TP Banh Bao 3

This place is a fantastic hidden gem! You can get some of the best Banh Bao here. There’s an elderly lady who seems to make most of the dishes herself, and it’s clear she has deep knowledge and passion for what she does. They offer some unique items I had never tasted before. You can purchase them individually or in larger quantities, depending on your needs. While there isn’t a place to sit and eat inside, I was able to take the food home—and it was absolutely worth it. What truly impressed me was the customer service. My son has an egg allergy, and the lady was kind enough to make a separate batch just for him, carefully packed and labeled. Even though they don’t normally offer combination or sampler packs, she went out of her way to create one for me so I could try different varieties of buns. That kind of thoughtfulness is rare. There’s ample parking nearby, but if you’re placing a large order, I recommend calling ahead. All in all, this place offers excellent food and outstanding service—I highly recommend it!

A great selection of many delicious baos. Very adorable prices. The buns are pre-made so the service is very quick and you can buy them in bulk to freeze and heat up at home. The woman who works here is very nice and warmed my baos for me since I was hungry. The service style here is more grab and go.

UPDATES at bottom; photos added. ORIGINAL POST: Went there yesterday and today. While it's not a vegan eatery, they do have a selection of items of interest to vegans, and the owner (?) is a sweet lady who is herself accidentally vegan. She meditates 3 hrs/day, every day, and calls herself vegetarian (but does not eat meat, eggs, dairy, honey). (UPDATE: Apparently the whole family are vegan as far as their personal diet.) What I bought: accidentally vegan "meat" pie (delicious!); All Vegetarian Inc brand vegan jerky (very tasty, no bad aftertaste, great texture); All Veg brand vegan bacon slices (frozen, have not tried yet). They also had vegan duck and other items in the freezer section. I've not been able to find this style of vegan bacon anywhere else in the Mira Mesa area. Looking forward to a nice vegan BLT sandwich soon. I polished off the vegan pies both days, so no photo yet. UPDATE 1: I've been back several times and since my first two visits, they've added multiple new vegan items in the freezer and dry items. It's like a vegan paradise. Note that while the owners are vegans, they do sell non-vegan products. But they're such sweet people starting a new business. I've been buying the vegan bacon (All Vegetarian Inc. brand, from Los Angeles) like it's going out of style, making vegan BT (bacon, tomato) sandwiches with either mayo or guacamole, and sometimes hash browns and Just Egg vegan scramble. Can't get enough of this vegan - bought two packs earlier today. (Note: the price is going up to $9 per pack of 12 slices, but this brand is worth it, and I've not seen it anywhere else in Mira Mesa/ San Diego.) I just went by a few minutes ago and picked up some new items: utterly delicious vegan sausages, and some vegan chicken curry. (They'd catered a party of 100, so they had some left to sell me. I believe they used either Verisoy brand or another of vegan chicken. Haven't tasted it yet, but smells great.) If you're in San Diego, or visit, check out T.P. Banh Bao in Mira Mesa (north of SD).

I did not recommend this place. I will not return. I specifically drove here from La Jolla based on recommendations. I expected to enjoy an actual steamed bun. I ordered number three and number nine. It's very obvious that it was microwaved, the inside was still cold and the outside is dry. Which is typical when you microwave steam buns. actual steam buns are sticky and very hot and take a while to eat. This was garbage. Horrible experience. I think the people that support here are probably just locals for the heck of it.

Like this place more than I should, it's always tough finding good baby bao, traditionally they are on the floury/doughy side. But these were perfect in meat to dough ratio. A lot of good variety, good value, and friendly staff. Go try this!

Great place to go for frozen baos. Just takes a minute to heat up in the microwave for a quick small bite

First time visit. Service was quick and efficient. Suggest vist the place early, no crowd... I like the pork bun with egg!!!🙂

Very authentic Vietnamese place. At least it seemed to me. I tried the buns 1 and 14. They were both delicious

Love going here and getting the bao fried and trying all the different flavors. I really love and appreciate that they provide storage and reheating instructions with every order. The prices are really reasonable considering they're made in house and all the ones I've tried have been super yummy so far. They also have a bunch of plant based Asian snacks in the front.

