Caphe Banh Mi

Great food and service, three of us went right at lunch and it was very crowded but they turned the tables around quickly and we still didn’t feel rushed once we sat down. The “sloppy” Bahn mi was the group favorite and the traditional Bahn mi and grilled pork bun also very good. The only complaint is that they should include more protein in the sandwiches. The flavor was great but it’s mostly bread which I know many places do to keep up with pricing challenges but still a little disappointing to see after you bite in. Overall would still recommend a visit and we will be back to try the pho

Easily one of the best Vietnamese restaurants in Alexandria. It is quite a small place, can maybe fit thirty people maximum, but they always manage to make space quickly for people arriving. I am particularly fan of their vermicelli bowls and bahn mis, they have vegan ones that are to die for. I was not as convinced by the fake chicken in the vegetarian pho soup, so I recommend the other vegetarian options. The food is made fairly quickly, and they have a patio outside for the warmer days. Highly recommend!

As a bahn mi lover, i highly recommend coming here. The imperial rolls for an app are a little pricey (9$ for 2) but worth it as they are delicious. My partner loves his pho too. We enjoyed sitting outside for lunch.

Small place, great food, nice people. When it's busy there can be a wait but it's worth it. Warm friendly atmosphere, the sandwiches have fresh crisp baguettes and delicious ingredients (I like the chicken best, love the seasoning and a bit of thickness to it, but they do a "classic" with more simple sliced ham that my son enjoyed more, either way the combination of sweet, tang, savory, and hint of heat (jalapenos are optional, so choose your level) really just makes for a special meal, the bread alone is great but the whole combination is wonderful!) The pho is solid, not over powering but generous and tasty, the vermicelli/rice dishes were equally reliable - my son says the grilled pork over rice was almost a religious experience, he finally gets what other places are "trying" to do now that he's gotten to try it here where they succeed. Basically his new favorite dish anywhere now. Liked our first visit so much we stopped in the next day just to get sandwiches to eat as we walked around old town. Really delightful service and people too, just super nice - even during their busy times they were happy to do a take out order up and really helpful and patient. Just a great place!

Loved it. Delicious and reasonably priced báhn mì sandwiches and bun vermicelli rice bowls. I would have liked more herbs and veggies but I’ll put that down to personal preference. Service was friendly and attentive. It was great to dine outside on their quiet street side patio too with leaves rustling overhead.

My first bite was a taste sensation and locked in my opinion of 5-star food! The freshness of the ingredients shone thru! Nothing extravagant about the decor, but there is pleasant outdoor seating (in addition to the cozy indoor dining). Pleasant, attentive and quick service.

SO CUTE! They brought out our food so quick I’ve never had food come out that quick. I got the House pho, def recommend the regular size and the spring rolls. My pho was so flavorful and delicious with PERFECT noodles. Try this place !

Food is fantastic, great vegetarian options like the soy chicken banh mi. Just that alone is superb. Service could be better, more hospitable and polite. It's a tight squeeze inside but it's worth it cause the food does speak for itself.

Pho is one of my favorite dishes and Caphe Banh Mi is one of my top spots! The restaurant offers indoor and outdoor seating. The food is very quick to come out. The staff aren't too friendly but work swiftly, which is great. The pho is amazing with lots of fresh ingredients. I don't think there is AC in the summer.

This place is a great place for Viet comfort food. The service is exactly what you expect from most small neighborhood restaurants. The ambience is casual and the tucked away outdoor seating from bit street is very nice. Great for family, friends and casual dates. The food is excellent but note this is not meant for fancy Michelin star food. Just something you like to eat anytime. Sloppy Viet- saucy and meaty that I prefer more than a Philly Steak... a Asian take on - Philly Steak for an Asian Lemongrass Chicken - standard affairs with chick juicy and perfectly grilled and spiced. Nothing surprising, just good.

My husband and I wanted pho for dinner and we found this cute little spot in old town Alexandria. The pho and banh mi sandwich were so good! Def recommend this place for a date night or with friends. They have outside seating and in door. I also love they have small and large options available.

