Banh Mi & Che Cali

This place has the cheapest banh mi I’ve ever seen. So let’s see if they’re pretty good eh or ew. They also have a bunch of other super affordable Vietnamese food. They make everything in house and turn over is super high so it’s always fresh. A banh mi here is $6.50 which is already really good but they also have a buy 2 get 1 free deal all the time which makes one banh mi less than $4.50 which is crazy in LA. I like to get their bbq pork banh mi. The bread had a perfectly crisp exterior with a fluffy soft interior and a good amount of fresh, crunchy pickled veggies, cilantro, and jalapeño to help balance out that umami, savory, slightly sweet, tender pork with a layer of mayo. Y’all know I’m not a mayo girlie but it works here. This place is pretty good.

Food Order: Bánh Mì Đặc Biệt (特別火腿肉扎) $3.85 Bánh Cuốn $5.00 Banh Mi & Che Cali is located in the busy Empire Commercial Center that's anchored by 888 Seafood Restaurant & Ji Rong Peking Duck, off Valley Blvd. & Delta Ave. I'm not sure if Banh Mi & Che Cali is a chain because there's a couple in the SGV area with the same name except it's missing the '&.' I used to work at 888 Seafood & wish this bánh mì shop was around those days; bánh mì (Vietnamese sandwich) was $2.50 & chè (Vietnamese dessert) was only $1.50, & they had a buy 2 get 1 free offer. What a great deal! I was in the area & my husband had a hankering for Vietnamese sandwiches, so I stopped in to pick-up some lunch for us. Our fav is Đặc Biệt, a classic ham & meatloaf sandwich that's filled with cold cut meats, head cheese, pate, pickled veggies, cucumbers, jalapenos, cilantro, mayo stuffed in a freshly toasted French bread; our other go-to is Bánh Mì Gà. I ordered 3 specials (paid $2.50+/ea) & a prepackaged rice rolls. I ate one while driving home... munch, munch, munch... the cold cuts & veggies were cool against the warm toasty bread. The filling:bread ratio was decent, just enough to satisfy. I save the bánh cuốn for lunch next day. While tasty, rice rolls are best when it's freshly steamed. Pork is omnipresent in Vietnamese cuisine, & is a common filling for bánh cuốn, & garnished with fresh veggies (cucumbers, bean sprouts), chả lụa (Vietnamese pork sausage), & nước chấm (fish sauce). The sauce is sweet, sour, salty, spicy, & savory. I haven't tried their chès yet & need to bring a cooler to transport these back. The bánh mì is pretty big in comparison to the ones in Chinatown, but is crammed with prepackaged items from savory to sweet, refrigerators filled with sides, entrees, & desserts. The dining room is small with a few tables & chairs, but is a turn-off to dine in due to the lack of a/c; it gets particularly hot during the summer even with fans running. There's no ambiance or decor to highlight & it looks to be relatively clean; sometimes the tables need a good wipe down from lunch/dinner rush. Competitive to lower price points for the SGV area, considerably low if you take up the buy 2 get 1 free offer. Menu denotes a dozen types of sandwiches with loads of offerings laid out on tables & in the refrigerator. Customer service is prompt, if a tad blunt. I'm not a regular due to the driving distance, but will detour Banh Mi & Che Cali for takeout. Recommended: Bánh Mì Đặc Biệt & Bánh Cuốn.

This store provides the food at economic price. It fill me up 2 dishes with only 15 bucks. Taste is good and quality is fresh. My beef pho is 7 dollars and it’s good and fresh.

The price is decent here for the portions, service was okay, bit slower side, and the atmosphere was dark. No seating here, more grab and go type place. The pastry is dry and not that good. There plenty of free parking though.