Their prices are just great. Just compare the baos at Golden Island and you'll see . I've been coming here for over a year and bought a variety of items to try . You can buy each bao individually or buy them in a box of 9. I get their original which is the pork , egg, sausage . They ask if you want a fresh batch or cold batch . If you order fresh and they're warm you have to wait for them to cool before you put them in fridge . There's also instructions on how to heat them when you get home . I usually wrap the one bao with a wet piece of paper towel and put in microwave for 30 seconds . The buns come out warm and fluffy . Their original bun has such a delicious umami taste to it . It's porky and savory . You can taste how homemade their products are . Staff has always been helpful and welcoming.

Been wanting to check this place out. I love vietnamese banh bao! This place offers a huge variety of banh baos, from sweet to savory. There's also a lot of sweet desserts in the fridge. I don't know what they are but got a few and they were delicious! The baos are quite tiny though. It's more like a snack than a lunch item. Pate chaud and eggrolls are super dry. I would skip it next time. Very clean take out shop with a few tables. Will be back for more boas!

Explosive diarrhea by everyone in the family. Common denominator is TP Banh Bao 3. The kids he to get treated at urgent care.

Great place to get Vietnamese buns - best value is for the dozen - freeze & re-steam to get them like fresh again! But wish they would give option to do a mix of flavors or at least 1/2-1/2 - getting full dozen of same type stops me from buying more.

We catered 180 eggrolls here. They had them ready and packaged on time. The eggrolls are not super amazing and on the smaller size, but we got what we needed and for an order this big, that's what matters. Thank you!

I have always wanted to try this place bc I read a lot about the fried banh bao. I just didn't taste where the hype was. It was just so dry and not very flavorful. These baos remind me of mini bites. They are not very big and so expensive. I also got the original bao and the seafood. All were ok. The original is 1.98 and the seafood was a little over 2 dollars. I just didn't feel satisfied with the flavor. Overall, too small. Big price. Not very tasty

Best bao buns I've ever had! A hole in the wall, definitely, but well worth our trip (about 30-minute's drive from us). The thing that touched me most is the sweet and thoughtful lady who took care of our orders, she even heated up the eggrolls that we ordered. She made me feel like family. We will definitely be regulars

Their product is excellent! The price is reasonable as well. Their coffee is really good. My go to for my bao craving!

Tiny mom and pop shop, feels very homey when you walk in. My family was visiting me from out of town and I wanted to have plenty of Bao in the fridge for them. I got a box of 9 of the meat + salted duck egg and another box with quail egg. We preferred the duck egg. I like them enough that I want to return but the location can be a little too deep in MM so I get lazy. also got some Vietnamese deserts too, there was a taro, banana and bean variant. I also got some pate chaud and all in all was good. They pretty much only take cash (card has an additional transaction charge) so be aware!

My coworker and I decided to check out this place as we were grabbing food next door. The short hair lady was very kind and helpful. What we got: 1.) bbq pork ($2.10ea) this one was my least favorite 2.)sweet egg custard/durian ($2.10 ea): it was good but definitely wish the durian flavor was stronger 3.) pork, quail egg and sausage ($2.45ea): probably the best one. The pork was very well seasoned! They were about $2+ each and they're actually small. It's cheaper if you buy a box but we just wanted to try it out. They also sell beverages and Vietnamese desserts and snacks!

This place is great! My son first brought home a box about a year ago. We've been coming back ever since. Probably 5 times now. Be careful when you eat here though. Those Banh Bao are addictive. I swear, no matter how many you think you're gonna eat. You're gonna eat one more. The number 1 and 2 are pretty similar. Delicious pork sausage with egg inside. #1 has a piece of regular egg and the #2 has a quail egg. My favorite is the number 2. Perfect with some Sriracha. The seafood Banh Bao is good too. It's not super fishy or anything. I can't remember everything it has inside but I remember it has some imitation crab. PRO TIP: Use the air frier at home to cook the Banh Bao and make the outside crusty. It doesn't come out exactly like the deep fried ones. But it's healthier and still crunchy. The meat pies are legit too! Nice and flakey with tasty minced meat instead. I never had the chicken or veggie ones but the pork ones are killer. The Vietnamese coffee is pretty good. Strong coffee flavor and sweet from the condensed milk. Overall, this place is really good. I would recommend it to anyone. I even got some for family to try when they came to visit.

