Banh Mi Cart

I work in the Financial District and am always looking to try new food carts. The place is awesome. I have had their Tofu and Vegetable (#5) Banh Mi and it is great. The baguette is warm, fresh and soft. the tofu is deliciously sauted, not just pickled like other Banh Mis I have had. The vegetables are pickled nicely and the sauce are great. If you like spicy, ask for the extra spicy version. For the taste and the quality I give them two thumbs up. Oh and did I mention the sandwich costs on $ 6? Well, all their sandwiches are either $ 6 or $ 7 except for Salmon which is $ 9. I think thats the best food $ 6 can buy in FiDi! Do yourself a favor and try it once.

Need the owner back! She was out on vacation totally understand but the two guys running it were terrible — they need better training or be fired! I waited over 33mins — they apologized but that is not enough! And when I got my sandwich it was Terrible — bread was hard like a rock since its been sitting out. They usually put more in it but instead I had more bread then stuff inside. Not a good ratio. Very poor job of finding temporary replacements but need to train them better and making sure customers are happy!
Will only go back if the owner is present.

I think the cart that has been here since September 2015 is just an imitation of the Bahn Mi cart that I used to go to that got good ratings.
— White sign instead of the yellow sign (photo blown up to poster size?)
— Different cart
— Different guys (I think). No petite front window lady.
— Meh flavor — overpowering pepper flavor, no five spice flavor.
These guys are completely incompetent. They messed up almost every order as I was standing there, and after they completely forgot my order, they handed me a random sandwich. I went up to my office and took a bite– they gave me a vegetarian sandwich instead of the pork sandwich I ordered! I went back to the cart and told them I got the wrong sandwich. They took my sandwich, and handed me the correct sandwich.
THEN, one of the sandwich guys starts unwrapping the BITTEN sandwich I gave back. He was trying to recycle the ingredients! I said, «You need to throw that sandwich away. I bit it.» He doesn’t, keeps unwrapping. «YOU NEED TO THROW THAT SANDWICH AWAY; I’M RIGHT HERE! THROW IT AWAY PLEASE!» Finally, the dude handling transactions grabs it from him and throws it in the garbage.
AVOID.

I had the regular cold cut sandwich. It was alright, but different from what I was use to in California. Carrots/​Daikon pickles weren’t sweet/​sour enough. They are my favorite parts! That with the pâté makes the sandwich. It was a little bit of a turn off when they put in the roster sause to make it spicy. Seems to cheapen the sandwich.

If you go during typical lunch hours you will experience a long wait but it’s worth it, the sandwiches are delicious.

Very disappointed with the special baguette. I found some hair in my sliced pork… Also it was way too spicy. Don’t know if I’ll come back again.

3.5 stars. Got the number 1. The meat and veggies inside the banh mi were pretty good, but there was way too much bread and they went a little too heavy on the mayonnaise. Good service though and can’t really complain about the price ($ 6 – 7 for a banh mi). There wasn’t a line but some of the items took longer than others to come out. The best thing about this place is definitely the service: the lady taking the orders is really cheery and nice!

Good price + good size + tasty food = my favorite combination. I ordered the #1 speciality banh mi (sliced pork) and asked for moderate spicy. The meat is sliced very similar to ham, so if you prefer meat that is more chewy, perhaps go for the other options. The bread was also very fresh!
Also, generally I don’t find the service at food trucks to be memorable, but the lady taking the orders was so energetic and friendly. I will definitely be coming back!

Customer service and quality food = long line of returning customers
This cart is one of the best food cart in FiDi when it comes to customer service. Great prices and even better food.

Got the #1 special. Baguette was stale, and the quality of meat was meh.
Tons of friendly energy from the woman working the car — would try something else.

In Fidi where there’s a dearth of banh mi options, I’d consider it tasty, but it’s not comparable in either taste or quality to restaurants in Chinatown and throughout NYC serving banh mi.

Pretty cheap, cash only banh mi sandwiches down in fidi. It’s literally across the street from my office, so I can get food from there in 5 minutes, which, somedays, is what I need.
I wasn’t a fan of the sliced pork sandwich, but the ground pork is like salty spicy sweet and goes amazingly with the sauce and veggies. The bread is always decently fresh and the wait time is quick.
A great place to stop by and grab a quick bite from when you don’t want to spend a lot of money.

I don’t know why majority of the people complaining about how they’re supposedly «stingy» with the meat… Every time I visit New York they always give me enough meat & it’s not like only 2 slices in the pictures posted. If ya’ll want more meat, just ask. It doesn’t kill to ask for more. ((((:

Growing up in Northern Virginia, I was fortunate enough to be living in a large Vietnamese community and spoiled with the plethora of Vietnamese sandwich shops. Now that I’m living in New York, I really wanted to fill that void.
Luckily, this banh mi cart is really close to my school. It’s a bit pricier than what I’m used to ($ 6 here versus $ 3 – 4 back home) and the portion is a tad bit smaller, but the taste is on point! This banh mi cart is super delicious and I’ll definitely be back.

