Banh Mi King

Blazing 5*! ONLY GOOD ° 5 spice chicken was moist, flavorful, balanced. ° Shrimp Spring roll freshly made. Not stiff at all (like premade) - sauce is flavorful; although I do like it a little more peanut heavy. ° LOVE the window so you can see fresh, vibrant, and beautiful ingredients. ° Ladies making and taking the order seem very kind and nice. ° It's a short walk to have lunch while looking at the Bay Bridge. Highly recommend! It was a great experience overall.

Banh Mi King brought me back to the first Banh Mi I ever had…10 years ago in San Francisco at a place that’s no longer in business. This one was great with the crispy bread; it was very fresh.

This review is based on my one time eating Banh Mi here. I had the five spice chicken Banh Mi. The meat was delicious, cilantro was very fresh and the pickled carrots were perfect. The baguette was a miss, the cucumber was not fresh and limp. I’m coming back to try again and to give the rest of the menu a look. Still left with a happy tummy ☀️

It was a good banh mi but the bread could have been a little softer. This is probably because I got mine at the end of the day. The portion was good. I got it to go. Would I go back? No. Tell you why. Chicken banh mi was $11.75 but came out to be $14.23! This didn’t include a tip. That’s nut. I understand sales tax and maybe even the 4% health mandate surcharge but that should have been $1.50 extra tops but almost a dollar on top of that? Go to Freshroll Vietnamese or Viet Duong on Bush St. Freshroll charges $9.75 for their banh mi and it’s about the same size and quality as Banh Mi King. I had always wanted to try Banh Mi King but the pricing was silly.

Serving banh mi with unseasoned uncooked tofu should be illegal. It looks like they only microwaved the tofu as it was warm, I really didn’t enjoy it. :-(

First time I order from banh mi king and actually order a banh mi. I highly recommend, I ordered a banh mi, teriyaki tofu bowl and fresh rolls. All the items totally hit the sport. The tofu bowl was slightly crunchy with the crispy onions which matched perfectly with the softness of the tofu. Fresh rolls were delicious, good portion of shrimps with a tasty peanut sauce.

A good take on a Banh Mi…but when did Banh Mi come with jalapeños (Spanish chilli/capsicum)? We had the pork and 5 spice chicken Banh Mi with an iced Vietnamese coffee. The pork Banh Mi was good, the 5 spiced chicken Banh Mi lacked the 5 spiced flavor’s. The Vietnamese iced coffee was 5/5. I would have given a 5 if they had the proper chillies, a proper 5 spiced chicken and the fact that we had to clear & clean our own table. I do highly recommended…..better food than Chinatown and probably the best Banh Mi you will find in San Fran.

Had the five spice chicken bowl as well as the traditional Banh mi. The chicken bowl was perfectly fine. The chicken was cooked and tasty and all the other ingredients were good. Usually when I have this dish, once you add the fish sauce and mix everything it creates a spectacular mix of flavors. Weirdly that didn’t happen today. Not to say that it was bad per se but it was just okay. The traditional banh mi was FIRE. Reallllly good. The cold cuts and pate were on point. SOLID banh mi. Would come here all the time but the price of one banh mi here is closer to what 2 would cost out in the suburbs. Guess that’s the cost of operating in the city in a prime location. Still worth it though in my opinion. Check out this spot if you’re looking for a good banh mi!

This place is great. Friendly, great food, tables easy for sitting, central location, decent prices. All I could ask for in a terrific lunch spot! I'm a happy regular. Lovely little restaurant.

Pretty rare to find a Vietnamese restaurant in FiDi, so Banh Mi King is a welcome edition amongst all the salad and sandwich spots. With a pretty simple menu, they stick to the classics. I usually go for the beef pho, though if you do get it I would recommend dining in-person as the noodles can quickly clump if you get take-out. They also have, as the name suggests, banh mi's as well as spring rolls so there's a nice variety to pick from. If you're looking for a spot to shake up your normal lunch routine, this is for sure worth checking out.

This small shop really surprised me with their pho. I've been here before for a banh mi which was pretty good, but today I was craving pho and went for it. You won't find pho on their menu though which is interesting because it was so good! They have chicken, beef, and meatball. I went for beef and it was all around a good meal. Broth is delicious, meat is tender, and they provide you all the fixins to go with it. Staff is super friendly too. Would recommend for a quick bite!

