Huong Vietnamese Restaurant

I LOVE this place! The location is plain and the décor is downright humorous. At first I thought it’d be great if they could redecorate and look more like what someone would think a Southeast Asian restaurant «should» look like, but then I realized how pretentious that thought was and that it would bring in more people and make this place less of a destination for people who can truly appreciate it. Once you’ve eaten here and tried a few different things, you would be sad to see any of it change. Of course, the first thing anybody should try is the phở. I started out with a basic bowl with less than adventurous ingredients then moved on to all the different varieties with things like slices of liver, quail eggs, and beef tendon. I haven’t had a single thing there that I didn’t enjoy profusely. Definitely have to try their spring rolls, with handfuls of Thai basil noodles slices of pork and huge shrimp. But the best thing that I’ve had so far are their enormous bahn mi sandwiches. Footlong French bread loaf packed with either grilled or cold cut pork, chicken liver pâté, and a plate full of fresh veggies to pack in it. There’s nothing like it in Columbus. And on my last visit I tried their iced Vietnamese coffee and crave it all the time now. Honestly, I probably never would have I found this place if it hadn’t been for Unilocal reviews so I decided to write one myself, even though it means revealing one of my favorite secret restaurants ever.

Been here a few times. They cook some foods authentically, and some that had cut corners. But, what they do best is there com suon (rice platter with porkchop), and there phở. The pork chop is marinated very well, and grilled on charcoal, giving that authentic flavor. My dad who is of Vietnamese descent is really picky when it comes to food and he gave his approval of the dish. The phở is super rich with flavor and you can tell that they cooked the bones for hours making that phở super rich in flavor. We had got some other specially made things which Huong’s has occasionally. Some were a miss, but theres never a problem with trying it! There banh beo is also very good, and there nuoc mam is on point! You judge a Vietnamese place by there nuoc mam, and Huongs got it right! There banh mi is huge! But, the taste isn’t really quite there. It is a good fix though, if your wanting banh mi. Just don’t expect it to be the the traditional banh mi. The bread they have is a bit heavier and banh mi bread traditionally is crispy, airy, and light. There isn’t enough pâté and buttery mayo. Overall, this is the place I usually go to for Vietnamese food.

Quick update:
Huong Vietnamese Restaurant has really stepped up their game recently! The phở broth has been on point and you can taste the depth, the flavors, and all around genuine home cooked taste to it. Seriously, tastes pretty darn close to how mom made it; tastes pretty darn close to the phở I had growing up.
And their rice dishes and vermicelli dishes have gotten so much better too! It was good before but it’s great now! Seriously… I don’t know what they’ve changed but it’s been for the better and I love it!
Definitely the most authentic Vietnamese place I’ve tried in Columbus (I’ve tried Mi Li & Buckeye Phở as well — both good but Huong hands down is my favorite).
KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK GUYS!
(And shout out to Mary for always being so nice at the register even though we know we’re probably interrupting your schoolwork or something.)
My previous review:
Huong is as good as it gets for Columbus.
A nice local mom and pop shop literally ran by a family. I’ve chatted with the dad several times — turns out he’s from about 15 minutes from where my family used to be in Saigon. He has some female relatives running the kitchen and his daughters helping out with delivering the food and working the cash register.
The food is good and authentic. I moved here from the east coast with the abundance of Vietnamese restaurants and grocery stores in Philadelphia — so realizing I might have to drive a bit to get to a good Vietnamese restaurant here was a bit disappointing but I’m so glad I found Huong. I’ve tried Mi Li and Buckeye Phở, and while they were both good, I can honestly say Huong is better.
Their phở is great. I’ve also tried a bunch of their other dishes like rice, vermicelli, soupy/​brothy dishes and they’re all good. The banh mi, $ 5-​$ 6 for a footlong was okay… but I also waited hours before I ate it (got it for a late night fight back to the east coast). The one exception was the bun bo hue, which is a new addition, and not like what I’m used to… maybe they’re still working out the kinks? The only other place I’ve seen that offers bun bo hue is Mi Li and it was okay.
Oh and yes, there is eclectic music videos playing in the back on a VHS player… I kid you not. Sure to put a smile on your face.