High quality Vietnamese restaurant right off of King's street. Convenient and central location. Service and food are both high quality, and all staff are Vietnamese. I've tried the vermicelli and pho. Vermicelli is somewhat of a dry version of the pho (with some additions), and my preferred choice between the two. Worth checking the place out.

Spotted this place from Google maps. So glad I did. The food was great. Beer and wine options abundant. My friend is vegetarian and she loved her food as well. Would come again

The "works" pho seems to have lost some of its depth of flavor, and I've realized the chicken pho is the real star here -- I couldn't stop stealing bites from my wife's bowl! The imperial roll is still excellent; overall, this place remains solid. The word is out -- this spot definitely rocks -- but with the growing crowds, the food quality has slipped a bit compared to the restaurant's early years.

Another amazing meal. I had my go-to lemongrass Banh Mi. Typical excellent service. It was such a beautiful February. On warmer days, I enjoy their sidewalk seating. The Banh Mi are excellent. The bread is always so, so crunchy. It was packed full of flavor. Sloppy Viet Bo Bam (spicy red curry ground beef) and the Phoenix Ga (Lemongrass Chicken) are my favorites. Don't forget to ask for extra jalapeños! I'm not a big Pho person but always hear great first hand reviews from my group. This is on my Old Town top 10 rotation for sure. Check them out!

The broth wasn't as clear our flavorful as i like it but it does the job i guess maybe work more on a clearer more flavorful both and the tripe was fishy which is odd

My first bite was a taste sensation and locked in my opinion of 5-star food! The freshness of the ingredients shone thru! Nothing extravagant about the decor, but there is pleasant outdoor seating (in addition to the cozy indoor dining). Pleasant, attentive and quick service.

Came on a Friday night and got lucky to get a table right away, however by the time we left there was a line of people waiting outside to get seated. The space itself is not very big, but they make good use of all the tables. The filet mignon pho was good and the filet mignon meat was delicious and tender, however I wish the broth was a little more flavorful. My boyfriend and I split the grilled pork banh mi which was also good. While the food is good, the prices are definitely on the higher side for pho. I wouldn't go out the way to come here again, especially since there are many pho restaurants in NOVA, but it's a great Viet food option in old town.

Bún thịt nướng chả giò here is better than Eden Center imo. Quite surprising for being in this location. Lol I will come back to try their ca phê bánh mì next time.

This is the best pho place we've found in Alexandria. We love it so much! The service is super fast to make it a good in-and-out spot. We didn't sit inside, although it looked lovely, but we sat outside on the front and couldn't rave about it enough. A delicious bowl of filet mignon pho while looking up and down quaint little Alexandria streets was calming. I loved seeing the hustle and bustle of the town around us. What a great bowl of pho! Best broth in the area so far, and we've had broth all over the country and in Vietnam. 10/10

One of the best bowls I've ever had! The broth was rich and savory, the noodles thin and fresh, and every bite felt comforting and flavorful. The customer service was just as good--friendly and attentive. Plus, it's in one of my favorite areas to hang out, which makes it an easy go-to spot. Highly recommend!

Outstanding food, from the perspective of a vegan (and vegetarian friends). Always delicious and modifications are welcomed. The service is quick and friendly. It is a crowded restaurant indoors... but that is fine... it's part of the experience! If you've not been here before... don't miss it!

I still LOVE their imperial rolls. So, so good. Service is always very quick. The pho, tho? Meh. I was their first customer of the day. Compared to two places I've been to lately - in PG County and Arlington - it's a bit bland and lacking before and after additions (hoisin, onion, etc.). I haven't had the lemongrass chicken in a bit but I definitely prefer that. It's always very good. Finally, $39 for: -Thai iced tea ($6) -imperial rolls ($9) -chicken pho with beef broth regular (they don't do small for takeout) -vinegar onions ($3) Just a tad bit HIGH.

