As someone who is half Asian, I have always considered pho a favorite cold weather meal of mine. As the temperature begins to drop, I decided to compile a list of my favorite nearby pho places and rank them.

When deciding what criteria I would use to rate these restaurants, I wanted to review two classics: chicken pho and fried egg rolls. Chicken pho consists of chicken broth, rice noodles, red and green onions, sliced chicken and additional toppings and flavorings — cilantro, bean sprouts, hot sauce, etc. — which can be added to an individual’s liking. Vietnamese egg rolls have a fried rice paper outer layer and usually have pork, cellophane noodles and chopped vegetables inside. 

Pho Que Huong: 8/10 

Prestonwood Park, 6509 W Park Blvd, Plano, TX

The rice noodles and soup base paired together showed strong potential for Que Huong, however, the chicken pho fell short with the chicken. The chicken slices in the soup were inconsistent from a texture standpoint – some parts were hard and thick while other parts had a chewy, rubbery consistency. Either of these textures leave restaurant-goers with an uncomforting mouthfeel, though. 

Despite the egg rolls being a good size and having a beautiful crispy golden brown rice paper wrapping, the actual egg roll filling was too pork-dominant. Egg rolls typically contain both pork and some chopped vegetables, but Que Huong’s did not have any vegetables. The veggies within the egg roll tend to counteract the heaviness of the pork, so the missing presence of the vegetables made the egg rolls seem like a heavier dish overall. 

Pho Apple: 10/10 

5930 W Park Blvd, Plano, TX

Although there wasn’t anything particularly unique about the rice noodles and soup base, the chicken slices were the most thinly cut, making it easy to eat with an enjoyable texture. I honestly don’t have much else to say besides how delicious it was. 

Pho Apple, hands down, has my favorite egg rolls of all time. While they are smaller compared to those of most of the restaurants on this list, the outer layer is the most beautiful golden-brown and has the best crispness out of all the other egg rolls I sampled. The filling itself has an acceptable pork to vegetable ratio and doesn’t have excess amounts of oil from frying.

Pho Beef Noodle & Grill: 8.5/10 

4740 TX-121, Lewisville, TX

Overall, I was thoroughly satisfied with my meal from Pho Beef Noodle and Grill. Their chicken broth was the most flavorful out of the restaurants I reviewed, which helped prevent any blandness or absence of flavor. The chicken came in nice,  thin slices; however, the texture itself was tough and not the most enjoyable to eat. The noodles themselves were slightly tougher than at the other places, but not so tough that it retracted from the overall meal.

The egg rolls were average; they were on the larger end of the spectrum in terms of size, but I still enjoyed them. Unfortunately, there wasn’t anything particularly unique about their flavoring or filling, so I was neither ecstatic nor disappointed. 

Pho Bistro: 7/10 

3052 Old Denton Rd, Carrollton, TX

Although I was excited to revisit this staple Carrollton pho location, I was disappointed with my visit. I ordered the same chicken pho I tried at the other restaurants, however the wait was extensive and my order was incorrect. I ended up eating the chicken broth base with udon noodles opposed to the traditional rice noodles. Since I don’t eat udon noodles on a regular basis, I didn’t feel like I was able to properly rate them.

On the bright side, the chicken in the pho was shredded, as opposed to sliced, which made it easy to eat. The egg rolls were the largest out of all the restaurants I tried, and the balance of pork to vegetables was spot on. The vinegar sauce that is typically served with egg rolls was a nice surprise since it was spicy — which is not normally the case. 

Overall, each of the pho places on this list is worth a visit if you’re looking for a warm, delicious meal to counterbalance the cold weather.