We saved you a bite: Pho Bar & Grill (Lebanon Valley Food Critics)

Editor’s Note: Last year, Michael and Nicole Borrell began reviewing Lebanon Valley’s restaurants and eating attractions as the Lebanon Valley Food Critics. Since then, the couple has aimed to offer unbiased reviews of the eating and drinking establishments the Lebanon Valley has to offer. LebTown is pleased to be partnering with LVFC to share these reviews with our readers. Bon appétit!

It was the middle of the week and we were about to take a trip to Florida the following day and we didn’t want to cook. The little critic had gymnastics photos taken this evening and our schedules were busy.

We decided to try a new restaurant to us. In fact, it’s a new restaurant for everyone! However, the location holds a special place in our hearts (RIP The Annville Grille).

Read More: Pho Bar & Grill opens in Annville; menu has Korean wings, pho, banh mi, & more

Located at the corner of West Main and Lancaster streets in Annville, Pho Bar & Grill has recently opened in a location that has been home to many eating establishments in the past. This restaurant boasts two dining rooms and a U-shaped bar in the rear room with high table seating and TVs.

The menu is fusion style with plenty of appetizer options and a couple of rice and entrée selections. And of course, they have pho.

For tonight’s meal we chose the fried shrimp roll ($7.95), pho ribeye ($12.95), and the shrimp pad thai ($14.95). They do also have a tea menu which we didn’t get tonight.

The shrimp rolls are served five to an order with nice sized shrimp wrapped in a wonton and accompanied by house sauce. The house sauce has a mildly sweet taste that has a tang kick on the backend. They were serving these at Historic Old Annville Day as a teaser item. We got to try them there and we knew we would be getting these again tonight.

The pho came in a nice big bowl with all the fixings. The ribeye was perfectly tender, and the rice noodles were plentiful inside. The flavor was great. Add some hot sauce and give it some kick to fully enjoy. The amount of pho you get is more than enough to have your fill at this sitting and for leftovers later.

The pad thai came with nine shrimp and a broad rice noodle topped with a peanut and egg sprinkle. The flavor again jumped out on the first bite. It’s been a while since I’ve had a pad thai dish. Unfortunately, my noodles were not thoroughly cooked. For me tonight, given the temperament of the little critic, I knew I was going to be taking most of this entrée home and will be a second meal in which I could recook the noodles.

Our take: This place is the new kid on the block. The family focused staff are nice and helpful to show patrons what to order from their pho fusion menu. Each dish we had was flavorful. The ribeye in the pho fell apart. They are still getting their feet wet, but the flavor will bring you back. The menu is smaller. We hope to see more rice and entrée options in the future.

We give this place ????.

If you have a restaurant you would like us to visit or review, whether a place you like or are nervous to try, please message us on Facebook or email lvfoodcritics@outlook.com and let us know. We thank everyone for the recommendations and the kind words we have received.