Pho Royal

I usually make the trek to Super Phở on centerville in Herndon until I found this great little gem. Prices are reasonable, service has been good the 3 times I have been there and the phở fantastic.
I’ve had the white meat chicken and one of the beef brisket soups and egg rolls. I have no complaints– only wished they delivered!

The only consistent phở place in the area. We’ve been going here for years now and our experiences have been pretty good for the most part.
The phở is flavorful and they give you a good amount of noodles and meat for your money’s worth. The side vegetables are a hit/​miss, but usually good. (All who knows me well knows I take my veggies very seriously haha)
The vermicelli and broken rice dishes are quite tasty as well. Though for the choice of protein, I would recommend getting either the 1) pork 2) chicken 3) beef in that particular order. The beef just doesn’t seem to quite hit the spot and fresh like the other protein choices, but that’s just me.
The prices for the dishes are pretty reasonable, but I’ve seen cheaper phở places. Oh, if you have ever received/​bought a gift card with them, make sure to use it within 12 months of purchased reason being the gift cards expires… A lesson learned for me.
Overall, I would recommend phở royal for a quick phở fix, so give a shot!

I get the phở with beef broth no meat and add shrimp it so good especially on a cold wintry night

This is always mine and my family’s go to spot when we are craving phở near us. Their phở never disappoints no matter what meat you get — broth is very flavorful and there is plenty of noodles & meat. Today I decided to try their rice dish which I got with shredded pork and rib. It was very delicious. The workers are very nice too.

Had lunch here today and was very happy. The phở was very good, full of meat and noodles. The broth was very flavorful. I also had the garden rolls which we also very good. The peanut sauce was ok, needed a tad bit more flavor. The only down side was they do not have the red pepper flakes soaked in oil. I will definitely be back and will definitely order take from here.

Really good spring rolls. Phở was average, but server was friendly and fast.

The rice and meat were good. They marinated the beef very well. I like how it came with a side of soup… which is basically the broth for phở.

Easily the best, most consistent phở spot in the area. Generous portions, fast, pleasant, uncomplicated service. This is an unpretentious place, baseball hats and sweats definitely acceptable.
One reason to look forward to cooler days.

Our fav phở place. Really great staff and service. Food is always good. Wish they’d offer more variety on their menu like Bhan mi!
5 stars!!!

A regular here over the years even though the service was sub-​par, but the phở was really good until today. Halfway through my large phở, I saw a dead roach in my bowl. Yikes!!!
I always knew 95%asian restaurants are filthy in the kitchen, But I continue to eat there out of convenience and not knowing how to cook. I used to be a waiter for many Asian restaurants, I know. Such shame. I’ll stick to Chic-​a-​filet.

I have been eating at Phở Royal pretty much twice a week for over 3 years. Love the food, from the staple phở (I go with either the #6 or the #11) to the vermicelli dishes – the staff is always friendly and service is extremely prompt. One of the best phở restaurants in the area, food is always fresh and the quality is incredibly consistent. Would recommend to anyone!

I have been to this place before and up until yesterday it was one of the best places to get phở.
For lunch I ordered regular phở. I believe it was number 11. Broth was great but short on meat, and meat actually seemed kind of old. Well shortly after leaving the place, I was not feeling well. I got the symptoms of food poisoning. Still in bed feeling pain while getting better. It must have been the meat.
You don’t go a restaurant and pay money to get sick. They need to check on freshness of ingredients. Not going back.

Really great food, eaten here many times, the good is fresh and has wonderful flavors. Great for takeouts as well. Well worth the trip to this strip Mall off if Rt7.
There phở and rice noodles w grilled beef are my favorite dishes.

Phở Royal is an excellent phở joint, I definitely recommend it. It gets pretty crowded for lunch, and with good reason.
Their phở tai chin checks off basically all of the attributes I look for: good portions, comes out really hot and steamy, very lean and thin cuts of meat, lots of broth, good quality fixings. The beef broth is pretty beefy… I guess I’m looking for just a little more punch of the asian spices to elevate it’s «phở-​iness»? And maybe just a tad on the salty side. The chicken phở (phở ga) is lighter, thus the spice balance is much better suited — it’s absolutely delicious. The crispy rolls are tasty, but unexceptional.
Service is nice enough, décor is nice enough. It’s a step up from the cafeteria-​style joints, but not fancy. I can see why people give it 5 stars, but it doesn’t quite get there for me.

I’m a fan of Phở Royal– here it’s all about the broth!
I can’t say much for the ambience of any of the Phở restaurants I’ve frequented in the NoVA area, as most of them are cafeteria style with little in the way of style or atmosphere. Phở Royal was no exception – everything is functional rather than designed for comfort which facilitates the goal of bringing customers in quickly, serving them a steaming bowl of savory goodness, and sending them on their way.
Service was efficient in seating, serving, and bringing the check to patrons who are drawn by the dozens during the winter months – and was provided with a smile.
The quality of the phở on this visit was PHO-​nomenal. For me, it’s all about the broth! I love the savory, clear earthiness of the beef broth here – like a French consommé with a punch of cinnamon and star anise, cloves and cardamom, onions and roasted ginger. My dining companion tried the Phở Ga, which had aromatic chicken broth rather than the beef base offered at other Phở places in the area.
The toppings were present but not in copious quantities – we received a small pile of green onions, white onions, Thai basil leaves, fresh Jalapeño (not Thai chili) peppers, lime wedges, bean sprouts, and cilantro. When I requested a bit more, the server graciously complied.
On a cold, nasty Winter day in NoVA, I couldn’t have chosen a better place to lunch!

