Bun Mee's sandwiches are not professionally prepared. They are also more expensive than Cafe Bahn Mi's sandwiches, which is way better period. You really have to go there and understand what I mean. I ordered the pork and lemongrass sandwich, and watched the chefs prepare it from the waiting line. They slap the veggies on top of the meat, and aren't cut short enough. When I took a bite, the veggies fell out and they were sticking beyond my mouth because I couldn't fit that inside. Please cut your veggies shorter! The bread was fresh, yes, but it was also soft. It's supposed to be crispy outside and soft on the inside for that special crunch. The plus side is how the place looks hip and trendy with enough seating. Final word: Bun Mee is too expensive. I've never heard of an $8 Vietnamese sandwich. You would be chewed out in LA. Cafe Bahn Mi is cheaper and better. Get with the program. read more

Cons: This place needs new management. Staff don't know what's going on with phone orders. Called on the 1st day, said there would be phone orders the next day; needless to say, there were no phone orders the next day either, made me come in to order. Furthermore, their drinks are not in a covered container, just open to the "winds". Ceiling lights flash, so no go if you're epileptic. Limeade is too sweet. Strawberry agua fresca was too sweet Pros: funny signs, aesthetically pleasing light bulbs, order took about 2mins to make from ordering, so that's pretty fast We got: Pork belly: good, bread is chewy, pork belly is soft and flavorful Bun mee combo: bread is hard, meat was overly peppered, too much "salad" sauce, not enough jalapeños, if you ask me for jalapeños, don't just give me two tiny pieces Salt and pepper fries with jalapeños: redeeming dish, jalapeños give the fries a spicy complexity, tastes like salt and pepper shrimp a la Cantonese style. read more

Love Bun Mee's newest location. Perfect for those in FiDi but more importantly, folks who are shopping and walking between Union Sq and the Westfield shopping area, like moi. The space is city cool. I like the art mural and lighting and the great big window looking out on Market Street. I like to people watch so this is very fitting. We had the sloppy and the pork belly sandwich. We loved both of them - they are not traditional as other yelpers mentioned but that's what I like about them. Flavors are fresh. The meat to bread ratio is right on - I don't like sandwiches that are jammed with meat (no Italian sammies for me). Their sweet potato fries are super yummy (I have a weakness for fries). :P Great energy! Thanks for filling my belly Bun Mee. read more

I'm more Asian than the Bahn Mi...and that's saying something! Lacking in flavor and size (i'm a hippo). Better off getting legit Bahn Mi in non franchised restaurants. read more

[context] I grew up with Vietnamese food and only in the last few days have I really started enjoying it. I've had amazing spring rolls and I just learned how to make them myself yesterday night from my mom. To be fair, this review is only for the Summer rolls. I decided to get two orders of Summer rolls (Spring rolls with shrimp & pork) despite the negative reviews I saw on yelp about that item in particular. Shame on me. These were by far the worst spring rolls I've ever had. They should really call them carrot rolls because that's all that was inside. They charged $5.75 for two "large" summer rolls stuffed with lettuce and carrots and hardly any shrimp or pork. I'm seriously not exaggerating. I did not even bother finishing the other 2 rolls. I cannot believe I foolishly ordered two of these. Never again. read more

The Financial District can feel like a good-food desert sometimes, so I was excited to see that this place was opening not far from my office. Thinking I'd beat the rush, I headed over at 11:30 to find the place swarmed. Not one to be deterred by crowds, which I take as an indicator I'm someplace good, I ventured in. The interior is modern and trendy; it feels like a fun place. There was a bit of a line, so I got to peruse what other diners were eating. Everything looked fantastic. I decided on the lemongrass pork sandwich and a strawberry lychee agua fresca, and both were fantastic. The wait was a little long, but the staff gave people waiting complimentary french fries, which I wish I'd had an entire order of. I'll definitely be back! read more

