ALEX ‘N’ ROLLS — Restaurant in Sydney

This place has 5 star food but 1 star service and communication.

The food is amazing - easily the best banh mi in the inner west and puts the famed Marrickville Pork Roll to shame. The selections are amazing and the banh mi and sticky rice is amongst the best I've ever had not only in Australia but even in Vietnam. You can see how much care is put into each banh mi.

This is where I begin to have issues - it take a anywhere between 3 to 5 minutes to make one roll. You can imagine the wait if the there 5/6 people in front of you. There is ZERO sense of urgency. I understand that you have to make a good banh mi, but the time taken is just far far too long. A lot of people come here to pick up their lunch and a lot of people leave after witnessing no one getting their order for 5/10 minutes. The wait is insufferable especially considering banh mi is supposed to be a quick lunch option for a lot of people. It saddens but I really want to see this business improve and get better.

My other issue is communication. It is not unusual for lines of 10 people to be waiting for 20/30 minutes only to be told there is no pork or chicken available. It's almost like the people working here don't think to look up or care about customer satisfaction.

I really want to see this place improve and take off and become very successful - their rolls and sticky rice plates are the best I've ever had. But they need to honestly start addressing the severe delays and lack of communication...

LET ME TRY TO SUMMARISE ALL REVIEWS: This place is for the food lovers, not the people who want quick service and constantly believe "the customer is always right". Here, Alex is always right. Always. There are no negotiations.

Like the weather, you play to its natural rhythm and be prepared for any outcome. But when it is open, that is your first mission complete. Good start, the second is "what they have left or what they decided to make that day".

Go with the idea that "you will get what you are given", don't go with expectations of "I really fancy a Banh mi with BBQ pork", this is amateur hour when it comes to Alex n Roll. (There are also next to no seats, so probably do takeaway)

The final hurdle is the wait times. Sometimes I wonder if it tastes so good because by the time you finally get it you've lost a few pounds. I often order then go and do my weekly shopping, then by the time I come back, I only have to wait 45 mins.

BUT the final thing I would say is I KEEP going back, because if you manage to get over all hurdles, there is one hell of a flavour bomb waiting for you on the other side. Doesn't matter what is left, it's all great. That is why they are still open, still have customers, because they only care about the food. Not your emotions or traumas. Their food will solve that.

If you want a basic easy life, go to Marrickville Pork Roll. They have a system that beats any system you've seen elsewhere, but don't expect the Alex n...

Top contender for best pork roll in Sydney. Caveat: Even with their success and popularity with the locals, I've occasionally and disappointingly found them closed despite the business hours posted on Google. For a heads up before you visit, best to check the dedicated Facebook page: "Is Alex 'N' Rolls Open?!?!" Read on for my review: The bread is lightly re-toasted for a crisp exterior while the inside of the bread is soft and gives way easily with every bite. No need to fear getting jabbed in the gums with shards of crust! The homemade paté is amazing and unique to this particular style of pork roll. The meats are juicy and flavourful (my usual picks are the caramalised pork roll and BBQ pork roll). All the savoury flavours are well balanced with the addition of pickled veggies, cucumber and spring onions. Also noted that they add the homemade sauce to dress the meat before assembly. This particular attention to detail means the meat remained moist and tender, and the roll did not get soggy even after my 17 minute trip home to enjoy my lunch. Care is taken to make sure each roll is assembled thoughtfully for your enjoyment, but as a consequence, the service can be a little slow and the queue can back up during peak meal times. A must try for pork roll fans if you are lucky enough to be there when...