Mission Banh Mi

Quality Banh Mi in the mission. Head inside the grocery store to the corner and you’ll find these ladies cranking out some delicious sandwiches. Service was quick and friendly. I got the tofu with eggplant and at $ 6 this is a great deal. You can also choose from a variety of sides and additions (seaweed salad, spring rolls, papaya salad, etc). Grab a beer, bottle of wine, bag of chips, head to Dolores park and have yourself a delicious picnic. boom.

Great stuff. Priced well, and about as good as dinosaurs. Super convenient to pick up groceries and get a solid banh mi to go.

Pretty cheap. Food is decent

They’re inside the market on the left. they have a few types of Banh Mi but I went with #1. the bread is well baked and they load the sandwich with meats, pickled veggies and jalapeños. it’s very affordable for $ 6 plus tax. it’s not the nicest part of the Mission District but if you happen to be in the area and want an affordable, delicious Vietnamese sandwich, you can’t beat this place.

Best Banh Mi I’ve ever had. Hidden away a bit in the back of Duc Loi market deli-​style, this «hidden» gem cranks out amazing sandwiches. Definitely a bit on the spicy side, I get the Pork BBQ & Lemongrass regularly and every time leave happy. A little over $ 6, grab one and pop over to Dolores, as there is very limited seating inside (it is a supermarket…). Remember some napkins because they stuff these full.

Update — it’s been a couple of years and I still can’t bring myself to try them again.

Six dollars.
Plus tax.
One of the best banh mi I have had in the city. Maybe THE best…
Pork BBQ, Lemongrass.
Most of the other choices are also six dollars.
Do not be afraid of eating these sandwiches… Welcome this discovery into your life, because it is not common here to have good bread, good meat, and the exquisite elements that construct a true banh mi for six dollars.
Six dollars.
Plus tax.

I had been wanting to try bahn mi from the Duc Loi market for a while; I’ve been making frequent trips to the fabric store across the street and was always eyeing the signs proclaiming bahn mi could be found within.
Finally, hubs and I are both working from home (thus lunch out) and we went. We were able to find a metered spot on 19^th street just around the corner, so parking wasn’t too big of a hassle.
The sandwich counter is along the wall to your left as you enter the market, it’s pretty easy to spot.
We both ordered the #1, or the «authentic vietnamese» bahn mi. It took 5 – 10 minutes for our sandwiches to be made, which is no big deal, but I’m a little confused after eating; nothing on our sandwich seemed to be hot; the counter wasn’t busy, it doesn’t seem like it should have taken that long to put together our sandwiches, but no matter, we weren’t in a hurry.
Now: about that sammich. It’s not the best sandwich I’ve ever eaten, and certainly not the worst bahn mi I’ve ever had, but I wasn’t overly impressed. The meat was a bit bland, and the head cheese was *extremely* gelatinous. It was more gelatin than meat, seemingly. It was so gelatinous it almost defied chewing. After struggling with the first few bites, I relented and pulled the remaining head cheese off my sandwich. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan of head cheese, just not this head cheese.
The picked carrots were good, not quite as acidic as I would have liked, but they seemed to be seasoned with 5-​spice which is delicious.
The bread was great; the kind that will really give your TMJ muscles a good workout.
Perhaps I’ll give it another shot, and maybe just order a different one? I’ve seen a few recipes that mention pâté, which I am ALL ABOUT so I just need to figure out which ones have it.

Pretty good and filling deal for a $ 6 banh mi sandwich in the mission. My bf and I were heading to Dolores Park and wanted to pick up something to eat that would be easy to eat at the park. A banh mi sandwich sounded really appetizing so we headed to the Duc Loi Market on the corner of Mission and 18^th street to find their deli section.
The menu is limited, but you’ll find chicken or pork bbq sandwiches along with other deli style wraps. We both ordered the chicken bbq sandwich and browsed around the aisles as the workers made our sandwiches. This is a great stop to pick up other snacks, drinks or alcohol before headed to picnic at the park.
We enjoyed the sandwiches as Dolores, which ended up to be really tasty. They were generous with the meat and pickled veggies. There were also jalapenos throughout which added a nice spicy kick. The baguette was fresh and not too hard. Overall a great value for $ 6. I would come here again if craving a sandwich in the mission.

