Tam Deli & Cafe

Great fried shrimp banh mi! Garlicky and delightful. The veggie spring rolls and egg rolls are excellent. The older man owner is a condescending, annoying prick. Maybe it’s regional humor but it takes all my self control to not throw a tea in his face and knock over the silly fake fountain on the way out. Keep that man strictly back of house!!!

Love this place. The banh mi are served on some of the best French bread in Austin. Add a fried egg to any of them for savory yummy goodness. Soups are delicious. Cream puffs are perfect. The family-​run place serves delicious food, but the ambiance is not so much, in a strip center with terrible fluorescent lighting. That’s my rationale for 4-​stars instead of 5.

I checked this place out on a Friday for lunch. Service was attentive, despite the place being nearly at capacity. Per the unanimous endorsement, I had a pork banh mi with fried egg, and it was excellent! French bread was perfect, ingredients were fresh and flavorful. I’ll be back to try other dishes (lookin at you garlic shrimp). Definitely worth checking out if you’re in the area.
ALSO LOL at Chris K. who gave a 1 star review essentially for the reason that he got totally zinged by the owner.

Best banh mi ever! The shrimp boiled egg banh mi is so unique and so gooooooooooood! The cream puff is the best!

Come here for phở. Nowhere else. I love the story of Tam Deli; it’s a great marketing tool what they do with newspaper articles around the place. We also got tapioca and another dessert to go; a little pricey but tasty. I like how empty this place feels, but not sure how good that is on the business end.

Best home style Vietnamese in town. Best bahn mi. Comfortable and easy. Don’t be a giant self important douchelord who takes yourself too seriously and enjoy the food and you’ll be glad you went.

I rarely give 5-​star reviews, but this place is worth one.
Excellent food – I had the lemongrass beef banh mi. Good ratio of vegetables to meat to sauce to bread. The perfect amount of spice in the (homemade!) mayo. The cream puffs put me into the best food coma in which I’ve ever been.
Clean restaurant and fast service.
And the guy who runs the place? He’s got the best sense of humor while still maintaining good customer service skills.

Affordable, large menu, excellent crusty-​soft bread, it’s just as good as it gets for a Vietnamese café.

I went there on a Saturday with my mother in law and 9 months pregnant wife. After reading the reviews I felt very sure of our decision to go there, but I was severely disappointed by the service. I am not a hard to please customer — I do not expect to be treated like royalty. At the very least I would expect to get refills on our water without asking for it. I had to go up to the counter to ask for more water and order desert/​coffee.
The owner of the place was our server. He is witty and likes to play around and make jokes with the customers. It’s charming at first, but it quickly became too much. I ordered Vietnamese coffee. When it came I was unsure if he had included the condensed milk so I asked him about it. He then tells me «That’s the definition of condensed, it’s on the bottom. You seemed so sure of yourself when you ordered it I thought you would know. Typical American.» Then he kept looking at me for some sort of reaction. I was very embarrassed by his condescending remarks. The people at the table next to us were looking at us and laughing to themselves.
Decide for yourself, but I personally would not recommend this place to anyone. Another reviewer wrote that they felt they were a burden to the staff there. I agree. I will not be going back.

I’m adding Tam Deli as one of my go-​to Vietnamese spots in Austin. It’s rough when I don’t have mom around to cook for me, but when I have one of those cravings. I like to come to Tam Deli. The small restaurant is a hole in the wall gem run by two ladies. I come here for the Banh Cuon. Bánh cuon is made from a thin, wide sheet of steamed fermented rice batter filled with a mixture of cooked seasoned ground pork. The banh cuon is pretty good. I just wish they give me more veggies. The fish sauce is a good compliment to the banh cuon.
My husband seems to like the Banh Mi Sandwich. Tam Deli seems to have alot of menu items that I’ll have to come back and try.

