Huong Lan Sandwiches

Another nail in the coffin for this location. Seems like the market for Vietnamese restaurants is a vicious one.
Farewell to the awkward service from the cashiers.
Farewell computer voice who called my number even when I was the only patron. Farewell to the lower floor dining area which I never gathered enough courage to explore.
I do not miss their starchy iced coffee though!

I came here twice (once?)
The first time i only got a smoothie which wasn’t too good. Something in it made me cough/​choke constantly as i sipped on it. The phở my friends had seemed good though.
They offer fresh and regular noodles. The regular are what you’re used to in phở. Fresh noodles are the wide rice noodles.
The second time i went,
«I just want to let you know that we ran out of phở for the night… Sorry!»
UM WHAT? On a monday night around 8, so a group of 5 went on over to phở king 4, not really a top choice for me.
I’m sure I’ll end up coming here again, but i may possibly never end up eating their phở.
I’ll let you know.

it’s okay… but I have had better Banh Mi’s. There isn’t much to say other than I would get me banh mi fix somewhere else. The bread doesn’t taste fresh and it is a bit overpriced. I think the food truck on campus serves a better banh mi.

I have eaten Phở a few times here. It is very clean tasting and slightly different than Phở king 4. But overall, it is good.
I like their simple menu and their different options for Phở and sandwiches.
Very nice service and the drinks there are pretty delicious.
The best drink on their menu is the «Dylan’s Mix» It has all these yummy exotic fruits like coconut pulp, lychee, and a few I cannot even name!
Super fresh, cold, sweet, and delicious. Highly recommend. :D

I’m a fan. Been to their San Jose locations and it seems like the quality is on par, so if you’ve been there and know what’s up, stop reading and just go!
As a kid who grew up with good less than $ 2 banh mi, it’s kinda hard to pay more than double that, but I get around it by going double meat. This makes it a much more filling meal and only adds a dollar to the total price… think of it as a much tastier Subway 5 dollar foot-​long. I think most people get the number 7 (grilled pork), and it’s good, I also like the number 5 (bbq pork)
The employees are pretty nice here, I’ve never gotten attitude and they’re always really helpful if I need something.
Never had their phở or the bun (my fave!) but it’s on the list.
Oh, and get the taro with boba/​pearl! You will not be disappointed! They use real taro and not the powder stuff so it’s super thick and yummyyyy. You can get away without the pearls but they’re pretty good here so I’d recommend it. Only downside is they don’t do the sealed lids thing so if you’re on a bike you might have problems.

Very tasty… by Davis standards. Banh Mi are a bit overpriced at $ 4.25, but the quality is quite good. Be sure to ask them to toast the bread though as they managed to forget to do so on one of my sandwiches from an initial visit.
Phở is good with an unexpected number of options including chicken or beef broth and fresh or regular noodles. Go with the latter if you want the standard noodles. Broth itself is on the lighter side and I did appreciate the fresh beef.
Spacious interior and decent service. Easily the best one can get for VIetnamese in the town.

I really like this place!
I am addicted to their ham and pâté sandwich. I’ve also tried their phở which is unique because you can choose between two types of noodles, AND pick out things to put in your phở at no extra cost like most places. It’s just one price.
The people are very friendly, service is good, and the place has a clean and welcoming atmosphere. The reason I am giving it four stars instead of five is because of it’s downtown location, which could be convenient if your walking, but could be a huge hassle if you drive (which may just be my fault).
There’s been a few times I’ve been craving sandwiches and drive there, circling around but there is absolutely no street parking, and I didn’t want to pay for parking just to get a sandwich. Other than that, this place is great!

As soon as I discovered this place I came back for three days straight. Why?
–The price
–The menu
–service
All the times I’ve gone I’ve tried the sandwiches, and I’m addicted to the chicken teriyaki sandwich. It’s simple with a strip of lettuce, tomato, and onions with a generous amount of chicken teriyaki. I would say the sandwiches are almost equivalent to a ⁵⁄₆ inch sub and THE PRICE is the best part!!! My sandwich cost less than 5 $ WHATTT? Yes it’s true, and I was stuffed until dinner.
The cashiers also have always been very helpful when deciding too. Welcoming, talkative, and have good suggestions!
The only reason I can’t give 5 is because I don’t feel like the place is anything crazy special, like nothing really stands out about it. BUT, I do suggest everyone to give it a try! It’s delicious. They even have the boba drinks (and a wide variety).
I feel like once this places gets known it’ll have high traffic like Thai Canteen. I hope so at least!
Overall, will be returning with friends!

