Pho Yen

Phở Yen had been on our list of places to try for a long time and we are so glad we finally made it there. Our party of four split several things with the direction of our waiter. We started with the sampler platter and also got crab rangoons. The spring rolls and their peanut sauce were 5*. We also had Spicy phở special, lemongrass chicken and chicken satay with coconut and noodles. Huge portions and great food. We won’t be waiting around to visit again.

Everything was excellent. Moving from New Orleans, good Vietnamese food was something I really missed. There are a couple of other places in town, but Phở Yen comes closest to getting everything right. The only thing that has been subpar was the steamed buns.

Hidden secret! Don’t let the location scare you. Found by accident. Was greeted immediately. Ordered quickly, Good food! Will come back!

Wow, this place is great. It looks kinda divey from the outside but the interior has a great Vietnamese atmosphere. The menu is extensive with something for everyone, I’m a huge phở fan and I was definitely in the right place. Mom got a huge vermicelli bowl that looked amazing and my dad got short ribs that were falling off the bone tender. I am definitely going back and telling everyone about this place

I had stopped going to Yen when it was under the previous owners due to the slow service and the length of time it took to get our food at lunch. After hearing that there’s new owners, I decided to stop in and check out their menu. Phở Yen has quite an extensive selection of dishes. The one that caught my eye was their pork and ginger porridge. I don’t know of any other Mobile restaurant that has this dish on their menu. So I ordered that and spring rolls (not fried) to bring home. My mom always cooked me porridge when I got sick. It’s the Asian equivalent to the American chicken soup for colds. The food was ready to go in less than ten minutes. Awesome!
Even after an hour’s drive, the porridge was still hot and did not need reheating. The savory porridge was just as wonderful as mom’s, with plenty of ginger! The spring rolls were good but would have been better if eaten at the restaurant because the soft spring roll skin will dry out. The accompanying peanut sauce was very good; rich peanut flavor, creamy & a little spicy. With this initial sampling of their food & ready time, I think I’m going to be a regular at Phở Yen!
6÷16÷15 — I rounded up several people at the office to place our first delivery order (minimum $ 40), called in at 10:40am and got it at 11:30am as arranged. We ordered menu items #112, #400, #603, #612, #961. ALL THUMBS UP!

Phở Yen!
I took my wife’s parents to lunch on a Sunday afternoon. This place is amazing! The staff is very friendly and keep a super clean restaurant. We all had something different and every dish was freshly made to order. I have attached a soup I ordered, the wonton seafood soup. Yummy! Anyway please go and check this place out! They really know what’s up!

What a shame!
My friend took me to Yens for my first time less than a year ago and what an experience. I admit I had never heard of phở and didn’t know what to expect, but the authentic cooking blew my mind and took my taste buds for a wild ride. After about 4 months the original owners sold the business to some new folks who updated the décor revamped the menu. The first time we went after the changes, we were disappointed by the quality of the food. It seems like every time we go back now we just leave disappointed. The worst part about Yens now is the service, the guy there is really annoying when he is trying to be funny. The last few times have almost been comical, one time they had an animé movie playing really loud on the tv, another time he had techno rap music playing very loud. In fact when one family walked in, after we had been there for awhile, and asked for him to change the music. I hate that this place has changed for the worse and I wrote this review to also let the owner (assuming he reads his Unilocal reviews) know that we will not be eating at your establishment any more.
P. s. Bring back Mr. David

If you are looking for excellent Vietnamese food look no further. The location is a little off the beaten path — we think it is a hidden treasure. From the great service to the food — we felt at home. And trust me, if an Asian person eats there it’s the bomb!!!

Where do I start the summer rolls were awesome and the peanut sauce was spicy and very flavorful. I ordered the special phở and it was delish. Better than a lot of phở places I’ve ate at in California. I definitely recommend it.

We love this place! Lots of choices, everything is made fresh to order, and the owners love children.
The new owners are great and take great price in making sure that their customers have a wonderful experience every time

I would give this 6 stars if I could. DELICIOUS food, even better service. Owner even offered to give me a ride since he saw that I took a taxi to come here. Cmon, that is just wonderful. I will absolutely come back here anytime im in mobile. A+

Great return visit to Yen! I have waited many a month to return to Mobile and I was rewarded with a delicious dinner.
The sign out front said something about being closed soon for remodeling. The inside has been changed already since my last visit and the menu is brand new but still consists of all the old menu options and then some.
I didn’t get all that adventurous this time but no matter… I started with the beef summer rolls. The were extremely fresh, packed with lots of fresh herbs, rice noodles, and veggies. You get 3 on a plate with a delicious peanut sauce on the side for around $ 4.00. Deal!
I had the combo noodle soup, chicken stock variety with chicken, pork, calamari, and shrimp. I ordered the medium bowl for I believe $ 8.00…it was HUGE! They served it with a plate of bean sprouts, green hot peppers (not sure what type they were) lots of cilantro, and a lime.
The owner suggested adding some straight soy sauce and Sriracha hot sauce… great tip! It spiced it up nicely and added even more flavors to the mix.
I have eaten here 3 times, I will most likely go back tomorrow night to try something totally different. It looks like they are really trying to make things nicer with the renovation scheduled and the nice new menu.
Great job Yen… yet again.

