Dang Banh Mi

I moved into the neighborhood recently and came here on a whim with my fiancé, and I loved it! It seems like the negative reviews for this restaurant have to do with the authenticity of the sandwiches. I can’t speak to the authenticity but I got the tofu banh mi and it was delicious. I added a fried egg to mine which I would recommend. Also, the sandwiches are big enough to split into two meals (at least for me — fiancé finished his in one sitting). We will definitely be back!

Not sure what happened. But with each visit, the bang mi gets worse. It’s loaded with sauce and their veggies have an odd taste. Won’t go back.

So… after receiving a rather kind response from the business, we ventured out to lunch again today. This time we were feeding 4 people and EVERYONE seemed to love it. One thing that no one can argue about this place is the staff, they are all great and very helpful and friend. I’ll admit that most of the time I have a less than stellar experience at a place that I likely never return for a second visit. But this is definitely one of the times that it was worth the effort to come back and try again.
I was also pleasantly surprised to learn that the folks that own Plucker’s are who own this place. I’m an enormous fan of supporting local and have long loved going to Plucker’s, so it definitely adds an additional reason to like this place. Cheers guys, thanks for the lunch!

We ordered shrimp & chicken spring rolls — excellent! Big and fat with great flavor of lemongrass and fresh herbs.
Also ordered 2 original dang banh mi’s with a fried egg — it was different. Not quite what I was expecting, not what one expects when they think of banh mi. I can’t say it was bad, I just don’t think it’s for my palette. All the flavors were too overwhelming, or maybe underwhelming, and didn’t quite flow together. It was really sweet, which I didn’t care for, and there were no jalapeño’s or fresh produce on it — a major let down. My dining partner felt a little surprised by this version of the sandwhich as well, but he finished the whole thing. And they definetly don’t skimp on meat or ingredients… especially mayo ;)
Pros of the sandwhich: the bread was good and nicely toasted, and it was huge. They stuff that sandwhich to capacity with meat. And mayo.
As one Unilocal reviewer put it, «it’s the Jimmy John’s of banh mi’s.» Accurate.
This is Dang’s own personal spin on a banh mi, and I can’t deny that it was a unique experience.
Service was fast and friendly.
Maine soda fountain drinks!
Price was way too inflated, almost offensive — $ 27 for 2 banh mi’s, 1 order of springrolls, and soda. Pricey. I can get buy 3 get 1 free for $ 10 at my favorite banh mi spot! But I suppose this is a «trendy» type of place, with a «trendy» spin on the sandwhich, which means «trendy» prices.
I’m glad I tried it, you should too, just for comparison sake.

Their Banh Mi sandwiches are no where near what they should taste like. The ingredients are wrong. This feels, looks, and tastes like a chain that doesn’t even know how to cook the food correctly. People reviewing this place and giving it 5 stars have no idea what they are talking about and what true Banh Mi tastes like. Go somewhere else for Banh Mi.

I tried several of their sandwiches (beef, chicken, etc…) and I was quite surprised. Good food for a decent price. I would get food from here again.

1^st timer. Ordered Dang Bahn Mi Original. Not what I was expecting visually from a Vietnamese Sandwich. Not the ingredients I’m normally used to getting an Sandwich was a bit too salty for my taste. I normally get Vietnamese Sandwich at Little Saigon by Lamar & Kramer. No People, quit calling but Chinatown when a majority of the business there is Vietnamese. Call it for what it is, Little Saigon. :)

It was OK. Three stars are an easy decision.
The staff was wonderful and friendly and the place seemed really clean. Two snaps up right there! The young lady running the register was extremely pleasant and really made the place sing. Three snaps for you, young lady, not only for being pleasant but really knowing the menu and ingredients.
The sandwich… just OK. I love Vietnamese food, but this seems more like a 3^rd generation California rendition to please customers who cannot handle the taste and smell of Vietnamese food. I had the Dang Original, which has Char Siu pork belly, steamed pork tenderloin, pâté, ground pork, Char Siu sauce, cilantro, green onion, cucumber, sate’, Japanese mayo, pickled papaya and carrots and added an egg.
The problem was no flavor seemed to stand out. I ate about ½ in the car while also doing business on the phone, but for the life of me I cannot remember a specific flavor. It was well put together, held together well, but just boring in my own opinion.
Would I go back? Yes, if I was in the strip mall, and hungry. I would try something else however.

I went here specifically to have their fpho, they no longer serve it, nor do they have the oxtail sandwich. So I decided to try one of their sandwiches lemongrass pork sounds really good but the meat was really tough, and the French bread was also. The service was fine. Probably never go back to this place again.

