Avian Water and Banh Mi Sandwich

I have heard so many good things about this water store selling banh mi for decades. We came at 8am when they opened. This place gets packed from people heading to work. The sandwiches are on a mini French bread about 7 inches. Average price of $7.95 each. We got the meatball, Vietnamese ham, grilled pork (looks like bbq pork from a skewer) and grilled pork loaf (looks like thin slices of spam). Also picked up an order of pork shrimp spring rolls. Although it’s smaller in size, the bread was soft and it had lots of filling. We got large coffee $8.95 which was a lot for the price especially when it was filled with ice. Lots of parking in this super market plaza. This store also sells snacks, CA lottery, and random items like shampoo.

this place has been around since i was a child and it’s always been convenient and delicious. their drink sizes are huge especially their thai tea and my favorite is their honeydew smoothie with boba. pictured is a soursoup and taro smoothie with boba, probably my favorite boba place since their boba is perfectly hard and chewy to my personal preference. the soursoup is a bit pricey as I believe they use the real fruit and not powder and it is not easily sourced but it is so good and not overly sweet which i love. would recommend if you need a quick pick me up or quick bite of something consistently yummy!

Best Bah mi sandwiches in town hands down. Vietnamese coffee stronger than any other coffee shop in San Diego. The owners are extremely nice and there always open!

They have the best banh mi sandwiches I've had (better than K Sandwiches). They use fresh ingredients and fresh rolls and are $4-$5. They're boba drinks are really good. About $5 once you add boba or jelly. Although they are a tad bit more expensive than most places, you get a larger drink so it's worth it. It's a family owned business and the owner is super nice. Highly recommend.

I've yet to stop in and check this place out but the variety of products they're offering is intriguing to say the least. Other reviewers claim the sandwiches aren't the best but I'll make my own decision and report back.

I had been looking for a good banh mi place and I'm so glad I found this place. The banh mi were delicious. The bread was soft and the amount of stuff they placed in the sandwich is will worth for a 8 dollar sandwich. They also have boba drinks and spring rolls as well. It's a nice little hidden. Gem.

The best banh mi in town, no doubt! I've had the #2 (grilled pork) and #3 (grilled chicken). Every part of the sandwich is great. The baguette is perfectly toasted, not too hard or flaky, and filled to the brim with super flavorful meat, fresh vegetables, and tasty vietnamese mayo. Highly recommended!!

This is a hidden gem in San Diego! After a recommendation from a coworker, I decided to give this spot a try. I was not disappointed! This little Avian water store also sells some of the best sandwiches in town. The store clerk recommended that I try the #2 so I went with it. The wait was about 7 minutes. The meat was cooked very well and was very flavorful. The bun was toasted just right and all the ingredients inside made for a very delicious sandwich. They also sell various smoothies and tea drinks, so I picked up a thai tea with boba, and it was delicious as well. A lot of my coworkers go to this spot, so I wouldn't expect it to stay so calm and easy to access in the near future.

Avian Fresh Drinking Water is a pretty obscure place with surprisingly good food and drink options. Unassuming on the outside, everything that I have ordered from here has definitely exceeded my expectations, considering that they are a place where you can refill drinking water primarily, and a sandwich and boba shop secondarily. Prices are high, which seems to be the norm for any banh mi spots in San Diego, but this is definitely a go-to when you are craving banh mi and want something consistently good and reliable. Even their drinks are good as well, though prices for those also seem to be quite high. Their strawberry smoothie is a personal favorite of me, as they stay true to classic Vietnamese strawberry smoothie flavors, never too sweet or too tart. That's hard to find in the US, but this location gets it pretty spot on.

Needed a quick bite before shopping at the supermarket and saw this spot near by. I was surprised to see the different offerings when I stepped in. Never seen a place like it. You can get your lottery tickets, refill your 5 gallon water bottles, grab banh mi and an iced coffee, buy candy and shampoo here. Talk about a one stop shop. It was very clean and organized for such a small space. The woman behind the register was wearing a mask. I ordered the #7, Banh mi with patê and cha. The bread was lightly toasted, it was loaded with veggies but lacking meat. For almost $10, I expected more patê and cha. Hate when the end bites don't have meat. Overall my banh mi was tasty, wouldn't go out of my way for it when there are other options for less.

