I had time to burn. I was half way to my destination and I figured, it was time for some food. And…read moreI wanted to stick around in San Rafael to visit the camera store. Anyhow, never judge a book/restaurant by the cover...(however, I guess I've been judging restaurants by yelp reviews though...). From the outside/street view, this place doesn't look like much. And the menu is handwritten. And there are maybe two, 2.5 tables available for dine-in customers. But the bread was memorable. I felt the sandwich was well balanced between the pickled vegetables, the protein, and bread. If I find myself bored and hungry in San Rafael again, I would gladly return to Thuan Phat.

Thuan Phat opens just 3 days a week. Next to them is another banh mi cafe. Small space with 2…read moretables for seating. Limited menu. Cash only. Offerings (Vietnamese): banh mi, coffee Ordered at counter, paid, ready in 5ish minutes. Bites: Combo banh mi (7) -6" banh mi filled with daikon/carrot shreds, jalepenos, parsley. Not a lot of veggies. -crunchy fresh baguette also filled with ham, pork loaf, ham, head cheese. Slathered with pate. -Slightly dry. Overall moist with prescence of veggies. 4.5 stars: worthy! Quality: excellent! Quantity: commensurate with pricing. May is Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

Ordered a quick sandwich to go. Easy to order using the app, and it was ready when I got there…read moreabout 10 minutes later, even though it was in the dead middle of the lunch rush and the lines to order were a bit long. Glad I ordered ahead! I ordered a "Say Cheese" sandwich with everything on it. Got the sourdough roll and extra cheese. The roll was fresh and soft, and the ingredients plentiful. Tasty. A great quick lunch for a decent price!

ordered to eat at 5he location, service was ok and dinning at the location was what I expected…read morebased on what was advertise. Typical sandwich shop vibe. Tried a roast beef and pastrami sandwiches with the works, Mac salad and potato salad. Both the salads were very bland, no seasoning and lots of mayo substitute of Some kind. The sandwiches were also lacking in flavor, the meats weren't seasoned, the mustard had no kick, the mayo had no flavored and the bread was bland. I expected more from a small chain sandwich shop than this.

So the day my daughter graduated from Dominican University was such a day full of pride and…read morehappiness-After four long years of studying for her BSN, she finally was graduating and we couldn't be more thrilled. Well after the long ceremony, it was time to grab some grub and celebrate properly with all that made the trip to San Rafael to see the ceremony. So I had reservations at a few spots in town that I thought were pretty good options to grab a bite afterwards but my daughter had other ideas. She told us after graduating all she wanted to do was just go grab a Banh Mi and a Vietnamese coffee at the spot her and her friends went to many many times over the past four years. Nostalgia I tell ya. Well after a small debate, I relented and we headed to Banh Mi & Coffee on Grand Avenue in San Rafael. Parking for this little shop is a nightmare as it's a very small shopping strip with just a few spots-some of us had to find street parking in this highly congested area. Once inside this very cozy shop, it's almost like stepping back in time. To call it a no-frills shop is quite the understatement. But for some reason, something told me this place was going to be great! We ended up going with a mix of different sandwiches-a few grilled porks and a few grilled chickens and a Vietnamese coffee Sandwiches ran around $7.00 each and the Vietnamese coffee ran around $5.50. There was a slight discount for paying in cash. The sandwiches got to us after a very short 10-12 minute wait and I so love when I'm right about a place. These Banh Mi sandwiches were legit-very tasty-very filling-meat cooked well, right amount of veggies-I've got to admit, even though I was hesitant, it truly hit the spot. I preferred the grilled pork over the grilled chicken, but others in the party preferred the chicken. The Vietnamese coffee was pretty perfect as well-truly took me to the moon and back with its mix of coffee strength and sweetness-I was going to be buzzing off that thing the entire ride back home to Sacramento. I truly can see why the students at Dominican University love and cherish this place so much. Even though it wasn't what I had in mind for a graduation meal, it ended up working out pretty well and at the end of the day all that really matters is sharing quality time and food with the people that matter & Banh Mi and Coffee definitely provided the quality food. I highly recommend this place if you're ever in the San Rafael area and feel like enjoying a high-quality, authentic Banh Mi.

