I love Lee's don't get me wrong. This review is for this particular location only. With that said, this location is awful. I was there on Saturday and the girl at the register managed to take my entire order without saying a single word to me or without making eye contact. Seriously, it takes a lot more work to be a total asshole than to be a courteous human being. Check yourself. The sandwiches were great and I got my Vietnamese iced coffee fix. Won't be back to this location anytime soon. Pisses me off since this location is only a few miles away from my house. ugh. read more

Quick, cheap, easy, fast and Asian. I hope that doesn't offend anyone. If it helps, please know that I'm also quick, cheap, easy, fast and Asian. If you want quality pure Vietnamese food, go to an actual Vietnamese restaurant. But if you want a pork belly sandwich or cheap and fast bun or insanely cheap baguettes and croissants, this spot will fulfill that need. It's run by an old Vietnamese man who isn't the most customer friendly but i do appreciate that he is straight to the point when he says, matter of factly, that he doesn't have this or doesn't have that. Sure, they serve breakfast sandwiches and they're out of bacon. Or that this is partially a bakery and they're out of croissants. This place is stop and go. Sometimes it's stop, wait 15 minutes and then go. They have seating but the place isn't really well air conditioned and with the summer months coming, it'll just get plain and hot and gross. I do like coming here for the Vietnamese coffee and other notable Asian milk and fruit drinks. And the owner has grown on me. His gruffness goes away as he recognizes you with each visit, which is why I view the place as a 3.5 star place instead of a flat 3. He benefits from my policy to round up. This is the only place to get quick and cheap vietnamese sandwiches and sometimes I wake up in the morning and the first thing on my mind is "Gee golly! I'm in the mood for a quick and cheap Vietnamese sandwich!" I can't be alone in this. Another plus is that they sell bags of end pieces from their baguettes and French bread rolls for only a buck. This great for something on the side with a cheese plate or bread fodder for a night of cheese fondue. Or a cheap bag of something to feed ducks. Ah, ducks. My big gripe is that they don't take American Express. I'm a diehard Amex guy and, sure, I can understand all of Chinatown not taking Amex (or any cars for that matter) but this is downtown Pasadena. There are a lot of Amex peeps that walk up and down Colorado Boulevard and, yes, they never leave home without it. Get with the program Lee's Sandwich dude! And get some better air conditioning while you're at it! For the love of quick and cheap Vietnamese sandwiches! read more

For the area, you'd be hard pressed to find a quick bite to eat at these prices. I usually get the combination #1 sandwich, which is under $4 with the tax. For half the price of lunch at any other place, it's pretty attractive! The only gripe that I have is that they're pretty skimpy with the pate. I also find it weird that they put onions in the sandwiches, but OK. Should put more pickled veggies vs. onions! They also make fresh spring rolls. Overall pretty good, although don't love the sauce they pair with it. I think it's a bit too strong. If you check in on your mobile Yelp app, you can get a free iced coffee with purchase of a sandwich. read more

I come here at least once a week for their iced coffees on my lunch. Nothing gets me more awake than vietnamese iced coffee!! You get more coffee and more caffeine for less than you would pay for at Starbucks! If I'm hungry enough, I always get a grilled pork bahn mi. Just one is filling enough for me. They also have some good egg rolls and spring rolls for under $4. When this location first opened, their service was not up to par. I'm being pretty generous with that. The workers were pretty rude when we had questions about their sandwiches. They always seemed annoyed even when we were the only customers there. But since I moved jobs and work close by now, I started coming here again and their service has definitely improved - probably due to new management. The service is not amazing, but the workers are pretty nice. They just don't carry much conversation with their customers. Also there is not always someone at the register to welcome anyone who walks in. But they get the job done quickly and well, which is what I need for my lunch breaks! read more

so i got excited to find out that Lee's sandwiches was opening up where Quizno's used to be. They opened rather quickly after Quizno's closed. However, you can definitely tell that they're working out a lot of kinks. so, i ordered my usual #12 which is the vegetarian banh mi. It's only 3.50 and it's big. it's delicious and the pickled vegetables in it are my favorites. However, there's really a lot of confusion over how to call up people when their order is ready and there isn't a clear method in place. Obviously, they're still training girls here. Btw, is it just me or is it hotter than the 7th level of hell in this place? i was waiting for my banh mi and sweating. All the girls at the cash registers were dripping sweat too....exactly what i want when you're handling my food. read more

