Such a solid banh mi spot! Decent size and decent prices. I didn't try their viet coffee but I'd definitely want to next time- as well as their sugarcane juice. I liked the bread because it wasn't super stiff and didn't represent a majority of the sando as some breads do. The inside looks big but is mostly filled with veggies. Overall a cute hole in a wall that I'd def visit again if craving! read more

Avian Fresh Drinking Water - Grilled Beef - Water Purification Services Near Me - San Diego, California

I've been wanting to check out Avian for a while now and finally had the perfect excuse... pool day with the girls + bánh mìs! Avian is a unique spot tucked inside a shopping plaza with super easy parking. It's a purified water shop, but they also have Vietnamese bánh mìs, desserts, boba, smoothies, snacks, candies, chips, and even a lotto machine that everyone seemed obsessed with. They even display how much people have won in store! For drinks, we got 2 Vietnamese coffees and a sugar cane drink. The coffees were strong, bold, and exactly you would expect. The sugar cane drink was super fresh and refreshing, especially for a hot pool day. Now the bánh mìs... SO good. I think it's a nice touch that they ask if you want jalapeños or not because they know it's spicy. It looks like they scoop out some of the bread and then load it up with the fillings. Portions felt generous and honestly perfect for our little pool picnic! Definitely coming back! read more

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Avian Sandwiches In my opinion, the bánh mì here tastes better than at the surrounding shops in the area. The bread is fresh and crispy on the outside while still soft on the inside, and the fillings are flavorful and well balanced. The owner is friendly, welcoming, and very attentive to customers, which makes the experience even more enjoyable. I ordered six sandwiches ,three special bánh mì, two grilled pork bánh mì, and one meatball bánh mì, so it took a little while for everything to be prepared. However, the wait was understandable since they were made fresh to order. If you're in a hurry, you can call ahead to place your order and avoid waiting too long. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The shop itself is small but clean and well organized.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Overall, it's a great spot for a tasty and satisfying bánh mì. read more

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Service was quick and efficient. It was easy to order off the menu, and they had space inside to wait for the order. We tried a number 1 special and then a number 5 grilled chicken. The bahn mi were packed with fillings and the bread was crispy, maybe even too crispy. I wish there was a bit more fluffiness to it. The pate in number 1 had a really strong duck/gamey flavor and the number 5's chicken was much saltier than expected. I think it has great potential and I'm glad we tried it but we've had better bahn mi. read more

Avian Fresh Drinking Water - Number 1 and Number 5 - Water Purification Services Near Me - San Diego, California

An unassuming storefront with AMAZING banh mi sandwiches!!! I got the classic #1 (pâté, Vietnamese meat loaf, head cheese). Their sandwiches are LOADED, and the pâté is especially tasty! My friend warned me that their jalapeños are particularly spicy, and I like heat but it was surprising that they're consistently spicy haha. Fair prices and great portions! I noticed they have a lardessert drink menu. read more

Avian Fresh Drinking Water - Water Purification Services Near Me - San Diego, California

Super unassuming shop that you wouldn't have known they had banh mi, but I saw it on social media and wanted to try it for a very long time! - PARKING - Huge parking lot shared with all the other businesses, no issue finding a spot here. - SERVICE/ENVIRONMENT - [[HIGHLIGHT]]Really small shop that has a bunch of knick-knacks around the store. They do have 3 small tables inside but its really not a huge area.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] They have a menu of their sandwiches, and also have some drink options like smoothies and milk teas available. Very friendly shop owner, welcomed us in even at 6:15pm when they close at 7:00pm. You do have to pay extra if you use your card. - FOOD - Banh Mi Dac Biet ($8.95): We got our tried and true order just to see how we liked this spot. We took it to-go and drove home about 15 minutes away, and it was still warm and fresh when we ate it. The bread is nice and crispy on the outside, and has a nice fluffy inside. The meat portion is pretty decent, as well as the pate and mayo. I do think they give a ton more pickled veg than meat here. If you can't handle spicy, do NOT get their jalapenos!! I thought I had a good spicy tolerance but WOW their jalapeno burned my lips for a long time! - OVERALL - A bit pricey but understandably with the economy, they're just trying to stay afloat. The flavor of the Banh Mi is great, and I think its one of my top picks in San Diego. read more

Avian Fresh Drinking Water - Water Purification Services Near Me - San Diego, California

