Huong Lan Sandwiches

Best place to get small eats and treats. We stop by here every time we visit Sac. I feel bad for the people waiting to get their sandwiches because we always order by the dozen to take back to Reno, lol. Cheap prices paired good foods, this place would be 5 stars except they could do a better job keeping the place clean, especially their bathroom is a mess.

Snuck in at the last minute and ordered a #2 (cha lua) sandwich and a #30 ice milk coffee. Growing up in San Jose I was spoiled by good Vietnamese sandwich shops. This place was legit ! Definitely coming back when I’m in the area.

I love their banh mi and the fact that you can pretty much go in here and grab a quick lunch and head out. It can get pretty crowded in here though but it’s not too bad.

The hottest spot for boba drinks & a variety of sandwiches! It’s cheap & yummy. It does get busy here… so expect a wait during peak hours. My favs are sandwich #5 & Thai tea w/​boba!

Love their banh mi sandwiches. Reasonable prices
My go to sandwich would be the grilled pork.
Their bread is always nice and fresh w. Fresh veggies and their boba drinks aren’t too bad either, it’s nice and creamy I usually get Thai tea and my kids get Honey dew.
I did notice the boba isn’t as fresh as other places, but as long as the drink tastes good I’m not that picky about that.

MSG In the PHO! WORST SERVICE EVER!
Came in today to get the beef phở, they told us they ran out of beef. So we reluctantly ordered chicken phở. Was not as good.
This couple sits down by us, guy orders BEEF phở and they bring it to him! Wtf?
Waiter who barely speaks English doesn’t even apologize! F this place! Take Your Money somewhere else.

My god, their banh mi is the best! I still have withdrawals thinking about how I’m missing out down in socal.
A very unassuming place, like mostly all viet places that I’ve been to, but it’s hiding such powerful flavors in their sandwiches. You think that you walked into some average, Joe Schmoe cafeteria that happens to sell asian snacks & condiments on the side to trap the kids. Yeah, I know what those kitty shaped jello jars are for.
Anyway, it almost seems like a food court in a sense, which I kind of liked the casual feel. But ain’t nothing casual about this place. You better know what you want and which line to get in or else you’ll be trampled by the mob of regulars who just need their damn delicious banh mi to get through the day.
I ordered the banh mi with some cha lua inside. One of my personal favorite meats to get. If you have never had cha lua, it’s like a pork sausage. Imagine a sort of light and fluffy feel while slowly enveloping you in a savory embrace. It’s heavenly.
My friends also told me to get the thai tea with boba. Ain’t nothing special about the boba of course, but if you need a nice drink to pair with that sandwich, I’d say go for it. Boba is always better than no boba I’d say!

I do like their sandwiches, especially the #7-​Grilled Pork – definitely recommend. :)
They also sell to-​go papaya salad here (pretty good, too) which is in the refrigerator area, and I really like their (packed to-​go) flat rice paper w/​pork spring rolls. Their phở is also pretty good, I like that it has all the goodies such as the soft tendons that are non-​existent in the phở at Phở Anh Dao.
They also have a wide variety of drinks, from milk teas to canned beverages-​in particular, I love the soy milk drinks (YEO). ;)
There’s also steamed buns and a bunch of other foods here. It gets super busy during the weekend and lunch times-​so avoid those times if you don’t have time to wait at least an hour to get your food. Overall, I recommend it for banh mi sandwiches and drinks.

Shame on me!!! How on Earth have I not reviewed this place yet!?! If you’re looking for a Banh Mi, this is the place to go! Absolutely amazing.
But wait… there’s more. Besides possibly the best Banh Mi in town (or day I say the world!), this place comes packed with more delicious options! Yummy Egg Rolls for under a dollar, yup, Delicious boba filled drinks of all kinds, you betcha, Vietnamese Fried Rice, uh-​huh, Phở and other delightful soups for a rainy day, ABSOLUTELY!!! They even have a number of random asian treats/​sweets and some baked goods too. This place is authentic, in all the right ways!
So come on by, join the debate, is the BBQ Pork #5 or Grilled Pork #7 better? I can’t decide!?! Get both! At $ 3.50 each, you can afford it! But remember, the most important tip of all that I can give you… when ordering your Banh Mi, ask for double meat, and gladly pay the additional dollar… you’re welcome.
Also, and I’m not sure why this is true but it totally is, these sandwiches are actually better if you don’t eat them right away. I’ve been known to get these around lunch time and then eat them for dinner. The bread is softer, the flavor more refined, it just all works better.
So yes, I totally recommend this place! Tell your friends, bring your girlfriends, bookmark this place!

