Baguette Express

Flavor-​wise, I think they’re better than the Lee’s across the street, and although I’ve frequented the joint, I don’t rank them that high. Their Banh Mi is delicious, but I feel like they under-​stuff the middle. Give me more meat! It’s lacking sometimes. The cured pork sandwich is probably my favorite, but again, it needs a little more. I probably go there more for their fresh spring rolls and Vietnamese iced coffee.

3.5, rounded down.
Up until about a week and a half ago, the FiDi was my hood. I worked amongst the skyscrapers, the 9−5-ers, the banks for two and a half years. I really enjoyed the working girl life. Oh, and I brought my lunch to work practically every single day because while I loved everything else, I certainly did not love paying $ 10+ for a salad or any other typical FiDi lunch.
Well, as of this past week, my new 9 – 5 hood is now the Tenderloin. Truth be told, I don’t love this new transition and would much rather still be in the FiDi, even if they charge make-​me-​cry prices for mediocre lunch deals. I’d say the only good thing about this neighborhood change is the food options. All of a sudden, $ 3 meals seem to be the norm, rather than the rare exception.
And Baguette Express is one of those $ 3 lunch places. I came here for lunch this past week, and when I got my sandwich, all of a sudden I realized that I had eaten here before. Bad sign #1: Apparently, this place is quite forgettable. I ordered the special combination sandwich (my go-​to item at banh mi places) which has pâté, head cheese, and some other random mystery meat. The meats were quite good, but the bread was not awesome. Dry dry drrrrrrrrry. And too flaky. I remember thinking the same thing the last time I came here too. For me, the bread MAKES the sammich, and when it’s not awesome, then the sammich is not all that either.
Since there’s so many other banh mi places in the hood, I probably won’t be back for a while. This place is decent enough, and it’s certainly very cheap ($ 3/​sammich, and I think the most «expensive» one is like $ 3.75), but the bread, IMHO, is kinda meh.
Even though this place didn’t change my current distaste for my new neighborhood (and exciting new life, wamp wamp waaamp), I’m hoping that one of the other million sammich places here will do the trick.

Unlike the Americanized Lee’s Sandwiches. this spot accepts cash only. The pictures that act as their menu (which it is) was a bit deceiving because of the lettuce and tomatoes. I asked the lady that a Vietnamese sandwich should not come w/​that ever but it was made for the viewing pleasure for non-​Viets. an option, if you will.
I ordered their banh mi pâté gio and banh mi thit nuong. a bit disappointing because I asked for xiu mai and not thit nuong and the pâté added an additional $.50 to that order. it’s not the $$, it’s that pâté is supposed to come w/​it!
The bread was toasted freshly so I give it that. it was good but nothing that sets them apart from other banh mi places. the service was good though except for the wrong order part.

CASH ONLY! Went to Baguette Express because I read good things & cheaper than eating at the Asian Art Museum. It’s in the Tenderloin, on Larkin, up the street from Eddy. Across from Turtle Tower & Phở 2000.
I got #1 Special Combination $ 3.5 — most expensive sandwich they got. It had bbq pork, fish cake, pickled veggies, cucumbers. I like that they toast the bread, everything else tasted pretty average, sandwich Dry!
Also, got an Iced Coffee $ 2 — it’s a small cup. Tasted fine.
They have Fresh Sugarcane Juice $ 3.25 — someone ordered it & it was squeezed by a machine. looked pretty good, maybe I’ll try it one day.
I think it’s CASH ONLY. My total was $ 5.50.
5 small tables in the small shop, 1 outside.

This place makes cheap Vietnamese Banh Mi sandwiches. The sandwiches cost three dollars and up. The décor of the place is better than Lee’s sandwiches. Their customer service is more friendly and more knowledgeable. I usually order the meatball sandwich (spicy).
The meatball sandwich comes on a baguette that is well toasted. The vividly red colored meatballs, which consisted of grounded cook meat mixed in with Red Dye number 6 is good. The toppings of the sandwich is fresh. I like that fact, that they cut the sandwich in half without having me to tell them to do it, unlike Lee’s sandwiches. Overall, this place is OK.
It is not the cheapest sandwiches in the area. It is also not the best sandwiches. However, it is a good small business alternative to the mega chain Lee’s sandwiches. In addition, the curry chicken and beef stew is good, though it takes a little while for them to make it. I would definitely recommend this place if the line for Saigon Sandwich is too long.