Great pho spot for the Old Town Alexandria neighborhood. The spring rolls were delicious, pho broth was flavorful, and service was friendly. We were able to be seated immediately and I enjoyed the pho ga small. It was just the right amount for a lunch portion. You may want regular though if you are starving. If you order pho ga, I'd ask them to hold the fried onions as it gives it an interesting flavor that I'm not accustomed to when it comes to pho. Overall, I would definitely come back!

Place is always crowded and while we had a reservation for 8, they didn't have our table ready when we arrived so we had to wait 10 mins. Service was slow, things were forgotten and experience was just not great. Food was good but the service took away from enjoying fully as we had to keep asking for forgotten things that were needed. The service was not personable.

I love coming here. It's one of the only Vietnamese places outside of Arlington that's actually so good and reminds me of the places in Philly I'm used to. The highlights for me are the pho (even though the broth could be a touch more flavorful) and the banh mi (thank god!). The service is quick and even though the place is tiny, you really do get in and out without feeling rushed. I will take everyone I know who's open to this food here for all the reasons, not to mention the price is so competitive for the area.

Overall good food and good service ! I'd rate this an okay place for a quick bite, but no reason to go out of your way to visit. I've gotten: tamarind rolls (tastes just fine, sauce was sweeter than expected), phoenix Banh mi (chicken was okay, bread was dry ), catfish banhmi (catfish was crispy and freshly fried, bread was dry), house Pho (not anything special) Service was fine for the establishment. Overall a casual place for some decent food and super convenient location if you're craving a quick bite!

Cute spot in Alexandria that has excellent banh mi. We got the lemongrass chicken banh mi and thought the meat quality was great and the chicken was very well seasoned. The bread was not too crunchy and the pickled veggies added the perfect freshness to the dish. Sorry I didn't take a pic of the banh mi! We also ordered the pho and didn't love it. But the name of the restaurant is caphe banh mi, so I'll give them a 4 since their namesake dish was delicious!

Low key, homey restaurant serving tasty Vietnamese dishes. I was tempted for pho, but opted for a Lemongrass Chicken Banh Mi. It was my first real Banh Mi- they did a great job. The bread was fresh with the right texture/bite. The chicken was well flavored and paired nicely with the fresh jalapeños, cilantro, carrots, and sauces. Definitely a more affordable option compared to other places in the area. I'd come again to try their pho for sure!

phenomenal pho! fast and they put lots of meat. their hot tea is also very fragrant and yummy. the decor is also cute and reminded me of vietnam too :)

We tried both the house pho and roasted pork Banh mi. Look, it's not as good at pho 75 or dc Banh mi but definitely hits the spot if you're craving those things and much closer to you if you're in the Alexandria area. As expected, they are no frills but quick and efficient with quality food. Definitely a recommend from me to check it out for some Vietnamese food!

This place is very tasty!! This place isn't very big but has outdoor seating and very stylish inside. We started off ordering imperial rolls. They were so hot we had to let them sit. Very crunchy and thick. I enjoyed them. We ordered the house pho. It is really good and comes with a lot of meat. I wish it had more noodles. I enjoyed the visit here. Street parking might be available but there is also a parking garage very close.

Wow the best vegan viet food I have ever had! The food was absolutely amazing and it tasted so good! The service was over the top good. They really went the extra mile for their service! And the decor in the place was super duper cool! I will def be back here, will be my go to place! We got all vegan pho, banh mi, and spring rolls and rice vegan dish! The prices were also very fair for what we paid!

Delicious! Quaint! A hidden gym in beautiful walkable old town, Alexandria . A nice variety of menu items to choose from. Completely affordable for Alexandria I highly recommend.

Attentive, swift service with the perfect balance of keeping things moving without being rushed while still feeling well cared for. Easily the best Pho in the area (tofu, chicken). Please send broth recipe.

