Saigon Sandwich

It was late in the day and I was starving. Located just outside Little Saigon, Saigon Sandwich offers cheap fulfilling sandwiches.
This is a small hole in the wall place where sanitation seems a bit questionable. They only accept cash and offer many other snacks and drinks in addition to bahn mis. Each sandwich is $ 3.75 and filled with a creamy white sauce, pilled with meat, and topped with cilantro, jalapenos, and pickled carrots. My general complaint with bahn mis is that the bread often is a little too crunchy and there isn’t enough «stuff». And while bread comment still holds, these sandwiches were so large that it was hard to get a good bite! The roasted pork was also very juicy and started leaking through the paper it was wrapped in and the paper bag the sandwich was put in. That’s a pretty good sign to me. However, I would suggest grabbing a lot of napkins and maybe not eating while walking. I ended up dripping on myself and struggling to take bites while walking through the TL. I think what really added to these though was that sauce, I don’t know what it was, but it also really helped to add flavor.
For $ 3.75 there’s little else you can get to really fill you up.

Absolutely great, cheap, solid Vietnamese sandwich.
Two huge sandwiches loaded with lots of meat and fresh veggies for less than $ 8, how can you go wrong?
I’ve only been here in the morning (7am-​8am) so I have never experienced the epic line.
Chicken is great, pork is great, and tofu is amazing!

So good, no line at 11:30 am, no need for details, even the bread was hot!
Fast and friendly service.
I can’t wait to go again. I’m stuffed for $ 4.25

I went to Saigon Sandwiches on a Friday around lunchtime as I saw it had the highest rating out of all the Vietnamese bánh mì sandwiches in the area. When I walked by, I saw it had quite a crowd of people lined up to order, as well as a scatter of people waiting for their food. I was a bit shocked to see the interior with 4 Vietnamese women quickly working in a bánh mì sandwich assembly line. It didn’t look like very sanitary conditions, but I still ordered a roast chicken sandwich for $ 3.75.
I was worried it would take a long time to get my order, but it was pretty fast (5 – 10 minutes). I could see this getting out of hand with a lot more people because when I placed my order, the lady just wrote down my food without my name or without me even paying. Then, she just called out «one roast chicken.» I had to look around to make sure it was my actual order and then paid.
There is a small area at the front beside the cooler with two chairs you could sit and eat at, but with all of the people crowding inside, I wouldn’t recommend this. There is no seating outside, as well, so it’s more of a «take-​away» sandwich shop sort of thing. When opening the wrapping to the sandwich, I saw how messy it was put together. I wouldn’t have minded waiting a bit longer if they made it less messy. The bread was a bit too hard for me, and I can see it hurting the top of people’s mouths when biting down.
Overall, the sandwich was ok, but you can’t really complain about that price. I think that’s the only reason why this place has such a high rating. I eat a lot of bánh mì sandwiches personally, and this place definitely was not matching what Unilocal had me believe it should be. Maybe I came on an off day? I’m highly disappointed to read on Unilocal that this is the best bánh mì sandwich in San Francisco; that’s unacceptable.
What I ordered:
–Roast Chicken Bánh Mì Sandwich ($ 3.75)
Pros:
–Very inexpensive
Cons:
–Sketchy neighborhood with many homeless people
–Looks unsanitary in the interior
–Messy sandwich
–Bread is too hard
–No comfortable seating area (take-​away only)
–Confusing ordering setup

Finallllllly got here in time to try the banh mi spot that everyone and their mama swears by. Verdict? MMMMMM!
The combination special includes a generous portion of chicken, pork loaf, pâté, and the usual pickled veggie culprits. Proteins were spot on… juicy, flavorful, and overall good eats. But beyond that, a few other things stood out as well. I liked that it wasn’t too bready. Whereas some banh mi joints tend to leave a lot of the bread crumb intact, Saigon Sandwich does right by the customer in taking it out. Also, the picked veggies are julienned much thinner than your standard banh mi joint. It was a welcomed change in texture providing just enough fresh crunch, but not too much.
For four bucks and some change? I’ll take three more sandwiches to go, please *clap emoji.*

Special combo for $ 4.25. The banh mi is packed to the brim with meat and topped with slightly pickled veggies. The bun is toasted and the sauces really help bring it all together.
This small mom and pops Viet sub place is really da bomb. I couldn’t find a good bowl of phở while here in San Fran, but if you’re craving banh mi or just a bomb ass sandwich this place is forizzles.

Great. Great! I’m gonna humble brag or just plain brag about spending time and falling in love with Vietnam. I’ve had Bahn Mis from the likes of Anthony Bourdain’s favorite joint in the beautiful city of Hoi An — OH MY GOD.
Saigon sandwich — Damn. For 3.75 this place is really awesome. You will walk in and there will be literally nothing but hardworking folks serving up some great sandwiches. There will be people lining out the door because there’s no room inside and also because we all want a Bahn Mi. A nice menu to choose from.
I got the roasted pork. It had some fat on it that I had to strip away, but it was really delicious and really authentic.
Would I come here again? No doubt.

$ 4 Banh Mi Dac Biet was a great lunch decision. Baguette was perfectly toasted. Crisp, crunchy on the outside, lightly mayo-​ed on the inside. Not dense like most banh mi breads and there was just enough pork to complement the carrots and cilantro.
It was fulfilling and 4 bucks well spent!

THE BEST BANH MI IN SF!
The sauce is extremely flavorful, sweet with umami. Their mayo is delcious, decadent with a touch of sweetness. It pairs so well with whatever filling you choose. Their tofu banh mi is the best! The tofu is soft and has so much flavor. It’s cheap and quick. Definitely ranks number one for me!

This is the first time I went to a restaurant that was featured on the food network where the review was spot on. The Bahn Mi was the best I ever had. The one thing that stood out about their sandwich it that there is a hellaton of meat on it. Most Bahn Mi’s have so little meat you can barely taste it.
They were only $ 3.75, so I assumed they would me teeny, so i bought 2. I could barely finish 1, so I have another for later.
It was stuffed with pickled shredded carrots and onions, cilantro, some kind of awesome sauce sliced jalapeño peppers on a crusty roll.
If you are anywhere near San Francisco you must go here.
Oh yeah — only take cash.

Not sure what happened, but my banh mi (combo version) wasn’t quite as I’d remembered it to be. Yes, the bread was wonderfully crusty, and yes, there was a thin layer of pâté…
But it just didn’t taste as good as I remembered. They were pretty busy for a Saturday afternoon… perhaps that was the reason it wasn’t so awesome.
Hopefully it’ll be better next time?

After having banh mi’s literally everywhere I go, I’ve finally found a place that can satisfy me. You know when you order a sandwich and when you finally get it, all you see is the French baguette? Or you’re wondering why there’s only like a few slices of pork or chicken and IT’S JUST NOT SATISFYING? Even though it was dirt cheap so it’s kinda forgivable?
NOT THIS PLACE. I’m so happy to find this place. Was in the neighborhood this morning and wanted some Vietnamese food. This hole-​in-​the-​wall was literally a hole in the wall. I went with the combo sandwich which was the most expensive at $ 4.25 and dude, it’s so worth it. It’s worth like $ 8. Or maybe $ 10. But $ 4.25? Yes. Combo with lots of meat and carrots and radish and cilantro.
Cash only!

Nom nom for $ 3.25