Vinh-Hao Music & Video and Banh Mi Cafe

I was craving a bahn mi so I Unilocaled the bahn mi’s in my neighborhood. I had no idea this little place existed. The sandwich was great and made quick. I loved the fresh sliced jalapeños on the bahn mi. I will be back for more! Just a tip — they only take cash.

My car was stolen while I was waiting for my Banh Mi. Luckily I had kept a copy of the Vinh number. I don’t know Hao I knew I would need it, but there you have it. I’m glad they didn’t Bahn Mi from the restaurant for such awful jokes.
Actually, this was my least fave Bahn Mi that I’ve had in quite some time. I can’t pretend I loved it. It actually got fed to my kittens.
This place came highly recommended by the folks of the 585 on Unilocal,so I stopped in and gave it a try on a recent food tour. It didn’t have any of the spice or seasoning of the Spicy Pork Bahn Mis that I’ve gotten used to. It was definitively what I would describe as a «cold cuts lunch meat Bahn Mi.» I don’t like that kind, I’ve had them before… in NYC actually. I don’t care how authentic it is, it did nothing for me. The cold cuts used were weird yellowy orange colours (probably some kind of intestines) and dull grey as well, and unfortunately it just made me feel sick.
This may be very authentic and this may be what many people crave, so I’ll give it a 3 to support family businesses and ethnic eateries, however if Nam Nam and Sunny & Annie’s (plus a few places in San Francisco) have the best version of Bahn Mi I’ve ever had, this one honestly has to be my least favourite.
Or maybe I’m just drunk. I have, as usual, been on the Vinho.

The sub was not the greatest but not the best. I thought the bun/​roll they used was a little on the hard side. Just my preference. You can ask for spicey, and you’ll get a slice of jalapeño in your sub. I would suggest telling the person making your sub to chop/​cut up the cilantro because it is annoying trying to chew through the cilantro stem on each bite. I may stop by again.

Yes. This is real Bánh mì … No grilled meats, just fresh head cheese and cold cuts. When I have a sandwich at Vinh-​Hao, I taste the same flavors as when I got Vietnamese food in Philadelphia. This is not for everyone, but if you like your Asian food authentic, than there is no better Bánh mì than Vinh-​Hao.
PS. Not sure about the music and movies … looks like the real deal.

Banh Mi — ⁹⁄₁₀ — this is the only thing they make and it’s delicious.

I brazenly admit this is my favorite banh mi in Rochester and has been for the last 4 years. Everything about the place is a trip — the old DVDs, the sun-​faded Vietnamese posters, the random counter with the «3 sandwiches for $ 10» sign. The bread (from Georgie’s) is fresh and soft with the ideal «outer crisp,» the head cheese is divine, the pâté is delicious, the real butter pulls on my heartstrings and the perfect mix of pickled carrots/​cilantro/​chilis zings this cheap sub out of the park. Gotta keep this one on a low rotation though, otherwise my jeans won’t fit anymore. Banh mis are deceptively fattening. But awesome!

I’m not an expert on banh mi by any means but at this point I know what I like in one as I think this is the 5^th or 6^th place I’ve had them and they have become one of my favorite sandwiches overall.
Overall this was a pretty tasty sandwich. I definitely appreciated the fact that they used head cheese in their cold cut mix and it was my first time having that as part of my banh mi… at least I think. All of the cold cuts and toppings were pretty good but the bread on this occasion was lacking. I remember really liking the vegetables and the mystery spread was a welcome addition. I actually liked the taste of the bread but by the time I bought my sandwiches (right before closing) the bread was a bit on the soft side even after toasting.
I’ll definitely be back to try the sandwich again and maybe try one of the other items on their small menu. Give this place a try!