Went in to try their sugarcane juice. Many times sugarcane juice if not fresh - just has a kind of dull taste. The best I've ever had was in Hawaii but I will say...the sugar cane juice here was surprisingly very good! Tasted fresh, nice flavor and nice with the calamansi. Makes me wana try their banh mi sometime!

Best Vietnamese coffee evar! Family run. Don't cheat yourself by getting the small. GO BIG! Worth it!!

I have heard so many good things about this water store selling banh mi for decades. We came at 8am when they opened. This place gets packed from people heading to work. The sandwiches are on a mini French bread about 7 inches. Average price of $7.95 each. We got the meatball, Vietnamese ham, grilled pork (looks like bbq pork from a skewer) and grilled pork loaf (looks like thin slices of spam). Also picked up an order of pork shrimp spring rolls. Although it's smaller in size, the bread was soft and it had lots of filling. We got large coffee $8.95 which was a lot for the price especially when it was filled with ice. Lots of parking in this super market plaza. This store also sells snacks, CA lottery, and random items like shampoo.

Never knew this place existed until recently. Located in a plaza adjacent to the large Vietnamese supermarket. You would never know they sold banh mi sandwiches at a water shop. But please, do not underestimate this shop. The banh mi was fantastic!! The bread was soft and chewy on the inside and crisp on the outside. The meat was flavorful and the pickled veggies were crunchy and fresh. K Sandwiches got nothing on this place. This hole in the wall is the place to go to for banh mi!

Delicious banh mi hidden in a dispensing water shop. Located in a shopping plaza off of Linda Vista road. I had ordered the special combination extra spicy (Dac Biet) and grilled pork extra spicy (thit nuong). Gotta have it extra spicy!!!! The meat and vegetables ratio was perfect! The bread was fresh and jalapeño gave it an extra kick. Grilled pork was seasoned well but it was little sweet for my liking, I would rate it 7 out of 10. Special combination had variety of sliced meat in it, I give it a 9 out of 10. I ordered their Thai tea; it was pretty good and not too sweet. Rating 8 out of 10. I remember back in the days banh mi was $2.50 - $3 at most places but the inflation, made everything pricey these days. Totally worth it though.

A small mom and pop water store that also sells Banh Mi sandwiches and cold drinks like iced Vietnamese coffee that's so good too. I usually get the number 10 egg Banh Mi and/or number two Pork barbecue Banh Mi, but so far everything. I've tried taste really good and the sandwiches are only $7.75 with a good amount of meat and veggies ratio. Bread is toasted.with a nice chewy crunch at the same time so good you won't be disappointed. Oh also come by get your lottery tickets and lotto. Lotta people come here for that too lol You see the Vietnamese uncles chilling outside on the tables smoking cigarettes you know this is the spot ha ha.

Always quick service. This place has the BEST viet coffee. A much nuttier taste and not too bitter. Sip on it slowly!

10/10 . I had the grilled chicken banh mi was super impressed. It had everything I look for in a quality banh mi, making it super balanced and straightforward in a simple way (the best way). - Bread with a crispy exterior but a little chew/softness in the interior - Chicken that's not overly seasoned/sauced so that it doesn't take away from the brightness of the pickled veg and cilantro - Good amount of pickled radish/carrot and cilantro - SPICY jalapeño with the seeds/flesh kept in - VIET mayo! Not basic white mayo

Good banh mi. Good portion for the # special cold cut. They charge 0.75 cents additional charge for using CC.

There are 2 options for spring rolls which are $10.95 for regular and $11.95 for grilled meats. I picked the grilled shrimp however I received the regular one instead. I asked the girl upfront and expect to hear explanation but she told me straight to my face that it's how they alway do, just regular shrimp @@. Then why would you put in under the grilled options for??? For an extra charge??? Im so confused :"(

Okay... I give in. Ya'll were right. This place is greater than K sandwiches. The bread is nice and crunchy and hold all the fillings in! Smaller section, but they have the main ones. Of course, I had to get the combination one! Coming from someone that have eaten banh mi his whole life when living in the OC, this place is the best that I've had thus far in San Diego.

