Review Pho Lien - Montreal

Heard great reviews about this restaurant so I decided to try it out. I ordered the spring rolls, the pho, the chicken vermicelli bowl and the bun Bo hue. All the dishes tasted great and the service was extremely quick! We got our food in around 5-10 after placing our order. The only downside is that they only accept cash and that the portions are quite small relative to the price. For instance, the chicken vermicelli bowl costed around 17$ and the portion was quite small. I am used to paying around 15$ for a much larger portion. Also their XL pho was not much larger than the L. All in all, the food was good but not the best viet I have had.

+Pho +Pho +Pho +Fast service =Price -Decor Fun story: it was my friend's birthday, and one of the employee made sure it was a special day. He turned off the light and stay by to help with the cake. What a day!

I was recommended this place so my expectations were higher, but unfortunately I wasn’t too impressed. The rolls were a little dry, and the pho broth was pretty bland for my taste. Not the worst, but definitely not the best.

Visited with my friends, we tried all three types of rolls, one with meat one shrimp one pork, not the best, you only feel the lettuce inside. The soup was almost tasteless unless the beef slides inside, you definitely need to add any of the sauces on the table to have something worth trying. Prices are fair for what we got. Not the best service but enough for the place as it is. It’s my first time trying pho cuisine but not doing it again anytime soon.

Honestly shocked that this restaurant has such a high overall rating. My family and I visited Montreal for a weekend (we’re from Toronto). We heard good reviews about this restaurant, so despite having many activities and food options planned out, we decided to make time to stick this into our itinerary. We visited around 3pm that day. Majority of their tables were empty when we arrived, with only 2-3 tables occupied during the time we were there, both for outdoor patio/indoor seating combined. Since we had a very filling brunch earlier in the day, and made reservations at a restaurant for their 10-course menu for dinner, we were fully aware that it was unlikely for each one of us to finish a bowl of noodles/plate of rice ourselves. For this reason, we decided to share 3 Large bowls of noodles between 6 people, and also ordered a coffee on the side. When the owner came to take our order, we told him what we were hoping to order and he already gave us attitude and replied in a very impolite manner. Later on, the waiter came back with 4 sets of utensils and we were confused. When our food arrived, we asked for extra utensils, and he said that he could only give us 3 bowls, which we were fine with. Shortly after that, the owner came over and announced that there will be sharing fee in a very rude tone. At that point, we already started splitting our food from the large bowls, so we felt that we couldn’t even do anything. Later on, I asked him politely if it was stated on their menu that there was a sharing fee or minimum charge per person - I was thinking perhaps we missed it? He replied, again rudely, “no, but I informed you.” I replied back, “you informed us AFTER we ordered and started eating...”. He just turned away and ignored me. We didn’t actually mind paying for a splitting fee, it was more so that I felt that I had the right to know about it before ordering maybe? Or at least I don’t believe we deserved the attitude we received. In terms of the quality of the food items we’ve tried, it was honestly average at most. Combined with the attitude we received during our entire experience there, I am certain that we will never return again.

Been going here since I was 6! The broth is very unique and clean, the beef is tender and fatty! I give it 4/5 because the price is a little higher than the average Pho places in the area.

Well located, good flavor, average price. The place is modest, but service was friendly.

The Phos are good in this place. amongst the top in the city? Maybe in the past but not anymore. As for the rest of the menu, I find out the portions have gotten smaller and the quality has gone down. Not my go to place for Vietnamese food anymore, specially with all the new places that have opened up in the area recently!

Extremely poor sanitary measures.<br/>First I find a bug, now I find a string of hair. <br/><br/>Few years ago, I found a bug in my soup but I did not write any bad reviews because I thought I may have been unlucky. <br/>Today, I found hair which was clearly not mine. <br/><br/>If you look at the picture, above is the hair I found and below is mine for comparison. You can see that the hair above is not mine because: <br/>1) my hair is clearly much shorter (note that the hair I found was split in two while I was pulling it out of my mouth)<br/>2) my hair is black while the hair above is light brown.<br/>3) the hair string above is much thinner than mine. <br/><br/>2 years ago, when I had found a bug in the soup, at first, I thought it was some sort of a thin black bean and wondered why there would be a bean in my pho. I pushed on it with my chopstick and saw wings sticking out. <br/>I wanted to puke. <br/><br/>The restaurant refunded me the soup (which is why I did not post any bad reviews at the time) but they never apologized.<br/>Instead, they asked me why I had eaten the soup if I had found a bug, insinuating that I put the bug in myself. (This is because I had only found the bug floating on the soup when I had almost finished eating it.)<br/><br/>I don't understand how anyone could eat from here. You think this won't happen to you, but think again. Go to a clean pho. These pho's rarely keep their sanitary measures and this one was not an exception clearly. <br/>This restaurant will never change as long as you keep paying for their dirty soups.

