Pho Restaurants in Madison, WI

“This restaurant, Sunny Pho, has nice prices, kind service, making me enjoy my visit!

My friend and I ordered the goi cuon, cha gio, pho dac biet (mine regular and his large), Thai iced green tea, and ca phe sua da. The goi cuon and cha gio both have outsides that taste soft and crunchy, respectively, with the insides having filling that tastes fresh and full of flavor. The dipping sauces included for each are flavorful and are wonderfully prepared. The pho, both his and mine, have meat that’s tender, noodles that are just the right type and texture, and a broth that feels fresh and light. The side of lime, beansprouts, and basil they provide with the pho tastes equally fresh and full of flavor. The ca phe sua da, presented like a drink you order at a bubble tea shop, has a wonderful blend of coffee and sugar.

The service is mostly nice. Our food came pretty quickly. I appreciate how I was immediately greeted when I walked in. The restaurant gets bonus points from me, as they messed up my friend’s Thai iced green tea and accidentally gave him Thai iced coffee, but they were quick to realize their mistake and gave him what he ordered without charging him extra or taking back the wrong drink (correcting a wrong order without inconveniencing the customer always gives a restaurant a win, in my book). This restaurant seems to be one where you pay up front after they give you your bill, as no worker ever came to our table after giving us the bill, which wasn’t split at all. However, I must note, their bathrooms have an absolutely rancid smell, even noticeable a few steps before you even open the door. Many parks have nicer smelling bathrooms than this restaurant’s bathroom. Just be careful not to use the restroom here or make sure to hold your nose while going. I didn’t bring this up during my visit, but I hope they’re aware of this and looking to fix things.

All in all, this was a restaurant I passed by somewhat often years ago, when I was still a law school student at UW-Madison. I was a bit reluctant to try it out then, since the menu didn’t seem the most authentic, as it’s a Vietnamese restaurant with many Thai dishes, but the food tastes fresh and authentic plus the workers are nice and friendly. Out of all the Vietnamese restaurants I’ve visited in Dane County/South Central Wisconsin, at least as of June 2026, this restaurant’s certainly the one where you get the best value and I can safely recommend it and safely come back again (even though they got to fix their restroom’s putrid smell)!“