Little Shop of Mary Banh Mi

I was in the area and thought it was worth checking out seeing all the good reviews. I found it to be pricey and Americanized in taste, I got the number 2 sandwich with the yucky bits like head cheese and pâté but even then I still don’t feel like it’s the real deal. Even the Vietnamese iced coffee tastes a bit off, it’s too light and sweet you might as well be drinking iced coffee from a fast food place. I’m disappointed, but I still have my favorite go to banh mi place that I’ll be sticking to.

Decided to try this place on a whim. Popped in a little before 2pm to order the #1 Pulled Pork sandwich to-​go along with the Sea Salt Green Tea. Since it was after the lunch rush, there was only 1 other person there before me. I took my lunch home and settled into my desk to eat while working on my computer. Do you know that scene from Ratatouille where the rat bites into a piece of cheese and all the fireworks go off in his head? That is EXACTLY what happened to me when I bit into my sandwich. Holy crap, this is good! It was a flavor explosion in my mouth. All these different notes dancing on my tongue and nothing was over-​flavored. Just a perfect blend of tastiness. Wowza. I am impressed. The Green Tea was pretty good too. They do that sea salt milky foamy thing on top that 85C does. I will definitely be back to try more of their sandwiches and maybe their drinks as well.

Ambiance: Convenient family style restaurant, served great selections of sandwiches.
Service: fast and friendly
Food & Drink:
Roasted Pork — **** Slow roasted pork dipped in au jus, topped with pickled red onions and roasted jalapeños & garlic aioli, recommend
Grilled Pork — *** Pork shoulder grilled with a unique blend of Asian spices, served with mayonnaise, pickled onions and sliced cucumbers, sweet taste
Vietnamese Iced Coffee — *** average taste
Sea Salt Green Tea — **** so creamy and refreshing, recommend
Price: decent prices and portions, expect around $ 10

Great little Banh Mi sandwich shop located in Old Torrance. One of their grilled pork sandwiches can take up to 15 mins to prepare, but they warn you of that.
They also serve up different coffee and fruit drinks.
All of their sandwiches are priced at $ 7. A definite must try when you’re in the mood for a Banh Mi!

Very very good. Been looking for a place with some decent banh mi in South Bay. Finally found my new lunch spot! Ordered the #9 grilled pork and husband got the roast pork. I think the grilled pork was better and husband thought his roast sandwich was better… lol. To each their own.

Review ¹⁰⁄₃₆₅
I swung by here to grab a quick sandwich here this weekend. Based on all the Unilocal reviews, I decided to order the #1 Roasted Pork sandwich. It did not disappoint. The sandwich was warm, the bread was soft, warm, and chewy — unlike the bread from Lee’s Sandwiches which scratch up the roof of my mouth. The amount of pork was generous, warm, and moist. The sandwich also had some sweet pickled onions, which paried very well with the pork.
So in one bite, you get the soft and chewiness of the bread, then you get to the saltiness of the pork paired w/​the sweetness of the pickled onions. In the background, you’ll also get a hint of aioli that’s spread in the sandwich.
The original plan was to only eat half the sandwich, but halfway through, I found myself going back and forth between «Should i? or Should I not?» Needlesstosay… i went for it. a 10″ sandwich in one sitting. Mmmm…

The #1 Roasted Pork is the absolute best banh mi Vietnam sandwiche I’ve ever had. Lee’s has nothing on this place.

Came here for the second time last week and was a bit disappointed.
I ordered number 1 roasted pork banh mi, which was the most recommended by Unilocalers. As I was waiting for my order, I kept hearing one of the cooks coughing the whole time, which made me think of all the bacteria that would’ve went into my food…
When I did get my food, I tasted a bite of it and it was way too salty. It seemed more like a pulled pork sandwich than a banh mi. Banh mi here is more Americanized, if you will. I don’t think I would order number 1 again.
I would give it another chance if I’m ever around the area and try a different banh mi.
Also, I ordered an iced green tea after and the waitress totally forgot about my drink. I had to ask where my drink was after five to ten minutes after.
By the way, this place is easy to miss because it is small. It is right next to the laundromat and you can street park.

