Trung Pham, owner of Bien Hoa in Hutto, first caught glimpses of the town when he would drive out with his brother-in-law on their way to go fishing. That was in the late 1990s.

A couple of years later, Pham was helping his nephew move into a newly constructed house in Hutto and saw an advertisement for the storefront that his restaurant sits in to this day.

On June 28, 2005, Pham opened Bien Hoa’s doors to the public. At that time, SH 130 had not yet opened, and Hutto’s population was hovering around 7,000 residents, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.

“It used to be if you’d go this way it was all cows. Now, I don’t see any more cows. Now it’s all houses. Hutto is booming fast,” Pham said.

Thirteen years after Pham opened his own restaurant, the owner said very little has changed. Pham continues to use the same meat vendor that he started with in 2005. The Vietnamese and Chinese cuisine menu has only turned over a few items, and Pham still makes the restaurant’s homemade signature Chinese sauce alongside his brother.

Pham’s brother and niece own their own restaurants in Austin, too. In fact, much of Pham’s family both in Texas and in his native Vietnam operate restaurants. Pham asserts the industry is in his family’s blood.

“We are a big family, and [we are] all working in restaurants. We know how to do it,” Pham said.

Bien Hoa, named after a town in southern Vietnam, serves several dishes from Pham’s native country. The menu features rice vermicelli, or bun, which is a dish of cold, thin noodles served with protein, crushed peanuts and a flavorful fish sauce. Pham said his restaurant’s most popular item is another Vietnamese dish—pho, a brothy beef and noodle soup.

Half of Bien Hoa’s menu offers traditional American-Chinese cuisine such as fried rice, lo mein and egg noodle soup. Pham considers Bien Hoa’s homemade Chinese sauce as the restaurant’s unique ingredient that has contributed to its success.

“We make a lot—every two to three days and at least three times a week. It’s very fresh,” Pham said.

Bien Hoa
560 Hwy. 79, Ste. A-600, Hutto
512-846-2699
Hours: Mon.-Sat. 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m.