Just had a banh mi and spring rolls from Bun Mee today. Being that I'm from San Jose and I'm vietnamese, its probably not fair for me to judge this place. But knowing that this place is an americanized version of Viet food, I wont be as picky. I got the Hanoi style catfish banh mi with a fried egg on top. It came uncut and super greasy and messy. The veggies weren't pickled enough and the bread is a disgrace to vietnamese sandwiches. It was hard on the edges and soggy all over. Its suppose to be crunchy and flakey. Oh well, that being said.... the flavor wasn't bad. As for the spring rolls, I've never had oily peanut sauce before. It literally had a top layer of oil when I opened the container. It basically made grease spots all over the table. All in all, its not bad. The flavor is pretty decent. Great place in fidi when you have a craving and dont feel like trekking over to the TL. I'd come back and give it another try with something else... like their vermicelli bowl or something. =) With the sandwich and springrolls, I spent a little under $16. Not bad for FiDi. read more

My 5th sandwich from Bun Mee was DISGUSTING. Something went wrong. The flavorless pork was over-cooked with chunks of stringy fat in it. The bread was stale and mealie. I told the waitress it was bad, and her response was to blame me. So I left. I will go back, but I hope the owners read this to know they have a quality control problem. Contact me if you'd like. read more

I came in here for a last minute lunch on the way to run errands. I ordered the chicken banh mi and a soft drink. The sandwich was great and savory. The soft drink, I think I would pass up the next time. The soda machine has experimental flavors, but no classic sprite etc. I felt the price was high for the size of the sandwich. Overall, the taste was fine, but with cheaper options in the area, I'm not sure if I'd come back. read more

Never bring a fried egg to a bun mee fight, unless of course you're putting the fried egg inside the sandwich. Dropping a greasy, delicious fried egg into a mix of pickled vegetables, protein, and jalapeños all sandwiched between two halves of crunchy French bread... pure goodness! Order any sandwich, add a fried egg for an extra dollar, and you're all set for lunch. At this point I don't think I need to say that this place is not authentic. In fact I wouldn't even go so far as to call their sandwiches bahn mi, just tasty Vietnamese influenced sandwiches. Also, their bowl dishes are overpriced and not that good. The garlic fries are pretty tasty and come mixed with jalapeños, but at 3 dollars a pop, they're only worth it if you really need a heart attack in the future. No, the right answer is to just order a sandwich and put an egg in it. Four stars! Arbitrary power ranking: Fried eggs make everything taste better: 10/10 read more

My boyfriend led me here yesterday on our way to an event in the financial district. I'm not really from around here or a fan of public transportation, but I thought it was really cool how this location is like right there when you get off the BART. Convenient!! We ordered a crispy tofu sandwich (for him, of course), a lemongrass pork sandwich + a $1 pate add on (a must try), and fries to share. This came out to almost $20, which I thought was pretty expensive to begin with. When these sandwiches were brought to our table, I remember thinking that this better be the BEST Vietnamese sandwich I've ever had in my life because it was TINY. As a Vietnamese girl from San Jose, I didn't have very high hopes for this place, but it ended up really surprising me. Don't get me wrong, it was unexpectedly delicious. I just wish there had been more of it... So I'm writing this review to debunk the rumors that this place isn't authentic/good because it is, despite the Americanized setting, I promise! :) read more

I like this place. Of course, if you are used to pay $2.75 for banh mi, then you will get a sticker shock because yes, you can get it cheaper elsewhere where the rent is not as steep. However, the location is great for me and the prices are reasonable because it is right smack dab in Market + Post. Anyone will tell you that it is prime location. Lines are always long on lunch time. Go after 3 pm and there is special menu items - sandwiches for $3, etc. More importantly, the food here tastes great. Sandwiches are good, bun is good, fries are good.... and they are fast. I just paid and not a minute later, my sandwich is ready. How awesome is that? Of course I usually go after lunch hours. :P read more

After the hot water incident, the GM of Bun Mee, Austin, reached out and apologized -- Explaining to me that the bad service was due to most of their front staff plus a cook being out sick that day. Although it doesn't excuse the specific employee's behavior, I can understand that everyone on the team was on edge that day. Austin offered a meal on the house for me + a friend and it was greatly appreciated! To go above and beyond to make up for such a negative experience is definitely what brings customers back, especially when they love the food! Our company has come by for another team lunch since the incident, thanks to Austin's sweet effort. Thanks again! read more