When you walk in, it's a pretty small space but the vibes are there. A lot of people eat here for lunch or stop by to pick up, so plan ahead and expect a short line. My first time ever having pho from a restaurant and it was delicious! The broth was so hot and flavorful. The women in there were very nice and even the customers were helpful in suggesting sauces to complement the dish.

Pho soup base tasted good but never finished due to an unexpected surprise found in the soup. The sub was really good. I would have gave it 4 stars but had to deduct one star due to the soup.

Great service, wonderful ambiance and such a nice addition to Tiburon. The owners are so delightful!!!

Very disappointed with the roast pork bahn mi. Very small amount of both pork and veg. Not a great value for the money. Other nearby places have much better banh mi for a similar price.

Food: Have ordered the Beef Pho a few times which just includes the beef slices (no beef balls, tripe, or anything like that). Broth has a sweet flavor to it and they add black pepper. You get your typical fixings such as bean sprouts, jalapenos, lemon slice (no thai basil here). Overall, a pretty hefty portion and I would say the pho is probably different from your typical spot but still pretty delicious. Service: Nice ladies working the front and usually does not take a long time to get your order! Ambiance: There's nice decoration around while still minimalist in nature. Should be a good spot to grab a quick bite if you are downtown.

A great lunch option Banh Mi King is close to my work place and this was my first stop there. I love Vietnamese food, especially the Pho. On this stop I asked the young lady behind the counter to suggest something good for this first-timer and after consulting with the lady in charge, they suggested I try the 50/50, chicken and meat ball pho so I could get a taste of both! I went with their suggestion and was very happy. First of all, their to go packaging was great! When I got back to the office, nothing was spilled in the bag (Yesssss!). Then the food itself was delicious. The broth was done very nicely and their was plenty of it. The same with the chicken and meat ball. The bean sprouts and cilantro (in a separate bag) were very fresh and the rice noodles were done just right! Banh Mi King seems to be a family owned and operated restaurant. They have a small and very clean dining area and their customer service is great. I will be going back there again.

Love having this place as a nearby, quick option when I'm craving a banh mi. My go to is the roasted pork and it never disappoints. Only thing holding me back from coming back more often is the price, but it's still worth it compared to other options in the area!

Not very authentic tasting. The amount of vegetables was laughable. I ordered a combo sandwich which they up charge for then they gave me a roast pork. Not very happy with this experience better off at another place

Ordered roast pork Banh Mi with no pate. Also ordered around 4pm an hour before closing - bread was stale and pork had a very large piece of fat which left me worried I would get another one for the rest of the sandwich. Flavor was not as authentic as I have had but flavor of pork was good. Too much mayonnaise. Appreciate this type of food in this neighborhood and maybe it was an off day or I need to go earlier to get fresh bread. Price tracks with the location.

Good traditional banh mi. I'm glad to have this option in the East Cut, where Asian food is relatively scarce. The only reason it's not 5 stars is they didn't toast the bread. Shocking. I'll ask them to next time.

This little whole in the wall is clean,quick and tasty! I ordered rhe pork banh mi and it was delicious!!! The portion was large and they have delicious hot sauces on the tables too. The service is super speedy and the ambiance is nice too!

I've passed by Banh Mi King a number of times but finally decided to give it a try. It's pretty much only open on weekdays for lunch, so if you're craving some Pho on a weekend, keep on walking. I love Banh Mi's, so I decided to try my usual standby - the 5 Spice Chicken. Overall, it was pretty good with a nice crispy French bun and very flavorful ingredients. Size-wise, it was about average, so if you're really hungry, I'd recommend ordering some spring rolls. My wife ordered the chicken Pho, which she really liked. To keep the soup fresh and ready to eat when taken away, the broth and veggies come separately from the noodles. This also allows you to set the exact amount of spiciness you want. Service was fast and friendly and accurate and I was in and out of the restaurant within 5 minutes. Prices are also pretty good. Unlike many places, you can actually eat a meal here for about $10. I'd definitely go back to Banh Mi King, and I'd certainly suggest it to anyone looking for a tasty lunch.

Came here after working from Salesforce Park nearby. Order the Tofu Banh Mi here. It was very bland, slightly pan fried with salt and pepper. I know that tofu banh mi is not quite traditional but I am trying to cut down on meat consumption for the planet. This is the only Banh Mi place in the area so I thought I would give it a try. I am sure their other items are good as there was a strong aroma of pho when I walked in the store. The owners were very nice and my order (from Ritual) was ready when I got there.

