Banh Mi Cafe

Prefacing this that my order was takeout so no comment on service or ambiance. The review is 100% about my order/food.Food (3/5): Ordered a Grilled Pork Banh Mi with House Fish Sauce. I'll start with the good and end with the bad.For a banh mi, it was definitely larger in portion than most banh mis I've had. For a $13 banh mi, you are getting a pretty sizeable sandwich but that's as far as the pros go.Taste was very bland. The only taste you can get from the sandwich is probably the House Fish Sauce which for such a typically pungent sauce that has lots of flavor, was lacking heavily and I'd even hesitate to say the taste was subtle. Bread was texturally a nuisance. Way too tough to bite through. Lacked taste also and could benefit from brushing it with butter. The pickled fillings were a complete dud and disappointment. The pickling of the veggies were lacking in seasoning and flavor again. It seemed that they were pickled in nothin but water and maybe some vinegar. Compared to well pickled banh mis which usually have a nice balance of salt, sugar, and vinegar - this one fell flat completely. Couldn't find or taste the pate which is a standard ingredient in banh mis. I can't recall if the banh mi was supposed to have pate but if it did you couldn't taste it. Something such as pate is pretty standard and it just didnt have any. Since I can't recall if the sandwich had pate, I won't factor that into the rating but just a note to look out for.Now perhaps the star of the show - the pork. 80% of my sandwich was pure pork fat. I had maybe 2 solid pieces of actual protein. So I basically had a plain veggie banh mi with no sauce or flavor. Dry is the best way I could describe it. The meat itself was pretty dry and poorly marinated. It had little to no flavor and this is probably where the House Fish Sauce was supposed to shine but it didn't.So in conclusion, the banh mi here is just a sandwich. Only worth getting if you're really hungry. Giving it 3 stars because it was complete neutral tasting sandwich. It wasn't bad. It wasn't poor in quality. It wasn't disgusting or vile in any way. It just wasn't good. Giving it a 2 star just makes it seem inedible which it wasn't. Giving 3 stars also seems a bit too high. If I could , I'd give this a 2.5 stars. Again, not poor in condition or quality, but just not even good and lacking in a lot of departments to qualify as a banh mi. Most mom and pop shops will serve you a pretty good banh mi. I just wouldn't come here for one personally.

Stopped here for a weekend late lunch. The place is really take out only but there is a small counter seating area with three stools for anyone that wants to eat in. The person taking our order at the counter was so friendly! We ordered the beef vermicelli bowl, the shrimp spring rolls and the Vietnamese iced coffee with condensed milk. Beef vermicelli bowl was decent size for the price point (12.99). Some pieces of beef were not as tender but it had good flavor. The veggies were very fresh and had a nice crunch. The shrimp rolls were fresh! You could tell by the wrapping that it was made to order. The peanut sauce was okay... I prefer the sauce with a little more hoisin sauce mixed in. The Vietnamese iced coffee might seem a bit steep at $7.50 for the large but it was delicious and they use the very fine shaved iced so most of the cup is coffee. Overall a good experience and will likely come back when in the area!

I was excited to see that there's finally banh mi closer to where I live, instead of needing to head into Chinatown or out to Quincy. I will say this is more of a takeout spot as the restaurant is tiny, but there are a few bar seats by the window.I ordered the classic cold cut sandwich - something about the sauce and/or the pate didn't taste exactly how I would expect traditional banh mi to taste, but it was still pretty good and was able to quench my banh mi craving for the time being. I will say that I was not the biggest fan of their milk tea with boba - the milk tea tasted a bit watered down for my taste and the boba had more of a crunch to it than a soft, chewy texture. Next time I'm craving banh mi, I'll be sure to make a stop back at Banh Mi Cafe.

A tiny Banh Mi shop located in Watertown. Very happy this place opened. It's convenient for when I want to grab lunch.Their Vietnamese iced coffee is STRONG. Be warned. This is how I had it in Vietnam and it was sooo good. But if you don't like strong coffee, you should opt for another drink. Personally, this is just how I like it.I tried the beef Banh Mi. It was so good. Bread is fresh and the veggies are crisp and refreshing. Had a bit of a spice to it, which was perfect. I think from the peppers on it. The staff is so friendly too. I would highly recommend popping by this gem for take out sandwiches and iced coffee. There is street parking, but main street can get hectic during rush hour. Lunch time is a breeze though.

