I loveee Kim's. It's my go to everytime I'm back home from school! Their lemongrass chicken sandwich is me and my family's fav and their vermicelli bowl is always packed to the brim! I can eat it for 2 meals! Always a good place to go to grab some sandwiches and have a little picnic! read more

I used to love this place but today I got a lemongrass chicken banh mi and there was so little chicken on it. Just little slivers on each sandwich. I was with a friend so didn't go to complain. But wow, what a rip off! The turmeric soup was tasty but I specifically asked if the tofu was fried or not, and the cashier said, not fried. Then what I received was fried tofu. I should have taken it back. Sorry, but I'm so disappointed that I'll probably from now on go to the other restaurant on San Pablo. They really messed up!!! read more

I found this place on TikTok and decided to give it a try. There's plenty of street parking. There was seating outside and you walk in the counter is in the back where you order. I loved that they had a picture and pricing of the menu. I ordered two chicken bahmi sandwiches. They have lemon grass or bbq flavor. The price is reasonable especially for the area. They are made fresh to order. I had the lemon grass the first thing I loved is that the bread is not as bulky as other places. They also don't put the sauce most places put . There's just meat and veggies it was really clean and fresh. I enjoyed my sandwich and it was filling. read more

Kim's Cafe & Sandwiches - Sandwiches Near Me - Albany, California

My usual spot was closed on Sunday and I had a lot of family coming to watch my son's baseball game at noon. I stopped there and picked up 7 sandwiches (large size) and also go an Uber latte. It was like 98.00 but splitting them in half was enough for everyone to be fed. Everyone enjoyed the sandwiches. All the staff was super nice and the place is surprising large, doesn't look like it from the outside. So many great choices on Solano ave. read more

I haven't gotten Kim's Cafe out of my mind and I want to go back! They have a cute little - if a bit cramped - covered parklet on Solano Ave. The lemongrass chicken banh mi was full of really good and flavorful chicken. Honestly I wish I'd only eaten that. The salad roll with shrimp is basically a shrimp fresh roll that comes with dipping sauce. It's also pretty great. Then there was the vermicelli with beef. I was not a fan. I wish it came with nuoc cham. The beef was pretty dried out. This is the first time I've ordered this dish anywhere and not liked it. If only the bahn mi - 5 stars Because i had beef vermicelli bowl - 4 stars read more

Did delivery with the family. Look, I have no complaints but it also didn't knock my socks off. Sandwich bread was crispy, chicken was well cooked, stuffed with veggies. Would certainly recommend. For me, this was the lower end of five stars. I don't think I'll order take out from them again over Ike's (I love Ike's) but I'd certainly stop by if I'm out on Solano. read more

Kim's Cafe & Sandwiches - Yummy - Sandwiches Near Me - Albany, California

See all

Kim's is the best east Bay spot for banh mi! I love stopping here and grabbing a chicken banh mi with a Vietnamese coffee. I also love that they have seating outside to enjoy a nice sunny day. I definitely recommend this place for their sandwiches! read more

I think I get food here at least 3 times a month. Super tasty, reasonable prices and the owner and employees are really nice.

Surprising knock out of the park was the turmeric noodle soup which was spicy, peanuty, and very filling. There is a good amount of protein and felt like a great meal. Tried their tofu lemongrass banh mi and it was missing a lot of flavor. It was more on the dry side. The tofu itself was mildly spiced and pretty good but the rest of the banh mi was dry with not many vegetables/filling. The staff is very nice and the food comes out quick. Seating inside and outside. read more

Kim's Cafe & Sandwiches - Lemongrass Tofu Sandwich (u H s t) - Sandwiches Near Me - Albany, California

See all

Best bahn mi sandwiches in the east bay. Small cafe with outdoor seating. Great lemongrass chicken and beef sandis. Also a nice Thai iced tea read more

This place here has great Vietnamese sandwish fresh meat, and the noodles has fresh vegetables .... I got the beef, Vietnamese sandwich and the chicken turmeric noodles. SO BOMB read more

I thought I reviewed Kim's already? Can't tell on the app. Anyway I love their banh mi on an authentic chewy baguette, I love their soups and salads, and I really love their dog-friendly parklet! read more

