Pho Duong Dong

Former Location

182 Otis Street, Rochester NY 14606

See Gone, But Not Forgotten

Pho Duong Dong was a Vietnamese restaurant that specialized in Phở. Located in Lyell-Otis.

Closed in September 2016.

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See Archive Page for comments prior to 2008.

2008-04-25 07:57:43   I've gone on a couple of occasions now, and I'm amazed at how much pho you get for the money. The food's always been top notch, and the service has been pretty good — especially given that I roll in with a crew of about 5 or 6 on average.

Definitely worth the visit. Get the #7! —WhitShepard

2008-08-13 22:13:44   Best AUTHENTIC Vietnamese I've found in Rochester. I'm from Philadelphia so I know about Vietnamese. Someone email me if they think there is better. Affordable (read cheap) too! —JustinKwong

2008-09-14 17:13:27   Great Pho! Atmosphere is standard vietnamese - a little dirty, slow service. But the food is great. Their bahn mi are to die for. Weird hours, so be careful. Neighborhood is a little scary, but have never had a problem. —DianaTremblay

2008-10-25 18:03:20   Pho Tai ~ Astoundingly delicious: flavorful but not over-powering... savory and brothy but not greasy or oily... tender and succulent meat but not fatty or rubbery... satisfying to the 'Asian-American soul' and maybe delightfully surprising to anyone else who has a taste for noodles, beef, and the hot soupy helping capable of curing a common cold. Attentive service, large quantity, subtle yet familiar in taste, texture, and tenderness. —MizLee

2009-05-07 01:02:56   Cheap price plus great pho! What else you could ask for? I just went there last week. The following tips might be helpful: 1. They changed hours. It is closed in Wednesday. You'd better to check their website http://www.phoduongdong.com/PhoMain.html or call them before leaving.
2. Go there in the day. You know what I mean.
3. Be careful if you want to order super size pho, which is really huge. My hubby and I ordered the super one separately. It turns out that it's too much for us. —moonchild6

2010-01-12 15:50:42   Pho is good-but I really like the sandwich. Always done take out from there-the area can be a little intimidating (seems like an economically depressed area) but never had a problem. —MattHenshaw

2010-03-27 18:26:28   Although the service was kind, the food was not... We ordered two different noodle soups. The restaurant provided us with a level of traditionalism we're not used to seeing. The beef noodle soup had a ridiculous amount of cartilage and bone. This soup could have been saved if they had skimmed the top. There were visible fat globules floating on top of the broth. The beef ball soup with noodles was pretty good, minus the beef. We recommend going before it gets dark out and ordering the pho without meat. —Quinoa

2010-04-19 11:28:30   I was a bit skeptical about venturing to this place after the reading the comments on the neighborhood, but I'm really glad I went anyway. The neighborhood is fine, or at least it was on a Sunday night; and besides, even if it wasn't, Pho Duong Dong's parking lot is right up against the building so you can just roll out of your car and into the restaurant. Upon choosing a table my husband and I were immediately greeted with a steaming pot of tea. The two of us split the Bahn Mi sandwich, a large Hue's Beef Noodle Soup, and a Sapoche milkshake. All were delicious, the Bahn Mi in particular - an elegant mingling of flavors and textures smothered between fresh, perfectly toasted bread. Portions are generous; we didn't quite finish the soup or milkshake. And the service was excellent. My husband and I initially didn't know which size soup to order, so our server brought out 4 different bowls to show us the portion sizes. The water and silverware we requested were brought out promptly. My husband liked the Bahn Mi so much that he wanted to order another to take for lunch the next day, and even though the kitchen had closed by that time, the waiter made it happen. Best part: total bill $16. —AJH

2010-05-07 13:00:33   the PHO here is amazing, Ive had it in many restaurants but none do it as well. —eduardojavier

2010-05-13 15:46:01   This is an amazing Vietnamese restaurant. Their Pho and Bun are top notch as well as their Banh Mi (vietnamese baguette sandwich). It is THE most authentic Vietnamese fare in this city so if you are squeamish about less than prime cuts of meat stick to the rare beef and/or flank in your Pho and you will be A-ok. If you are used to ordering the beef special at restaurants like SEA and don't mind eating the tendon and tripe you may be in for a suprise at Pho Duong Dong, because they use big hefty pieces of Tendon and tripe as opposed to the finely diced stuff at SEA and Flavors of Asia. It is still delicious though. If you are adventurous, go for it - you may just like it.

Yes, the neighborhood isn't the safest or most pristine in Rochester, but I never feel unsafe there during the day, and have taken many dates there for lunch, it is fine. You would be making a mistake for not trying this restaurant based on its location.

I think the bubble tea is probably the best in the city too. It's really cheap too! I just wish they would get rid of the stupid television in the dining area. —WindyPig

2010-07-08 13:24:44   This is the best Vietnamese food in Rochester. I have visited Vietnam and have had a hard time finding comparable food in Rochester, but this place is definitely the best! Don't be scared off by the neighborhood - the restaurant is quite nice inside. The Bun Bo Hue and the Bun Bo Xao Xa are both fabulous, as is their Pho Tai. Service is slow so make sure you allot enough time but the food is worth it. Don't forget to try to Ca Phe Sua Da (Iced coffee with condensed milk). —goldengirl217

2010-08-25 16:38:49   Best Pho in the Rochester area. —AdrianMartin

2011-01-31 10:15:52   We love this place and go often. Very affordable and especially great during the colder months. Fantastic noodle soups, our favorites are the Bun Bo Hue and Pho with beef, tendon and tripe. The Bahn Mi makes a great appetizer. Easy parking. Go early and have a backup entree planned, sometimes they close a little earlier than posted and can occasionally be out of certain menu items. —JasonS

2011-10-20 19:54:01   While not the best pho I've ever had, certainly the best in Rochester, and plenty good enough to satisfy an occasional pho craving.

—morgdaug

2011-11-21 15:49:27   This is a review I originally posted on Yelp:

I finally got a chance to have lunch at this place, and frankly, I don't see what the big deal is. Since I'm often criticized for my negativity, let me get all the negatives out of the way first:

1) The neighborhood is an awful ghetto,complete with 'urban yoots' hanging around street corners selling god-knows-what. I wouldn't enter this neighborhood after dark even if I had a heroin habit and couldn't find smack anyplace else in town!

2) Like most Viet restaurants, the decor is awful, the seats are hard, and the service is slow.

3) If I had to listen to one more of those awful Vietnamese music videos, I swear, I was going to smash that flatscreen TV to bits!!

Now, about the food: The pho was nice, a bit weak, but a good amount for the price. I would probably rate it as lesser than the pho at Dac Hoa or Ming's 2, but better than SEA (and much better than Mamasan's). In the end, though, the only reason i can see for going there is because you are stuck on the west side, and want pho for lunch. Going into this slum at night would be risky, IMO.(I hope they deliver, because I'm starting a job on the west side next week.)

BTW, it seems that Lee's offers Bun Bo Hue too, but only on Saturday.

—Alex-C

2015-03-03 12:53:31   Good food, I've been coming here for years. They are also good with kids (made a custom meal). —AdrianMartin