Delicious steamed buns & great delivery/takeout options. Highly recommend getting the bundle with 9 baos. We get the original & the custard one is really delicious as well. Great value with multiple options to choose from.

Super cute buns! Love the many different varieties they offer. My favorite is the original one. Perfect portion for me and love that it's made fresh. So cute how they label the to go box also to identify them. I appreciate them being open on major holidays. On my second visit I purchased 5 boxes of the original steamed buns for Christmas. Total of 45 buns. Also tried some egg rolls which were fine. The Vietnamese coffee there is delicious (but toooo strong for me so be careful). Will definitely be a returning customer.

Fried baos all the ways expecially if you order fresh from the back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Really surprised about what comes out of this little shop. I got a box of Breakfast bao (bacon, egg, cheese, and sausage) and also had them deep fried for a few bucks more. They are so good! The outside is so crispy, while the bun is so light. The savory filling is a nice mix of what you'd get in a good breakfast sandwich. You don't get a strong taste of bacon or sausage but you definitely know that a breakfast type thing. Its a nice change from your on the go breakfast sandwich and about the same price. Everyone at work raved about them, so i highly recommend them for parties and group gatherings. The fried bao's also held up and remained crispy. I'll be sure to bring them to my next get together.

This place sells really good bao with all kinds of different flavors. This is a family owned business and is take out only. They can get very busy so order ahead via the phone. They are located in a very quiet neighborhood. One of the best bao place in San Diego. Highly recommended.

Very good food and the people there are nice. They helped answer all my questions. I love the egg rolls and the pork quail egg buns

Thank you, Aunt Maggie! This place is the BAO-mb! No Siopaos here... just in case my fellow Filipinox are reading. These are great, simple baos. My favorite has to be the pork with quail egg!!! Yuuuuuuuum!!!

Stopped by here with my best friend over the weekend and got a few banh baos as a little snack for the road. We got 2 each, I went with the bbq pork and chicken/regular egg one. They came out pretty quickly and nice and warm. They're smaller than the usual ones I get from other places, but I liked that so you are able to try other kinds without getting too full off one. I was interested in trying them fried, but decided not to.. maybe next time. Also got a small vietnamese iced coffee that was mainly ice and I literally finished it in 4-5 sips. It was really good, so I'd probably ask for light ice next time or get the larger size. On our way out, the lady helping us mentioned they are open Thanksgiving Day until about 2:30 pm? So there you go! If you need ideas of what to bring to your family potluck! =)

Good food but just don't order online. I ordered online and when I got there they told me they never got it and that I had to contact Grubhub for a refund. I then watched the lady open the app and see my order - she had just never even checked it prior. I had to wait 10 minutes for her to make it just for her to not fry the bao (which is over $1 extra for each bun). So I had to wait ANOTHER 10 minutes, just to get what was supposed to be a 1 minute order pick up. Didn't help that the lady tried making it seem like it was my fault or the App's fault. I didn't come for excuses or to be gaslit, I came for pork buns. It doesn't take much to accept responsibility and just say sorry. The food is good, don't get me wrong. They have great variety and quality, but order in person or over the phone to save your time

This is always my go to place when I need to bring food for a potluck. I like how they offer a cold or a steamed option. I also like how these buns are sized. However, I tend to eat have the box without realizing. I would have to say that their baos had got more expensive over the years but considering inflation, it makes sense. They have meat options vegetarian options, and also dessert options. I have not tried everything on the menu but I will definitely be going back to try more.

