163 Vietnamese Sandwiches & Bubble Tea

In the heart of Chinatown. Great place to grab some Vietnamese subs (~$ 4) and coffee ($ 1.50 for small hot cup). Service is really quick and they’re always really friendly. Cash only!

I love Banh mi sandwiches so I’ve tried every shop in Chinatown. This one is conveniently located on Harrison and Kneeland and easy to find. They offer a range of sandwiches and prepared meals. I ordered the cold cut Banh mi. The sandwich wasn’t the best I’ve had and gave me a stomach ache. I don’t know if it was a one off so would probably give it another try.

Vegan banh mi sandwiches and good prices. One of our go to spots for fast and affordable Chinatown takeout. Tofu and vegetarian duck are equally yummy and staff is nice. Cash only and typical street parking for the area. Have not tried their bubble tea.

tried their bbq beef sandwich. the beef was seasoned pretty well. but the other components of the sandwich (ie. pickled carrots and radishes, cilantro, «butter» spread, etc.) were lacking. the point of a vietnamese sandwich is to have all the flavors and textures mesh together to create an explosion of taste and crunch but the beef overpowered everything. don’t get me wrong, I love meat as much as the next guy but in terms of a banh mi, i’ve had better.
service isn’t the friendliest. just grab your food and go.

I expected so much from this place. Based on the reviews I was so sure.
Food– good. Service– not so good.
It’s not too big of a deal but I clearly asked for no cilantro on both of my cold cut sandwiches. I didn’t find out until after I had left the shop that there were cilantro in both…
Another thing– after I got my two sandwiches I asked them if they were cut in half and the guy goes BLUNTLY with an attitude «you didn’t ask». At that point I was upset because normally sandwiches are already cut in half so I wanted to make sure they were cut since I was sharing the subs with my friends. I wasn’t holding any one up so I don’t understand why I received the attitude I received.
Good food poor service end of story.

I used to come to this place everyday for lunch when I was working in the finance district. The sandwiches are under $ 4, they could’ve raised their prices recently so I’m not sure. They have fried dumplings there that are amazing. They also have rice dishes that comes premade in a plastic container that are really good as well. I usually get a sandwich along with dumplings or a rice dish if I’m super hungry.
Haven’t tried their bubble tea yet so I’m not sure how good it is. It’s cash only. This is a great place to go if you’re hungry and want to spend less than $ 10 on lunch.

I got a pork sandwich for a long bus ride. It was tasty but a little spare on the ingredients, and more expensive than a banh mi should be I think.

When I visit Boston, I always make a stop here.
Is this the best I’ve ever had? No. But it’s probably the best I’ve had in Boston. This is because compared to neighboring banh mi shops, the sandwiches have more meat and the meat is much more flavorful.
I usually like to try new places to find the best place to eat, but I’m done searching. This is my go-​to place from here on out!
Bonus points: They speak Cantonese and don’t make fun of me or eventually give up and just respond to me in English.

granted I only had the cold cut sandwich which was cheap 3.75. Sandwich had good bread but didn’t have the classic kick from jalapeños and meat and pickle vegetable filings was light. But it’s cheap.
Cash only.

Great place for those looking for a quick cheap bite to eat. Assorted prepped lunchboxes and sandwiches for under $ 5. My fave is the curry chicken with stir fried noodles. The portion is just right for days when I don’t have a huge appetite but still want something tasty. Can’t wait to try other lunch boxes next time.

I got the banh mi nem nuong (pork patty viet sandwich)! It had really flavorful garlic sauce inside the sandwich and it was amazing! The sandwich typically comes with pickled carrots and turnips, but IMO, they were not pickly enough. It should be both tangy and tart at the same time. Maybe another day of soaking would’ve done the trick. I liked that the cilantro was really fresh and the bread was very crispy! Additionally, they actually put a lot of meat in it, unlike other places.
Definitely a great place, but I have definitely had better.

Still going there almost daily… Love the BBQ Pork and Beef Banh mi’s. They are delicious and cheap.
And their egg rolls for a buck are also awesome-​o.
Go there, go now, be happy.
Manja!
J

Let’s say you have 10 minutes for dinner. What are your options? If you are in close proximity to Chinatown, 163 offers reasonably priced banh mi. This no frills establishment has added BBQ and grilled pork to their sandwich menu recently.

