Banh Mi Boys

All the hype is true. I love their fusion style sandwiches, I actually like it way better than the traditional style bahn mi. My favorite are: Kalbi taco, grilled chicken bahn mi, crispy chicken bao.
Opt for take-​out because you’ll rarely ever find seating during popular hours or weekends.

This place was very packed on a friday night, and as such i expected it to be really good. since seeing the long lineups and the hype i heard about it.
boy was a disappointed, i tried the kimchi fries with the pulled pork. and i have to say the taste was sadly not that great. and on top of it i felt it was very unclean as right afterwards i had to go to the bathroom. I can’t really recommend highly on this place as it seems creative is on their side, and the price doesn’t seem overly bad, however the taste and cleanness is what i doubt.
i would not want to try again, after having stomach problems from this restaurant.

This is one of those places that needs to be on «gotta eat here». Because you really do. The Grilled Chicken Bahn Mi is the perfect fix!
Kimchi fries can be greasy and a bit soggy, but I can see them as being a serious hangover-​day hit.

We always enjoy everything we’ve ever ordered at Banh Mi Boys. How they keep it so reasonable and fresh each and everytime is wonderful and will keep me coming back anytime I am in Toronto!
Now the It’s a Bao Time which is a take on Banh Mi Boys IMO can take note that it will never catch up. There is always a line up to place your order. Don’t be discouraged by the small premises and with just a few seats along the wall and along the order area and the few tables in the front part of the restaurant, we are always able to get a table within a few minutes of getting our food.

Why aren’t the fries crispy??? Just found that to be so strange. I liked that they were skin-​on fries but they were all so limp. That’s what the fryer is for, no?
Got the grilled pork and grilled chicken bahn mi. Grilled pork was the winner. Guess if you live around the area, you have thousand more chances to walk back in here and try everything on their menu.
The kids that were cooking on the line didn’t look to happy, nor did they speak a word to each other… Strange. Maybe they hate working there because they’re so busy all the time. The girl at the register was nice but she kept saying sandwich when I kept saying banh mi. Lol. Whatevers. Kids.
Go try it, it’s pretty yummy. Good luck finding a seat during peak hours. And watch out for kimchi breath!

Only had a little taste of this shop part of a food crawl but was so impressed! I will definitely come back here to try the rest of the menu. It’s amazing, I wanted so many things from that menu but couldn’t eat anymore.
So we ordered the kimchi fries and the five spice pork bao to share and I only wish we ordered more. The fries were great and I don’t know why some people didn’t like them! Medium cut skin-​on fries (the way it should be), with creamy mayo, pulled pork, and kimchi is a heavenly combination. It works so well together! If you don’t like kimchi you probably won’t like it though so opt for the kimchi-​less fries. I actually have never tried a bao and thought it was fantastic. The sweetness of the bao pairs extremely well with the sliced pork and the pickled vegetables provide a nice sweet, fresh crunch. I didn’t try their Bahn Mi as I was looking for a new food experience but am now looking forward to it, the question is how does it stack up to Nguyen Huong’s?
Service/​ordering was fine although I wish they had a bigger shop to seat more people. Food came out in a timely fashion with no complaints.
Until next time Bahn Mi Boys!

Delicious and cheap! Had to wait in a long line at lunch but it moved quickly and was well worth it.
The bao bun was extremely tasty. I got the chicken but I got to try a little of everything as I came with a group and it was all good. We were lucky to get a seat but we didn’t stay too long. Typical bench style seating.

Delicious food. I especially like the Bao and the Banh Mi. The fries are decent, as are the kimchi fries, but neither one really stands out for me, and I’d probably always pick a bao over a taco.
They are busy during most mealtimes, so plan accordingly.

I loved loved loved this place! The food tasted fantabulous, it was cheap and fast! My only disappointment was that there isn’t much room to sit but being so centrally located I can take this place as a quick meal joint or a togo joint!!!
I walked in on a rainy/​snowy day at around 4ish and the lines in here were long but don’t be discouraged they got their GAME right –the orders were taken fast and line moved pretty quick!
MY ORDER!
Fries with garlic mayo were a completely hit!! Thick cut piping hot fries with some garlic mayo on the side, next time I’m def asking for some extra of the sauces!
Crispy chicken bao was a delight. The chicken was tastefully battered and fried and the bao was soft and fresh and the vegetable toppings were crunchy along with the sauce.
The beef bao had an amazing caramialized onion relish on it and the meat was braised and pulled along with crunchy vegetables!
All three items were complete satisfactory and were a delight to my tastebuds!
I’m home now and am already craving their baos-​next time I’m definitely trying their bun-​mis and kimchi fries!! I have become their FAN!!!

