March 13th, 2011 marks the opening of Lee's Sandwich, an popular Vietnamese chain from California. There was a lot of hype for Lee's to open and I never had Lee's before so I was curious to find out what all the fuss was about. Is it really all that and a side of a pennyworth drink?
Lee's Sandwich is open 24 hours (or "always") and is CASH ONLY. The man whom seemed to be the manager says it may be a permanent thing. The restaurant is pretty big, there were tons of tables, and it seems to have a modern look going on (think Yogurt Land). Oh speaking of Yogurt Land they also will be serving froyo (frozen yogurt). At the time of my visit the yogurt machines were not up and running yet. If you aren't into yogurt thats okay because they also have che (Vietnamese desserts). Aside from that they have a decent variety of baked goods(Deli Manjoo 5.89/20 pieces) and baguettes ($0.99/each).
Nowww onto the sandwiches. I saw the price ranges of $2.99 to $3.89. I must admit there were a lot of choices. Each sandwich comes in a 10 inch baguette that is baked fresh each day (baguette bag says every 30 minutes). Traditional banh mi flavors were available such as the combination and grilled pork. European sandwiches and breakfast sandwiches were also available which by the way seems really weird to me to have a roast beef and turkey sandwich made in the same place with my jam packed daikon/carrot cured pork sandwich. Anyways my grilled pork Vietnamese sandwich was somewhat bland, the bread looked like it was gutted out, and felt like a lack of authenticity. I know that its a franchise, but the sandwich I ate does not deserve the name of banh mi and should only be referred to as a Vietnamese sandwich.
Today was also the soft opening so if you are going within these next couple days expect some delay and kinks. I must of heard "sorry we're out of "insert item" " at least 4 times for 4 different items. At one point I heard that they ran out of milk, one of the most essential items for them to make their coffee.
I will probably stop back a few more times to truly gauge my feelings about Lee's Sandwich, but at this moment I rather get something from Mr. Sandwich/Hue Thai or Dakao.