Reviews for Basu Coffee Bar & Vietnamese Eatery in Northbrook, IL

Upscale modern Vietnamese restaurant with tastes tailored for western audiences. The ambient music is bright and subtle enough... to be able to ignore Amtrak/Metra crossing the Northbrook stop. I had the chicken pho, which comes with a lime wedge, somefresh bean sprouts, and some basil. Compared to Saigon Sisters over in the west loop, the soup base is traditionally fairlylight but Basu's pho packs a flavorful punch in taste. The added chicken and pho noodles were portioned well. They individuallyhad great texture and matched well with the broth. Read more

Not super traditional but the food is good and the service was very quick. Vietnamese iced coffee was so good.

Finally there is a Vietnamese eatery to go to. Been looking for pho in the area for a while and accidentally found this counter... service restaurant while waiting for Metra train to go to work. Pho was good, noodle dishes were great. Service was excellent Will definitely come back and hope this eatery survives as previous two places open in this spot did not last more than acouple years. Read more

Actual review is 4.5. We visited this place on a last Sunday, having read great reviews and in desperate need of some good pho... broth. After moving to Chicago last Nov from Atlanta, we have struggled to find solid, memorable Vietnamese food. But this placemight have changed that. Beef pho - broth is super clean, not oily, not sweet (thankfully) and nicely balanced. I reallyenjoyed it, as did my husband. Our only complaint about the pho is the beef quality. Not sure if it was overcooked, as it tookquite a bit of chewing to manage, or just very sinewy. Either way, I think I would have been happier with just the broth,noodles, and accompaniments- without the beef. That is a first for us, as the beef is generally a selling point in pho. PorkBanh Mi - very good. The bread reminded me of my travels through southeast Asian, where foreigners often discover how amazingbaguette bread can actually be. The flavors were nice, balanced, nothing overwhelming. Would definitely recommend. ShrimpSpring Rolls with peanut sauce- very good, very light, great peanut sauce. Overall, we liked this place and will come back,just may order our pho without beef unless it was just an ?off? day. Read more

Cute place with friendly staff and good food. They've always, always gotten my order exactly right even with my modifications.... Sandwiches and rice/noodle bowls are delicious, but I prefer their chicken and tofu options (their honey pork sometimes smellsoverly... porky). Their coffee drinks sound great, too... I wish Basu opened earlier in the AM so I could try them! Read more

I?ve been to Basu a couple times now and it?s a hidden gem. The sunny side banh mi is really good. Pho and a banh mi shared... between two was more than enough! I love Vietnamese iced coffee so I?d even go to Basu just for that honestly. Kind staff and agreat nook of an area where you can enjoy good food while watching the trains pass by! Only good things to say about this place!:) Read more

The food is excellent. We loved the spring rolls and the tasty Pho soup. There is public parking close by. The service is great... and the prices are reasonable. I highly recommend this restaurant. Read more

Great place! The food is super fresh and tasty, good price for the portion, the staff is always friendly, the store is clean and... cozy, highly recommend! Read more