There aren’t enough good things to say about Tam Deli. I’ve been coming here ever since my girlfriend took me and can’t get enough. Every dish you get on the menu is different, delicious, made from scratch with fresh ingredients and love!
Must try items:
Cheesecake, cream puffs
Grilled pork sandwich, shrimp sandwich
Eggrolls, spring rolls
Lemon garlic grilled shrimp
Grilled pork phở
I’ve also gotten to know the family that own the restaurant and they make you feel right at home. Tam’s is by far the best Vietnamese restaurant here in Austin and a gem in a city filled with food options.

In Austin, my only banh mi place that I tried is Baguette House. In the journey for great banh mi, our next stop is Tam Deli. Walking in, you’re taken out of the somewhat-​sketchy portion of North Lamar into a truly homey environment of a Vietnamese restaurant. This place just makes you trust the legitimacy of their food. Seeing all the accolades of their restaurant beneath the casings on the tables, you can tell they want you to know that you’ve come to the right place.
I ordered the Char-​grilled Pork Banh Mi, and we shared two cream puffs. The cream puffs came first, so we went ahead and dug right in. The shell was soft and absorbed the cream flavors pretty well. The texture of the cream itself was good and had a sweet, refreshing taste.
I ordered the Char-​grilled Pork Banh Mi with the fried egg. I was a bit sad that they didn’t have a BBQ Pork Banh Mi though. The egg was cooked medium and coated the interior of the french bread. However, there wasn’t very much meat in the banh mi; I’ve definitely had banh mi that was stuffed a lot more at other places. Taste was good though.
The owner is really friendly and definitely enjoys talking to his customers. He’s the kind of guy who can keep people coming back again and again, just for the service. Keep doin’ what you’re doin’!
Overall, nothing I had this time really got me very excited to come back and get it again. In terms of banh mi, the ones at Baguette House were, although thinner, had the BBQ pork option and a higher filling-​to-​bread ratio. I’m interested in trying out their phở though!

So good! So cheap! Must go back!
My buddy and I came here for lunch during the week after having it on my bookmarks for the past year. All I can say is, «What took me so long?!»
I ordered the char-​grilled pork bahn mi with a fried egg as per Unilocal suggestion and I was not disappointed. The sandwich is filled with plenty of meet and veggies and all surrounded by some of the freshest bread I have had in a while. The sandwich costs just over $ 5 and is plenty of food to fill you up but I still decided to go with the shrimp/​pork spring rolls to top it off.
We got in around 12 and we were able to be seated immediately and food was at our table soon after. While I didn’t get to try it this time, I need to get me one of those desserts and coffees.
Don’t worry, I will be back!

Amazing and fresh Viet! They have fresh bread for the Bahn Mi sandwich options, with a great garlic butter shrimp Bahn Mi.
Appetizers are fairly priced so enjoy a few options!
They also offer a fresh & delicious Kumquat Lemonade! Along with many freshly baked sweet goods they also offer a diverse variety of all Viet cuisine.
It’s a small place so don’t bring a large group, but the smaller dinning area opts for a more intimate experience. Waitress was so sweet and helpful when we asked for suggestions.
Great spot for North Lamar area eateries

I went to Tam Deli for the first time one cold and rainy afternoon last week. I’d heard lots of good things about this little place and thought that I’d give them a try. I was greeted kindly as I walked in and was showed quickly to a table. There were several tables filled with what seemed to be regulars eating their lunches. An elderly gentleman came to my table to take my order. There were so many dishes to try but I chose #25. the vermicelli with pork and egg rolls. As soon as I rattled off my order he moved his thumb from where it was pressed on the order pad and revealed the #25 that was written underneath it. He laughed and walked away and left me scratching my head in how he did that. How did he know what I was going to order?
After being served my dish and enjoying each bite, I held a napkin between my chest and the bowl to ensure that I didn’t drop noodles on my clothes. The kind gentleman must have noticed my weird habit because he approached me with a black apron in hand. He held it and offered it to me to put over my head and wear it to protect my clothing. Needless to say I was very much appreciative of this gesture and even more so of the delicious lunch that I enjoyed that afternoon.
I will be back soon for the food, sweet hospitality and attention that Tam Deli alone could provide.