I always feel like somebody's watching me... I feel ya, Rockwell. Last night, two of my best girl friends and I, ended up sitting at the table right in between the menu on the right wall, and people lining up along the left wall to place their orders. I happened to be facing the left wall, and so tried my best to quiet my super self-conscious inner tween. "It's ok, Iona. All these strangers are not judging you for stuffing five fries into your mouth at once. No, they're not disgusted at the sight of half-masticated bits and pieces of lemongrass pork falling from your gaping pie-hole." Vicious. Self-talk aside, I enjoyed catching up with my friends over our $7 banh mis, and $4 shared side of salt 'n pepper garlic fries. All of us knew that we were paying twice as much for the sandwiches, but this joint is right on Market Street in downtown SF. Let's not even speculate on what they're paying for rent. The bread does not scrape the roof of your mouth, the meat (lemongrass pork for me!) is flavorful, the jalapenos and cilantro come sprinkled on top of all the pickled carrots and daikon (do chua) so it's easy to brush off if you forgot to modify your order... but the do chua was just too sour for me. Every other time I've gotten banh mi at some mom and pop, or at Lee's, the carrots and daikon had a better, in my opinion at least, sugar to vinegar ratio. The veggies here gave me an experience on par with the first 10-seconds of a Warhead candy. Bru-tal. They really give you a thick layer of the stuff, so I just saved my face some fine-line creating moments and scraped most of it off. (Note: If you order your banh mi to go, they give you much less do chua so that they can wrap it all nice and neat. Yes, you are, in a sense, getting jipped... but that's probably the proper ratio of the sour stuff anywho.) The man at the front who took my order gave me the option of going without jalapenos on my fries, but I was feeling daring so I told him to keep them in there. Honestly, they didn't really impart much flavor or heat to the fries. Moreover, I don't think the fries had much of a salt 'n pepper flava anyhow. Totes not a memorable side dish. I will probably skip this and save myself $4 next time around. All in all, Bun Mee is a decent lunch and dinner option. It's pretty fast, there's indoor and outdoor seating, and your meal should cost you between $8-15 depending on whether you just go with banh mi, or if you'd like sides, drinks, etc. I really love the interior (the lighting especially!) and it was a pretty great spot to just sit and chill for dinner Tuesday night. read more

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Got a chicken bun bowl to go. Chicken with rice noodles, an egg roll, veggies (cucumber, carrots, sprouts, lettuce) and sauce on the side. It was the first and only item I've had here, and I really enjoyed it! The chicken was seasoned with a delicious spice. Good amount of noodles. Lost a star because it was a bit overpriced in my opinion. However, I would definitely get this again. Great lunch. read more

Bun Mee - Chicken bun bowl - Vietnamese Near Me - San Francisco, California

I'd say a strong-ish 3 stars, rounded up. Bun Mee on Market is a bit of a cluster at lunch rush. The noise level within the restaurant makes ordering a bit of a screaming match with the cashier and there is sort of an awkward crowd of people waiting for their order once that's done. However the service is lightning fast and the guys and gals working the line are pushing out sammiches at a frenetic pace so the line moves quickly. Tastewise, it's great. I wouldn't really classify these as vietnames sandwiches - they're wholly different and a bit heavier. The bread isn't the same sort of crusty, airy baguette that Bánh mì usually come in, and the fillings aren't your standard pho joint fare - ranging from meatballs to sloppy joes to catfish po'boys. The fries are a little bit on the limp and greasy side, so opt for a roll or salad if you want a side dish. I haven't tried the salads or bowls yet. read more