Great deal for Banh Mi- Vietnamese sandwich! Buy two get one free. Each costs $3. Many varieties of filling with French baguette bread. I love their BBQ port fillings with pickle carrot and chili. Their beef sandwich is awesome too. This tasted like the ones I get on the street of Hanoi. Besides Banh Mi, this restaurant also offers Banh Cuon( rice noodle with mushroom and minced pork filling), fried dough, pork buns, fried chicken with rice, fried rice, and great desserts. You can also eat in this outfit as they have a few tables for dine in but with no servers. This place tends to packed with people but the line usually move very fast.

Food is OK, like normal BMC. The portions are better and meals may not seem a lot but it is! I put the meal on a normal sized plate and it filled the entire thing for only 7.00! the 2 milk teas are large for 6.50. Depends on the location. Most are small and around 5.00-6.00. It is a Take out space. but service? superb. Old Vietnamese lady is nice and fast cashier! The pastries are good.

The food is freshly made everyday and cheaper than other places. It's good for a quick bite to eat or take-out, especially during this time of Covid19.

Had their daily special, wontons noodles, not very good, microwaved, …might as well buy frozen Costco noodles….other dishes seem okay

Very cool! Very authentic! Very well priced! Ordered a ton of food for the day and to bring home to share with family! Their pho was good and authentic! Their sandwiches were $6 each buy two get one free! Everything was slightly cheaper when paid in cash. Parking was a little hectic. When busy it was a little harder to find somewhere to sit if you planned on eating there. TONS of lunch boxes at great prices, great portions and the food was good! Highly recommended if you want to try a taste of viet!

Prior to Covid, I used to frequent this location when in the SGV area. Coming from the Valley, it usually takes me a good 1.5 hours to get here on a Saturday. But I always made it a point to stop here before heading back. From the last few visits, I noticed that their Che station was no longer there. Now they already have 2-3 kinds already pre-packaged. Which I don't mind, but they don't have what I want and I don't think they have the buy 2 get 1 free anymore. I used to always get their banh cuon before and see them making it fresh and couldn't keep them stocked. Now, it's made to order. This place feels sad now and the energy has gone away. I do like that they have tables of ready packed food, which is very convenient, but I was never a fan of these items as they were either bland or not great at all. Luckily they are affordable, so it's not too bad. I hope they bring back the Che station, but I that's just wishing thinking.

This is the place to go for quick Vietnamese fast foods to go. They have a large variety of fast food packages ranging from grilled chicken with rice and the fixing to Viet's Bánh mì to sweet desserts to fried sweet dough to curry dishes. Be prepared to be overwhelmed with the selections. Order at the counter. Credit Card over $10 per transaction.

place is quite spacious but basically their system is order or grab and go. since i am from northern california, i will say the price is quite cheap but taste is just mediocre. though they have many food variants but basically they are almost the same. just three stars for now...

Always a solid option for cheap Vietnamese food. I placed a party tray order here for my birthday and their egg rolls are VERY cheap. Spring rolls were definitely more expensive so I would recommend ordering at other establishments nearby. Of course, if you don't speak the language, it gets a bit overwhelming, especially if you're trying to place a phone order. Just be prepared with what you want to order before calling.

Super busy and a bit chaotic on a Saturday afternoon, came to pick up Banh Cuon and Che for the fam and there's a line to pay and a line to pick up your order which was really disorganized. The food is good though. I loved they're banh cuon, soft and fluffy with a good amount of meat in it. Not the most perfect ones I had in Hue, Vietnam but this definitely satisfied my cravings.

I love coming here. I love Vietnamese fast food. I love they have so much to choose from. Beside their banh mi (sandwich), they have other food as well. I love their banh beo (steam rice cake with dried shrimp). One of my favorite item to get is their banh cuon (steam rice roll with meat inside), so delicious. They also have a variety of desserts. Oh and their banh mi is buy two get one free. They also sell their food in catering size for those who enjoys serving these foods at small party or gathering. Lines sometimes can be long, but it worth the wait. The place is decent and somewhat clean. They used to have tables for you to sit and enjoy your food, but since the pandemic, it is a to-go only. I always come here when I am in the neighborhood. Wish they open one closer to me.

