New York City / Pho
Best Pho
& Vietnamese in NYC
The Chinatown classics, the cult modern bowls, and the best banh mi in the city.
Chinatown bowls under $15, cult modern pho on St. Marks — no happy hours, just great bowls.
- 15 spots
- bowls from $14.50
- banh mi from $8
- 4 boroughs
The short version
- Best classic phoThai Son – Xe Lua combo, under $15 in Chinatown.
- Best modern phoMadame Vo – The Madame Pho, 24-hr broth, East Village.
- Best banh miBa Xuyen – $8 in Sunset Park; Banh Mi Saigon on Grand Street, $9.50.
- Best sit-downDi An Di – Michelin-listed, Greenpoint.
- Best pho + bone marrowHanoi House – Northern-style pho bo.
The best pho in NYC right now runs from Chinatown classics to cult modern bowls: Thai Son and Pho Bang for a Xe Lua combo under $15, Madame Vo in the East Village for The Madame Pho and its 24-hour broth, Hanoi House for a Northern-style pho bo with roasted bone marrow, and Di An Di in Greenpoint for a Michelin-listed modern take. For banh mi, Banh Mi Saigon on Grand Street ($9.50) and Joju in Elmhurst are the picks. No happy hours here — these are restaurants and counters — so this is a straight where-to-go guide, split into best pho, banh mi, and full Vietnamese sit-down.
At a glance
Best bowls up top — tap a number on the map for Chinatown and the Lower East Side, the East Village, Sunset Park, Greenpoint, Elmhurst and Kingsbridge in the Bronx.
| Bar | The deal | Days | Window | $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pho Bang | First pho on the menu, max cuts | Daily | 11am–9pm | $$$ |
| Thai Son | Xe Lua combo, every cut | Daily | 10:30am–10pm | $$$ |
| Nam Son | Generous combo bowls | Daily | 11am–9:30pm | $$$ |
| Pho Grand | Straightforward classic pho | Daily | 10:30am–10pm | $$$ |
| Madame Vo | Eye round + brisket + meatball | Daily | lunch + dinner | $$$ |
| Banh Mi Saigon | Banh mi on a cracking baguette | Tue–Sun | 10am–5:30pm | $$$ |
| Joju | Banh mi, kimchi fries, the JoJu | Daily | 11am–8pm | $$$ |
| Hanoi House | Filet, oxtail, brisket + bone marrow | Daily | dinner | $$$ |
| Di An Di | Pho Thin Hanoi; strong wine list | Daily | dinner (+ lunch) | $$$ |
| Saigon Social | Banh Mi Burger + dry-aged pho | Daily | dinner + wknd brunch | $$$ |
| Ba Xuyen | The #1 special, $8 — the city’s benchmark | Daily | Unpublished | $$$ |
| Little Thanh Da | The #1, $9, takeout only | Daily | Unpublished | $$$ |
| Banh Mi Co Ut | The classic, $9.25 | Daily | Unpublished | $$$ |
| Com Tam Ninh Kieu | Banh mi $10.95, com tam $18.95 | Tue–Sun | 11am–3pm, 4–8:30pm | $$$ |
| Xe May | Sandwiches $14–$15.50 | Daily | 12–9pm | $$$ |
Map: where these 15 spots are
A Chinatown and Lower East Side cluster, plus the East Village trio, Sunset Park, Greenpoint, Elmhurst and Kingsbridge in the Bronx.
Pins are numbered to match the table above – tap any pin for the deal and directions.
Best pho
From cheap Chinatown classics to cult modern bowls. More noodle soup in our best ramen in NYC guide.