Wow, i’m impressed at how this restaurant stays in business (In a good way). Their Vietnamese sandwich (Bahn Mi) are great and at a price of around $ 3.50 each, this place is a bargain. Usually i stop by to pick up a sandwich here for lunch or dinner. Lines are also pretty short during the dinner hours. Lunch time however can be pretty busy.

Loving this Restaurant! Prices were very reasonable got everything my coworker and I were craving only spent $ 17 we got the BBQ pork bah mi sandwich, large bowl of phở with everything, and crispy egg rolls.
Service was quick! But I heard it get’s crazy busy during lunch. My lunch break is usually around 9 or 10am as I was leaving I noticed it starting to get packed.

This place has the best banh mi in town hands down. This is coming from a Vietnamese American who has grown up eating Vietnamese food at home and wherever she travels. My family has purchased banh mi’s from Huong Lan since forever. It’s in a super crowded plaza filled with Vietnamese shops, so finding parking might be a bit of a pain especially on weekends.
BANH MI
For first timers, I would recommend Special Combo 1 and 2 (#12). I can’t not purchase my banh mi’s without pâté. (Pâté is a paste made of ground meat and fat). Also how can you not have the steamed pork (cha lua)? Therefore, the best option is obviously the combination of #1 and #2 in my opinion. Another classic is the Banh Mi Thit Nuong #7. I never really buy any of the other banh mi’s because I know what I want, so maybe you can try those and tell me how they are.
EVERYTHING ELSE
Whenever I visit Huong Lan, I feel like I’m walking into paradise. In addition to the banh mi’s, there are tons of other yummy foods like their to-​go foods: spring rolls, banh bot lot (ground meat and shrimp inside a tapioca wrapping), and banh bao (steamed buns with sweet or savory fillings). They also have a sit-​down menu, which I haven’t tried, but I think they sell phở, egg noodles, banh xeo (Vietnamese savory crêpe), etc. What I love best here though might actually be the variety of Vietnamese desserts they sell. They have che, fried bananas, xoi, basically every Vietnamese dessert you can imagine. The Vietnamese coffee is also hard to beat since it has the intense strong coffee flavor authentic Vietnamese coffee has. I remember I always wanted to buy everything when I came with my parents as a child.
Although my family buys from Huong Lan less these days, I definitely know where I’ll go buy my banh mi’s in the future!

I’ve been coming here for their banh mi for many many years now. My favorites are the combination and BBQ pork, but I’ve recently tried the chicken teriyaki, which is pretty good as well.
If you’re dining in, you basically just seat yourself and a worker will bring you a menu. When you’re finished, you bring your order tickets to the front register to pay.
They’re definitely lacking in customer service, but their food makes up for it in my opinion.

I mainly come here for the bánh mì and nothing else, but I have to say, the nem chuas are pretty good and you should give it it a try if you like fermented things. For less than $ 4, you get a filling sandwich with fresh ingredients. My go tos are the combination (#12) and BBQ pork (#5) bánh mìs! If you can’t do too spicy like me, you can ask them to omit the jalapeños altogether and they’re pretty nice about it.
Tip: bring cash unless you’re planning on spending more than $ 10.
The only reason I take one star off is due to what I see with the loaves of bread that sit in front of the sandwich making line. I personally wouldn’t get the individual loaves of bread because I’ve seen people open each bag, feel each bread with their hands, and set them back down just to repeat the process with all of the other breads. I saw it happen on two different occasions and Huong Lan still hasn’t done anything about it.

#7 grilled pork bahn mi — that’s all you need to know.
As a child my mom would bring me a grilled pork bahn mi from Huong Lan (no veggies) and I loved it. Now 15+ years later, I still love it — but I have more refined taste buds that love the pickled veggies! I also like to smear sriracha all over.
These are seriously the best bahn mis I’ve ever had. The ingredients are fresh and the price is very fair. Obviously it has increased over the years, but it’s still worth every penny.
You pay at the counter and wait for the automated voice to call your number. Then you’re off to sandwich heaven! Enjoy!

My family checked out the Vietnamese community in Sacramento since we were in the area to visit a friend. Huong Lan Sandwiches is like the Banh Mi Che Cali/Lee’s Sandwiches of Sacramento. For a Monday afternoon, there were so many customers so I can’t imagine how crowded it would be if it’s the weekend/​holidays. And the workers were working hard to quickly ring up the customers and take their orders.
This place is a combo of restaurant/​food-​to-​go. There are plenty of tables for you to sit and enjoy a sit down meal like a typical restaurant. But there’s also a lot of pre-​packaged food and whatnot that you can grab for to go.
Their banh mi is high quality stuff. The size is huge and they pack it with a lot of meat and veggie. It’s one of the best banh mi I’ve ever had and it’s less than $ 4 to fill you up.
Parking here can be hectic since they share the lot with a lot of other stores in the plaza.