This was good! Not the best chicken banh mi I've had, but it was good! Maybe I will have to try the pork next time. The bread was warm and toasted which made it really good. The carrots and daikon were good too. I will definitely be back to try their other items! I thought it was a good hefty banh mi, and gave me a wonderful lunch! Would recommend it to anyone looking to have a quick lunch. The staff was super sweet and friendly too.

This is my favorite banhmi place. The servers are so nice and the service is very quick!

I'm so glad this place is still open. I went in for lunch the other day, it wasn't too busy so I ordered and got my food right away. It's a perfect amount of food for the price, and they keep all the liquids separate so nothing gets soggy.

One word...flavorless. even though a rather large sandwich. I was not impressed. This place was good for the price.

Gave this place a try again after not coming here for a few months, because they could not get my sandwich order right in the past 3 visits. And all I asked for was extra carrots. I came back today for a combo sandwich and the pink meat/ham in it was so chewy that I had to remove it. Disappointing quality but they finally gave me extra carrots.

I got the chicken noodle bowl. It was really good and tasted fresh. It was also easy to order and arrived on time. I would come back again.

This place is convenient and I was able to order online. The sandwich was a good size, only thing was that they didn't toast the bread, I didn't taste much pate, and the mayo. Otherwise it was a decent sandwich. My order was ready when I got there. The staff greeted me right away. If you guys need a quick grab and go, I would definitely recommend. Please continue to support.

Shrimp spring rolls were good. "Traditional" ban mi sandwich was a big disappointment. Roll was so dry and cut up the roof of my mouth. Strange filling, no flavor. Service was good. Not sure if I'll be back.

If you're looking for an incredible and fairly priced Bahn Mi, you've come to the right place! They have a bunch of unique Bahn mi flavors. When I went I stuck with the classic and it did not disappoint. The staff are so charming and welcoming, it feels like family is cooking for you! I can't wait to head back and get another sandwich!

I ordered this via Ritual and they prepared it really fast. I went there and just took mine, the whole transaction didn't even take 2 minutes! Per what I observe, the restaurant is not as hard to find as what people claimed, but it is really small, though. I don't think I would feel comfortable bringing in a group there. Food was 3 stars. The pickled carrots are not as pickled, too weak in my opinion. The meat was great, hence 3 stars. The bread was too hard, hurting the inner of my mouth. Not the best, I would say. What's more annoying is that they claimed to have pate included in their roasted pork sandwich, but I don't think I got anything in there. Maybe next time I'll try to get it in person to make sure they smeared my bread with Pate :(

There are a lot of banh mi shops in downtown and differences are marginal. Banh Mi King has better sandwiches but is also slightly more expensive. Essentially, you pay for what you get. If you particularly like spice, they put in a lot of jalapenos for a nice kick, which could be an added benefit.

$9.50 for the fresh bowl, $8.50 for banh mi holy crow. That was more than I'd usually pay but given its prime location near Rincon Center, makes sense. I was also with a friend who's Vietnamese and she seemed to know what she was ordering. She asked for a combinatorial banh mi (I saw from the receipt). She ordered it in Vietnamese with the cashier and for that I was very impressed. He was very friendly and welcoming and I love that he and some of the others beside the counter spoke Vietnamese too. #authentic The food was very good. The chicken was spiced well and tasted fresh. The portion size wasn't bad and I was very happy with the amount of chicken. Will be back for lunch when I need a quick, authentic, and yummy bite.

I came here to see what was going on. It was their grand opening and I was looking for a new place to eat. I got their 5-spice chicken banh mi. It was very big! I'm not an expert on banh mi but i do eat quite a few. I liked the bread which is key. The chicken was okay and the vegetables better, overall it was just normal. I'm not sure if it was the execution or what, but I like the banh mi from some of the other places more. Some points: I'd like them to cut my sandwich to make it easier to eat. I feel as though they could season the meat more. I also feel the vegetables could be added first as they kept falling out

Such a mixed experience. The banh mi was in 4-star territory but the pho was more like 2-stars, so through averaging this was a 3-star experience. Stick with the sandwiches and you should be good. Roasted Pork Banh Mi: The bread was so tasty. Not only was it warm and toasty, it had a nice chew to it. It seemed they were keeping it in a bread warmer; so important! The roast pork was nice too. Not overly seared and full of marinade. The toppings were pretty standard and they didn't skimp on the mayo. Was quite tasty. Chicken Pho: Disappointing. Lesson learned, don't order pho at a shop with "Banh Mi" in it's name. The broth lacked any sort of complexity. The chicken tasted tough and overcooked. The noodles were a bit soggy instead of al dente.

