Banana Cabana

CLOSED :(
I kind of had a tradition of coming here for lunch on my payday every month. Today I pulled up only to sadly discover that they are permanently closed. I am SO sad. I loved their veggie avocado sandwiches, smoothies, pasta salad, and broccoli soup. They had the best bread. I’m seriously a little depressed over this. Something along the lines of they lost their lease and one of the owner’s parents passed away. This wonderful place will be greatly missed.

The sandwiches are good here, nothing to rave about, but good. But there is ONE sandwich that makes me a fan — the TOP BANANA SANDWICH! The first time I had one, I was really puzzled by the combination. Peanut butter, bananas, apples, honey, and lettuce on a cinnamon raisin bread? The honey & the lettuce didn’t make sense to me. But it was love at first bite. This sandwich is amazingly good, almost like a dessert. It even tastes good the next day.

This is a great little lunch spot. The sandwiches are too big for me to eat by myself, but they are really good with fresh ingredients and good menu items. The pasta salad is really good and the service is fast and friendly. It’s a little on the more expensive side of things, but again they are all really fresh ingredients. It’s also really clean. Fun spot.

I have enjoyed the Banana Cabana for about 10 years. The food is fresh and delicious. My favorite soup is the spicy black bean, they have yummy freshly sliced fruit, the egg salad is the bomb. The best tuna ever! Dairy free tasty smoothies too. Great Lunch place!

A great lunch time spot if you are in the mood for GIANT sandwiches, which I usually am. It’s in a no frills strip mall on Brookhurst. If you are making a trip south on Brookhurst as you head to the beach, stop by here first. Get a sandwich to go and then enjoy it beach side. I’ve been countless times, they have a frequent shopper ‘punch card’ which rewards returns visits with a free sandwich or combo after 9 or 10 visits.
If you are a fan of avocado this is the place to go! You must get the veggie avocado on 11 grain. It’s the best. You can also add avocado to any sandwich for additional fee (they put about a ½ avocado on it, it’s worth the extra cost). Warning: the sandwiches are HUGE, once you pick them up, don’t put it down or you’ll lose the whole thing. That said, the staff here are so wonderful. On a visit with my sister, she ended up dropping her sandwich after one bite, they made her another ½ to replace it, at no extra cost!!!
Other good sandwiches are the ‘chopped’ egg salad (think egg salad w/​o the mayo). Soups are delicious. The tomato veggie soup is fresh and broth-​based, if you are looking for more creamy go with the cheddar broccoli.
Now I’m hungry… might be time for another visit!

Came to this place after going to the bank since it was on the same strip. The prices were expensive being that it was just sandwiches. I didnt feel that it was worth the price.
The restaurant is small probably 10 tables at most, but on a beautiful day you can sit out in the patio sitting they have. They don’t have many choices on the sandwiches nor drinks. When we came it wasn’t so busy, right after lunch time. I can guess though that they do get quite busy during lunch rush.
The boyfriend and I decided on the roast beef sandwich and pasta salad. Also shared a smoothie which I cant remember the name. I didnt like the sandwhich at all. Its true they pack their sandwich with tons of meat. I would rather have Busy Bee’s any day than this. The mustard was overpowered the rest of the flavor that all you can taste was mustard. But the smoothie stood out. It was so refreshing on a warm day and it was packed with so much flavor.
If it wasnt for the smoothie I would not step foot on this establishment again, but I will be back just to try the other flavors of smoothies. I dont recommend getting any of their sandwiches, but I do recommend the smoothie.

This review is a long time coming – basically they have really big sandwiches, a small menu (which is good) and their prices are decent. I get the whole turkey sandwich with everything, but their «spike», and some fresh fruit on the side.
They’re are always friendly and quick and close to work. It’s my alternative to any of those chain sandwich and sub shops near Brookhurst.

I used to come to Banana Cabana at least once a week for lunch even though it is ridiculously expensive and the owner is usually a total prick. Unfortunately, I will put up with a lot just to get some delicious grub. I absolutely love the sandwiches at Banana Cabana. Fresh ingredients, delicious meat, and when you add avocado to your sandwich they put a whole avocado on there… DELICIOUS! I also love their broccoli and cheese soup with Have’a Corn Chips on the side. They have delicious pasta salad and the chopped salad is absolute perfection too. I would recommend Banana Cabana, but be prepared to clean out your pockets and have the owner be a condescending DICK! You’d think he’d be thankful people are willing to pay over 10 dollars for one of his little sandwiches… I guess NOT!