I was looking for a caffeine kick, and behold I saw this when running errands. It is very low key…read moreand more of a grab and go place. Maybe a bench to sit and eat, but mainly take out. The owner was super friendly and coffee was ready really quick. Definitely the coffee hit the spot and was really good. Next time I will get a Banh mi sammie.

Just ... superb. Their meatball sandwiches and Italian sandwiches are top notch. My husband is from…read moreBoston and he swears by these. We'll drive 45 minutes to get them. I dream about their meatball subs.

From the owner: Best sub sandwiches expanding to another locationread more

Their sandwiches are excellent. I stop by and grab a sandwich sometimes when I don't pack a lunch…read morewith me to work. Rocky's Quality Meats is the perfect name for them because they do have quality meats. I've ordered their turkey and cranberry panini a couple times as well as the rueben and the tomato and pesto panini. They don't skimp on the quantity of meat in the sandwiches either. They are tucked inside the Santa Venetia market and are a separate business. You have to pay for whatever you ordered at the counter and not the front cashier. Besides their sandwiches they also offer homemade sides, various raw meats, sausages, frozen ravioli and they bbq ribs and chicken outside the market every Friday. The guys behind the counter are always fast and friendly. Be prepared for a long line during the lunch hour. It's worth the wait.

A hidden gem tucked inside a local market, Rocky's Quality Meats offers a fresh butcher shop as…read morewell as delicious sandwiches. It's inside the market but it's own business (as I understand, partners with the SV Market). It's open Monday-Saturday and they offer top quality meats - from seafood, locally sourced free range chicken, beef and more. I love their homemade Chicken Apple Sausage while my wife prefers their spicy Italian Sausage. We have also enjoyed their sandwiches (beware around 12noon there is a line from folks working at the Marin Civic Center). Our favorite is their Reuben sandwich - with pastrami, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and Thousand island dressing then heated in a Panini press. And most every Friday Dante and team are out front smoking and barbecuing. Folks in the community know to come by for Chicken, Ribs, and Tri-tip. Friendly service, reasonable prices and high quality food can be found at Rocky's Quality Meats.

Okay, being low carb, I tend to avoid sandwich places that don't have low carb options. I was…read morestoked to find out they do lettuce wrapped sandwiches!! Service is fantastic and the folks are just awesome...the sandwiches uh-mazing. Great small business! Fireman Sandwich - lettuce wrapped was superb. I'll definitely be back.

My husband and I were looking for a quick, but good quality, meal after walking around Falkirk…read moreCultural Center. We stopped by this spot which was only a few miles away. I got a ham and cheese sandwich with everything on it, and he ordered a bacon, turkey sausage, egg, and cheese bagel sandwich. We both really enjoyed what we ordered. The ingredients on my sandwich tasted fresh and high quality. One thing we really appreciated was how customizable everything is, and it's nice that the food is made right in front of you. The staff was efficient too. They were quick to take our order, prepare it, and bring it out. The deli is on the smaller side, so seating is a bit limited. There's just some bar seating inside and a handful of shared outdoor tables in the plaza. Also, it's a little on the pricey side. Our order (two sandwiches, two drinks, and a bag of chips) came out to $40. Overall though, the quality and taste make it worth a visit.

Place order online platform, quick and easy. Food is fresh and made to order, friendly and helpful…read morestaff. Not to noisy and nice place to have lunch.

Food was good. Service felt a bit rushed. He ask me if I wanted chips or a cookie. I had to ask if…read moreit was extra, because he was talking so quickly it sounded as if they came with the sandwich. The ambiance is clean and airy with plenty of setting. I did not take photos this time.

I've had Smoky's Sandwich Shop's Bacon, Egg and Cheese croissant now for over a year without me…read moreknowing it was from Smoky's. A co-worker of mine had brought me on two different occasions a breakfast croissant sandwich and I always thought they were really good. I finally asked him the name and he told me they were from Smoky's. I'm now on day 2/2 of ordering the Bacon, Egg and Cheese Croissant with strawberry jelly added. I'm hoping to end this streak today before things get completely out of hand with me making this a regular date. The woman who took my order twice in those days knew exactly who the sandwich was for when I arrived, which I find hilarious. Anyway, this is a shop is sort of hidden from the highway but I kind of like it that way because it is a hidden gem. Definitely excited to try the other items on the menu.

Such nice people. Easy parking and easy to find from 101. Patio seating. Delicious sandwiches.read more