Sometimes you don’t appreciate all the nuances that go into a good Saigon Sandwich until you go elsewhere. In particular, the quality of the bread really stands out when you go to here, and it’s much more doughy and takes away form it all.
I also have no problem with closed kitchens, but when a sandwich shop is intentionally set up to hide the sandwich making, I begin to get worried…
Solid VN iced coffee

Larkin street has a swarm of Vietnamese sandwich shops and I’d concluded this was the last one I had yet to try. I knew nothing about Baguette Express but then hurray, I saw the shining «People love us on Unilocal» cling and I started thinking happy thoughts.
The pro I’ll toss out there is the bread. Damn good bread, and they toast it which is rare. And the other positive was… ahhh… there was theeee… hmmmm… I got nuthin.
My Bi Chay (vegetarian) was so salty I almost didn’t finish it, my eyes kept wandering to the trash, wanting to just be done with it. I NEVER let food go to waste even when I’m about to explode, guilt trips from those starving children infomercials, plus I got this sandwich the day after a two day all fresh fruit/​veg cleanse. In other words I was starving for something filling like a sandwich and I STILL almost didn’t finish it. That rough folks.
It was like they went up the block and purchased some of the shredded tofu/​noodle/​carrot mix from Lee’s, dried it out to make it almost powdery, and then salted the living christ out of it. Seriously. It could have been better if he had listened to me when I said «LOTS of cilantro» instead of giving me below-​average at best.
The menu had me irked as well. The photo of the Bi Chay shows the tofu/​noodle mix on a bed of lettuce and tomato, also out of the ordinary. So I say «The Bi Chay has lettuce and tomato ey? Good stuff!»
«No, no it doesn’t.»
Then why the hell is it in the picture? Or what about the «All sandwiches have lettuce and cucumber» mention on the menu? I understand that food often looks prettier during it’s photo shoot but it’s kinda fucked to actually take pictures of it with added ingredients that aren’t on the thing.
I will not be back. If I’m in the hood early I’ll go Saigon Sandwiches, later at night Lee’s. I have no time for salty ass sandwiches regardless of how good the bread is.

Eating here reminded me of eating in the shacks in Hong Kong. The lady running the joint is nice and seemed like a seasoned veteran at pumping out these Viet subs.
Very small, hole-​in-​the-​wall type place that you would barely notice. Not exactly the most sanitary and pleasant environment but you get great tasting food for an absurdly low price. $ 3 for a freshly made Vietnamese sandwich certainly gets the job done. Roast pork sandwich is the way to go.

It’s late at night and I’m standing in front of the fridge gripping the cold metallic handle. Having felt the all too familiar hunger pains, it had beckoned me to step away from the TV and zombie over. As I pull it open, a burst of cold air hits me in the face and the beaming light turns on to reveal… condiments and beer. I let out a short exhale and start sifting through all the drawers convinced that I might find a magical stash of food somewhere. Suddenly I come across a ziploc bag of chicken. I’m saved! But wait… I don’t remember cooking chicken this week. I hold up my trusty fingers and start counting off the days. Then I hold up the chicken, poke it, examine it, give it a pep talk. I start having wild thoughts — like maybe if I microwave it extra long it’ll be okay.
This is what I call marginal chicken. It’s been around so long you’ve started calling it George. And only the truly desperate would consume something with a name. Unfortunately, I was served this chicken at Baguette Express last week. I ordered a BBQ chicken and BBQ pork Vietnamese sandwich (banh mi). The pork was decent but the chicken was… questionable, even the sauce couldn’t hide the marginal-​ness. I’m now very suspicious of what happens behind that strangely tall counter. Most banh mi places let you see the area where the food is prepped, Baguette Express does not.
It doesn’t help that a coworker tells me she went the day after and saw a roach. Then she looked around for a health score posting but couldn’t find one. I can’t vouch for what she’s saying since I wasn’t there but thinking about that chicken in my mouth is enough to keep me away.

