Daniel B.
Yelp
Lee's Bakery, Quoc Huong, Viet Tofu, and VN Tofu all make tasty banh mis (Vietnamese sandwiches), but I think Huy's wins, by a hair, for best bahn mi in the Atlanta area. Just look at one of these things: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/huys-sandwich-norcross?select=ELnuehWHFrghUUwt3JE4sw#yLO_ZeznirsSXbkNLdHKqA.
Since opening in 2011, Huy's has consistently pumped out fresh, tasty, filling, and authentic banh mis. My favorite remains #16, the banh mi dac biet (or special combination). It's packed with ham, pate, head cheese, steamed pork, and roasted BBQ pork along with the typical banh mi accoutrements of cucumber, cilantro, jalapeno, carrots, and radish inside a thick French baguette. In Atlanta, Huy's banh mi is the biggest and the quality/freshness of the bread and sandwich ingredients seems to be the most consistent.
Bahn mi prices are still $2.50 to $3.00 each, which is a good value. Discounts are offered for multiple orders. For a complete listing of all 16 banh mi types offered, please refer to my original review below.
Aside from sandwiches, Huy's offers other foods and the selection continues to expand. This place is like a mini Viet Tofu or VN Tofu. You can find various prepackaged Vietnamese snacks and meals such as spring rolls, dumplings, and rice and noodle dishes. They're normally made same-day and laid out on tables ready to be eaten. Examples of some of these items, with pricing, include:
Xoi Nep Than ($1.75) - sticky rice with coconut, peanuts, corn, yellow bean paste
Banh Bao ($1.75) - steamed dumplings with pork, egg, Chinese sausage, onion
Banh Cam ($0.50) - sesame balls
Cha Gio ($0.75 each, 3 for $2.00) - fried spring rolls
Goi Cuon (3 for $3.00) - fresh spring rolls with shrimp, pork, noodles, mint
Banh Uot ($3.50) - flat rice noodles with pork, veggies, and fish sauce
Com Thit Nuong - rice with grilled pork
There's also a refrigerated display case with everything you need to make your own banh mi at home. This includes everything from the meat (e.g. a pack of nem - cured pork - is $6) to the veggies. Other refrigerated items include assorted che, Vietnamese pudding drinks/desserts, and papaya salad. Three other display cases are reserved for fresh-baked breads and other baked goods. These include the same baguettes the banh mis are made with.
The beverage selection includes coffees, teas (including bubble teas), and smoothies. I've still yet to try any of the bubble teas here. I'm apprehensive because I generally haven't had good experiences with bubble tea made at places that don't produce it in mass quantities daily. However, I have tried some of Huy's other drinks like the sugarcane juice and pennywort juice and they are delicious. If you want to complete your authentic Vietnamese eating experience, cap it off with one of those drinks.
There's now limited seating inside. Unfortunately, it's only two small tables for four. This place remains primarily a take-out joint.
Credit card minimum is $5.
If you're a fan of Lee's and Quoc Huong, give Huy's a try. You may be surprised.