I went to this place on a cold, snowing, winter day, so it definitely hit the spot. I ordered the Phở Dac Biet, which is what I usually get at Phở Restaurants because I enjoy eating all the different types of meat. The broth had a nice flavor, and they gave a good meat to noodle ratio. The portion was a bit smaller than I usually get at other phở restaurants, so I was still a little hungry after getting a small bowl.
The phở menu at this place is nice because they separate the different types by how adventurous the meat is. It is definitely helpful for those who haven’t tried all the less conventional meats, such as tripe or tendon.
I didn’t try any of the other dishes, but they did smell pretty good for what it’s worth! I don’t live in Virginia, but I would definitely come here again if I’m ever in the area.

I always get their Com Dia Royal, which includes suon, dau hu ky, op la, and bi (grilled/​charred pork, shrimp/​pork wrapped in fried bean curd skin, sunny side up egg, and shredded pork).
It really is a conglomeration of various savory meats. The pork is seasoned really well and charred so that it has that tinge of burntness (may be a good or bad thing for some lol). There’s just so many things going on this plate that I wish they had a bigger plate for this. The small side of pickled vegetables and salad complements the meats by giving a lighter, refreshing side to the dish. Of course, the soup is the same one they use for phở, which is great on a cold day or any day actually.
The phở is also pretty good and was originally based on the phở place that used to be under the plaza with the clock tower in Herndon (Phở 99?).

Guys. what happened to Phở Royal? It’s been my go-​to phở joint since moving to this area 4 years ago. Got takeout from there a couple of weeks ago, & the sauces for the Phở Royal sampler were.off. The peanut sauce was thin & vinegar-​y; the sweet chili sauce didn’t taste right either. But no matter, the soup was good.
WELL EARLIER TONIGHT, I picked up my usual order: one large mixed beef soup, one large chicken, one Phở Royal Sampler. The *toppings* for the soup were excellent: fresher even than usual & a hugely generous amount. The sauces for the appetizer seemed like before. The prices had gone up a little, but who cares, as phở is generally cheap. But then I drank the broth of the beef soup.and.heartbreak. It’s not the same. It’s less rich, less complex, less anise or cinnamon-​y. Something’s really off. The flavor was one-​note, not even properly salty, really. The previous Phở Royal chicken broth was also rich & fairly deep for a chicken broth: it could’ve rivaled any of the matzoh ball soup broths I’d had in NYC. So I tried the chicken phở broth I’d bought tonight, in hopes that maybe it was my taste buds that were off. Nope. What I remembered from before wasn’t what I sampled tonight. Tasted more like instant chicken soup than a broth built from stock; had an underlying sweetness almost.
I immediately said: they’ve been bought. This broth is just not the same broth. & it had a couple of hairs in it! What the hell. That’s not happened in the years I’ve bought food from Phở Royal. My boyfriend disagreed, he said they could’ve had an off night.
Between the slight difference couple of weeks ago & the price change I was certain something was up. I fished the menu I’d grabbed out of my to-​go bag and, I was right: it’s not Phở Royal anymore — or rather, they have partnered up with a place called «The Phở». Same location. IDK if this also applies to the Phở Royal in Leesburg, but I’ll be calling them tomorrow to find out.
I’ll definitely be giving this place its own review. :/​Today is a day of sorrow. RIP, Phở Royal of Sterling. It’s unclear from «the Phở“‘s website, but someone bought someone. When you click on «locations», it shows both Phở Royal locations (Sterling, Leesburg) & «The Phở» in Ashburn as being the same thing.
The new eatery’s site is:
I’m giving them an extra star because of the gigantic bag of fresh phở toppings: they were more generous & crisper than any I’d gotten there before. But who cares about that if the broth isn’t anything to write home about? Broth is the main point & pleasure of phở.
Now where will I get soup when I feel sickly? Boooooooo.

I’ve been going to Phở Royal for years, so it’s about time I wrote a review.
Keeping it simple, the phở broth here is exceptional. No hoisin sauce, nor sriracha needed. I am a huge broth purist, so I usually don’t add all that extra sauce anyway. The phở here is perfect in my opinion without it.
If you’re not feeling beef, the chicken phở here is excellent as well. The clear broth is sure to clear up your sinuses if you’re sick, or to just satisfy your stomach if you’re there for a phở fix.
The com tam here is more pricey than I’d like to pay for a plate of broken rice, meat, and pickled veggies, but it’s done right. The ingredients are always fresh and the nuoc mam is great as well. Always a favorite when I’m not craving soup.
Whatever you get at Phở Royal is sure to please! Enjoy, fellow Phở lovers.
PS: Did I mention the service is FAST? My bf was in a hurry because he had work at 9:30pm, and we were in and out of the place in 20 – 25 minutes!

This is still my go to for phở. Their broth is still kick ass. Not sure what they put in, bit it keeps me coming back.
The people working here are always friendly. They are quick and are always filling water.
My large 15 always hits the spot. You can’t go wrong with their spring rolls or summer rolls either. They always hit the spot. Today’s lunch has me wanting to get some more. Lucky for me Phở Royal has a second location in Leesburg.