Pho Lan

When I saw an article on January 6th from Kansas City Magazine that ranked the top 30 restaurants in KC for 2024, I saw a Vietnamese restaurant I had never heard of but it was walking distance from my KC GOAT, Vietnam Cafe (VC). Pho Lan is in a rundown, nondescript building that we all drive past and never give a second look at, but as someone who lived in San Diego, Toronto and New York, I know some of the best magic happens in those type of places.I ordered a combination pho and with good tip and tax, it came to just under $18. This is on the low side in KC metro, but the thing is that low price does NOT equal low quality.In terms of the meat, broth and vegetables, they rival their cross field compatriots (they are basically separated by an unused lot that looks a bit like a field and are less than 1/3 of a mile from each other) in terms of quality and taste. They were both equal in flavor, which is a tremendous compliment in my mind.Does that mean they are equal when it comes to their Pho? No. While cheaper, they do not have the quantity of meat either. You just get a bit MORE at VC, which I guess evens out their price difference. Also, I found their noodles to be less chewy, like they had been sitting in the soup a bit too long, so they had become a bit mushy. It was the only thing that separated them, but it was noticeable. So is VC still the better restaurant? Not necessarily.The problem I can have with Vietnam Cafe is it's popularity. There have been waits of up to 30 minutes. That also limits parking if you are driving in. There are other times were they crank up the music off the TV's as well.Pho Lan is a more subdued experience. On 12:45 p.m. on a Saturday, it was only half full and there was no music or it was on really low. The only thing that may bother people (not me) is that they had a lot of incense burning.I suggest you all give both family run businesses a chance and make your own decisions. Meanwhile, all us living south of the 435 will keep on waiting for our version of Pho Lan/Vietnam Cafe to open up....one day.....

Location: Kansas city near River marketAmbiance: family oriented. Clean nice place. Nothing fancyFood: Delicious. The broth is very well made. Quail was perfectly cooked.We also got fried rice. It was excellent but just a few pieces of chicken were added.Service: excellent Yelp factor: possibly one of the best places in KC for Pho.

I ordered egg rolls and pho with sliced beef and was impressed with the generous portion of meat in the noodle soup. I am often left wanting more at other restaurants, but the ratio here was perfect. The seasoning used in the broth wasn't very flavorful, and I ended up adding sriracha to boost the experience. The service was great, I was greeted and checked on several times while dining in. What a cozy, warm experience for a freezing day like this one!

Service was quick and friendly and the food was amazing! It was the perfect casual and calm ambience we were looking for on New Year's Day.

Another good place in downtown KC to get pho. Everything was very tasty. The service was quick. Prices is fair and typical around the area.

Two years after my initial visit to Pho Lan; I actually had a pho dish this past weekend, and it was perfection. My large bowl of bbq pork slices and wontons floating in the most savory chicken broth with a bed of egg noodles, onions, chives, and a dusting of fried garlic! The most enjoyable and delicious bowl of pho ever. Add a cafe-sua-da and a spring roll and what a perfect way to spend lunch on a brisk December Saturday.Service is always efficient and water glasses never go unfilled, which is a good thing if you like adding on the sriracha and jalapeño's. Be prepared to share a 6 top with strangers at busy times.

Came here based off of the reviews and because I was craving pho and had to have it! My go to spot was closed so I decided to come here. I had the beef stew pho which is my favorite!!! So much flavor in every bite! However the beef stew pho here was good but it wasn't as flavorful as I would have liked it to be. The beef stew meat was very tender and the broth needed some extra love. After I put my finish and touches on it was just fine. I ordered the spring rolls, besides the rice paper being very chewy they were good. Veggies seemed to be very fresh. The service could've been better, I had to keep asking for things rather then being checked on. The price and portions of the food were GREAT! I must say you definitely get more bank for your buck here! I had leftovers from my pho for dinner and lunch! Glad I gave this place a try but I'll be sticking to my go too.

delicious beef pho, generous portions. crab rangoons were also some of the best i've had in a while!pho lan had a comfortable space with attentive service - i would probably come back to this spot if i lived closer

I have loved Pho Lan sinnce I was a young boy, my newst challenge is to try everythong on the menu, if anyone wants to come help give me a hollar. This was chicken shrimp pork pho with all the garlic and spring rolls. The spicey soups are great and ask for tge secret chili paste they used to have on tge table but now by request.

The beef Pho is the best in Kcmo. The service is excellent. They 're polite curious family owned business Clean and gracious restaurant. Family orientated Just excellent dinning.