Wyoming

Eating Wyoming: Casper's Pho Saigon Has Loyal Following For Its…

Published

2 years ago

July 20, 2024

Eating Wyoming: Casper's Pho Saigon Has Loyal Following For Its…

CASPER — Customers say the little family restaurant on the corner of East 12th and South Beverly streets may be nearly 8,200 miles from Vietnam, but serves up some seriously legit pho, or rice noodle soup.

Just ask Anna Tran who, with companion Jim Thompson, were checking out Pho Saigon Vietnamese Restaurant for the first time on a recent afternoon.

“I usually don’t like to go out for pho. I think most restaurants don’t make it very well, and so far this is excellent. I say that truthfully,” said Tran, who recently moved to Casper. “I usually don’t like to order pho when I go out to Vietnamese restaurants.”

“And she was born in Vietnam,” Thompson interjected. “Her parents only speak Vietnamese, that’s what they cook at home a lot. She is very familiar with this.”

The small, 10-table eatery in the Beverly Plaza offers traditional Vietnamese fare from a family that arrived in Wyoming from Vietnam in 2003.

Manager Hieu Le, the only family member who speaks English, said staff includes his father, mother and his wife, Thuy.

They’ve been serving up their family recipes since Jan. 1, 2014, Le said.

Pho Specialty

The specialty is the pho, pronounced as fuh, soup with bone broth, rice noodles and thin slices of meat. It’s garnished with spices, fresh herbs, onions, while bean sprouts, lime, hot peppers and various hot sauces that can be added for taste.

Le and most others in the culinary industry believe the dish began in Saigon, but its true origin isn’t known for sure.

Pho Saigon offers six varieties of the soup that, depending on the selection, includes either rare steak, meatballs, chicken, shrimp or a combination. The soup is served in a big bowl steamy hot with plenty of long rice noodles. A large spoon, chopsticks and fork are the utensils needed to conquer it.

Kisa King, visiting Casper from Oklahoma, uses chopsticks.

She said whenever she visits the Oil City she always goes to the restaurant.

“It’s the best food, it has the best flavor,” she said. “Other places I’ve tried in Oklahoma are no match for it. My favorite is … the meatball pho and the spring rolls.”

The spring rolls come in rice paper with lettuce, shrimp, and “a really good peanut sauce,” she said.

Her companion, Daniel Groom, characterized the food as “good” and “something different than burgers and quesadillas.”

Le said in addition to the menu, which lists the restaurant’s dishes in Vietnamese names, he created a companion photo book that shows each dish, so people know exactly what they are ordering.

Pho Saigon Manager Hieu Le said his family has been running the little 20-seat Vietnamese restaurant since 2014. (Dale Killingbeck, Cowboy State Daily)
Anna Tran and Jim Thompson were checking out Pho Saigon for the first time. Tran said the pho soup was “legit” and the broth better than what she can make. She grew up in a Vietnamese family. (Dale Killingbeck, Cowboy State Daily)
Cowboy State Daily recently tried the Pho Ga dish at Pho Saigon. The pho soups come with hot broth seasoned with spices and herbs filled with rice noodles and a side of bean sprouts, lime and hot peppers that can be added to the soup as desired. (Dale Killingbeck, Cowboy State Daily)
Emma Plett and Nate Holloway ordered takeout from Pho Saigon. Hollway, of Laramie, said he always tries to stop at the restaurant when he is in town. (Dale Killingbeck, Cowboy State Daily)
Pho Saigon has seating for just more than 20 people with individual tables. (Dale Killingbeck, Cowboy State Daily)
Pho Saigon Manager Hieu Le said in his spare time he likes to make clay figurines and create paintings. (Dale Killingbeck, Cowboy State Daily)
Pho Saigon Manager Hieu Le has painted all of the poster-like artwork that covers the walls at Pho Saigon. (Dale Killingbeck, Cowboy State Daily)

Egg Rolls, Rice Noodle Bowls And More

In addition to the pho, the restaurant offers egg rolls, a selection of rice noodle bowls with different meat and vegetable selections such as bun tom, a dish that includes noodles, shrimp, vegetables and a lime chili fish sauce.

There are also five lo mein dishes with stir-fried noodles, vegetables, and one’s selection of meat. The menu also includes five different rice platters such as com suon dai han, rice and barbecued beef with vegetables in their version.

Laramie’s Nate Holloway was visiting Casper with his girlfriend, Emma Plett, and ordered some takeout.

“I usually go for lo mein, it’s a stir-fried soft noodle with veggies and whatever meat you like,” he said. “This is actually the first Vietnamese restaurant I came to when I was younger and lived in town.”

In addition to the food, the drink menu includes a variety of milk teas and tasty fruit flavored ice teas.

Le said from time to time the restaurant will offer specials that he advertises on Facebook.

Cowboy State Daily’s visit included a big bowl of pho with chicken and some peach iced tea.

Core Following

After 10 years in business, Le said the restaurant has developed a relationship with a core group of customers. A family atmosphere is the goal.

