Pho House - Libertyville

I stopped by the Pho House on Milwaukee Avenue in Libertyville today after visiting the first Libertyville farmers' market of the summer. I learned that the restaurant is under new management, as of about a month and a half ago, and changes are underway. The Chinese buffet is gone, as are almost all Chinese offerings on the menu. The menu is shorter now and is focused on Vietnamese food. The website for the old menu (phohousemenu.com) is still online, but the new menu is at phohouselibertyville.com.

1183 South Milwaukee Avenue
Libertyville, IL 60048
(847) 984-2776

Katie wrote:I stopped by the Pho House on Milwaukee Avenue in Libertyville today after visiting the first Libertyville farmers' market of the summer. I learned that the restaurant is under new management, as of about a month and a half ago, and changes are underway. The Chinese buffet is gone, as are almost all Chinese offerings on the menu. The menu is shorter now and is focused on Vietnamese food. The website for the old menu (phohousemenu.com) is still online, but the new menu is at phohouselibertyville.com.

You are correct. Pho House has pared their menu from pedestrian-at-best Chinese items, and are concentrating on Vietnamese offerings with a few Thai dishes, which is a good idea indeed. I frequent Pho House & got carryout from there last night. While the Bun Noodle bowl with shrimp & pork was great as always, the Pad See Ew--a new menu Thai entrée with wide noodles, broccoli & lemongrass pork--was definitely changed from the last two times I had ordered it, when it was traditionally prepared & wonderful. This time, it was with Chinese-style BBQ pork, which is fine but not for this dish. And the spicings were blandly Cantonese as well. If this is the rendition that will be served in the future, I won't be ordering it.

I don't know whether there was a screw-up in the kitchen, but I plan to bring it up with the manager next time I'm in. He's always been very cordial, as has been the whole staff. Still a solid place for the area, hopefully this is just the result of growing pains.

Yesterday I picked up an order of two large spring rolls and a lemongrass pork banh mi. Both were enough for two people to split, and the total was only $9.53. I enjoyed the half of the banh mi that I ate yesterday very much. I had some cilantro at home so added a few more leaves of that. The other half will be today's lunch.

The spring rolls were good overall, though I unrolled one half of one and found no mint; just shrimp, lettuce, rice noodles, and a slice of pork loaf, and didn't detect mint in any of the other portions.. The peanut dipping sauce was tasty. Next time when I go in to order carryout, I will ask that there is some mint in the spring rolls as the menu says there should be. I like the switch at Pho House to a smaller menu focused on Vietnamese and Thai dishes, and the manager's friendly manner gives me hope that feedback will be well received.