Pho Lang Thang

This place has been on my list for the longest time. When visiting Findlay I glance in on people slurping their noodles from a big bowl and my curiosity is peaked but I never go in.
Cut to last week while spending the day in the Findlay Market offices we had a break for lunch and I was talked into walking over to get some Phở (or is it pronounced Pha?).
It’s a little intimidating how packed this place is, especially if you don’t know what you’re doing. It also didn’t help that the menu is partially in Vietnamese. I ordered a small Phở Ga which was huge and pretty dang tasty. We ordered carry out which meant you kind of have to assemble your food yourself but it does keep the rice noodles from becoming mushy.
I will certainly be stopping in probably to try s sandwich which I’ve heard are delish. I might even give a beef phở a try. At the amazing price I might just do both!

This is the best phở in Cincinnati. I’ve been coming here for a few years now and they have steadily improved their broth and beef such that it’s the best phở in the city now. The broth is rich and tasty. The beef is delicious. Their tendon could be a bit better as its a bit stringy and hard to grab with chopsticks as opposed to other places that give a «tendon loaf». Their service is good. Expect a 20 – 30 min wait on weekends but just go early, put down your name and go shopping and they’ll text you when the table is ready. The other items on the menu like banh mi and banh thit nuong are also really tasty. I’d recommend to get them With grilled pork and the fried spring rolls. You can’t go wrong. Only thing is that I wish that they would have some rice dishes

I love their Phở Bo. I haven’t been able to compare with much in Cincinnati but it definitely is as good as or better than the Vietnamese places I’ve been to on the West Coast. During my first visit unfortunately they were all out of phở, but I ordered a really nice noodle dish with beef. Definitely did not go back disappointed.
Great food especially during the winter months.

Phở my God! Quite possibly my absolute favorite spot for lunch in Cincinnati. Why do I love it so? Is it the mouthwatering aroma that still clings to your clothes hours after you’ve departed? Maybe it’s the way the piping hot broth is still cooking your steak as it makes its way to your table, so that your steak is nice and rare. But I think the biggest reason I love Phở Lang Thang is the noodles. The noodles are delicious and plentiful and I love the way they look clamped between my chopsticks. I just can’t stay away. The have captured my taste buds!

Best Phở in town, best soup in town.
It’s hard to go wrong in OTR when it comes to tasty food, and even more so at Findlay Market. You’re bound to see a small crowd of people standing outside, coaxed over by the line, attempting to decipher the menu. Here’s what you need to know: get the phở bo, get the salad rolls.
Phở Bo is Vietnamese a beef brother based soup with a choice of various beef cuts. Phở Bo Tai is my recommendation; thinly sliced raw steak that cooks in the broth on its way to your table. There’s a chicken and vegan option available, but if you’re looking for the perfect bowl, go beef. All phở is going to be served with cilantro, basil, jalapeño, lime and bean sprouts. Go easy on the jalapeño and pick up some extra spice from sriracha. Most people are going to add hoisin, I skip it because it mellows out the spice too much.
The salad rolls are a cold, fresh appetizer with shrimp, pork, cilantro, cucumber and sprouts wrapped in rice paper and served with peanut sauce. Perfect pairing to a hot soup.
The noodle dishes and sandwiches are all pretty tasty here as well if you’re not feeling the soup. A lesser ordered and highly underrated dish is the salad. Cabbage based, a fresh salad/​slaw served in a large rice cracker bowl with the same dressing that comes on the noodle dishes.
As for the atmosphere, I love this type of spot. A bit noisy, bright and colorful, but in a cool, artsy way, not an Applebee’s way. In the summer, grab a spot outside and sit on an overturned bucket. Because why not. The service is always friendly, quick, and very helpful and understanding. Important as the menu can look a bit daunting. Just ask and they’ll walk you through it.
Cap off your meal with a slow drip Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk. It comes out strong and still brewing, allowing you to mix in as much condensed milk as suits you. A taste you’re not going to get at any coffee shop in town. Phở Lang also pairs well with dessert at nearby Dojo Gelato.