YOU’RE GETTING A FOUR STAR FROM NOW BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN VERY SATISFIED WITH YOU.
I’ve never updated my reviews before but I think this place deserves an updated, higher review. The last two times I came here, the bread was a bit softer but I usually expect hard bread so I did not care much about that. However, they added so much butter and pâté for my sandwiches unlike my first coupe times here! I was so happpppppy. They also have more vietnamese snacks available at the cash register now so that’s nice.
I am much happier with the Huong Lan in Davis now because my critique from before have been fixed. ^_​_​_​_​_​_​^

This place opened somewhat recently.
When you walk inside it’s surprisingly open. Perhaps too open? The ratio of tables to open space is somewhat daunting and strange. Weird, I know, but you’d have to go there to understand.
Anyway, went here to get Vietnamese sandwiches with my sisters. I saw photos of phở on the windows before we walked in that looked appealing, but settled for a sandwich since I was originally in the mood for a burger.
I was surprised with the prices. They were definitely more than I was used to paying, a couple dollars more, in fact. Not a very large selection of foods. They all seem to be a little more expensive than what you might find elsewhere in Davis.
I decided to get a number 7: Grilled Pork Sandwich for about $ 5.
The wait wasn’t long, but there was no one else in the place except my sisters and me. They were pretty dead. Most all the workers I saw were standing around waiting for something to do, three of them were sat at tables watching tv when we walked in.
Anyway. To the sandwich. It was alright. Not what I expected for $ 5, but it was alright. The bread was a little too hard for my liking, but the meat was thick and the veggies were flavorful and bright.
I might tell someone about this place, but I certainly wouldn’t insist upon them visiting. I’d consider cheaper sandwiches elsewhere before visiting again.

Sandwiches: As good or better than the one in S. Sac off Stockton and 65^th. More filling and meat. I think that makes up for the extra $ 1 in cost that everyone is so bitterly complaining about. Don’t forget, retail rental space is probably 25% — 30% higher than in S. Sac as well. We had #‘s 1 (combo) and 7 (Thit Nuong).
Phở: Very Good. Really like the «Build your own» menu option. Just like Phở Lucky when they were around. Have the added bonus of choosing fresh or regular rice noodles. Tried the fresh and they were great. Only complaint is the broth was a bit heavy on the star anise and could have been a bit hotter but that’s just my preference with Phở or any soup for that matter.
Goi Cuon (soft salad rolls): Trully the best I’ve had… and I’ve had them all over N. America. Very fresh wrapper and ingredients. Lot’s of shrimp and pork.
I’m givinig it a 5 start rating because:
— Live in Davis and it blow’s away all other Viet options there (Hoa Bac,
— Saves $ 4 in gas and 30 minutes drive time over going to S. Sac when I need a Viet fix… especially on the weekend.
— Very clean (hope that part lasts)
— Great food, overall tied with S. Sac Huong Lan
— Friendly service (not overly skilled but friendly)
— Can’t rate 4.5 on Unilocal
If you went on Grand Opening day, and rated it on Unilocal lower than a 3, then you should try it again and change your rating accordingly.
Mai-​Anh N., you were there the day before my first visit (3÷13÷13)? If that’s the case, seems odd that it could have been soooo different over night. Our sandwiches were better than expected. Try it again and if your meat is icey and bread soggy, go back to the counter and complain to someone that is in charge. They would want to see/​hear that and replace the cook that allowed it to happen.
Happy Eating!!!

Everyone is all worked up about the PRICE. It is not that bad considering they have to meet a certain pricing for certain city. So just deal with it.
On the other hand, I am super disappointed in the quality that they put into the BBQ Pork sandwich.
— Banh Mi (bread) was not crunchy but rather soggy.
— Super stingy on the pickles .
— My meat was still ICEY as if they did not microwave it long enough.
— I got a stomach ach after eating this sandwich as well.

Im familiar with the one in San Jose and one of the ones in Sacramento. I have friends who live in a place that has basically zero access to Vietnamese food so I got a dozen of the old school head cheese/​pâté sandwiches for them. Talk about overjoyed. You can call in ahead of time and they’ll have the stuff for you right quick. Nice new décor and it’s unlike the old run down Banh Mi places you typically run into.

I’m so excited about this place that I am writing a review only ½ an hour after consuming my lovely sandwich. I’ve never been to another HL, BUT, being from SF, I must say that I am no stranger to a good Vietnamese sandwich. With that being said, HL is comparable to some of the best places in SF (Saigon Sandwiches, anyone?).
I ordered the #7 (grilled pork sandwich). The bread was fresh, warm, and crunchy — perfectly done; the meat was juicy and tender; the peanuts were a nice surprise; it contained the perfect amount of cilantro, radish, carrots, and jalapenos; and the delish sauce was a nice finishing touch. I can’t wait to try their other menu items on another day!
And, it took me so long to try this place because all the reviews were basically saying: expensive sandwiches for mediocre/​bad quality food. But, I must attest to the contrary. For a little under $ 5, I got one of the best Vietnamese sandwiches I’ve ever had. PLUS, have you guys tried Sunrise’s sandwiches? Yeah, it’s $ 3, but you get like 3 pieces of meat and it tastes like you’re eating cardboard. Perhaps HL has read it’s reviews and decided to step their game up because I really think this place ought to have at least four stars, no? [OH, and the girls that work there are really sweet]
Anyway, I am totally a fan and would love to see HL become a staple in Davis. Especially since, as my boyfriend put its, they have a legit Vietnamese name, and nothing as controversial as «Phở King» *giggles*.