After leaving here in '19... I make it a POINT to visit Caphe Banh Mi anytime I visit D.C. Order the Zing Zang salad, it is THE most refreshing salad you'll ever have. I request no onion and I add cilantro. My husband loves the vermicelli bowl with pork and I get the pho tai. The staff is very friendly and even when they're totally packed, they're very attentive and kind. The inside is small and tight quarters so be ready to rub elbows with strangers...although post Covid they did expand their sidewalk dining area. Stop by!!! You won't be disappointed!

They say they have authentic Vietnamese street food. When I saw that, I got a bad feeling. Street food is generally simple and inexpensive, authentic or not. They proved me right on the simple part, but the prices were high for what was served. The food wasn't expensive, though. My wife and I tried 4 dishes that I assumed could be outstanding, even as authentic street food. Never assume. We found some issues with the food. Well, hope springs eternal for us. 1) Imperial Rolls 2 thick skinned extremely crispy rolls with shrimp, pork, onion, carrot, taro, wood-ear mushrooms, and mung bean noodle with a side of fish dipping sauce. They were deep-fried in clean oil. The sound of crunching as we ate these was laughably loud. This is not a traditional spring roll. The filling was ground paste that tasted mostly of plain mung bean noodle with a little of everything else and a touch of salt. The dipping sauce was typical but watered down. It had lime, fish sauce, garlic, rice wine vinegar, and sugar. The filling needed seasoning, the sauce was weak, and the $9 price wasn't justified. The crunchy wrap was great, though. 2) Sloppy Việt Bánh Mi It had spicy red curry ground beef, basil, cucumber, cilantro, pickled daikon, carrots, jalapeno, and house garlic mayo spread served in an 8 inch baguette. The beef was moist and tender with a sweet and spicy flavor. There were flavors of onion, red chile, sugar, garlic, cumin, coriander, and salt. Great flavor and savoriness. There wasn't enough beef to match the bread. The bread had a thick crunchy crust with a soft, moist, and slightly chewy crumb. The vegetables were fresh and typical. The spread was garlic, mayonnaise, and a touch of sugar. Everything worked well together. It was a great tasting banh mi that was overpriced for the small amount of beef. 3) The Works Phở Eye of round, brisket, meatballs, flank, tripe, tendon, rice noodle, white onions, scallions, and cilantro in broth. It came with jalapeno slices, basil, bean sprouts, and lime on the side. The meat was slightly chewy and moist with some savoriness except for the chopped meatballs. They were the frozen type found at Asian grocery stores. They had light flavors of pork, chicken, msg, salt, pepper, and garlic. This type of meatball has preservatives and binders. It is kept frozen until used. So, they had a rubbery texture with a preservative flavor. The noodles were slightly chewy and well cooked. The broth tasted like chicken, beef, and typical seasoning with a hint of sweetness. It was decent tasting but not special. Overall, it was enjoyable, but the awful meatballs were disappointing. $18.50 was high for pho of this quality. 4) Grilled Lemongrass Chicken Bún Bún means vermicelli in Vietnamese. It had rice vermicelli, grilled chicken pieces, pickled daikon, carrot, shredded lettuce, mint, cucumber, and crushed peanuts with Việt sauce and a vegan imperial roll. The white meat chicken was marinated in a sweet light soy sauce. It was moist and tender with a slight charred flavor and a strong lemongrass aroma, but a hint of flavor. All of the components were fresh. The sauce was the Achilles heel. It was the same sauce as the one with the Imperial Rolls. The weak sauce made this dish so-so. The chicken was the best part. The vegan roll was super crispy with a bland filling. It needed seasoning. The service was polite, helpful, attentive, responsive, and quick. They don't give you a check. You have to walk up to the cash register, and the cashier will give you a total. That's not a good practice for many reasons, but it's typical of Vietnamese restaurants. The dining room was old and relatively clean. The 2 restrooms were the tiniest that I've seen. You could wash your hands in the sink while sitting on the toilet! They looked relatively clean. Parking can be hard to find. There's street parking and garages. Tavern Square garage is the closest. Their Yelp reviews were not helpful. I picked dishes that had many positive comments. However, those reviews were short with few or no useful details. So, I took those comments with a grain of salt while keeping hope at the forefront. My reviews are detailed to help people with their choices so they don't waste money or time. I didn't find one that let me know that the food I picked had issues. Now, you know. The food and value deserves 3 stars. The service deserves 5 stars. There are restaurants with better Vietnamese food at lower prices in Eden Center.