I just got back from over a week in California with great Asian food of all varieties and it warms my heart to have PLT accessible here in Cincy. Despite the often 15 minute wait, we shop while we wait for our table to be ready. They are fast and efficient even on the most crowded of days and all the servers seem super nice and hard working. I am always impressed with their dedication.
The phở beef noodle soup is a great hot broth for cold winter days and when I order it, I almost always get the bun salad with half noodles and double veggie. Such a great dish! So fresh and crunchy veggies that help the always-​served-​warm grilled meat shine as the focus. I swear this could be served at a fine dining establishment if you just decreased portions by a third and presented it on a big flat plate surrounded by a splash of green cilantro cream sauce.
This place makes me proud to call Cincy my home.

I love the food, but ownership MUST INVEST in a proper hood system. I cannot go there for lunch because I will reek for the rest of the day until I shower and change clothes.
Spare yourself the aggravation and get carryout.

Quick review update:
This place is as awesome as ever, but unfortunately, they forgot my bahn mi in my last carryout order. I called to inform them of the misstep, and they took my information to send me a gift card!
So awesome product with stellar customer service.

There is literally nothing wrong with the food. I got the noodle salad with chicken this time and the chicken was seasoned perfectly and the diluted fish sauce (I think that was that but I am no expert in Viet food) I loved my food. You have to go there for food. Like go. Like now.
HOWEVER. If you are planning on going to work/​class/​work outs or anything involved with people afterwards, maybe give it a second thought. The entire restaurant has this smell that not only follows you, it literally implants itself on you I think. My friend warned me and I didnt believe him. You know we cant usually smell ourselves but oh man oh man did I smell like I just swam in a fish sauce pool.
Or you can walk around afterwards for like 10 minutes or something but its 10 degrees out right now.
It is a hard choice. Eat with fish sauce or become one.

Yes. I’m a fan.
Sweet little restaurant in Findlay Market. I choose to eat outside because you will come out smelling like the spices but the phở is certainly delicious.
The staff is very helpful and we always have a good time when we go. Delicious broth, LOADS of cilantro please, meat balls and I’m set.
Definitely check it out. They’re not open on Monday though! :)

I have been here so many times, I can’t believe I have never written a review. Menu is relatively simple — choice of sandwich, salad or Phở (all can be customized). Also have a variety of Vietnamese drinks (I especially like the coffee with or without condensed milk). This is a must go to place in Cincinnati (especially if you are going to Findlay).
Hint: if you go on weekend during lunch hour, plan on waiting 30 – 60 minutes for an eat in table but don’t despair because you can wander the Market while you wait.

Just got back from brunch at PLT and I feel immensely better. The steaming hot phở was the perfect thing for my sore throat and aching head!
PLT is a staple of cincinnati, after opening in Findlay market 5 years ago when there were far fewer Asian restaurants in town. The place is usually bustling and service is fast and friendly. The best thing on the menu by far is the banh mi dac biet on a French baguette. If you’re in a rush this is a good option to order to-​go. The flavor/​texture combo of the pork, pâté, pickled carrots and cilantro is mindblowingly good. Yum French colonialism!
The Cha Gio pork spring rolls are fried and heavenly. The cold Goi Cuon salad rolls are big and taste great dipped in peanut sauce. You can’t go wrong with ordering a bun (noodle salad) either. And a small bowl of their phở — while not the best I’ve ever had — still always hits the spot whenever I’m feeling hungover or sick, or anytime it gets below 60 °F. Get the rare steak or the meatballs. You’ll be instantly cured!
ps it’s pronounced «fuh»

I attended Phở Lang Thang with a group of six. Largely we ordered different dishes and shared around a bit. I always enjoy that aspect of meeting up with people.
On a previous visit I had ordered some Phở, and they had been out of both the steak and the brisket, so I was left with chicken really. But it had been a festival day at Findlay Market (where the establishment is located) and busier than usual.
This trip I ordered one of the salads. Similar to their Phở, but without the broth, my salad was phenomenal! The meat was warm and flavorful, the noodles were delicious and the veggies and «broth» dressing were well manicured to the palate of the dish.
My table-​mates had Phở, Ban Mhi (sandwich?) and some form of a sampler I believe, and all were very happy with their selections!
If you’re on the hunt for some good noodles, and happen to be anywhere near OTR, definitely check out Phở Lang Thang! You won’t regret it!

