Phở Bắc
{{Short description|Chain of Vietnamese restaurants in the U.S. state of Washington}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{Infobox restaurant
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| name = Phở Bắc
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| image = Seattle, November 2022 - 054.jpg
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| image_caption = Exterior of the boat-shaped restaurant, 2022
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| established = {{Start date|1982}}
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| current-owner = {{Flatlist|
- Khoa Pham
- Quynh-Vy Pham
- Yenvy Pham
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| previous-owner = {{Flatlist|
- Augustine Nien Pham
- Theresa Cat Vu
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| food-type = Vietnamese
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| city = Seattle
| state = Washington
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| country = United States
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| website = {{URL|thephobac.com}}
}}
Phở Bắc is a chain of Vietnamese restaurants in Seattle, in the U.S. state of Washington. The restaurants specialize in phở dishes and have several locations in the city.
History and locations
The restaurant, originally named Cat's Submarine Sandwich Shop, was founded in 1982 by Theresa Cat Vu and Augustine Nien Pham in the Chinatown–International District. The shop operated out of a former insurance office in modern-day Little Saigon and offered sandwiches until Vu and Pham were convinced to sell phở by members of Seattle's Vietnamese community; at the time, they claimed to be the first Seattle restaurant to offer the dish. Four months after introducing phở to the menu, the dish became the main focus of the restaurant, which was renamed Phở Bắc.{{cite news |last=Varriano |first=Jackie |date=October 13, 2022 |title=After 4 decades, the Phams are still the first family of phở in Seattle |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/after-4-decades-the-phams-are-still-the-first-family-of-pho-in-seattle/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=November 8, 2022 |archive-date=November 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221108213312/https://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/after-4-decades-the-phams-are-still-the-first-family-of-pho-in-seattle/ |url-status=live }}File:Seattle, November 2022 - 055.jpg
The Pham family opened additional locations under the Phở Bắc name, as well as Phở Việt. The original restaurant at 12th Avenue and South Jackson Street was moved into a red boat-shaped building that was originally a float attachment used for a 2004 parade organized by the Vietnamese Catholic community. In 2012, a Denny Triangle location opened. An additional store is in Rainier Valley.{{Cite web |last=Callaghan |first=Adam H. |date=January 2, 2018 |title=Pho and Natural Wine Come Together at Last in the International District |url=https://seattle.eater.com/2018/1/2/16841394/pho-bac-sup-shop-vita-uva-wine-bar-open |access-date=November 8, 2022 |website=Eater Seattle |language=en |archive-date=November 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221108144112/https://seattle.eater.com/2018/1/2/16841394/pho-bac-sup-shop-vita-uva-wine-bar-open |url-status=live }}
Phở Bắc Súp Shop{{Cite web |date=August 22, 2022 |title=Phở Bắc Sup Shop - International District - Seattle |url=https://www.theinfatuation.com/seattle/reviews/pho-bac-sup-shop |access-date=November 8, 2022 |website=The Infatuation |archive-date=November 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221108144109/https://www.theinfatuation.com/seattle/reviews/pho-bac-sup-shop |url-status=live }} opened nearby on January 1, 2018,{{Cite web |last=Callaghan |first=Adam H. |date=December 26, 2018 |title=Experts Pick Seattle's Top New Restaurants of 2018 |url=https://seattle.eater.com/2018/12/26/18137814/best-new-restaurants-seattle-2018 |access-date=November 8, 2022 |website=Eater Seattle |language=en |archive-date=November 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221108144108/https://seattle.eater.com/2018/12/26/18137814/best-new-restaurants-seattle-2018 |url-status=live }} slightly later than previously announced.{{Cite web |last=Callaghan |first=Adam H. |date=August 23, 2017 |title=The 7 Most Anticipated Restaurants in Seattle, Fall 2017 |url=https://seattle.eater.com/2017/8/23/16170220/best-new-restaurants-seattle-opening |access-date=November 8, 2022 |website=Eater Seattle |language=en |archive-date=November 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221108144108/https://seattle.eater.com/2017/8/23/16170220/best-new-restaurants-seattle-opening |url-status=live }} The restaurant initially featured the wine shop Vita Uva,{{Cite web |last=Callaghan |first=Adam H. |date=October 19, 2017 |title=The International District's First Natural Wine Shop Is on Track After All |url=https://seattle.eater.com/2017/10/19/16504050/sup-shop-natural-wine-vita-uva-international-district-suzi-an-vietnamese-pham |access-date=November 8, 2022 |website=Eater Seattle |language=en |archive-date=November 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221108144108/https://seattle.eater.com/2017/10/19/16504050/sup-shop-natural-wine-vita-uva-international-district-suzi-an-vietnamese-pham |url-status=live }} which closed by September and was converted into a wine club.