Bun Mee

Always a great choice for a quick lunch sandwich. Order online and pick up in store so you do not have to wait in line!

Well «Bun Mee» does the trick. Working here in FIDI, its hard to find a place that serves good bun mee. Of course its not comparable to my favorite Vietnamese sandwich in the tenderloin but it really does the trick.
I love the décor of the restaurant and the fast service. They’re also pretty friendly as well. I wish they put more pâté or mayo into the sandwiches. Sometimes I think its just a bit to dry.
I love their sweet potato fries as well as their salt and pepper fries. YUM! Its more pricey than a standard bun mee but its consider a cheap sandwich in the FIDI.

Here’s the thing — I love bahn mi, and this place ain’t it. I am actually not sure how they are making rent each month at their awesomely convenient location. Probably tourists, actually definitely tourists. Because they don’t know any better.
The bread was good — but not good bahn mi bread. The veggies were fresh, but bland, not nearly enough pickling flavor.
The fries were meh — I really dont get the point of throwing raw sliced jalepenos on the fries. Maybe the grocer had a sale on jalepenos and bun mee had a surplus with nothing to do with them. Not enough salt or pepper.
The décor is extremely strange — why the café du monde tins? Like what does faux, terrible Vietnamese sandwiches have to do with New Orleans coffee? And why the wallpaper?
The experience was so odd, but I could have let it slide if the sandwiches were good. I could have even forgiven the price — which is like double the price of what a bahn mi should be, if the sandwiches were good. But they weren’t. So now I am here lamenting on Unilocal

If I would have made the sandwich myself at home I would have been happy. But at an $ 8 price tag, not so blown away or satisfied for that matter. Now, this was just for the crispy tofu sandwich. So other stuff with real deal flesh inside might be better.

Icky! They don’t use gloves and I saw them touching their cellphones in the middle of making a sandwich! I waited in a long line but only saw these unsanitary practices when I got close and had to excuse myself and leave the restaurant. I just could not eat this!

Very conveniently located place with decent, clean food. The veggies are fresh, and your food is served to you quickly.
They have sandwiches and rice and noodle bowl options. The sandwiches are priced from 7 dollars for the smokey eggplant to $ 8.49 for steak.
The smokey eggplant was just ok. The five spice chicken was better, but the Hanoi style catfish was the best choice in my opinion. The sandwiches come with onion, pickled carrot’daikon, cucumber and cilantro. I like that they include jalapenos in the sandwich, and they ask you if you want it, for folks that can’t handle a little heat. The chicken and the catfish sandwiches were 7 dollars.
I have also eaten the caramel citrus bowl, which was very tasty, and much more filling than the sandwiches. My bowl had brown rice (you could also have garlic rice), mango, orange, avocado, jalapenos, sprouts, and your choice of chicken, shrimp, tofu or steak. It was priced at $ 11.00. If you are real hungry, then definitely go with the bowl.
They have a nice selection of beverages. I ordered the coconut water for 3 bucks.
They have some good music playing, and service was courteous.
They are open from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 pm and consistently close early; so don’t try to eat there after 7:30.
That is why I gave the 3 star rating; because otherwise, they would deserve 4 stars.,

This place is always packed so I stumbled in today knowing I wouldn’t have to wait long since everyone is out of town this week…
On that note, the lemongrass pork sandwich with a dash of hot sriracha sauce on each half man oh man I didn’t want this experience to end. The grilled pork was so delicious, the spice, the mayo and warm and crispy baguette. .. I will be back!!!

This place is just okay.
Like many places in SF they’ve taken a popular eating concept (mom-​and-​pop Vietnamese sandwich spot) and made it have a Chipotle/​The Melt type feel.
The sandwiches are slightly more expensive then your normal mom and pop too, but taste roughly the same.
The only advantages of coming here is that they take American Express (if you’re a business traveler and don’t want to manually expense things) and the sandwiches come in a fancy wrapping paper that does a great job trapping in heat.
If you’re vegetarian get the crispy tofu sandwich. It’s pretty decent!

Convenient location on Market St. near FiDi area for a quick lunch. I’ve tried both the LEMONGRASS PORK and FIVE SPICE CHICKEN sandwiches and both were pretty tasty. There is a decent amount of meat and a huge load of pickled veggies on top. The bread was pretty fresh and crispy on the outside, with a slightly chewy center. They offer fusion sides like SWEET POTATO FRIES with RED CURRY MAYO that is pretty unique.
This can also be a convenient place to meet up with a few people for a quick sit-​down lunch — they have many small tables outside, and larger booths inside.
Things to note:
— Can get crowded around prime lunch hours
— Prices are quite high compared to regular Vietnamese places (think ~$ 7 – 9 for a medium sandwich, ~$ 9 – 12 for a rice/​salad/​noodle bowl)
I like to come here once in awhile as a little «treat myself» lunch. But for authentic Vietnamese dishes that is more budget friendly in the area, I tend to go to Perilla or Du’s Sandwich tent on Mission/​1^st.