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One of the best banh mi I've had in San Diego hands down. Avian Fresh Drinking Water isn't just a water shop. They also sell Vietnamese sandwiches, sugarcane drinks, smoothies, milk tea, spring rolls, and even have a small shelf of snacks and candy. The menu is a little hard to read since it's tucked behind the register on the wall. It gets the job done but it would be nicer if it were displayed more clearly. Service was average. Not much interaction besides the transaction. I ordered the #1 special with no jalapeños and no cucumbers. It comes with Vietnamese cold cuts, pickled daikon and carrots, mayo, pâté, and cilantro inside a toasted airy baguette. There's a 75 cent card fee and it took about 8 minutes for my sandwich to come out. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Seating is limited but it was empty when I went.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] What shocked me was the price to size ratio. This is probably the most expensive banh mi I've bought and somehow the smallest. That honestly annoyed me more when I tasted it because it was so good!! The baguette was perfectly toasted and super fresh. Not the kind that scratches the roof of your mouth. The pickled veggies were crisp with the perfect balance of acidity and sweetness. They did not skimp either. I usually have to ask for extra veggies at other spots but not here. They're generous with the pate and mayo too and it makes such a difference. It honestly tastes house made because the pate is so smooth and rich. Everything together was insane. My only real conflict is the price. I get that costs are high right now but it does feel steep for the size. Still one of the best tasting banh mi I've had. I just wish there was more of it. read more

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Banh mi and meat portion gets smaller every time I get food there, while it goes up in price. $2 will get you two inches of of sandwich. Behold my $12 six inch sandwich. read more

Avian Fresh Drinking Water - More veggies than meat or bread for $12 More like Banh Mi sliders - Water Purification Services Near Me - San Diego, California

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I'd say this is my fave spot in SD for Vietnamese spring rolls, sugar cane juice and banh mis. I love that their sugar cane juice has a hint of citrus. Almost like calamansi juice. It's nice because other restaurant's cane juice just tastes like pure sugar. The peanut sauce for the spring rolls is really what makes it the best. It has a good amount of consistency, sweetness and peanut flavor. The spring rolls itself is basic but with the sauce. It's sooo good. The banh mi is freshly made with the crunchy bread. I always get the one with bbq pork. They put a decent amount of meat too. Parking here is great. There's a huge parking lot in the plaza it's in. The cons I have for this is the price. If you don't pay by cash, there's a 75¢ charge. The prices have also gone up significantly over the years. For the 3 spring rolls, it's over $12. The regular size sugar cane juice is $8 and the banh mi over $8. There's definitely cheaper viet restaurants. I'd still come back because I love the taste. This is supposed to be a lucky lotto retailer too so I like to get my lotto tickets here. read more

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One of the best banh mi I've had in a while! The bread is crispy but still soft on the inside. It's packed with LOTS of pickled veggies. But my favorite part is their FLAVOR. They aren't stingy with the pate and mayo, and I love that. Definitely a new go-to spot for us!! read more

Avian Fresh Drinking Water - Banh Mi (Authentic) - Water Purification Services Near Me - San Diego, California

On the pursuit of finding the best banh mi in San Diego... is this it? I'd say it's definitely up there, depending on your preference. The fillings were great--fresh, flavorful, and well-balanced. The bread was a bit too flaky and crispy for me, to the point where it kind of hurts the roof of your mouth and you end up inhaling crumbs. That said, I'd still come back. The service was great, and the iced coffee hit the spot. Overall, a solid stop on my banh mi hunt. read more

Avian Fresh Drinking Water - Grilled pork - Water Purification Services Near Me - San Diego, California

That's the BEST Vietnamese sandwich I've ever had in SD!! The bread is so fresh, the meat is stacked, and perfect amount of vegetables. It's so good!! I need to venture here more often. The Vietnamese coffee is so good! Perfect amount of sweetness. I feel like I need a gallon. The small size is $6 & the large size is $10. If I got the large one I'll probably be up for a couple of nights . This was my first time, I don't know why it took me so long to come here, but I'm so glad I found this place!! [[HIGHLIGHT]]The place is so clean with a sitting inside.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I just ate in my car. The lady who helped me is so nice!! I'm so excited to find che in SD. I grew up in OC where there's literally a che store everywhere in Garden Grove. Will comeback to try some more stuff read more