Delicious Vietnamese sandwiches! They used to be $ 5, and now it’s $ 6. But honestly, it’s worth it. (Even thought there are cheaper Vietnamese sandwiches out there.) I usually get the BBQ pork, which they include plenty of. Also, lots of carrots too. The sandwich is big enough to be 2 portions — lunch and dinner. Hooray!
(6÷100)

Maybe it was because they were closing soon or a rookie made the 2 banh mi I bought. One Harris ranch and a bbq chicken. The bread was nice and toasty. The beef wasn’t to my taste and so was the pickled veggies. And speaking of the veggies… Way too much shredded carrots in the bbq chicken.
I just decided to try this place. It’s an Asian market. Busy area buT what do you expect on mission st. Like I said maybe I went at the wrong time because it looked like they were closing up for the night.
Definitely is not better than Saigon sandwich on Larkin. This place not worth it imo. $ 17 for 2 sandwiches. $ 9 for the Harris ranch. $ 5 for the chicken. I’ll pass next time.

Mission Banh Mi is located to the left when you enter Duc Loi Supermarket. I love that there’s easy quick metered parking up front (sandwiches take about 5 minutes to order).
Besides the sandwiches, you have a variety of house made items including spring rolls and kimchi ($ 4.99) and fish sauce ($ 2.99) that I couldn’t resist.
They do sell coffee and Thai tea but I think if they had a beverage and soda display close to the sandwich area, they’d increase the beverage sales. My order:
Banh Mi Vietnam — $ 6. Generous sized and well filled with cold cuts including head cheese, ham, and lots of pâté. There’s a good amount of mayo and pickled vegetables as well as jalapeños which are mostly hidden by all the other ingredients. Bread is very crunch and takes a good chew but it’s a good sandwich.
Pay for all orders and items at the grocery cashier and in a plus, they take credit cards including American Express.

Solid sandwiches — my favorite is the lemongrass chicken one. The chicken is always super tender and flavorful, and I appreciate that they’re generous with the fillings — lots of pickled carrots, cilantro, jalapeño, and the like.
The sandwiches are pretty hearty and bigger than most Vietnamese sandwiches, which makes this a great choice for when you’re hungry! $ 6 is about the price I’d expect to pay for the relative increase in size. The bread isn’t the fluffiest, but I think the heaping fillings make up for it.
To order, enter Duc Loi and head to the deli counter by the wall on the left of all the registers. The employees at the counter will take your order, pack it up, and then you check out at the regular registers.

Came here a few times to grab their Vietnamese sandwiches. I ordered their authentic sandwich, which is #1 on their menu. I think it was around $ 6 per sandwich, which isn’t bad when you compare it to some other sandwich places in the area. It was prepared fairly fast and no wait to pay. Will come back again if I want to grab something quick and cheap to-​go. Hidden little gem for people traveling on a budget. Grab a sandwich and go to Dolores Park to eat on a nice sunny day – definitely a San Francisco experience you don’t want to miss.

#1 please! Great Banh Mi, especially the classic. Not sure what others are complaining about but the bread was good, the veggies were plentiful and the meat (including pâté!) were perfect. The price is decent, not the cheapest, but considering the portions, makes sense…

Giant, loaded banh mi, for ~$ 6.50, located in the deli of a Mission grocery store. You’ll get full eating one of these (which isn’t always the case with banh mi at half the price.)
Tried the traditional (with headcheese and pâté), grilled chicken, and BBQ pork. The grilled chicken was my favorite (usually i’m a grilled pork fan), but all were tasty.
Interestingly, the usual «pickled daikon radish and carrot» topping is only carrots here… but the flavor is still here (although I missed the crunch of the daikon radish).

