Mariana, an entrepreneur and former celebrity makeup artist, said she took ownership of Pho N Grill with Kayode in hopes of fulfilling her father's aspirations for her.
“My dad was like my biggest fan in terms of my cooking. And when he started getting sick, I just kind of felt the urge to make him smile in that way because he always told me that he could see me opening a restaurant, so I did,” Mariana said.
Mariana said she had a deep passion for cooking at a young age and enjoyed experimenting with multiple cuisines. The support her father gave her growing up inspired her to begin plans to open her own restaurant after he died.
Mariana and Kayode took ownership of Pho N Grill, a Vietnamese restaurant established in 2020, with the idea of starting a restaurant that serves multiple cuisines.
“I want people to get a taste of every part of the world, whether it be a taste of India, Africa or Vietnam,” Mariana said. “I want everyone to be able to come in and just kind of have endless options.”
Pho N Grill serves Vietnamese dishes, such as vermicelli, rice plates and pho soups, along with West African cuisine.
Mariana said a must-try dish from the West African cuisine is the peanut soup, a stew cooked with stock fish, crayfish and bitter leaves, according to the menu.
With an emphasis on quality and authenticity, Mariana and Kayode said their mission is to introduce people to many cultures through food, beginning with their own.
“Pho N Grill is not just a place to eat; it’s a story waiting to be savored,” Kayode said. “Every dish is a chapter, every bite an adventure, and our superior customer service is the icing on the cake.”
Pho N Grill
32360 Hwy. 249, Ste.180, Pinehurst
832-521-3903
www.instagram.com/phongrilltx
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Sat. 11 a.m.-7 p.m., closed Sun.