A friend recommended me to try this small Banh Mi cart at the corner of Hanover Sq. & Pearl St. When she told me that there’s not too much meat in the sandwich, it immediately raises a red flag.
I went with my coworker to the Banh Mi cart the day when we were supposed to get some Jamaican Oxtail and the cart didn’t show up.
Anyway the Banh Mi cart is in front of Starbucks and you will recognize the cart immediately when you see an Asian lady sticking her head out of the cart screaming «What would you like? #1? Spicy or no Spicy?» yup that would be the cart.
You have very limited options, and I usually go for the #1 spicy cause I like the pâté. The sandwich cost $ 6 which is not bad compare to all the other food in the area. The wait to get your food is probably what gets to most people, on a busy day, you can expect to wait around 10 – 15 minutes and on top of that, sometimes the lady might mess up the order and give your order to someone else which means another 5 minutes wait on top.
BUT if the wait didn’t stop you, you’ll be rewarded handsomely with:
This ¾ foot long sandwich with various types of cold cut in it (I dare not question what kind of meat it is jkjk) but it is super tasty! You get so many flavors with the meat, fish sauce and mayo all inside a warm, soft crusted bread! Yeah, there’s not too much meat but I think it is just enough to make for a satisfying sandwich.
Yes they are right about the crumbs, make sure you sit downwind when you are eating this thing or else be prepare to pick those crumbs off your shirt, your pants and your hair.

5 Stars for the sandwiches and minus one for the pricy coffee and wait… The sandwiches are pretty good overall but yes it is on the lighter side for meat. The bread I thought might be little too thick but definitely a pretty good size sandwich for the money you pay ($ 6 – 8) Located right around Old Slip where there are sooo many different food truck in the area this was a good choice and having a Banh Mi option here is very welcoming indeed.
I don’t think there are many Vietnamese options here in FiDi so if you have the craving for it this is definitely the place to get a good and cheap sandwich: D

This tiny banh mi cart at the corner of Hanover Sq. & Pearl St. comes through with a variety of Vietnamese sandwiches priced between $ 6 – 8 when I:
1) forget to bring my own lunch
2) don’t feel like paying $ 10-​$ 12 for a typical FiDi lunch
3) have a craving for banh mi and can’t make it to Chinatown
The other reviews aren’t wrong when they say these banh mi are light on the meat, but since they’re nearly a foot long, they still make for a satisfying meal. You don’t want to have food coma during your afternoon meetings anyway.
The bread is also light and super flaky. Make sure you eat this over the plastic bag it comes in or else you’ll be brushing a million crumbs off your suit at the end of your lunch hour.
Considering there’s only 2 people working in the cart and they make the sandwiches to order, the service is pretty efficient. I’m looking forward to when they start making phở again!

I can’t do 4.5 stars so 4 stars it is.
Man what a treat it is to have this cart in the FiDi area during work hours. I was in the mood craving a banh mi and did not want to trek to Chinatown as I only had 30 mins tops to find something to eat. I’ve walked by this many times but never really took a chance. Well I’m sorry I did myself a disservice by not trying these sooner but the sandwiches are pretty darn good. At only 6 – 8 bucks, it’s a bargain for a good meal as well since lunch in this area will always be in the 10 – 12 dollar range.
I ordered a grilled chicken sandwich and it was really good. I do wish it had a tad bit more stuffing but overall it won’t disappoint at all. The bread is warm and flaky. Very satisfied with my choice. In fact, I might go back again today since this review is making me hungry.
The wait time is usually around 5 – 10 mins depending on the number of orders they get as there always is a line around with people waiting.
Cash only so leave the plastic at home.

Today I’m so happy. Got my Eel Banh Mi spicy and it is nirvana to me. 8 bucks for a crusty big baguette loaded with Eely goodness. This cart might be the best truck in NYC and it is the best Banh Mi. I love the taste, texture, spices and the bread which is perfect. The service is awesome from the lady who always knows my order and never forgets me to the speedy pleasant delivery. Love her! Live the truck. Run here and get some.

I was thrilled to find a Banh Mi Cart in the south side of FiDi. Having frequented Baoguette earlier in my career, I was looking for a similar, not american, sandwich option. The set up is tiny — its a small silver cart with barely enough room for the two people inside. At 12:45 pm, the ordering line was short but the waiting for food line was about 10 minutes. Being that they write orders down, but have no way to match the order to the person, if you feel like you’re waiting too long, its best to remind them what you asked for to make sure its on its way.
I ordered the #1 special baguette with sliced pork and asked for it to be spicy. It was $ 6. Its the most common order. I loved the bread, which was fluffy on the inside and crunchy on the outside. The meat, like most reviewers mention, is a bit on the thin side. The veggies and cilantro are crisp and tasty. And the smear of sriraha brings the whole thing together. The sandwich is a foot long, but since its not as densely packed, it probably has fewer calories. It was enough for me. The cart also carries summer rolls and vietnamese coffee. Unfortch for me, they no longer carry bubble tea.
For the $ 6 price tag, I think this is a really good lunch option. I think the bread is better than other locations and the portion is perfect for me. It also saves me from walking a lot further to say, Baoguette, so I’m willing to shave off some meat for instant gratification. It also beats dropping $ 9 at Flavors and won’t give you food coma. I’m a fan.