Great place to grab food to go that won't break the bank. Sandwiches, rice plates, noodle plates, noodle soup and desserts!

Excellent place for budget Vietnamese food. The lady at the counter was super helpful. She was very patient in providing all the prices, but if they had a sign... The food was good and a great value!

I normally wouldn't write a review for this, but I ordered a bowl bun bo hue noodle soup and it was horrible. Tasted nothing like bun bo hue and I've lived in Vietnam for several years. The other items may be ok, but my advice is to avoid the bun bo hue at all costs.

Cheap. Nothing fancy but your daily food type of place. If you are looking for your every day food that you can eat daily, this is your place

This place changed a lot in the last few years. There used to be seating and not as many pre made food selections as they have now. Their banh mi is my family's go to. It is pretty inexpensive and also good! I've tried a few of their pre made meals but none of them were good enough for me to get again but for the price it is worth trying. They used to have a dessert section but it's gone now. I came in on a Friday afternoon to get plain banh mi and it took so long to get it.

I found FLY EGGS in my food!!!! I used to love their food but now I'm steering away. They need to prep their food correctly and leave it so that this never happens.

Thought I do an updated review and provide some pics since it's been over one year. My Mom and I were here at Banh Mi & Che Cali in Rosemead today. I wanted to pick up some chicken curry with bread... it tastes so good! If you don't cook, just buy several orders and freeze them for future meals. It's smart of them to pre-package the curry for grabs so customers don't have to wait... just grab, pay, and go! I also got some sesame balls... they look so good on the counter, but they changed their recipe... not as tasty as before. My Mom got Banh Mi #1 for my brother. Staff is okay. It's all business over here. Ring up your items, collect money, and send you on your way. It's all good. You don't want to linger anyway. They used to have tables and chairs for inside dining, but since reopening from COVID-19, they never brought back the tables and chairs. It's probably for the best. Prices have gone up, too. COVID-19 sure did a number on us... oh well. I've noticed there has been more Banh Mi businesses opening up which bring much more competition in the SGV area. It's great customers have more options. However, how many will make it? Survival of the fittest! Time will tell... Happy Banh Mi'ing!

Delicious. Grab and go place. You can order banh me sandwiches at the register. Lines can get really long. Their English is minimal but food is great

I've been craving Banh mi for a while and we hadn't eaten lunch yet so I picked up their special Banh mi, buy 2, get 1 free and I tried their new Crystal Milk Tea. I don't know what type of boba it is but it's clear and tastes sweet like lychee. I normally get pudding as I do not like regular boba. The service was fast and they were nice. They now take credit cards with $10 minimum purchase. If you're looking for a quick bite, I really like that they have prepared meals on the counter.

When I did the party order and call double checking if they got my order correctly or not they just give me attitude and hang up my phone, just something for you guys to keep in mind before you go to this place THEY DON'T HAVE PATIENCE AND THEY ARE HAVE BAD ATTITUDES(it could also be I'm a English speaking Asian that DOES NOT SPEAK VIETNAMESE

Do you want some traditional Vietnamese food that's great for takeaway? This place has so many options to choose from and a variety of different styles that I've actually haven't seen before. Things are paced and wrapped but you can also order a traditional sandwich from them. I got the chicken one which was also filled with vegetables and chicken meat. They have pork dishes and they also have fake meat if your a vegetarian! I love their pennyworth drink which is this green looking drink that they have plenty of. If you never tried it I think it taste pretty refreshing and clean. I'm not sure if it's healthy but I feel healthy drinking it, if that makes sense. You can also order party platters which I ended up doing and they made it in 20 minutes! Superfast and they have tons of employees that will help you if you ask them. I'm glad I've gotten to try this place.

