Corner Sandwich & Cafe

$ 4 for the smallest cup of Vietnamese coffee THAT WASNT EVEN FILLED TO THE TOP. And it was made in less than 15 seconds…
The place reeks of cigarettes and I think it’s really shady how 1.) it’s cash only and 2.) there’s no prices displayed for anything.
Never coming back

$ 9 for a café sua da & smoothie and not a t1tty or booty in sight… HOW THE HECK U GONNA CHARGE That kinda price and i see no t1tt1es???. i shoulda suspected the shadiness when there are no prices on the menu
that kinda price tag needs to come with some cleavage. but heck this is San Diego. ill settle for a fully clothed early 40’s MILF… i didnt even get that… man i miss orange county
coffee didn’t even taste strong as a café sua da should be…

Went in craving for a Banh Mi sand which… Walked through a cloud of smoke from all the older men smoking and playing cards with their pitchers of beer.
I ordered 1 bbq pork banh mi and a mango smoothie. $ 9??? Last time I went it was like $ 3.50 ish for just the sandwich. They have no prices on any if they’d menu items… And she took my money and came back and told me they were out of pork. So I changed my mind and she didn’t seem to want to give me my money back. Won’t be going there again.

Had no idea this was a Vietnamese café until I noticed all the Asian men sitting outside smoking a cigarette and chatting w/​others. We walked in and placed our order w/​the very pleasant lady. Yes, they’re were a group of Asian men playing table games and watching tv but no bother to us. The reason for the 2 stars… the sandwiches were pretty expensive considering its Vietnamese sandwiches. I order Vietnamese sandwiches and smoothies all the time and would never spend over $ 20. 2 bbq chicken sandwiches plus 1 tea and 1 iced coffee was not worth the amnt we paid especially with the amnt of chicken in the two sandwiches. In addnt’ the drinks were small (smaller than Starbucks tall sz). Good service and quick but food and pricing… not. Bring cash if u do choose to eat here.

The most authentic ethnic café in all of town if not the state. Tons of og Vietnamese folks having time of their life. Sandwiches are great and although might look small, are full of flavor and fill you up perfectly. I went there for boba and they sure make it mean.
Love this place.

Hahaha stepped in and noticed a bunch of old Asian men playing cards and drinking lol very awkward but they have amazing taro BOBA

Idk, there’s something massively appealing about having a buncha tough middle age Vietnamese men drinking booze, having a smoke, and gambling while some guy sings with incredible passion on the Magic Mic during closed business hours.

The reviews for this restaurant is among the funniest on Unilocal I’ve ever seen. All a bunch of scared white folks, Asian folks, and a Hispanic guy not used to seeing a bunch of old Vietnamese folks having a good time
It’s true, this isn’t a restaurant suited for dining in. It’s loud; most of the patrons are speaking in Vietnamese so it may make some people who don’t speak the language feel uncomfortable because they don’t know what they’re talking about. They’re all playing board games, and there’s a lot of laughs so that’s always a good sign
Also, the restaurant does smell like cigarettes and since I hate smoking, that’s a big turn-​off
This restaurant is suited only for take-​outs. Their bobas are pretty tasty and I love how diverse the flavors are. I love durian and their durian boba taste just as good as the other durian bobas I’ve tried. It still has that awesome durian flavor so it’s legit.
They also have soursop boba. I really love this fruit and I wanted to try it in boba form and well, it taste great. It’s not as sweet as the Filipino soursop juices but it’s still good
So yes, only go for the bobas and only go for take-​out

Eek! Methinks not. I was super hungry and wanted to grab a Vietnamese sandwich on the way home. The shades were drawn all the way down and it looked like they were closed. I walked in there and there were 3 – 4 tables of men playing cards and drinking beer. I don’t know what the heck was going on in there, but it felt super shady and uncomfortable. Coffee was a win though.