When I first walked into the restaurant on Queen St West, I was a little skeptical about the fusion aspect… mostly because I’ve been scarred by so-​called Asian fusion in the Midwest.
It’s not straight up Vietnamese food, but it is GOOD! We got the most traditional banh mi (the grilled pork one) and the meat was delicious. The bread was also excellent — probably the best part.
We also tried the pork belly bao which was soft and flavorful. The Kimchi fries with pulled pork was a hit since we all love and crave fries — it’s the best comfort food. It was the perfect combination of savory, sour, and fatty. Mmmmmm.
Definitely worth a stop in here for a quick bite. The place fills up quickly and there aren’t too many seats so keep in mind that it’s not good for big groups! The atmosphere is casual, urban and trendy with murals on the wall and Square.

Food was delicious but overall experience was so so.
I’m in the service industry and I know it’s not fun serving people all day long especially during the afternoon rush. I’ve been here on 2 separate occasions during this time and have been turned off by the staff’s attitudes. It seems like the staff are far more interested in talking to each other and rolling eyes when you ask for them to go light on toppings on the bahn mi sandwich than just saying «OK no problem».
First visit, I don’t know the circumstances of what they may have had to deal with before I walked in. Second time is a trend and I’m not a fan.
Very unfortunate.

(Afrika Bambaataa’s «Planet Rock» begins to play)
«Party people… Party people… Can y’all get funky?»
(I take a heaping forkful of Kimchi Fries)
«Soul Sonic Force, can y’ll get funky?»
(I stand up, clear space.)
«The Zulu Nation, can y’ll get funky?»
(Take a bite of Kalbi Banh Mi)
«Yaaaaaa…Just hit me.»
[Uprock into Air Flare into Windmill… Halo, Halo, Headspin… Freeze.]
I open my eyes.
As a kid, I always dreamed of being a REAL breakdancer. A breaker. A b-​boy. I wanted to go by the name Chris «Crazy Legs» L. I practiced every day in my driveway on a sheet of linoleum and showcased my moves at school dances. Although I was never able to do a real «power move,» my aspiring b-​boy years were one of the highlights of my nightmare of an adolescence. So, when Planet Rock came on yesterday at BMB, I was immediately transported to a different time and place, only this time, I had a pile of delicious Viet-​Mexican fusion food in front of me.
Since my initial visit last winter, Banh Mi Boys has become one of my must-​gos whenever I come to Toronto. I’ve been to many of Toronto’s great restaurants, but this is the only one I would be truly sad about not visiting while here.
Everyone knows that the food here is awesome. The kimchi fries, kalbi everything, pork belly buns… all amazing. The drinks are diverse. The seating is endearingly limited.
But it’s the atmosphere that makes this place special. Sitting here eating this food, listening to this music with my hot Asian fiancée represents the life is always dreamed of as a child.
Thats why I will always come back for more.

This little shop located about a minute walk northwest of Queen and Spadina is one of my favourites for a quick fix of the Asian snacks or a full blown meal.
With a name like Banh Mi Boys, you’d expect a shop of just the Vietnamese sandwich, banh mi, but you’ll find that they offer more than just banh mi, they also have sandwiches made with Chinese steam bun, as well as tacos for more of a health-​conscious option. You’re going to need sides to go with that sandwich or tacos of yours, that’s why they have a selection of fries and salads.
While there are limited amount of seating at this shop, you’ll see that many customers stop by for a takeaway order. It’s not table service, so you order at the counter, pick up your order and freely seat yourself.
I still remember the first time I came here, I wanted their try their secret menu item, «The Club Bao». The menu lists bao options of beef cheeks, pulled pork, fried tofu, pork belly or fried chicken. The Club Bao is a bao with pork belly AND fried chicken. It was honestly the best thing ever and every visit since then, I have either ordered the Club Bao, or Club Banh Mi (only if I’m super hungry or taking it home). Yup, fried chicken and pork belly in a banh mi, it holds very well if you’re not eating it immediately. But at the end of the day, club bao wins, because you have the soft bao so you can fully experience the texture of their crispy fried chicken, and the thick and juicy pork belly.
If you’ve ordered a banh mi, bao, or taco, you have the option to select the hotness to complete your order. I always go for medium as it’s just sriracha and who doesn’t like sriracha?
Kimchi fries were also ace (which you can also have in a bao, shh, secret menu).
I have visited this place many time and haven’t once had a less than stellar visit. The music is always great, and when it’s warmer outside, they open the garage door so if you sit by it, it’s like a patio.
And word has it, that when Alton Brown was in town, this is where he went.

