Banh Mi Oven — Restaurant in San Jose

Not sure what changed after they moved from across the street, but the quality definitely went downhill.

We came here on the Fourth of July to grab sandwiches for the beach. Our go-to, Duc Huong, had a long wait (30+ minutes), so we decided to try this place instead.

The setup inside was strange. There was only one worker—an elderly woman with limited English. The menu screens weren’t even on, and a large shelving unit with packaged goods was awkwardly placed in the middle of the store. Oddly enough, there was also a sign about pharmacy check-ins, which made the space feel disorganized and confusing.

To add to the confusion, the worker refused to take card payments unless we placed our order through the self-serve kiosk—even though we were already ordering directly with her.

Hygiene was another issue. I couldn’t tell if she changed gloves between preparing orders or handling non-food items. She stapled our bag closed while still wearing the same greasy gloves she used to make the sandwiches, which is pretty concerning.

Unfortunately, the food didn’t make up for the experience. The bread was stale and definitely not fresh. The cold cut combo (#1) had American ham in it, which just didn’t belong, and the cha lua was super thin and skimpy.

All in all, we left disappointed and...

I initially gave this place a five star, but after my recent experience, I had to lower it to three stars. I’ve ordered sandwiches from here at least 6–7 times in the past, and until now, I had always been impressed—especially with their grilled beef sandwich. However, my most recent order, which was the first time I tried something other than grilled beef, was extremely disappointing.

I used their buy one, get one free offer on DoorDash to order some chicken banh mi. Unfortunately, the quality and quantity were not what I’ve come to expect. Unlike my previous orders, which were generously packed with meat and vegetables, these sandwiches were noticeably skimpy.

The worse part is that the sandwiches have so many bone pieces in them. I bit into several pieces, which completely ruined my appetite. If you’re going to offer discounts, please don’t sacrifice the quality or quantity of your food. Sadly, this experience has made me hesitant to order...

*updated review * I go here at least 3 times a week for their coffee. It will keep you fueled for a week. Not really, but it is very delicious and strong. Perfect. I just wish they had more pastries to go with it. I saw they added one, but it is really big and 5$. Also, please make a smaller coffee option, I would go there daily. The beef sandwich is really really good!

Updated 4/16. The last few times I've gotten coffee, it's no longer good. Super milky and has like a hazelnut flavor that is very prominent. Also I tossed my last sandwich the beef was way too sweet and rubbery.

I'm really not sure what happened after they moved but seeing the other recent reviews, im not alone. Service is SO SLOW, and it seems like staff physically cannot be bothered to multitask. The beef continues to be made of sweet rubber. The coffee tastes like milk with syrup. Im closing this chapter, Im wasting too much money in my attempts to redeem my favorite...