{{Cite web |last=Hill |first=Megan |date=September 10, 2018 |title=The International District's Only Natural Wine Shop Shuts Down |url=https://seattle.eater.com/2018/9/10/17841320/vita-uva-suzi-an-pho-bac-sup-shop-closed-wine-club |access-date=November 8, 2022 |website=Eater Seattle |language=en |archive-date=November 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221108144110/https://seattle.eater.com/2018/9/10/17841320/vita-uva-suzi-an-pho-bac-sup-shop-closed-wine-club |url-status=live }} The original restaurant became known as Phở Bắc Boat,{{Cite web |last=Guarente |first=Gabe |date=July 19, 2019 |title=Vietnamese-Cajun Broil at Pho Bac Sup Shop Promises to Be a Rager |url=https://seattle.eater.com/2019/7/19/20701122/ragin-viet-cajun-broil-bite-of-seattle-weekend-events |access-date=November 8, 2022 |website=Eater Seattle |language=en |archive-date=November 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221108144109/https://seattle.eater.com/2019/7/19/20701122/ragin-viet-cajun-broil-bite-of-seattle-weekend-events |url-status=live }} or The Boat.{{Cite web |last=Callaghan |first=Adam H. |date=April 5, 2018 |title=The Hottest New Restaurants in the Seattle Area, November 2022 |url=https://seattle.eater.com/maps/best-new-restaurants-seattle-heatmap |access-date=November 8, 2022 |website=Eater Seattle |language=en |archive-date=December 3, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221203072106/https://seattle.eater.com/maps/best-new-restaurants-seattle-heatmap |url-status=live }} Phở Bắc Boat closed temporarily for renovations in November 2018, reopening on January 1, 2020.{{Cite web |last=Guarente |first=Gabe |date=December 30, 2019 |title=Seattle's Iconic Pho Bac Boat Restaurant Will Reopen on New Year's Day |url=https://seattle.eater.com/2019/12/30/21042422/pho-bac-boat-reopens-new-years-seattle-little-saigon |access-date=November 8, 2022 |website=Eater Seattle |language=en |archive-date=November 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221108144108/https://seattle.eater.com/2019/12/30/21042422/pho-bac-boat-reopens-new-years-seattle-little-saigon |url-status=live }}
In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the business launched the Pho Mobile to deliver food.{{Cite web |last=Guarente |first=Gabe |date=March 25, 2020 |title=Iconic Pho Bac Revs Up Quirky 'Pho Mobile' As Part of Its First-Ever Delivery Service |url=https://seattle.eater.com/2020/3/25/21193605/pho-bac-sup-shop-delivery-takeout-little-saigon |access-date=November 8, 2022 |website=Eater Seattle |language=en |archive-date=November 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221108144111/https://seattle.eater.com/2020/3/25/21193605/pho-bac-sup-shop-delivery-takeout-little-saigon |url-status=live }} Phở Bắc opened a restaurant on 7th Avenue in Downtown Seattle, with an upstairs bar called Phởcific Standard Time, in 2021.{{Cite web |last=Guarente |first=Gabe |date=June 2, 2021 |title=Iconic Pho Bac Readies New Downtown Location — with Some Banh Mi |url=https://seattle.eater.com/2021/6/2/22465891/pho-bac-new-dowtown-location-plus-phocific-standard-time-bar |access-date=November 8, 2022 |website=Eater Seattle |language=en |archive-date=November 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221108144115/https://seattle.eater.com/2021/6/2/22465891/pho-bac-new-dowtown-location-plus-phocific-standard-time-bar |url-status=live }}
Reception
File:November 2022 in Seattle, Washington - 287.jpg
A review from Condé Nast Traveler says, "In a city swimming in good pho, the bowls here are simply some of the best."{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Phở Bắc Súp Shop — Restaurant Review |url=https://www.cntraveler.com/restaurants/seattle/ph-bc-sup-shop |access-date=November 8, 2022 |website=Condé Nast Traveler |language=en-US |archive-date=November 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221108145610/https://www.cntraveler.com/restaurants/seattle/ph-bc-sup-shop |url-status=live }}
Gabe Guarente included the Chinatown–International District establishments in Eater Seattle
In 2023, Phở Bắc Sup Shop, Phởcific Standard Time, and The Boat made Yenvy and Quynh Pham semifinalists in the James Beard Foundation Award's Outstanding Restaurateur category.{{Cite web |title=2023 James Beard Award Semifinalists from Seattle and the Northwest |url=https://www.seattlemet.com/eat-and-drink/2023/01/seattle-s-2023-james-beard-award-semifinalists |access-date=2023-01-27 |website=Seattle Metropolitan |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2023-01-25 |title=Seattle's Semifinalists for the James Beard Awards Have Been Announced |url=https://seattle.eater.com/2023/1/25/23570999/seattles-semifinalists-for-the-james-beard-awards-have-been-announced |access-date=2023-01-27 |website=Eater Seattle |language=en}} Phở Bắc and The Boat were included in The Infatuation{{'s}} 2025 list of the 25 best restaurants in the Chinatown–International District.{{Cite web |date=2022-01-21 |title=The 25 Best Restaurants In Seattle's Chinatown-International District - Seattle |url=https://www.theinfatuation.com/seattle/guides/the-international-district-guide |access-date=2025-01-31 |website=The Infatuation |language=en}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|Phở Bắc}}
- {{Official website|https://www.thephobac.com}}
{{Chinatown–International District, Seattle}}
{{Downtown Seattle}}
{{Restaurants in Seattle}}
Category:1982 establishments in Washington (state)
Category:Restaurants in Chinatown–International District, Seattle
Category:Restaurants in Downtown Seattle
Category:Restaurants established in 1982