I saw this place while I was heading to the farmer’s market and wasn’t sure if my eyes were playing tricks on me! So on my way home, I stopped by and bought the #1 sandwich with ham, headcheese, and pâté (mmm pâté…) and the grilled shrimp/​pork rice plate as well as a thai tea. The prices are rather high, but considering how this is Davis, I’m fine with paying a bit more than I’m used to in order to satisfy my cravings.
The flavor of the sandwich was pretty good, but the bread was like others said — not fresh. It was dry, so I was a bit disappointed with that since I really like when the insides are soft and chewy. :(
The rice plate was decent, although I’m not used to getting such a small amount for $ 8 — but again, because it’s Davis, I’ll let it slide. The meat was flavored well, the rice wasn’t dry, the veggies were fresh.
The people working there were super sweet and efficient, though!
Overall, I’ll definitely visit again when the cravings hit! It’s not the same as food in SoCal, but it’ll do. ;)

I came here on their Grand Opening (1÷31÷13) and my first impression was that this place is huge; there aren’t that many tables/​chairs but I think they are still in the process of adding more. They didn’t have a menu up on their wall either so hope they will have that up soon.
I decided to try their sandwiches ($ 4.25 for their regular ones and $ 4.75 for their specials). Very expensive I thought especially compared to other Vietnamese sandwich places which are around $ 3.00 max. When I got my sandwich, I became more disappointed. My boyfriend ordered #1 Ham, Headcheese, and Pâté and I ordered #2 Steam Pork. Both our sandwiches did not have enough meat neither did it have enough veggies. Though the bread they used was fresh, unfortunately I wasn’t full at all.
I hope their prices drop and/​or they add more meat/​veggies in their sandwiches. I plan on coming back to try their sandwiches again and their rice plates.
Recommendations: add more meat and veggies (or lower the price) and have the veggies in a ziplock bag so it gives you the option of adding as much as you want
Overall, I can’t say that the sandwiches are horrible but they alright. Good thing that day was that they were giving out complimentary soft drinks for the whole day and they were also giving out free and unlimited pork (basically got full off the unlimited pork).
Workers there are nice and the service was quick and the location of this place is definitely convenient because it’s downtown.

I’ve never paid more than $ 5 for a bahn mi before. My vegetarian sandwich was $ 4.75; plus tax and tip, my total came out to $ 6.17. The taste was pretty good, but I don’t think it’s worth the extra money. Sunrise and Fluffy Donuts can probably sleep well tonight.
The space is really big, but it could probably be better utilized. Just looks empty right now. Maybe I’ll be back in a few weeks to see if they’ve shaken off the opening week funk.

This is not up to par with the Huong Lan in Sacramento.
I don’t think they even toasted it before putting all the ingredients in! It definitely has a different distinct taste than the Sacramento one.
Really disappoint =\!!! You can do better than this Davis! COME ON!!!

2 Star rating even though it is their Grand Opening.
Prices are $ 4.25+ for sandwiches, which is a little bit much for wanting to pay for a Banh Mi. The sandwiches still need a bit more work — it seemed to be lacking when compared to the other HL shops. This may be due to the lack of experience on the staff, they should probably bring over the old lady’s who know how to make the sandwiches at the south sac location.
The bread wasn’t super fresh for me, they may not be baking them in Davis but instead shipping from the south sac location, but none the less it was not detrimental to the overall taste.
For a Chain Shop, the quality of the Davis location is not up to Par.
The shop is quite large and there is a lot of tables/​seating. There are some stairs leading up and down, but I have yet to know where it goes.
Hugely disappointed in the prices and the quality.

Just tried this today on opening day, and I have to say that I am not impressed.
Sandwiches are $ 4.25 for basic ones and $ 4.75 for the specials. This is way more than a Vietnamese sandwich should cost. On top of that, the sandwiches here, I feel, are not up to par compared to sandwiches made at other chain locations, mainly ones from the Bay Area. I wish they gave more meat and veggies. I honestly can’t say that the sandwiches are bad — they’re okay, but just lacking. For that price, I expected more.
The location is nice and the store is pretty big. The workers are nice and service is really fast. There’s also free roasted pork on the counter where you pick up your food, but I’m not sure whether or not that’s an opening day special only.
I might give them another chance just because it’s only their first day, but I’m quite on the fence since that price is almost a deal-​breaker. I also might want to try their rice plates and appetizers.