I love the «home-​ish» vibe this place gives out! Feels as if I’m eating at a Vietnamese house. If you get here early enough get the Cream Puffs! They run out fast but worth a early trip. I usually get the Pork Vermicelli, DELISH! Come hungry because the portion is large. My friends live to have the Banh Mi, I’m not a huge sandwich fan so can’t rate it much.

Tam Deli does a damn good banh mi! Well-​balanced, good bread, plenty of pâté. It was a little pricier than usual (not Dang Banh Mi pricy, that’s just silly) but it was totally worth it.
Don’t forget to grab a couple of cream puffs for dessert!

(I can’t stop loving you)
I’ve made up my mind
To live in the delicious phở’k of the perfect broth
(I can’t stop wanting you)
It’s useless to say
So I’ll just plant my face in your perfect banh mi, ‘k?
(Plant face in banh mi)
Those happy hours that we once knew
They still have me phở king you
They say that time heals a broken heart
But time has stood still since I slurped your noodle in the phở
(I can’t stop loving you)
I’ve made up my mind
To live in the phở king banh mi world of tam deli café
(I can’t stop wanting you)
It’s useless to say
So I’ll just live my life sucking down your cream puffs
(Those happy hours)
When I popped your cream puff
(That we once knew)
So sweet you were in my mouth
(Tho’ long ago)
Not so long
(Still make me blue)
And hold me true
(They say that time)
Oh time goes quickly
(Heals a broken heart)
Only with a good phở king
(But time has stood still)
And we phở’k’d it all
(Since we’ve been apart)
Your banh mi stole my heart
(I can’t stop loving you)
I said I made up my mind
To live in your phở king banh mi forever
(I can’t stop wanting you)
It’s useless to say
So I’ll just slurp your phở through the banh mi of the day
(Phở king banh mi oh yeah!)
**Best Phở. Best Banh Mi Best Vermicelli** **NO MSG** Check them out soon!

Best Banh Mi I’ve ever had? No. In Austin? Heck yeah! Tam is a cool, clean little mom and pop Vietnamese deli serving up some good eats!
Decided to go with the pork and took the tip from my friend JamesH and added a soft fried egg. Very flavorful and well-​cooked meat, along with the typical banh compliments such as cilantro, japs, carrots, and a few cucumber. All contributed to the great texture inside the soft, yet slightly crunchy on the outside, perfect bun. And, the egg… adding creamy ooze is never a bad thing (wait a minute… ummm). Good sized sandwich and all of this greatness for a mere 6 bucks or so! Banh Mi again please?! The only tiniest of negatives I could possibly state would be I wish the ratio of bread to filling was a little more balanced… but, a little light on the «fillings» has always been my experience with Banh Mi. American gluttony problems.
Also, ordered 2 shrimp spring rolls. Nicely encased vermicelli noodle with two large shrimp in each. Good texture, great dipping sauce, but unfortunately the shrimp smelled overly fishy. I think I’ll pass on those next time. I will be back for more sandwiches, and definitely have to try Tam’s Phở! Phở sure!

The chargrilled pork bahn mi at Tam’s Deli is up there with some of my favorite sandwiches in Austin. It’s cheap (in terms of price) but darn tasty. I highly recommend ordering it with the fried egg. That’s how I had it today and it elevated the sandwich to another level. The runny yolk helps to moisten the sandwich, which comes in a soft French roll.
Along with the pork, the filling consists of shredded carrots, cilantro, cucumber, jalapeño, and mayo. It all makes for a delightful taste explosion with each bite. This is one of those places in town that if it weren’t for distance from where I work and live, I’d be a frequent regular.
I’d be tempted to try one of their vermicelli dishes next time around. Though it’d be hard to pass up going with what I already know and enjoy.