Bun Mee has several other locations so they must be doing something right. I decided to go for one of their entree rice bowls since I already had a sandwich earlier. I picked their Saigon Peanut Rice Bowl that comes with: Papaya, pickled carrots and daikon, jalapenos, bean sprouts, spicy cucumbers, topped with roasted peanuts and peanut sauce over garlic or brown rice and your choice of grilled pork, chicken, or steak. When it comes to authenticity, I could care less. Just make the food taste good. Chipotle isn't authentic Mexican, but the burritos and tacos are decent enough. Bun Mee isn't authentic AND it doesn't taste good. The garlic rice was really mushy and reminded me of mashed potatoes. After I ate the dish my mouth had a dull numbness that you get after eating under cooked garlic. The balance of flavors was totally out of whack. It's like a four year old threw together this flavor combination. After a few bites everything is indiscernible. This same amount of ingredients at a typical Vietnamese shop wouldn't be a problem. Everything tasted stale as if it had been prepped many hours beforehand. For instance the limes that are added so you can squeeze fresh lime juice are completely dry. I got maybe three droplets of lime juice. Added to the fact that my dish wasn't anywhere close to warm, my meal was less than appetizing. The one highlight of the meal was that the branding and interior is very well done. It's an attractive addition to the downtown area. It will undoubtedly catch some eyes. Unfortunately Bun Mee will not please your mouth. read more

VEGAN review: would be 5 stars if the service was slightly better. The food is amazing! I got the crispy tofu sandwich without jalapeños - the warm and crispy tofu against the cold and crunchy pickled carrots and daikon was to die for. Plus, the soy mayo was spicy so it added an extra kick. Would definitely come here for dinner/lunch again! read more

Bun Mee - Crispy tofu sandwich! 'Twas vegan - Vietnamese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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As someone who enjoys banh mi and ate it frequently when I lived in Vietnam, I really was rooting for Bun Mee. I appreciate that they allow you to add a hardboiled egg, but it is hard for me to give a more positive review of the food when they messed up my order. Even though I ordered the belly bun without cucumber or cilantro, which I said twice for confirmation, I got a sandwich with both. I understand that they can get busy at lunch time, but when the prices are 2x of other places offering the same thing... It was disappointing to discover I didn't get what I wanted once I was back at my desk. For reliable taste and cheaper prices, go to Saigon Sandwich in the Tenderloin. read more

This place might not live up to the expectations of "authenticity nazis", but it satisfies the fundamental requirement of a restaurant: delicious food. That's good enough for me. Isn't that what really matters? This SE Asian approves it. Bun Mee is fast food without being bad food. It's delicious and pretty close to the real thing. If you have an itch for banh mi, this will definitely scratch it. read more

I don't get it! Why are so many people into this place? I've tried 3 things in two visits: the Belly Bun sandwich, the salt and pepper garlic fries and the Bun Noodle Bowl. The Belly Bun was too salty. It comes with a salted radish relish but it was overpowering. I ordered the recommended hard boil egg but they gave me a fried egg, which may have contributed to the saltiness. I ate the whole sandwich but was fully dissatisfied. The fries were meh. Where is the garlic? but it came with plenty of jalapenos. The Bun Noodle Bowl was so-so, definitely not worth the $13 I paid and they forgot to include my requested jalapenos. Overpriced. Overrated. read more

A great spot in SOMA for quick, modern Vietnamese cuisine. I go here often for lunch and everything i've had has been tasty and fresh. I go for the vegetarian options and have had both the peanut bowl and the citrus bowl. Both are delicious and the tofu is cooked very well. I really love the peanut sauce which I have gotten as a side before. Still need to try the sandwiches but I will definitely be back. read more

Have been there three times. Like it very much. It's quick, food is tasty. A lot of people in moon, but the service is quick.

Amazing lunch today. Enjoyed the crispy tofu sandwich and then the chocolate coconut cookie. Fast service. Food was fresh and delish. Marking this down as a San Francisco must for a quick affordable lunch. And ohhhhh sooooo good. read more

Great decoration, a bit too loud to hold a conversation. The prices are a bit higher than other stores. The food tasted average, cantina style dining self serve water and etc.. the menu is on the right side which is kind of weird as you have to go thru the line sideways to decide what you want. read more