Dang Banh Mi is clean, attractively decorated, and staffed by friendly folks. The location is good, though – as is the case with all of the businesses in that same plaza – parking can be virtually impossible at certain times. That, however, is absolutely not the fault of the restaurant; I bring it up solely so that people will be aware.
So why two stars? Well, because Dang Banh Mi just doesn’t hit that banh mi spot. I’m honestly not even 100% certain that I would _​call_​these sandwiches banh mi, so much as «banh mi-​inspired». The flavors are just off, the ingredients are atypical (the first time I visited, my banh mi had a fried egg on it. Tasted fine… just…weird, and not something I expect on a banh mi). There is a marked lack of sriracha, and (as others have noted) no fish sauce to be found for bun bowls.
Dang Banh Mi represents an extension of a trend wherein a beloved ethnic food is «upscaled» and anglicized by making it larger, more accessible, more «house-​made/​artisanal», and adding unique ingredients. While Dang Banh Mi isn’t bad, it’s very much banh mi for white folks who are scared to venture outside of their bubble.
About what you’d expect from a Vietnamese restaurant run by the folks from Plucker’s.
If you want a good banh mi in Austin, hit up Baguette House or Tam Deli, both on N. Lamar.

Been here three times now, and it never ceases to impress.
If you’re not some stuck up foodie who’s sole purpose in life is to go somewhere, find any reason not to like the food/​atmosphere/​décor, and write a review pretending to have a column in The New York Times when you’re really sitting on the toilet in your apartment on Unilocal — you’ll enjoy this place.
Food is always fresh, the french bread is fantastic. I don’t claim to know much about authentic Vietnamese food — but the sandwiches here are always great. I normally get the Dang Original and everything about it rules — tender pork, the mayo blends heinously well with the fresh cilantro, and a fried egg to top it off just completes the hat trick. The only thing I dislike are the pickled veggies — I enjoy them, but like it light rather than heavy. They’re always happy to accommodate this request.
Staff is always friendly, place is always clean, and the prices are really reasonable.

Would you go to eat seafood at a steak house? You can but you shouldn’t. That’s the mistake I recently made going to Dang BANH MI. My 4 stars is based on the sammiches you can get there. Everything has been good. The bread is crisp on the outside and warm on the inside. The protein selection has never treated me wrong, including the lemongrass tofu. The veggies are fresh. In summary, sammiches good.
The mistake I made was wanting to try the bun here. It on many levels wasn’t right. The noodles were cold which completely turned me off to the dish. Being cold, they were also a bit harder and drier as well. I’m used it being room temperature or warm and soft. The veggies were still quality but something about the noodles, which is the heart of the dish, made me regret ordering that. Should have stuck to what I know.

Okay yall I just got back from my third trip to Dang and the saying «third time’s a charm» hit me hard. First off I’d like to say that the owners really care about their customers and have listened to the feedback on here. Great in my books.
It was evident in the food as well. They finally had the oxtail in stock (yessss!) and it was absolutely worth the wait. The meat was cooked perfectly. It was tender, flavorful, and had that fatty goodness we love in our oxtail. The garnishes in the sandwich paired very well with the meat without overpowering it. Pretty damn amazing!
I also got the original Dang again and they must have changed something (besides adding more meat this time) because it tasted different than before… But in a good way. I really really enjoyed it this time around. It isn’t a traditional style banh mi but I don’t think that’s what they are going for here anyway. It is an elevated version and it is delicious. The bread even tasted better this time. They nailed it. I must have hit the jackpot today or they really have upped their game.
The prices are now also what I’d expect from a banh mi shop. Just right. I wanted this place to succeed so bad and now I’m happy to see that they are making changes for the better. I just added this to my go-​to lunch list.
TLDR They’ve upped their game and in my opinion this place is now worth putting on your go-​to list. Try it out of you haven’t already.

While the Banh Mi here was ok, I don’t think anyone would pay $ 6.50 for this, especially when there are other places here that charge half the price. I appreciate the Pluckers people going to Vietnam and trying to bring the authentic flavor back to Austin, but the sandwich just wasn’t authentic.
The Vietnamese coffee is good, but again nothing that you can’t get somewhere else, or make yourself.
The interior décor is great and the staff is friendly. But the food just doesn’t shine. I will however still continue going to Pluckers… so no worries, you didn’t lose a customer. lol

I am not the type to crave Banh Mi, but after trying their sandwiches at a Unilocal event, I wanted to come back for more!
We got the original banh mi sandwich with a fried egg on top — I would definitely recommend the egg if you haven’t tried it before! We also got the tofu spring rolls. The sandwich has really good flavors, but it was not very hot when it came out so it just didn’t have the same «wow» effect that it did the first time I tried it. The spring rolls and the peanut sauce were just as good as the first time around, though!
I would definitely recommend you check this place out yourself — they have a good variety of banh mi as well as phở and bun. It’s a decent price too, and the staff is super friendly!