I've only ordered the pho here and it's delicious. Definitely go with time or order ahead. There is only a limited amount of tables. This place is always full so that's a great sign.

Cute little restaurant and friendly staff. We had a busy morning and skipped the normal lunchtime. It was rainy, and we craved pho, so we came in 35 mins before their afternoon break. We knew what we wanted, so we quickly ordered, but once we started eating, we never felt rushed. I loved the taro in the Crispy Vegetarian Imperial Rolls. The Phoenix (lemongrass chicken) Bahn Mi was great, plenty of crunch and seasoning, chicken wasn't dry. My mom and I shared the Regular size House Noodle Soup. Such quality ingredients- The broth was light but flavorful, meat wasn't fatty, and noodles cooked perfectly... basil leaves, bean sprouts, and jalapeño garnishes were all fresh. Everything was flavorful but tasted so "clean" (not greasy/oily). Glad they accommodated us in!

I had the filet mignon pho - soooo good. It was so worth the $3 or so difference, I'll never be able to eat plain old eye round again! It's tiny, so expect to wait - and there's not much room to do so. Service was fine, given that the place was packed! Will definitely be back.

Such a gem! Coming from LA, we have "authentic" flavors here and there, but this was better than most of them! I don't find myself here often but I'll make sure to stop every time!

Still looking for a great Banh Mi in the DMV area. This one was good, but lacked flavor and variety.

One of the best low key restaurants in the Old Town Alexandria area! No frills, just good food. There's indoor and outdoor seating. Service is quick and friendly. The food comes out in a decent amount of time no matter how busy they are. My favorite go to here are the summer rolls and the Grilled Pork Bun (bowl). Both are so refreshing and bursting with flavor. Can't go wrong with their Vietnamese iced coffee either.

Had a great solo dinner here on a Saturday evening. The service was quick and helpful, and the portion was just right. The imperial was crunchy and phenomenal. I initially came to try a banh mi, but they were sold out. I'm glad I decided to try it anyway though. Would definitely return.

Yum! Being from CA where there is an abundance of vietnamese people, culture, and food, I love all three. I'm grateful to find restaurants that bring the Pacific rim to the east coast. I'm mostly vegan, so I ordered the vegetarian Pho, chay banh mi and vermicelli - I needed food for home too. Pho was flavorful, so I'm looking forward to the rest. I got here just before the evening rush. They went from 1/4 to full in less than 30 mins. The food cw fast and hot. Service was sufficient. I will certainly be back!

I'm sad to write this review because I've been a returning, loyal customer for over 5 years. While the food itself tastes great, the service is HORRIBLE and has continued to decline. I've had a terrible experience the last 3 times I've dined here/called for takeout. I called and placed an order for 1 veggie pho, NO TOFU and extra vegetables. Tofu makes my stomach upset and so I prefer extra veggies in my pho instead. I'm more than happy to pay for extra veggies and understand an extra cost to do so. Every other pho place understands my order but for some reason, this place continues to treat my request like an inconvenience to THEM. I went to pick up my order but something told me to open the takeout boxes and double check before leaving since this place messed up my order the last few times. Upon checking, I saw that they AGAIN put tofu in my order and did NOT add extra veggies, as requested. I understand mistakes happen so I very nicely let them know and the guy at the register acted irritated with ME and just said "extra $5 for extra veggies", as if I was trying to scheme them for free food. Again, I have no issues paying for extra items but there was no "oh I'm sorry, we'll get it for you". Also no acknowledgment that they messed up my order when I was very specific when I called. I quietly paid the extra $5 but when they gave me the extra veggies, I was appalled that they put 2 tablespoons of vegetables in a container and charged me $5 for it. See photos. I also then asked for extra sauces and one of the other workers was handing it to me nicely and the same very rude guy I spoke to about the vegetables said something in Vietnamese and then they all laughed at me. That was uncomfortable and made me question why I'm giving this place my money. Dear owner - you are not entitled to our business. We pay for what you provide. You are in the customer service business. Clearly, from these reviews you're losing customers. I will never return and refuse to give my money to individuals who are rude and lack basic customer courtesy when they continue to mess up. I also get the sense this place is racist and biased to a certain demographic, so - take that for what it's worth.