My favorite bahn mi north of the 8! A-Chau will always be my #1, but it's hard to get to and further for me, so I was really glad to have heard about Avian last year. They also take card (with a fee) which is also a plus. Their sandwiches are packed and never skimpy, and sometimes the peppers are serranos which is awesome if you like spicy. I don't get sweet drinks, but their spring rolls and steam buns are also great, albeit a bit pricey. Family run, you can tell they're a solid member of the community when the owner recognizes every other person that comes in and asks how their kids are doing. Support local businesses!

Hungry and needing some fast food that won't hurt my stomach or wallet. This place has the best banh mis. They have two vegetarian options, with veg ham or avocado. I'll have to try avocado next time. I bet it'll taste like avocado toast with a viet twist.

Always come here when I crave their bahn mi, the owners are even sweet. Love how much they fill their bahn mi's. But as time goes by the prices have gone up. Another one of my fav not pictured is their fresh spring rolls. Usually comes in 3 w/ peanutsauce on the side and they're pretty big and well portioned. Regardless of how the prices gone up they will be my go to for my bahn mi cravings.

Great and tasty banh mi . My favorite in San Diego and offer variety of smoothies too

My brother and I order to go. We ordered the BBQ pork Banh mi and the Combination special banh mi. The bread was crispy and fresh. Everything was proportionate, tasted really delicious. Rating - 10 out of 10!!! It is a water refilling station but they sale food there. Do not miss out on this place! Get your sandwich (banh mi) and fill your water up! I will be returning to this shop.

This is for grilled pork banh mi sandwich. Pros: -Hot crispy French bread on outside. Not too bready on inside. -Meat had good flavor and was juicy. -Came with the traditional pickled jicama, cucumber, carrots, cilantro, aioli -Was asked if I wanted jalapeno (I did not) Cons: -Bread was smaller than I remember at this place (and compared to other Vietnamese sandwich shops) -The meat was more like chai sui (Chinese style) not true "grilled pork" -Had tomatoes which I have never eaten in a banh mi -Cost about $7.50 (almost $8) but I guess that's the price of a banh mi Yes, it's a water store that sells food like sandwiches, boba drinks, some baos, spring rolls, and pre-packaged snacks. Seems to be a local hangout since the folks in the near by stores stop by in and out to socialize and buy stuff.

I first went because it seemed like it was really popular with local Vietnamese uncles and aunties as there were many of them sitting on the tables outside eating and chatting so I decided to give this place a try. Was kind of confused because I didn't realize it was also a place where you can fill up your 5 gallon waters lol. But so happy I gave this place a try! I ordered the #1 special, and let me tell you this sandwich was packed to the brim!!! It had plenty of meat and tons of fresh veggies, herbs and pickled radish! With so much filling inside I'm amazed and mind blown how beautifully they packed it into the baguette. What stood out to me was the Vietnamese style mayo that was spread in the sandwich. It was so flavorful and creamy but not heavy or overpowering any another ingredients. It was just the perfect blend that elevated the sandwich taste. Also got their iced coffee and it was perfect. Customer service was also a 10/10. The lady at the register who also made the drinks was so fast and efficient, and also so sweet! Definitely coming more often!

Hands down, best vietnamese coffee and banh mi in town! The vietnamese coffee packs a good punch and they're not skimpy on the meat for the sandwiches. They have a lot of other drinks but the coffee is always my go to. There's a variety of sandwiches to choose from but my favorite is the dac biet since it's a variety of different cold cut meats. Give this a try, you won't be disappointed!

Hole in the wall. People walking in to get lotto tickets. Viet uncles smoking cigs out front. Sure signs that your Banh Mi is about to be gas! The iced coffee is crack. I will be back for more...

This place has a good Vietnamese banh mi. I tried the grilled chicken banh mi and it's good. Also the sugar cane drink is good. The taro smoothie is good. The only thing is it's a little pricy. The taro smoothies with the boba is for more than 10 bucks. Other than that, it's a good place to go.

I've visited this place many times for their banh mi sandwiches since it's close to an Asian grocery store I frequent. This place is a water service place, but also sells banh mi sandwiches, a few other snacks, boba drinks, and lottery tickets. Today I went in and they were pretty busy, so it took a little longer than usual to get my order, nothing crazy though. In the meantime, the cashier and husband of the owner conversed with me and told me how they are an old-school mom and pop shop which is another reason why I like coming here - to support them and the banh mi sandwiches are really good. I got the grilled pork which is my go-to and it was delicious. The sandwich had a good portion of meat and pickled veggies, however, it is a little smaller in length than other places. I also appreciate that they ask everyone if you want jalapeños in your sandwich. Lastly, I've never tried it, but my best friend swears by their jackfruit smoothies, so I'll be sure to get a drink from them next time I visit. They are for sure an old school establishment as they still write down your order. I mean, if it works for them, that's great, but I wonder if that could be time-consuming when there are many people waiting to place their orders. Also, if you are paying with a card, be aware that there is an additional 75cent charge.