See all

4-ish stars but I'm gonna round up because service was pretty friendly. The only thing I wasn't a huge fan of was the BBQ pork in my banh mi. Although flavorful the exterior of the meat slices were old-crusty, almost jerky-like. The banh mi bread was a bit different than what I'm used to. Really dense and hearty.....reminded me of sourdough but without the tang. At first I wasn't really on board of it not having a crisp but it grew on me after a couple of bites because of how springy-spongy it was. Favorite part of the sandwich was the pickled veggies! Yeah, they matter to me a lot in banh mi and I think this was the best rendition of the veggies that I've had. Veggies were cut more thickly and were perfectly pickle-y and al dente. No skimpy portion of them either! I also had the Vietnamese iced coffee. Smooth and actually pretty strong for a Vietnamese coffee. Minimal cream used here, which I didn't mind at all since I generally like the Vietnamese coffee brew taste. Seems like a family-run business. Staff were thriving during the lunch rush. Several customers were unfamiliar with this type of food but staff were eager to answer any questions about it. Located in the outskirts of midtown where parking, although still on the street, is only time-limited (no hourly meter charge). read more

Kim's Cafe & Sandwiches - Vietnamese iced coffee & BBQ pork banh mi - Sandwiches Near Me - Albany, California

I used to be a frequent customer, at least 2-3 times a month, mostly pre covid. Since then, they have increased prices 25-40% while the amount of meat and ingredients dropped. My sandwich has and looks slimmer and lighter. Getting less for more! And the flavors don't pop and are no longer robust like they used to. Thank you Kim's sandwiches! You have now given me the motivation to make my own Vietnamese sandwiches read more

Whenever I want something fresh delicious and very reasonably priced, this is my go to for lunch. I love their fresh wrapped spring rolls. Service is very fast. Ambience is humble, but clean and nice. Staff is delightful. read more

Kim's Cafe & Sandwiches - Me entertaining at home - Sandwiches Near Me - Albany, California

I spent about $15 for the beef banh mi here with pate included (you need to ask, and it costs 1.25 extra). In addition I got the papaya salad with chicken and crispy spring rolls. Beef banh mi wasn't terrible but I strongly dislike their crusty bread. It actually was more like a french baguette than a Vietnamese baguette. The beef flavor was quite good actually but the pickles were lacking in acidity/sweetness. Pate was fine, but not $1.25 fine... If this were $9 or $10 I'd feel better but $15 was crazy. The flavor felt lacking overall (despite the meat). Maybe it needed more pate or presence of the mayo. The lemongrass chicken papaya salad was ok. Their fish sauce doesn't have enough fish sauce or spice or sweetness. It tasted quite bland as well. The veggies had a fresh texture at least. Chicken was dry, but did have good lemongrass flavor. Finally I got their crispy rolls and this actually wasn't bad. I wish the filling had more texture other than mush (you'll see what I mean when you try it), but the exterior was very light and crispy. Nuoc mam was ok but again lacked spice and sweetness and more fish sauce. They also don't have AC in the restaurant apparently. It was really warm in there and there was just a single fan waving from the top. Parking is plentiful around the neighborhood. People are quite nice. No cold water available, just room temperature water. 4/10, would not come again and wouldn't recommend. Flavors felt diluted and didn't appreciate the prices. I'd honestly rather make it all myself. read more

It seems like they pared down their offerings with a new, cleaner menu on the wall but OMG! I've been here countless times and typically get a vermicelli bowl because DELICIOUS. But it's been chilly and my nose is stuffy and I'm interested in adding more turmeric to my diet so when I saw there's a noodle soup, I had to have it. HOLY MOLY IT IS GOOOOOOD! Flavorful and fresh, crunchy bits, soft bits, chicken cooked to perfection. I couldn't even finish it all and I was HUNGRY! I cannot recommend it enough. The staff is always super friendly and there's various ways to tip them. Lots of beverage items and I saw they now sell smoothies, too. No wonder they won Best of Albany Lunch Spot! There's outdoor seating which is super pleasant, a back dining area I always forget about, and some tables right in front as well. read more

Kim's Cafe & Sandwiches - Turmeric Noodle Soup (m qung) with chicken, BBQ Chicken Sandwich (g rti) - Sandwiches Near Me - Albany, California

