Banhmibois — Restaurant in New York

4.5 stars. This is my first experience with Banhmigos. I know they have a couple of locations in Brooklyn, but I believe this is their first in Queens. This location in Long Island City recently opened last month and is strictly a takeout business. I don’t think they are even set up yet for delivery. I could not locate a phone number for them online and their website is not taking online orders. Located right next to Ai Market (the two spaces are connected inside) this spot is tiny with just a counter for ordering. There isn’t anywhere to sit and eat, other than going next door tp the supermarket and sitting at their counter. The menu consisted of sandwiches, tacos, salads, rice bowls, rolls, and drinks. There is a kiosk near the counter for those paying with credit and who do not want to wait for counter service.

I ordered The Bulgogi Banhmi ($15), The Grilled Pork Tacos ($14) and Ice Vietnamese Coffee ($5). The Banhmi had marinated beef, kimchi, pickled radish, cucumbers, carrots, and cilantro. I asked for it to be Mild in spice level and it was perfect. The sandwich was full of flavor and the bread was nice and crusty but still chewy inside.

The tacos had grilled lemongrass pork, pickled radish, cucumbers, carrots, and cilantro. The carrots and radish tasted very fresh and crisp. The tacos were a nice hefty size (they did not skimp on ingredients). I found the pork to be a little bit tough, but it paired well with the butter and mayonnaise that was mixed with.

The Ice Vietnamese Coffee was good. It was rich and very strong. Overall, we really enjoyed the food here and would certainly order again when in the neighborhood.

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I’ve already been here 4 times since their soft opening. Food is a decent option but they really have to work out the kinks still. Expect to wait up to 20mins for your order if you go during lunch and order in person because they only have 2 staff working the entire operation which is not enough people when making sandwiches, bowls, tacos, etc.

The space is too small for the lunch rush so you need to stand in the AiMart while you wait, meaning you’re not even visible to the workers.

They added a kiosk machine to help with the rush but when they finish the orders they don’t even call out names or even acknowledge your existence. I waited 20mins and mentioned the contents of my order when they finally noticed me and they didn’t seem like they finished making it yet.

I had to realize myself that my order had been sitting finished in the corner for a good 10mins with no one saying anything.

They also added an online ordering system too which makes them really backed up. Why have it if they don’t know how to handle the orders? Classic problem as seen on The Bear. Feels like these guys have never worked at a fast casual...

First bite: immediately impressed. A loaded sandwich! The bread tastes fresh and adds a great crunch. The pickled veggies were very fresh and perfectly sweet. We got both the Classic and the Bulgogi. I liked the bulgogi better because of the flavor and the marinate was really well done. Partner liked the Classic better because he said it had a good combination of different flavors with the different meat. Vietnamese coffee was just plain great coffee ☕️ . Even tho it was the grand opening and they were extremely busy, staff was very kind and you can tell they were very efficient with good memories! Definitely going to be the best banh mi in the area. Can’t wait to try their other options and hopefully their quality stays the same because 10/10...