“They have supported us. And sometimes we take care of them, too,” he said. “It’s not about the money we want from customer, we want them to have a good time here and know that it’s a place that feels like home.”

The restaurant interior includes colorful plastic plants that resemble the plants and fruit that can be found in Southeast Asia. On the walls are distinctive poster-sized paintings Le has created in his off time. He also has several hand-crafted clay figurines he makes for sale.

“When I am not working, that is my hobby,” he said. “I didn’t take any art classes, that is just me and me alone.”

The family was able to make their way to Casper thanks to an aunt who married a World War II veteran stationed in Vietnam during that war. She came to the country in the early 1950s.

In Vietnam, Le said his family moved from place to place until they, like many other immigrants, came to America for a better life.

“Over there the poverty is really bad. You eat what you make,” he said.

Le said his mother and father generally run the restaurant’s kitchen and his wife helps as a waitress. He fills in and does whatever is needed. They make enough for a living, but not enough quite yet to hire help.

They just continue to trust the restaurant for their future.

Pho Saigon is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

“It’s all about having a good time, have a good meal, you come happy and you leave happy,” Le said.

Contact Dale Killingbeck at dale@cowboystatedaily.com

Customers rave about the authentic food at Pho Saigon in Casper, Wyoming. (Jayesh Patil via Google)
Casper may be 8,200 miles from Vietnam, but Pho Saigon is as legit as it gets. (Pho Saigon via Facebook)
Customers rave about the authentic food at Pho Saigon in Casper, Wyoming. (Kyle Green via Google)
Casper may be 8,200 miles from Vietnam, but Pho Saigon is as legit as it gets. (Pho Saigon via Facebook)
Customers rave about the authentic food at Pho Saigon in Casper, Wyoming. (Joshua Baughcum via Google)
Casper may be 8,200 miles from Vietnam, but Pho Saigon is as legit as it gets. (Pho Saigon via Facebook)
Customers rave about the authentic food at Pho Saigon in Casper, Wyoming. (John Hettgar via Google)
Casper may be 8,200 miles from Vietnam, but Pho Saigon is as legit as it gets. (Pho Saigon via Facebook)
Customers rave about the authentic food at Pho Saigon in Casper, Wyoming. (Grace Woolfolk via Google)
Customers rave about the authentic food at Pho Saigon in Casper, Wyoming. (Daniel Garcia via Google)
Customers rave about the authentic food at Pho Saigon in Casper, Wyoming. (Brian Bassett via Google)
Customers rave about the authentic food at Pho Saigon in Casper, Wyoming. (Aaron Kaylor via Google)

Dale Killingbeck can be reached at dale@cowboystatedaily.com.

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Wyoming

(PHOTOS) Casper Holistic Expo packs the Central Wyoming Fairgrounds

Published

6 hours ago

March 28, 2026

Press Room

(PHOTOS) Casper Holistic Expo packs the Central Wyoming Fairgrounds

CASPER, Wyo. — There was magic, or something like it, in the air on Saturday as the Central Wyoming Fairgrounds presented the 2026 Casper Holistic Expo, Casper’s longest running holistic expo and a hallmark of the beginning of spring in Natrona County.

Countless vendors from Casper and beyond gathered with their goodies to present them to eager customers searching for something a little different.

The holistic expo featured crystal and metaphysical shops, tattoo and body piercing studios, henna and glitter tattoo studios, holistic shops, tarot readings, fortune tellers, magic and so much more. There was truly something for everyone, and Christina Kuhn, the lead organizer, said that nobody who came to the expo would leave disappointed.

“This actually started over 20 years ago,” Kuhn said. “I’ve been doing it for years. My mom did it for seven years before me. And Judy Ick, who actually does our photography, she did it before that. So it’s been a very long, very longstanding and growing event.”

Kuhn said that the Holistic Expo has grown exponentially over the years.

“When Judy passed it down to mom, there were 38 booths,” she said. “After mom passed it down to me, there were 78. Now I think we’re up to, like, 98.”

The booths are as eclectic as the people who run them. There’s magic, mysticism and moonlight; storytellers and palm readers; conversationalists and creators. There are CBD products, organic teas, energy testing, and even fudge.

“Some of this is kind of a special niche,” Kuhn shared, “but some of it is not. We’ve got a chiropractor. We’ve got people that are working with healing modalities. Some of it’s spiritual stuff. We’ve got crafts, too.”

There’s a wide variety of vendors and customers as the Holistic Expo, and Kuhn said she wouldn’t want it any other way. The most important thing they do, Kuhn said, is donate to local nonprofits.

“People can either pay the $5 door fee — anybody that’s 13 or over — or they can donate five nonperishable goods,” Kuhn said. “We started donating that to poverty resistance, and then we did City Park Church. This year we’re donating to the Wyoming Food for Thought Project.”