Very easy to walk past here and never even take a look. Interesting little restaurant that's actually quite big and they don't seem to use the back (makes me want to help them clear it out and make it nice). Menu has quite a few options. The rice noodles weren't dry or tasting like they were sitting around, perfect texture. Not enough pickled veggies for me, and the sauce wasn't quite right which are my only complaints (wasn't a traditional tasting sauce). The lemongrass tofu was really flavorful. It was a large amount at a good price. Definitely recommend, and go across the street to highwire when you're done for a really good coffee (way better than the one in market hall tbh). read more

See all

Came here as I just had to have a bahn mi this afternoon. This spot is a little hole in the wall, with plenty of seating both indoor and out. Service was friendly, we were helped fast and food came out quick. Seat yourself and pay at the cash register. The prices were moderate, not too pricy. Thai Iced Tea (5/5) - delicious! not overly sweet and you could actually taste the tea. Bbq chicken bahn mi (3/5) - tasted fresh, but was kind of bland. The bread was not crusty and didn't have the typical crunch you get with a good bahn mi. Also, the chicken was cold. All in all underwhelming. bbq tofu Spring rolls with peanut sauce (0/5) - i'm not even sure you can qualify the sauce as peanut sauce. it had no peanut flavor and was liquidy. i am almost wondering if i was accidentally given a different sauce. the spring rolls were so sad. no flavor at all we ate one each. The lettuce was not fresh and even looked old. Literally just old lettuce and bland tofu. Not a total let down, but the spring rolls were terrible and the sandwiches were lacking flavor. read more

See all

Fresh delicious soups and sandwiches. Sweet family restaurant !! I love this tiny spot for healing flavorful dishes .

This is our local Banh Mi shop in the area. Not many in my hood, but this one is pretty good for that fix. Not to sound like a snob, but living in San Jose for 20 years raises your standards for Banh Mi BB read more

Cozy cafe that offers noodle soup. The turmeric noodles was more on the sweeter side with a nice amount off crunch from the vegetables. The chicken noodle soup had a nice flavor to the broth. You order at the counter and wait for the food to arrive. The wait was short on a Saturday evening. read more

Best Bahn Mi I've had in the East Bay. Service is always quick even when there's been a long line ahead of me. Love the lemon grass tofu and lemon grass chicken bahn mi, and can't go wrong with their Vietnamese iced coffee. One of my go-to spots in the area for lunch. read more

I'm a sucker for Banh Mi's & Vermicelli Bowls, and especially local businesses that are a community staple! This is the perfect place for a quick bite with your loved ones. I was lucky enough to visit on a sunny day & sat outside to enjoy the weather as well as the freshness of the food. I added pate to each of my sandwiches & they were perfect, the baguette was perfectly crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. The vermicelli bowl was also a great dish that's so flavorful and refreshing. I forever have a love for cafes that cultivate a homey environment; shout out to the awesome staff! Thank you Kim's Cafe, I always look forward to visit. read more

Kim's Cafe & Sandwiches - Lemongrass Banh Mi, Grilled Pork Banh Mi, & Grilled Chicken Vermicelli Bowl - Sandwiches Near Me - Albany, California

Good food, fast and friendly service. Seating indoors and outdoors, great for groups.

We've been coming to Kim's for years and usually order takeout, but love sitting outside on a sunny warm day as well. The BBQ chicken sandwich and lemon grass chicken salad are our favorites. During COVID, we tried the noodle soup, which was just what the doctor ordered. For next time - the tumeric noodle soup. Word on the street is that's is awesome. For takeout, order 10-15 minutes before you arrive. Thank you Kim's for your great food and service. read more

Good sandwiches, reasonable prices and friendly staff. BBQ Banh Mi sandwich is great!

Delicious crab noodle soup! Very light and refreshing with great flavor. The banh mis were delicious too! The outdoor seating was also great. Wonderful place for a relaxing lunch. read more

Kim's Cafe & Sandwiches - Crab Cake Noodle Soup (bn Riu) - Sandwiches Near Me - Albany, California

Yuuuuuuum! I've loved Kim's ever since they opened years ago, so I'm not sure why it's taken me so long to give them their deserved 5-star review. They have great banh mi, salads, spring rolls and salad rolls- just select the protein of your choice. I always go for either the lemongrass tofu or curry tofu, but my family also likes the pork and chicken. The sandwich bread is as it should be- crispy but soft on the inside. The punch of spicy, pickled & fresh flavors is perfect. The location is an oddly narrow building entrance but they have more room in the back, past the register, for indoor seating (when that's available) plus outdoor seating in front (but no heat lamps). For now, Kim's is one of my favorite spots to pick up my weekend lunch to eat at home. read more

