Vietnamese food often conjures images of special-occasion pho houses or destination banh mi spots—and for good reason, especially if you’re planning a culinary pilgrimage. But sometimes you don’t want to travel across town for a bowl of noodles that’s been simmering since your last dentist appointment. Sometimes you just want a crispy spring roll on a Wednesday night without overthinking it. Enter: Glendale’s hidden gems.
These are the spots serving authentic, affordable Vietnamese fare in unexpected corners of the city—we just decided to round up the very best.
Puer Taiwan Tea and Coffee
$ | (480) 490-0866 | WEBSITE
Puer Taiwan Tea and Coffee has been around for a while now, in that time evolving into one of Glendale’s best Taiwanese tea shop/Vietnamese cafe hybrids. And hiding on that long menu of teas, coffees, and banh mi are a couple of standout desserts. They’re a great value all the time—a little over $6 for a Hong Kong Milk Tea with boba—but on weekends, they knock it down to $5 for their special Matcha crème brûlée with the torch top.
Pho and Boba
$ | (623) 248-0717 | WEBSITE
There’s a reason Pho and Boba keeps popping up on those ‘best Vietnamese’ lists in Glendale—and every Thursday evening, the place fills up with regulars who know about the incredible pho night special. The deal starts at 6pm and runs until the broth runs out—it includes a large bowl of their signature pho, a generous order of spring rolls packed with fresh lettuce, and a creamy coconut milk boba for $18.
If that wasn’t enough to get you off the couch on a weeknight, Pho and Boba also runs a Boba Happy Hour all day on Thursdays, when you can snag half-priced cafe sua da and $4 basic street ramen.
Vietnamese Community of Arizona
Vietnamese Community of Arizona’s lemongrass spicy soup feels like a revelation. Someone clearly talked to the neighborhood when they decided to serve this aromatic broth with tender chicken and vibrant herbs for $14. The soup arrives steaming hot with a complex and well-balanced flavor, the noodles are perfectly cooked, and the lemongrass brings everything together in a spicy, fragrant way. The menu might rotate specials every season or two, but the quality stays consistent.
Get to this spot before their chefs run out of that magical broth.
Pho AnAn
$ | (602) 677-3995 | WEBSITE
“Authentic” is definitely the word we’d use to describe Pho AnAn, a beloved Vietnamese spot in Glendale with about eight simple tables creating a calming, homey atmosphere. The menu leans traditional Vietnamese, featuring things like fresh spring rolls, flavorful banh mi, and a very solid pho. And for regulars, the combination pho with short rib is a popular choice.
You can enjoy consistently amazing food—at typical local price points—plus attentive service with prompt drink refills, making this one of the more reliable experiences. Our favorite order is the egg rolls (which also happen to be incredibly fresh) with pho and friendly staff.
PT PHO Express – Glendale
$ | (480) 404-7549 | WEBSITE
Nearly everything at PT PHO Express feels fresh and vibrant. The pho arrives with a rich, aromatic broth that whispers cinnamon and ginger, and the noodles are perfectly tender with crisp vegetables. But the only tie we’ve found between the quick-service format and their famous egg rolls is that they’re priced like you’re grabbing street food in Saigon. The rolls come out golden and crackling, never greasy, with a generous filling, and a side of fresh mint lemonade to wash it all down.
UK PHO
$ | (623) 931-3727 | WEBSITE
UK Pho feels like a tribute to authentic Vietnamese street food—it’s brightly lit with simple tables and a bustling front area where quick lunches and late-night cravings probably get satisfied. It’s a place we find ourselves often, most notably after 8 pm when they’re still serving until 9:30. The dish varies (our most recent visit was a perfectly balanced pho tai), but it comes topped with fresh cilantro and Thai basil, served with tender noodles, and paired with a boba smoothie.
At $12.50, it’s our top price-to-quality deal, and the best way to get the full UK Pho experience without dropping too much money.
Little Saigon Restaurant
$ | (623) 939-6136 | WEBSITE
This one’s not your average takeout pho. It’s a deep, rich, and aromatic broth that’ll cost you about fifteen bucks—and it draws a steady crowd every lunch and dinner hour. Every day of the week, Little Saigon (our top-rated Vietnamese spot in Glendale) turns its cozy dining room into a welcoming, home-style experience. Your meal is built around the pho or crispy noodles, but you can start with coconut chicken curry or spicy chicken before the main bowl.
Seats fill up fast, especially on weekends, so arrive early and savor the immediate comfort of a steaming bowl that tastes like it simmered for days.
Phở Viet Vietnamese Restaurant
$ | (602) 235-0282 | WEBSITE
Phở Viet is a clean, friendly Vietnamese spot in Glendale with bright lighting, simple wooden tables, and a dining room made for steaming bowls of pho served in traditional ceramic bowls. All of the broth is house-made and simmered for hours, which is both a comforting detail to savor during your meal and the reason the pho delivers such rich, balanced flavor. You can get pho with filet mignon or chicken any day of the week, and it’s a truly outstanding one.
But at around $18, the price is fair—especially considering the fresh ingredients, gluten-free options, and the fact that you can add extra veggies to make it even heartier.
PHO KC Vietnamese Restaurant
$ | (602) 993-0072 | WEBSITE
We found it. The elusive—almost mythical—Pho spot that we thought was just a product of wishful cravings and distant memories. Luckily, this one delivers more than just neighborhood convenience. Every visit, PHO KC Vietnamese Restaurant in Glendale turns into a cozy little haven, with rich, flavorful pho and tender pork fried rice arriving steaming from the kitchen. While you’re here, grab a fresh herb plate or squeeze some lime into your broth to elevate the meal.
Phở Avina
$ | (602) 439-2547 | WEBSITE
Usually when we find ourselves craving Vietnamese food, we’re debating between pho or bun bo hue or trying to remember which place has the best shaved pork. But every time we visit Phở Avina, we’re ignoring all other options and ordering their phenomenal pho.
Don’t expect any fancy presentation or even the opportunity to customize your toppings—they’re way too busy with regulars to take special requests—but every bowl we’ve had has arrived with generous portions of meat and noodles, swimming in a delicious broth that tastes authentically Vietnamese. To sweeten the deal, it also comes with that welcoming, kind service that makes you feel like you’re back in Vietnam.
Paris Banh Mi – Glendale AZ
$ | (480) 687-2528 | WEBSITE
This classy spot makes some of our favorite Vietnamese sandwiches in the city. But every now and then we decide to trade the banh mi for a plate of corn dogs. This is a regular menu item, so you can get it seven days a week for lunch, dinner, or a late snack (they close around 9pm). The corn dog is crispy and coated in a light batter, the sausage inside is perfectly juicy and flavorful, and it all gets served with a couple of dipping sauces on the side.
If you find a better corn dog in a cleaner place, send us an email ASAP.
Pho Thuan Thanh on Northern
$ | (623) 231-7604 | WEBSITE
Pho Thuan Thanh on Northern is a Vietnamese restaurant in Glendale that’s 90% hidden gem—it’s actually tucked away in a quiet plaza. Here you’ll find all kinds of authentic Vietnamese dishes—like beef pho and grilled pork spring rolls—but on any visit, you’ll also find the house specialty pho dac biet. It’s a richly flavored beef pho served with fresh herbs, bean sprouts, and a side of lemonade, and at $14, it’s reason enough to make the trip on a regular night.
Just make sure to take your time—the quiet atmosphere and friendly staff make this a place worth savoring.