Considering we hadn't been to this place since it opened but had it a few times when friends purchased it, I figured we would try it again especially since I was intrigued by the Breakfast menu I saw someone post on Yelp. They had various breakfast specials from 8-11am where you could get a vietnamese iced coffee paired with 2 baos. I was interested in trying the breakfast baos. On one fine Saturday, we arrived before 11am and tried to order the breakfast combo and the gentleman behind the counter told us it wasn't available. I was perplexed because it was before 11am. So I tried to break it down, what wasn't available? I asked, do you have vietnamese iced coffee? He says yes. Ok, do you have the breakfast baos? He says yes. Umm....so he literally is just not giving us the breakfast combo deal. But why??? Being that I was hungry and looking forward to this meal, we still said we wanted a few baos. And he goes, that will take a long time. Literally, "that will take a long time". What is a long time?? I don't understand. Are you trying to sell us food or not? It didn't seem for a minute he wanted our business. So we gave up and left with no food and no drinks. And we won't be coming back.

Some of the best bánh bao in San Diego. I always come here and end up with 2-3 boxes to bring home to my family. I've been going here for about 2 years now and I've had nearly every filling. My favorite are typically their bánh bao thập cẩm which is savory, and then I always pair it with their cadế which is a sweet egg custard. You can get individual ones or order a box which has 9 banh báo. Their freshly deep fried bánh bao are also BOMB. Full of flavor and super crispy. I also go all out sometimes and get some chè in their fridge. My favorites they've made have been chè chuối (banana) and chè bắp (corn).

Probably the best bao you could ever get ngl. The filling to dough ratio is perfect, the size is a bit smaller than fist sized, but it's good because they're meant to be eaten multiple ones, not just a single one so you can try different fillings. There's sweet and savory baos, and lots of options for both. For sweet I recommend any of the ca de (custard filling), especially the ca de sau rieng (custard with durian custard). The taro and taro with red bean are good as well. For savory, the original bao is probably the most solid one. It's the traditional vietnamese bao that has meat, boiled egg, and chinese sausage as filling. There is also a pork bbq that's more like the typical chinese bao, it's a charsiu filling. Also, they sell plain bao (mantou) which would be good for that one dish with the peking duck they serve at chinese restaurants. They have other locations, including one in orange county so you know it's good because orange county is so oversaturated with asian food that the fact that this place is successful over there says a lot. The most important feature of these baos is that they're still tasty no matter how long you freeze them for. I mean don't freeze them for 10 years, but you get my point. They recommend not freezing for more than 6 months, but I have and honestly it was fine. You can grab these out from the freezer whenever you're hungry, microwave them wrapped in a damp towel and boom you have some delicious buns instead of going to sleep hungry. I don't care about customer service if the food is good I will buy it, very simple.

Great spot, quick food- came here starving to the point of almost passing out (post hike) the lady running the front was so sweet and quick! I ordered the sweet custard and bbq buns. SO FLUFFY SO TASTY, highly recommend adding to your list of go-to's because its now one of mine! Also side note: EGG ROLLS WERE FLAKY AND PERFECTLY SEASONED so if you dont come for the buns come for the egg rolls

If you haven't had the baos from TP, you're def missing out! Excellent meat to dough ratio (mostly meat) and 100% packed with flavor! Bread isn't dry and you can smell the delicious aroma right as you open the box! $10 for a box of 9 or $25 for 3 boxes of 9. My biggest regret was not going for the 3 boxes from the beginning! Looking forward to trying some of their other baos but if they're anything like the pork and egg, then I'm sure I won't be disappointed!

Pretty good! I love how they labeled it so we know what we're eating. I want to try 1 of each flavor now! Only thing I was ehh about was that the spicy breakfast bao had 1 tiny thinly sliced Jalapeno in it.

This is where you need to go if you're craving for Vietnamese style baos. They have so many different options- from seafood, vegetarian, chicken, and pork. I've only had the original pork steamed buns, which come with regular egg and sausage. These are quite tasty and the perfect little snack. I have yet to try their drinks, but am looking to get their bbq pork buns next time I'm craving for banh bao.