Busy spot. Good sign. <br/>The service isn't that great. But the Pho is Pho Sho tasty! The portions are big. I opted for a small and it was perfect for lunch time along with a spring roll.

I simply loved this place. I went there with two friends and it was a quiet ordinary restaurant. It turned to be a not pretentious place with excellent and cheap food.

Pho Lien était ma place préférée pour le pho (soupe tonkinoise). Maintenant, la soupe a beaucoup de nouilles et peu de viande. De plus, la viande saignante devient blanche quand elle a cuit. Je trouve ça bizarre. Sinon j'aime toujours le bouillon clair. Encore une fois, le service n'est pas très convivial dans ce genre d'établissement.

Good location to come for pho! Quick & friendly service, huge portions for good prices. The place is a bit small, but they also offer outdoor seats on a sunny day. Would definitely recommend!

My family's been going there for years ! Probably one of the best viet food you can find in the city ! <br/>Try the drink/dessert with different kind of beans in it -sorry can't remember the name- <br/>Some days get pretty busy but it's worth the wait.

Best pho ever! We travel there from across town to get some! The Vietnamese coffee is also really good! Service very fast and quality never wavers.

This place is pho good.. Probably the best pho broth I've had ever. Great service, quick and friendly. Easy to find location for a visitor to the city as well. Just a short 10 minute walk from the St Joseph Oratory.

Over the years, we have had several discussions on the best Pho in Montreal. We heard various different names but consistently people urged us to try Pho Lien on Cote-des-Neiges. Finally the day came and we excitedly entered the small dining room on and early Sunday evening. It was packed and bustling with waiters making their way through the closely set tables. After a bit of a wait, a waiter shows us to a well located table. The room has a simple family style décor and we have a comfortable table by a pillar and away from the door.

My favourite place to go to. I haven't been able to find any other place that compares to the amazing pho they serve here. The pho and broth are delicious. The chicken vermicelli is my favourite. It does get very crowded during lunch time on week days, and dinner every day. Sometimes be prepared to wait for a table or get an awkwardly placed table for two. Probably best time to go is when they open at 11am or mid afternoon. But the pho makes up for it all. Even worth the drive from across the city.

Très bon pho quantité raisonnable soupe bien dosé pour un lunch dans une journée humide comme aujourd'hui ça fait vraiment du bien manger une bonne grosse soupe chaude

This is THE place to go for Pho in Montreal. Nevertheless their other dishes are just so so. I usually only order the Pho soup, my favorite is the first item on their menu which includes all beef ingredients they have to offer, rare beef, well done flank, brisket, soft tendon, tripes etc. The beef is very thinly sliced and cooked to the perfection. The soup stock is fresh , light and tasty too. It also comes with a small plate of raw bean sprouts, make sure you dump them into the hot soup and let it simmer. Did I say the portion is generous, I usually just order an extra large sized soup as it only cost 12$, and I bet you'll get more than you can eat. I often finish it up just because it's so good.

Wow! What a good surprise! Good food, really a great find. Don't expect a nice decor or great service, you will have a awkward smile, with a broken English, and a cheesy place. But one thing for sure, the soups are great.

Been coming to this place for years, but lately I've noticed there's less meat in the soup, more pricey, and less customer....  It's easy to get a table every time, no more line up like before.

Très petit mais tellement chaleureux. Service super rapide, personnel sympa. J'y vais souvent en hiver. Je prend tj la soupe #5<br/>À essayer!!!

Absolutely amazing pho soup and imperial rolls. Never disappointed. Literally could never stop eating until it's all gone no matter how full I am because it's just that tasty. 100% recommend this place.

always good and fast service. Tasty soup vermicelle. I like to sit outdoor in summer bcuz less kitchen smell and comfortable. Indoor seats are too crowded.