Pho Bang
The Verdict: a Chinatown pho institution with fast turnover and a bowl that lands around $14.50 — order the first pho on the menu, loaded with the full range of beef cuts. It made New York Magazine’s best-soups list for a reason. The Local Move: there’s a $15 card minimum, so bring cash or bring a friend. The Why: unfussy, consistent, and exactly what a Chinatown pho lunch should be.
newyorkpho.com · See our best Chinatown restaurants
Thai Son
The Verdict: the value king — a giant Xe Lua combo pho with every cut, and no bowl tops $15 if you pay cash. A big, busy Chinatown pho hall, sister to Nam Son. The Local Move: cash keeps it under fifteen bucks and speeds the whole thing up. The Why: for pho-per-dollar in Manhattan this is hard to beat, and the broth holds up against spots charging double.
thaisonnyc.com · See our best ramen in NYC
Nam Son
The Verdict: a no-frills Chinatown-edge stalwart doing generous, classic beef pho — the sister to Thai Son, a little quieter. Come for a solid, cheap bowl without a wait. The Why: it’s the kind of dependable neighborhood pho that doesn’t make lists but should; locals keep it full for a reason. The Local Move: the combo bowls are the way to go — the portions are big.
See our best Chinatown restaurants
Pho Grand
The Verdict: a veteran Grand Street counter turning out traditional beef pho, open to around 10pm — a decent late bowl by Chinatown standards. Reliable, unfussy, been-here-forever. The Why: when you want a straightforward bowl of pho with no reinvention and no scene, this is the one. The Local Move: keep it classic — the plain beef pho is all it needs to be.
phograndnyc.com · See our best Asian restaurants in NYC
Madame Vo
The Verdict: the cult modern pho of the East Village, built on a 24-hour broth — The Madame Pho, eye round, brisket and meatball, is the order (add short rib). Expect a wait; the room’s small and the Resy books up. The Local Move: reserve, or go early on a weeknight. The Why: it’s the bowl that proved ‘modern pho’ could be worth $20, and it earns it.
madamevo.com · See our East Village happy hours
Banh mi
Seven counters, $8 to $15.50 — and the two cheapest are the two critics rank highest. More in our best Vietnamese restaurants in NYC.
Banh Mi Saigon
The Verdict: the cult Manhattan banh mi, on a cracking baguette, from $9.50 — the classic #4 or the nem nuong. It shares a Grand Street storefront with a jewelry case, which only adds to the charm. The Honest Caveat: it sells out after 5pm, so go early, and it takes cards now. The Why: the bread is the difference, and Banh Mi Saigon’s is the best in the city.
See our best Chinatown restaurants
Joju
The Verdict: the Queens modern banh mi, and the flagship in Elmhurst is worth the trip — the classic banh mi plus the famous kimchi fries and the JoJu with a runny egg. The Local Move: get the kimchi fries even if you weren’t planning to; they’re the sleeper hit. The Why: it modernized the genre without losing the plot. There’s a Manhattan branch too, but Elmhurst is the one.
jojuny.com · See our best Asian restaurants in NYC
Ba Xuyen
The Verdict: eight dollars, and it is the sandwich every other banh mi in this city quietly gets measured against. The #1 was $8 as of March 2025 — the same writer recorded it at $3.75 in February 2009. The MTA’s own Sunset Park food guide calls the bread crusty without being dry, with silky pate underneath. The Honest Caveat: NYC Tourism’s page still says it is priced under $5. It is not. Nobody publishes the hours either, so call (718) 633-6601 before you ride out.
Little Thanh Da
The Verdict: Robert Sietsema, March 2025 — slinging what are probably the city’s best banh mi for over 20 years. That is about as settled as a verdict gets on this beat. Nine dollars, on a light crisp demi-baguette, with barbecued pork, Virginia ham and pork roll all made in house. The Local Move: the address says 8th Ave but the entrance is around the corner on 57th Street, and people walk straight past it. The Why: it is fourteen blocks from Ba Xuyen, which makes the two best sandwiches in New York one walk.
See our best cheap eats in NYC
Banh Mi Co Ut
The Verdict: the Manhattan sandwich that holds its own against Sunset Park without the 45-minute ride, at $9.25 on Elizabeth between Grand and Hester. The build is cold cuts, pate, pork belly and pork floss — four separate formats of pork in one baguette, and they do not fight each other. The Honest Caveat: there is a related shop, Kitchen Co Ut, at 85 Chrystie St, two blocks away, and it turns up on pho guides. Different address, different menu. For the sandwich you want 83 Elizabeth.