I live in Bakersfield and I can't get a real banh mi. Number 11 please! This is the classic one that just is so good! Vietnammese ham and head cheese with pate for 3 bucks, can't go wrong. Order two! Please open a shop in Bakersfield! read more

I couldn't contain my excitement when I saw the grand opening sign on Colorado. This place is so close to me and I love banh mi. Unfortunately it could use some work, and by some I mean a lot. Food: This place serves banh mi (Vietnamese sub sandwiches), coffee drinks, freshly baked bread, pastries, and snacks. I've been to several other locations and this is by far the worst one I've visited. Everything was just great when they had their grand opening deals. You could get a free baguette or iced coffee with any banh mi, a total steal. However, when that ended, the abuse began. The sandwiches were filled with lower quality meat and at some point barely had any meat in them at all (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/S6lJsRMMNvSkn5sHdim6OQ?select=VASjEeSPHQfUhTurbWJdUA#VcY4tXpsvF45U21Ryflhig). The bread is also a lot harder than versions I've had at other locations. The reason behind this confounds me because there is a lot of traffic at this location. It's not like the bread is stale from sitting around all day. My favorite thing to get at Lee's is the chicken pate chaud, a small peppery meatball wrapped in flaky pastry and baked until golden. Half of my visits left my craving unsatisfied as they did not have this item even though it's a staple on the menu. Maybe they run out? They have pretty good drinks like the iced coffee (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/S6lJsRMMNvSkn5sHdim6OQ?select=VASjEeSPHQfUhTurbWJdUA#UWIFB852AGI8_rfZBTmLuQ) and Thai iced tea (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/S6lJsRMMNvSkn5sHdim6OQ?select=VASjEeSPHQfUhTurbWJdUA#x_ckGKRyb_1LAJYBdQeRGw). If you are at all sensitive to caffeine, make sure the ice melts into the drink before you sip it. It's pretty strong. Atmosphere: The store itself is bright and airy, but the seating is limited. There's a flatscreen TV on the wall, but the reception is always terrible. It seems that most people just opt for takeout. Service: The service for both the catering and normal orders is middling to terrible. I put in a catering order for a certain day and they completely effed it up. Not only did they make it on the wrong day, they called me several times while I was in a meeting to tell me to pick it up, threw it away, and then told me I had to make a cash deposit if I still wanted the order. If I had the option of going somewhere else I would have, but I needed the food for an event. They now only let you pay for orders with cash, which is ridiculous seeing as no one has $300+ dollars in cash just laying around. They have an atm in the store, but seriously, how cheap are they that they can't just buy a credit card machine and only use it for orders above $10 bucks or something? When I finally got my order, there were no vegetarian options as I had repeatedly requested, and all of the sandwiches were basically just headcheese with some pickled veggies on them. That was not what I ordered. Even worse, the event I was hosting had several vegetarians who basically did not get to eat. Service for the normal orders is slightly less worse. The cashiers are pushy and are always trying to get you to buy more stuff from them. They often get the orders wrong or have to ask you if what you received was correct. Synopsis: The only reason why I'm giving this place 3 stars and not 2 hinges on their ridiculously low prices. That said, I haven't been back here in awhile so that tells you something. read more

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One star, so I ordered there all famous Lees Ice coffee, large with grass jelly and coffee jelly. When I received my order, I saw what I believe was lychee jelly and coffee jelly in my drink, I told them that they must've accidentally put the wrong topping and that I wanted grass jelly, they said to me in a very confident manner, "Nope that how we usually serve our grass jelly"... Behold it was Lychee jelly.....-___- like EXCUSE ME?!!! Maybe trying believing your customer for your own mistake. read more