Excellent Tonkinoise soup,<br/>From the Broth to the vegetables great price quality, full at all hours of day and evening,<br/>Just across from the Jewish General,

Sad :(. Had a horrible day at work was starving, decided to go and get takeout for the first time, i eat there sometimes and love their pho, so what better than a nice warm pho to unwind, i adtessed a guy who has served me before asked hin for a small pho and was going to order other munchies when he interrupted me n said only large for takeout so ofcourse it didnt make sense to me since it was not delivery so i asked why? omggg he gave me the bitchiesy look n repeated in a humilliating tone so that people would hear " only large for takeout" so i just said thanks n left humilliated n feeling even worst than before : ( had he answered nicely i would have ebded up getting the pho and would be eating happily now, i dont get why people ave to be bitchy specIIIally in customer service. i eill never return there theres couple of places around here with good pho too so fk u pho lien!

Went there today for the first time. Had a craving for pho so me and the bf headed to chez lien cuz I've heard good things about the place thru friends. Service was quick and the broth was so good. One of the best in Montreal. I had the #1 with the goi cuon and my bf had the #3 with the imperial rolls. We both drank most of the broth after we were done eating and we don't usually do that. Price is a dollar and a half more than what I usually pay for pho but totally worth it considering the taste is better. Four thumbs up from the bf and I 

Their pho is so so good, love their broth! I've tasted so many different Pho's around the city however none are quite as tasty and they manage to stay consistent. Don't expect a fancy spot to have your meal, this place is all about turnover! Order, eat and get out. Make sure you try their trois couleurs :) sooo gooood!

If you have a cold, go there for a soup. The only reason you should go there, is to have a soup. Nothing else.<br/>The soup is cheap and very comforting. <br/>The place is small, smells terrible (beware of wearing nice clothes when you go there) and there's almost no service.<br/><br/>I go there when I have a cold, and because I leave not far away.

Not a great restaurant, but try a 45 !. As someone who spent a month travelling Vietnam, I can assure you that it's poor quality Vietnamese food. If you wanna try a real good Pho try Pho-Thanh-Long on Sainte Catherine. Nevertheless, Pho Lien have a special drink (n.45) which is excellent, and that i cant find anywhere else.

Where I go pho lunch on cold icy days. There is nothing better than a bowl of pho during cold winter days in Montreal. Pho Lien's service and decor may not be the greatest but hey the food comes quickly, the service is efficient, and that's fair enough for me during lunch hours. The place tends to get quite busy at noon but there is never a long wait to get a table. I always order the pho ga nuong which is the grilled chicken pho, it's not on the menu and it bumps up the price just a little but it's worth it! Makes the soup a lot tastier.

Pas très bon...limite dégueulasse.... Je ne comprend pas pourquoi tout le monde ''trip'' sur ce resto... Le service est hyper rapide, mais la bouffe n'est vraiment pas bonne. J'y suis allé avec ma copine et elle a commandé du poulet à l'ananas. Le poulet goûtait affreusement le sang et tout se qui se trouvait dans son assiette était gluant. Pour ce qui est de leur soupe, il sont EXTRËMEMENT CHEAP sur la quantité de viande. J'ai commandé une grande soupe au boeuf saignant et j'avais seulement 4 petits morceaux de boeuf... De plus, leur bouillon est assez ordinaire et il a un gout tellement prononcé que même en rajoutant BEAUCOUP de sauce sriracha je ne goûtais pas du tout le piquant (donc il y a surement du MSG). Je déconseille plus que tout ce restaurant!!!

Overrated. I've been to Pho Lien twice, and both times, I felt very nauseous after eating their soup. I had #2, which is the rare beef in the pho. It tasted so-so. I have a feeling they load it with MSG, which doesn't really agree with my stomach. I don't understand why people rave about this place. I'm Vietnamese and have had much better... there's another place on Cote des Neiges (I really can't remember the name, but it faces Kent park). It's a lot fresher and tastier. The broth is darker and the noodles have more bite to them.

Cetait correct, je m'attendais à mieux avec 90% sur urbanspoon. Personnellement je préfère celui coin Beaubien/St.-Denis les soupes sont meilleures et le resto fait moins cafétéria.