I ordered the vege pho which was delicious. It included vege meat and king mushrooms. Everyone was friendly and food came out quick. You have the option of sitting outside. The place is casual and nice.

I've been to Caphe Banh Mi many times throughout the years. It's great that there's outdoor seating now, since it's such a small indoor area - and it was a perfect day to be outside. I got my usual, the pork vermicelli. As always, the pork was super flavorful and cooked perfectly. This is definitely one of the better places to get this dish. I also had the Thai tea and had never been given the option of getting it with boba until now. Of course I want boba. It made the already good Thai tea better. Service was fast and friendly. I know I'll be back.

Really liked this spot, the rice paper rolls are wonderfully balanced in flavor and the wrappings have a great chew to them. Enjoyed their banh mi sandwiches too, I personally am not a fan of pate so glad they had many other varieties like chicken and pork fillings. The Vietnamese coffee was delightful too. Prices are fairly reasonable for the area. Nice outdoor seating too, although the indoor seats can get a little cramped at peak times.

Caphe Banh Mi is delicious! I absolutely love everything from the taste to little wait for the food. The seating area within is small but good for single or couple dining. They have more space to dine outside, street side. I usually get my food to go but the pho is always best served fresh!

This restaurant is small, but mighty. It can be cramped seating, but the restaurant is popular and they're doing their best to fit as many in as they can. There's a large menu with lots of choices and affordable options. We had the vegan egg rolls (super crunchy and tasty), a classic bahn mi (could have used a little more sauce, but a good balance of tastes), and the original pho (can't go wrong on a cold day). Service was quick and I appreciated that they didn't try to rush us out as a friend and I were catching up. It's a nice option for the Old Town area.

The place is small so if you are coming with a group there are tables outside. AC wasn't strong enough so I can imagine what it is like during lunch. We came by for dinner. Vietnamese iced coffee was delicious and nothing special about the chicken pho.

Called for carry out and it was wonderful! The restaurant was packed with diners. We just placed an order and stopped in to grab our food.. it was ready when we arrived.

The vegan bahn mi sandwich and vegetarian pho are both 10/10!! Service was so fast and friendly. Love sitting outside underneath the cute umbrellas in old town Alexandria.

Their pho is just alright, nothing special or authentic! The place is very small and gets crowded quickly, a large bowl of pho is $18, which is pretty price for what you get.

Came across this place randomly while I was waiting for a lash appointment. I want to deducted a star for the price but the pho was too cute and after thinking of the location being in downtown of Alexandria it make sense. 5/5- Location/ ambiance - The location it self it super small with maybe about 10 to 12 table. It nice and have a old historic vibe, parking are minimum to parallels parking on the street. I do see allots of peoples order for pick up. The service was friendly but basic nothing above and beyond 5/5 Food- The menu is simple from Phos, Viet sandwich and Vermicelli and rice dishes . I just got The work and Omg was it good. The broth is more savory than the typical pho but yet still light with out being thick or greasy. It not the typical pho but it definitely amazing flavor with savory and umami and beefy at the same time. It was nicely prepare super hot in temperature and noodle didn't stick together. I never pay $18 for a bowl of pho but it worth it. I been craving it ever since I would definitely go back

One of the best Vietnamese restaurants in the DMV. Epic pho soup and the vermicelli is excellent. If you prefer vegan options they have pho with a mushroom stock instead of chicken for the broth. Great summer rolls as well.