Ba Xuyen

bamh mi for $ 5. what else do you need to know? oh yeah this place is not a palace. youre here to eat for five bucks. fresh ingredients and fast service even when they are very busy. i dream about the day miami gets more vietnamese restaurants that are this affordable and delicious.

I’ve been to about sixteen banh mi places all over the city, and Ba Xuyen is #2 (Saigon on Broome is #1, but only by a little bit). First of all, the staff are friendly and the prices are great. The shakes are a great added bonuses (the durian is probably the best).
But the sandwiches. Here’s everything Ba Xuyen does right:
Meat: properly cooked (not dried out and sauce-​compensated like some places) and in perfect proportion to the veggies and bread. Always laid across the sandwich evenly, never bunched up.
Veggies: hearty amounts of cilantro, cukes, radish, and carrots, pickled long enough to enrich the vegetables but not too long to make them soggy. Also laid out perfectly across the bread, matching the meat bite for bite.
Bread: Almost always super-​fresh (Sundays aren’t stale, but usually not perfect), toasted correctly.
Sauces/​spreads: The pâté doesn’t overwhelm the sandwich, but still clearly flavors the whole ensemble. Butters, mayos, and other sauces are potent, but always in balance with the meat and veggies. The sandwiches are never dry or wet, just the right amount of moist.
I’ve eaten maybe a hundred sandwiches here, and I always finish satisfied.

3.5 stars. The chicken leg meat banh is good. It’s no. 9 on the menu. For only 5 bucks you get a pretty large sandwich. The other menu items are good as well. Don’t really care for noodles. The iced viet coffee is pretty good. Complaints inconsistency. They were also missing pork on a few occasions. It’s self serve.

Best Viet Sandwich place out there 5 stars would come again and plus they make also great viet coffee

Excellent Vietnamese Sandwich! Their spring rolls were large and delicious. The fish sauce that goes with them was perfect. They say you haven’t tried Vietnamese sandwiches until you have tried this place and now I know why. WOW!

Stumbled into this sandwich shop because I read about all the Unilocal love and it didn’t disappoint. Located on a strip of Asian eateries, the neighborhood lends a strong measure of credibility to this shop, and walking in I was greeted by the friendly counter people who were patient with my lack of real knowledge of Vietnamese food. The sandwiches are really inexpensive — about $ 5 for a solid bahn mi — and the smoothies are about $ 3 each. I opted for the #1 and Lychee and they were both spot on.
I also noticed another patron eating soup (phở?) but didn’t see it on the menu — something to ask about next time I visit.
Note that this isn’t fancy by any measure — in fact, the walls are pretty bare and there are just a couple of cafeteria style tables, encouraging takeout — but the price and sandwich quality really stand out.

If you’re Vietnamese and you’re from New York… Then there’s no way you don’t know about Ba Xuyen. This place is the quintessential bahn mi shop to go to among all the Vietnamese people. I grew up eating my Vietnamese sandwiches from here, and even my relatives from out of town that are visiting only picks up their Vietnamese sandwich from Ba Xuyen!
Tasty, filling, and cheap made with alot of love in their bahn mi. It’s also bigger than most places. Do not forget to enjoy it with their delicious avocado shake! It’s a no-​frills gem with modest service, I’m giving 5 stars just based on the vietnamese sandwich alone. It’s my personal favorite and the best classical one in NYC.

I’ve been eating at this place since I was 10 years old or so! My dad would always buys the classic and leave it for me at home when I get back from school.
Always ask for it to be extra toasted! I would normally go between the classic or just the Fried egg banh mi (which is not on the menu).
A great place to pick up quick Vietnamese breakfast like the summer rolls, spring rolls, coffee & etc. Their avocado shake is to die for!
Sandwiches to go for:
Classic
Egg Banh mi
Sardine sandwich
Grilled chicken leg sandwich (if they still have it)
Drinks:
Vietnamese ice coffee with milk
Vietnamese ice black coffee
Iced tea with lemon
Avocado shake
Quick bites:
Summer rolls
Spring rolls

One of the best banh mihs ive had in NYC. i saw a lot of different kinds of folks, from hipsters to old Asian ppl drinkin coffee, so it suggests that this place is pretty well known! The #1 was good. The bread is toasted well

So good that even my picky family likes this place.
This place isn’t fancy and is far from the train. But it’s good. So worth it. Perfect balance of meat and vegetables and the bread isn’t stale.

I DIED.
Forget every Bahn Mi you’ve ever tasted because it is all obsolete. It all has meant nothing. I think I like this even more than Hanco’s (but that is like comparing In-​n-​out with Shake Shack)
THE.BEST.BAHN.MI.I.HAVE.EVER.HAD.
Los Angeles, you’re done. Your sandwiches are nothing compared to Brooklyn’s.
The bread was so heavenly fresh, and even dense. You know that moment when bread becomes cooked in the oven, when it goes from raw grayish moist to off white soft yet STILL moist? They got that point to the nearest second. It was the best baguette for bahn mi i’ve ever had.
****Had the #1 PATE (pâté, ham, BBQ pork roll) and #8 GRILLED PORK — UFFF, the feeling I got from the first bite. Crunchy, soft, then protein then veggies. What in the world just happened? Your life will flash before your eyes. Until you take the next bite.
ALL BAHN MI $ 5 (see pic)
***Ca Phe $ 2.75, typical. Strong, not overly sweet. YES.
This made my day, before coming back to LA. I would eat this before I died. At least you’re guarantee being in heaven for a moment.

