Lee’s Sandwiches

Great pork sandwiches, love the sweet croissants and the fresh homemade baguettes! Will definitely coming back for more! Prices are super cheap!

This is not the Lee’s I remember! Only thing going for this spot is the sandwiches are cheap so I didn’t think twice about throwing my #12 away after two bites. The bread was stale and now I have those annoying cuts on the roof of my mouth. There’s a posted health advisory that I noticed too late so my fingers are crossed. The service was prompt and I’m going to assume the fact they tried to charge me for a bag twice was an honest mistake.

I didn’t think it was possible to make a bad banh mi because it’s really just a baguette with BBQ Pork, two ingredients I love, but Lee’s made it pretty terrible — the meat was so sweet I could barely finish.
Despite asking for mine «less sweet, the Café Su Da (Viet Iced Coffee) was still so sweet — they add condensed milk and what tastes like mocha mix.
One up side is that there is a ton of variety on the menu and the prices are super cheap.

If you pick & choose, you will find something that’s your good eats. Certain numbered sandwiches are the public’s favorite. If you go to the frig, there are all kinds of tasty desserts in a clear plastic cup with a top. Good customer service, they remember your food if you become a regular. Nice. Only drawback, it’s a bad area. TL.

Their bread is always baked fresh and that’s what we usually come here for. Can’t beat $ 1.50 for a soft and crunchy baguette.
The sandwiches are ok. The ones they make at their SJ location are better. I’d skip the prepackaged items. Purchased a few and they’re spoiled.

This is a Vietnamese grocery store with a sandwich wall… it’s a bit fallacious to describe it as a sandwich «counter» when (1) the name of the joint contains the word «sandwiches» and (2) the entire back wall of the store is where the sandwiches are made and sold.
I got a BBQ pork bahn mi and a mango smoothie. Both were tasty and served quickly.
I would knock a quarter-​point off the rating if I could, though: the menu said they had «mini sandwiches.» From the looks of the pictures, the minis were about a third the size of the full-​size offerings. So naturally I picked out three different ones to get…“sorry, we don’t have those now.” Oh well.

It is such as a bad experience when I noticed the rubber band in my snacks. I was very freaking out and asked myself how many I ate the rubber band into my stomach?
Do I recommend it? NO! Because the food are not clean as you thought. I hope the city food department should do something aboit it. Otherwise, there will be more cancer illness WOULD BE grow more population. If you do like LEE’S SANWICH at this store in Larkin st, San Francisico; you may want to think twice FOR YOUR HEALTH.

The posted closing time is 9pm — lady closed the door on me @745pm. I guess they don’t really want any more business.

I first fell in Love when I tried Lee’s on Clement in the Richmond district.
Got excited when I found out tgey had one in the TL.
Lee’s got that great French Baguet.
They have Grown to be like a Vietnamese Sandwhich Superstore!
With A giant selection menue of different Sandwhiches. EVEN crossant sandwiches.
They also have delicious ready to go meat on a stick and a whole chicken and thigh. Defineyltly lots of meaty things to choose from.
They also have most of the Traditional Vietnamese Deserts. Even Vietnamese Yogurt?!;)
They also have Nam and other Vietnamese snacks and delicies.
Very spacious with lots of Tables.
They Got Bolba, shakes, something for everyone and every age!
Vietnamese Sandwhiches are hard t0 judge because they are all so different.
They have a Tofu one starting at 2.50 and they make a small vietnamese sandwhich also for 2.50.
Definetly worth Checking out!
Combination Pork is ok tasting. 4.50
Their BBQ Meats Sandwhich taste a lot better.
They got a Lee’s Club Special for 7 bucks. Will have ti try and see how that taste.
Their sandwhichstill yaste goot 4hours later.;)

Monday afternoon, 2pm — takeout
Well, I’ll get right to the point — everything was mediocre about Lee’s. Honestly, the only reason I came in here was because I’ve been to Saigon Sandwich (within shouting distance) an average of once a month since arriving on San Francisco’s shores 4 months ago. I love banh mi and I’ll try em all — this means I have to take the bad with the good.
Lee’s is part grocery part sandwich deli, with about a hundred different sandwich combinations, smoothies, spring rolls, chicken wings… it’s like a Vietnamese/​New Jersey diner. The grocery part was partially why I came in — they have a nice selection of wafers, which I have a weak spot for. Unfortunately, 2 of 3 boxes of wafers were inedibly stale (the 3^rd had 3 layers of stay-​fresh packaging). This left a bad taste in my mouth.
I didn’t need a metaphorical bad taste in my mouth, because my banh mi sandwich had already accomplished that. First off, the skinny bread is not working. It was also pretty dry. The meat ratio to pâté was off (not enough meat), and the vegetables were less than crisp and just didn’t add to the flavor. The jalapeños were there, but were also inconsistent. Just not a good banh mi experience overall.
In Nebraska, this place might get a solid 4 stars. Here in SF with 18 better choices within the distance I can throw a stale sandwich, 1.5 stars is the max. I also had a pork pie pastry and an almond croissant — clearly I was not thinking straight (well, I had just landed hours before from a long weekend at EDC, so maybe that contributed). I most likely will not return.