Ok first of all i recommend ordering in advance so by the time you get there your food should be ready. The food is freshly made which is why it taste awhile for you to get your food. Poor grandma in the back makes the food with love. Only place i would go for vietnamese food if im not having it at home. There is this one dish that has fried noodles on the bottom in the shape of a bird nest with mixed veggies, pork, chicken, squid. My favorite!

Went to visit yesterday while vacationing with the family! We are Vietnamese, so when I first came in and saw a man who wasn’t Vietnamese, my first thought was «oh no, the food won’t be authentic.» Boy, was I wrong! The man spoke fluent Vietnamese – very impressed. The food was pretty good. We tried the canh chua (their hot and sour soup), calamari, goi cuon (spring rolls), and various other dishes. The environment was simple and all right. Admittedly, all the dishes (except for the canh chua), my parents could make better, but I was impressed by the good service. Our server was very attentive. If we visit the gulf shores again, we will be coming by here again when we pass.

Possibly my favorite restaurant in Mobile. My family and I have been coming here for years and our love only grows. Sure, it’s in a sketchy area. Sure, you don’t come here for the ambiance. But it’s a local business making delicious, authentic, affordable Vietnamese food.
I don’t think I’ve had anything bad here (except maybe the porridge. not for me), and all most other reviews focus on the phở, but I do have some favorites that may help guide newcomers to the extensive menu.
1. Vermicelli with stir fried protein (I like the pork): Great mix of warm meat, chewy noodles, crunchy vegetables.
2. Summer rolls: I try them every where I see them but these are the best I’ve had.
3. Shrimp and pork crêpe
4. Pork stuffed fried tofu: sounds weird but tastes amazing
5. Combination fried rice: a big mountain of tasty fried rice with some unusual additions that make it amazing.
I’ve also tried and enjoyed the ginger chicken, the curry, the Vietnamese iced coffee, and many others but my memory is failing me.
Another note. a local restaurant reviewer recommended the Xao Lan, a curry appetizer. While it was good — and fun to try, it didn’t make the glowing top of the list as suggested.

Such a fantastic find in little Mobile! Seriously, everything on the menu is great. I’ve tried many of their menu items but I keep returning to the Banh Xeo. I’m hooked. It’s like a savory crêpe you eat with fresh mint and lettuce and it’s somehow melting-​ly awesome and super fresh at the same time.

I am currently doing a 50 States Phở Challenge, which would mean having a bowl of Phở in each of the 50 States. With that said, I searched Unilocal after completing the 2014 First Light marathon in Mobile and a bowl of Phở would be an excellent meal for recovering these legs and the reward for completing another marathon. Yen restaurant was the closest one from downtown Mobile, so my friend and I read the reviews before deciding on coming here. With a name like Yen and the category Vietnamese, you would figure that its a Chinese and Vietnamese cuisine mixture restaurant. Not uncommon, but still it was interesting when we drove up and found this place. While it was a Sunday afternoon, the surrounding area was pretty much dead. The experience was good and so glad to be sitting down and eating Phở after knocking off a pair of marathons over the weekend in the Deep South.
Yen Restaurant is located on Holcombre Avenue in Mobile, AL. While 3.6 miles away from downtown Mobile, we had to catch the I-​10 and exit out before reaching the destination. The neighborhood that Yen restaurant sits in would probably be as close to residential as you could find. Although I may be a bit shady, it was residential. The restaurant had its own private parking lot, which was awesome and almost empty. We stepped into the restaurant and it was empty. I would have guessed that the cars we saw was the employees. We arrived here about 4pm and definitely needed some good food. Yen restaurant accepts credit cards, which is always welcomed with me. My friend and I sat near the entrance. It wasn’t too hard to notice that the restaurant was decorated with many hanging Chinese lanterns. Totally overkill, don’t you think?
The ambiance was very quiet and nice. We were winding down from the weekend’s activities and just needed that quiet time to adjust and get back to reality, even though we were still on vacation travel mode. I ordered the Phở special, aka Phở Bac Diet, along with the summer rolls. That classic combination can’t be beat! With that said, it was pretty good after all that craziness that I did. Overall, it was good to be here, even if this place is off the beaten path. Recommended if you are in the neighborhood and need Vietnamese (or Chinese food).
Support local!
B

Wow love yen.
My fiancé and I enjoy the beef phở and the pork and egg plate nom nom.
Great prices, food, and people.
At least 1 a week we eat lunch or dinner here.

Look. This place is a bit of a dive and the neighborhood isn’t beautiful. Sometimes there aren’t any cars outside and you aren’t sure if it’s open. Let’s get all of that out of the way first. Push through the questions going through your head (ignore the outside) and go inside!!!
AMAZING VIETNAMESE FOOD. I have eaten at every Vietnamese place I could find for miles around and this is the BEST. Pensacola has a couple but they don’t compare. You won’t be disappointed.
Yen is run by an elderly Vietnamese woman. She’s the real deal. I plan to support her often so I can continue to have more great Vietnamese good. The phở is COMFORTING my soul. Ignore the complainers who don’t appreciate this gem that we are privileged to have in our area.

Thai peppers
Jalapeño
¼ lemon not lime
Can drinks
Ambieance
Spring rolls fresh
Bo Vien meatballs are sliced instead of halved or whole like most other Vietnamese restaurants. Still a good PHO soup and a good meal. Slow service and located in a side of town that makes you want to pack a gun.