I like to pretend that if I can’t see something, that means it doesn’t exist. Ghosts, for example. Or roaches at a banh mi shop.
I came here today because I was too lazy to walk across the street to Lee’s. I had been here before & I liked their sandwiches. But this time was different. I ordered my sammie & as I was waiting, I saw a roach running down the wall. OK, don’t freak out, it could be a fluke. So I looked at everything more closely & saw more roach evidence. Ug, now I was starting to feel queasy. I debated whether to cancel my order & walk out, but this is a family run business & I just couldn’t do it. I paid my 3 bucks & then went across to Lee’s.
The more I thought about it I knew in my heart that all my beloved banh mi shops in the TL must all have roach problems. I just have to wait a while until I can pretend they don’t exist again.

I stopped here for lunch with a group of 6. We were originally looking for Saigon Sandwiches, but took a wrong turn on our walk and saw Baguette Express first. We heard that there was no seating at SS, so we decided to settle for BE.
I ordered the grilled pork and I was thinking it’d be that juicy lemongrass porkchop sliced up that I dream of. Instead, they were strips of pork that seemed more like they were sauteed in a pepper sauce. It lacked that grilled taste and was way too peppery. I got the bread toasted and the bread was definitely an A+. I also give the pickled veggies an A. But the meat filling was disappointing. Maybe I just got the wrong sandwich? I tried my friend’s shredded chicken sandwich and it was dry. :(
The price can’t be beat — $ 3! The neighborhood is not good — definitely make sure you go with a pal!

I couldn’t go to Saigon Sandwiches for the first time without comparing it to Baguette Express. I grew up in San Jose and know what Lee’s across the street tastes like since it’s got that mass-​produced taste nowadays. I’m being overly critical with my bánh mì right now having just come from Vietnam, so neither of the sandwich shops excited me too much.
Baguette Express’ ham and pâté sandwich did have headcheese, but was skimpy on the meat with one slice each (there was way too much pickled carrots, daikon too). But reasons I may go to Baguette Express over SS the next time I’m in the area: they use actual baguettes; they have more fillings like shredded chicken and pork, fried fish, and ba roi (Vietnamese bacon); they had a few other dishes like chicken curry and bò kho (beef stew); they don’t have the long line SS can have.

I’m always a fan of supporting the little mom and pop stands so we decided to give this place a try after a lovely walk around the neighborhood. It’s in the alley of all the small Vietnamese shops and if you took a couple weeks to try each one, you’d pretty much be up to your eyeballs in carrots, jalapenos, and cilantro.
This particular store does a great job luring you in with it’s amazing photos. It answers any questions you have without having to even walk in the store. It’s true what they say about eating with your eyes because looking at the sandwich board outside, my eyes told my stomach it was time for lunch.
The interior of the café is wonderfully quaint and clean. There is a daily newspaper on their bar stool area and they keep Ms. Vickies chips and a selection of candy bars which is very much unlike any Vietnamese sandwich shop I’ve ever seen. It’s bright, organized and has over 20 different drink selections! 20! And they have sugar cane juice! I’m so excited.
I giggle about the fact that the juices cost more than the sandwiches themselves. For a small sandwich, it costs about $ 3 for most of the varieties. I felt that it was a reasonable price. The sandwiches are far smaller than the ones at Saigon Sandwiches and less imaginative than the ones at Lee’s but it definitely is such a cute little mom and pop shop, I can’t help but be drawn to it.
The nice lady that works the counter will toast your bread, come to your table to serve the sandwiches and clean up the entire area. I was lucky enough to peek behind her wall to see how she made her specialties and I’m impressed by how clean her meat slicer and sandwich area is.
My only gripe is that the toppings in the sandwiches seem a bit meager, compared to other sandwich shops. There is no sauce on these sandwiches and without some condiments or more vegetables, the meat seems to taste a little dry. I was also disappointed there was no hot sauce available like the shops on Irving but I’m still keeping this place in my rotation of shops.