Inexpensive, but unimpressive, bahn mi and salads in the FiDi.
Sleek wood and steel provide an elegant backdrop for Vietnamese-​influenced cheap eats. The menu boasts various bahn mi and salads, ranging from the usual suspects to the truly innovative.
With shaved onion, pickled carrot and daikon, cucumber, jalapeños, and cilantro, the grilled «five spice chicken bun» ($ 6.95) is topped with an interesting caramel mayonnaise – not quite traditional, but still quite good. Served on a crusty baguette, the chicken thighs were a little dry and the carrot and daikon, the most important part of a bahn mi, were barely pickled. Juicy and delicious, the «juicy steak bun» ($ 8.49) is topped with lotus root relish, shaved onion, pickled carrot and daikon, cucumber, jalapeños, cilantro, and crispy shallots and slathered with lime pepper mayonnaise. Unfortunately not sloppy at all, the «sloppy bun» ($ 6.95) with red curry ground beef, garlic mayonnaise, shaved onion, thai basil, and jalapeños was rather dry. Topped with sauteed red onions, garlic, and jalapeños, the salt and pepper garlic fries ($ 3.50) were a little too greasy.
Staff is super friendly and upbeat. There’s beer by the bottle and a variety of soft drinks, including an awesome house-​made kaffir limeade ($ 2.95) that has just the right balance of sweet and tart.
For a quick, relatively inexpensive lunch, Bun Mee is an OK option.

I’ve accepted the sticker price for a bahn mi sandwich if outside of Little Saigon. It came as no surprise that my five spice chicken sandwich was close to $ 8.00 as this was in the FiDi district.
I thought the chicken thigh meat bordered on being on the dry side. Good chunks of meat. The pickled veggies could have been more vinegary. Served on a crusty baguette.
Service was quick as I arrived at 11am when it just opened. Took it to go, but ample seats.

Stopped in to pick up a couple sandwiches.
Combo Sandwich. Made with Pâté, Mortadella, Grilled Pork, and their house mayo. This is the classic banh mi sandwich… though theirs is ok. Probably better to try other sandwiches.
Smokey Eggplant Sandwich. Eggplant, Cauliflower, and choice of Red Curry or Soyu Mayo. This is a great vegetarian option (can also be made vegan). Will definitely get this again.
Overall they’re a really good fusion version with unique flavors and real options. Good quality… so that’s a plus. Isn’t where I’d go if I’m craving a banh mi, but will be back for the quality Vietnamese style sandwich. Not as good as what you’d find in the TL.
Bonus… they serve beer, so you can get a pint while waiting for your sandwich

Really bummed that we didn’t enjoy this place more. The staff was super friendly so this review is based purely on the food. We ordered the caramel citrus rice bowl with chicken and the sloppy bun with a fried egg. All the ingredients seemed fresh except for the cilantro that was browning on the leaves. The thing that was missing was flavor. The meat was dry and not flavorful. Overall, not the worst meal I’ve had, but unfortunately not something I’ll be craving.

There is always a lunch rush — but the food is worth it!
I’ve gotten their 5 spice chicken salad & the combo sandwich — both were super tasty. The chicken in the salad was SUPER flavorful and it’s a pretty big salad lol one downside is that it gets so busy sometimes that they forget the dressing… so make sure you see a small container inside once you get it! The sandwich was also really good. It was full of flavor & the bread had a perfect crunch!
Will be back to try more of their sandwiches/​salads… but need to find the right time to go cause it literally takes 20 minutes out of my lunch break…

#235. This place is the more upscale, Americanized version of the Vietnamese joints in the Tenderloin. Ordered the grilled five spice chicken without jalapeños. But they still added jalapeños… spent the first five minutes picking them out like a trash collector. Still crispy and flavorful. I liked the garlic fries more though.
Nothing special otherwise, but it’s a convenient option. If you’re in the area, this is a good place for a quick lunch break.

Bun Mee gets an A1 review! I love the décor, kind of hipster. The place is clean and the staff is friendly.
I recommend you try the 5 spice chicken, pepper fries, paired with anyone of their rare, fair trade, fountain drinks.
The only trade off is that I was told by the staff that they did not serve hot drinks; funny they still had hot drinks on the menu!