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This is a hidden gem! This water and banh mi/ boba shop is located in a plaza with ample parking. I ordered two banh mi pate cha, which were about $20 total. They took my order quickly, but there was a bit of a wait to get the banh mi. [[HIGHLIGHT]]I waited outside as the interior is small, but there is seating inside if you want it.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The portions were smaller than usual for a banh mi in San Diego but they load it up with pickle daikon and carrot! The cucumber, cha, pate, and bread ratio was also perfect. read more

Avian Fresh Drinking Water - Banh mi pate cha - Water Purification Services Near Me - San Diego, California

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I want to support mom and pop shop but shrinkflation is real folks. $10.95 for beef banh mi that's gotten smaller with only one slice of beef now. Cash price is $11.79 after tax. Add $0.75 if paying by card. Quite disappointed that it's basically bread and veggies for the price. read more

Avian Fresh Drinking Water - Sad $12 banh mi. Flavor is there but one slice of beef?!? - Water Purification Services Near Me - San Diego, California

This spot has the best banh mi in SD! It truly is a hidden gem. I got the cold cut, which comes with pate. The bread was soft, yet crispy and there was plenty of meat inside. I also go a soursop smoothie, which was very refreshing. Since it's a water store, they also sell water, candy, and lottery tickets! Seems like a lot of people win, so I got a few scratcher cards. I ended up winning $2 LOL. read more

Avian Fresh Drinking Water - Banh Mi (Authentic) and soursop smoothie - Water Purification Services Near Me - San Diego, California

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Splash of coffee with your ice. We got maybe 3 sips for $6.75. Kind of a waste of time. read more

Avian Fresh Drinking Water - Water Purification Services Near Me - San Diego, California

Never did I expect to have the best Bahn Mi I've had in San Diego come from a water dispensary shop! The bread is super crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, it's packed full of veggies and they definitely don't skimp on the meat. It is on the pricier side for a Bahn Mi but I'll pay it every time. I haven't tried their smoothies but I have tried the iced coffee. It's on the sweeter side but you can adjust the sugar level. This is definitely one of my go to places now for a quick and tasty meal! read more

Avian Fresh Drinking Water - #1 special - Water Purification Services Near Me - San Diego, California

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Best Banh Mi in San Diego! Highly recommend. While you're filling up your gallon of water, grab a Banh mi! I ordered the special cold cut. Pheeew, 10/10! This little guy was packed with flavor. The pâté and their in house mayo...HEAVEN sent. As you can see, the banh mi was packed with the perfect amount of meats and veggies. Definitely will be a go-to spot. read more

Avian Fresh Drinking Water - Water Purification Services Near Me - San Diego, California

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The sandwich is very good compared to the other closeby Viet sandwiches nearby. Size is very small, to compare it's like a little bigger than a half sandwich. I bought the coffee here twice. Coffee is very good but the flimsy cup lid keeps opening and spilled twice, so I am not too happy about it. read more

NOT WORTH IT. NICKEL AND DIME YOU HERE. (2. stars) - FOOD: slightly below average - BOBA: calling for diabetes - PRICE: overpriced (and was ripped off) - SERVICE: NOT great! - [[HIGHLIGHT]]AMBIANCE: trust me, I was confused too[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] You are NOT getting your bang for your dollar here.I googled Spring Rolls and wanted to try a new place. I thought "funny, a water store with Vietnamese food". What-was-I-thinking. HOW was my small af order $27 and something cents after tax? :: LOCATION :: You know you come to the correct location when you see an Asian dude squatting infront. Linda Vista area, one of the plazas with Vietnamese shops and restaurants. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Inside is small, it's actually a corner store with room for less than 6 people. Three two seater tables available but occupied by owner and friends. This is a grab and dash kind of place.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] :: FOOD :: GOI CUON/SPRING ROLLS ($11.95) - for three rolls. Doesn't even taste authentic. Poor execution and cheaply made to sell in quantities vs quality. I wouldn't mind paying if the spring rolls were good but after two bites I was disappointed. Size is nice but size is nothing when it ain't good (we should all know that). What should have stopped me in my tracks was the pork... thru the wrapper you can see the gelatinous and whiteness. 1) confirmed, the "pork" is in dread gelatinous fat 2) It had a ton of cilantro but mostly stems (not even the leafy part) 3) I haven't discovered any mint. Also no carrots or bean sprouts or any of that. 4) very little vermicelli and more filled with lettuce. 4) BLAND! Most enjoyable part was over dipping into the sauce to forget what I ordered and obligated to eat. I could make better spring rolls than that! :: BOBA TEA :: They need to fix the menu. Gives the wrong impression and you get overcharged because they think it's right. The menu behind them shows one side BOBA (with pearls) quoting at $6.50 and then on the right side show SMOOTHIES quoting at $8.95. My order "honey dew boba" (which shows a clear picture under Boba) and then asked if I want boba (I said yes but very little - thinking boba should come free in boba drinks). L. I . E. S. Then I grabbed a small snack bag of Japanese peanuts and was quoted $27 and something cents. I pointed out that Boba shows $6.50, there is a clear picture under it and no Honeydew flavor under Smoothie. She tells me "that's smoothie" and I said yah I thought boba is $6.50 and points to the menu. She continued to charge me $8.95) and then hands me what appears to look like a boba/shake with boba. In my head I'm calculating - I swear I said HONEYDEW BOBA. Because again, if you look at the damn menu Honeydew is ONLY under Boba and Boba is charged at $6.50. I just ate the cost knowing she is damn well WRONG. On top of that charged me $1.00 for the boba pearls even when I said very little please. I didn't even know Boba pearls would be an extra charge. Getting nickeled and dimed here. It's a hot day, took a sip and felt refreshed. But also every sip afterwards felt like I was on the fast track of getting diabetes. It was a little too sweet for a honeydew drink which is already naturally sweet. Won't be back. And don't recommend coming here. read more