I love everything about this place! Their food is always fresh and there is a large variety to choose from. It has a larger selection than the one in Alhambra but the one in Alhambra has indoor seating. I usually find something unique here that I've never had and I end up loving it that I get it the next time. I'm all about trying something new. On this visit I got the following: Nem Chua: It's fermented pork with garlic and green chilis on top. It's a street food you eat in VIetnam but on the label it tells you to cook it just incase cuz of foodborne diseases. I've had it as is before and I've never gotten sick from the ones here. If prepared correctly you won't get sick because the fermentation kills the bad bacteria. You can find this in the refrigerated section. (A) Bun Rieu: This is a crab noodle soup dish that is very flavorful. They usually have this out on the table or in the fridge. This is my absolute fav Vietnamese broth. It's best eaten on a chilly day. (A++) Yang Chow Fried Rice: They make this fresh in-house on the daily and they usually leave it by the counter where you pay. It's priced fairly cheap but it has so much ingredients in it. I usually put lots of hot sauce on it because I like my fried rice spicy. (A+) Buy 2 get 1 free Che dessert: I've only tried the white coconut one and the green rice with salty coconut sauce. They both taste soooooo delicious especially in crushed ice. I highly recommend both flavors. Now I want to try all the other dessert flavors! (A++) Rice Shrimp rolls: Refreshing and light perfect for a picnic or spring/summer lunch. Comes with a peanut-based dipping sauce. (A+) Banh Beo: These little rice cakes are perfect steamed with fish sauce and shrimp powder and shallots sprinkled over them. They make great appetizers and definitely fit your sweet & salty savory buds. (A) There is plenty of parking on the streets and on the shared lot. The workers were all super friendly and helped me picked items on the counter that I wasn't sure of. Credit card is accepted over $10 worth of purchase. Have not tried their Banh Mi but I see lots of people ordering it for lunch.

I like ordering party trays, but their phone number never works and sounds like a fax, it's the most annoying thing ever.

I often stop by here. Service is good. They are always crowded. Food is good depending on what dish. Their curry is great. Banh cuon is very delicious and affordable. The price is decent. It's one of my to go spot.

I went here in the morning for sandwiches. The food was decent, but the cashier's attitude was disappointing. When I asked if they had spring rolls, her tone was very annoyed, and she said she wouldn't know because she's not in the kitchen. Her reaction felt unhelpful and made it seem like asking questions wasn't welcome here.

The cashier has a bad attitude if you cannot speak Vietnamese .Really bad experience.

We usually stop by this spot before going on road trips in early morning. They open early and provide my Asian fix before the long trip. And they serve it fast, won't waste your time! They have buy 2 banh mi get 1 free, the best deal. They also have a variety of viet food and snacks. Taste are pretty average for everything. Their pricing used to be the best but now has gotten expensive. Now for banh mi, we'd rather get from other spots that make it better. For snacks, still a pretty good spot. This one has been in this plaza for a long time and I'm glad that business is still good. Lots of parking available or you can park on the street too.

A staple for Vietnamese food in the 626 area. The bahn mi sandwiches are delicious and the pork and mushroom rice rolls are made to order. Super fresh and great for catering parties. While you're waiting in line to order, make sure to pick out some of the pre packed snacks and desserts. This place can get really busy on the weekends but totally worth trying!

I love when I work in San Gabriel. After work, I go here to get their 3 banh mi for $11. Such a great deal. I prefer their hot ones (BBQ pork, chicken, beef, meatloaf, etc.). Their spring rolls and custard buns are also really good. Can't beat the price and it's really tasty.

This place doesn't care for customer service. Don't expect any service. Pay and stand there wait. Those old ladies behind the counter don't care for your business. I will not come back.

