General Pho in Radcliff: Experienced Eater Review

Key Takeaways

• General Pho in Radcliff began as a food truck on Fort Knox outside HRC and is now a brick and mortar restaurant on Dixie Highway
• Britten tried the Second Lieutenant banh mi, a three-meat plate with pork, beef and chicken, and spring rolls
• Lunch came to a little over $40, and Britten's rule of thumb is $10 to $15 a person
• Guests are assigned a table, and a delivery robot is coming in the next few weeks
• Britten's reminder: buy local, in person, when you can

Summary

Britten McDowell went looking for a good bowl of pho in Radcliff and brought Hardin Local the video. General Pho started as a food truck on Fort Knox and now has a building on Dixie Highway, right across from the old movie theater.

Britten had never had Vietnamese food before this visit, which is part of why the review is worth watching: you do not have to know a thing about the cuisine to order well.

Full Article

The Experienced Eater is Hardin County's go-to foodie review team, Britten and Michele McDowell, and this week's trip took them to the north end of the county for pho.

The backstory

Britten described General Pho as probably the hottest new restaurant in Radcliff right now. It started as a food truck at a little food truck area on Fort Knox outside HRC, built a big following on post, and then made the move to brick and mortar. The building on Dixie Highway has been repainted in its theme color, a lime green, and stands across from the old movie theater. Britten said it used to be a tattoo shop and, before that, a Mexican grocery with a cantina in the back.

"I had never had this," Britten said of Vietnamese food. A buddy suggested lunch, and neither of them knew much about it. A little research showed the menu is easy to follow, with three main types of dishes.

The food

The menu is set up around a military theme, which is where his sandwich got its name: the Second Lieutenant, a banh mi. The menu also lists pho, grilled spring rolls, fried spring rolls, and a kind of salad plate where everything comes together and you mix it up yourself.

The three-meat plate came with pork, beef and chicken, plus a variety of vegetables and a little sauce. "It was a flavor bomb," Britten said. "It just jumped up and smacked you." The spring rolls were fresh, and he thinks they are house made.

Not everything landed. The grilled rice paper roll was interesting but not his favorite: it had cilantro, mint and cucumber, and the herbs were a little strong for him. Michele, on the other hand, got pretty excited about the sandwich, and Britten said he had to bring her the leftovers. A few seconds after her bite, the jalapenos on the sandwich kicked in.

The bill

For a salad plate, spring rolls and the sandwich, the check was a little over $40, which Britten said made it lunch for three people. "I think any time you keep it around that 10 to $15 per person range, you're going to be doing well," he said.

The room

Britten arrived at 11 AM, right at opening, and it was slow. By noon the Fort Knox crowd had arrived and the place filled up. "I understand why they are so popular," he said.

He was also impressed by the kitchen, which he thinks might be the nicest in Hardin County: the grill, the fire suppression, the vent hood. He said the owners invested a handsome sum in the building and are committed to being there for the long haul.

One more thing he found different: when you walk in, you are assigned a table instead of picking your own. That is because a delivery robot that brings food to the table is coming in the next few weeks.

Support local, in person

Britten's review included a request. When you can choose between ordering delivery from an app, or buying from someone in person, whether it is food, hardware or retail, choose the person. "Don't let convenience be what drives you," he said. "If we don't support them today, they won't be here for us tomorrow."

He added that Radcliff already has Vietnamese, Korean, Mediterranean and Japanese home cooking, and the one thing he still wants up there is a good old-fashioned meat and three, or a barbecue place with really good sides.

Your turn

Britten covers about a 30 mile radius for breakfast, lunch and dinner. If there is somewhere the Experienced Eater needs to go, drop it in the comments or send a message to one of the Hardin Local pages. He tries to answer every comment.

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