Saigon Vietnamese Sandwich Deli — Restaurant in New York

Came here with 2 buddies and I tried the Banh Mi Nem Nuong grilled minced pork with sweet glaze for $4.75. I had also tried their Banh Mi Pate pate supreme. pork liver pate, vn salami, vn ham a few days prior.

The reason for the 3 stars is because of the minced pork with sweet glaze sandwich. If I had only tried the pate supreme pork, it would have gotten 4 stars. I'll review both sandwiches.

Banh Mi Nem Nuong grilled minced pork with sweet glaze: I have to preface that I've never tried this type of sandwich back in CA so I can't compare it to back home but according to my friend, it's much better back at home. In any case, I had an issue with the pork. It was dry and too much pepper. Some people would say that it's well seasoned but the pepper is masking a weird flavor from the pork. I can't quite describe it. I almost want to say that it was a little sour, and that's not from the vegetables.

Banh Mi Pate pate supreme. pork liver pate, vn salami, vn ham: The pate here is excellent!! I definitely prefer this pate over Banh Mi Saigon Bakery which is about 2 blocks away. The pate here is more flavorful and perfect balance with the chili pepper. This reminded me more of home than the other place.

The store is really small here. Not as "upscale" looking as Banh Mi Saigon. If they could re-do the inside decor, this place would do even better. They also have a section that they aren't using. Not sure why. It's not blocked off. You can freely walk into the space when in the store. Weird.

Despite the 3 stars, I would recommend this place and I would...

You ever just wake up early and want to DOME a Banh Mi at 7am? Well, this spot is here for you.

At $10 for a pretty beast sandwich, Saigon Vietnamese Sandwich Deli is well capitalized to make my All Inflation Buster First Team.

I came with my big sis to catch up, as it had been a minute since our last link.

We walked into the 250 sf space off Broome St and took in the surroundings: The menu written in chalk above the counter, a big "cash only" sign on the register, framed pictures of the restaurant along with a framed 20,000 Vietnamese Dong bill ($0.79 usd).

I'm a purist so I ordered the House Special that came with Grilled Pork, VN Salami, VN Ham, Pate, Cilantro, and Pickled Veggies. The sweet and handsome Vietnamese dude at the counter asked if we wanted it “spicy or no spicy.” I gave a confident "Spicy," to which he said, "Extra Spicy, for you!"

We sat outside on a bench and began catching up over a couple of Banh Mi's, like real friends do. Just a Banh Mi and a dream.

I was really trying to get through this review without mentioning my trip to Vietnam, but I'm sorry. I have failed you: This turned out to be better than any Banh Mi I had in Vietnam. I think the meat in Vietnam, along with the Banh Mis being LOADED with pate, upset my tummy a little bit. Food health and safety is not one of Vietnam’s strengths tbh.

My stance on cash only is that it is a big risk. You gotta be like that to be cash only. You can't be cash only and not deliver. Thankfully, these Banh Mis were EASILY worth a trip to the ATM. I'LL BE BACK! ONE LOVE!

IG @jnov_ Tiktok...

How was the ordering experience? Pleasant. The lady behind the counter took my order and when the sandwich was ready, she brought it to me directly, coming out from behind the counter. Small touch, but a nice one!

How delicious was the food? Delicious! Fair warning, I LOVE cilantro. I realize that some people think it tastes like soap. So, be warned. If you are a cilantro hater, this sandwich is not for you. But three different kinds of meats plus some crazy veggies including spears of cucumbers made me VERY happy.

Did it fill me up for $5 or less? It was VERY filling, but as I mentioned, the final cost was $5.50. The more I think about the sandwich, though, the better I think the deal is overall. The sandwich is a BIG sandwich, though, so you will be sated after eating it.

Conclusion: Ah, the Lower East Side – so annoying for me to get to from home, but a great destination for cheap eats. Luckily it’s not too far of a walk from work. This Banh Mi is delicious and no matter what city you are in, if you haven’t tried Banh Mi, do some research and find it. It’s worth it! Did I mention this one has THREE different kinds of...