BánhMì SUB — Restaurant in Calgary

Good but not what it was.

tldr; subs are now super sweet!

This is a cute little lunch place with good menu selection, great house-made fresh bread, good service and friendly staff. I've been going since they opened, but hadn't come since COVID. They used to make a great beancurd sub, and I loved the grilled pork. But today we came back and weren't happy with our beancurd subs at all. They were sooooo SWEET! The cucumber, which most Banh Mi places would leave raw and crunchy, is soft and sweet like American bread and butter pickles. The pickled carrots, which should balance sweet, salty and vinegary, are just sugary and no longer taste like carrot. And I didn't detect any daikon in there. The brown sauce on the beancurd is also now also super sweet like syrup (I recall it being savoury before). I also didn't detect any of the traditional banh mi butter spread on these, nor did it seem to have any mayo or hotsauce though we asked for all of the toppings. The bread seemed to still be good but I could not taste anything over the sugar and there was no crunch. The whole thing was just a blend of soft and sweet, like a dessert.

I love Vietnamese sandwiches for their freshness, the mix of crunchy raw veg and cooked items, and the base blend of umami, lightly pickled items, and creamy butter. (My favourite Banh Mi in Calgary is Saigon Deli - they taste soooo fresh, are never sweet, and their lemongrass tofu is amazing). BánhMì SUB was always a little different from other Vietnamese places in that they pickle all of their veg and aren't very crunchy, but I still really liked them and went out of my way for their beancurd (seriously, beancurd can be really good!). Alas, it's just too sweet for us now. The service is still good, the bread is still great, and the service was terrific. But we want more freshness and less sugar. Avoiding all that sweet stuff is why we avoid American and Canadian chain restaurants in the first place.

I still recommend this place for those new to Banh Mi. And last I tried it, their beef dip (stew with bread) was...

Review from guy visiting from Vancouver who eats a lot of Vietnamese food: I was in Calgary for 4 days and I popped in here 2 times. Coming to Calgary I was really wondering how the Vietnamese food compares to what is available in Vancouver. I was impressed with BanhMi Sub’s many menu options. First and foremost they are doing Banhmis but you can also get pho and bun. I also liked how they are open everyday at 8am so I could get in for breakfast and also order something for lunch too if needed. I tried the Breakfast skillets as this is an item that I don’t see too often back home. You get a skillet with two over-easy eggs, choice of protein and a fresh banhmi on the side. The two times I visited I tried a beef and a siumai (pork meatballs) skillet. I enjoyed the siumai version slightly more as it came with some tomato sauce which you could dip the banhmi into. For my takeout lunch I ordered a thit nuong (grilled pork) banhmi. If you’re not eating right away and you don’t want your bread to get too soggy you can request for them to put the veggies aside. I really enjoyed this one also as the pork was cooked nicely and very flavourful. If I had more time I would’ve liked to try their pho. Next time I’m in Calgary I guess!

Ray’s Tips: Plenty of parking shop front. Credit card payment accepted here. Opens early at 8am...

I’d be rating the service since I cameby today for a visit and honestly won’t be coming back. I supported a fundraiser where virtual coupons were sold to help out a cause. I trust the fundraiser as I knew the family that hosted it. I saw from the virtual coupons that Banh Mi were the supporters of this fundraiser and wanted to try their Vietnamese cuisine. But I was really disappointed when I came in as the cashier wasn’t aware to what these virtual coupons are and called in the owner. When the owner came in, she was very disrespectful and rude as I tried telling her that Banh Mi were the listed businesses that supported the fundraiser that offered coupons for their restaurant. I repeatedly told her to check their system as I have the redeemable ID code but I guess she too was unaware and forgotten? 🤷🏻‍♀️She asked me where I’ve gotten the virtual coupons from and accused me for lying. But to her end, she’s unaware to what her business put their commitments in. Towards the end, I guess everything came back to her senses and she apologized to me for forgetting. I could’ve paid for the full price but again I was just there to support a cause. So please be mindful of your...