Yum, yum, yum!
Originally was going to have lunch at Stone Fire Grill (which is located in the same shopping center as Banana Cabana) with my Uncle and cousin, until I received a phone call from my uncle, saying that he heard of this DELICIOUS sandwich place that we simply must try!
So, the three of us make it to the Banana Cabana and find ourselves nestled in a small, euro-​styled café. The inside is small with limited seating inside, with most of the tables next to large windows allowing lots of light to come in. Which, I love.
You order at the counter and prepay for your meal. The prices were leaning toward the more pricier side. I ordered a half tuna salad sandwich which cam with a small side of fruit for $ 5.95.
But you can definitely look past the price immediately following your first bite of food. It was delicious, fresh and filling.
The tuna sandwich was filled with cucumbers, alfalfa sprouts, tomato in between fluffy sourdough bread. It was delicious!!!
I will definitely be back!

Recently I’ve been trying to get on out and try new things. I decided to drag a friend of mine here based on the good reviews and my new «eat healthy» mantra. I ordered the Veggie Avocado Sandwich (I’m a sucker for Avo) and a Strawberry Banana Smoothie (on special for $ 2.50). My order came out to around $ 8 or $ 9, not too bad I suppose.
The sandwich was, indeed, huge. They pretty much stuffed an entire avocado into this half sandwich. It was impossible to bite into, and believe me, I have a big mouth.
I ended up just grabbing a fork and eating it that way. It was good, and yes, very fresh… But if you’re looking for something really tasty, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this place. I can make an equally healthy sandwich for less money and a helluva lot better taste at Subway.
Nothing here «wowed» me– the food, the atmosphere, the furniture (the seats were REALLY low compared to the tables), the staff. I can’t really see myself coming back… although I’m not complaining.
If you’re really into health food, give it a shot. Maybe I’m just a whiner.

I can’t believe I haven’t reviewed this place yet. Whenever I think to myself, «self, I really want a salad», the first place I always think of is here. I may not always end up coming here but, for some reason, it turns out to be a pretty decent starting point for me in my healthy-​eating seeking endeavors.
I really don’t have anything to add to the food or portions that others have not said already. I’m certain everything is fantastic here, even though I’ve only tried about half the menu myself.
In regards to the price, I also have to agree with others that it’s slightly more than your typical Subway or Quizno’s counterparts. That being said, I also have to vouch for the fact that you can taste the freshness in the ingredients and that, given this place is not a large chain restaurant, it makes sense that their prices may be slightly higher.
Now, I’m not one to spend large sums of money on my lunch but I will readily stop by here when I’m in the neighborhood for a great-​tasting salad or sandwich.

Banana Cabana rules! My office orders lunch from here almost every week. Enormous sandwiches, fresh fruit, good smoothies… they do not skimp on ingredients. Everything is fresh.
Some people here have written that the owner is rude — I couldn’t disagree more. This week I visited the restaurant for the first time (our office has always gotten take out, and I’m not the one picking it up). The owner recognized the business name on my credit card and gave me a discount just like that! So sweet.
Granted, the price is a bit steep for just a sandwich, but when you think of how big the sandwich is, and how well-​made everything is, it’s 100% worth it. Yay Banana Cabana!
Minus 1 star because the salads are so-​so.

What would you dooooooooooo for some Broccoli Cheese Soup.
I love you Banana Hammock. You always make my sandwiches fresh and healthy. Even though you cost more than my 5 dolla footlong, you are worth the splurge. :)

I don’t want to be a naysayer although I seem to be fairly good at it often. Banana Cabana makes a pretty solid sandwich. I had no complaints about the quality or quantity I was served. Two things make this place a three star joint for me… Service and price. Our bill for two sandwiches and drinks was over $ 30. There was no funny song or dance or even a happy ending! Although the teenagers working that day weren’t rude they seemed a little disinterested. I guess it’s the age and being too cool for customer service is par for the course. I doubt I will return unless I happen to be caught on that side of town on Dec 21, 2012 when the shit hits the fan!

