The Vietnamese beef noodle soup that the Pham family brought to Seattle in 1982. The Boat on South Jackson serves the city's defining bowl, with brisket, flank and tendon.
Pho arrived in Seattle in 1982 when Theresa and Augustine Pham opened Cat's Submarine on South Jackson Street, started selling Theresa's weekend pho to homesick Vietnamese customers, and switched the menu over to pho within four months. The shop renamed itself Pho Bac and is generally considered the first dedicated pho restaurant in the United States. The Phams' five children have since built a Seattle empire: Pho Bac Sup Shop, The Boat (which kept the original Jackson Street building) and Hello Em on 12th. Seattle now has more pho restaurants per capita than any US city outside California, almost all family-run. The classic order is tai-nam-gan: rare flank, well-done brisket and tendon, served with the standard plate of basil, sawtooth coriander, mung sprouts, lime and chillies on the side.
2 editor picks for Pho in Seattle, ranked by editorial score. All Seattle signature dishes · Pho across every city.
The Boat ★ 4.7
international-district · 1314 S Jackson St, Seattle, WA 98144
The Boat in Seattle's Little Saigon is the original Pho Bac since 1982: the city's first pho restaurant, still a red boat-shaped building at 13th and Jackson, run by the Phams.
Ba Bar Capitol Hill ★ 4.3
capitol-hill · 550 12th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122
Ba Bar in Seattle's Capitol Hill is Eric Banh's 2011 Vietnamese street-food room running pho until 02:00 weeknights and 03:30 on weekends, the city's only true late-night kitchen.