The Real Deal on Argyle Street
Pho 777 is a no-nonsense Vietnamese restaurant in the heart of Uptown's Little Vietnam, and the bowl of noodles will not let you down.
Argyle Street in Uptown is one of the better places in Chicago to feel like you've stepped somewhere else entirely. Pho 777 sits deep in the heart of it and operates exactly as you would expect a real Vietnamese restaurant to operate. Folded paper flower decorations hang through the room, hoa giấy, and if you come around certain Vietnamese holidays you will find the aunties sitting around folding them at the tables. The servers and owners are no-nonsense. They want to make you happy and they will, just not with the performative warmth you might expect from a more Western-facing restaurant. That is a feature.
Pho is about the broth. The broth here is deep and beefy and the real thing. I have had some visits that were better than others, which is worth being honest about, but the floor is consistently good and a bowl of noodles here will reliably deliver. If you want to order beyond the pho, the Vietnamese egg rolls are excellent and I always get them. The egg roll bun is the move if you're not in a soup mood — dry vermicelli noodles with a fish sauce dressing poured over, the egg rolls tucked in. The banh xeo, a crispy Vietnamese crepe, is worth trying if you haven't had one before and worth ordering again if you have.
Argyle is a genuinely fun street to bring people who love Asian food and culture. If you need a place to eat while you're there, Pho 777 is a reliable and satisfying answer.
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