I love Lee's but this location is lacking. Service is extremely slow and inconsistent. One time our sandwiches smelled AWFUL due to the the pickled veggies. They were so pungent it filled up an entire hotel lobby while inside a closed bag. Another time the #5 grilled pork came dripping in oil. Pass on this location. read more

Sandwiches are delicious, iced coffee is the best and would get a 4 star review if this place weren't so dirty!!!! The dining area is filthy- floors, walls and chairs are disgusting. If the owner can't pay the employees enough to clean the place up, he/she needs to hire a cleaning crew! read more

I came for their coffee so this review is ONLY based on the coffee which was the feeaking best thing... Ever!!! Their crushed shaved ice with regular ice cubes is such a fantastic combo! Their Viet Iced coffee has a wonderful coffee taste with a hint of chocolate. Yum! Oh and they have it in to go bottles which has 3 servings in it! read more

Lee's Sandwiches - Sandwiches Near Me - Pasadena, California

It's not the most authentic banh mi, but I do like their grilled pork sandwich. I used to go to Rosemead or Alhambra before this store opened, but Pasadena is so much more convenient for me. This location is ssssooooooo ssslllllooooowwwwwww. I'm not sure why, as most times there may be 2 people in line and 2-3 staff working. It seems to take forever to make one sandwich. The staff is pleasant and the store is clean and well-kept, but the pace is excruciating. The amount of ingredients also varies - sometimes more or less protein, sometimes more or less mayo or veggies. On the other hand the Rosemead location is a well-oiled machine. I also love their friendly staff. Anyway, I just tried this for the first time and it worked beautifully......call ahead for a take-out order!! Duh - why didn't I think of this before? I called about 10 minutes before arriving, and I only had to wait 2-3 minutes for my order of 4 sandwiches. Since I don't eat-in, this suits me fine. Even though it's not my favorite locale, I will still come here when I'm in the mood for Lee's - can't beat the convenience and the $2.99 price!! parking - free street parking (it's easier to park across the street in front of Target) read more

Super dirty interior. All of the furniture is scuffed and scratched with food stuck to seats, table edges. Staff were friendly and fast, but they did not deal with a woman begging for money inside the restaurant. She stood right next to our table, asking every person that passed or stood in line, if they could give her money. It made for an awkward and uncomfortable eating experience. Food was okay. I had a major stomachache after. Most likely due to the MSG. My stomach is like the MSG Geiger counter. read more

Took me 25 mins to wait in line & still haven't got sandwich. There was 1 other customer in front of me.

I love lees sandwiches so much they're so good the coffee is amazing too literally every sandwich on the menu is bomb I love that you can even buy the bread the staff is always helpful and so nice it makes me want to keep coming back read more

I've never tasted or ate any spring rolls in my life like the ones I've ordered here. They were downright DISGUSTING. I ordered 2 platters of them to cater, and everyone HATED them! I'm so upset I wasted $49 on them! I ordered meat and shrimp to go inside the spring rolls, but each one was filled with a ridiculous amount of lettuce! We tasted nothing but lettuce in every bite! They tasted as if they were more like vegetarian spring rolls. The sauce for the spring rolls was watery and not good. I am NEVER ordering spring rolls here again!!! They are not authentic here at all!!! read more

Lee's Sandwiches - Ordered meat & shrimp spring rolls. But look at all the lettuce in them! The WORST spring rolls I've ever eaten! - Sandwiches Near Me - Pasadena, California