Being the wonderful girlfriend that I am, I drove here after running some errands to pick up some lunch for us. The «little» in the title stays true to its name. Being that it was my first visit, I GPS’d my way and missed it. Went through the back alley way and parked on the street. Walked to the front of the street and there it is, this little adorable shop for banh mi.
I made my order and when I saw the total for 2 sandwiches and a small Vietnamese coffee, I was shocked (just under $ 18.) How can a banh mi sandwich cost $ 7??! So that hit a nerve in me. («Damn the boyfriend for making me drive all the way here and now paying $ 7 for a banh mi! I’ve never paid this much for a damn banh mi!»)
So I wait… and waited… and waited. I waited exactly 15 minutes for my order. Now, I’m really getting upset…(at my boyfriend).I understand the sandwiches are made to order, but it shouldn’t take more than 10 mins, even if there were other orders to fulfill.
When I finally took a bite into my lemongrass chicken sandwich, I thought, okay, not bad, but doesn’t really have a lemongrass herb taste to it. Then I try the roasted pork, wow pretty good. My hangriness went away and I was enjoying the meal with my delicious not-​overly-​sweet Vietnamese coffee.
Definitely overpriced for a banh mi sandwich. $ 4.50/$ 5 would be more reasonable. They totally capitalized on the scarce of Chinese and Vietnamese influence cuisine in the City of Torrance. Bravo!
I wouldn’t be surprised if we come back here. The sandwiches are great.

Tasty sandwiches with great fresh bread. The vegetarian is delicious.
I’d suggest to call in and pick up rather than try to dine inside on a Saturday. The place gets packed.
Super cute, friendly. Wait may be long if you didn’t order ahead.

This was actually my second visit and to be honest thought nothing of it the first visit which was just over a year ago. I bought it mainly to share with me and my co-​workers.
So I go in at just a little after 12:30pm and man the place was poppin’! Place opens at 10am AND my ticket read #61!!! Place is tiny so if you’re planning to dine in, COME EARLY… Or be ready with a plan B dining area. If you’re in a rush probably be a good idea to phone your order ahead of time since some of the sandwiches seem to take a little longer to make.
I ordered the #1 Roasted Pork and the #9 Grilled Pork because us Vietnamese people have a natural affinity towards pork. The #9 I was told was going to take 20 minutes to prepare. In my head I was thinking WHOA thats a long time to cook some porkchops! But in the end I guess to just over estimated prep time just be safe, but nice to know everythings prepared to order!
Price was a little hefty at $ 7 each but with such a high price point it is safe to assume everything was made with quality ingredients… And it held to be TRUTH! They definitely give you your worth as far as portions. I bought two thinking they were going to be dinky little 6 in frenh rolls, but they probably around 10 in rolls! I didn’t account for the size because I shared my sandwiches the first time.
#1 Roasted Pork: Looked and tasted like Pulled pork minus being super saucey. If it wasn’t for the French roll and the pickled onion, I wouldn’t know this was a Vietnamese sandwich. But overall pretty damn good sanwich! Super juicy from the au jus and the aoili was tasty.
The rolls tasted VERY fresh! They didn’t have that super hard texture I’m used to tearing up the roof of my mouth. Crusty enough but very soft spongy and easy to chew.
#9 Girlled pork: They did NOT skimp of the meat portions. All the extra meat was spilling out my sandwich. It was prepared to order and was very juicy and tasty. If you love Pork, this is the one to get! This defintely had a little more of an authentic Vietnamese flavoring.
So overall good sandwiches! Not the most authentic Banh Mi you’ll have BUT the taste of Vietnam are there. They even keep the jalapenos separate! This definitely has more of a Western vibe with the entire menu being in English. I would recommend this to friends just to try a more modern Vietnamese Banh Mi.

I crave the Banh Mi here. I don’t think I’ve had it this good anywhere else, and I’m stoked on it. And it’s all Jesse C’s fault! He enjoys this place too and its close by his office, making it irresistible to pass up for lunch. I really do enjoy the grilled pork and the meatball sandwich. They have fresh veggies all over it, thinly sliced jalapenos and a yummy spicy mayo. The bread is fresh and on point, the perfect vessel. Despite how tiny this spot is, the staff is so friendly and the food doesn’t take too long. It’s fun to go with someone and split the sandwiches, so you can have the best of both worlds. At least that’s what we have done!

Terribly disappointed! I came in because all of the 219 amazing pictures. But instead I got a less than desirable #8 Sesame Chicken sandwich and not so good Thai Ice Coffee.
Came in and stood in the cramped space to place order at the cashier. I stood for more than 5 minutes while the cashier kept bringing out orders and didn’t even bother to acknowledge me standing there. I should have known then right! Of course not, so I waited another 13 minutes for my lunch to be made which would not have been a problem if the food was good.
My sandwich had way too much diakon radish which made my bread sopping wet and inedible. I opened up the sandwich to find boiled pale lifeless chicken with white sesame seeds barely anywhere. There was barely one stem of cilantro which was on the bottom of the sandwich under the meat so it steamed to a nasty lifeless flavorless mush.
The menu changes also reflected a change in the product. Prices went up, desserts are no longer offered. Pictures on Unilocal do not always what you get when the restaurant especially here so beware.
My sandwich was soo poorly made I didn’t even eat it. I posted pictures of this poor excuse for a báhn mí sandwich. Needless to say I will not be returning here.