To be honest we were actually on our way to check out Saigon Sandwiches when we came across Lee’s. I’m a lover of anything between two slices of bread, so sandwich shops are always on my radar. A Vietnamese sandwich is not something I can get locally, so we opportunity knocked I jumped on it.
The place is pretty big inside yet they still have minimal seating so you find yourself idly standing by waiting for people to get up, or just plant your butt next to a stranger and make a new friend. They have counters with high chairs, and normal tables. Because the tables fill up so quick they don’t really have time to clean them properly after each patron leaves. So just be prepared to see a few crumbs or so.
The menu is sandwich heaven with at least 30 different ones to choose from. I went for the BBQ pork and I ordered a milk tea to go with it. The sandwich came on a 10 inch roll and stuffed with the most beautiful, delicious, red, sliced pork I have ever seen. It was also packed with very fresh veggies and long sprigs of cilantro. Because of all the veggies the sandwich tasted so fresh. Each table has a bottle of Siracha which was very much used at our table.
The milk tea was good but definitely not something I can drink every day. I am not a fan of the tapioca balls that took up the bottom half of the cup.
If you’re looking for something fresh and delicious, check out Lee’s for sure!

Lee sandwiches is one of my favorite sandwich chains in the Bay Area. Is it «amazing»? No. Is it really really good for $ 5? Yes. They have ~30 different styles of banh mi sandwiches of both western and eastern styles and they’re all pretty decent. I usually get a pâté/​pork combo. They also have the standard deep fried stuff and many vietnamese products and snacks. Anyway I’ve never had a bad sandwich here, and it’s a decent backup if Saigon Sandwiches is busy.

FYI:
Lee’s Sandwiches recalls 213,000 pounds of meat
Posted: May 26, 2015 9:16 AM PDT
SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — Fast-​food restaurant Lee’s Sandwiches which has 14 outlets in the Bay Area has recalled 213,000 pounds of meat because it bore unauthorized United States Department of Agriculture marks of inspection, despite having not been inspected properly.
The Orange County Register reports that chicken, beef and pork products were recalled by the Garden Grove-​based company from its restaurants in Arizona, California, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon and Texas.
Lee’s has seven restaurants in San Jose and another seven in other Bay Area cities including San Francisco and Oakland.
There have been no reports of adverse reactions to eating any of the products.

FOOD/​DRINKS:
I usually like Lee’s Sandwiches but this one was just okay. I ordered their iced coffee which comes with condensed milk and is usually really good. This time, it tasted a little too sweet and the milk is a little overwhelming. Inside, they also have a lot of sweets/​desserts/​snacks and breads sold here and always look delicious.
WOULD I RECOMMEND IT? No, there is better iced coffee elsewhere but maybe to pick up some asian desserts.

Everyone knows Lee’s is like the fast food of Vietnamese food.
Sure there’s Banh Mi, and Che, and Goi Cuon and other yummy things, but it’s pretty bland, tasteless, and overpriced.
I still enjoy grabbing a Banh Mi Bi Chay from time to time (Vegetarian Sandwich), but this last visit isthe reason I will stop going to this location.
Some locations are better than others. (The ones in SoCal are HUGE and actually pumo out decent stuff). This one? Not so much.
It’s in a weary neighborhood with a lot of beggars outside.
The pre-​packacked food options are limited and prices are marked up.
(The label will say $ 3.95, but they’ll slap a sticker over it saying $ 5.95 instead… SF inflation I guess).
The sandwiches are wayyyy overpriced now. $ 4.50 for 1 sandwich? $ 7 for a croissant sandwich?!
Yesterday I bought the veggie and they gave me ONE SLICE OF CUCUMBER! I was so sad trying to stretch it to cover the entire length of my baguette, but science didn’t let me. :(
I also bought an Avocado & Cheese Baguette for my SO, and it came… WITHOUT AVOCADO!!! AHHH!!!
Imagine our surprise and frustration when we get to the park a mile away and realize we got nothing but a plain baguette with a slice of American Cheese on it and some lettuce and mayo. FOR $ 5.50!
We were so angry, but there was nothing we could do. What a waste of $ 10…