The décor is hip and industrial looking when stepping in. It’s a breath of fresh air and a new take on Vietnamese sandwich shops.
Pretty pricey for the bowl entrees, but the sammies at about $ 7, is a deal. I usually dislike baguettes because it’s either too dry or crunchy, or both. However, their baguette is nicely warm, lightly crisp and not too much of a bread-​ful — especially on the ends.
You can Bun Mee anytime!

Tried the Bun Bowl with tofu. As you will see from my reviews, I eat out every day, and this is the first time all year (and in a couple of years) when I returned my dish because it was so terrible. Completely, utterly tasteless. Now, the egg roll with pork was actually not bad, but there was only one of them, and soon after my bowl arrived, that egg roll was consumed. And for $ 17 (the price of the bowl plus a bottle of Tiger beer), I was punched in the gut.
But kudos to the guy at the register yesterday who was cool with a very fair trade offer (at least, to the restaurant): Take back the Bun Bowl and give me a small bowl of brown rice so I can at least leave here full. And they obliged, and the bowl of rice was not bad once I added (smothered it with) sriracha sauce, so I left full. And I got to sit on the patio on a reasonably warm day until it started to rain.
Can’t come back, even if I lived here!

I stand corrected. Bun Mee has officially won me over. We live and learn, and sometimes we live to learn how to better assess the value of what something has to offer.
I’ve had a bunch of sandwiches here now. I would say that only the first was a little disappointing. I wrote my review about that visit. Since that time, the rest have been good. They have been getting increasingly better, too. And, I have learned to really appreciate the value of the space. This is a beautiful spot, and while I’ve never taken them up on it, they have outdoor seating on Market Street across the street from the Palace Hotel. They are also a good Saturday option, which increases its value in my book.
Sandwiches:
Steak Bun — It was great. I added avocado. It was topped by roasted garlic (secret weapon) and was substantial.
Chicken — Good quality ingredients. Won’t upset you a bit. Won’t knock your socks off. Safe choice.
Sloppy Bun — Actually, I like it. I know other people who love it. I know people who hate it. I topped mine with an egg. I might not get it again because there are so many great choices, but I would happily have it again. It would be great for breakfast.
Lemongrass Pork — Comes with julienned carrots and cucumber. Some sort of aioli. If you want grilled pork, you should get the:
Combo — The Combo is awesome. I had it for the first time and it made me take the time to upgrade my review. Grilled Pork, Mortadella and Pâté. It was excellent. Very rich and dripping with flavor. Much more like some of the mom/​pop places. Well balanced, and I didn’t feel any urge to season it. Mmmmmmm…
The price is more than in the TL. Fine. You get a beautiful fast casual experience. You can see by the photos that this is a great space. It is not as down home as in the TL, but they have good options. And, I still don’t see the need for fries. But, I do like that they also have some non-​sandwich offerings.
It’s a good formula. I will be returning from time to time. This place earned a re-​review.

Bun Mee is an okay place if you’re on break and just want a meal, but look elsewhere if you want to enjoy your lunch.
To me, this place is part of the growing number of trendy yet casual/​clean businesses that offer a modern take on ethnic foods. Menu items consist of rice bowls, salads, sandwiches, sides, and drinks. I opted for a bowl while my friend ordered a sandwich.
I opted for the tofu caramel citrus rice bowl. For $ 11 you get pickled papaya, citrus segments, avocado, jalapeños, crispy shallots, house caramel sauce over garlic or brown rice. You could choose to have pork or chicken instead of organic tofu but an extra $ 2 will give you steak or shrimp. Anyway, I really was’t feeling the flavors. Specifically, the slices of orange and grape fruit really didn’t work well with the other ingredients. Moisture was really lacking but I don’t think squirts of sriracha would help. The tofu had some sort of marinade on it and it didn’t taste bad at all but I would’ve liked a crispier texture. Also, what’s up with the whole cilantro? just pick off the leaves and toss it in my bowl. The fried shallots were a nice touch though.
My friend had the grilled five spice chicken banh mi and I had a few bites. It came with caramel mayo, shaved onion, pickled carrot & daikon, cucumber, jalapenos, and cilantro. I thought it was also missing moisture. Turns out that was because the sauce was only on one side of the sandwich. The chicken was flavorful but the daikon/​carrots didn’t have that bright pickled flavor I like. Bread was decent.
Keffir limeade was delicious and had a great balance between sweet and tart.
Still, I’m not in a hurry to come back…