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Minh’s Bistro Vietnamese Cuisine

/ Updated on September 22, 2022
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My initial review was dated a couple of years ago, and though I posted many updates, my most recent experiences at Minh's suggested a fresh look. Minh's Bistro is Rehoboth's first and only Vietnamese restaurant, is in the Schell building at Rt. 24 in Rehoboth Beach, next door to Rosenfeld's Jewish Deli and across from the Royal Farms. One of the very special things about Minh's is that, in appreciation of our community and, in his words, “the country that took me in,” owner Thinh Pham is offers a 50% (yup! half-off) discount to active military and Vietnam Vets from 1955 to 1975 on the 1st Wednesday of each month. People who know restaurants know that 50% is very generous!

Thinh's dedication to the United States and to Vietnam Veterans is memorialized on the back bar wall. Surrounding a respectful plaque dedicated to Vets, there are little fishes swimming across the wall. 50 of them to be exact. One for each state. We were moved. We were even more moved when Thinh told us that active military and retired military get 50% off their food bill on the first Wednesday of every month! Thinh Pham grew up in Vietnam during the war, he has a huge respect for the U.S. Military.

Click to hear owner Thinh Pham's recent appearance on my Beach Eats radio show.

Appetizers are nicely sized and fairly priced. We got the salt & pepper squid (calamari) and the butter chicken wings. Both perfectly done and full of flavor. By the way, Sriracha is right there on the table for those who like to spice up their lives. Other appetizers include wings with special sauce and a surprisingly hearty shrimp & pork salad.

For me, it's all about the Vietnamese Summer Rolls. Thinh calls them Spring Rolls and they are available in vegetarian and regular versions. I admit to being a connoisseur of these cool and fresh delights. And the ones at Minh's Bistro are rolled tightly (I don't like things limp!) and packed with fresh veggies and seafood. The spring rolls are accompanied by a perfectly blended peanut sauce. So many Vietnamese restaurants try to doctor up the peanut sauce, often with disastrous results. Thinh's is the perfect consistency. Squirt in a little Sriracha to speed up your respiration! Appetizers are priced from $8 to $10. A good deal.

The star at any Vietnamese joint is the Pho (pronounced ‘phuh'). This deeply savory soup consists of a clear broth with noodles. The soup contains either beef, chicken, or tofu/veggies. We had the Minh's Bistro Pho containing eye of round, beef balls and flank steak. Top it with the bean sprouts, jalapenos, cilantro and thai basil and it is a filling meal. I had the Chicken Pho (‘Pho Ga'). Savor the taste of the broth on this one. A smooth and almost buttery undertone works perfectly with the thinly sliced pieces of white chicken meat and all the veggies and herbs. As with all ethnic foods, everyone's Phavorite Pho is slightly different, and the Pho Ga at Minh's Bistro will not disappoint.

Recent additions to the menu bear mention. One of our favorites is the lime wings. Order them extra-crispy for a very bright and salty lime experience. The butter wings are also quite good. Minh's has also hit the ground running with regular specials, including a wonderful take on Singapore Noodles (lots of curry!). We love to plop at the bar and relax.

Vegetarians take note: Minh's Pho broth is vegetable-based for those of the veggie persuasion.

Mains run from $14 to $18. The featured beef Pho is obviously quite prep- and ingredient-intensive and that is $18. But the other versions average around $12- $14. Again – very fair, especially for the beach!

Minh's Bistro puts together a very nice Vietnamese rice dish (sporting a fried egg, grilled pork and shrimp bean curd – reminiscent to Kenny Nguyen's similar dish at the sadly long-gone Zen Saigon in Bethany). There are also dishes featuring the vermicelli and soups featuring rice rather than vermicelli noodles. There is a vegetarian selection in every menu section. Check out the vermicelli (bun) with shrimp & pork, along with the vermicelli noodle bowl with shrimp. They are all in the gallery!