$ 3.50 for nearly a foot long sandwich??? AND you have Vegan meats? MOVE OVER SUBWAY!
While there are not too many vegan items on the menu, the #16 Vegetarian Chicken sandwich is well worth it if your in the neighborhood. Crispy fresh baguette loaded with seasoned meat, pickled carrots, jalapenos, and topped with cilantro. Note the #13 Vegetarian is not vegan and contains egg.
It is a hybrid of restaurant, take-​out, and grocery store. Grab a seat for your take-​out or request service and sit-​down. There are no rules which makes this place almost chaotic during a busy hour. The dining area is not very clean but hey you can just grab and go.
To get your sandwich, bypass the line of waiting customers who already placed their order, and speak to the woman behind the counter with poor English. Tell her the number (s) you want, pay, and receive a # on your receipt. Watch the television screen on the top right for your # to be called :) It will take about 10 – 15 minutes on a weekend afternoon.
In their freezer section, they have array of vegetarian meats including faux fish and chicken. The other vegan items I noticed were the spring rolls, banana tamale, and coconut milk dessert.
Also, there is NO TAX. The price you see includes it!

The banh mi’s here are as good as it gets. Ingredients are always fresh and tasty. The line can get long at times. As a result this has become one of my go to morning spots for a sandwich. They open at 6:30 promptly. I like to pick one up on the way to work between 6:30 and 7:00 and there is never a line. Of course the hot foods /​spring rolls etc. are not out first thing but not a big deal. It’s a cash only if you spend under $ 10 and the sandwiches are all under $ 4 unless you get the teriyaki ones. Teriyaki??? who orders teriyaki on a banh mi? I guess some folks do and thankfully they are assessed a financial penalty for doing so!
I’ve also tried a few of the soups and phở. They are ok but certainly there are better spots in little Saigon in my experience. The baguettes are also delicious and if you time it right you can get them fresh right out of the oven. The hot to go food items and spring rolls are usually excellent and they put out a nice variety at very reasonable prices.
Banh mi and baguettes are a solid 5 star. Table service, soups /​phở and counter service combine to take away a star.

Decided to come here with hubby for lunch today after he finished his appointment with work. Was feeling home sick and wanted a taste of home. So I started to Unilocal a place and told myself it’s been awhile since I’ve had a band mi since I’ve been in Cali.
I found this place cause we weren’t far from it. Looked thought the pictures and the food looked amazing, so off we go. We find the place and walk in. It’s a takeout and sit down type which I’ve never seen before which I thought was pretty cool.
We got seated at one of the tables and handled menus. The server came and asked if we were ready I asked for a minute or so, so he went to grab us water. When we came back we were ready to order. We ordered a grilled pork sandwich no jalapeños and viet iced coffee for me, hubs got the grilled chicken with rice and a fresh squeezed OJ and we got the grilled pork spring rolls to share.
Everything didn’t take long to come out it was pretty fast, within 5 minutes. Coffee was strong the way I like it, sandwich was one of the best I’ve ever eaten in my life, it was on a baguette, lightly mayo, the grilled pork, with picked carrots & radishes, cilantro, fried onions and a hint of lemongrass, hubs chicken was flavourful and fall off the bone, the pork spring roll was light, fresh with a small crunch for texture and the OJ was nice and sweet & refreshing.
To pay we just had to grab one of the receipt to show the table, I also picked up 2 viet desserts and hubs like the baguette and wanted to grab some (4 for $ 1.25), so they add all that together. So for everything we are and took to go it cost us $ 30 including tip, which isn’t bad for 3 courses. You can get viet banh mi to go and bbtea, there’s viet desserts, viet drinks, smaller meals and even a hot side with appetizers This was surely a taste of home for me, the place, the noise, the common language, the people, the food and the smell. Defiantly recommend this place anyone who loves simple Vietnamese food.

What can I say? Huong Lan Sandwiches is the best Vietnamese sandwich shop I’ve ever visited. My parents often came this store many times, so we can order their sandwiches at an affordable price!
I’ve ordered the #12 sandwich (ham and steamed pork) many times, and it tasted so good. I can feel the flavor of that sandwich attractable. This place also has a mini-​restaurant which they have Vietnamese dishes from phở to rice plates. I ordered the chicken with rice plate, and so far, it also tasted very good. The chicken’s seasoning is superb, so I can finish the plate completely.
Overall, Huong Lan is my favorite Vietnamese sandwich and mini-​restaurant spot for good sandwiches and their Vietnamese dishes. I’ll come back for more!