Pho Tau Bay
Minneapolis, MN 55408-2329
Phone: (612) 874-6030
- Price:
- $
- Hours:
- Tue-Sun 9am-9pm
Editorial Review for Pho Tau Bay – by Mary Ellen Smith
In Short
This Vietnamese eatery housed in the somewhat dowdy remains of a pancake house offers a wide variety of meat and seafood-enhanced noodle bowls and soups, along with a good selection of appetizers, including steamed buns and spring rolls. Two things of note about the ambience: the place is popular with local immigrants; and the focal point is a big-screen TV, where you can see Chinese films dubbed into Vietnamese.
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Insider Tips
What to DrinkVietnamese coffee and other exotic beverages (try a pennywort soda) are recommended.
User Reviews for Pho Tau Bay
02/16/2008 Posted by mhuang1
I have lived in the Twin Cities all of my life after arriving from Vietnam over 29+ years ago and it took me over 20+ years of eating at average to above average Asian restaurants to find the Golden Nugget of Authentic Vietnamese Cuisines on Eat Street! The first time my cousin Marc brought me there after work, I was impressed with their pho AND desserts! Alot of Viet's places have almost as good pho, but PTB (All of my White friends fond moniker for this place) has delightful delicious desserts as well! I love the Cha Thai, the bean desserts, and unlike some cheap Asian places, PTB gives ample portions because after all I may be Vietnamese by heritage, I eat like a large American!...PTB = Best Place for Viet's cuisines!...Oh, and plenty of free parking! No need to be an expert parallel parker, which I am not one, not with my half ton truck! Love this place Alot!..Every White, Black, Asian friends I've brought here LOVE THIS PLACE! I go every Saturday when I'm not working...Like right now, my girlfriend and I are heading there for an early lunch!
Pros: Best Pho and Desserts
Cons: Some Wait Staff don't speak enough English
05/04/2007 Posted by nenechan
I've been up and down Eat Street (Nicollet Ave. between 15th St. thru Lake St.) Looking for a good bowl of pho and a couple of years ago, I settled on this place. I grew up in Hawaii where there are a plethora of awesome Vietnamese places and the pho here is as close as what I've had in Hawaii --- a rich beefy oxtail stock, fresh sliced beef (raw thin slices which cooks in the heat of the soup), tender brisket, savory firm meatballs, and for the adventurous --- fresh tripe and fresh tendons. This particular pho combination is menu item #1, the Pho Tau Bay Dac Biet, or the Pho Tau Bay Special pho and it is my favorite item on their menu. You can get many different combinations of meat on the menu, the fresh beef, brisket, meatballs, chicken (pho ga), seafoods and yes --- raw tendon and/or tripe. No matter how you get it, the pho is always accompanied by a platter of fresh bean sprouts, sprigs of Thai basil, sliced jalepenos and wedges of lime. Just grab a handful of sprouts and toss them in, tear your basil into little pieces over the pho, and if you like, drop a slice or 2 of jalepeno in and give a little squeeze a lime. These guys know how to juxtapose the richness of the stock with the vibrant freshness the sprouts and sweet herb of the basil. I've had pho at other places that was too clear, like a consomme, rather than the hearty silky stock Pho Tau Bay makes. Also delicious is their goi con (fresh spring roll), a clear rice wrapper filled with rice noodles, char siu pork, shrimp halves and Thai basil. And the banh mi (french bread sandwich), which is delicious made with the grilled pork (a steal at $3!).Their meat is marinated with a lot of oil so it is a touch greasier than a place like Jasmine Deli, but sometimes that's more appealing to me than my food being totally greaseless. There is one standout waiter. He is a handsome young man who's very personable, he could serve at any of the fancier places with very little polishing. Otherwise, the staff is nice.
Pros: Best pho MPLS, Fast friendly service, Inexpensive Lots of free parking
Cons: Most wait staff not used to serving at an American restaurant, Not a cute place
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