As other posters have already said, the food here is great and the portions are gigantic. The ingredients are fresh and everything is thoughtfully made.
As far as the price, it is more expensive than, say, Subway or making your own lunch. But I’m always happy to pay more because it’s a human-​owned business (not a mega corporation) so the costs ARE higher to maintain it. There aren’t Banana Cabana franchises around the world to supplement the income or cheap rainforest land being destroyed to raise the ingredients — which means higher prices. Plus, it’s clear that the money goes back into the business — meaning that the ingredients are good, the staff is happy, etc. I’ve been coming here for 3 years now and there are staff members (not the owner) who have been there the whole time — which means they’re earning a living wage and are happy with their job.
I’m very happy to support this business, not just because I like supporting mom & pop businesses (which I do), but because it’s worth it – everything here is delicious!

I’ve been here a couple times. I’ve always liked it. I’m trying to eat healthier, but it’s hard to find «healthy» restaurants that are actually good. The place is always clean and the staff is super friendly!
The basic green salad had tomatoes, cucumber, mushrooms, nuts, and cheese. I like that they give you the dressing on the side. Really fresh and filling.
Broccoli and cheese soup was yummy. Not too chunky. And again a huge portion.
I’ve also had the honey ham sandwich, which includes; cucumber, sprouts, onion, tomato, lettuce, and avocado (for a little extra) I had a hard time putting this in my mouth. Seriously, it was like a half an avocado, a whole slice of cucumber, a garden of sprouts, just for a half sandwich… HUGE!
My sister, who lives off McDonald’s, thought it was great and would come back. Trust me that’s saying a lot.
My missing star is because it’s always really, really cold in there. Kind of uncomfortable. And they need some flavor on the chips or a different kind of hot sauce.

This place is near my work, so when I’m feeling healthy I’ll head over to Banana Cabana and buy a sandwich. I can never finish a whole sandwich. But I must admit, the price of this place is kind of on the high side for what you are ordering. I guess they say they use fresh products and what not but I tend to order the peanut butter and banana. They use skippy’s peanut butter. I don’t think a jar of peanut butter cost more than $ 4 and the banana’s can’t be too expensive? Maybe its the bread but still The price is knocks off a star for me.
The soups are actually pretty tastey. I love broccoli cheddar soup, and I must say it was yummy. but again a little pricey. IT wasn’t the BEST soup ever. so I don’t really agree with the cost.
If you like supporting the local mom and pop shops. Visit Banana Cabana. You will get full from the food but you’re pocket maybe a little lighter than you would have hoped it would be after eating there.

There is no way i would ever give this place less than 5 stars. If i heard they were going out of business i would eat here everyday to keep them alive…
I have never had a better AVO sandwich anywhere and you get an entire avocado… im sorry but Jans is GROOOOSSS… I have been coming here for years and they remember us every time which is always a plus for customer service and they usually are talking with people in front and behind us too… if they ever mess up they will totally fix it and hook you up… they let us try free guacamole they made one time… They treat us like friends not customers…
now back to the food… The smoothies are also super good, the broccoli cheddar soup is to die for and the Greek salad is the best!
Pricing? a little expensive but not for the quantity you get at all… if you go and eat lunch at luccis, or corner backery, (although i like those places) you get less food, less quality, for the same price… I recommend this place to everyone i know its ridiculous.
…FAN OF THE B.C. FOR LIFE…

Fresh! Everything here is SUPER fresh! Love it!
I was pleasantly surprised when I came here for lunch today. It’s just a small sandwich shop tucked in the stonefire /​forever 21 center on ellis /​brookhurst. There’s a few bar stools that sit up where the sandwiches are prepared, and about 5 tables on the floor.
The salad and soup I had was SO FRESH. AND HUGE! I had a soup and salad combo for $ 7, and both items were BIG and really good. My BFF had half a sandwich, and it was HUGE too. She couldn’t even finish it. I’d say that the price here is really good for what you get. Totally worth the extra buck or two over somewhere like subway. Our total was $ 17 for two people’s lunch… including drinks.
If you are in the area I highly recommend this place for a quick lunch spot. It’s a healthy little hole in the wall and I love it. I can’t wait to come back.

If you ever reminisce about your former Fountain Valley High teachers, this is the place where you might bump into them! As a former teacher there, I know that this is the official eatery of school meetings, though I wasn’t treated to any :(
Freshest family owned sandwich and smoothie shop you’ll find in the area! Unless you are waiting for the bell (believe me, teachers look forward to this more than students), feed your face here for your next lunch!