Good place to pick up a quick to go lunch or dinner for traditional Vietnamese food. Unfortunately no dine in service. It is known for their Banh Mi sandwiches, However they also sell other vietnamese hot appetizers and snacks. You will find hot snacks such as eggrolls ( meat & vegetarian), Vietnamese meat pie, the Gio Lua (pork roll), mung bean sesame balls and chinese donuts. OH! of course vietnamese desserts too. If you're looking for a quick lunch meal, most of the food is prepacked and ready to go. A lot of authentic food like bun rieu, pho soup, spring rolls, rice rolls and rice entrees. My favorite are the sesame balls and eggrolls because it's always kept fresh and crispy. it's so delicious if when it's dipped in fish sauce with the eggrolls. For meals, I always get the nem spring rolls and banh cuon (rice rolls with ground pork). The spring rolls come in 3. It's not bad for the price you pay for. Remember these deals: Banh Mi: BUy 2 get 1 free Milk Tea: buy 1 get 1 free (they have thai tea as well) There are plenty of parkings, street or parking lot. The open at 6 am and close ay 10 pm. The line might get long in the morning or during lunch hours. I suggest picking up the food earlier because sometimes it does sell out. like the eggrolls LOL

Affordable Vietnamese food best describes this place. It may not be the highest quality but it's safe and clean and tastes decent.

The service is lot better compared before the Covid time. They use to rough with customers but they are so kind. Coffee is good but very sweet for me. Baguettes is acceptable but will back as always

First time coming here, I got the beef stew it was just a nerve or skin of the beef wasn't any meat Pretty much one chopped carrot and some other one vegetable that was it. I also ordered a play of I believe shrimp with an egg roll extremely disappointed so a little meat, but a bunch of noodles, and one eggroll would not come back. At least their egg roll was good

Chao long do khủng khiếp, chao mà toàn doi và 2 cục huyết , vậy mà kêu là cháo lòng . Nên đổi tên gọi . Không bao giờ muốn ăn ở đây nữa.

Favorite! Love going here it has banh not loc and fresh banh cuon! It's hard to find the small banh bot loc!

I've been coming to this spot for 10+ years now! It's a go-to spot for my family whenever we are in the area, or if we needed to grab food for large family gatherings. Parking: pretty spacious! There are other businesses nearby, but I don't think they garner as much foot traffic as this shop I came here on my way down to San Diego, and wasn't sure what to expect given COVID. +1 to keeping doors open, marking the floors to queue the lines, etc. While you wait in line to order, they have a good amount of pre-packaged items that you can grab from the table too. The deals that I come for: - Buy 2 get 1 free banh mi (the half size) // get #22!! The best with ham, meatloaf and headcheese - Buy 1 get 1 free milk tea - 5 lbs of banh cuon for $25 (not a deal from the store, but just something I haven't been able to find anywhere!) // they make it fresh to order, which takes about 20 minutes Overall, great spot and will come here over and over again!

This is Vietnamese food heaven! I saw the photos from the reviews and was very impressed so I decided to go here instead of the San Gabriel location. I felt like a kid in a candy store and bought so many items. The variety and quantity of food made my eyes and tummy very happy. The service was fast and friendly. This is a must go to and I highly recommend it.

Other than the long lines this place creates good eats. Yummy yum yum. They make the sandwiches when you order at the cashier. I wish they're was a better method. They have buy two get one free. I got the beef #31. That was pretty good. They have so many variety that I have to back many times to try out the food.

Disappointed!! Ordered 8 sandwiches and I had the option to leave out the vegetables on the side . Went home and only had the pickled carrots and jalapeños . Missing cilantro and cucumbers uugghh!!

Its my go-to for days that are too hectic to cook. Reasonable prices. buy 2, get one free banh mi sandwiches. I usually ask for extra pate (so creamy) in them. They have different dish specials on different day. And vegetarian options too.

Got a banh mi here to go, and was surprised by all the deals! The boba was buy one get one free, and the banh mi was buy two get one free, so the price was right! The boba was pretty tasty (definitely on the sweet side), and the jelly had a good texture. The banh mi was just average. Lots of baguette, and pretty minimal meat. I got the bbq pork. The banh mi wasn't hot, temperature wise. The meat wasn't the most tender. Flavor was just all right. The toppings came in a bag (we asked for to go), so that was weird. At least we took advantage of the price deals, so it was a filling sandwich for a fair price.