Always SO SO SO good!!!! I can never go back to any "regular" steamed baos anywhere. I don't know how they're able to get the dough consistency they way to do, but it's byfar the BEST bao I've ever had. The quality is ALWAYS consistent. I usually get the pork + sausage + egg, the chicken + quail egg, and the bbq chicken! The dough is so soft and sweet, and the chicken mix they have in there is soooo moist! The bao sizes are perfect. Not too big, not too small. I really like how they offer boxes of them too (they come in 9 usually). For picnics or family gatherings, this is my usual go-to spot to grab something to bring for a potluck. You can pick them up either already warmed up or you can have them cold and you can warm them up later. Anytime I've had left overs, the baos still tasted as delicious as the first day I got it! Writing this review is making me want another one now.... lol. You won't be disappointed! Enjoy the baos!

Amazing food and so nice! Thank you for accommodating me while I was so last minute. My guests loved the buns!!!!

Very authentic Vietnamese place. At least it seemed to me. I tried the buns 1 and 14. They were both delicious

Hidden gem in Mira Mesa! I don't venture out this way very often, it's mainly residential homes here. This is the only strip mall in the area. I'm glad my friend told me about this little banh bao shop. The original locations are in OC. We decided to order a mix of savory and sweet options. They offer vegetarian and seafood bao options as well. Their cha gio or egg rolls also come in meat or vegetarian options. I was told to skip the tarp buns they are not very sweet for flavorful. The custard buns are the sweet ones to get. I also ordered their vegetarian, seafood (recommended) pork quail egg sausage, pork regular egg sausage, pork salted egg sausage (highly recommend). They offer breakfast bao's if prefer something in the morning. Coffee and smoothie bar options for drink. The buns come cold but you can ask them to heat it for you if you plan on eating right away. It's about 30-40 seconds per bun depending on your microwave. They pack all the buns in a single container but have it neatly labeled for you. You can order individual or by boxes of 9. If you really like a certain bao just get a box. You can freeze these up to 6 months! Overall, I really enjoyed these banh bao. Main reason is the freshness of the bao, I've had others where the bao is super dry and tough. The filling is lacking flavor or just not there at all. These were soft and fluffy. They don't skimp on the filling. They also make fresh sheltered dry pork! If you don't know what I'm talking about I'll post a picture. It's really good here, it's fresh and not dried out. It comes in two sizes $5.50 small and $11 for the large. That's a steal! Check them out!

My husband's favorite is the ca phe sua da. The avocado smoothie and the pineapple smoothie are very refreshing. We came for the drinks but they have a good variety of snacks and desserts too. The fruit cocktail is delicious.

Be careful with Pork BBQ Style Bun, Have ordered the full box. Finish 5 of them and this morning pick the sixth one, on 2nd bite I hit a big piece of chicken bone! Have to throw the while thing away scarig it will have another piece of bone. Have ordered to many times and this is the 1st time found a piece of bone inside the bun. Will stop order Pork BBQ Style Bun from now on.

Very small. Smaller than the size of your palm. A 6 months old size of hand. This is located in a plaza near exit of the plaza. Would be ok to try other flavors next time.

Best Bao. I always come by here when I work in San Diego. I will coming back even if I live in Diamond Bar

Very racist towards Blacks/African Americans!!!! My husband(Filipino) and I went into this store because we were looking to get a snack while drying our clothes at the laundromat next to it. I wanted to purchase a veggie egg roll because their menu said that it had vegan items, soon as I asked for it, the lady behind the counter said with a harsh tone that they didn't have nothing vegan in the store. My husband looked behind them on the shelf and mentioned the vegan jerky to me and the racist Vietnamese lady interrupted us and said to him, "that's too hot for her, it's too high and she can't afford it." I looked at her and told her that nothing in her shop is unaffordable to me. This lady was very welcoming to my husband and very prejudice and unwelcoming towards me. I'm warning any Blacks/African Americans to never patronize this place.

Tiny baos. Expensive. Unfriendly. They charged us $2.50 each even though we bought an original which was labeled as $2.00 on their menu. 4% charge if you use credit card. She also told us that if we mix and match, one box would be $30 for 9. How?? $2.5X9=$22.5. They really seem to bepenny pinching, and it was just not a good experience. No place to sit. 1 star because the taste was fine.

