Sunset Pho Caffe

Stopped in for a late-ish dinner after working out. Only place open on a Monday night after 9pm that had banh mi's! I called and the owner was super helpful, he sold me on the Yugoslavian sausage fusion bahn mi!I ordered one of the above and a lemon grass pork. The orders seemed a little high price-wise at first, but I noticed they included fries. All good!Went in to pick up my takeout order at around 9:20 PM and the place had more diners than I expected, slurping pho and enjoying the NBA playoffs. As I waited, a couple more groups came in, which is great to see. The ambiance is a dark, warm, moody wood-trimmed bar and dining room. Evokes eastern Europe.I started eating the fries right away, they were amazing! The thick cut type with a great crisp and flavorful seasoning. They didn't make it home. Both sandwiches were delicious, the blend of seasoned, tender meats with the traditional banh mi ingredients played well together. My wife loved both sandwiches. She was craving a classic banh mi cold-cut sandwich, but she also affirmed that both were delicious!

Pho is my comfort food when I'm feeling a bit sick or stuffed up so my first time being sick while living in Chicago, went to find my new go to Pho spot.This place is definitely in the running! If it wasn't for the price, I probably would've given it 5 stars. It's a lovely little cafe with a great atmosphere and the servers are super friendly. I sat at the bar and had a nice chat with the bartender. Rare Beef Pho - 4/5 - Taste wise, this is a definite 5/5. Tasted super fresh and delicious and cleared my sinuses right up. Very good portions of meat and noodles in the bowl, and they give a lot more of the veggies (basil, peppers, bean sprouts) here than at a lot of other Pho places I've been to. As I mentioned, my only gripe was the price. I believe I paid $23 for this bowl of Pho. I am accustomed to paying now more than $15-$16 for the same serving so that was a little off putting. While yes, it was delicious, I don't think the extra $8 was worth what I was getting.I will be shopping around for another Pho spot in the area, but if nothing is as good, or they are all similarly priced, I will probably be back!

Overall Thoughts: Sunset Pho offers a unique, flavorful mix of traditional Viet and Viet-Judoslavian fusion dishes, in addition to a beautiful interior/vibe. I enjoyed everything we ordered, especially the cevapci pita sandwich-- all the portions were large, filling, and delicious (though kind of pricey). The food also comes out pretty slowly, but each dish was paced well and the servers were very kind. Definitely try to make a reservation in advance! We didn't, but came at 5pm on a Saturday and snagged the last available table. By the time we left, there were people waiting outside. I hope to return sometime in the future-- there were so many enticing dishes on the menu I have yet to try!Food I tried:- Cevapci Pita Sandwich (4.7/5): We tried ordering it on a Vietnamese baguette, but got pita instead. Nonetheless, the sandwich was fire. The meat is grilled perfectly-- not too dry, and was very flavorful. The pita was soft and spongey, and the fries were crispy.- Banh Xeo (4.4/5): Basic dish, but they did it well-- the exterior was crispy and the pork belly was flavorful.- Vegetarian Rice Vermicelli (4.1/5): This was not bad and more flavorful than some other vermicelli dishes I've had in Chicago, but it still could've used an extra kick of flavor. The tofu was well-fried, but not very flavorful. The egg rolls were great though-- crispy and delicious.-- Price (relative to peers): 4.1/5Food: 4.4/5Ambience: 4.9/5Service: 4.7/5Overall Value: 4.5/5

The food here is great. I really like the shrimp noodle salad. Tasty and good portion. Can't go wrong with the pho but I like the salad the best. Service is nice and quick and has good vibes inside . Recommend!

Do yourself a favor and make a reservation. This place is packed on the weekends - and for good reason - pho is really great. We waited about 30-40 minutes for a table. I ordered the chicken pho and my dining partner had the seafood pho . Side of mint, jalapeños and bean sprouts were the perfect included accompaniments Both soups were absolutely great and hit the spot on a cold Chicago winter evening . Service is on the slow side but friendly. Price is great. Our bill for 2 which included a beer was 51.00. Hard to beat that price for a quaint and charming Saturday night dinner. Neighborhood gem and I'll be back ( assuming I can get a reservation!)

Today was the perfect day for a walk in the October chill. The plan was to warm up with a hot bowl of pho. I sat at the bar and the bartender and I started chatting about his music playlist . I asked him about the menu and specifically about the pho. He told me that the pho broth takes several hours to prep. He recommended the cevapcci spring rolls for a starter and the rare beef pho. Zel also offered me a complimentary plum brandy shot and had me try the Bosnian beer. Everything was fresh, hot, and delicious! His last recommendation for the night was the flan :) I love that they have a reward program!! Buy ten soups and get one free! Move over soup box there's a new contender for soup in LV! Pro tip: Make reservations this place gets quite busy as the night wore on!

This place is so cute and the owners are very sweet. The lighting is dim so it was comfortable eating and talking with my party. The food came out pretty quick and it was very delicious. Everyone enjoyed their food. (The only complaint out of my party was that the spicy lemongrass noodle soup wasn't spicy.) Overall really enjoyed it.

Vietnamese and Yugoslavian fusion means spring rolls with cevapcici in them, an EXCELLENT combination. It doesn't mean that the classic pho isn't done right though, it's still hearty and meaty and loaded with everything you need. I will say the pho was heavy on black pepper and the noodles were a little fused BUT it's still a decent bowl of pho. I will say the real highlights are their non-pho dishes and their fusion and Yugoslavian dishes, I highly encourage you to branch out and explore the menu. I love cevapcici and it was so good in the spring roll!! The space is soo neat, it looks like the inside of a chapel, and the staff and service is EXCELLENT, owner offered us green plum brandy shots for St Patty's too hehe

Sunset Phở Caffe, a cozy restaurant in Chicago, serves up authentic Vietnamese fare with a Yugoslavian twist. The menu boasts an exciting fusion of flavors, and the full bar features specialty spirits from around the globe. Owner Zelimir is warm and welcoming, offering first-time guests a taste of his homemade liquor. For a memorable dining experience, visit this hidden gem in the heart of Chicago.

Truly a unique and absolutely delicious experience! I have never seen a fusion of Vietnamese and Yugoslavian cuisine before, and it really is so so good! Every dish we tried was excellent and perfectly crafted!- Spicy Lemongrass Beef Noodle Soup: The broth was incredibly flavorful! This dish is listed under phở, but the broth and noodles are just like bún bò Huế. Though it is different in that they use the type of beef that is typically in phở. I actually think this might be my favorite bowl of bún bò Huế ever?! It's a big bowl but somehow I ate it all!- Sunset Special Phở: My partner got this and I tasted the broth. Wow, it's flavorful!! I loved that there was Yugoslavian sausage in it!- Spring roll with Yugoslavian sausage: Wow. What a combination. I love the flavor of the sausage with the traditional Vietnamese peanut sauce. Highly recommend getting this as an appetizer.The space is intimate and cozy and beautiful, with it's sloped ceilings, stained glass windows, and holiday decor. Very cool that this used to be a church. I recommend making reservations because there is limited space and it's popular! We came on a Friday evening around 5pm without reservations and we're lucky to snag some of the last seats at the bar. I'm excited that they get so much business--their phone was ringing with lots of to-go orders too!