inside duc loi supermarket on the corner of mission and 18^th… back deli counter with few stool and table seating… quick san francisco lunch… order at the counter…$ 6 banh mi sandwiches… taking the lemongrass pork sandwich… staff a bit sluggish, but preparing the sandwich… viewing the sides on sale…$ 4 for tiny side of kimchi seems quite expensive… some drinks and sweet pickled julienned carrots for sale… about 5 minutes of waiting and a hefty sandwich wrapped handed… pay at the market checkout and finding to be $ 6.53 total after tax… banh mi is quite loaded… pile of sweet pickled carrots… fresh jalapeño slices… hefty sweet pork portion. very flavorful… quite a good and filling sandwich…

This is located at the deli inside the Duc Loi Supermarket. They sell «Authentic Vietnamese» sandwiches for a whopping $ 6 plus tax. It is a little more pricey compared to another spot I frequent in the Tenderloin which is about a little over half the price and no tax.
I’ve wanted to try this place out for a while whenever I’m in the Mission. I ordered the regular Banh Mi Vietnamese Sandwich loaded with sliced deli meat, pickled carrots and daikon radish, cucumber, cilantro, and jalepenos on a standard french roll. It didn’t blow my taste buds, but did fill my belly up. They have mayo instead of liver pâté as the spread on the inside of the french roll. I prefer pâté because it adds so much more depth and flavor to the Banh Mi. They have other sandwiches such as chicken or pork lemongrass BBQ and vegetarian options along with papaya salad, Vietnamese coffee and other salads and coconut desserts in the cold case.
The staff behind the counter were very friendly and nice.

Super excited to finally have banh mi here. It’s close to my house, and I’ve been meaning to get in here already for ages.
So I finally made it today, and I was sadly not wowed. It’s ok. It’s definitely not the best banh mi in the city.
For me, excellent banh mi has crispy fresh hot bread, meat, a ton of pickled daikon and carrot, a few jalapeño slices, a tiny smear of pâté, mayo (yeah, whatever, I like it) and cilantro.
This banh mi had mayo.yeah. Good going, guys; I like my mayo. Perfect amount of pâté (not a lot) and excellent meat and a lot of it. A few jalapeño slices, and some cilantro… all good. BUT the carrot daikon mix was mostly carrot, and had not absorbed any pickled flavor at all. Yech. And the bread? Day old and not crispy/​hot in any way. Sad me. I ate half (but then it was huge.)
And then I had the shrimp cold rolls. They were slimy. I think they must have left water in the little plastic tray thing which sogged out the rice paper. I ate part of one. There were two and a half left.
Saigon you are still my hero. And when I can’t go see my hero… I’ll run over to Dinosaurs. They’re better.
And now a word about Duc Loi, the market where Mission Banh Mi is housed.
This is a really strange but useful grocery store. There is a small Japanese food aisle, a larger Mexican food aisle, a really good Vietnamese food aisle (I think it was called ‘Asian’ but it was really Vietnamese) and an ‘American’ food aisle (don’t bother with the the ‘American’ food… it’s not a reason to stop by.)
And alcohol. There is a ginormous selection of pretty good stuff.
And meat/​seafood. No stinky Mission District smell at all, and very reasonable pricing.
So yes, I can drive over to the Richmond to get my Asian groceries, but in a pinch this place has basics, and they’re cheap.

Best Pork Ban Mi Ive ever had. The pork is seasoned perfectly and is very moist and tender.
Lots of pickled carrots and radish. Ive been to other places in the tenderloin and San Jose.
This is the best by far.

Almost as good as Saigon in the TL! I was so surprised to like this place!
I ordered the tofu banh mi with everything. It was so good! The sauce always makes it or breaks it for me. I really like that the tofu pieces are thick and well seasoned. A lot of times, places will have fried tofu, but the tofu is plain. My critique of the sandwich is that it took a really long time to come out and that there was too much pickled carrot in it. I’m not sure why it took so long. I think that they consolidated all the orders behind me and waited to call them out afterwards.
I’m definitely looking forward to the next time I’m in the area and can get my hands on one of these sandwiches!

I know there are a lot of older Unilocal reviews saying the sandwiches are $ 5. They are now $ 6. Overall not a bad banh mi but when you are in a city where you are deciding between Saigon sandwiches are Mission Banh Mi, I’d have to give the edge to Saigon.
I also got the shrimp rolls and they were very fresh.
As for the banh mi, it was packed with lots of the sides. I got the chicken BBQ one. It was neither a lot or too little, just about a-​ok. It would not be a ‘desination’ banh mi where I would circle around and around the mission to find a parking spot just to get one. If I am already there for another reason and it was lunch time, sure I’d go.

