Best Places for Banh Mi in Phoenix
I could swear that there was a thread on this, but I can't find it. Banh Mi are among my favorite sandwiches. Da Vang and Avina's both have great ones. Lee's Sandwiches are pretty good too. Tea Light Cafe at Scottsdale/101 are good, but pricey for banh mi.
I know you other banh mi lovers must have favorite places. Please share. :)
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Davang Coffee Shop
4538 N 19th Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85015
Pho Avina
4920 W Thunderbird Rd, Glendale, AZ 85306
Lee Sandwiches
1901 W Warner Rd Ste 1, Chandler, AZ 85224
Tea Light Cafe
7000 E Mayo Blvd # 1084, Phoenix, AZ
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ipsedixit
Jun 7, 2008 11:14 PM
Problem with Pho Avina is that they don't bake their own bread and sometimes they use very very old and stale bread, and they can also sometimes skimp on the veggies. Catch them on a good day, and the sandwiches can be pretty good.
The Dac Biet Banh Mi sandwiches at DaVang don't have enough pate, and sometimes the BBQ pork (Thit Nuong) can be charred too heavily.
Lee's is a good, it's sort of like the McDonald's of Banh Mi. Not the best, not the worst, but sort of what all other Banh Mi sandwiches should be judged against -- as in, "this is better than Lee's No. 2, or Lee's does a better Ga Banh Mi than this place does." Credit has to go where credit is deserved -- Lee's essentially introduced America to banh mi sandwiches.
Tea Light might make some of the worst banh mi sandwiches in the Valley. It's like they are trying to make the most unauthentic banh mi sandwiches one can find. Such as adding lettuce in the mix?? Or adding BBQ sauce (yes, sauce) to the Ga?? WTF?
Another place, Thao's Sandwiches, also has Banh Mi sandwiches, and sadly it is another place to be avoided.
Now, if I can only find a place with che to cleanse the palate after dusting off a banh mi and I'll be a happy 'hound.
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re: ipsedixit
I happened to discover and stop by a new-to-me place, Viet My Deli, on Dobson a couple days ago. They seemed to have a decent variety of banh mi, but I admit I wasn't there for the sandwiches (got a coffee instead). In any case, it isn't far, so I'll probably give their food a try soon.
Anybody else stopped by this place? Reports?
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Viet My Deli
502 S Dobson Rd, Mesa, AZ -
re: ipsedixit
Went to Tea Light today for the first time in ages, craving their beef banh mi.
BAH.
There's the lettuce of which you spoke, Ips., and yes, the beef has a different marinade/sauce than I remember. I'm not fond. How disappointing.
From now on if I'm in that part of town looking for lunch I'll probably just drive a few extra miles and go to Fresh Mint instead (even tho' they don't have banh mi). Tea Light, you have lost me.
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Ha, you just named all the places I've tried (well, I haven't had banh mi at Da Vang...it's so grungy I just haven't been able to talk myself into a return visit, despite favorable reviews of their sandwiches) so I'm looking forward to what other people have to say too!
The grilled pork one I had at Avina was very flavorful, but a little too bready. I haven't found a meat one I like at Lee's -- although the flavor is good, the meat is usually too fatty for my taste so I typically stick with the vegetarian version. Their bread is a little mouth-ripping at times, though. The beef banh mi at Tea Light is my favorite of the ones I've tried. Lately it's been just ok but I've had some that were spectacular. Really tasty beef, good balance of other ingredients, and good bread-to-filling ratio. Worth the $ to me.
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