On A Roll

Finally tried it! Ordered the BBQ pork Banh Mi and Coconut Milk Tea with Boba. The sandwich was extremely delicious! The meat was juicy and the veggies were pickled just right. The Coconut Mik Tea was superrrrr sweet. Will probably not order that again. Luckily, I was able to get my parking validated because I spent more than $ 10. Not sure if I have ever paid $ 13 for a Bahn Mi and Milk Tea. It’s a little bit pricy because its San Pedro Square Market.

My friends like their chicken curry dish and I don’t eat chicken so figured I’d try one of their (few) veggie options. I ordered the veggie noodle plate and it was unremarkable.
Sauce had a nice flavor, might be a little spicy for some so ask to adjust if you need
Lame variety of veggies — mainly pieces of white onion, some carrot, some celery, 2 pieces of mushroom, very little broccoli
Oddly, the rice noodles off to the side in the to go container were cold so I had to heat the whole thing up in the microwave to keep the noodles from cooling down the rest of the hot food.
I was there at 1:30 pm after lunch rush hour so they had time to heat the noodles…
For an amazing non-​Vietnamese lunch try the grilled shrimp sandwich at Lou’s Beach Shack in the same complex. Like crack on a bun.

Best canh bun here large nice clean & best service here will come back & will refer friends

I’ve been here about 5 – 6 times over the past week. I’ve had a variety of their entrees, appetizers, and drinks; all of which are delicious and reasonably priced. Service is quick and few seats are available nearby. Keep in mind though that San Pedro square has many seats available. My favorite combo is the beef banh mi and the Thai tea!

Thai iced tea: watered down, lots of ice
Cash only.

I was recently at the market for dinner and decided to try On A Roll. I had the coconut curry chicken. It comes with rice which I did not get since I am try to eat carb free. The curry has a great curry flavor, a little spice but not too much. Lots of good veggies (carrots, onions, broccoli, and more), lots of pieces of chicken. It was quite a big portion.
They seem to specialize in Vietnamese sandwiches which looked good. Plus, they have some other Asian plate options. Definitely a good spot to try if you are looking for a nice Asian dish. Curry is great, lots of sandwich options.

On A Roll was located in a mini market area full of other food places. I was craving some Asian food since I was away from home for work. I ordered their fried chicken plate. It came out within 10 minutes. They also have complimentary cold jasmine green tea for you!
When my food came out, it was a huge plate. I received the fried rice, fried chicken, and salad. Salad wasn’t too great, but everything else was delicious! I’d love to try the other shops around as well.

Grilled pork banh mi: Pretty good. Crunchy, warm, spicy, and relatively large. Meat was juicy.
Spring rolls: (Shrimp + chicken) meh. Chicken was kinda dry. Not memorable.
Taro milk tea: Tasted pretty good, but was mostly ice.

I had pork noodles and vietnamese coffee. I had tried many vietnamese places, but this place was not impressive. Pork itself was good, but noodles were not good.
Coffee was good but not great. Considering very competitive area for Vietnamese (it’s San Jose) I think this place can’t survive.

Grilled pork sandwich (banh mi thit nuong), no cilantro is currently $ 7.45 after tax.
It’s pricier than your typical Little Saigon banh mi shop, but is larger than average (~9″) and comes with the usual pork, pickled carrot & radish, cucumber spear, mayo, jalapenos (and cilantro for the non-​soapy crowd).
Bread seemed toasted, but did not have the crackle-​y crust I like. The pork was moist and a little gristly in spots. The marinade had some crushed red peppers adding a mild heat that is different than most. Nice crunch and acidity from the pickled veggies.
3.5 stars and rounding down for value vs. other near-​by banh mi spots.

Wonton soup. Delicious. A perfect lunch on long day. I enjoy eating this often. Shrimp, crab, and noodles cooked to perfection.

I only ordered some snacks from here, but I would definitely be back for a more substantial meal. I came in on a Friday night and I ordered a thai tea with boba and an order of coconut shrimp. Now, I freaking love coconut shrimp. It is one of my favorite snacks ever, but it’s really hard for me to find good coconut shrimp except in Hawaii.
Their thai tea was extremely delicious, although the boba had a slightly weird bumpy texture and it was a little too chewy. But it was okay since the drink itself was somewhat large for $ 5. The shrimps were $ 6 for 6 small pieces so I was a little disappointed since the portion weren’t that big. The breading wasn’t as light and fluffy I wanted– the breading was a little too heavy. I don’t quite remember what the sauce was, I think it was a sweet and sour sauce which I wasn’t impressed by. I think they should have used a mango chutney type of sauce instead. However, their sandwiches and noodles looked delicious, so whenever I’m back in San Jose, I’ll drop by and try something new.
The workers were polite and efficient, and it’s a cafeteria style, so you pay and pick up your food.

