Pho Hoang - Arcata

Consistently excellent we always call from the road ok our travels to see my father in law, so that we can arrive to him with a good hot healthy meal.

Eat here if you're craving pho and don't want to be dissatisfied. I've been eating pho since the 1980's, grew up close to Little Saigon. I've eaten pho monthly, and after a few weeks that my body goes pho-less the cravings start. The worst thing (gastronomically) that can happen to me is being served pho that is tasteless, or not fresh or just lazy. It is like a church to most Christians, they go to once a month and special occasions. Once a month I'm enjoying some good spring rolls and pho tai. Extra special if they got Cafe Sua Da. Generally pho is a peasant food, a staple of working people's diet. It's cheap to make and not fancy. So to expect a pho place to be gourmet is just ignorant. I love the fact that this restaurant is minimally decrated and sterile. That's important when dealing with undercooked beef or fresh chicken along side uncooked vegetables. The service is very Vietnamese in the sense of being friendly but not talkative. The food here is a delight and I can't imagine anyone with the slightest awareness of noodle and rice dishes not enjoying themselves. Good prices, not a bargain, but very reasonable. Lastly, in a county that has more rain than any other county in California, and soup being the great comfort food on a cold and rainy day that it is, this may very well become my favorite restaurant north of San Francisco. Oh ! And their boba is good. Sadly, no cafe sua da. They have tai tea though. Which is weird. But if you get tai tea with boba that works out well.

The only thing I can eat here is the curry, because I am gluten free but it's delicious so that's fine.

Great Vietnamese food. Service was pretty slow, but the restaurant was full. Service: Dine in Meal type: Dinner Price per person: $10–20 Food: 5 Service: 3 Atmosphere: 4

My ratings of Pho restaurants come from my time living in the Bay Area, where I frequently visited various Pho spots in San Jose, often with Asian colleagues. Pho is one of the finest Asian dishes, so I always seek out something special. Pho Hoang is average but still decent. Among Humboldt's dining options, it's close to my favorite. The food is flavorful and not overcooked, making it comparable to the average Pho joints in the Bay Area, which puts it ahead of most eateries in Humboldt. If you're looking for a quick Pho fix, this is the only place in Humboldt that I would recommend. Plus, they prepare Thai iced tea correctly.