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Needed a quick bite before shopping at the supermarket and saw this spot near by. I was surprised to see the different offerings when I stepped in. Never seen a place like it. You can get your lottery tickets, refill your 5 gallon water bottles, grab banh mi and an iced coffee, buy candy and shampoo here. Talk about a one stop shop. [[HIGHLIGHT]]It was very clean and organized for such a small space. The woman behind the register was wearing a mask.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I ordered the #7, Banh mi with patê and cha. The bread was lightly toasted, it was loaded with veggies but lacking meat. For almost $10, I expected more patê and cha. Hate when the end bites don't have meat. Overall my banh mi was tasty, wouldn't go out of my way for it when there are other options for less. read more

Avian Fresh Drinking Water - Banh mi patê and cha - Water Purification Services Near Me - San Diego, California

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Went in to try their sugarcane juice. Many times sugarcane juice if not fresh - just has a kind of dull taste. The best I've ever had was in Hawaii but I will say...the sugar cane juice here was surprisingly very good! Tasted fresh, nice flavor and nice with the calamansi. Makes me wana try their banh mi sometime! read more

Avian Fresh Drinking Water - Fresh sugarcane juice - Water Purification Services Near Me - San Diego, California

Had the beef banh mi here and it was absolutely delicious! The bread was incredibly crispy and fresh, and the beef paired perfectly with the tangy pickled vegetables. Every bite had the right mix of crunch, flavor, and freshness. So far, this is my favorite banh mi spot in San Diego--I'll definitely be coming back for more! read more

Avian Fresh Drinking Water - Beef Banh Mi - Water Purification Services Near Me - San Diego, California

I had a bbq pork banh mi and my husband had the grilled chicken banh mi. I was pretty impressed! The bbq pork is a bit on the sweet side. The bread is also yummy! One of the best banh mis I've had in San Diego, so I'll definitely be back. The owner was really friendly too. read more

I have heard so many good things about this water store selling banh mi for decades. We came at 8am when they opened. [[HIGHLIGHT]]This place gets packed from people heading to work.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The sandwiches are on a mini French bread about 7 inches. Average price of $7.95 each. We got the meatball, Vietnamese ham, grilled pork (looks like bbq pork from a skewer) and grilled pork loaf (looks like thin slices of spam). Also picked up an order of pork shrimp spring rolls. Although it's smaller in size, the bread was soft and it had lots of filling. We got large coffee $8.95 which was a lot for the price especially when it was filled with ice. Lots of parking in this super market plaza. This store also sells snacks, CA lottery, and random items like shampoo. read more

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I got the #1 special dac biet banh mi which was unexpectedly good and came with pate, different cuts of cold cut meats, pickled daikon and carrots, jalapeños, cucumber, cilantro, slathered with homemade mayo. The bread was crunchy and airy but also thin. It was sizeable and generous with the meats! Some of the cuts were gristly but I personally enjoyed that. Next time I want to try their grilled protein options since I don't usually get cold banh mi. read more