On my second escapade into the land of 2 Star eateries ventured into this itsy bitsy café in the same plaza as Boiling Crab and Seafood City. I must say I really did not want to waste my money here. It was small, it was gloomy and it was unappealing. Yet, I took a deep breath and stepped in. Bad idea to take a deep breath. The place was an ashtray. Seeing how I could barely breathe I definitely had no appetite to eat. My fight or flight instincts kicked in and I made a quick decision to order a drink and go. Since it was a Vietnamese establishment the smartest choice was Vietnamese coffee with boba. Kind of hard for a Vietnamese to mess up Vietnamese coffee. Foolproof plan. And honestly the coffee was great. Dark, rich, nutty, and creamy. Just how it’s suppose to be. Just wish the place was more lively and cleaner. It definitely needs to recreate a more welcoming and exciting vibe if it wants to attract more customers. But overall, I managed to complete my challenge unscathed.

Any time you see a bunch of miserable older Vietnamese men outside a café, it’s a good sign. Got even more excited walking in seeing soccer on the TV, lottery tickets and a Keno screen making me feel like I just found gold. The café lifestyle is here, but the quality of food and beverage isn’t.
Bahn Mi was OK to a little below average. The coffee was a little too nutty for my taste. I was second guessing if they put hazelnut creamer in it. I think I got the cracker price bump too. Not used to paying $ 8 for a sandwich and coffee in a Vietnamese café. Wish I noticed the specials on the wall before ordering.

Among the lights and sounds a smoky haze lingers in the air.
Foreign languages (to some) are tossed about among the tables.
And in the back,
In the back he sits…
Pull up a chair and let me tell you the story…
The story of Baby Com…
They say he was born at The Yard with a tattoo that says «the 102».
He had devil locks and his bac was double the legal limit.
He slept in an old guitar amp and had a gun loaded with one bullet, just one, under his pillow. And by the age of infant he had a criminal record.
Some say his skin is white like daikon and that at that twilight hour, when the full moon turns blood red… you can see his silhouette.
He is an invisible. A never was and a never will be, but the stories linger…
And in the back amongst the tables,
hidden in the shadows of the lights from the California lottery screens,
shrouded by the smoke and bickering words that dance in the air,
between the old men that hold their Caliente sport tickets and the young kids in the modified streetcars; he sits.
Sipping mediocre Vietnamese coffee and eating decent but nothing great Vietnamese sandwiches at the Corner Sandwich & Café with a grin.

This is a vietnamese coffee shop without half-​naked coffee shop girls. For all you reviewers who think this restaurant is shady, then you’re just simply ignorant of Vietnamese culture. It is common for people to just come, buy a lottery ticket, drink coffee, and chitchat up a storm with friends.
Anyways, on to the café itself. The restaurant is super clean. Came in to grab a bite before my shift at The Boiling Crab. I ordered a number 1 special combination sandwich. The warm bread and mayo made the sandwich taste super delicious. However, where the heck was the red chewy meat? I don’t know if they forgot to put it in my sandwich or not but usually at other joints that serve these types of sandwiches there is a good amount of red meat. A little pissed about that but it still tasted pretty good. Also ordered iced cold vietnamese coffee. Super strong. Kept me alive at work.

Every time I would pass this place, I could hear Obi-​Wan Kenobi’s voice in my head saying, «I have a bad feeling about this.» Corner Sandwich & Café just had an overall seedy feel — for example, the interior smelled of cigarette smoke so strong that it would put most casinos to shame. Also, unlike the crowd of older Filipinos outside of the Starbucks at the Mira Mesa Mall, the crowd of older Vietnamese men outside just looked mean and shady. And, even though their hours were posted as closing at 9pm, often they would be closed far sooner than that… and there would be people seen inside gambling.
It looks like there’s new owners, as when I finally gathered up my courage to enter the place, the first thing I noticed was that the cigarette smoke smell was gone (considering how it permeated the area, how they pulled THAT off is beyond me). Also, the Vietnamese oldtimers/​gangsters were missing… though this may have been due to the time I went here (roughly 2 in the afternoon).
I tried a lychee smoothie — while the taste was okay, the boba pearls left much to be desired. Plus, it’s a cash only establishment.
Overall, while an apparent improvement, this place just doesn’t really appeal to me. Think I’ll try going to Tea Station next door instead.

