Cheap Food Critic

14705 Aurora Ave N
Shoreline, WA 98133

Mon-Fri 9:30 am – 7:00 pm
Sat 10:30 am – 7:00 pm

Hidden in a strip mall on Aurora site a little Vietnamese deli/restaurant that has really redeemed itself. I first came here when they just opened and was so disappointed. But recently I came back here on a whim craving some banh mis but didn’t want to drive all the way to Edmonds or Chinatown. My initial gripe about this place was that they used way way too much onions in the sandwiches and not enough meat. But since coming back they seem to have perfected the ratio of meat to toppings (especially the onions).

I had their signature sandwich, the iSandwich for under $4.00. It came with all the normal banh mi fixings (jalapenos, pickled carrots and daikons, and cilantro) on a roll with curry chicken. That’s right…curry chicken. No complaints about this sandwich at all. Everything was perfect: the chicken was infused with the curry, the bread kept all the juicy goodness inside (similar bread as Yeh Yeh’s, and the fixings were all flavorful.

One other great thing these guys did was add other traditional Vietnamese dishes, like vermicelli bowls and a beef stews dish. I have not had the vermicelli dish yet but the beef stew (with bread) was awesome. I think it was actually better than the sit down restaurant next door’s, Pho Tic Tac’s. The beef stew was about $7.50 and came with carrots, pineapples, and beef along a french roll for dipping into the stew. The pineapples was something I was not expecting. I’ve had my fair share of Vietnamese beef stews but never have I had it with pineapple. Really, the only complaint I had was there was not enough beef.

The restaurant, although small is normally empty. Most people get their food to go so if you need to dine-in there’s five tables to chose from.

Note 1 – These guys make this stuff fresh so be prepared to really wait. If there’s a lunch rush it could take up to 20 mins. If you are really in a hurry make sure you call ahead to get your order in first.

Note 2 – you can add a fried egg for $1 more to your sandwich. A must try for next time. Also, there is also teriyaki here? Doesn’t seem to fit but I’ve been looking for a place that serves teriyaki on a Sunday. For some reason all the teriyaki places in North Seattle close on Sundays.

Yelp – 4.5/5.0 (34 Ratings)

1237 S Jackson St
Seattle, WA 98144

Mon-Sun 7:00 am – 6:00 pm

It’s always a struggle for me whether Saigon Deli or Seattle Deli makes the better Vietnamese deli food. So I am taking the easy way out and just declaring a draw. I enjoy both of these places and both are really really cheap. The deciding factor for which deli I get food from normally depends on which one is closer to where I am or whichever I had most recently (I like to switch it up). Despite the similarities, I really enjoy each of these places for different reasons. My favorite sandwich at Saigon Deli is the BBQ Pork (compared to the chicken sandwich at Seattle Deli). I also enjoy the lunch/dinner items here better than Seattle Deli. But it really depends on what is on the menu that day. For under $10 you can pick up two banh mis and a coffee or a banh mi and a combo rice plate.

When ordering here be prepared for a line no matter what time you show up. No worries though the lines move very quick. There is a small parking lot on the east side of the building…a huge plus considering meter maids are no joke in this area.

Yelp – 4.5/5 (248 Ratings)

15551 Brookhurst St
Westminster, CA 92683

Mon-Sun 9:00 am – 9:00 pm

It seems like I have been eating a lot of banh mis lately but three banh mis for $5 how can you go wrong?  I guess you can go wrong if you get spoiled food that will make you sick.  This was not definitely not the case here at Banh Mi Che Cali.  I ordered the BBQ Pork, the chicken, and the ham.  By far my favorite was the ham.  I love how they loaded up on the pate and pickled veggies. Also, the bread is fresh baked in-house everyday!

If you are in the Westminster/Garden Grove, CA area bring your $5 (cash) to this former Taco Bell location to get your three Vietnamese sandwiches.  All the seats have been removed from the location so don’t count on eating in…there are a few seats outside if you really need to eat right away.  But you are in SoCal, enjoy the beautiful weather

Yelp – 4/5 Stars (197 Ratings)

Cheap Food Near You

225 12th Ave South
Seattle, WA 98144
Mon-Sun 7:00 am – 7:00 pm

And

22618 Hwy 99
Edmonds, WA 98026
Mon-Sun 8:00 am – 8:00 pm

In Seattle we are lucky to have some really good Vietnamese deli spots.  One of my favorites is Seattle Deli.  My normal order here consists of the vermicelli noodle salad and a banh mi (Vietnamese sandwich).  The vermicelli comes with grilled pork and meat balls or egg roll atop a bed of rice noodles which is atop a bed of vegetables.  Fish sauce and pickled daikon radish and carrots are also provided on the side.  As for the banh mi the chicken is my favorite but the bbq pork is also pretty damn good.  The sandwiches come with your ordered meat along with jalapenos, pickled daikon radishes and carrots, cilantro, and fresh daily baked bread.  For way under $10 you can get a banh mi, vermicelli noodle salad, and a Vietnamese coffee (dark French roast drip coffee with condensed milk).

Notes – Both locations are to go only and only accept cash.  Also, check out Saigon Deli around the corner and compare for yourself.  A review of Saigon Deli will come soon.

Update 08/10/12 – I just got one of the new items, a shrimp tempura spring roll. It was fricking awesome. It’s probably my new favorite items here. Get it if you can. They normally only make 6 of these a day and once they are out that’s it.

Seattle Location:
Yelp – 4/5 Stars (191 Ratings)

Edmonds Location:
Yelp – 4/5 Stars (62 Ratings)