Tasty food, good service.. I go here when I don't feel like going to my favorite pho resto in Chinatown.<br/><br/>Soup is tasty, the noodles well cooked. The spring rolls and imperial rolls are nice and fresh.<br/><br/>I just wish the portions were larger, but no complaints in terms of food or service.

Best place for Pho. I've been here many times and love the pho. The noodles are perfectly cooked, amazing broth and good mix of the beef cuts and if you really want the best ask them if they can include some "vê" - I'm not even sure if I spelled this right but it's a cut of beef that has a perfect combination of tendon, meat and fat and the taste is amazing. They usually are out of it since the cut is in limited quantity. Highly recommend.

Excellent. C'est pas compliqué, c'est la meilleure soupe Tonkinoise que j'ai goûté à Montréal. À part si on la fait chez soi, cette soupe est parfaite. Le bouillon est savoureux et riche. Je n'y ajoute presque rien si ce n'est qu'un peu de lime et de piment. <br/><br/>Ailleurs, j'ai tendance à ajouter un peu de tout à la soupe pour en rehausser le goût, chez pho lien ce n'est pas nécessaire.<br/><br/>J'adore!

Always so good. You can never go wrong with this place

Amazing spring rolls, especially with that sauce (some have been known to drink it straight from the cup). Great vietnamese all around. Worth going up north!

Best Pho Restaurant in Montreal I've Been To. This is the best Pho restaurant in Montreal that I've been to. The soup is the tastiest out of the competition, and the noodles are usually just right. The appetizers are good. The service is friendly and quick. The Bun Bo Hue is great during the weekends (it's kinda hard to find good Bun Bo Hue when eating out). Finish it all off with their Che Ba Mau for dessert!

A fan for over a decade. I LOVE THIS PLACE. Their bowls of pho are always top notch. Recently, I explored their dry bun selections and tried the stir fried beef with lemon grass dish. DELICIOUS. I also love their red bean drink. Their spring rolls are alright but I've never been impressed with spring rolls outside of the ones we make at home. I still order them because I like the fresh aspect to them. I've been coming here for 15 years. I have to admit, there was a time when the overall decor and cleanliness was better but the food hasn't suffered!

Bun bo hue. Best Bun Bo Hue in town. the meet is perfection and sooo tasty!!! <br/>i could have that soup everyday one of their specialties!!

One of the best vietnamese in town! Nothing fancy, always packed and they don't take reservation, so be prepared to wait ... But it's worth it! Service is quick, menu is traditionnal viet cuisine with a special mention for the tapioca desserts and it is budget friendly. Recommended for a dinner with friends.

Authentic and delicious!. This is my favorite Pho place in Montreal. I had some Vietnamese colleague bring me here about 15 years ago saying it was the most authentic Pho places in Montreal and I have been going ever since. It's always packed but if you are willing to wait a few minutes, you can usually get a table for two quite quickly and the food makes the wait absolutely worth it. If you are still hungry after your meal, try their three color bean dessert (with read beans, tapioca and coconut milk). It is the best I have had in any Vietnamese restaurant in the city.

LOve it ! PHO soup is thé best ! You Gotta try this amazing soup !

Drool. Bring an extra napkin. You will drool

Still the best soup around. I love it love it love it. I can't think of a better soup in montreal. Everytime I try a new one, it only confirms that pho lien makes the best one. I live within walking distance from it, so I soup it at least once a week.<br/>Dont expect a fine dining experience that's not why people go. Expect to smell soupy on your way out.<br/>but also expect to love it.<br/>if you're into pho, this is the place

Simply amazing Tonkinoise food, but don't expect more.. Waiters are rude and cant really commmunicate. and forget about the receipt. At best you'll get a piece of paper written in Vietnamese with the total at the bottom

Okay pho, but terrible ambiance. Overly crowded, noisy, unsanitary.

Very good pho, a little overcooked noodles. Very slow service!

Awesome Noodle Soup. Everything about the Vietnamese Pho at Pho Lien is good, but what really stands out and makes it great is the broth, it's full of rich taste and served piping hot, just the way I like it. I tend to stick with the bean sprouts, lime and Thai Holy Basil leaves and do not add any brown or red sauce (Hoisin & chilli) found on the table. In the summer, it's nice to sit outside and order a Vietnamese style strong coffee with condensed sweet milk over ice.