It’s been awhile since my last dining experience at Huong. Their food is so delicious and homemade, nobody beats the taste, flavor and care that is put into every single dish. Today, my family and I ordered 2 Bank MI sandwiches with roasted pork as the main star of the dish. I had the #20 Phở and my beloved had the lettuce leaf wrap, #39 on the menu. Delicious, flavorful, very distinct in flavor and never boring. Use some plum sauce and Sriracha for and enhanced flavor experience. Dine in or carry out, they are fantastic. Service was good and always with a smile.

Went with my mom at the suggestion of an acquaintance. So glad we went!
The phở is amazing. The broth was very flavorful. We split the Vietnamese spring rolls which were also very good.
I highly recommend the Vietnamese coffee iced or hot. It is delicious. I think I’m addicted…
The staff are very nice. They are helpful and very accommodating. I will be back often!!!

I am Vietnamese and love Viet food but i found this place to be unpalatable. I am from the DC/​Va area and eat Viet food often wherever i travel including west coast and Vietnam. I ordered the egg rolls, bun rieu and avocado shake. I finished nothing. The fillers in the egg roll were not typical and were too mushy, the bun rieu had no semblance of bun rieu and was incredibly bland. Even the avocado shake which came towards the end of my meal did not taste like avocado. It tasted coconuty and very powder like. I had two sips and i hope they got the message when i left it untouched after that. Service was inattentive as i was alone and my food took a very long time to come out. As a native born Viet person i canNOT recommend this place.

The best phở I’ve had recently! Servers were very friendly and I would like to come back again in the future.

I love coming here. Best place to get some
Phở, there egg rolls are the closest I have tasted to what my grandmother used to make. Great price for the great quality of food. This place is worth the drive from canal Winchester. Love bein back in Columbus so I can get my Viet fix.

This place is about as authentic Vietnamese as you’ll get in Columbus. Between this and Mi Li Café, there’s some great food happening here. I don’t eat a lot of phở, and I’m not really a huge fan of what I’ve had, so I really wanted to give this place a shot, since I’ve heard it’s some of the best broth in town.
First off, we brought one of our Vietnamese friends to help us decide on some menu options, and she guided us toward the Vietnamese coffee to start. Where has this been all my life? My girlfriend and I loved it so much, we went across the street to Saraga to get the filters and coffee to make some at home. It filters right at the table and what your left with is a really strong and delicious mixture of condensed milk and coffee. I could drink this everyday.
So judging by the pictures, the banh mi looked enormous (and it was), but I wanted to try it, so we split one among the three of us. It’s well over a foot long on delicious French bread and only $ 5.75! That’s the best sandwich deal in town. It comes with the pork on it as well as a yellowy mayo looking sauce that was tangy and delicious. The veggies comes on the side, so you can add as much or as little as you like. Everyone loved this.
For my main entrée, I went with the Phở Dac Biet, which has basically all of their beef options, including tendon and tripe. I liked the broth, but I think overall, it wasn’t my favorite dish in the world. It was kind of skimping on some of the beef, and the flavor combined with the noodles wasn’t my favorite. I didn’t actually see any tendon, and the trip was pretty miniscule. Our friend ordered Bun Bo Hue, and I think she liked it? It was a bit of a mixed reaction.
I think I need to stop getting phở, because I’m just not the biggest fan of it, and I feel like an outcast! The thing is, I love every other dish I’ve tried at Vietnamese restaurants, so it’s time to start sticking to those. I’d definitely want to come back for the vermicelli and the rice cake dishes. We were here on a Sunday for lunch, and it was pretty packed. The service is a little slow, but it wasn’t that big of a deal. I’ll be looking to come back here soon.
Tip: Once you’re done, just go up to the front to pay!