Was wondering around with a friend and ended up here. He said he liked the place so we went it. It was rather busy for 1:30pm. Not sure what to order the cashier suggested a few items. The special fries and sandwich. Wish I could remember the names but they were very good.
I’ve grown to like korean food and this really does it justice. It is a nice Asian Mexican fusion that gives everything a nice unique twist. the tacos look nice so I’ll have to try them next time. The fries were very good, a tad too much mayo for me but I know many others that would love that quantity. The sandwich was great once I took the cilantro off (which I don’t like).
I guess I would have liked it more if I knew what I was getting into but I was still very pleasantly surprised with what was just around the corner.

I’ve only ever had take-​out from here, and it’s solid.
The line up is always long at lunch time, so expect to wait, but the line goes surprisingly quickly.
I’ve tried a bahn mi and the kimchi fries.
Get the fries. They are great and such an interesting idea!
It seems to be a good take out place, there are people who sit there but it’s a lot of people coming and going so definitely doesn’t seem to be the type of place you’d want to ‘go out to lunch’ at, you can sit, but don’t expect a nice lunch time conversation, more a quick let’s sit and eat type of sit-​down experience. Know what I mean?
Yummy. Solid.

Give me all the kimchi fries.
I love them! So cheap and extremely cheerful.
Their menu is short and simple. I’d recommend the fried chicken baos, also very good!

It’s place like Banh Mi Boys that make me love going on vacation just so I can eat and eat some more.
I came here with my best friend on a Tuesday morning at 11:15ish. We were in the middle of our food tour of Toronto, so we were slightly full. We decided to split a 5 Spice Pork Belly Banh Mi. It was fairly cheap for a sandwich that size. You get to choose the level of spiciness. I got medium, which they just put Sriracha on it. The sandwich was a perfect size and super fresh. The flavors were AMAZING. The pork belly was a thick cut as well, my friend and I were super happy. Service was spot on, super polite and efficient. The cute guy making my sandwich was friendly and patient when we were deciding what level of spiciness we wanted.
I had a chance to go to Mean Bao as well, and it just doesn’t compare to Banh Mi Boys. I would pick this place over Mean Bao any day. I wish they had a Banh Mi Boys in Virginia. I would legit be there weekly. Next time I’m in the area, I’ll definitely be back to try one of their baos!

Delicious sandwich. The place is a minute away from my office and I really would have like to visit more often, but the line up during early afternoon lunch hour has always been discouraging. The positive thing is they move the line rather efficiently and their assembly line has done a decent job moving the order forward.
The concept is quite clever, Vietnamese banh mi with mixed Asian twisted. My personal favourites are kalbi beef and five spice pork belly, both are prepared well with delicious filling packed with flavour. The food is always hot as comparing to traditional Vietnamese banh mi and the sauce is literally dripping. It is also well seasoned and there are many variety to choose from. I’ve never tried their taco or bao but maybe I will try those in the future. The price is higher than traditional banh mi but I think it’s still affordable.

Excellent banh mi and bao. I got a grilled pork banh mi and fried chicken steamed bao. Both were full of flavor and filled me up. I could barely finish the two. The prices were reasonable although slightly higher than where I’m from (Tampa). But the quality was there and good food is worth paying a premium for.
Great ambience and energy in the place, cool music playing. Definitely a place I would go back to if I visit Toronto again.

L’institution pour les sandwichs viet à Toronto. Allez y et commandez !
Best place to go for vietnamese sandwiches in Toronto. Go there and order!