The roasted pork (belive it’s #1) is the only sandwich I get here. Sometimes, I’d like to get two so I can save one for later. It’s definitely a little pricier than other banh mi’s that you’d get in garbage grove but it’s very well done here.
Call ahead for pick-​up and for first timer, pay attention or you’ll past it when driving by.

3.5 Stars (If I could) I stopped by here on Friday to pick up lunch as I had been meaning to try this place for a while. Upon visiting, it was not busy at all, so I was able to order quickly and take the food to go. All of their sandwiches are $ 7 and I ordered the Roasted Pork Banh Mi as well as the Sea Salt Green Tea. The Sea Salt Green Tea was more of a sweet milk with hints of green tea and the banh mi was so heavy and doused with sauce. I will still be giving this place another shot because there were other things that I wanted to try on the menu, but from my first experience, the shop did not meet my expectations.
*$ 7 credit card minimum and there is parking on both the street and back of the building

Charming shop! Wouldn’t recommend coming here in a group. Great place to have an intimate lunch.
I appreciate that the sandwiches are made to order, but the wait time was a little too long. The French baguette was fresh and soft– baguette gets 5 stars!
I loved that the jalapeños are packaged separately– nice touch and very detailed.
My husband had the roasted pork and I ordered the lemongrass chicken. Both were just okay. I didn’t pick up any lemongrass flavor which was very disappointing. I thought pricing was reasonable considering the portion size. Pricing includes tax!
The owner was very pleasant and made us feel welcomed. I’d return to give it another chance.

Very small store. Not much seating. Great for a quick lunch.
I’ve only had #1, but it’s fantastic. Meat is juicy. The pickled onions are great.
Lot’s of street parking.

I sincerely love this place. If you are looking for a Banh Mi sandwich with the love you have been looking for stuffed between two french loafs, this is the place to go! First, the prices, definitely worth it. The parking, easy to find on the streets. Although the interior is quite small, the portions are very generous by contrast!
The best experience was the first visit. While I was enjoying their lemongrass beef sandwich, the lady comes up to me with an ice water asking if I wanted any. I said sure. In addition, I love a good amount of cilantro in a banh mi so I asked for a small side. Instead, I am presented with a small bag FULL of cilantro. MAN what service!
The second experience was nothing short of great either. My wife loved her first experience with the pork sandwich. I have never seen her so satisfied from only a half of the sandwich.
Will I return? OF COURSE! When you’re writing about something you love, and you start to crave it while writing about it, that says something right there.

This is probably my favorite sandwich shop in all of LA. The ingredients that they use are incredibly fresh and delicious. Plus for $ 7 a sandwich, no tax, it is very affordable.
You can’t go wrong with any of the sandwiches. My two favorites would probably be the #1 (roasted pork) and #7 (lemongrass beef). The pork is incredibly tender and juicy. Amazing flavor. Same with the beef. The onions, cilantro, pickled daikon and carrots complement the meat perfectly. They add a little crunch to it. The baguettes that they use are soft and chewy.
An amazing sandwich shop. I even had a little vegetable egg roll on my trip today and it was awesome.

I will start by saying I have never had one of these sandwiches being a Norwegian… and I will also say I have no idea how I went this long without Mary in my life.
In my humble opinion this might be one of the best units ever. I had the number 5 with pork meatballs and my wife had the old number 1. Pork sammie. Both were soooooo good. I mean soooo good. The pork was tender and moist with the pickled onions on top with a sauce with the pork. The roll was fresh and soft and my meatballs were fantastic. Mine had a mixture of Vietnamese veggies on top. Also pickled. Delish!!!
But, the big winner in this place is the egg rolls that sit quietly by themselves on the counter. They yelled at me and said «hey, look at me… I’m only a buck!» so, I took one and then took 6 for later!!! Ground beef with some cabbage and goodness all rolled up and fried. Perfect.
This will be my new lunch spot anytime I’m close and by that I mean within a 100 mile radius.
Parking is easy and service is slow but it’s homemade, so I’m cool with that.
I want to try them all.