While the food here is great and yummy, they overcharge. They charged me for two items when I only purchased one. Would not recommend as they cheat their customers. Double check your receipts and bags before leaving.

I thought water should be free in CA, is it the law that business owner should provide water if asked for free without a fee or they will be fine? Please fine this business.

Lady this morning was nice. But these places they do not hand you a receipt. By the time I got home, I then realized she forgot to give me the large "cha" meat roll that I paid for. I tried to call the store and constant busy tone, no one picked. The roll is only $7 on a $26 dollar purchase but now I have to drive back out to get something for the kids.

We purchased several sandwiches and got food poising symptoms. I know it's the sandwiches since both of us got the upset stomach. Stay away from this shop. We purchased the "Beef Sandwich".

Great place for authentic Vietnamese snacks and desserts. The bahn mi are an excellent and affordable lunch option priced at around $6 each (buy 2 get 1 free) and can be made on either a baguette or wider sandwich bread. My personal favorite is the bbq pork. The pork and shrimp spring rolls can be found in the premade food section and are deliciously crunchy and refreshing, another one of my must get items. Overall, you can't go wrong with anything here because everything is just super good. Some of the staff aren't too fluent in English but most speak Vietnamese or Chinese.

I came to this place on my birthday eve before driving out of town to stay at a cool spot. I had never been there before, so I was a bit lost when we first arrived. It was super crowded. I don't complain about crowds though. The bigger the crowd, the better the spot. We stood in a couple different spots not able to find the ordering line, but a fellow helpful customer pointed in the general direction saying, "The line is somewhere over there." Perfect. We were bound to find the find the line eventually. We got in line and ordered two baguettes. We had already gotten some deli meats from another local shop to make some sandwiches. We noticed they had a bunch of things on the menu. They had so many tasty looking things I've never tried. We just stopped by for the baguettes, but I know we'll be back to try some other stuff sometime. Do I recommend? Yes, this place was poppin' for a reason. Can't wait to go back and see what all the rave is about.

This review is only for their BOGO Boba milk tea deal. Boba quality was decent. Actually soft and chewy but not warm. Milk tea taste ok. Better than some places I've had. Also can't beat the price so I guess it's ok. The cup is a little small though. The drink is on the sweet side so let the ice melt a little. Only reason for 3 stars is the cleanliness. Saw worker stick her fingers inside the cup when grabbing them. Then proceeded to fill the cup with boba. Never grab the inside of the cup using your fingers!! That's drink making 101. Also tables and chairs very sticky. Gross. I'm surprised this place scored an A.

SO UNSANITARY! Food is good but god so disgusting!! I found a bug in my passion fruit lemonade! This wasn't the first time Ive noticed something off. Last time a lady was making pandan waffles as she sneezed up a storm on her wrist and continued to flip those waffles without gloves. Never ordered those but omg.... step it up!!! Lastly, I ordered a Banh mi from there and my cilantro had dirt on it.. That so gross to know that non of that stuff is washed! Peep that passion fruit tea seed with LEGS!!!

AVOID. The woman with the blue gloves preparing the sandwiches/orders DOES NOT change out her gloves. (watch her prep your food) When prepping our pate (just pate: meat) she scooped the pate from the container WITH HER HAND and put it into the small tray instead of using a spoon. A chunk of pate fell onto the counter and she then picked it up and put it into our small tray, WTF? Then she proceeds to touch everything else, bags, other sandwhich orders etc. We had to explain why we wanted a refund to the cashier. She apologized and then they began to speak in Vietnamese about what had happened and started laughing. Didn't realize the situation was funny. If you ever get food poisoning after coming here, don't be surprised. 100% Refuse to come back.

Very bad service, disrespectful talking to customers, unpleasant attitude, should not shop here