Not bad, not bad.
The price is a little steep for a banh mi since I’m used to the huge portions and cheap prices back in Los Angeles, but when you think about it, $ 4 for a sandwich as a meal is not bad at all.
I got the BBQ pork banh mi, and it was superb. I’ve only ever had it with a harder type of skinny baguette but this one was like a French bread, thicker, the crust flaky but the insides fluffy. It came dressed in tons of butter (a little too much for my taste), soy sauce seasoning, veggies, and meat. I forgot to ask for jalapeños but according to Unilocal I can do that. I’ll be sure to include them next time.
If you want a quick lunch or dinner and are in the area, I would definitely check this place out. Get 2 or more; after I finished mine I kinda wanted another one for later!

This is the worst Vietnamese sandwich and worst customer service. I only write reviews on restaurants that are very good or exceptionally bad. I came in this place and got 2 cold cut Vietnamese sandwiches for the first time and forgot to let the lady who made these sandwiches know that I want them spicy when I placed the order with her. First, it is NOT even a REAL Vietnamese sandwich. There were only 2 types of cold cut meat, in addition to butter, soy sauce, cilantro, marinated carrots and raddish, cucumbers, onions. The real Vietnamese sandwich has 3 types of cold cut meat, and also has meat spread. This place’s sandwich doesn’t even have meat spread. In addition, it has only 3 slices of each of the 2 types of cold cut meat, that barely cover the full size of the bread. I saw it and asked for extra meat, and had to pay extra $ 1 for them, alone not even taking about the portion of the cilantro, cucumber, etc. I told the lady when she was about to make the 2^nd sandwich that I want them spicy, she literally told me that I need to tell her at the time of placing the order or else I won’t get it next time. Seriously? How hard is it to take the 1^st sandwich that already in the bag out and add red peppers over it? Btw, there won’t be «next time». I ended up paying a total of $ 9.50 for these two sandwiches, especially when my husband and I will be ended up eating just «bread /​flour». My husband said that it was so dry.
For those who gave good reviews on the cold cut sandwich of this place, please ensure that you have tried other places in Chinatown or elsewhere in Boston, and ensure that you know how a «REAL» Vietnamese sandwich tastes like and its ingredients!

I love this place! Came across it when I stayed at a nearby hostel and my life hasn’t been the same ever since. I love to try hole-​in-​the-​wall restaurants everywhere I go because more often than not, they turn out to be hidden gems. This one isn’t a hole-​in-​the-​wall place ‘per-​se’ but it is less well known.
I am Vietnamese and love trying Vietnamese foods at different places during my travels. Next to bun rieu (specifically the one in DC’s Eden Center) and banh cuong (in Montréal’s Chinatown), the banh mi here is my next favorite.
I usually get the cold cut sandwich and ask for them to add hot peppers (I like things spicy) — even better if you request extra butter or pâté. Yum! When my friends visit me in Boston, I usually take them here. You really can’t get many things in the city that this delicious and this cheap ($ 4 for the sandwich I get and $ 3.75 for the BBQ beef).

163 offers tasty banh mi sandwiches and pork noodle salad (vermicelli) among other Vietnamese goodies. The staff provides quick, no-​nonsense service, making it a great place for a quick bite. Since many of the Unilocal reviews describe the banh mi, I will focus on the pork noodle salad. All in all, it was yummy though the spring rolls were a little soggy. It did not taste fresh. But to be fair, the noodle salads were pre-​made unlike the sandwiches.
Overall, positive experience and hope to be back to try other things from the menu!

Came here during the Moon/​Mid-​Autumn Festival and decided to check 163 out. We ordered two Pork Bahn Mi sandwiches with a Red Bean Bubble Tea and a Limeade Ice Tea. Our total was $ 12 – 13. Overall the wait was about 5 – 8 minutes.
First off, the drinks were really refreshing and delicious. The Red Bean Bubble Drink in particular was perfect– no artificial syrupy taste– just a natural subtle sweetness from Red Bean. It was amazing. Sandwiches were quite large for only being $ 4.50 which is wonderful. There was a subtle taste of fish sauce– which is something I’m not quite used to in my Bahn Mi Sandwiches but it didn’t bother me at all just a interesting note to keep in mind.
Overall a cheap, quick meal. No complaints.

Great place to walk in and grab a quick, inexpensive lunch. 5 minute walk to Boston Common and some good shopping, so if you’re just on a lunch break and need a place to grab food while on a walk or you’re out on the town, this is a nice little spot. I probably waited 2 – 3 minutes for my sandwich to be ready.
I got the BBQ Beef sandwich, and it was a great deal for under $ 4. The pickled vegetables were really good, and there was a generous portion of meat. It wasn’t the conventional BBQ flavor you would expect to get at most places, but it definitely tasted good. The only thing wrong (if you can call it «wrong» given the price of the sandwich) is that there was a little too much bread for the amount of filling. I know, what a problem to have, right?

