Phở Bắc is a chain of

Vietnamese Vietnamese may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Vietnam, a country in Southeast Asia * Vietnamese people, or Kinh people, a Southeast Asian ethnic group native to Vietnam ** Overseas Vietnamese, Vietnamese people living outside Vietna ...

restaurants in

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

, in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

. The restaurants specialize in

phở Phở or pho (, , ; ) is a Vietnamese soup dish consisting of broth, rice noodles (), herbs, and meat – usually beef (), and sometimes chicken (). Phở is a popular food in Vietnam where it is served in households, street-stalls, and ...

dishes and have several locations in the city.

History and locations

The restaurant, originally named Cat's Submarine Sandwich Shop, was founded in 1982 by Theresa Cat Vu and Augustine Nien Pham in the Chinatown–International District. The shop operated out of a former insurance office in modern-day Little Saigon and offered sandwiches until Vu and Pham were convinced to sell

by members of Seattle's Vietnamese community; at the time, they claimed to be the first Seattle restaurant to offer the dish. Four months after introducing phở to the menu, the dish became the main focus of the restaurant, which was renamed Phở Bắc. The Pham family opened additional locations under the Phở Bắc name, as well as Phở Việt. The original restaurant at 12th Avenue and South Jackson Street was moved into a red boat-shaped building that was originally a float attachment used for a 2004 parade organized by the Vietnamese Catholic community. In 2012, a Denny Triangle location opened. An additional store is in

Rainier Valley Rainier Valley ( ) is a neighborhood in southeastern Seattle, Washington. It is located east of Beacon Hill; west of Mount Baker, Seward Park, and Leschi; south of the Central District and north of Rainier Beach. It is part of Seattle's So ...

. Phở Bắc Súp Shop opened nearby on January 1, 2018, slightly later than previously announced. The restaurant initially featured the wine shop Vita Uva, which closed by September and was converted into a

wine club A wine club is a developing extension of modern wine culture. Wine clubs are designed to provide customers with a series of wine bottles on a monthly or quarterly basis that they would otherwise have to find and purchase on their own. Wine clubs o ...

. The original restaurant became known as Phở Bắc Boat, or The Boat. Phở Bắc Boat closed temporarily for renovations in November 2018, reopening on January 1, 2020. In 2020, during the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, the business launched the Pho Mobile to deliver food. Phở Bắc opened a restaurant on 7th Avenue in

Downtown Seattle Downtown is the central business district of Seattle, Washington. It is fairly compact compared with other city centers on the U.S. West Coast due to its geographical situation, being hemmed in on the north and east by hills, on the west by ...

, with an upstairs bar called Phởcific Standard Time, in 2021.

Reception

A review from ''

Condé Nast Traveler ''Condé Nast Traveler'' is a luxury and lifestyle travel magazine published by Condé Nast. The magazine has won 25 National Magazine Awards. The Condé Nast unit of Advance Publications purchased ''Signature'', a magazine for Diners Club me ...

'' says, "In a city swimming in good pho, the bowls here are simply some of the best." Gabe Guarente included the Chinatown–International District establishments in ''

Eater Seattle ''Eater'' is a food website by Vox Media. It was co-founded by Lockhart Steele and Ben Leventhal in 2005, and originally focused on dining and nightlife in New York City. Eater launched a national site in 2009, and covered nearly 20 cities by ...

'''s 2020 list of twelve "solid" restaurants in Seattle "where parking isn't a complete nightmare". During the pandemic, he also recommended Phở Bắc Súp Shop in 2020 overviews of the city's best delivery and

take-out A take-out (US, Canada, Philippines) or takeaway (UK, Ireland, Commonwealth) is a prepared meal or other food items purchased at a restaurant or fast food outlet with the intent to eat elsewhere. A concept found in many ancient cultures, take ...

options. ''Eater Seattle'' included the restaurant in a 2021 list of "where to get comforting bowls of soups and stews for wintry Seattle weather", as well as a 2022 list of "where to get soothing bowls of pho in the Seattle area". Jay Friedman included Phở Bắc Súp Shop in ''Eater Seattle'''s 2022 lists of eighteen "vibrant" Vietnamese Restaurants in Seattle and nineteen "knockout" restaurants in the Chinatown–International District. In 2022, the restaurant was included in ''Eater Seattle'''s 2022 list of thirty-eight "essential" Seattle restaurants, and writers for the site included Phở Bắc Súp Shop in an overview of fifteen "lively" restaurants in the city for large group dinners. In 2023, Phở Bắc Sup Shop, Phởcific Standard Time, and The Boat made Yenvy and Quynh Pham semifinalists in the

James Beard Foundation Award The James Beard Foundation Awards are annual awards presented by the James Beard Foundation to recognize chefs, restaurateurs, authors and journalists in the United States. They are scheduled around James Beard's May 5 birthday. The media awar ...

's Outstanding Restaurateur category. Phở Bắc and The Boat were included in

The Infatuation The Infatuation (formerly known as Immaculate Infatuation) is an American New York–based restaurant recommendation website and messaging service, created by former music industry executives Chris Stang and Andrew Steinthal in 2009. They are mos ...

2025 list of the 25 best restaurants in the Chinatown–International District.

References

External links

* {{Restaurants in Seattle 1982 establishments in Washington (state) Restaurants in Chinatown–International District, Seattle Restaurants in Downtown Seattle Restaurants established in 1982 Vietnamese restaurants in Seattle Restaurant chains in the United States

History and locations

Reception

See also

References

External links