Even though Lee's Sandwiches is a franchise, there is an astounding lack of consistency between stores. This location is relatively new, so maybe they're trying to get their act together still, but I've been here 4 times and each time has been a disappointment. 1. Slow Service - Maybe they under staff because they don't get as much business as the other locations. I don't know why the service is slow, but it's the slowest of all the locations I've been to. 2. Very little meat - At this location, we always have to pay for extra meat to get what the Alhambra location doles out as the regular portion. What prompted me to write this review today was because we paid for extra meat and there was ALMOST NONE. I'm too tired to drive back, find parking and argue about this though, so I thought I'd just take it to Yelp. 3. Parking - Parking is street only and can be hard to find sometimes. Somehow, I doubt my review is going to make a difference, because the sandwiches overall are still really delicious and reasonably priced for the location. However, If you compare it to other Lee's Sandwiches franchises, this is one of the WORST. read more

What a bad experience. I usually go to the Lee's near Anaheim. Whenever I'm there for the weekend, I'll make a daily stop for sandwiches and taro slushes. And I reeeeally enjoy it. After coming to this Pasadena location today, I know I will never be coming back. I ordered the grilled chicken sandwich. The bread was stale and the chicken tasted old. Gross. My husband ordered a ham, turkey, salami, and cheese sandwich. And at the end of it, he said all he could taste was the mayo. I guess they skimped out on the meats. And the kicker was our taro smoothie. Huge chunks of ice it still tasted like the powder. Horrible. Never again. read more

30 minute wait for 3 sandwiches. Only one other couple before me. It's not like we were waiting for bread out of the oven, not were they slaughtering a pig for the pork bbq sandwich. I specifically asked for extra jalapenos. Got one in my sandwich. Geesh! Never again. read more

Best Vietnamese Iced Coffee around! It's super strong, and super yummy. Just a word of advise, don't bother asking for easy ice, you still get the same amount of coffee.... I also love their Banh Mi, the bread is awesome and the meats are delicious. I usually get the special with everything in it. Chew slowly though, the crust is often very crusty and can cut the roof of your mouth if you aren't careful. read more

I loved the iced coffee (I call it liquid cocaine) and the banh mi here! I used to come here all the time when I was going to art center, but since graduating I usually keep to my work area which is far far away from lovely Pasadena. I haven't had much else other than the coffee and the sandwiches, and I have to say that you can't go wrong with those! Yummy! I think the owner is the older guy I see working all the time and I see that he does try really hard to understand English and such. I do hear people who complain a bit about the language barrier at times, but c'mon man! Give the guy a break. The food is good and he's trying his best! read more

I ordered a breakfast sandwich. The man who took my order had been cutting ingredients and was not wearing gloves. He was, however, wearing a very bloody band-aid. He took my cash, gave me change and went back to cutting. Without washing his hands and without putting on gloves. Fortunately, the gentlemen who made my order, and had also been chopping, was wearing gloves. The sandwich was delicious, but unfortunately my persnickety tendency for sanitation will prevent me from returning. read more

This was my first time here and I have to say the sandwich was pretty tasty and the Avocado smoothie was decent enough. Customer Service: A+ --- I was served promptly and didn't have to wait long, Sandwich: #5 - Grilled Pork Sandwich was yuuuuuuumaaaay! It had just the right amount of crunch, flavor, and moistness, I abhor dry sandwiches. I'm trying to eat food, not get a throat scraping! Smoothie: Avocado --- This is where I take off one star. I am a new Avocado Smoothie convert... I'm quiet obsessed right now. I have had several of them and this one was lacking in the amount of avocado used.... I mean I'm not asking for the taste of a whole avocado shoved in your mouth flavor... maybe like a half of one.. lol. All in all, 4 star's to Mr. Lee's Sandwiches read more

Even though I didn't have the most awesome experience I returned to redeem the last part of my Groupon. When I entered the girl at the register recognized me from my review (eek!). While I felt awkward for being recognized from a non glowing review props for the business for checking out reviews and making changes - service was friendlier, place was cooler, and maybe it's what I ordered but banh mi was yummy and, most awesomely, the $1 baguette was piping hot (definitely the best deal!) read more

