Phở Bắc is a chain of
Vietnamese restaurants in
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
, in the
U.S. state of
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...
. The restaurants specialize in
phở dishes and have several locations in the city.
History and locations
The restaurant, originally named Cat's Submarine Sandwich Shop, was founded in 1982 by Theresa Cat Vu and Augustine Nien Pham in the
Chinatown–International District. The shop operated out of a former
insurance office in modern-day Little Saigon and offered sandwiches until Vu and Pham were convinced to sell
phở by members of Seattle's Vietnamese community; at the time, they claimed to be the first Seattle restaurant to offer the dish. Four months after introducing phở to the menu, the dish became the main focus of the restaurant, which was renamed Phở Bắc.
The Pham family opened additional locations under the Phở Bắc name, as well as Phở Việt.
The original restaurant at 12th Avenue and South Jackson Street was moved into a red boat-shaped building that was originally a
float attachment used for a 2004 parade organized by the Vietnamese Catholic community.
In 2012, a
Denny Triangle location opened.
An additional store is in
Rainier Valley
The Rainier Valley is a district in southeast Seattle. It is located east of Beacon Hill; west of Mount Baker, Seward Park, and Leschi; south of the Central District and north of Rainier Beach. It is part of Seattle's South End.
History
W ...
.
Phở Bắc Súp Shop opened nearby on January 1, 2018, slightly later than previously announced. The restaurant initially featured the wine shop Vita Uva, which closed by September and was converted into a
wine club. The original restaurant became known as Phở Bắc Boat, or The Boat. Phở Bắc Boat closed temporarily for renovations in November 2018, reopening on January 1, 2020.
In 2020, during the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
, the business launched the Pho Mobile to deliver food. Phở Bắc opened a restaurant on 7th Avenue in
Downtown Seattle
Downtown is the central business district of Seattle, Washington. It is fairly compact compared with other city centers on the U.S. West Coast due to its geographical situation, being hemmed in on the north and east by hills, on the west by ...
, with an upstairs bar called
Phởcific Standard Time
Phởcific Standard Time (PST) is a speakeasy-style cocktail bar and restaurant in Seattle, in the U.S. state of Washington. The AAPI-owned business was founded by sisters Quynh and Yenvy Pham.
Description
Phởcific Standard Time is a cockt ...
, in 2021.
Reception
A review from ''
Condé Nast Traveler
''Condé Nast Traveler'' is a luxury and lifestyle travel magazine published by Condé Nast. The magazine has won 25 National Magazine Awards.
The Condé Nast unit of Advance Publications purchased ''Signature'', a magazine for Diners Club memb ...
'' says, "In a city swimming in good pho, the bowls here are simply some of the best."
Gabe Guarente included the Chinatown–International District establishments in ''
Eater Seattle''
's 2020 list of 12 "solid" restaurants in Seattle "where parking isn't a complete nightmare". During the pandemic, he also recommended Phở Bắc Súp Shop in 2020 overviews of the city's best delivery and
take-out options. ''Eater Seattle'' included the restaurant in a 2021 list of "where to get comforting bowls of soups and stews for wintry Seattle weather", as well as a 2022 list of "where to get soothing bowls of pho in the Seattle area". Jay Friedman included Phở Bắc Súp Shop in ''Eater Seattle''
's 2022 lists of 18 "vibrant" Vietnamese Restaurants in Seattle and 19 "knockout" restaurants in the Chinatown–International District. In 2022, the restaurant was included in ''Eater Seattle''
's 2022 list of 38 "essential" Seattle restaurants, and writers for the site included Phở Bắc Súp Shop in an overview of 15 "lively" restaurants in the city for large group dinners.
In 2023, Phở Bắc Sup Shop, Phởcific Standard Time, and The Boat made Yenvy and Quynh Pham semifinalists in the
James Beard Foundation Award's Outstanding Restaurateur category.
See also
*
Hello Em
Hello Em Việt Coffee & Roastery, or simply Hello Em, is a Vietnamese Coffeehouse, coffee shop in Seattle, in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington.
Description
Hello Em is a "sleek" Vietnamese Coffeehouse, coffee shop on Weller Str ...
*
List of Vietnamese restaurants
Following is a list of Vietnamese restaurants:
* An Xuyên Bakery, Portland, Oregon, U.S.
* Ba Bar, Seattle, Washington
* Bambū
* Berlu, Portland, Oregon
* Dong Phuong Oriental Bakery, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
* Double Dragon, Portla ...
*
Vietnamese in Seattle
The Vietnamese American community in the Seattle, Washington area is home to a large Vietnamese population of more than 55,000 residents, which is about 1.5% of the metropolitan area's population. Much of the Vietnamese community lives in the C ...
References
External links
*
{{Restaurants in Seattle
1982 establishments in Washington (state)
Chinatown–International District, Seattle
Downtown Seattle
Restaurants established in 1982
Vietnamese restaurants in Seattle