My ma caught a cold, so the closest place to get soup was here… and here’s my take:
I don’t usually do corporate but when I do it’s when I receive gift cards, free pizookie coupons, and happy hour. Here’s how my experience went:
Ambiance
Parking | Plenty of parking whether it’s street or garage. We came here on a Tuesday evening for Surf City nights at around 6pm. We didn’t have any problems at the garage 2 streets over 2 dollars for 2 hours? I’m down with that.
Seating | Plenty of seating outside and inside however it does get pretty packed. The tall seats are on a first come first serve basis though.
Feels | In the heart of Huntington Beach Main Street. Coming here during Surf City nights is an additional plus. Feel free to watch a game or even people watch. It’s a nice place for almost any type of night.
Food:
Wonton Egg Noodle Soup (Recommend)
* A medley of protein from sea to land, it’s a very good fulfilling mix. For those cold weathers and in need of something warm.
Grilled Chicken Noodle Plate (A-​OK)
* Another good fulfilling plate. I just added more sriracha to spice things up.
Beef Tri-​tip (A-​OK)
* Pretty good. The beef was cooked well and the vegetables mixed together makes it flavorful. Once again, it ain’t a $ 50 steak but it gets the job done.
Customer Service:
Came here on a Thursday lunch and they were fairly quick.
Overall:
3.5 Nothing amazing or must but it gets the job done. I can see how it’s overpriced since it’s the only Vietnamese place in San Pedro Market thus making it convenient ofr people in the area in the mood for Vietnamese or boba.
TL;DR Tips:
* Seating is all San Pedro
* Free water

$ 6.50 for a pork banh mi sandwich. I suppose it’s not incredibly high for a San Pedro Market dinner, but normally paying $ 4.00 for a banh mi is what I’m used to!
The service was fine — nothing special and it was pretty quick to get my sandwich. Good balance between ingredients and bread, but I felt the bread was not of best quality.
I’d probably come back here again if I really wanted some Vietnamese food to check out the other dishes!

Time: 1:17pm/66°F sunny
Purpose: After getting a hot dog from Calidog it proves unsatisfactory. I’ve couple more meet ups schedule for later in the day. So banh mi at all cost was the answer.
Ambiance: Also located inside SPS share space with other eateries. This place is the first place you’ll see coming in from San Pedro side of street. Basically a stainless steel counter wrapped with sheets of faux bamboo stalks and 6 – 7 stools. Overhead hanging menu board as long as the counter itself mostly picture of item (s) taken up the space. Two door beverage fridge with sliding cold storage box finish out the place. Counter with touch screen, menus, tip jar, utensil organizer, sleeves of cup, 4-​cup beverage holder trays. Its really a take out place then to dine in. Most workers nearby brings it back to workplace.
Staff: 4 – 5 workers buzzing around getting peoples order confused. One worker looks if though it was his first day. Asking person next to him about touch screen on register. Shouldn’t be training during lunch rush, but its what company wants. I dealt with cashier no problems just order, pay and wait. Peak lunch hour may cause a ruckus among workers themselves.
Cleanliness: Grade A, clean enough to be seated without wiping after someone has left. One worker checks the front counter area every 10 minutes or so. Santa Clara health inspection posted with (Pass).
Eats/​Drinks: Grilled pork banh mi price $ 6.80 was average being in the area it is. First thing I notice was the the bread. Not just any kind of bread this was the most sought after for me. It’s a little bigger than standard size the inside fluffy part of center wasn’t pull out. Instead it was compressed push down more making way for more room to add fixings. Grilled pork had the much needed seasoning, rare for it not to. Sando was neither dry or soggy made just right. With pork meat soaking just the middle core without touching inner exterior made it a crunchy tasty sando without a mess. Quality wise really close to TL/​Chinatown standards.
Main Features: Banh mi, rice plates, Vietnamese coffee.
Products/​Services: Vietnamese coffee/​mocha, apps, sandwich, special, combos, rice plate, noodle plate, noodle soup, salad, lunch/​dinner plates. Desserts-​longan, jelly, basil, mung bean chestnut, coconut milk, flavor tea. Find them on FB and Twitter. Online ordering available.
Punch Lines: Pleasing flavors, modest cost, occasional spotty service, seats are minimal, drool worth, always buzzing, budget watchers, imaginable toppings, kitschy décor, light bites, zippy service, best cheap eats around, can’t go wrong, causal and delicious, worth the wait, industrial interior, kept its standards.
Tradeoffs: At near $ 7 for a sandwich in this area. Nearby workers would find it a deal. More convenient than to drive out of area just to get your banh mi fix on.
Final Thoughts: A good place to try Vietnamese food if you’re in a hurry near the downtown area of SJ. Its not as authentic compare to other well known places, but you definitely get your banh mi cravings here. Prices are higher due to share space and overhead so, I’ll cut some slack here. Hours to avoid if you’re press for time is 11:45am-1:30pm Mon-​Fri. All other times are ideal to dine in catching up with what you need to get done.