Can be packed sometimes. But it has the best bRoth in the city.

Good food, ok service. Their Tonkinese soup is pretty good especially cold winter day, I usually take one with vegetable only since their "meat" ones have not enough vegetable. Their rice noodle with grilled chicken on the top (I don't know the name) is very good too. Spring rolls are freshly made.This is one of the places I go back here & there for years now. I would recommend to try if someone is in the neighborhood.

Pho lien used to be a good restaurant about 2-3 years ago. Their Pho and dishes were good...I was a regular there, every Friday afternoons. Last time I went to Pho lien was September 2010 and I was disappointed. The Pho doesn't taste the same. The broth is filled with fat. This place is so small..so you smell pho when you get out of there.

Excellent pho, OK service. Very limited vegetarian options (1 vegetable pho, no veg vermicelli bowls). My boyfriend asked if they could make veg imperial rolls for his combo (and was told no problem), but what they served him looked suspiciously like it contained meat - he still ate them all and commented on how tasty they were, though!

Pho!. I recently travelled to Vietnam and I didn't encounter any Pho that topped Pho Lien's. Excellent spot, quick service, great food.

Wow..very good Tonkinese soup.<br/>I agree that its service is not so good. <br/>Possibly because of its crowded clientele.

Good soup. I usually get the beef well done soup. Super tasty. But this place does not look clean.

They're pho is good. Well known in this area, clean place

Pho is pretty good. I was pretty satisfy of the pho, it was good enough for my taste, but the service was a little bit ordinary if you ask me.

Crappy service. Feeling claustrophobic as the place is so small. Their pho - viet noodle- is good. Their rice/vermicelli dishes are just so small. They only accept cash so you have to pay like $3.00 service fee to get cash out of the machine.

Very good food but.... Very good vietnamese food but the ambiance and the decor are crapy. Not a very clean place. They only accept cash. Service is bad.

You don’t get less Diva-like than Pho Lien but let us explain… The Divas were fighting, all divas fight but these Divas can get particularly bitchy. So Thursday rolled around we were still aggravated with each other and not particularly in the mood to go out and eat and drink. Zeus was frightened of our thunderbolts (how ironic), Bellatrix who loves a little conflict was gleaming and Mr. Wonderful remained in his ignorant bliss. Diva #1 decided to go out with P’tit Frère and a friend to a place that Diva #2 would not be too jealous to have missed out on. The Divas weren’t getting along but we knew that we would eventually fix this squabble so we did not want to make matters worse. P’tit Frère LOVES Pho Lien.  He loves it so much that more often than he should, he goes there to eat all alone. In terms of amazing pho, it is really hard to beat and the perfect place for an inexpensive authentic Vietnamese meal in Montreal.

Overcooked noodle makes your soup almost like a porridge (no texture in noodles) and the soup is too salty.

Spring rolls are a must try, fresh and crunchy taste good when dipped in the peanut butter sauce. Imperial rolls are crunchy with the right amount of filling, good when dipped with fish sauce.

All I know is that, when I have a cold or just have a case of the winter blues, nothing sets me right like a hot, spicy bowl of pho

...you HAVE to stop by Pho lien. It’ll warm your heart.

The service was super fast and a short wait after ordering my Pho Ga was served.

Pho. A perfect mix of chewy rice noodles, beef brisket, raw flank, tripe, tendon and beef balls and swimming in a meaty broth. The soup is what really makes this bowl, beef bones are boiled with aromatics, prepared in a very specific manner to yield this magic liquid that although I’ve never had before, I can only assume tastes like unicorn tears. We both ordered the “special” which is basically the all-dressed noodle. The menu comprises of different variations and essentially a mix and match of all the ingredients.

Pho Lien is in a league of its own. Come rain or shine, or in this case snow, this little gem is always crammed with locals that know a good thing, a really good thing. Don't be intimidated by the line up that extends past the front door, the turnover is quick, so don't go anywhere because what's waiting for you inside this modest establishment is totally worth it. A typical bowl of pho consists of rice noodles and slim cuts of beef (steak, fatty flank, lean flank, brisket) swimming in a piping hot clear beef broth. I usually order an extra large bowl with additional items that some people might classify as unusual to create interesting textures, like beef balls, tripe (animals stomach tissue) and tendons. Here, for freshness and added zest, pho is characteris