It may not sound like it from its name, but Avian has the best Vietnamese sandwiches north of the 8 freeway. They also serve boba and sugar cane drinks in addition to filling up your 5 gallon water jug. 5 stars for its authenticity, deliciousness, and customer service. You know it's authentic when you have a group of Vietnamese uncles out front drinking coffee, smoking cigarettes, and playing lotto in the morning. If you have a sweet tooth, try their avocado shake. It's rich, decadent, and a wonderful dessert. I get mine without boba, but you do you baby boo. Enjoy!!!

Fantastic boba. #6 honeydew flavor. Bahn Mi pork was pretty good too. Sandwich was 8/10 boba was 10/10

This place is a hole in the wall at a strip mall in Linda Vista. Sells water, boba, and lottery tickets a one stop shop. Don't let the facade fool you. Banh mi bread was crunchy and chewy. Sandwich had a good amount of meat as well as crunchy vegetables that are fresh. Price for the sandwiches are mostly $7.25. The key is a good amount of butter sauce which provides balance and flavor. So much better than Lee's. This ranks as one of the better banh mi places in San Diego.

So far they are my favorite Bahn mi in San Diego! I love the randomness of this place. The sandwiches are full flavor and do not skimp on the meat. Chamango was good too! We Just went two days in a row

This place has some of my fave Vietnamese sandwiches in the central SD area! I love that it's usually not too busy and crowded like K Sandwiches and other banh mi spots. The staff is always nice and I love supporting small and local family biz

One of the best banh mi sandwiches in San Diego! Even though the store front sells drinking water, they sell banh mi sandwiches, spring rolls, and boba drinks. They also have candy, snacks, and other Vietnamese desserts. We tried the beef banh mi and grilled chicken banh mi. Both amazing and delicious. Super fresh ingredients and the bread texture was unreal. Crisp, chewy and had the perfect bite. The pickled veggies inside were perfectly balanced in flavor and complimented the grilled meat very well. It tasted clean yet flavorful. The sandwiches range from $8-10, which is very reasonable for the quality ingredients and taste. Plenty of free parking and love the Asian supermarket in the same complex!

Love their special banh mi and coffee! super fresh bread that has a good crust but soft on the inside. their large coffee is a bit on the pricier side, $9 for a large but it was still yummy! i would definitely recommend this place for a quick lunch

Best Vietnamese sandwiches. It's nestle between rite aid and thuan phat supermarket. You can't really miss it. My go sandwich is #6 Vietnamese ham with extra jalapeño. I can tell you, the sandwich is packed and they don't skip on adding the meats and veggies. If you're ever in the neighborhood, give it a try!

This place is known for their sandwiches, drinks, and lottery lol because those are the main 3 things they sell. I've only had their sandwich here once and it was pretty good. Pretty typical banh mi. Their drinks here are average but I come here often because my mom loves their fresh sugarcane here. I normally do milk tea with coffee jelly and let me tell you, those little jellies keep me up! My son loves the strawberry banana smoothie with their crystal boba. Their prices for drinks has gone up tremendously. For a large sugarcane it's $10! The smoothie was $7 + $2 for boba. Your average sized boba drink. You can get for half the price for better quality at the more modern boba places but I don't mind supporting small businesses. This is also known as a lucky lottery retailer. A lot of times you see people coming in just to buy lottery. They always post winning tickets around the ticket machines. I always buy but I've never won from here yet. I guess it's just not my time yet.

I've been going to this place for years to support my local business. I ordered a sugarcane drink today but it wasn't good. It was tasting old. You can tell if you drink sugarcane often. I was contemplating if I should go back in & ask to exchange my drink for something else since I felt weird but then again drinks aren't cheap & I rather they make money too so change the drink to something else is the more sensible thing to do. The young man ( guessing their teenage/college age son) said,"no. We can't do that ". I don't understand how small shops can't remedy their customers orders. I ordered food there too just to support the business. To the owner of the business. Business only grows, does well & have more potential when they appreciate their customers.

