes early afternoon — not a dinner option.
- Dakao is open daily until 10 p.m. and works as a dinner stop.
- Mai's on Milam is the late-night answer: open until 3 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
- Pho Danh does not post hours online; call ahead at (281) 890-4011.
- Bring cash as backup; not every spot takes cards.
More Vietnamese food in Houston
Pho is one part of Houston's Vietnamese dining landscape. For the full picture — banh mi, bun bo Hue, com tam, and the Viet-Cajun crawfish that Houston made famous — see our best Vietnamese restaurants in Houston guide. For the Bellaire corridor specifically, the Houston Chinatown and Asiatown guide covers everything in the area.
Last verified: October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best pho in Houston?
Houston has strong pho across several neighborhoods. For Northern Vietnamese broth, Pho Binh on Bellaire Blvd (open since 1983) is the longtime local benchmark. For chicken pho (pho ga), Dakao Restaurant & Bar on Bellaire is a reliable choice. For late-night pho, Mai's Restaurant on Milam Street in Midtown serves until 3 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Where is the Vietnamese neighborhood in Houston?
The main concentration of Vietnamese restaurants is along Bellaire Boulevard between Beltway 8 and Highway 6 in southwest Houston, an area often called Little Saigon. A second corridor runs along Long Point Road in Spring Branch. The FM 1960 corridor in northwest Houston has a smaller cluster.
What is the difference between pho bo and pho ga?
Pho bo is beef pho, the most common kind, made with a broth simmered for hours with beef bones, charred onion, ginger, star anise, cinnamon, and cloves. Pho ga is chicken pho, with a lighter, more delicate broth. Both are served with rice noodles and a garnish plate of bean sprouts, Thai basil, lime, and jalapeño.
Is Mai's the oldest Vietnamese restaurant in Houston?
Mai's Restaurant at 3403 Milam St in Midtown says it opened in 1978, which it describes as making it Houston's first Vietnamese restaurant. The restaurant burned and was rebuilt in 2010 but has operated continuously since then.
How early do Houston pho restaurants open?
Most pho restaurants on the Bellaire corridor open for breakfast, typically between 7:30 a.m. and 9 a.m. Pho Binh (Bellaire) typically opens at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Many close by early to mid-afternoon, so pho is traditionally a morning and midday meal in Houston.
What should I order at a Houston pho restaurant for the first time?
Order pho tai (rare beef, cooked by the hot broth at the table) or a combination bowl, called dac biet, to try multiple cuts in one serving. Add bean sprouts, Thai basil, and a squeeze of lime from the garnish plate. Taste the broth plain before adding hoisin sauce or sriracha on the side.