This place is right around the corner from my work. It's convenient and the food quality is okay. Price-wise it's not bad for a quick lunch as long as you get a sandwich. I always get the Veggie Avocado sandwich on croissant and they are not stingy with the avocado at all which is awesome. Their taro smoothies with boba in them are addictive, very good. The rolls either veggie or otherwise that are out on the counter, however, are really pretty gross. They sit out there on the counter all day and are still sold to you. The texture of the wrap was disgusting (like a very thin ace bandage or latex) and there was no flavor at all. Also, it usually takes quite a while for my sandwich to get made and handed to me even when I'm the only one there. With that mixed bag, I'd say if you want to quickly pick up a decent sandwich at a decent price, go here. The smoothies are also good, from my experience. But DO NOT get the rolls that are laid out on the counter, they are really gross. read more

Awful service. All the good stuff that Lee's typically has to offer with a super long wait to go with it. If you're in a rush, go elsewhere! So I stroll in trying to order a grilled Pork Ban Mi Sandwich... Was told that I needed a $5 min purchase to charge it on my card. So I added a large green ice tea to my order. For the life of him, the cashier couldn't figure it out how to add a large. He then proceeds to try to add a $1 increase instead. A large is 70 cents extra. So I say, just make it a regular if you can't figure out how to ring it up properly. So he rings me up, and I sit and wait. I watch as more people trickle in and place their orders. Slowly, I begin realizing people who have ordered after me are getting their order, and it wasn't until I got up and sternly asked the man where my order was, it was sitting off to the side being ignored. Go somewhere else, these people really don't care about customer service. I've been to other Lee's Franchises and service is normally so quick. The service here just left an awful taste in my mouth. read more

This location is convenient cause it's on Colorado close to my workplace, and there's usually street parking nearby. My favorite sandwich is the Special Combination...but I just found out it's 900 calories...how does it taste so light?! Whatever, it's so yummy it's worth it. I always ask for EXTRA pate because that's where the yummy flavor comes from. Just come here for the banh mi. The hot wings here are hilarious, just oily wings you could buy at Costco and heat up in your own microwave. Anyway, Lee's is a great place to come for reliably yummy and cheap banh mi. I like that the bread is pretty thin, and I honestly like Lee's better than a lot of more "legit" banh mi places like Banh Mi My Tho or whatever. Those places tend to have really tough to chew bread :/ read more

Wow my #12 vegetarian sandwich was simply amazing and I had never such fresh bread that flaked of in my moth, and the burst of flavors sent chills down my spine wow!l read more

Leave it to Pasadena to make Lee*s a place where they barely pack in meat in your sandwich . Love that its close to me, hate that I have to buy 2 samiches, take out the goods of one, and put it in the other. read more

Lee's might be the fastest growing Vietnamese sandwich in the world but that doesn't mean it's good. It only makes it convenient. The bread at this location is always too hard that it cuts your upper and lower mouth. They're very cheap on the spread. I"m not even sure if it's real pate they're using. The whole sandwich just lacks authenticity. Of all Banh Mi joints Lee's has always been my last choice. It's time I get in my car and drive a little further... read more

It's not Jersey Mike's or Subway's, or wich wich. I tried them today because of my Groupon, and unfortunately I have one voucher left, and I'm trying to decide whether to use it or loose it. I ordered the club, which had a very thinly sliced piece of Roast Beef, Ham, and Turkey, in which they folded it over to give it some volume. You could literally see through the slices. I'm definately not a fan, and as I write this review I will probably forfeit my last voucher. My sandwich without the voucher was $5.95, what a disappointment. There were many favorable reviews, I guess I chose the wrong menu item. I've had much better sandwich's from Ralphs deli, or food for less. It really reminded me of an airplane sandwich. read more

The sandwiches are fine for the money, but service is slooooooow. Food quality has declined since opening, but I'd come back once in awhile if I'm feeling cheap. read more