Go for the Phở! This is close to my place of work and I was hanker in some Phở, so decided to go out on a limb and try it out.
As mentioned in some other reviews, it’s in a run down part of Morse Rd and in a strip mall with a dollar store. But, it’s certainly, worth the try/​visit.
I’ve only gone a couple times now and have gotten just phở, but I would recommend this place for phở to everyone!
The atmosphere isn’t anything to talk about, but the staff is very nice and accommodating. I’ve only gone for lunch, but always seems to have people there and the prices are great!
I’ll be back soon!

Phở in a non-​descript strip center on Morse Road, east of 71.
The broth is thin. I think it could be more flavorful. Vegetables are very fresh, but they were served on the cold side, which chilled off the Phở broth. Portions were huge in the large bowl. We shared and then also had a vegetable egg roll.
Happy servers were attentive and helpful. They have funny stuff on the TV. Entertaining but no connection to VietNam. That must make it more funny. Bathrooms are well tended too. Thanks for that.
Prices are typical… Super low and a very good value. I just wish the broth was tastier. We’ll be back to try more choices.

I try to eat here at least a couple of times a month. Yes, the phở is that good. The cha gio (deep fried egg rolls) with fish sauce are the perfect size appetizer to share as is the canh ga (chicken wing appetizer). The #27 beef stew with rice noodles (much more a soup than a stew) is my favorite soup meal ever. It is savory and hearty. Of course they have all of the usual suspects for you to prepare to your taste at the table.
Everyone I have treated to an evening here has walked away happy and impressed. As others have said, the retro VHS music videos are a real plus for all ages.
I have always had good service that is not intrusive and allows you to enjoy your meal and company.

Interesting place. Has a lot of signs! «Don’t open here. To use the bathroom ask for combination. Water is really hot «
Food is good. I got the pork plate with a deep fried egg which it was over cooked
I tried a friends prick sandwich and that was better
Service is ok
Will probably visit again to have the sandwich

This place is just odd. The music videos are strange. The atmosphere is more hole
in the wall. The four of us were seated at an 8 person table and asked to share a table with anther group of 3! The menu is a bit hard to navigate. It’s weird that you have to get a code to use the restroom. We tried spring rolls and they were decent. The flavors of the pork and chicken with rice were good. Out of the Ban and Phở, the Phở was the better choice.

I must admit: I don’t have much experience with Vietnamese food outside of Columbus. So, thus I enjoyed my meal. The restaurant is nicely done. A decent amount of tables. I met John M. for dinner on a Thursday night, and there were still tables open, so we got seated right away.
I thought the Beef Egg Roll Salad (Bun bo cha gip) was quite good. The fish sauce that is spread over the cold noodle dish enhanced the flavors that much more. I did put about a fourth/​half a cup of hot clear wonton broth to give it more moisture (a personal taste/​texture thing). This was a large dish, definitely enough for left-​overs.
I’m incredibly intrigued by the menu pic of the Phở. I have read many high reviews about this restaurant’s traditional soups, so I look forward to stopping by again.

This place takes you back, back to a time where VHS music videos ruled and the sound of Kenny Loggins and power ballads from the 70s and 80s made you want to jump up and dance like Kevin Bacon… all on a full content stomach!
I have to say, this is my third time here and it’s never failed. Probably my favorite Viet food in the area. This is a no-​frills restaurant that focuses on the food! The portions are amazing, the price reasonable, and all of it tastes great!
We came on a Sunday for lunch and upon entering it was like being transported back in time, the décor, the music (transmitted off a small box tv and vhs player toward the back), all very nostalgic and a nice change from most modern restaurants these days. It was pretty busy around 1 PM and so we expected slower service only having 2 servers running around. We had everything family style ordering up Banh Uot cha lua (rice rolls with steamed sausage), phở Dac biet (beef noodle soup), bun bo nuong cha gio (grilled beef and egg roll noodle salad), two banh mi thit nguoi (cold pork sub), and some Viet coffees. Everything came out fairly quickly for how much we ordered. With 4 very hungry friends we were stuffed and still had a bit leftover. It was a good spread of Viet favorites and we were not disappointed.
Come, bring your friends, bask in tasty Viet food and be transported back in time!

