I've had this place book marked since it first opened because I LOVE BANH MI so much and Pittsburgh is pretty limited in in Vietnamese cuisine options. The only thing is that it's a little far from Pitt's campus by bus so I really only had the chance to go because someone with a car took me yesterday. When I say that I was smiling the entire time I was there, I'm not lying.
What struck me as soon as we entered the restaurant was the lights hanging from the ceiling and the overall feeling of coziness of the place. It's a little small so seating is limited, but I found that I liked it that way. You order when you first walk in at the counter and then sit down and the sandwiches are brought to you by one of the workers. I had the chance to chat with the owner who one of the few women owners of a small business in Pittsburgh (#represent) and she was so friendly!!
I ended up ordering the Pork N'Roll which was the perfect amount of sweetness to go along with the sourness of the pickled vegetables and the spiciness of the Sriracha. I asked for extra cilantro and was so happy to find that they really honored my request. The option to get jalapenos in your sandwhich (or on the side) is also available. The warm butter that was spread onto the bread I found was what really pulled everything together and it was DE-LI-CIOUS.
I've tried ineffable cafe as well and really found that this place left me so much more satisfied. I was so hungry that I didn't have time to take a picture but will definitively be returning in the future to try everything else on the menu including the bubble tea which I hear is bomb. Such a great little find in Lawrenceville. Keep up the good work!!