Came here because of the number of reviews! I support small business and all but everything here is literally priced on the high side?? -$8 Vietnamese coffee -$10 for Banh mi -$10 for sugar cane The sandwiches were mid (never had tomatoes on there before), not a fan of the viet coffee but a great place to buy Lotto tickets for sure. Defines a quick spot to stop by, not dine in.

(4.2) A water store? A Banh Mi haven? A lotto ticket hangout? Avian Fresh Drinking Water, in Linda Vista, is all of the above. The Grilled Pork Banh Mi (Thit Nuong) was $6.95 and my lotto ticket was $2.00, both reasonably priced. Quick service and easy parking for a Sunday afternoon. Onto the Banh Mi: I've never had a Banh Mi with tomato before, so that was a first! The beef was tender but not your typical grilled pork that you'd find in a traditional Banh Mi. It was more of a char siu / BBQ pork style. It was pretty good, but I was missing the traditional version. Lastly, a really great ratio of veggies. The only slight knack is that they weren't pickled enough. I'll be back for more sandwiches and lotto tickets!

got my water and lotto tickets Alkaline Water tested at 24ppm and very happy with the taste.

After hearing about this place, as a good Vietnamese sandwich spot, stopped by for 2 sandwiches, a bun bao, spring rolls and a Viet coffee, and sugarcane drink. Everything was legit, especially for San Diego.

Delicious taro boba. I came by here today after work to get some boba, and I was pleasantly surprised. Everything made from scratch (no powder) was super tasty! Will be coming back for some sandwiches soon

Love this little mom & pop shop! I always come here when I'm in the area or after a doctors appt. My mom loves it here. Especially the sugarcane w/ no kumquat. I always order the same thing every time! Which is the jackfruit smoothie w/ crystal boba. This last time I visited I didn't add crystal boba yet. I always want to venture off & try new drinks but I can't seem to cuhs the jackfruit smoothie is bomb af. They use real fruit in their smoothies so you can taste the fruit & freshness. It doesn't taste artificial. I'm also a fan of their sugarcane. It's fresh & super huge. They are a little on the pricier side. But I don't mind. Haven't tried their banh mis yet. I always buy scratchers when I'm here. Lol. Parking kinda sucks. They have a big open lot in front. I've always seem to get lucky & am able to get front row parking. But it does share parking w/ multiple businesses.

You could call it a hole in a wall but it's very traditional Vietnamese. It's not as fancy as K Sandwiches but I love the vegan Banh mi here more than the lemongrass tofu at K Sandwiches which is alright, that's very light on the lemongrass and the tofu is soft. I just did not get full like I did at Avian and they really kick up the flavor here and yes they did give me a ton of jalapenos but I did not mind. Both passion fruit drinks are flavor but what I love at K Sandwiches is they can also do slushies. But Avian you are my top, NGL.

Best banh mi I have had in San Diego. I didn't find a place that hit the same as before as my favorite place back home in Norcal but this place has revived my banh mi cravings. The peppers they use are so spicy and the bread is amazing. My friend also told me their water tastes great and he'd come specifically to this place just for their water.

First time coming here, ordered 2 bbq sandwich and it took 25mins to receive my food.... They never called my order number and I had to go to the counter to ask for my order and finally got my order after a few more mins after telling them I had waited for over 25mins for 2 sandwiches

Authentic and amazing banh mi! Prob my favorite in San Diego. Service was straight forward, sugar cane drink is a must! Definitely not a place to sit down and eat because there's no space to do that lol but worth the stop for a quick grab and go.

One of the best places for good, strong Vietnamese coffee. They also make good boba drinks -Thai tea with boba is my favorite. Although I have not tried their sandwiches they are popular. I see people ordering them often when I am there.

There Bahn mi are best in the area! Really good pricing and quick and easy store. Def coming back

Their banh mi has changed over the years, I did not remember it being this good. Now it is becoming the best in San Diego, especially the dac biet

OVERPRICED BOBA. Rude staff. Didn't want to order food even though I was hungry. Absolutely AWFUL the way the cashier treated me.

Best banh mi in San Diego. The bread doesn't cut up your mouth and is the best! Amazing that my boys think the same. Highly recommend this place!