Rockville, Md. businessman (and professional actor and singer) Thinh Pham serves a wide array of Vietnamese favorites, and members of his family, including his delightful mom-in-law Bonnie Moss, are on hand to help out and suggest their favorites. Hours are year-round, 10am – 10pm. You can call them at 302-703-6626

The Rehoboth Foodie

About the Author

"My goal is to promote Rehoboth Beach dining while remaining honest and impartial. I don’t gush unless a place deserves it, and I don’t pull punches, either. With so many good places to eat around here, it just doesn’t make sense to waste the calories — or the money — on anything less." View all articles written by The Rehoboth Foodie

Add Your Comment
  1. Avatar STAN KLOCEK says:

    We have eaten there a few times as well as getting take out. The food is really good and the people are very nice. I recommend you give it a try.

  2. Avatar b johnston says:

    The Pho is a hidden gem for take-out.

  3. Avatar Pete says:

    Ate there Saturday, 4/14/2018 with daughter. Got a light lunch of Pho and dumplings and we did ‘share-sies’. I would recommend. Broth for the Pho was excellent, and obviously home made. (Chef would not give me the broth recipe, understandably) Wait-staff was excellent. I would recommend for lunch or dinner.

  4. Avatar Dave says:

    Outstanding food! Incredibly fresh and full of flavor. Highly recommend Minhs.

  5. Avatar Bill Weller says:

    I am very happy to see this new Vietnamese restaurant open. My wife & I both ordered the Pho for takeout about 2-3 weeks ago. For us, the Pho was so salty tasting it discouraged us from finishing the meal and from ordering it again. I’m usually not very conscious of salt content but this night the Pho was heavily salted. We haven’t tried any other items on the menu.

  6. Avatar C Jensen says:

    So thankful to finally have a good Vietnamese joint here. One question, any chance of some soft tendon in the future? You’ll have to chase me of with a stick daily if you add some to the menu.

  7. Avatar E Johnson says:

    Called an order in, the person taking the order said they had no Bun there! I would think employees should be trained in Vietnamese
    Foods on the menu!

  8. Avatar Catherine says:

    The only other comment I would add is that, the traditional presentation of Pho comes with a plate of Thai basil, bean sprouts, and fresh Jalapeno peppers, which this place does. But the plate is very small (I got 2 slices of Jalapeno peppers, 2 sprigs of Thai Basil and about 2 tablespoons of bean sprouts. Whereas, I am accustomed to about 4 times that amount. In bigger markets where the volume of patrons is higher than here, it’s more affordable for the restaurateur to serve those portions. Not everyone likes bean sprouts, Thai basil, or jalapeno peppers. I saw at least 2 untouched plates when we left. It’s such a shame to waste these ingredients. I could’ve eaten those people’s portions. Perhaps if Thinh asks his patrons whether they would like these add-ons, those who love it would get enough, and less would go to waste?

    • Avatar Thinh Pham says:

      Hi Catherine: There are no charge for asking of extra ingredients serving Pho. I am so glad that you noticed about customers’ choices. We will try our best so everyone will have chance to try those ingridients soon. 😉

  9. Avatar Catherine says:

    So happy to have tried the very tender and done to order flank steak Pho. The broth was exactly as it should be, flavorful without being salty. The summer rolls are huge and delish. I am a Pho-natic! And Thihn’s restaurant will become my favorite go-go comfort Vietnamese place. It doesn’t hurt that Rosenfeld’s is right next door either. Yummo!

  10. Avatar David Nelson says:

    We just finished orders of egg rolls and salt and pepper shrimp, and both were outstanding! We will be back!

  11. Avatar Nickole says:

    I’ve really been looking forward to trying these guys…but the past two afternoons they have had a sign saying they are closed. Didn’t they just open on July 1st? It’s July 4th and they have be closed both yesterday and now today. No a very solid opening week. Maybe sometime this week…who knows? 🙁

    • The Rehoboth Foodie The Rehoboth Foodie says:

      There have been water issues in that brand new building. Rosenfeld’s had the same issues when they opened and had to close for a few days. Be patient. They will open when all the plumbing is running right.

  12. Avatar Bill says:

    Just a heads up. There are no vegetarian entree options. The base for all the dishes, even the tofu and vegetable dishes, is a chicken stock.