See our best Chinatown restaurants
Com Tam Ninh Kieu
The Verdict: the best broken rice in New York is under the elevated 4 train in Kingsbridge, and the sandwich counter attached to it is quietly one of the better-value ones in the city — $10.95 across most fillings, $11.95 for brisket. The house com tam special is $18.95 and pho starts at $14.99. The Honest Caveat: it is closed Mondays and it shuts 3pm to 4pm every day it trades — 11am to 3pm, then 4pm to 8:30pm. And do not trust ctnkpickup.com; that old ordering domain now resolves to a different restaurant entirely.
See our Bronx happy hours
Xe May Sandwich Shop
The Verdict: $15.50 is the top of the market and it is here on St Marks. The Hog, the Sidecar, the Lam’bretta, the DUKE and the vegetarian Mean Green all run $15.50; the Super Cub Classic is $14 and the lemongrass-chicken Pilot $14.50. Open noon to 9pm daily, with a second shop at 1433 1st Ave. The Honest Caveat: you are paying roughly double the Sunset Park price. What you get is published hours, published prices and a vegetarian option — which none of the $8 counters offer. Worth it on a Tuesday in the East Village, not worth a special trip.
xemaysandwich.com · See our East Village happy hours
Modern & full Vietnamese
Sit-down rooms where the pho is only the start. More in best Asian restaurants in NYC.
Hanoi House
The Verdict: dark, refined Northern-style pho in the East Village — the pho bo with filet, oxtail, brisket and roasted bone marrow, plus a crispy breadstick to dunk. This is dinner-focused and a little more grown-up than a Chinatown counter. The Local Move: get the bone marrow in the pho; it’s the signature. The Why: it made Hanoi-style pho a destination south of 14th Street, with craft beer to match.
hanoihousenyc.com · See our East Village happy hours
Di An Di
The Verdict: Michelin-listed modern Vietnamese in Greenpoint, and the Pho Thin Hanoi — herby, Northern-style, around $28 — is the move. Strong wine list, great cocktails, a room you’ll want to stay in. The Why: it’s the most complete modern Vietnamese in the city, where the pho is only the start of the menu. The Local Move: come for dinner with a group and order beyond the pho.
diandi.nyc · See our best new restaurants in NYC
Saigon Social
The Verdict: Helen Nguyen’s modern LES Vietnamese, an NYT Critic’s Pick, doing ‘nontraditional traditional’ — a dry-aged-beef pho and a Banh Mi Burger that stacks short rib and dry-aged ribeye. The Local Move: order the Banh Mi Burger; it’s the dish people come back for. The Why: it’s personal, precise cooking that respects the tradition while pushing it, and the room has real warmth.
Pho happy hour: FAQ
What is the best pho in NYC?
Madame Vo and Hanoi House in the East Village lead the modern bowls; Thai Son, Pho Bang and Pho Grand in Chinatown are the classic, cheaper picks.
Where’s the best banh mi in NYC?
Banh Mi Saigon on Grand Street (from $9.50) is the cult Manhattan pick; Joju in Elmhurst does a great modern version with kimchi fries.
Where’s the best pho in Chinatown?
Thai Son (the Xe Lua combo, under $15 with cash), Pho Bang on Mott, and Pho Grand on Grand Street are the Chinatown standbys.
What’s the best modern or sit-down Vietnamese in NYC?
Di An Di in Greenpoint (Michelin-listed), Saigon Social on the Lower East Side, and Hanoi House in the East Village.
How much does a bowl of pho cost in NYC?
About $14–16 for a standard bowl in Chinatown; modern spots like Madame Vo (~$20) and Di An Di (~$28) run higher for premium cuts and broth.
How much does banh mi cost in NYC?
Between $8 and $15.50 for a standard sandwich. The cheapest verified is Ba Xuyen’s #1 special in Sunset Park at $8; the most expensive standard sandwiches are at Xe May on St Marks Place, where five of them run $15.50. In between: Little Thanh Da at $9, Banh Mi Co Ut at $9.25, Banh Mi Saigon’s cold cut special at $9.50, and Com Tam Ninh Kieu in the Bronx at $10.95. The price gap is geographic rather than qualitative — the two cheapest sandwiches in the city are the two that critics rank highest, and both are on 8th Avenue in Sunset Park.
Last updated: July 2026. Deals and hours change – confirm with the venue before you go. Spot something out of date? Let us know.
