Wyoming
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.
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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
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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.
CASPER, Wyo. — High school athletics in Wyoming could see some drastic changes in the coming years following legislative changes to the state’s education budget, the Wyoming High School Activities Association recently announced in a statement.
According to the WHSAA, Wyoming school districts are facing a projected $3.9 million shortfall in activities funding, forcing officials to consider significant cuts to high school sports and extracurricular programs.
The WHSAA shared details regarding a new “silo” funding model implemented by the Legislature, stating that the recalibrated block grant model reduced funding for student activities and extra-duty responsibilities from $46.3 million to $42.4 million, an approximately 8.4% decrease statewide.
WHSAA Commissioner Trevor Wilson said the restructuring also restricts district access to an additional $76.2 million in previously flexible funding.
“A significant portion of the [April 28 WHSAA Board of Directors] meeting was dedicated to discussing the projected funding shortfall,” Wilson wrote.
The WHSAA is weighing several strategies to address rising costs with fewer resources. Proposed changes include eliminating regional tournaments and reducing the number of teams qualifying for state events from eight to four; limiting wrestling to two classes and restricting track and field state participants to the top 16 marks; making cuts to soccer, indoor track and field, Nordic and Alpine skiing, swimming and diving, spring golf and tennis; and reducing in-person speech and debate events by half and centrally locating All-State Music events to minimize travel. The board also recommended increasing gate admission or implementing student participation fees to offset costs.
While the WHSAA release states that no plans have been finalized and the various changes are currently just possibilities, Natrona County School District 1 Board of Trustees member Mary Schmidt criticized the WHSAA’s handling of the news at Monday’s board meeting.
“I take some issues with this, [including] the sheer fact that we as Board of Trustees members have not talked about that at all,” Schmidt said. “It is not our intent and it has not been brought to us to cut our athletics or activities budget for the upcoming school year. … I take issue with them picking sports and getting the community upset and ginning them up to be upset that this is all going to be cut when that hasn’t been discussed.”
Later in the meeting, Superintendent Angela Hensley clarified that Natrona County School District 1’s athletics and activities budget saw a reduction of roughly $550,000 in the coming year’s budget, but said the local school district does not plan to cut any sports.
“Thank you, Trustee Schmidt, for saying this, because I think people are wondering — we are not planning to cut athletics and activities for next year,” Hensley said. “We do have to take a look at our entire budget as we have talked about, as we learn more about these new rules that come in.”
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Republished with permission from Wyoming News Now, a TV news outlet covering the Cheyenne and Casper areas.
Cheyenne City Council has introduced a temporary moratorium, or pause, on new data center construction.
“The end goal is to actually have regulations in place, to have really heavy public involvement with this with data centers,” said Councilman Mark Moody.
The proposed ordinance is not a permanent ban on data centers and would not affect data centers currently under construction.
Councilman Moody says this is a bipartisan issue.
“I just want to make this clear, I’m not against data centers. We do need them from a national security perspective,” he said.
He said there needs to be more public input and regulations regarding data centers in Cheyenne.
The ordinance would require city staff to study data center impacts such as electricity usage, electricity tariffs, closed-loop cooling systems, groundwater impacts, agricultural impacts, and land value.
Cheyenne LEADS, the economic development corporation for Cheyenne and Laramie County, reported in November 2025 that there are 12 operational data centers in Wyoming, five under construction and plans for 43 data centers announced across the state.
“There needs to be more public input with this, and also to see how many we can sustain here in this community, cause there are talks of 43, and then another day 70. How many can we sustain here?” said Councilman Moody.
The proposed moratorium will now go to the Public Services Committee on Monday, May 18 at noon in the Municipal Building.
Sheridan will play in the North Regional Tournament at Gillette, while the South Regional Tournament will be played at Rock Springs.
North Regional Tournament at Gillette:
Checking record vs. highest team in the quadrant not involved in the tie, Thunder Basin gets the #1 Northeast seed over Campbell County, because the Lady Bolts went 3-1 vs. Sheridan, whereas the Lady Camels went 2-2.
Friday, May 15th:
(#1 NE) Thunder Basin vs. (#4 NW) Jackson – 11am
(#2 NW) Natrona County vs. (#3 NE) Sheridan – 11am
(#2 NE) Campbell County vs. (#3 NW) Kelly Walsh – 1pm
(#1 NW) Cody vs. (#4 NE) Worland – 1pm
Semi-Finals:
Thunder Basin/Jackson winner vs. Natrona County/Sheridan winner – 3pm Winner qualifies for the state tournament.
Campbell County/Kelly Walsh winner vs. Cody/Worland winner – 5pm Winner qualifies for the state tournament.
Consolation Round:
Thunder Basin/Jackson loser vs. Natrona County/Sheridan loser – 3pm LOSER OUT!
Campbell County/Kelly Walsh loser vs. Cody/Worland loser – 5pm LOSER OUT!
Saturday, May 16th:
TBA vs. TBA – 10am LOSER OUT! Winner qualifies for the state tournament.
TBA vs. TBA – 10am LOSER OUT! Winner qualifies for the state tournament.
2 10am winners vs. each other – 1pm 3rd Place
TBA vs. TBA – 1pm 1st Place
South Regional Tournament at Rock Springs:
Friday, May 15th:
(#1 SW) Laramie vs. (#4 SE) Torrington – 11am
(#2 SE) Cheyenne East vs. (#3 SW) Green River – 11am
(#2 SW) Rock Springs vs. (#3 SE) Wheatland – 1pm
(#1 SE) Cheyenne Central vs. (#4 SW) Cheyenne South – 1pm
Semi-Finals:
Laramie/Torrington winner vs. Cheyenne East/Green River winner – 3pm Winner qualifies for the state tournament.
Rock Springs/Wheatland winner vs. Cheyenne Central/Cheyenne South winner – 5pm Winner qualifies for the state tournament.
Consolation Round:
Laramie/Torrington loser vs. Cheyenne East/Green River loser – 3pm LOSER OUT!
Rock Springs/Wheatland loser vs. Cheyenne Central/Cheyenne South loser – 5pm LOSER OUT!
Saturday, May 16th:
TBA vs. TBA – 10am LOSER OUT! Winner qualifies for the state tournament.
TBA vs. TBA – 10am LOSER OUT! Winner qualifies for the state tournament.
2 10am winners vs. each other – 1pm 3rd Place
TBA vs. TBA – 1pm 1st Place
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