I found this place open the day before Christmas, no indoor eating, only order and went home. I was looking for pho, and though they don't have it in the menu, they had it available in the special of the day: pho noodle chicken or meatball. The prices are reasonable considering the area. The menu is basically fresh bowls, Bahn mi (which is a little bit cheaper), they have also different drink. The staff is friendly and they serve everything very fast. Our meal can out very quick and it was delicious. Good option for a quick lunch!

I have a lot of eating restrictions, always really appreciate when it's no bother for people to accommodate them. The employee was so nice, even offered three different sauce options when I even just asked what the peanut sauce ingredients were. Pho broth was good, service was fast, will definitely be coming here again.

I'm come in here many time and I've tried their pho ( which I forgot to take a picture of for this post ), Banh Mi chicken sandwiches, and their spring roles lately. Delicious! Their cold coffee is good too. I saw that they serve boba too! Definitely gets busy during lunch hours like at 12-1 pm. It's good for to go food (including the pho soup). I really do like this place and I hope to come back in the future.

Food is quick, fairly cheap, and delicious. If I were going to the office more frequently, there is a good chance I would be eating there more frequently.

Really fast service with big sandos. Quality meat with fresh jalapeños and veggies. This is my fav bahn mi spot in the area. Great for a quick lunch and fills me up for the remainder of my workday.

Really authentic Vietnamese Food. Highly recommend! The ingredients are supa fresh! The owner is also really nice. I ordered a banh mi and some spring rolls. Their peanut sauce is really good. Super creamy and smooth.

Banh Mi King is probably as good as it gets around The Embarcadero & FiDi area. I've been on a hunt for a good banh mi around the area for some times now, and nothing can compare. It's obviously not as cheap as what you'll find/get from TL but I would say the quality and portion is not bad. Every time I come, I usually only get the Traditional Banh Mi and it never seem to fail. The amount of meat they put in the sandwich is a lot, they really don't skimp you on it since their price point is a bit higher too.

Overall, 4 stars. This place is tucked away on Howard St, close to the corner of Main. The decor is cute, tropical, but some elements of traditional. The seating is comfortable and the place is clean. Now, for the food: Fancy pork banh mi ($8.50): Delicious. For downtown/SOMA, the price is expected. Shrimp spring roll: ($8.25): While it tasted fine, they are smaller/thinner for the price. Salty lemonade ($5): I wanted to like it, but unfortunately, it was overwhelming. I started to say it was too sweet, but because of the salty element, I think it was syrupy element by the end. When I say "end," I mean by the time I threw it out. I tried to let the ice melt (it was a hot day -84 degrees- in hopes of diluting it, but it didn't help. Either way, I don't think it was worth $5. I would come back for the banh mi for sure.

One of my favorite places in SF! The ingredients are so fresh and taste authentic. I live down the street so this is def my go to! The chicken pho is one of the best I've had and their chicken banh Mi is pretty good too! Wish they were open on the weekend!

Best Vietnamese food I ever have; best chicken i ever have in life! Soft, juicy, full of flavor! Clean taste! Love this place!

I had the traditional bahn mi with extra jalapeños today. The sandwich was filled with a generous amount of meat, cilantro, picked carrots and daikon. I like mind spicy, so I got extra jalapeño. I would definitely recommend this place for lunch. It's a small space but they have a decent amount of space to eat in if you want to take a break from the office. This will definitely become one of my go to spots.

So I decided to give BMK's banh mi another try. This time I tried the roast pork sandwich which was not bad at all. It had a fairly good amount of meat and pickled veggies. The pork was flavorful with spices, although it could use a little bit more salt. The bread was better this time around--warm and chewy, still not crunchy though. When I was on my banh mi protest from this place, I still frequented it for the fresh shrimp spring rolls. You really can't fudge this up. BMK offers bigger than normal portions of their spring rolls (4 cut pieces each with 2 halved shrimps) with a hefty amount of lettuce, rice noodles, and bean sprouts. The peanut sauce has great consistency and taste. The rolls used to be $6.50 for 2, now it's $7.50. I can't say I agree with the price increase when they've only been open for less than 6 months, but SF rent is no joke.