Anyone claiming to be a sandwich fanatic would know that the Vietnamese-take with their banh mi is a flavorful rainbow tickling just about everything on your tongue and the right amount of textural differences that excites the culinary palate. So as obvious my bias is to the banh mi, I've been quietly awaiting their soft opening to try at least two sandwich before eventually ordering their whole menu over a span of a week or a month. I visited at the later part of the day on the final leg of their soft opening and ordered two banh mi to-go just to visually watch how their team worked together amidst an unexpected rally of customers repeatedly entering the doors (wow - there are a lot of people who love a good sandwich - surprise...surprise).There are definitely a lot of growing to do BUT they are handling it quite well. I'm sure they will figure it out as each day progresses so let's talk food, which is always what really matters.Size...is pretty generous and the banh mi is *stuffed* all the way.Bread had both the crunch and the chew.Meat - both beef and chicken - were salty, sweet, and succulent - WIN!Garnishes were tart, sweet, and bouncy on the bite - WIN again.Jalapeños were not remotely having any heat - unexpected.Can't wait to be back again.Still my favorite "sandwich" and glad it's even more accessible with their location in Watertown. Welcome and best wishes for 2024!

Excited to have a banh mi store open up so close to where I live! We tried the classic cold cut and the chicken. Both were delicious. The bread was nice and crisp on the outside, but fluffy on the inside. I loved the marinade for the chicken. I think I liked the cold cut slightly more - those meats and that pate was amazing. They have a really nice blend of ingredients for these banh mi. They are also decently filling!We also got a green milk tea with boba. Unfortunately, I don't think the boba here can compete with that of a dedicated boba shop, but it was decent. The tapioca was a tiny bit hard, but not too bad. At $4.50, it is a dollar cheaper than most boba stores, so that's nice.Prices are reasonable. I'll definitely be back for some more banh mi and possibly desserts. There are only 3 seats if you want to eat in the store, by the way. Service was very friendly and quick during weekday lunch!

Solid banh mi shop in Watertown square area. The location is small but still has some countertop seating. It's located next to o'some coffee. You can order at the register or at the touch screen. The banh mi baguette appeared too hard but it was surprisingly crusty on the outside and moist on the inside. The cold cut banh mi had some mild heat from the jalapeños and the pickled veggies added a nice crunch. Friendly staff and yummy food and drinks. The price is slightly more than what you see in NY Chinatown or Dorchester but the quality is decent for the greater Boston. I feel like the banh mi here is better than Pho Viet.

Great addition to the area but I think giving it 5 stars is a tough ask. Their seasoning and sauces are bit less traditional and for me the Pate on the cold cuts didn't hit right compared to the classic recipes found at other Vietnamese sandwich shops. Also given the location, it's a bit pricier so I would say this is a more gentrified experience that doesn't top going to Dorchester or Quincy. I prefer the beef over the cold cut here and the drinks are ok too. I wish they had smoothies like avocado and even durian but seems like they don't want to take that on. Their bread is good though, not too hard or tough to chew. Hoping to see their full menu and if they make any changes to the recipe but again it's nice and convenient for the location. Tiny shop, barely room to stand inside let alone sit.

So my expectations were low going in, but I was pleasantly surprised. These banh mi were as big as the ones I used to enjoy when I worked in Chinatown ages ago. The bread was perfect, crusty and chewy at the same time. We had the grilled beef, pork, and chicken and each of them came loaded with toppings and meat. Highest quality and super authentic for me. We also got the bubble tea- honeydew and brown sugar. Also delicious. I'm psyched this place landed on Main Street and I hope it does well.

I tend to rate Vietnamese food pretty hard bc I grew up with so much Asian food in Los Angeles. For the Boston area, this is solid, quick Vietnamese food. Got it after 7 hours of studying and it hit the spot. Everything finished with no crumbs! I am looking forward to trying their amazing looking drinks!10000/5 service. The ladies are so nice and so kind. We witnessed them give away a boba to someone who was short on bills. This is generous for a small business and it shows that their heart is in the right place.They offer 10% discount to students and first responders and discount when you pay in cash. Highly recommend if you're seeking a yummy, quick, convenient meal and you happen to be seeking some fresh ingredients and solid Vietnamese food. Beef Banh mi: 8/10 spring rolls: so fresh!! 6/10 (they assured me they wanted to make this fresh for us and apologize for the wait which wasn't even that long. Breaks to rate it 6/10 but have definitely had better vermicelli bowl: 7/10 PACKED with meat!!!