Photo by Leah Ingram Eagle.
Pho 280
Hoa Tran opened a Vietnamese restaurant called Pho 280 in the Greystone Terrace at 5426 U.S. 280 last month.
Greystone Terrace is now home to a Vietnamese restaurant. Pho 280 opened last month at 5426 U.S. 280 next to Tiger Rock Martial Arts.
Owner and head chef Hoa Tran came to the United States from Vietnam when he was 15. After living in Florida and attending high school in West Palm Beach, he moved back to Vietnam, then returned to the States in 2013.
He lived and worked in Mississippi for a while before he was convinced to come to the Birmingham area by other family members who lived here and open a Vietnamese restaurant.
“I told my brother-in-law that I would come up and try to live here and work here,” Tran said. “The people here are very nice and like to go eat, so I told my parents and brother I wanted to open a restaurant here. There isn’t a lot of good Asian food options here. That’s why I’m opening this restaurant, to have something good in Birmingham.”
Restaurant owners run in the family. His brother, Huy Nguyen, is the owner and head chef at Blowfish Sushi, just across U.S. 280. Tran said they purposely chose locations near each other. However, they will not be in competition, since they serve different varieties of Asian food.
“He will serve mostly sushi and Thai, and my restaurant is full Vietnamese,” Tran said.
While this is Tran’s first time owning a restaurant, he has worked in them since he was 16. His wife and some other family members will work with him, but he also plans to hire several additional employees.
The casual Vietnamese eatery will offer pho (a soup-type dish with noodles meat, broth and basil), along with appetizers, rice noodle bowls, fried rice and a kids’ menu. He describes Vietnamese food as not greasy and “a little bit healthy.”
“The pho noodle soup bowls are served really hot, and you’ll feel good after you have it,” he said. “Since its winter time, it will warm you up and feel better for whole day.”
Pho 280 will also feature Vietnamese coffee and tea, and there are plans to add bubble tea and smoothies to the menu.
The restaurant’s interior features 3D art Tran bought in Vietnam, and will seat around 50 people. It will be open seven days a week for dine-in or pick-up service.
Tran said he is excited about sharing his love for Vietnamese food with the community.
“So many friends and people I know have been waiting for this restaurant to open because Vietnamese food is getting more popular and it’s really good,” he said.
Pho 280
- WHERE: 5426 U.S. 280 in Greystone Terrace
- HOURS: Monday, 4-9 p.m.; Tuesday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
- CALL: 739-2177
- WEB: Pho280 on Facebook
