I Heart Pho – Lubbock, TX

There’s excitement in the air whenever a new restaurant crops up around town. You ask all the same questions, “What kind of food will they serve”, “Will it be good?”, “Will I like it”. When I saw signs that a new Vietnamese restaurant would be making its way into the Hub City, I was floored. In Lubbock, there’s never really a shortage of BBQ, Tex-Mex, Italian or American food. But when it comes to certain kinds of Asian food, you’ll find the one or two here and there. Lubbock’s Vietnamese restaurant doubled overnight with the opening of I Heart Pho.

I Heart Pho is located in a strip mall in a relatively busy and growing part of town. There’s a United Super Market along with a Starbucks and a GNC in the same parking lot. The dining room is large and open and can handle a lot of people at once, especially during a busy lunch hour. You’re seated immediately and the service is super quick. Once you’re done you just go up to the counter and pay. You can order take-out as well.

I appreciate I Hear Pho’s focus on, you guessed it, Pho. You can order a small or large bowl along with any kind combination of beef, chicken or seafood. Overall the Pho was quite delicious. Every Pho recipe is just slightly different regardless where you go. This Pho had a good strong beefy flavor, not watered down at all. I wouldn’t say it’s the best I’ve ever had, but it’s pretty darn good for Lubbock.

During my third visit – in two weeks! – I decided to try something different. I ordered the roasted chicken. It was served with a side of steamed rice and a tomato, cucumber salad with dressing. I’ll be honest. I wanted to order this because I saw it at another table and it just looked too good to pass up. And I’m glad I didn’t.

The chicken was moist and perfectly seasoned with the crispiest skin I have had in some time. The fish sauce, which is completely optional and readily available at your table, complimented the chicken by giving it a little bit of saltiness that I like. And let’s talk about the rice. I know some of you may be thinking rice is rice, but when someone does something special to rice it just takes on a different flavor. I don’t know how they cook the rice at I Heart Pho, but I want to know their secret. That perfect bite had the chicken with the crispy skin on top of rice and a couple drops of fish sauce. Good nom indeed!

Have no fear if you’re not adventurous enough to try the fish sauce. My hubby is a very picky eater and he loves this place just as much as I do, which is great because we can add it into the regular rotation. I’m so glad that I Heart Pho opened up! To answer any lingering questions you may have, they serve yummy bowls of pho along with simple and delicious rice and noodles dishes, it’s awesomely good, and you will LOVE it.