I had the spicy grilled pork bahn mi and shrimp spring rolls. The grilled pork had a nice flavor, but not at all spicy. The roll was soft in the inside and crusty on the outside, just how I like it. The spring rolls were inexpertly wrapped (it looked like I tried to make them). Luckily the ingredients weren’t falling out of the gaping holes. The spring rolls were very good and I really liked the bit of pork they put in it.
The prices of the banh mi sandwiches have gone up to $ 5. Cash only. Good place for lunch if you’re local, but it’s not worth making a trip out here.

I love a good Banh Mi viet sandwich and usually get them from the various places that sell them around 8^th ave because they don’t have any good places in Bensonhurst (that I know of).
I was looking for a good place and decided to use the trusty Unilocal — I was not disappointed and now I make this out-​of-​my-​entire-​way trip to get this sandwich. It is just so delicious and has this really tender, definitely homemade meat and just all around delicious. I can’t do spicy so I’ve never tried it that way, but maybe I will.
Now I just got myself riled up to go get one :)
If you like viet sandwiches, you won’t be disappointed at Ba Xuyen!

Ba Xuyen is like when you’re on a game show and your prize is a Pub. Complete with beer on tap and a rowdy Friday night crowd. Now that’s what I call a «Bar Win.»
I think the Bahn Mi here is pretty good, but when you’re comparing it to the best of the best (which for me so far is one in San Francisco, and even more so, Nam Nam of Brooklyn), you’re going to end up disappointed by comparison.
Still, this is tasty, it’s on nice crusty bread, it’s well done. I think it’s the meat that doesn’t come close to Nam Nam, or maybe it’s just everything put together. I can’t tell.
So, in conclusion… a perfectly passable Bahn Mi. Good, but not great. 4 star, but not 5. Try it, but absolutely do not miss Nam Nam because I think you might come to the same conclusion as I did.
And if you want to sing while you crunch your way through the Bahn Mi, just sing «Ba Ba black sheep, have you any Xuyen?»

So, how does one judge Ba Xuyen in a city with surprisingly limited options for good Vietnamese?
Was it the best Banh Mi I’ve had in New York? Yes. Unquestionably. The bread is almost always perfect in terms of texture and warmth. The fillings are always great: plentiful and with the right effects of freshness and spice.
But, was my life incomplete without it? Ummm… No. It’s a sandwich, no matter how good. And, it’s considerable travel time.
Then again, at $ 5, it’s on par or cheaper than a Halal Food Cart — and fills you up comparably.
In full disclosure: I don’t eat ham or pork, which might have impacted the comparative evaluation relative to gushing praise from all those who do.

Best banh mi sandwiches in NYC? Not sure but it probably comes close! So I came here before work to pick up the #1 for dinner after reading the countless number of Unilocal reviews that rave Ba Xuyen as having the best banh mi sandwiches. Note: Even though this place is located on 8^th Ave, it is NOT located anywhere near the 8^th Ave Chinatown that most people think of! It’s actually closer to the D train 9^th Ave stop but even then it took me like 10 mins just to walk here from the train station. So basically it’s in the middle of nowhere lol. To me, it looked like a legit Viet restaurant, but that’s until I overheard the ladies working there speaking Cantonese haha. What I like about this place is that they make your banh mi’s to order, unlike Banh Mi Saigon in Chinatown where they premake it (yuck!).
The #1 is probably their most popular sandwich and I thought it tasted great! The typical banh mi vegetables are all there and were tasty. The meats, when combined together, might sound very salty but I did not find them to be too salty at all. What really got me was the mayo! So good! Definitely elevated the banh mi to a whole new level!
This is definitely the best banh mi sandwich I’ve had so far. And it’s cheap too! The #1 is $ 5 and left me completely satiated! Never again will I pay $ 9 for a banh mi sandwich in Manhattan (AHEM VIETNAAM). Again, I’m not sure if I would consider this the best banh mi place in NYC since «best» is a bold statement. But it definitely is up there!