The Vietnamese subs are solid. The staff is friendly and the little restaurant is pretty clean. They are open for long hours in case you need a yummy bite to go. Oddly and absolutely devastatingly, they do not have Sriracha! I have never come across an Asian restaurant without my holy grail condiment.

The Vietnamese subs and spring rolls are solid. The staff is friendly and the little restaurant is pretty clean. They are open for long hours in case you need a yummy bite to go. Oddly and absolutely devastatingly, they do not have Sriracha! I have never come across an Asian restaurant without my holy grail condiment.
There are only two or three little tables, so I recommend getting take out.

While walking through China Town we were craving some bubble tea, so we decided to stop in at this shop. The staff was extremely polite and the selection of bubble teas were impressive.
We ended up purchasing a few flavors and overall they were great. This shop also sells a few different types of sandwiches, but we had just filled our faces with food so we didn’t get to try it out. That being said, everything here smelled delicious.
The final purchase we made here was a packet of green looking gelatin. It was an interesting consistency and we aren’t quite sure what it’s called. It was definetly a great experience and we would stop here again in the future.

Now this is a first… fake duck vegetarian meat sandwich that I’ve ever had.
The vegetarians next to me are complaining that their bahn mi sandwiches don’t taste like duck or chicken and instead taste like tofu.
Um, no duh Sherlock Holmes.
That’s why it’s fake meat. But as they’re talking about vegetarianism I’m just laughing since I can hear what they really want is some real meat.
Nothing replaces real meat.
The sandwiches here are okay. The fake duck thing was chewy and covered in veggies so that if you pretend hard enough you may believe it’s real duck or chicken or whatever fake meat you ordered.
I’m no vegetarian, and they had real meat, but I just wanted to try their chewy fake tofu duck just for kicks.

The only spot in China Town where I get Banh Mi.
They make the sandwiches really good, good bread, good meats, and pickled veggies-​I usually just go for the cold-​cut combo. They will ask if you want it spicy (I usually don’t, but you can).
There’s only one table in there so order to go.
CASH ONLY

This tiny restaurant is an unassuming gem on a random corner in Chinatown. You’re bound to stumble upon on it if you walk through Chinatown since the area is already so small. Without any expectations or prior Unilocal research, I walked in & ordered a vegetarian banh mi. FYI, banh is not pronounced «bon» like that popular food truck implies.
I was greeted by a friendly woman at the cashier & my sandwich was made quickly. For $ 3.50-$ 5.00, these sandwiches, however on the smaller side, are still very filling & delicious. Crunchy & authentic, I don’t think you could really go wrong.
Only complaint is that there should’ve been mayo in the banh mi as is tradition or at least some fake pâté. Very excited about this discovery & I’ll be back for more!

+ Only place in town with those Viet Sandwiches!
+ variety of random Asian eats at cheapo prices!
+ Good pearl milk-​tea drinks
+ fair priced: saving the $$!
— no place to sit
— cash only (typical)
— BBQ pork is always out :(
Everytime I roll into the Boylston T stop either for a movie or to stroll the park… I’ll always grab a sandwich or two from 163! At only $ 3.50ish each, it’s the best deal in town for a full meal. It’s not a sit down place (literally, they only have ONE table) but the food is quickly served and deliciously sauced and seasoned.
Don’t be fooled by all the other places that say they sell the sandwiches or have a picture in their window of sandwiches, because this has pretty much been the only place I’ve found that serves them! Grab a few to go and then don’t forget to check out their drinks menu! All the boba drinks are good as is the avocado shake. If you’re looking for some caffeine, the Vietnamese coffee is a serious contender as well. ENJOY (on your way out the door that is… since there’s no sitting here).

I haven’t tried a lot of Vietnamese sandwich places around Boston because I found the place I like, which is this place. I usually get the cold cut sandwich here and they never disappoint! It has been consistently good every time I order from here. I wish they used the long and thin french breads though instead of that fat roll. The bread gets too crunchy.
The price is reasonable and every ingredient they used was good. The pâté was the right flavor, they balance the meat with the pickled carrots/​turnip and cilantro. I definitely have been coming here ever since I found this place out almost once a week.
I haven’t tried other items on their menu but they have rice, noodles, and other sandwiches as well.