I grabbed the fried chicken bahn mi at Mission Bahn Mi the other day, but I can’t say I’m really impressed. I appreciate the fact that they make the sandwiches from scratch and fry the chicken in front of you, but the chicken was tough/​dry and there were way too many carrots on it.
Still, for $ 6, that’s less than half of what a sandwich at Rhea’s goes for.

3 stars for the banh mi and 4 for the overall market.
Got the «authentic» with no head cheese sub extra veggies and extra pâté. Out of all the banh mi’s I’ve had this was probably one of my least favorites. It wasn’t bad but not particularly good. The roasted pork is pretty juicy but too chewy for my personal tastes. Veggies could have been pickled a little longer so they’re a bit more sour. Not too much flavor in the sandwich over all (couldn’t even tell there was pâté in it). Bread wasn’t hard but wasn’t crunchy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside.
I understand it’s the city. and the mission district but $ 6 for a «meh» banh mi just feels like such a waste a money.
Didn’t try it but they have Vietnamese ice coffee for $ 4 which I consider to be a pretty good deal since they use organic condensed milk: D
The workers are really nice and the store inside is surprisingly really well stocked with a wide variety of items. They have most of aidell’s sausages/​meatballs, a nice selection of ice cream (cookies and cream mochi?!) and sweets. They even had some kombucha flavors I’ve never seen before!
I haven’t tried the bbq pork or chicken sandwiches, they seem to be more popular. I might give those a try next, but other than that nice place to stop by for a snack or some last minute groceries!

It really isn’t the fault of Mission Banh Mi that I now associate their VIetnamese sandwiches and Green Papaya Salad with my being incredibly ill 9 hours after consumption and still, one week later. It is, however, difficult for me not to associate those two things. To be clear, I’m not for a minute implying food poisoning; I am implying an unfortunate link in my mind.
The day of my Mission Banh Mi lunch I was near and around — conservatively — 30,000 people. The fact that I picked up a nasty bug from one of those people is an unfortunate sideline of being out in the world but one that gives me pause in returning to that world anytime soon.
That aside, I can tell you this: Mission Banh Mi’s Vietnamese sandwiches are wonderful. This was my second time sampling their banh mi and it is good. Damned good. And, though it was only my first time trying their Green Papaya Salad ($ 5) I’d lump it into the same category. If purchased in a restaurant this salad would be upwards of $ 8 for ¹⁄₃ the portion.
On both sandwich sampling occasions I’ve opted for the meatless, tofu banh mi. My dining companion has, on both times opted for one with animal protein (chicken, beef) and he’s equally enamored. So really, you can’t go wrong.
The shop is located inside of a deceptively impressive inner city supermarket. The place looks somewhat scruffy but is something of a diamond in the rough. They have a good selection of wine and unique food products dot the aisles. This is to say: take a walk around once you have your sandwich in hand; you’ll likely find a few other things you can’t resist.
Mission Banh Mi has some seats inside but there’s no getting around that you’ll be sitting inside a scruffy supermarket. Instead, take your sandwich for a walk over to Dolores Park, a perfect picnic spot. If there happen to be 30,000 other people there, try mightily to keep your distance. Besides a fantastic sandwich, who knows what you might come down with?

Because sometimes you don’t want to pay $ 10+ for a sandwich.
Enter Mission Banh Mi’s Chicken BBQ.
The chicken was a bit dry.
The daikon and carrot was on the bland side.
The request for no mayo was ignored.
It was not organic.
It was not artisinal.
But it went well with the Homemade Taro Chips.
In addition to being filling it was…
FIVE.
FRICKIN’.
DOLLARS.
Which completely justified the Four Dollar Boba Tea that I got around the corner. #WhatIsWrongWithThisPicture

Got the Authentic which has roasted pork belly, roasted five spice pork shoulder, house-​made head cheese, and Vietnamese pork sausage. The quality of the meats were good but I thought the sandwich was bland overall.
The pickled vegetables were not pickled enough. I thought the vegetables could have had a more balance of sweet and sourness to them as well.
The sandwich is big but not that much bigger than other banh mi’s that I’ve had. Maybe they used to make them bigger before.