Lee’s deli is all good but lets support the little guy. Their Dac Biet (#1) is great. Warm filling, just enough pickled veggies, crunchy but not hard bread, and just a bit spicy.
For the days im not lazy and can jump on my bike to get to the TL and grub. I like Lees too. But these guys are tasty too.

Prices went up ($ 3-​$ 3.50):
The #1 — combination is now $ 3.50, the #13 — fish cake is $ 3.25, and everything else is $ 3. They continue to use their own bread which looks larger but it’s mostly air because it compresses easily when u bite into it, as well as a bit dry (lots of crumbs). At least they’re consistent, on the other hand the bread at Saigon Sandwiches is not as consistent (sometimes it’s too hard).

4.75 Stars
Wow, just wow. Before I explain why the «Wow». Let me tell you how I heard about Baguette Express. I was watching TV one day and saw CBS 5’s Eye on the Bay feature Baguette Express and I have been wanting to try it for awhile now. Months pass by and I forget about the place. Kron 4’s Bay Area Backroads airs 2 weeks ago and then the show features Baguette Express and I was reminded that I should try this place out.
So I made the trek to Little Saigon SF which is pretty scary most of the time with really sketchy people on every corner. So it was about 5:59pm and my friend and I just finished eating at Turtle Tower and noticed Baguette Express. We were still hungry after eating at Turtle Tower, (small portions) and trekked over. The cashier at Baguette Express said they were closing but she will take our orders and make our sandwiches. But she was so nice, she took 3 more people after us when they close at 6pm. We had ordered grilled chicken baguette sandwiches and we rushed to my car so we can be safe lol… I’m telling you, the area has really sketchy people roaming around… opened the sandwich and took one bite. With my braces and sensitive teeth, the typical football sized bread with hard crust at other Vietnamese sandwich shops were non-​existent at Baguette Express.
The sandwich was soft yet it had a great toasty texture. It was the perfect size and the taste was incredible. I would say, one of the best Vietnamese sandwiches I ever had and I have had hundreds of them. Plenty of meats and filling. Their motto is spot on, the prices pull you in, but the taste makes you come back for more.

I haven’t tried their banh mi only because I had already hit Wrap Delight a block away for one and how many banh mi sandwiches can a girl eat in one sitting?
As tempting as the lineup of sandwiches was, my stomach wouldn’t have forgiven me, so, instead I purchased my new obsession, Vietnamese iced coffee.
It was strong and syrupy sweet, just how I like it. I’m not sure if it was traditionally dripped or not because they made it in the back.
I can’t wait to come back on an empty stomach and try the banh mi.

The main reason why I come here is for their shredded chicken sandwich, which Saigon unfortunately doesn’t have on their menu. That, and their freshly squeezed (cranked?) sugarcane juice, which I recommend if you love a sugar high as much as I do.
Also nice is their spaciously clean interior (at least compared to Saigon) with tables, magazines to read, and even some outdoor seating. But don’t sit outside unless you enjoy the smell of stale urine to go along with your sandwich.
I don’t come here more often because I usually find their bread a little too toasted and crunchy for my tastes. Actually… now that I think about it, I could probably just ask them to toast my bread less and I’d be really happy with my sandwich. Duh. Okay, four stars it is.

$ 5.00 bought me two tasty sandwiches for our journey back to Washington, DC. I’d been craving banh mi for several days and decided it would make the perfect plane food. As he tucked into his baguette I could tell my favorite Washingtonian agreed.
It’ll be hard to fly without banh mi in tow going forward!

Delicious, fresh-​tasting Vietnamese sandwiches on big puffy baguettes, in a clean, efficient setting. All for $ 2.50 plus a dime for the parking meter (street parking always available on Larkin). And you can get all the grass jelly, white gourd, fresh made cane juice, and other random drinks you want.
Who needs Burger King when you can fill your tummy and make a mess of the car with food twice as nice for half the price?