See all

Hella bomb...I always get a spring roll and lemon grass chicken sandwich combo. Service is quick and easy, they accept card and Apple Pay. Seating is plentiful outside and inside. I wish my stomach was bigger so I could eat more of their food. Sandwiches are about $10 each so reasonably priced during these times. read more

This cafe offers delicious, fair-priced Vietnamese food. I've been to Vietnam and the banh mi here is extremely fresh and authentic. If you're in the area, I highly recommend Kim's! read more

Kim's Cafe is my go to lunch spot in Albany. As a vegan, I love their lemon grass tofu bahn mi, lemon grass tofu vermicelli, and the tofu turmeric noodle soup. (don't sleep on that soup! it is SO good!) I appreciate their speedy service and consistently delicious food. read more

** The following review reflects my takeout experience DURING the COVID-19 pandemic. ** I know Kim Kardashian. OK, not personally but still. And I know the Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. But I have to admit I don't know this Kim. The front of this narrow sliver of a cafe on Solano is so nondescript that I wasn't even aware it was a cafe, much less a Vietnamese one, until the pandemic forced them to set up a very conspicuous outdoor seating area. I decided to take a look at their menu and figured I could buy dinner to take home for Jamie W. and me. I settled on two entree salads, both good-size. The first was the $10.95 Garden Shrimp which was covered with shrimp halves though I kept wondering if the 'garden' reference meant it was a veggie shrimp substitute (photo: https://bit.ly/3xbdFJs). Who knew? It came on a bed of mixed greens with cabbage, peanuts, mint leaves, red onion, carrots, and daikon. The other salad we ordered was the $9.50 Lemongrass Chicken which had the same bedding material. This one featured shards of marinated chicken (photo: https://bit.ly/3eiGOd4). Both were on the OK side, though I had a much fresher-tasting version of the chicken salad at Tay Tah just down the street (review: https://bit.ly/3v9vbfd). I added the $5.50 Lemongrass Tofu Salad Rolls as an appetizer, and while they managed to hit the spot, I wish I could've gotten the peanut sauce instead of the vegan sauce they automatically provide (photo: https://bit.ly/3tPhotS). Oh well, another nearby Vietnamese spot is a good thing. FOOD - 3 stars ...salads were a bit on the middling side AMBIANCE - n/a...pretty tight space but I took it to go SERVICE - 4 stars...they packed everything well TOTAL - 3 stars...I'd come back in a pinch RELATED - Strolling Solano Avenue? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2HvcTQH read more

See all

Amazing food, generous portion size, and nice outdoor seating area. I highly recommend the turmeric soup

A great place to relax and enjoy some good food. My preferences are V Bahn Mi sandwiches and Vietnamese Iced Coffee. Hopefully you decide to bring someone that is worthy of good Vietnamese food because this place deserve elite customers. Lovely Geography from someone that doesn't live in Albany but loves hanging out in the area and real close to the ohlone trail and Albany Library to spend a few hours to yourself in peace. read more

in all honesty Kim's isn't what it used to be. My lemongrass chicken was so dry and so was the tofu. it just wasn't fresh at all. the service is okay. I think that for any take out it should come with a fork in the bag, we shouldn't have to ask for it. That's all. read more

I came across this place strolling down Solano Avenue and decided to give it a try! There was both indoor and outdoor seating. I thought the lemongrass vermicelli bowl was a pretty good deal for the portion size and it was also delicious! It's a great option for when you want something light and fresh. The bbq pork sandwich was also delicious but pretty small considering its price read more

Kim's Cafe & Sandwiches - Lemongrass chicken vermicelli bowl - Sandwiches Near Me - Albany, California

See all

Was in the neighborhood at lunchtime and walked by, while looking at menu a woman said, 'this place serves delicious food,' so I tried it....YOWZA, will I be a regular customer from now on! Hands down the best spring rolls I've had outside southeast Asia! Great customer service, and good value for the money. read more

Today I tired the bbq grilled pork. Like jerky- so next time it's the chicken. All other ingredients were great read more

Kim's Cafe & Sandwiches - Bbq chicken vermicelli bowl - Sandwiches Near Me - Albany, California

Love the prices, they are also on doordash which I enjoy! I got the bun rieu and it was so yummy! I saw that they also have banh mi which I need to try ! Will be back soon! read more