Hidden GEM! We ordered two grilled pork banh mi sandwiches, piña colada smoothie with boba and a sugarcane juice. All were delicious. The bread was nicely toasted, meat perfectly grilled and seasoned, and well balanced with veggies. Sugarcane juice was phenomenal, sweet with a hint of tartness (tasted like there was some added citrus) - very refreshing :) Boba was perfect texture! Can't wait to come back! Our new go to banh mi spot read more

Avian Fresh Drinking Water - Grilled pork banh mi - Water Purification Services Near Me - San Diego, California

Hole in the wall place that also makes Bahn Mi. Lots of fresh veggies. Highly recommend

This spot is hands down the better Vietnamese sandwich in Linda Vista town. The bread is so much more crunchy, and each bite of the many sandwiches I've tried here are flavorful. They also serve sugarcane juice and viet iced coffee! They also sell water too, but I mainly come here for the food because it's so good. They're my go-to viet sandwich spot foshOo read more

Solid banh mi. Got the pork and the #1. Can't say I'm a huge fan of pate but the bread was crispy and soft and just perfect. All the fixins inside were a perfect harmony for a sandwich. I was sad that the beef was sold out by the time I got there. read more

This is my favorite banh mi spot in San Diego that is close to me. Bale is so good but not close. They are always nice, fast and friendly. Great portions and great price. read more

Decent bhan mi, better than average. interesting concept, honeydew smoothie was okay. they said it was all natural fruit but idk... haha

I love all the bang mi sandwiches. They remind me of my childhood with the crispy outside bread and soft inside.

This sandwich was 10/10. Crisp veggies. Bread was nice and fresh, had the outer crunch with the soft insides. The pork was DELICIOUS. read more

Avian Fresh Drinking Water - grilled pork banh mi - Water Purification Services Near Me - San Diego, California

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My favorite bahn mi north of the 8! A-Chau will always be my #1, but it's hard to get to and further for me, so I was really glad to have heard about Avian last year. They also take card (with a fee) which is also a plus. Their sandwiches are packed and never skimpy, and sometimes the peppers are serranos which is awesome if you like spicy. I don't get sweet drinks, but their spring rolls and steam buns are also great, albeit a bit pricey. Family run, you can tell they're a solid member of the community when the owner recognizes every other person that comes in and asks how their kids are doing. Support local businesses! read more

Let's be real, the prices here are on the higher side and the banh mis are small. The bread and veggies were good. The perfect ratio in the dac biet. I also ordered a grilled beef banh mi. Flavor was good but it was lacking... $12 for this. I've had better. read more

Avian Fresh Drinking Water - Beef Banh Mi (Authentic) - Water Purification Services Near Me - San Diego, California

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2.99 for a can of 12 oz soda and small Banh Mi sandwiches with old stale veggies $9.00 that was at best meh. Save your money and go down the street to K's Sandwiches. read more

The best banh mi in San Diego, hands down. A small hole in the wall shop that sells lotto tickets and water but they also serve up the best banh mi in SD county. The bread is crispy on the outside and fluffy and chewy on the inside. The beef banh mi has a generous amount of meat and pickled veggies, you can opt out of the jalapeno (I generally do as the jalapeños they use are literally fire) they also serve some good sugar cane drinks if you want something refreshing. I haven't tried a better banh mi than this place, frankly I don't think I will. Definitely a must try hidden gem. read more

Delicious banh mi hidden in a dispensing water shop. Located in a shopping plaza off of Linda Vista road. I had ordered the special combination extra spicy (Dac Biet) and grilled pork extra spicy (thit nuong). Gotta have it extra spicy!!!! The meat and vegetables ratio was perfect! The bread was fresh and jalapeño gave it an extra kick. Grilled pork was seasoned well but it was little sweet for my liking, I would rate it 7 out of 10. Special combination had variety of sliced meat in it, I give it a 9 out of 10. I ordered their Thai tea; it was pretty good and not too sweet. Rating 8 out of 10. I remember back in the days banh mi was $2.50 - $3 at most places but the inflation, made everything pricey these days. Totally worth it though. read more

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My go to spot for banh mi. Bread is soft with a good crunchy outside.. they provide a good amount of pate which I feel like other places skimp on . Veggies always fresh and they also don't skimp on those. I can't help myself and always get spring rolls. They are huge here and you get 3! Along with a side of peanut sauce .. they are fantastic! read more