After reading some other reviews, I guess my party of 3 was lucky to be seated right away on a Saturday afternoon. It was around 11:30, and there were spaces available inside or out. I have never had phở, so I was eager to try, but I actually got the beef banh mi. That is a decision I do not regret for a second. The sandwich was so fresh, from the baguette with just the right amount of crunch, to the cucumbers and cilantro. I ended taking off some of the cilantro toward the end of my meal as it started to overpower the otherwise very balanced plate. The best part for sure was the beef – so juicy and flavorful! For a little sandwich, it did a great job at filling the void that is my stomach. I will most certainly be back for another banh mi.

The wife and I were walking around Findlay Market on a Saturday afternoon. It was a little after 1pm and we were hungry. We both had a taste for phở and spied Phở Lang Thang. The place was packed and there was an estimated 45 min. wait. Not deterred, we gave the host our name and number and waited for a text saying our table was ready. We got the text a little shy of the estimated time and were promptly seated.
Compared to comparable Vietnamese joints I’ve been to on both the East and West coasts, prices seemed quite a bit higher than I was used to seeing for phở and banh mi. I ordered the medium Phở Bo Dac Biet (rare steak, meatballs, brisket, tendon and tripe) which only came in medium, $ 11, or large, $ 13.50. The wife ordered the small Phở Bo Nam (brisket) for $ 7.95. We also decided to split an order of the Banh Mi Dac Biet ($ 6.50). Our food came out quickly. My medium phở was a goodly-​sized bowl comparable to the large bowls I’ve had at other phở joints. It contained a generous amount of meat and rice noodles. The noodles seemed to have been freshly boiled, not pre-​cooked, portioned, and then refrigerated, as they weren’t still cold, glutinous, and stuck together in the bottom of the bowl cooling down the hot broth. Most importantly, the broth was beefy and fragrant with the desired phở spices. In truth, it was one of the best looking and tasting bowls of phở I’ve ever had. The classic banh mi was also good-​sized with a reasonable amount of sliced barbecue pork, pork sausage, headcheese, and pâté. The cilantro, cucumber, jalapeño (available upon request) were brightly colored and appropriately fresh. The pickled carrots and daikon added a nice textural crunch and acidity. The excellent ingredients were matched by a fresh Vietnamese-​style baguette that was nicely crusty yet soft, chewy, and airy in the middle. It was as good of banh mi that I’ve encountered. Service throughout our meal was solid.
I’m glad that we found Phở Lang Thang. Not that there’s a lot of competition for phở in Cincinnati, but Phở Lang Thang will be my go-​to place to get my phở fix when I’m in town. As good as it was, the price for a bowl of phở still seemed a bit steep by a dollar or two and the banh mi by $.50−1.00. That said, it was still at a price I’d be willing to pay given the quality and amount of food received. 5 star food… minus one star due to pricing.

I can’t say how much I love this place! First off, it’s in Findlay Market, which is perfect bc there is always a wait at Phở Lang Thang, and they will take your number to text you when your table is available. So in the mean time, you have all of Findlay Market to walk around!
First time going? You must get a Banh Mi-​I like the Lemongrass pork with the added pâté and jalapeño, and a Phở (of course) I like the rare steak. They of course bring the plate of goodies – ie jalapeño, lime, cilantro, basil, and sprouts. You can add as much or as little to your Phở as you’d like. The broth is out of this world, and the noodles are cooked to perfection.
Sounds like a lot of food, but it’s worth being stuffed for.
Plan ahead, bc like I mentioned, there is always a wait.
Enjoy!

Food here is really good. I’ve been here a couple of times and it’s never disappointed me. My favorite food here would have to be the sandwiches. It comes out in a warm toasted baguette with fresh veggies, pork and cheesehead. Phở is good too… the noodles are chewy and broth is legit.
Food: yum! thumbs up!
Service: great
parking: 1 hour free on weekdays

4.5 stars. Phở Lang Tang makes excellent Banh Mi sandwiches. I did the beef and added the pâté — yummy! The french bread was fresh and nice and soft. They nailed the bread-​fillings ratio and had fresh and crisp veggies and a good bit of cilantro. The spring rolls were also excellent. We tried the fresh and friend — i would probably choose the fresh ones as my favorite.
Service was quick and friendly. We luckily we got there early and didn’t have to wait. By the time we left, there was a line out the door. However, it is definitely a place that is worth the wait (and you can stroll the market).