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| - First of all I should explain that I'm no Pho expert, but I *have* had this dish at many places, especially in Greensboro, where I live. I've even made a pretty good Pho at home. Expert? Nah. Enthusiast? YES! I also don't feel it's completely fair to review a restaurant after going only once. But, as I don't frequent Charlotte all that often, here it goes...
I found "Pho Real" (clever name) to have a very pleasant atmosphere, dark-ish with neon. The waitstaff gets an A+... very attentive and very helpful. I told the waiter that I loved Pho but wanted to try something slightly different. He suggested Hu Tieu (chicken soup, very similar to Pho). It was served quickly and was presented with an abundance of jalapeno, a whole garden-full of basil, mung bean sprouts, plenty of noodles and lime wedges. Waiter said it was their most popular dish.
Unfortunately, I have a couple of slightly negative comments:
Broth was chicken, as advertised, but a bit weak and lacking the explosive flavor one gets with a good Vietnamese noodle soup dish... even something so potentially bland as chicken (the menu claimed it was a chicken/pork/seafood-based stock -- I would've expected a little more "strength" from a stock with all three of those components). The Hu Tieu also had "seafood" *in* it (also as advertised) but that consisted a single shrimp and a couple of that fake crab glop that cheapens any dish. The Pho restaurants I've been to have real shrimp, calamari, etc. No fake stuff.
This restaurant has a LOT of dishes on it's menu, so I'm sure there are some delightful stand-outs. However, it IS a Pho restaurant, so I hope THAT dish is up to par. I have to admit, if my first experience at Vietnamese cuisine had been this place, I may not have become a fan of this type of food. Fortunately, I *AM!!!*.
When arriving you are faced with a bit of a 2-story climb (even though I'm an out-of-shape old guy, it looked worse than it really was). But, if you've got some elderly friends/family with you, you should know that there is an elevator conveniently located around back of said stairs.
Oh, and by the way, I ordered a Bloody Mary here, and it was HORRIFIC. Sorry, it just was. Too much pickle brine, I believe. You CAN put pickle brine in a Bloody Mary, but definitely NOT that much. A question of personal taste? Yes. Too much brine for anyone on the face of the planet? Absolutely! Bleech!!! And I *LOVE* pickles!!!
I should say something good about this place (beside the pleasant ambiance and excellent waitstaff): I truly think this is an GREAT place to bring a group that wants to experience Vietnamese cuisine but might have the varied tastes that comes with a number of people, i.e.: its got quite a lot to choose from on the menu! And... I'll bet quite a few thing are quite flavorful... I just didn't get the chance to try them all!
I'm giving this place 2 stars as Yelp says 2 stars = "Meh. I've experienced better." That "Meh" comment is pretty much spot on. This is definitely NOT a "bad" place... not by a long shot... it's just that I've had substantially "better". And just in Greensboro. Yikes!!!
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