Just so happened that I was in the area and remembered that there was Lee's location in Pasadena, so I yelped it. I went just to try the Cantaloupe smoothie. It was so creamy and delish! So much Cantaloupe flavor, I mean like fresh fruit flavor, not some imitation additive. The reason for four stars is the bobah. It was the weirdest I've ever had. They actually tasted like little honey balls and they froze!. Lucky, I love honey BUT the jury is still out on whether I like my bobah to taste like that. I think I prefer chewy rice tasting bobah. Parking is metered on the street and I can see it being a pain at busy times of the day. For me, It was a breeze. Next time I'll get the smoothie without if I come back. read more

Slow. A bunch of people standing around waiting for their order and it's not even that busy. I'm writing this review because I came in when there wasn't even a line. I ordered two sandwiches and a side and it's been 15 minutes so far. It's about 2 pm. I'm writing this because I'm bored waiting and am missing a movie I'm trying to catch. Ok got the food. Apparently it had been sitting behind the counter for who-knows-how-long and they didn't call us. They only told us after my wife asked where our order was. Our manjoo pastry we ordered was also missing and we had to remind them and then they brought it out. My grilled chicken sandwich was ok, except about two thirds the way through, I hit a rather large patch of mayo or whatever sauce it was. Overall not the worst place but I wouldn't go back. *Someone has mistakenly categorized this restaurant in Yelp as "fast food". Does anyone know how to undo that? read more

Im vietnamese and i have been to many Lee's sandwiches. Horrible! Just absolutely horrible. Sandwiches are not even close to what a real banh mi is suppose to be like. DONT COME HERE!!!! read more

Lee's Sandwiches - Look at how much pate was spread. I paid for pate and there's barely anything. - Sandwiches Near Me - Pasadena, California

The absolute worst service I have EVER had was at Lee's. I was waiting for 45mins and when I went to ask what the delay was about, I was informed that they hadn't even started on my sandwich. So annoying. They couldn't have cared any less. I saw others having the same problem as well. read more

Lee's Sandwiches - Sandwiches Near Me - Pasadena, California

So let me start off with I understand if you're new and you have a new program that you don't understand (5 Star rewards) . What you don't do is argue with the customer who's showing you what the screen says and asking for the offer of that is being advertise. Then continue to argue after my orders already been made and then shorting my drinks (not filling them all the way) *********Update**********same day ***** I went back in to collect the 5 Star offer of buy 1 get 1 free. They tell me again that the offer isn't available it is next time I order. WRONG! The app and in store device say it is a offer available now. The employee (different from earlier) says well that's only for Sodas from the fountain. WTH! Now while that may be the case. What sense does that make. Its Lee's coffee not Lee's fountain drinks. But I understand the employee has nothing to do with that. And I say ok never mind can I have to Coffees, I'll pay for them. (The ICE coffee is amazing!) The employee goes and gets my 2 coffees (Filled all the way up btw) and I give her my card. She only charged me for one due to the misunderstanding. Great save, she didn't have to do that. That was nice of her. I'm still leaving the store at 2 stars because if the earlier employee and I still disagree with the false advertising of the promo. read more

FIRST time Lee's customer! I came for the infamous coffee despite the negative reviews. Someone said they had new ownership, so everyone deserves a second chance! Right? Coffee is darn good. Service was kind and friendly. Hence the 2-stars! So? Hands down the DIRTIEST restaurant I have been inside North America. How is this even legal? Does the health department know. FILTHY, this place is FILTHY! UGH! Never again... read more

It's interesting they decided to open a store here. I've never been a great fan of Lee's but its presence does provide another fairly cheap option for lunch. Five bucks can get you some grub. You can also get baguettes there as well. Try the pate chaud. It's a French-influenced meat pie in puff pastry. read more

I'm so happy there's a lees here in Pasadena. I live in Monrovia so this is the closest to home. The parking can be a little tricky with only street parking, but you can always park across the street at target and walk. The location is clean and beautiful and there's lots of seating inside. The workers are friendly and I'm a huge fan of their coffee so I'm glad you can get a free coffee with a check in. I squally order a number 6, it tasted not as good for some reason this time around as compared to the chino hills location I went to, but their sandwiches are good and so are their egg rolls. Will come to again :) read more