Lucy’s

This was honestly one of the more disappointing let-down’s from Unilocal.I would say Lucy’s is an OK «Western banh mi.»
I got the Pork Banh Mi– unlike it’s chicken counterpart, the amount of pork was pretty sparse. It was pork belly, which I normally love, but I didn’t in this sandwich. While the baguette was fresh, it lacked the crustiness because lack of toasting. She drenched the baguette in a sweet, teriyaki-​tasting sauce, which pretty much overpowered any other flavors and made the baguette soggy. She added red onions and cauliflower in addition to pickled carrot, cucumbers, jalapeño and cilantro.
The overly sweet sauce pretty much ruined it for me. Lucy is sweet, and I love what she is doing, so +1 star for that. She offers chicken, pork and tofu. Otherwise, the sandwich itself is disappointing.

Amazing sandwich! You can choose between pork or chicken. The meat was very well seasoned. Toppings include cilantro, green pepper, jalapeño, cucumber, carrots, pickled onion, and other pickled vegetables. Great flavor in the sauce and the veggies were very fresh. $ 6 for a huge sandwich on ½ a baguette. It is cash only. They have water and sodas for sale as well. There are tables next to Bar Marco where you can sit down and enjoy your glorious sandwich.

This s is a very good sandwich and the atmosphere, (or lack of it) makes it even better.
I thought the Italian bread that was used for the Bahn mi was a little odd but I would still go back

You must MUST try Lucy’s wonderful food.
Everything is homemade and fresh and did I say wonderful ?
OK, then delicious !

Amazing Banh Mi, for a very good price. That being said, I’m going to try the others around town and compare them

Other reviewers have covered everything; it truly is a fantastic banh mi.

What an incredible hidden gem !!! This tiny street vendor needs her own spot because damn… Her sandwiches are spectacular. Do yourself a huge favor and hunt her down for a lunch that will make your entire day… And have you craving another. If you want pork, make sure you specifically ask for it or you’ll get chicken.

Great sandwich. Meat is tender. Baguette is fresh. The pickled vegetables are perfect.

Lucy makes an absolutely delicious Banh Mi for a very reasonable price ($ 6). She sets up shop next to Bar Marco with a grill and a few coolers. I came here Saturday around 11 and got the Banh Mi with everything on it, which includes sliced pork and a bunch of julienne vegetables including carrots, jalapeño peppers (though not very hot), cucumber, and greens (including Cilantro) as well as her sweet, savory sauce.
There is a small table on the street to sit and enjoy Lucy’s masterpiece and she does have soda and water available for purchase. Even though this stand is more or less a one-​trick-​pony, it was one of the best sandwiches I’ve had in a long time, and I will definitely be back.

Banh Mi is great, get it loaded. Rice plates are available also except on Mondays. The rice plates are just as amazing as the Banh Mi.

Just ask for «One with everything» and you’ll get a delicious sandwich with pickled vegetables, chicken, jalapeños, and this unbelievable sauce that will rock your world. It’s a generous portion for $ 6 and it’s pure goodness. She’s usually there until around 1:30. sometimes 2. There are a few picnic tables nearby and one of the men that work for her will ask you 3 times if you want something to drink.
Recently she was also serving spring rolls with shrimp for $ 4 — they were really good! The hoisin sauce was great for dipping.
Highly recommended!

First trip to Lucy’s and I managed to eat two pork Banh Mi sandwiches. I thought I would immediately regret that decision but despite being full, didnt make myself sick. I arrived fairly early and I think she ran out of bread right after I ordered.
There were 3 gentlemen working for her in some capacity, and I was very confused as to what I was supposed to be doing at any point in time — but apparently if you eat there you pay after you’re done.
I look forward to trying to chicken but the pork was fatty and delicious. Perfect crisp to the pickled vegetables and I loved the fresh jalepenos and french bread. Can’t imagine having a more perfect version of this sandwich. Just make sure to not look at the grill which looks like it hadn’t been cleaned in 5 years — more flavor, right?

If you read my other reviews, you know I have high standards for sandwiches. (I blame this on having grown up in DE, which means Capriotti’s is my standard of comparison.) I’ve been on the hunt for a great sandwich in PGH for some time now, but thus far, nothing has inspired me to think, «Wow, what a stellar sandwich!» Yesterday, however, my hunt for a great sandwich in PGH finally came to an end when I discovered Lucy’s.
For those of you unfamiliar with Lucy’s, it is a humble stand set up next to Bar Marco. The stand is run by its owner, Lucy, an elderly Vietnamese woman, along with one or two helpers (a younger woman and a man when I stopped by). From what I’ve heard, Lucy maintains limited hours, and is only available during the warmer months (roughly May-​Oct.). Also, she accepts only cash as payment. Despite all of these caveats, Lucy produces some of the most flavorful sandwiches your taste buds will have the privilege of meeting in PGH or anywhere else.
Lucy’s sandwiches are banh mi, a Vietnamese sandwich consisting of roasted pork and chicken, pickled carrots and cauliflower, and jalapenos, dressed with sriracha and hoisin sauces and topped with cilantro. If you’re intimidated by all of the ingredients, don’t be. Together, they cover the entire spectrum of taste sensations – savory, sweet, and spicy, with slight hints of salt and bitterness – along with the entire spectrum of textures – tender, chewy, crunchy, etc. All of these flavors and textures combine superbly, creating an explosion of taste like you’ve never experienced on a sandwich before.
Given that the sandwich I received from Lucy’s was my first banh mi, I readily admit that I don’t have a standard of comparison. However, my 5 star rating is based on my comparison of this sandwich against all of the other sandwiches I’ve tried in PGH, which don’t even come close to the perfection of this culinary work of art on a roll. If you’ve never tried a banh mi before, Lucy’s is an excellent place to have your maiden experience with one. If you have, I dare you to compare other banh mi you’ve had elsewhere to Lucy’s version – I’m pretty sure the odds are stacked in her favor (get it – stacked?!?).
For $ 1 more than a $ 5 footlong at Subway, Lucy’s will provide with you with a sandwich of the same length that’s a gazillion (that’s a scientific term, in case you’re wondering…) times better. For those of you who are budget conscious (as I am), this sandwich is a steal by PGH standards (the citywide average for a sandwich at present is $ 7.50). So, stop by Lucy’s stand ASAP and upgrade from ubiquitous sandwich mediocrity to local sandwich bliss – just be sure to bring cash!