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I love banh mi but had never had a modern twist on it. So when I came across this shop, I knew I had to try it. I feel like the shop itself isn't really trying to appeal to the traditional taste buds, which is fine, but I honestly thought the sandwich lacked flavor. I got the combo sandwich. The pickled carrots and radishes weren't pickled for long enough and the grilled pork basically dominated all of the over flavors in the sandwich, but not in a good way. The vietnamese ice coffee was pretty weak and way sweeter than I would've liked. Not to mention I had to wait 15-20 minutes for my sandwich (maybe they lost the ticket? I received no apology or explanation for the long wait.) TL;DR - bland and expensive. Go elsewhere for your banh mi and Vietnamese iced coffee fix read more

I like that place cause I can order from my desk and pick up the food pretty quickly. BUT there is often some mistake with what I ordered: forgot to put the water bottle or wrong sandwich. The food is good tough, I love tofu and their sandwich are tasty. The only thing I would not recommend are the ramen: not tasty at all. read more

Im disappointed to be writing this review a hour later upon my visit because my culinary expectations were not met. I brought this to the attention of Austin via phone the response I recieved was that the carrots were just grabbed from a bucket. I believed it was a recipe change which had brought me back to the restuarant after my family had finished our meal. The seasoned carrots being the integretable part of the sandwich were switched to regular shreded carrots which completely changed my culinary experience. The sandwich was a birthday treat yet the neglet of our carrots made me question my return to your business in the future. Thank you read more

Bun Mee - Disappointed cause I was served unseasoned carrots, the most integral part of the sandwich. - Vietnamese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Wasn't the most incredible Vietnamese food I've ever had, but it was great for a quick, affordable lunch, near the office, especially considering average SF prices. The egg roll on the rice noodle bowl I got was already soggy by the time it got to me, and the sweet potato fries were a bit too salty for my taste. The rice noodle bowl was also a little bit too greasy, but the flavor was good. I did really enjoy the Thai Iced Tea - the chia seeds are a nice touch. My friend got a sandwich with a fried egg on top and really enjoyed it! I would come back due to convenience, but would probably get a sandwich instead of a bowl! read more

I know BunMee's from Hamburg. There is only one place, and i never heard about that before. It's operated by two germans that love vietnam. If you ever get there look out for a place called Nananamai. So but what to say about this place. Bun Mee is an awesome kind of Food. I really love it and so i also liked those they served here, but i got to say in comparison to the taste i get in Hamburg this was mediocre only. The meet was a bit dry and overall i missed the taste explosion in my mouth i am used to. read more

Tofu sandwich was amazing. Yummmmm! The flavour and spice level was exactly what I like in a good sandwich. The bread was crisp. I want to eat this every single day. My work had this delivered to us, can't wait to go in person read more

The food is DELICIOUS! The coffee is to die for as well. The seating is limited and it can get crowded but if you want food on the go, this is a good place to go. The portion sizes seem to be larger if you eat there. There is outside seating but the flies and no outside umbrellas make it so that the outdoor area is not as desirable as you would think it should be (Market Street in the middle of the financial district with the historic F train roaring by). Stick with ordering to go and you will be pleased. read more

Bun Mee - Yummmmmm!! - Vietnamese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Came here during a group team lunch in celebration of a new team member. I love Vietnamese sandwiches and this place is delicious, fresh, and delightful. I ordered the 5 spice chicken "Bun Mee" sandwich with a side of sweet potato fries. The sandwich was pretty good, the chicken on it's own was lacking a little of the "5 spice" i was expecting to taste. But the veggies were delicious and the sweet potato fries were amazing, especially with the sauce it came with. What i loved about the fries were that they were still crisp and delicious by the time they got cold. I'd like to come back and try the other stuff on their menu. read more