Sometimes the best things come at small price points.
Enter Ba Xuyen, a tiny, no-​frills eatery in Sunset Park. It’s long been lauded as one of the best banh mi spots in the city, and one I had put off visiting for years until I found a few friends willing to make the slightly arduous trek with me [1]. The venue has only a handful of outdated tables and mismatched chairs, which are usually taken up by a few of the neighborhood locals, so it handles a steady takeout business. In addition to their banh mi, Ba Xuyen also serves up several appetizers, bun (noodle) dishes, and beverages on the side.
But we’re here to talk about the Banh Mi. This sandwich is a shining example of what happens when the mixing of two (or more) culinary cultures merge to create a superb final product. At least in this case, the introduction of the baguette and butter to Vietnam intertwined with the ingredients and flavor profiles indigenous to the country, and led to the creation of the now popular Banh Mi. Ba Xuyen serves up just shy of ten iterations, all at a mere $ 5. My friend was willing to share, so we opted to get one of each of their most popular orders.
The Banh Mi Pâté Thit Nguoi is probably the most classic version on the menu, labeled as the #1. The filling is comprised of sliced ham, head cheese (a terrine of sorts made from a variety of cuts usually from the head of the pig), pork roll, BBQ Pork, and the default vegetables (carrots, cucumber, cilantro), as well as a few dabs of pâté, butter, and mayonnaise. It has the most variation in flavors and textures, a crunchy, savory, lightly acidic amalgamation that smartly contrasts the lightly toasted bread with the various proteins and vegetables. The Banh Mi Nem Nuong (#5) is a simpler version of the first, but utilizes the crunchy-​chewy BBQ as the main protein in the sandwich. Both are sizable and well-​balanced, with a near-​perfect ratio of ingredients and spreads sandwiched between a toasted baguette.
I’ll have to say that Ba Xuyen has served the best banh mi that I’ve yet to find in the city… and surprisingly, also one of the least expensive. What other reason do you need to make a trip here?
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[1] This is when you know that you have good friends.

Still got a couple of days before the paycheck comes, what to do? Break that piggy bank and take out the five bucks you saved up the last two years and spend it on something well worth, like a banh mi from Ba Xuyen!
I’ve had their #1 a handful of times and decided to try other sandwiches today and so opted for the #5, Banh Mi Nem Nuong, (bbq with pâté & butter). It must of been an off day because it did not taste so good. The meat was bland and had a weird fatty texture.
Either way, their #1, Banh Mi Pâté Thit Nguoi, (slices of ham, head cheese, pork roll, pork teriyaki & bbq with pâté & butter) would still be my go-​to! Baguette toasted perfectly – crispy outside, soft inside, slathered in butter and pâté, loaded with pickled carrots, cucumber and cilatro, then stuffed with layers of meats, just delicious.
Sinh To Bo, which is the avocado shake, also a must have. Made with fresh ripe avocado, creamy and sweet, just what you need to flush down the sandwich you just choked down in a heartbeat.

According to my friend, Ba Xuyen has the best banh mi in NYC. So of course I had to try it out and brought my Vietnamese friend from Hanoi to be a judge of its tastiness. Our entire group vouched for the deliciousness of the sandwich and believed it was well worth the trek to Sunset Park.
At only $ 5 for a 10″ sandwich, Ba Xuyen probably offers the best quality and quantity of ingredients to price ratio for banh mi. I tried the #1 (Pâté Thit Nuong) and #5 (Nem Nuong — BBQ Pork).
Both sandwiches were very similar, but I enjoyed the #1 sightly better because of the more variation in taste and texture. I normally don’t like mayo, but the ingredients of the sandwich were so fresh that the mayo became irrelevant. The pickled carrots, daikon radish, and cucumber were also very fresh and crunchy. The best part is definitely the bread. Without it, the sandwich probably wouldn’t have as stellar reviews. Not sure where they get their bread or if they make it themselves, but it’s so crispy and buttery on the outside and soft on the inside.
I didn’t get a chance to try their cha gio (fried egg rolls), but they looked delicious and cheap at $ 0.75 a roll. They also serve other Vietnamese desserts including Bánh da ln, which I had only once. It is steamed layer cake made from tapioca starch, rice flour, mashed mung beans, taro, coconut milk etc.
The place is more like an order and go establishment, but on weekends you’ll find a group of Vietnamese men regulars at the tables chatting away.
I saw a sign on their wall that they were voted the best heroes a while back. Maybe it’s not the best sandwich I had ever had, but it’s up there for banh mi. It is a little out of the way for me all the way in Sunset Park in Brooklyn, but I think it’s worth traveling to at least once.

Hands down one of the best traditional Banh Mi i’ve had in Brooklyn and for the most part, NYC. They lose a quarter star for raising prices to $ 5 a sandwich and not doing anything new. I picked up cha gio (spring rolls) and fortunately they are still only 50 cents a piece. Both are very good. All the other packaged stuff though are suspect. I’ve picked up a #1, which is the typical grilled pork (thit nuong) and a bbq pork patties (nem nuong) and finished them both without blinking an eye… slathered in patè, butter, pickled daikon & carrots, cilantro, jalapeños and the meat, so yum.
I washed it all down with a cup of ca phe sua nong (vietnamese hot coffee with condensed milk). Yes. They don’t skimp out on this area as they are also purveyors and brewers of Café Du Monde’s French coffee grounds.
Oh, the spring rolls? That part is self serve so go grab a set of tongs, wrapper, and go to town. Definitely a must-​try if you’re heading this direction.