It’s all about approachability. I’ve never been to Vietnam. I’ve had – what was said to be – some highly authentic Vietnamese cuisine in NYC, San Fran, and the like. But not everyone might be ready for that level of authenticity (i.e. a banh mi with head cheese that contains some visible and stomach turning animal parts or phở with all types of stomach lining).
Dang is super approachable in this way. If you’re on the hunt for the most authentic Vietnamese cuisine, this might not be your place (and, by the way, from where are your credentials?). If you want fresh, fun, and tasty food — you’ll love Dang.
The bahn mi are served on insanely fresh and crusty French bread with fresh fillings – a fun departure from your normal sandwich. The phở is impressive for a joint (no offense) run by two white guys. Piping hot, flavorful, and dare I say – somewhat healthy? I’ll definitely be back for the phở multiple times with the temp drops a bit. We also had a Bun (Vietnamese noodle bowl). Really more like a salad in that we mostly found lettuce and veggies – very small portions of noodles and meat… but this is ok – maybe this will be the new salad craze?
Love the interior. Love the Maine Root stuff on tap. Love the Tiger beer (from Singapore).
Can’t wait to be back.

My coworkers and I were craving banh mi sandwiches today. I thought I would try this place since it was only 2.5 miles away from our office and just opened 2 months ago. I will have to give this a 2 star. Why? Well the location is great, but parking can be such a pain. The phở wasn’t as good as other places I’ve been to in the Austin area. All of the banh mi sandwiches were way too expensive for what it was. You can go to Lilly’s Sandwiches or Baguette House for much cheaper at $ 4. This place charges you $ 7 (after tax). Kinda crazy eh? Thanh Nhi off of North Lamar sandwiches are great/​authentic as well (and cheap).
If there’s anything good I can say about this place is how clean they keep it. The staff are pretty quick and friendly. So I will give that to them. Other than that I won’t be coming here anymore unless someone is willing to pay for my meal.

3.5 stars
Dang, why did you change your sandwiches? Now, it’s $ 2 cheaper, filled with less protein and tastes nondistinctive. I liked your original sandwiches WITH the tomatoes. I ate it as it was served. Got my Dang original sandwich today and had to add hot sauce to make it good. I also got the lemongrass beef, which was bland; it tasted salty and black peppery and nothing else. Your staff really needs to be trained. Ordering is slow and chaotic.
People will come around. I’m not claiming to know «authentic» Vietnamese food, unlike others who aren’t even Vietnamese, but I know what I like in Vietnamese food. I’ve only experience Vietnamese cuisine from my family and friends and throughout my travels. My family is from central Vietnam and I thought the addition of tomatoes was totally legit, since my mom uses tomatoes in many «authentic», home-​cooked dishes. There is no tofu banh mi or jalapenos in Vietnam so I hope that you will go back to the recipe you learned in Hoi An. At least, leave the original Danh and then Vietnamese-​Americanize the other sandwiches.

I dined in during the grand opening for a late lunch and was pleased with the quick service. The décor is bright and beach themed to honor the lady who shared her recipes with the owners of Dang Banh Mi. The table set up are booths, communal seating and 2 – 4 tops.
I ordered the Char Sui Banh Mi which comes with chicken, Char Sui sauce, homemade pâté, fresh mint, cilantro, sliced cucumber, onions, lime, Japanese mayo, pickled papaya, carrots and a fried egg.
The Good:
— Great flavors from the mint, cilantro, pickled papaya, pâté and Char Sui chicken.
— While the fried egg makes for a messy eating the rich yolk compliments the sandwich and easily makes up for it.
–Quick service.
— When I asked to have the second ½ of my sandwich wrapped up they not only wrapped it up nice and tight, they also added a napkin, fork and offered to package up sauce too.
Room for improvement:
— Staff could learn the menu. (I asked upon ordering if they served unsweetened tea. The response was «I don’t know». I hesitated and offered to go look and the cashier replied thank you.)
— The bread did not seem super fresh.
— I am used to crisp veggies. The thinly sliced cucumbers and tomatoes made the sandwich too wet and the bread mushy.
— I thought the sandwich could use more veggies. It would be nice to add fresh veggies to the condiment stand.
The indifferent:
–The price is much higher than most places I get my banh mi fix from. $ 8 for a chicken sandwich seems steep I can see however paying more for their more unique offerings such as the oxtail.
Dang Banh MI is new and I am sure they will only get better with time. I would definitely return to try their oxtail banh mi, papaya salad and spring rolls.

I think the Tofu Bánh Mì here has as much chance of winning «Best Sandwich of the Year» as I have of capturing the «Stud Muffin of 78 704» award. Not that it couldn’t happen, I just don’t hang out in the 78 704 area much anymore.
Think Subway taking over every Bánh Mì place you’ve ever been to, and there you go. There’s nothing wrong with that actually, it’s just not what I’m expecting or looking for. Seriously, tomatoes? They also have Phở & Bun here, try them and let me know what you think. This has got to be some chain run by Anglos, and I hope they do well.
I think my problem with Dang Bánh Mì is Austin has so many Phở & Bánh Mì places run by real Asians, and the ones I frequent are faster, better, and cheaper than this place. I’m mildly curious what specific market segment they’re targeting here — people who have never eaten Vietnamese before? There’s nothing wrong with that either. Whatevs.
And finally, I go to lunch now & then with a small group of people I genuinely like to be around, and this place is next on their list. And it’s going to be the first time I’ve ever made up an excuse to not join them. Even for me, once is sometimes enough.