This is a (n) (incomplete) review for banh mi’s in the Rochester area. Disclaimer: I am not Vietnamese, I love banh mi’s but have only ever had them in San Diego and Boston. Why you should read this review: unlike other sane people, I ate 6 banh mi’s (two from each restaurant) over the course of 3 days and had one immediately for lunch and one later for dinner. Onto the reviews.
Vinh-​Hao Music & Video and Banh Mi Café
Bread: ⁵⁄₅ Fantastic. The bread comes from Georgie’s Bakery down the street and is super fresh. It has a great crusty exterior and doughy interior, which was unique compared to other venues, and my favorite choice.
Meat: 4.5÷5 Great assortment of processed meats. Definitely some head cheese (google it) in here which was thoroughly appreciated.
Veggies: ⁵⁄₅ My favorite place for a veggie filled banh mi. Thick wedges of cucumber, great daikon/​carrot slaw, LOTS of cilantro, and hot peppers.
Verdict: $ 3.50 for a well balanced and FAST sandwich, good quality meats, and lots of veggies.
Lee’s Vietnamese Sandwiches
Bread: 4.5÷5 Great bread. Very crusty all throughout.
Meat: ⁵⁄₅ Best quality meat out of the places I visited. I had the dac biet which had a little of everything, I believe, including BBQ pork, head cheese, bologna-​style meat, etc.
Veggies: ⁴⁄₅ Great daikon/​carrot slaw and nice slices of cucumber but I found this sandwich to be lacking in the roughage, especially when it only had one stalk of cilantro.
Verdict: $ 3.75 for quality meats, could use more veggies but still good, most extensive menu, good shakes, but SLOW and perhaps too much mayo. I’ll be phoning in an order next time, but I’ll definitely be back.
Mamasan’s Noodle Café
Bread: 3.5÷5 While this was a great crusty bread, it just wasn’t as memorable or as good as other places.
Meat: ⁴⁄₅ Quite good with a nice spread of pâté.
Veggies: ³⁄₅ Pretty good and had the right ingredients but again, nothing memorable.
Verdict: $ 5 for a sandwich which is way overpriced compared to competitors, nice filling but I’d probably skip this one. Also, my sandwich appeared to be devoid of mayo and instead had Maggi Seasoning sauce.
This review isn’t complete until I head to Phở Duong Dong for their banh mi, but I know I’ll be too tempted to try their phở… which will have to wait for another review.

This place is interesting and worth checking out. The Bahn Mi sandwiches are cheap ($ 3.50 each or 3 for $ 10), prepared quickly and quite good. They also have drinks for $ 1 or so. Not much more to say — come here for good Bahn Mi in Rochester.

Interesting little place. DVDs on the left and a counter speedily turning out sandwiches in the back. An odd combinaton for sure. To my surprise there were a few tables. But they were all occupied by what I am pretty sure are their regulars.
The staff were very friendly and at $ 3.50 for lunch I will certainly be returning. The banh mi is more pedestrian that what I first tried in Toronto and what I came to crave in NYC. The all cold cut selection is not my favorite version of this Vietnamese I like. Pretty good but, I prefer my banh mi with bbq roast pork. Banh Mi Saigon in NYC’s chinatown is still my favorite.

Best Banh Mi I’ve ever tasted. The sandwiches are always made fresh (they make them once you order them) and the flavors are wonderful. You wouldn’t know that they sell sandwiches there, because for the most part it’s a Vietnamese video store, but lo and behold in the back of the store is the sandwich shop.
The sandwich is delicious, but be care of the hot peppers in it! i have a pretty high tolerance for spicy foods, as I enjoy eating them, but I bit into one of those suckers and it was so hot I felt like I was going to pass out. My lips and mouth were burning for a good hour. So just be careful or order them without the jalepenos.

What, that place? Are you sure?
Perhaps Rochester’s best-​kept secret. This unassuming little place, a few doors down from the Cinema on South Clinton in the South Wedge does one thing, if you don’t understand Vietnamese (if you do, they appear to have a large selection of Vietnamese music and DVDs): Banh Mi. Specifically, cold cut Banh Mi. If you are a bit squeamish about what goes into your sandwich, don’t go here, but I pity you. You’ll never experience the delights within. I’ve had several of these traditional Vietnamese, well, subs, for lack of a better word, and I’m still not sure what I ate. From a base of a small, very crusty, fresh baguette-​style roll (which I’m told are made by Georgie’s Bakery, also on South Clinton), the Banh Mi is built up, layer by luscious, savory layer. Mayo, cilantro, pickled carrot and (optional) jalapeño are the easy notes to pick out. Shredded pork, head cheese, maybe, provide a little bit of heft to the sandwich. Overall, it ends up being a very nuanced experience, and for $ 3.50 each, 3 for $ 10, a fairly inexpensive lunch. There also appears to be a menu of sorts, but I have no idea what else may be on it. Just go in and ask for a sandwich and stand back while the man at the counter crafts you a reward for taking a culinary risk.