One of the signs of growing up is acknowledging you were wrong.
I avoided Lee’s Sandwiches for the longest time, being a Saigon Sandwiches snob and having heard mediocre things about the place. Being a Unilocaler, and thus highly opinionated and «in the know,» I told everyone else that Saigon was the best and all else should be missed.
Out of curiosity (the same sick curiosity that made me try El Super Burrito on Polk… ugh), I finally gave Lee’s Sandwiches a shot. And you know what? I was wrong. Lee’s is great.
If it pleases the court:
(1) Very few lines and a dining area: At Lee’s, you can wait and dine in their indoor seating area, as opposed to on the human excrement-​covered street like you’d have to with Saigon when it’s busy (and it’s often busy).
(2) Service is amazing: The friendly women who work here remember your order after a few visits. (Or they remember MY order because I’m totes adorbs.)
(3) The tofu sandwich is only $ 2.95: It’s big, the bread is baked fresh and it’s not overly sauced like at Saigon.
I wouldn’t say Lee’s is better than Saigon Sandwiches. It’s not. Lee’s just offers a quicker experience, later hours and more options. These days I find myself sneaking in here more often than across the street.
Because when I want my banh mi, I want it now, dammit. That’s another sign of growing up.

For something in the tenderloin this place isn’t that sketchy. But it’s still kind of dirty and not very visually appealing. Their servers are quite inconsiderate and don’t pay much attention to you.
The service is fairly quick and there are multiple options on their menu and their pre packaged meals. I would recommend the flan myself.
Wouldn’t go again, but it’s not awful.

Food snobs will insist that you head over to Saigon Sandwich instead of Lee’s; they’re missing the point. The bahn mi at Lee’s isn’t much worse than Saigon but you don’t have to wait in some crazy line either but perhaps what makes Lee’s Sandwiches even more unique is that it’s a big emporium of Vietnamese foodstuff.
I love browsing the aisles of Lee’s and finding something new to try as I’m waiting for my sandwich to be ready. All the little pastries, snacks, and desserts look so appealing. Some of which are regionally familiar (SE Asian) to me but others so distinctively Vietnamese. I typically get the #1 — combination sandwich here and I like the bread. It’s an elongated French loaf compared to the typical roll most places use and I personally think its easier to eat. Fairly generous combination of fillings and all in all, a satisfying meal or snack. The chicken curry has a rich coconut milk robustness to it but I think it lacks heat. Be sure to stop by the refrigerated desserts for something sweet to end the meal. They might look foreign and intimidating but all the ingredients are clearly labeled in English so have no fear.
So let’s sum up where Lee’s beats Saigon: Comparable bahn mi. More variety of Vietnamese food to explore. Shorter lines. Friendly service. Oh and they take credit cards too. Done and done.

5÷25÷14. Lunch
So many sandwiches to choose from: the traditional combo ham, roast chicken, roast pork, grilled pork, …
Footlong grilled pork sandwich #5 ($ 3.75) is very greasy. The meat is extremely fatty and looks like it’s raw even though cooked. The bread itself is actually crunchy but soaked with the fatty/​juice mixture off the meat. Very little or almost no pâté. Very little pickled daikon and carrot. It almost doesn’t taste like a Vietnamese sandwich.
Prepacked BBQ Pork over Fried Rice ($ 5.50) is better but nothing special. I could make the same fried rice at home with leftover steamed rice and diced carrots. The meat is a bit too sweet.
Overall it’s sub-​par. Their plain baguette is very good but the sandwiches are disappointing. They’re less fulfilling than Saigon Sandwiches down the street. But if you’re in a big hurry this is where you want to be because service is quick.

After trying Saigon Sandwiches I slowly make my way around the neighborhood — easy with some many Vietnamese sandwiches places to chose from.
Lee’s is good in terms of variety — you’ll not just find banh mi on the menu but also desserts, boba, coffee, spring rolls, sweet rice… you name it. Everything’s pretty inexpensive — you’ll get a sandwich plus drink and dessert for about $ 8. Lee’s also has groceries in store — handy if you need your fresh French baguette or Vietnamese coffee.
For the banh mi I prefer Saigon Sandwiches though which is across the street. Similar in size, but the meat simply tasted better and Saigon was also more generous with the vegetables. However, kudos to Lee’s for the big dessert section!