I cannot believe I am just now discovering fried steamed buns. Game changer! If you haven't one then you are missing out. We ordered #2 which has quail eggs. Yum! In their display case were #1 fried and of course, we had to try that too. Right when my husband bit into it, he said "This is very dangerous". The crunchiness and the flavor went hand in hand. It is about 10-12 mins wait if you want them fry along with an extra charge. There are 9 pcs in the box unless you want to buy them individually. I'm glad I don't even close by!

Really good bao! It's worth the drive for me. It never disappoint. Always hot fresh and ready to eat!

Yelp take out ordering system charges $2.50 extra for each bao deep fried. I was not willing to pay more to deep fried the bao than buying the original steam version so I called. Turned out yelp needs to fix the system cause the store charge $2.50 one time fee for deep frying your order. The receptionist was very nice so she took my order over the phone. She even called back to make sure I pick up when the order was done. We tried the #1 pork with egg and sausage in dreams and deep fried, #2 pork with quail egg and sausage, #3 pork with salty egg and sausage and #10 sweet taro bun in deep fried. The flavour of the bun and fillings were good. I like the deep fried version too. The bao is smaller than what we normally get but that's because there's not as much dough. It's nice to have smaller bao because I got to try half of all the different flavours without filling stuffed. However I won't mind getting the regular large size dough because the flavor of the dough was good.

I was curious about they were selling in the store. There's a tiny grouchy lady who was in the cash register. Bought 2 of bbq pork and 2 taro & red bean. For 4 tiny bao total was $9.00. BBQ pork was ok but the Taro/red bean wasn't that great. I don't think I will be back here.

So far everything we've tried is soooo delicious. Sorry but Vietnamese steam/fried buns tastes better than Chinese buns and Filipino Siopao! Yup I said it! We got the number 1 - pork, sausage and egg. Can't wait to come back and try the breakfast buns! Seriously it's easy to eat 4 of these back to back! The meat to bun ratio is perfect!!

THE GO TO FOR BANH BAOS IN SAN DIEGO!!! I always get the original baos in bulk and they never disappoint. (This time I just got some individual baos but usually I get like 3 boxes at a time). It's the best when you eat them freshly steamed out of the kitchen. It's such a delicious snack or meal on the go for family and friends. Highly recommend this spot!!!

What the BAO?! Came in and tried these little baos and they are so delicious! Came in for the #1, #2, #14 & #15 These little baos are not overpacked with breading where it just tastes dry and flavorless. These baos are packed with more stuffing than breading! for about a buck a half ($1.50) you can literally fill up a box and off you go. You can also even order plain baos if you wanna get creative and make some stuff at home! Skip the bao process with all the flour and mashing for minutes to just get it right. The lady who works there was super nice and knowledgeable and gave us the whole run down how to re-heat and gave some recommendations. Definitely the new spot for me to come back again. Definitely has better options if you go to 85c for some little pastries for lunch.

The place to go to for perfect banh baos. I've been coming here for quite a few years now. I actually didn't know about this spot until my brother brought a box of fried banh bao to one of our house parties & everyone loved it! FRIED... banh bao.... I didn't know fried banh bao existed & my life has been better ever since. I appreciate the fact that they include little typed out directions on how to properly re-steam them for optimal quality, it's the details for me! I love that they're perfect size, lots of filling with a thin layer of dough. They have a ton of options from savory to sweet. I usually like to be simple & get the original #1, half box steamed & half fried. They steam it fresh so it might take a few minutes, so if you're in a rush, I would call ahead. These are perfect for parties, potlucks, or just to indulge at home.

Delicious Bao, I've taken my children here several times to buy our fill of Bao! Can't wait to go back. Very kind staff too!

YUMMY. GOOD PRICE. GREAT SERVICE. i love this place the #1 pork bun, #14 custard bun, and the #9 bbq chicken bun are my absolute favorite and they're even better fried. This is a great place to get food for a party too as they sell by the box ( comes with 9 super filling buns). I come with my little sister all the time and we get a box with a variety. Don't sleep on the vegan meat!! the beef is so yummy if you cook it at home and the EGGROLLS omg. I love this place come and try it for yourself!! I come like twice a week. The business owner is the sweetest lady ever and this place deserves so much more business

A Gem in Mira Mesa! Very tasty and affordable baos, a box is really cheap and great value.