My wife, who is a Vietnamese citizen from Hanoi and I have been living in NYC for the past two years having Banh Mi that ranges from decent to blah. We were driving through Pittsburgh on our cross-​USA tour and decided to try Lucy’s banh mi and boy were we happy we did!
This is the best banh mi either of us have had outside Vietnam. The herbs were fresh and flavorful and the meat was amazing. We had both the chicken and the pork and they were equally satisfying.
If you want real banh mi this is the place to go in Pittsburgh!

Lucy’s is back for the summer season!
What else could you ask for in a bahn mi?
Super tender juicy BBQ chicken, and good pickled toppings! O and yes the sauce she drizzles on is the perfect savory and sweet. I can’t believe such a gem exists in the Burgh!

Lucy’s is really good. It’s what you want from a street vendor banh mi — the meat in the sandwich is SUPER juicy, it’s marinated in this sweet sauce that soaks into the bread and makes everything taste wonderful. The pickled veggies complement the sweetness of the meat, and the slice of jalapeño gives it the kick it needs to bring it all together. Beware though — it’s pretty spicy (or at least I got a pretty spicy one)! I can’t wait ’till she’s out for business again!

Up until rather recently I was not even aware of Lucy’s Vietnamese sandwich stand. That was until I saw Andrew Zimmern and his crew from Bizarre Foods America, aired on the Travel Channel, visited Pittsburgh. I was of course excited to see the cities culinary offerings represented, and remember talking all through the hour long episode like I was standing next to Andrew helping to explain what he was taking in. However, when he got to Lucy’s Sandwich shop, in the Strip, I was like «hold the phone, where is this? And I want one.»
Years of working in the Strip and I have never seen this food cart, why? Well as it seems, Lucy may hold varying hours, as noted in reviews, and is only open during certain months? Well whatever the reason was I am bummed that all those years I never tried one of her Bánh mì sandwiches. That is until recently when I asked the Hubs if he would pick me one up this past week for lunch. I had to go over with him, based on the helpful Unilocal reviews, where she may be located and approximately how much it would be, and when would be the best time to go. So he called yesterday afternoon with the exciting news that he was on his way to my work to deliver the Bánh mì… I was instantly excited!
Enough of the backdrop and on to the main star. Once I unfoiled the Bánh mì I cut it in half and began to dig in. Oh my how do I explain this sandwich. The crisp pieces of pork mixed with some chicken along with the thin spicy sauce, topped with the pickled daikon radishes and carrots, matched with the super fresh thin slices of jalapeño and cucumber, topped with one of my all-​time favorite herbs, cilantro, just to balance all the flavors and smells of this little piece of heaven. Truly this is a sandwich made for the Gods. Superior. I loved every bit and seriously wished I had another one on wait for dinner.
I did ask my H what he said when he ordered it just to get a fill of the atmosphere. He explained that she didn’t have a menu, he asked what she had. He told me she said Bánh mì but he didn’t know what that meant (other than it being a sandwich) and he said I’ll take that with everything and make it hot… Can’t wait to get another!

So happy I finally got to try one of Lucy’s Bahn Mi sandwiches. By the time I found out about them last fall (both from Sebak and then from Sebak on Bizarre Foods America), Lucy had long packed up shop and headed across the pond.
It took one tweet from Bar Marco to get my attention that she’s back in town (she now apparently utilizes Bar Marco’s kitchen for prep — convenient considering she still sets up shop in their parking lot!). Walking up to her grille, the aroma of the marinade became intoxicating. Assuming (don’t know if I was right or wrong) that there really was only one option to order (Bahn Mi sandwich), I asked for two sandwiches and was pumped to find out they were only $ 6 a piece… definitely a steal!
After a bit of a cluster getting the sandwiches together (Lucy and I’m assuming her daughter kept jockeying between assembling the same sandwich and talking on a cell phone), I finally got my brown paper bag filled with two hearty Vietnamese hoagies.
Now… I preface this next part in that I had high expectations for this sandwich (given all the attention it seems to get). Ever since having an absolutely addictive pork belly Bahn Mi in NYC, I’ve been on a war quest to find something similar to that salty, sweet and sour combo. While I can say that Lucy’s sandwich definitely satisfied my craving, it just simply didn’t compare to what I’ve experienced in the past nor did I feel it necessarily stood up to the hype (maybe I just let myself down). Don’t get me wrong, this is a damn good sandwich at a fantastic price and I plan on getting many more in the future. But, when you realize that Gaucho is just down the street… you really start to question where you should be spending your time.

I don’t know how many Bahn Mi places are in Pittsburgh… in NYC they are a dime a dozen. If this is the only Bahn Mi you’ve ever had then I get the rave reviews… I’ve simply experienced better. There is nothing wrong with this Bahn Mi it’s good… but it’s nothing great… pretty standard. The sauce she uses is very sweet, even the jalapeño and sriracha couldn’t cut through this sweetness. Lucy and the man assisting her were very friendly.

The best banh mi ever!