Updated 03-16-22. Fresh, delicious, unique - these are words Pho Que Huong uses to describe pho, a well-known Vietnamese soup noodle dish. Add the words healthy and well-balanced, and that's how Pho Que Huong brands itself to its clientele. Pho Que Huong is a popular pho franchise with locations all in the state of Texas.
According to Pho Que Huong's website, Que Huong translates to "native village." More accurately, Que Huong (or Quê Hương) really means native land or homeland. With a cozy, home-style feel, the restaurant offers traditional and innovative pho dishes for the entire family, with a flavor that is richly reminiscent of the true origins of this noodle dish. Pho Que Huong recognizes that the creation of a pho dish is nothing short of a culinary art, and the company offers only the choicest beef cuts and the best flavorful spices, all of which are completely natural to ensure that the meals served to customers are exceedingly nutritious.
Pho Que Huong makes available all the expected variety of pho garnishes such as cilantro, onions, basil, bean sprouts, and fresh lime. The ingredients also come complete with choices of round steak, briskets, flank steak, tendons, and tripe. All in all, Pho Que Huong offers the usual pho permutations, but as far as I can tell there is no pho ga on the menu. Sounds like my kind of pho place, but wait, just read on.
To cater to non-pho eaters, Pho Que Huong's menu also includes non-pho dishes, all of them popular Vietnamese fare. As other pho franchises offer a menu that purely consists of pho dishes, Pho Que Huong also offer customers an extensive menu featuring other popular delicacies Vietnamese love to eat. Other dishes you may find include steamed rice with grilled chicken, grilled beef, pork chop, fresh spring rolls, shrimp spring rolls, vegetarian spring rolls, and shrimp over vermicelli, among many others. In fact, the selection is a mix of various Asian delicacies such as Thai and Cambodian, though the major theme is still Vietnamese. Other Asian dishes include crab Rangoon, fried Peking ravioli, and dumplings. Pho Que Huong also offers various appetizers, desserts, and beverages, which includes choice fruit shakes with unique flavors such as strawberry and avocado. The Thai mixed jelly and the Vietnamese iced coffee are also available. Pho Que Huong even adds a small menu of popular Vietnamese sandwiches.
Pho Que Huong has been around since 1994. Their website indicates that they have 10 locations in Texas but I believe this is old information and they have more open now. Although said to have been awarded by the Dallas Morning News, not much was found on the Internet after a search. Only a short review was found on the GuideLive site, which is an arts and entertainment guide by The Dallas Morning News. Unfortunately it looks like GuideLive is no longer online.
So what's the bottom line? I'm not yet a fan of pho franchises. Knowing how difficult it is to make pho, duplicating the quality of your pho consistently in multiple locations remains a challenge. I also found chatters around the blogosphere about variable quality of pho at different Pho Que Huong at different locations, and to me it's a sign of the franchise still trying to get its act together. I hope they do.
Do you have experience eating at any of the Pho Que Huong restaurants? Share your observation with us.
Pho Que Huong is by far my favorite place to get Pho. I’ve been to 3 different locations nearby and its always consistent. I love them. I always recommend them.