Kuhn said this was just a simple way to give back to the community, a community she and her business have been a part of for years. Kuhn owns a store in downtown Casper called A Place for Passion, and the Holistic Expo also allows her to bring some merch from her store and put in on display with a variety of other items. It’s a fun way to spend a weekend, she said, and she’s proud to be a part of it.

“Good lord, I’ve been doing this for a long time,” she said. “I helped my mom with it for ages and she wanted somebody that would carry on and keep expanding and doing well with it. Before I was helping run the show and managing it, I was a booth. I started sharing a booth with my mom because I only had a few things and I wasn’t sure how well they’d sell. But then it just expanded and took off, and now here I am.”

Kuhn said it means a lot that she’s able to continue the Holistic Expo for her mother.

“It’s nice to keep expanding something, especially something that contributes so much to the community,” she said. “There are so many people that come out and enjoy everything that they get here. And it’s a big opportunity for them to connect with others, to connect with people that have stuff they want to offer them.”

That, Kuhn said, is her favorite part of the Holistic Expo — meeting people.

“It’s just nice connecting with people and helping them out in any way that you can,” she said. “Everybody’s got their own knowledge, gifts, products that they’re putting out — services, whatever it is. So being able to share that with others is awesome. You’ve got to come check it out. It’s an awesome experience. There’s a little something for everyone.”

The Casper Holistic Expo is happening Saturday until 6 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Industrial Building at the Central Wyoming Fairgrounds.

Photos from the Holistic Expo can be seen below:

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Wyoming

Wyoming teen discovers rare and ancient megalodon shark tooth off Florida coast

Published

18 hours ago

March 28, 2026

Press Room

Wyoming teen discovers rare and ancient megalodon shark tooth off Florida coast

A 6-inch megalodon shark tooth was found by a Wyoming teen during a dive trip off Manasota Key, Florida earlier this week.

Sixteen-year-old Aiden Andrews and his father Brian were on a guided dive with Fossil Junkies, a local fossil-hunting tour company.

Captain John Kreatsoulas told FOX 13 Tampa Bay reporter Kimberly Kuizon that while finding small megalodon teeth isn’t uncommon, finding one that size is quite rare.

Video captured the moments when Aiden and his father celebrated underwater after making the remarkable discovery.

Popularized by Hollywood monster movies, the Carcharocles megalodon was the largest shark to have ever lived, according to the Smithsonian Institution.

A 6-inch megalodon shark tooth was found by a Wyoming teen during a dive trip off Manasota Key, Florida. Fossil Junkies

Diver wearing an orange mask holding a large fossilized shark tooth. — Aiden Andrews, 16, celebrated with his father after making the remarkable discovery. Fossil Junkies

Scientists believe the largest megalodon reached up to 60 feet in length and weighed up to 50 tons.

And as Andrews can attest — they possessed teeth the size of a human hand.

According to the Smithsonian, megalodon lived between 23 and 3.6 million years ago across all of Earth’s oceans.

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Wyoming

Outdoor Fun Awaits At Local Parks With Izaak Walton League’s Hiking Series From April To September

Published

1 day ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

Outdoor Fun Awaits At Local Parks With Izaak Walton League’s Hiking Series From April To September

Hiking can be an activity that you enjoy doing on your own, but sometimes you need a little extra inspiration, and a group hike is exactly what you need. If you’re looking for a group to explore the outdoors with, the Charles E. Piersall chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America hiking group may be what you’re looking for.

The mission of the IWLA:

To engage the community in the conservation, restoration, and promotion of environmental protection, we focus on the sustainable use and enjoyment of our natural resources, including soil, air, woods, waters, and wildlife. This commitment is essential for a sustainable future, and activities like hiking help foster a connection with nature

The group is open to all ages, and even your pup can join in on the fun if they’re on a leash. There is a series of hikes planned beginning on April 1. Nope, this isn’t a prank; it is a real chance to meet other outdoor lovers and take in some of the area’s best hiking trails. The hikes are scheduled on the odd Wednesdays from April to September, weather permitting.

Join us to connect with others who appreciate the beauty of outdoor hiking and environmental advocacy hiking. Remember to bring drinking water, snacks, good walking shoes or boots, and a jacket. A walking stick or hiking poles can also be helpful.

Here are the hikes they have planned for this summer.

April 2026

Wednesday, April 1, 6 pm, Morad Park to Paradise Valley:
Wednesday, April 15, 6 pm, Edness K. Wilkins State Park:
Wednesday, April 29, 6 pm, Tate Pumphouse, Golf Course loop:

May 2026

June 2026

July 2026

Wednesday, July 1, 6 pm, Muddy Mountain, North Face:
Wednesday, July 15, 6 pm, Muddy Mountain, Beaver Ponds:
Wednesday, July 29, 6 pm, Casper Mountain, Biathlon:

August 2026

September 2026

16 Types Of Hikes Explained

7 Trails To Hike In Central Wyoming

There’s no doubt about it, the entire state of Wyoming is covered in amazing hiking trails. If you’re visiting central Wyoming here are 7 trails that you should check out. I’ve organized them from easier to harder, ending with Laramie Peak.

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