With so many places to eat in Downtown, On The Roll never tend to fail me. I love their wonton soup. It’s conveniently right across my office. I wish they would provide delivery to neighboring office building. That would be super duper!!!
I would definitely avoid going there during rush hour (lunch-​time). You can tell why people would rather wait in line. Well worth for them. I myself don’t have the patience, therefore I would go after the rush hour and eat on their counter.
Service is superb.
Good job on the food and service!

********************* 1151 *********************
I rarely visit San Pedro Square area unless visiting SP2. This time we checked out On A Roll for a quick bite. seeing the line at 12:30 PM on a Monday, this was the busiest restaurant here.
The service was quick and efficient, the owner/​cashier was very nice and attentive which I was surprised by a fast food place like this.
Serving authentic Vietnamese food, CHEAP EAT, generous portion and fast service for lunch. They serve fresh Appetizers, Sandwiches & House Specials. The On A Roll is open for Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner. some of their popular dishes: Spring Rolls, Fried Tofu, Egg Rolls, Sandwiches, Salmon, Fried Rice, Korean BBQ, Chicken Wings, Grilled Pork & Chops, Beef Tri-​Tip, Noodles, Phở & Noodle Soups
— Tri-​tip beef salad — similar to «shaking beef» with bellpepper, onion, with mango, tomato, lettuce salad — a solid dish.
— Wonton edd noodle soup — with shrimp, imitation crab, BBQ pork, not bad at all for less than $ 8, a bowl that about my head size, seriously.
We’ll be back.

With all the choices there is in San Pedro Square Market, I chose to go here cause I had that craving for some serious asian grub. Among the selections of food stalls (which ranged from mexican, american and Mediterranean), On a Roll got what I wanted and they serve it huge which is a plus for me!
Typical none smiling crew they got. You tell them (in this case shout out while pointing) what you want and they tell you that it’ll be done in a couple of minutes. I got the chicken salad which was huge. The meat to veggie ratio was decent for the price and tho I wanted to share my food, hubby is allergic to anything pickled or has vinaigrette (boo hoo) anyhoo. more for me!
Free tea is nice!

Chicken hairs inside curry chicken, manager says it’s «lemongrass fibers»…
Umm ya no thanks! and yet he get pissed off because I don’t want to eat the damn thing…
Nothing left to say… SMH

This place is a great alternative to Dac Phuc, (though really, anything is a good alternative to Dac Phuc), although you are paying a *lot* more than you would at «real» Vietnamese places on Tully. I got the grilled pork noodle plate (bun thit nuong), and after begrudgingly handing over $ 10.50, was pleasantly surprised to see that it came with prawns and an eggroll (though it wasn’t sliced) as well.
Despite my cheap-​ass moaning about the price, I can’t deny that the pork, shrimp, and egg roll were all very well-​made, which is the main reason that it’s getting 4 stars instead of 3. Additionally, I don’t know what kind of crack they added into their fish sauce + chili garlic sauce blend, but it was the most delicious fish sauce I’ve had in a long time.
Anyway, I’ll probably be back to try an egregiously high-​priced banh mi ($ 5.95), but knowing that I can get almost the same for a couple bucks less every time will probably keep me from coming back.