Cafe O-Maí, Annerley: Pho for breakfast? Don’t threaten us with a good time. Cafe O-Maí has been dishing out fabulous pho for ages, perfecting its soupy recipe of spices that have been brewed for 48 hours. Cafe O-Maí also specialises in a hearty vegan pho, featuring soy protein. The minds behind this cafe also operate dedicated Vietnamese soup kitchen Pho Queue next door, itself an incredible spot for pho – especially its Saigon-style soup and its 27-hour luxury broth.

Pho An on SKYLARK, Inala: Inala is a hotbed of vibrant Vietnamese cuisine, and one of the most acclaimed eateries in the suburb is Pho An on Skylark Street. As the name suggests, pho is the primary dish served – but variety is still key. Slurp up serves of pho with rare beef, brisket, beef balls, fatty beef, drumstick, chicken wings, tendon or tripe and try to keep that satisfied smile off your face.

Van Vietnamese Restaurant, Darra: Darra also has a sterling reputation as one of Brisbane’s best hubs for Vietnamese cuisine. Van Vietnamese has everything from rice-paper rolls and vermicelli salads to stir-fried noodle dishes, but we only have eyes pho the soup. Bring on the brisket and beef balls!

The Vietnamese, Fortitude Valley: When you ask fans of The Vietnamese what is the best thing about the pho at The Vietnamese, they’ll inevitably respond with reliability, price, and taste factor. If it scores high in all three categories, you know you’re in for a good time.

Ngon, Paddington: For a modern twist on this all-time traditional classic, a visit to Ngon is a must. The family-owned eatery’s Phở Bò will leave your tastebuds tingling with its combination of rich broth, chef’s selection of beef cuts, thick rice noodles and hot herbs.

Quanh Thanh, West End: This eatery has a near-overwhelming choice of grub, but it’s the pho selection you should seek out before anything else. Spicy beef and pork, stewed beef brisket or sliced rare beef – there’s no wrong choice here.

Pho Hien Vuong Pasteur, Sunnybank: Could this spot boast the best pho in town? It’s at least worth a discussion. The combination noodle soup is a great starting point, but the special beef or chicken noodle soup are sublime in their own right.

Pho Hung Vietnamese, Sunnybank: Another Sunnybank staple, Pho Hung is a pho-bulous haunt that sloshes out bowl after bowl of clear beef broth. If you’re a beef lover or prefer a bit of chicken, Pho Hung has got you sorted. Slurp away, friends!

Rice Paper Vietnamese, Eight Mile Plains: Home-style dishes are a specialty at Rice Paper Vietnamese. In addition to rice-paper wraps, vermicelli salads and broken rice dishes, guests can slurp deep from bowls of steaming pho, including a free-choice option that allows you to customise your own bowl with the likes of rare beef, brisket, beef balls, tendon and beef strips.

Kim Khanh Restaurant, Darra: A beloved fixture of the Darra dining scene, Kim Khanh goes all out with its menu of Vietnamese cuisine. Keep flipping the menu pages until you hit the pho section, where you’ll find a tidy list of bowls filled to the brim with broth – including a signature noodle soup with crispy skin chicken.

An Cafe, Kangaroo Point: What originally started as a food stall at weekend markets has blossomed into one of Brisbane’s best sources for Vietnamese delights. In addition to to-die-for banh mi, An Cafe also is known for its rich noodle soups, particularly its huế noodle soup (a hot and spicy option boasting beef brisket, slightly rare beef and Vietnamese pork terrine) and its vegan-friendly option with shiitake mushroom, carrot, radish, broccoli, bok choy, button mushrooms, soft tofu and fried tofu.

AJ Vietnamese Noodle House, Brisbane City: Many foodies point to AJ Vietnamese Noodle House as the best pho place in The City. This humble Charlotte Street hideaway is said to offer the pure flavours of Vietnam and few dishes do this better than the pho. Go for the pho dac biet – a house specialty boasting flat-rice noodles, beef balls, beef tendon and sliced beef.

Tan Thanh Vietnamese, Inala: The Inala Civic Centre is where you’ll find Tan Thanh, a heralded hideaway for pho-nomenal noodle soup. If you can score a table (it’s usually busy – a good sign), you can order from a selection of seductive choices, paired with a host of traditional Vietnamese bites.

Vietnamese Phở Ever, Banyo: Northside locals probably won’t appreciate giving away one of Brisbane’s best kept secrets, but when it comes to pho we can’t help but spread the love. This Vietnamese restaurant has a host of tempting options, but when the temperature drops we always opt for a bowl of phở bò (beef noodle soup) or phở gà (chicken soup) to warm our insides.

Phuong Trinh Vietnamese and Chinese, Inala: This eatery has an entire page of its menu dedicated to pho, with 11 varieties to choose from. Slurp-worthy rice noodles are paired with rich broth and all manner of fillings, from rare beef to brisket and tripe.

Chac’s Grill Vietnamese Restaurant, Inala: Diners are often lured into this Inala restaurant by the smells of succulent char-grilled meats, but they tend to stay for the pho. Eight kinds of bowls are on offer, each as delicious as each other. You’ll be tempted to order a second bowl after you finish your first, and look, we don’t blame you.

District 1, Fortitude Valley: At the Ann Street end of Fortitude Valley’s Chinatown Mall, District 1 is a reliable spot to snack on Vietnamese street food. The pho here is top-notch, with slow-cooked broth paired with Vietnamese herbs, rice noodles and the likes of beef brisket, free-range chicken, Vietnamese ham and pork hock, and crunchy fried chicken.

Kim Son Vietnamese, Inala: Kim Son Vietnamese on Biota Street has been feeding locals since the 90s, and its pho is as good as ever. In addition to its popular seafood soups and egg noodle dishes, the heavenly pho offers all the favourites.

Pho Inn, Camp Hill: We’re huge fans of a suburban gem, and Camp Hill’s Pho Inn well and truly delivers on the flavour front. This authentic Vietnamese joint specialises in the good noods – we’re talking beef meatball, chicken, vegetable and spicy vermicelli all swimming in a flavoursome broth.

Mamma Do, Spring Hill: If it’s mamma’s recipe you’re going off, you know it can be trusted. Mamma Do’s hearty and filling beef pho recipe spans generations – and you can taste the history in every slurp. Hot tip – you can also add egg, tripe, tendon, beef balls or extra beef if you’re feeling particularly peckish.

Honourable mentions: While we could make this list 50 entrants long, we know your time is precious. If you still aren’t satisfied with our selection, might we also suggest checking out Xin Chao in Bowen Hills, Phat Pho in Teneriffe, Red Lotus in Annerley, Trang in West End and Góc Việt in Sunnybank.

Got a red-hot pho spot that you think we’ve missed? Drop us a line with your recommendation to [email protected].