HD Deli

I’ve been here twice since the re-​opening and I’ve been very impressed. Having moved to this area after being walking distance from Foster Burger and An Xuyen Bakery, we were very sad to be losing a quick and accessible banh mi and pork bun hookup.
To be perfectly honest I wasn’t expecting much when I came in the first time since the menu was pretty simple during the grand opening. I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed their Bbq pork sandwich. They don’t skimp on the cilantro and jalapeño which goes a long way in my book. The people are really friendly and on my second visit I saw that they’d greatly expanded their menu to include steam buns, phở, salad rolls, pot stickers, and other stir fry dishes.
I’m absolutely pumped to come back and try the phở and potstickers. If this place can make phở as good as their sandwiches I will weep with joy. There are a lot of hit and miss restaurants out here, and this place is a welcome change from that trend. Hooray!

I saw the first review and had to act as a counter weight, because giving them 1-​star is not accurate, and business in a corner is already hard enough. Plus, reviews like that aren’t really fair, and when we don’t have many options in the neighborhood to begin with, we need to support them.
First of all, this is a typical Vietnamese sandwich, like in Vietnam. It’s good, but also basic. It’s not a Portland hipster joint that over charges and under delivers.
Second, it’s less than $ 5 in Sellwood, so don’t expect a huge portion. Like I said, it’s like what is made in parts of Vietnam. The meat isn’t always lean, so don’t be surprised if there is some fat on the meat. Fat is good in Vietnam.
It might be better for their business if they offer an American version with less fat and extra meat. You can always ask.
If you’re expecting double Dragon and double Dragon prices, go to double Dragon. If you want cheap, over sized good that tastes weird, go to Saburo’s. But If you want pretty much the same type of sandwich you’ll get on 82^nd for a couple bucks more but don’t want to drive to 82^nd, this is a good option.
They also have bubble tea, Vietnamese coffee, a banana coffee version and a few other things.
Also, unlike some other «Vietnamese» places in town, which I also eat at, this one is actually owned and run by Vietnamese people.
It’s not luxurious inside but fine and clean. Most people get their sandwich to go. Give it a try.

This place is bad, really, really bad.
I was looking forward to a decent banh mi option in the neighborhood, but unfortunately HD Deli is not that place. I ordered a lemongrass chicken banh mi with no mayo, which the gentleman taking my order repeated. However when I got home, the sandwich was loaded with mayo. I also ordered an almond bubble tea, and was shocked to find the tapioca pearls completely disintegrated, as in no chewiness what so ever. I couldn’t take another sip of the mushy bubbles. Finally I also ordered vermicelli with pork and shrimp, the portion was so small, but as it turned out, that didn’t matter because the shrimp was dry and mealy. It seemed like the proteins had all been microwaved, and who knows when it was originally cooked. My dining partner actually spit out the shrimp, and he eats anything.
I really hate writing reviews like this, but I could not find one decent item served by HD Deli. The prices were a bit high, but that was the least of their problems with bad tasting food of questionable quality and preparation.