So happy this place opened up here! Great banh mi place on par with other popular ones in the city. Bread is on denser side, crispy on the outside with nice chew on inside, similar to same bread as Saigon Sandwich or Dinosaur (I'm guessing they're the same bakery). Generous on the flavorful meat and fillings. Friendly and quick service. Good prices. Great addition to the neighborhood, will be back often for lunch breaks! Even though it's advertised as a banh mi place, their other Vietnamese food is surprisingly good too. Pho ga broth is a little lighter compared to Turtle Tower but still nice clean broth served on the side that hit the spot. Served with sliced cabbage instead of beansprouts (they said they were out) but it worked, gave it nice texture without beansprout earthiness. Also tried bun thit nuong (roasted pork noodle bowl) that was equally good. They use the same flavorful pork as the banh mi and nuoc mam (fish sauce) wasn't watered down. A couple very minor suggestions for improvements: * Little confusion ordering since some banh mi ingredients missing on menu. Even though it's not listed, traditional includes cha lua (steamed pork) and super combo includes pate. * Veggies were mostly on top of banh mi so I got alternating bites of mostly veggies then mostly meat. I'd prefer veggies packed a little deeper to get better balance of meat to veggie ratio per bite. Of course I can always do this myself so it's not a big deal.

Fast and friendly service. Their banh mi is delicious. The bread they use is nice and chewy. I like it! The meat, good too!

Banh Mi spot in what used to be an Indian restaurant (short-lived). I'm a fan of Banh-mi's in general and there are a couple heavy hitters in the city that I've ate at and enjoyed. The price is $7.50 for Banh mi's here which is higher than the you-j but given the location I get it. I went with the Roasted Pork- Roasted Pork, Pate, Mayo, Carrot, Pickled Daikon, Cucumber, Cilantro. It was good but the bread for me could have been a little bit crisipier and the bread itself was a tad bit too heavy for me as well. The pork itself and marinade was also not "write home to momma" good . The pork was chewy and had a different taste to it. I saw that they carry Thai Tea and also Pho for $9.50 as well (there aren't many Pho spots in this particular area of SF). Initial impression it was a 2 or 3 star venue for me. The service however was very friendly and they do have a lot of different options besides Banh Mi's including. Various Fresh Bowls for $8.50 ( 5 spice chicken, Roasted Pork and Teriyaki Tofu). So I'll go with a 3 star rating for now. If you like my reviews, consider "following" my profile for reviews all across the SF Bay Area . Why "follow" someone? It causes the person you follow's reviews to tier to top when you pull up a business. I find this very handy when researching venues. Rod's Review grading scale explained. Essentially I personally base it on the likelihood of a return visit and I try to be stingy with 5 star reviews since they should be "special" in my eyes. Price/Value also play a role obviously but there are $ and $$$$ littered across my grading scale. 5 stars - "I'll go out of my way" (approx 6 % of my reviews) 4 stars- "If I was in the area I'd go here and would recommend", (approx 38% of my reviews) 3 stars "Maybe if was nearby", (approx 37% of my reviews) 2 stars -"Would likely not return, Only if you want to go", (approx 16% of my reviews) 1 star -"No thanks, even if I was hungry", (approx. 3 % of my reviews)

This is a great place over near Rincon Center! There's the option of sandwiches, rolls and bowls, as well as tofu for the vegetarians and vegans. I ordered the tofu banh mi. The pickles weren't quite as sour as some of the other places have gone but they made up for that with crunchiness. Between the seasoned tofu, the bun, the veggies and the sauce, this was a delicious sandwich and I'm looking forward to returning and making this one of my regular Vietnamese sandwich shops.

I was really excited to see a new lunch place was opening near my job. It has really homey, cozy feel to it when you walk in, decor is really cute and service friendly as can be. I was excited to see they had 3 veg-friendly options on the menu (tofu banh mi, tofu bowl and a roll). Unfortunately I was not a fan of the Banh Mi. It had way too much tofu (I took half out) that was not very well seasoned (maybe marinating, grilling it, serving with some delicious sauce?) and very little veggies. I'm not giving up on this place yet though, will try the other 2 vegetarian options as well and come back here to update.

There are not a whole lot of good Vietnamese options in this area, so luckily a coworker found this place on Yelp and we decided to try it. Super cute place and the ladies are very nice. Have gone there twice - once for 5 spice chicken bowl and second for the Pho. Pho can be tricky when taking it to go but it was still tasty. Only knocking off one star bc both times took a bit longer than we'd hoped for and second time they confused our order. But otherwise I'd definitely go back and I'll have to try the Banh Mi!

This is an authentic Vietnamese restaurant. Their banh mi, in particular, the grilled pork one, is really delicious! The pho and other soups are dishes not to miss.