YUCK & GHETTO sums this place up. I read all the other reviews, went here to check it out for myself. Not worth a second visit. If you’re reading this review debating on a frist visit… umm…word to the wise… DON’T GO. You can thank me later =)

Went here because they had a coupon for $ 6.99 sandwich and smoothie.
Suggestion for the owner — don’t put a restriction on the sandwiches you can choose because I had the coupon.
Very odd place, very dark, a whole bunch of gambling inside.
Good if you’re looking to purchase lotto or scratcher tickets.
Smoothie with boba was actually pretty good, sandwich is not the greatest but edible.

This is a sports betting-​gangster meeting-​get your smoke on place disguised as a sandwich shop.
The majority of the customers are guys who bet on football games, play Keno and buy Super Lotto Tickets.
I ordered Banh Mi Tra Trung (Egg Sandwich), it was not up to par compared to K-​Sandwiches, Cali Baguette or Lee’s. The Café was poorly decorated, dark, and not sanitary. The whole room was full of smoke, and there was no ventilation.
The staff were unprofessional, loud and obnoxious.
Overall, I would not recommend this place if you have a hankering for Banh Mi.

To be honest, I haven’t tried anything here.
Their door was open, there were people inside, so we went in. We went in and entered a very dimly lit place. with a couple people smoking inside. I was soon informed by the guy at the counter that they were closed.
If your business is closed for the night, don’t leave your door open! Or at least put a SIGN up that tells potential customers that you’re closed! It was also smokey and smelled like cigarettes inside. Need I say more?

Honestly, where to begin with this place?
Let’s start with the main two things: the atmosphere and the food. As you will notice from previous reviews, the inside is very dark and smells distinctly of cigarette smoke. I haven’t personally seen cigarette butts inside, but the smell is unmistakable. Next, we arrive at the food. I ordered a boba milk tea and a house special banh-​mi. Both were terrible. The sandwich was especially bad as none of the ingredients tasted fresh (especially the bread).
So far I might be willing to consider this a 2-​star experience, until I noticed that somebody (probably the owner) is gaming the Unilocal score. Don’t believe me? Sort the scores by date and you will notice an anomaly on March 13^th. Two independent reviews, both with five stars, both from users with no other reviews or any other activity on Unilocal.In addition, the diction and grammar of both reviews are identical, even down to the naming convention.
Anyway, I guess I can sum this review up with «stay away». There’s plenty of good banh mi in Mira Mesa. Just head a few blocks in either direction and grab a much better sandwich in a much friendlier environment.

This business is immediately next door to Tea Station in Mira Mesa. We saw the sign for Corner Sandwich & Café, read the menu outside, and said to ourselves, Look, there is a new Vietnamese sandwich shop, let’s go in and check it out and have some coffee! And then we walked inside and I thought, What the hell kind of a place is this?
First off, it’s incredibly dark inside, the curtains are all drawn to the point of being almost closed. There is an immensely overpowering smell of cigarette smoke inside. I ordered my coffee and asked the worker if they allow smoking. She said no and that the smoke came from outside. I circled around the tables and saw that the floor was thickly COVERED with cigarette butts and ashes absolutely everywhere. I pointed the floor out to the worker and she hurriedly began sweeping up the filthy mess.
Strangely, all of the customers inside were men except me. The customers had packs of cigarettes on the tables, but no ash trays. Many of the men were drinking beverages in small, clear glasses with ice. What kind of coffee is clear and served in small glasses with ice?
This place is freaking weird and seedy. I feel sorry for their next door neighbor, Tea Station, which is a wholesome, normal business.