    The might work
    That out and switch to a vegetable stock in the future, but for right now it is a no go.

    • The Rehoboth Foodie The Rehoboth Foodie says:

      You are correct. He told me that once things settle down and they get used to the menu that there will be veggie stock available for some of the dishes.

  13. Avatar MJ Ostinato says:

    It’s about time!! I’ve been missing Vietnamese food since we moved here from DC. And my husband is a Vietnam vet, that is very generous of him.

  14. Avatar Lucia says:

    Great news! I was peeking in the windows on Monday praying for opening day!

  15. Avatar Gail G says:

    This is great news – Minh’s Bistro may well become my new favorite restaurant.
    I hope it will be set up for both eat in and take out service!

  16. Avatar Julie says:

    Very excited. I can’t wait to go.

  17. Avatar Lucia says:

    Can’t wait! Yay for more diverse food choices!

  18. Avatar Anthony Pelosi says:

    OMG! OMG! Finally! The one thing my new home didn’t yet have is here!!! Vietnamese food! Open soon, Please! Can’t wait!

  19. Avatar Britanie Farren says:

    I’m originally from philly. Whenever I go back to visit my parents I always have to get some Vietnamese food. Now that I’m pregnant I crave it so much more! Keep us posted on open date. I will be there! So excited!

  20. Avatar Robert Hamberger says:

    Finally! Very excited.

  21. Avatar Robert Hamberger says:

    Finally! Very excited. With respect to the restaurant owners here, whatvwe don’t need are more pizza wings and seafood and burgers.–got that covered.

  22. Avatar Donna Abbenante says:

    We are here all summer and at least every other weekend the rest of the year. Our other house is in Arlington Virginia where there are a lot if fabulous Vietnamese restaurants. I can’t wait for Minhs Bistro to open

  23. Avatar Patrick Hamilton says:

    Yippee ! You go Thinh. Can”t wait.

  24. Avatar David Wagner says:

    We will make the drive up from Bethany for Minh’s pho sho…

  25. Avatar Roses says:

    That’s wonderful to bring all these ethnic culinary delicacy to our area. However we are Lacking a really good Bakery with REAL Italian bread baked fresh daily on the premises and a large selection of treats. Just throwing it out there!

    • The Rehoboth Foodie The Rehoboth Foodie says:

      Roses…
      Touch of Italy bakes fresh Italian and sesame semolina bread every night for their restaurants and other restaurants at their bakery in Five Points. It is available for public sale (often still warm) every morning there in Lewes. There is also freshly handmade mozzarella every day – which is quite good when consumed with that bread.

  26. Avatar Sue Sandelli says:

    Loved Pho 75 in Arlington for 30 years and have missed it since we moved here two years ago. So excited to have a new Vietnamese restaurant in Rehoboth!!!

    • Avatar John Edelmann says:

      I live two blocks to Pho 75 in Arlington and love it. I am so pleased to have Vietnamese in Rehoboth! I am in Milton and it is not too far.

  27. Avatar virginia gouse & Marty Rockey says:

    we are so excited to have a Vietnamese restaurant we moved from pa ands we miss the soup pho & the spring rolls glad you are coming to the area

  28. Avatar Karen Aszman says:

    Can’t wait! Having spent many years living in Houston, I miss being able to sit down to a wonderful bowl of Pho! This is just what we needed and I agree with Jayel…Indian food please!

  29. Avatar Jayel says:

    Ooh, first Zen Saigon in Bethany Beach, now the second Vietnamese restaurant in the area in Rehoboth? Mmmm! Now…when can we expect an Indian food?

  30. Avatar Mike Surowiec says:

    Great to hear! Nice to add Vietnamese food to our local mix. Can’t wait.

  31. Avatar Sophie Krezel says:

    So excited! Love Vietnamese food! Great that we are getting more diversity in Rehoboth.

  32. Avatar Jude says:

    Cannot wait for some good Vietnamese food.

  33. Avatar Karen Dilcher says:

    Absolutely super!!!

  34. Avatar Linda Lorber says:

    YAY!

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