163 Vietnamese Sandwiches & Bubble Tea

This is definitely the better banh mi shop in Chinatown. No funny business just order and go by the window or phone call. Chinese/viet owned, one lady OG in there does speak Vietnamese.We always pre order double beef viet subs with all the trimmings and peppers! Extra butter and pâté and have the auntie always question me haha because you typically don't have those ingredients in the beef one then laughs and says okay every time. Makes them quick, small spot usually a line outside during lunch. They have other menu items but that's what i order from them when in c-town!Will continue to grab subs from here when in Chinatown.

163 Vietnamese Sandwiches is owned by a Viet-Chinese (aka Hoa people/người Hoa) family and offer yummy banh mis, vermicelli/rice plates, and appetizer items like spring rolls. The Hoa Kieu people are ethnically Chinese + settled in Vietnam, typically in South Vietnam in a big city like Saigon (now known as Ho Chi Minh City). So they speak both Chinese & Vietnamese here! Ordering can be done in person or called in + picked up. I get either the cold cut with extra pâté and butter, bbq beef, or shredded pork banh mi. Banh mis are made quick and always delicious. They definitely get you in and out here. This is one of the many spots I have been going to since I was young & I remember my parents would always get me a banh mi to go after Saturday Chinese school or Sunday math classes that were held across the street lol. Very nostalgic place for me.

163 Viet provides no-frills take out at reasonable prices.$7 gets you a cold cut bahn mi, prepped and wrapped earlier in the day. Baguette remains crisp, leading to many crumbs. The cold cuts contain some sort of pate that acts as a superior version of mayo, preventing dry bites. Some cold cut slices also have texture variation due to fast and gelatin, which I enjoy. $5.75 gets you 3 shrimp spring rolls. Rice paper remains springy and herbs seem fresh.Note that I went on a Thursday noon. I also picked the cheapest version of bahn mi and spring roll. Other bahn mis cost $8 and other spring rolls cost $7. Cash only, counter service Covid-style where a plastic barrier blocks off most of the interior.

Recently, if I was in a hurry, I would come here for their chicken vermicelli. The chicken was well seasoned with lemongrass, and the vermicelli went well with it, especially when mixed with the fish sauce. Finally, I got the chance to buy the shrimp and BBQ pork spring roll. These usually sell out early, so you will not get appointed.

Quick and easy bahn mi. They stuffed it to the brim with ingredients. So many veggies!!! Really worth the price. Put in an order online and got it in less than 10 minutes. Bread was soft and flakey on the inside. Portion size was great, and you can order extra meat, which we did. Make sure to call and ask for jalapeneos if you want them!

I'm always excited when I pass by this spot and it's open, since the hours seem to be a bit hit or miss. It's strictly a to-go spot and there isn't any seating inside, so be prepared. Sometimes I like to walk over and eat my Banh Mi at the park, but other times I'm so hungry I can't even wait to dig in!This time, I stopped by for lunch on a Monday and grabbed the BBQ Beef bahn mi. I requested to only have fish sauce and no butter on my sandwich. The bread is very flakey and tastes great, but sometimes it overpowers the filling. I think other spots like Bah Le in Dorcester are a bit better at striking the right bread to filling balance. However, I still always enjoy grabbing a sandwich here, especially because it's so quick and convenient!

So this is a funny little place in Chinatown because it's not Chinese it's Vietnamese. I've been frequenting here and grabbing a sandwich or a spring roll referred to as fresh roll for at least a decade or two. The sandwiches are always fabulous. My favorite on the crunchy extremely messy crummy rolls which are delicious. Is the beef sandwich with a variety of vegetables and they pickle very tasty. I've posted some photos. You definitely have to try one. And don't forget to order extra nothing Vietnamese butter. It's freaking amazing. As for the fresh roll. You always get two whole shrimp plus your veggies and noodle in a nice thin wrap and it comes with some fabulous peanut sauce. I could drink the sauce it's so great. Now the people behind the counter are extremely efficient but a little bit on the rude side. Basically you go in you order your food then they ask you to go outside and wait because there's only about 3 feet where someone can order food so on a rainy snowy day it's not the place you wanna head out to but on a sunny day during good weather definitely, you'll always see a crowd or at least three or four people standing out front on a nice day, waiting for their sandwiches and food. As it's in Chinatown the parking is extremely tough so plan ahead just as if you're gonna go to any other restaurant in Chinatown even if you're just picking up a sandwich or say a prayer and do what everyone else does, double park and hopefully not get a ticket. This place is well-established and has been there for approximately 20 years give or take and the food is always good.

Banh Mi sandwich bread, meat and veggies were all good, but no flavor at all. I think it was missing sauce or mayo.

Called two days in advance for a takeout order of 30 small boxes (as opposed to large) of vermicelli/rice with lemongrass chicken.I had a vermicelli one. It comes with a sweet and sour liquid sauce, I pour it all in and mix. The chicken is boneless thigh with skin on (skin on is a bonus for me). It was juicy and seasoned excellently.I would definitely come back again. (Maybe try the large box.)

Always good sandwiches, wish the space is opened up to wait inside and more great desert like before pandemics. But you never disappoint either the cold cut and BBQ beef sandwiches.