Cafe Hoang

3.5 stars. I was craving bun bo hue so I had to find somewhere that made an authentic one, and let me tell you this place makes a great one! Bun bo hue is a vermicelli rice noodle dish with different meats (sliced beef, pork sausage, and pork knuckle) in a spicy pork/beef broth. It originates from Hue, Vietnam. The bun Bo hue is perfectly balanced and spicy, but not too spicy. You can add more spice though if you'd like. They don't skimp on the meats which is really nice. I feel like it's hard to come across places that actually load the meat, but here they give you plenty. The meat quality is good too. For this dish alone I would give 4.5/5 stars. Also ordered cha gio (Vietnamese spring rolls) and thought these were good, but one of ours did have a strand of hair in it. The service is pretty slow and we didn't get our Vietnamese coffee that we had ordered along with our food. Once you order your food and receive it the waitstaff doesn't check up on you again. It took awhile to finally flag down someone to check where our coffees were and we ended up getting double charged for them, but they noticed when I went to go pay and let me know which I appreciated. I think service could improve but the staff was friendly. Put this spot in your list for winter food, I promise the bun bo hue is worth it!

I've tried to come here a couple of times for dinner (like after the Argyle street fest) but it was wayyy too busy, and I didn't want to wait. But I figured if it was so busy, it must be good! And I was right! We went for lunch on a weekend and were easily seated without a wait. Cafe Hoang has a pretty big menu and there are a lot of dishes where you can choose tofu as your protein. I noticed that all of the appetizers seem to have meat or fish in them though. I was really hoping for a veggie spring roll! We had the crab rangoons, which were stuffed with filling, full of flavor, and super crispy. I ordered the panang curry (my favorite) and it was delicious! I loved the huge chunks of fried tofu they included, and the broth had a great balance of spicy and sweet. The portions were huge! I ended up taking a lot home. Cafe Hoang is easy to get to. The Argyle red line stop is close by, there's parking all up and down Argyle, or you can take the 36 bus running on Broadway.

I came on a Sunday for lunch and it was pretty empty; it's a spacious spot and felt a little too awkwardly quiet, but overall the vibe was comfortable. The menu is huge, and the options are very diverse, from classic Vietnamese fare to traditional Central Vietnamese dishes to classic Thai staples. The prices are also solid and affordable. I ordered the Vermicelli Noodle Salad Bowl with Grilled Shrimp and Beef, a classic dish that usually hits the spot for me. Overall, it was appreciably light and refreshing for a hot day, but I would try to choose something else if I come again in the future. I wasn't too impressed with the meats-- the shrimp and beef were both pretty overcooked and tough. The vermicelli noodles itself were good-- they were light and chewy, though I wish there was more sauce to go with it. The veggies tasted fresh, and the peanuts and egg roll added a nice, crispy texture to the bowl.Hoping to come back in the colder weather to try their Bun Bo Hue!-- Price (relative to peers): 4.5/5Food: 4/5Ambience: 4/5Service: 4.5/5Overall Value: 4/5

If you're looking for likely the *best* Bun Bo Hue in Chicago, look no further than Cafe Hoang! Located on Argyle where there is a plethora of Vietnamese restaurants and markets, this place seals the deal if you are looking particularly for that dish. They make it just the right amount of spicy, and the service was quick (not very talkative though).The restaurant itself is very outdated, but that's typical for these type of places on Argyle I feel like. Lastly, and a huge plus, I'd like to call out that they are BYOB! I'll be sure to come back here with a 6 pack of beer in the future!

Spring roll was delicious, and the pho hit the spot. Cute family run shop with all the traditional dishes.

Strong coffee and good house special. Everything was good and but a little expensive. Service was just ok, but pretty clean inside.

When I saw all the Yelp reviews calling this the best bun bo hue in Chicago, I busted over there (aka my bf drove) to see the hype. Service was pretty slow but I have to say, the food was exceptional. We started off with spring rolls and Vietnamese coffee and then got pho and BBH. The pho broth was INSANELY GOOD- it had a peppery kick I enjoyed. But the star of the show was the bun Bo hue- just the right amount of spice, tender meat, and soft noodles.You best know we joined the clean bowl club. Highly recommend them for a good Vietnamese meal.

I'm very impressed by their fried rice!I sat in the restaurant and ordered a chicken fried rice. It was a very big portion that I took home and split into 2 more meals! :)The dish was flavorful and very enjoyable to eat! I loved that there was just enough oil to make it look and taste appetizing.The atmosphere of the restaurant was also very nice. The staff were attentive and quick to bring out food.Overall, I would order from them again and definitely also recommend their Bon Bo Hue!

Absolutely LOVE Cafe Hoang. Everything is so fresh and the service is fast. Talk about authentic. Hope they open back up very soon.

Cafe Hoang has moved to new premises which are very clean and spacious. The service was extremely good, they brought wine glasses straight away and the menu was varied and easy to understand. The food came out very promptly and the portions were generous.