Tucked inside the Duc Loi Market, Mission Banh Mi truly is a hidden gem. I recommend the traditional or the fried chicken banh mi. There are veggie options too but ya girl is not about that life.
At $ 5 for a sandwich, these suckers are more expensive than the ones im used to. When I unwrapped it though, I realized that the price is completely justified. My sandwich was bursting at the seams with meat, headcheese and pickled veggies. Aw yesss! It was very tasty and filling. Definitely worth the money.
Make sure to snag a $ 2 bag of fresh taro/​yucca/​plantain chips!
The sandwiches are bomb but service is slow. My friend and I were the only customers there yet our sandwiches took around 10 min to make. That’s honestly not even bad but I guess I’m just used to the lightning fast service of other banh mi shops. I’m assuming the wait prolly isn’t too pleasant when they’re busy.
Will definitely be back!
TIP: viet iced coffee + banh mi + chips and have yourself a nice lil picnic at dolores park which is a 10 min walk away!

Mission Banh Mi is an example of a culinary «hidden gem» in the haystack that is the Mission District, home to the majority of SF’s prized eateries. If you didn’t know that it’s located *inside* the Duc Loi Supermarket (owned by the same owner, Amanda Ngo), you can easily miss these sandwiches amongst the sea of Mexican restaurants that line 18^th and Mission Streets. What started as an experiment in the deli counter of Duc Loi has now been featured in many Bay Area foodie op/​ed pieces.
Note that all sandwiches listed are $ 5 and are stuffed with caper aioli/​mayo, pork pâté, cilantro, daikon-​carrot slaw, cucumber, and jalapeños. It’s best to carry lots of napkins as the sandwiches are stuffed to capacity and the contents can easily spill. I’ve tried three of their sandwiches — I’ve enjoyed each and every bite and a half sandwich manages to satisfy my appetite. As a bonus, these sandwiches are still delicious heated up the next day. My only minor nitpick is that the baguette is a bit on the chewy side and it gets more chewy if you put it in the fridge and microwave it the next day.
— #1 (The Authentic, also known as Banh Mi Vietnam). Roasted pork belly, roasted five spice pork shoulder, house-​made head cheese, and Vietnamese pork sausage. The No1DP told me horror stories about head cheese as nutritionally deficient «meat» but there was little filler as there was plenty of pork belly, shoulder and liverwurst. Meats blended well with each other and there was an equal portion of meat to veggies.
— #3 (Lemongrass BBQ chicken, Amanda’s Famous Recipe). Grilled chicken marinated in lemongrass, garlic, and soy. I got introduced to Mission Banh Mi via this sandwich, which was offered as lunch as part of a bike ride tour. I didn’t taste too much lemongrass and garlic in the chicken though I could make out the barbecue. Like the #1, equal portion of meat to veggies.
— #4 (Lemongrass BBQ pork). Grilled pork marinated in lemongrass, garlic, and soy. A «heavier» meat than the pork but still marinated in the same fashion as the chicken and thus tastes similar. Like the previous sandwiches, there was also equal portion of veggies to meat and there was even more barbecue flavor in the pork the next day.
This is my top recommendation for cheap eats in the Mission District. Considering that eating anywhere in the Bay Area is expensive, a $ 5 banh mi containing a good amount of protein and veggies is a steal! Since all sandwiches are ordered to-​go you can take it anywhere, though there are a few simple tables and chairs should you really want to eat it on the spot. If you want to finish your meal off with dessert grab sweets from nearby Tartine Bakery, Dandelion Chocolate, Crème Brûlée Cart or Craftsman and Wolves.

How they can make such an amazing filling sandwich (lemon grass pork) for only $ 5 blows my mind. Absolutely delicious, fresh soft bread, crisp veggies and juicy flavorful pork. Skip Subway, this is the place to get a great sandwich.
Keep up the good work guys!