Yesterday I talked about Buckeye Phở, which is a modern Vietnamese restaurant. Today, I will talk about a mom & pop place called Huong Vietnamese Restaurant. It looks like a rundown joint from the outside, but don’t judge the book by its cover!
Every time I go out for a food exploration, I always order something new. This time is no different, I tried Vietnamese-​style iced phin coffee. I was surprised, when the owner served me a brewing metal drip filter on top of a small ceramic mug, and a cup of ice. He said let the coffee sit in the cup for about five minutes. Then, take the cover up and make sure all the coffee done dripping. After that, stir well to mix the coffee and sweetened condensed milk. Once that done, pour the coffee over the cup of ice and stir. This is a pretty interesting experience to me, since I got to brew and make myself a Vietnamese coffee. I really like the combination between coffee and condensed milk. As you sip in the coffee, you get a favor of condensed milk, along with a strong aftertaste of the coffee.
Here is the spring roll with pork patty. The pork patty gives a rich grill favor to the spring roll. Along with the lettuce and basil, it balances out the oiliness from the pork patty. When I have spring roll before, it usually come with peanut sauce. But this time, it come with fish sauce. I do think fish sauce differentiated the rolls from other restaurants.
Phở is my must have item for Vietnamese restaurants. Each restaurant have their own recipe for phở, and I would say this is one of my favorite phở by far. The broth is very savory and the ingredients are undoubtedly fresh. Like all phở-​lovers, bean sprouts, lime juice, hoisin and siracha sauces cannot be missed in a bowl of phở!
Overall, I am very satisfy with the experience in this restaurant. The home style atmosphere, kindness of the owner, along with the authentic food make this one of my favorite restaurants in Columbus.

This was my second visit to Huong Vietnamese (shame on me for not writing a review on my first!). I had the hot (temperature) pork Bahn Mi and it was really delicious! In fact, the best I’ve had. While the pork was tasty, especially with the sauce, the bread is really what makes it.
The sandwich is huge! Foot long, I believe. When I saw it I thought, «Oh well, I’ll have left overs for dinner.» Not the case! I ate it all!
Will be back for sure!

This is my favorite Vietnamese restaurant in the city, but until today I hadn’t been here in over a year. It’s too far from home, and while my work is closer, they can sometimes take too long for lunch. Today I wasn’t in any particular rush, so I decided to swing by.
I started with banh beo as an appetizer. It has a pretty strong smell because of the dried shrimp, but its taste is much tamer. It’s a sweet, sour, salty, and refreshing appetizer. Huong’s version is pretty standard.
As for bun bo hue, it’s another great Viet soup that for some reason doesn’t get nearly as much mainstream love as phở. It’s rich, spicy, complex, heavy on the lemongrass flavor, and has a much thicker noodle than phở. The broth at Huong’s is the truth. Among the ingredients are slices of roasted beef, Vietnamese balogna, pig’s foot, and a few cubes of congealed pork blood. Now I know the last two items can lead you to ordering that safe bowl of phở ga (chicken), but don’t be scared or you’ll end up missing out on this fantastic soup. They state «pig foot» on the menu, but it’s usually a pork hock. If you’re not interested in the blood cubes, they’re very easy to eat around. They’re like dark tofu cubes. The soup also comes with a plate of herbs. Huong uses the same herbs for this soup as they do their phở, but it should also have shredded red cabbage to add a little crunch.

Huong’s Phở is the real deal. The broth alone is out of this world! I had the spring rolls and the rare steak and meatball phở. Both were authentic, tasty and very fresh!
The only thing I must ask is… why is there a combination lock on the bathroom doors? But I digress…
A must try!