Ate here for the first time today and I might return. The banh mi combo that I had was fairly standard fare, but I added avocado for a buck and that was a nice twist. On the whole, though, Lee's Sandwiches and the other banh mi places in San Jose should have no fears. One odd thing was that salt and pepper garlic fries had no salt, no pepper, and no garlic. They did have jalapenos and onions because I said "yes" when asked about them but, had I not said "yes," I wonder if I would have gotten completely naked fries. In any event, the fries were at least okay and the portion was pretty huge. I also had a cup of "kaffir limeade." This was fine limeade, if not a bit loaded with ice, but I sincerely doubt a kaffir lime was anywhere near this particular libation. Finally, the place charges about 3% for the San Francisco Foodworkers' Health funding, but that does not appear anywhere on the posted menu. I have no objection whatsoever to paying the surcharge for the benefit of my servers' access to healthcare, BUT I will ask, as I always do when a restaurant collects a surcharge: Is this a business that keeps workers below 30 hours, doesn't actually provide any healthcare coverage, and then pockets the 3%? read more

Here's the thing - I love bahn mi, and this place ain't it. I am actually not sure how they are making rent each month at their awesomely convenient location. Probably tourists, actually definitely tourists. Because they don't know any better. The bread was good - but not good bahn mi bread. The veggies were fresh, but bland, not nearly enough pickling flavor. The fries were meh - I really dont get the point of throwing raw sliced jalepenos on the fries. Maybe the grocer had a sale on jalepenos and bun mee had a surplus with nothing to do with them. Not enough salt or pepper. The decor is extremely strange - why the cafe du monde tins? Like what does faux, terrible Vietnamese sandwiches have to do with New Orleans coffee? And why the wallpaper? The experience was so odd, but I could have let it slide if the sandwiches were good. I could have even forgiven the price - which is like double the price of what a bahn mi should be, if the sandwiches were good. But they weren't. So now I am here lamenting on yelp. read more

I've been here 3 times, each time getting exponentially worse. 1st time: Saigon peanut rice bowl - the rice was overcooked and the peanut sauce was too thick, but it was edible. 2nd time: Grilled five spice chicken sandwich - The caramel mayo sauce was overpoweringly sweet and made the sandwich almost inedible. 3rd time: Crispy tofu sandwich - The tofu was fried so hard that it was hard as a rock. My jaw hurt after trying to eat it. Completely inedible. As we were leaving, a waitress asked how the food was. When we told her the truth, her response was "It's really busy right now." Protip: If someone tells you your food is inedible (because it actually is), don't make excuses. This place is all looks and no substance. NEVER again. read more

We had a mix of banh mi sandwiches: Hanoi-Style Crispy Catfish, Crispy Tofu, Grilled Five Spice Chicken, and Grilled Lemongrass Pork. There was also an order of Mango Sesame Salad. All the sandwiches looked great. I personally had the pork, tofu and chicken. The ingredients were really fresh and had the right amount of spiciness from the jalapenos slices. It was not overwhelming and allowed you to add sriracha if you needed more heat. The only downside was the bread. It was a bit more soft and spongy compared to the typical banh mi sandwich bread. I could have probably done without the mango salad. Good banh mi sandwiches. read more

Is this an authentic banh mi? No. Is it a perfectly good sandwich? Yes. I love the pork belly bun here and eat it pretty regularly. The ingredients are high-quality, and I love the crunch of the bread coupled with the fatty, salty chew of the pork and the crispness of the carrot-daikon slaw. Their house sandwich cookies, made with thin chocolate cookies and a layer of coconut cream, are also yummy. It is a little pricey but that's what you get mid-Market. You can definitely get a more "real" banh mi cheaper elsewhere in the city, but all in all Bun Mee is a pretty good spot to grab a quick lunch. read more

I was trying to decide between the lemongrass pork and the pork belly, ended up asking the 2 cashiers; 1 said pork belly, the other said lemongrass..that made my decision a whole lot easier..I ended up getting the lemongrass pork since it's their number 1 seller. Twas was divine. Bread was good, pickled veggies were good, meat was good, house mayo was bomb...it's all good. Tip: add an egg and get more of that protein! Staff was friendly, place is clean, and it's a good price for being in the city. read more

The combo Banh Mi that I had recently was terrific. The garlicky pate they spread on liberally makes the sandwich moist and delicious. The bread is perfect and the crunchy veggies give a nice contrast. I only wish there were more jalapenos. I wish these guys would open a restaurant in Seattle. I would be a regular customer for sure. read more