I hate writing negative reviews. Especially because I was so excited to go to this restaurant. I don't even know if this would qualify as a negative review, as we did love certain things.
I'll start with the positive. The people who work there are wonderful, as is the atmosphere! It's attached to one of my favorite book shops, they play really fun music, and the setup is super cute! Some more positives include the iced tea, which was delicious, and my mother said that the summer rolls were similarly very good. I wish I had gotten to try them, but they had cucumbers on them 🤷🏻♀️ That isn't a negative, it just is. I'll definitely have to try asking for a set without if I go back so I can taste.
Now to the not so good. Let me start by saying that I absolutely love bahn mi. I usually go to another place in Montclair that I have found to be consistently very good, but decided to shake it up and try somewhere different.
I got myself a grilled pork. My mother got her own sandwich. Together, we took them home to eat.
We almost immediately had to throw them out. It only took a few bites to find out that these sandwiches were SALTY. My mother has to be super careful around excess salt, and so she ended up disappointedly tossing it away for her own good. I'm someone who loves salty food, probably more than I should, and even I couldn't stomach this. They were probably the saltiest things I've had in a long, long time. And that unfortunately made them inedible. This is especially interesting, because there were two people sitting outside eating their own sandwiches when we arrived, and they both stopped eating and said something about the saltiness to one another. My mother and I both assumed that what they had said was that there wasn't enough salt. We know now that it was probably the exact opposite.
If you have any kind of medical concern, like high blood pressure, I definitely would consider skipping this place. At least until they use less sodium. And even then, I'd send someone first to try and give you a heads up.
Maybe one day I'll go back and see if the sandwiches are better. I truly hope that this is the case. The restaurant is so cute and the people are so nice, and I do want them to succeed. I just know it'll probably take me a little bit more time before I put money towards something that might get wasted.
For now, I will keep my money and use it at my reliable spot. But like I said, hopefully one day I'll be able to go back and actually eat a sandwich without getting a mouthful of salt🤞🏻
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 5
Melissa Gomez
Their beef bahn mi is amazing!!
Food: 5
650drvr
Just about the best grilled beef banh me sandwich I have eaten. Service was great and prices are very reasonable. Just wish they had more space for sit down. But still a must visit.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Michelle Nickel
The best tofu Bánh Mì and summer rolls I have ever had in NJ. The bread, tofu, and other fresh ingredients all came together in some serious deliciousness! The tofu was AMAZING and I already want to go back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Meny Vaknin
Great flavors. Simple and clean serving. Great job! I had the tofu and my wife the beef. Both on point!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Inna Gorelik
Finally, a truly authentic Vietnamese spot in Montclair! The beef bánh mì was absolutely delicious, can’t wait to try more from the menu!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Catherine Belonogoff
So happy to have good Vietnamese food in such a cute spot in Montclair. Bonus you can browse books next door after. I had a delicious filling rice noodle bowl with pork for take away, but I would definitely come back to hang and try their sandwiches or summer rolls.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
James Antolino
Holy smokes dude that bahn mi grilled pork is genuinely the perfect meal, a must try!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sarah Stonbely
Love love love this new Vietnamese place! The bahn mi (chicken) was amazing, and I loved how they let you add extra of all the dressings. I also got the egg rolls and the sauce is defintely homemade and delicious (if a little garlicky). I haven't tried the summer rolls yet but I have high hopes. Will definitely order again.
I have no pictures to share because I absolutely devoured the vegan / vegetarian Bahn Mi as well as the vegetarian vermicelli noodles. Absolutely delicious! One of the best vegan bahn mis I've had. They work magic on that tofu! My family loved all of their meals. Cute seating inside and love that it's connected to a bookstore! I'm sad I live all the way in the Bronx but will definitely make it out here again!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Madeline
Fabulous!Bread was light as a feather. I could eat there daily.It was the perfect portion size.I was jealous that I couldn't order all at the same time.
Neal Wilson
I have eaten Banh Mi in probably 50 different restaurants. This sandwich checked more of the boxes than almost every other. For starters, the bread really was perfect. I have no idea where they could be sourcing their bread, or if they make it themselves, but it is perfect. Very crisp on the outside. Very light and airy on the inside. Absolutely perfect. All the meats were in perfect balance, and you could taste them all. They were all very high-quality to me. The pickled veg were perfect. The mayo, surprisingly, stood out. It was delicious. My only regret is that after all of these years, there’s finally a fantastic Banh Mi shop in northern New Jersey just as I am leaving the area. Highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Dani Kennedy
This is an INCREDIBLE new gem in town. Came here for lunch and can’t come back for more!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jon Mezzadri
Everything was great. They recommended the beef banh mi and it didn't disappoint! The garlic aioli complimented it well. If you like spicy, the included jalapeños add a kick.
The Vietnamese iced coffee was good but could be a bit stronger imo.
Incredibly good!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I hate writing negative reviews. Especially because I was so excited to go to this restaurant. I don't even know if this would qualify as a negative review, as we did love certain things.
I'll start with the positive. The people who work there are wonderful, as is the atmosphere! It's attached to one of my favorite book shops, they play really fun music, and the setup is super cute! Some more positives include the iced tea, which was delicious, and my mother said that the summer rolls were similarly very good. I wish I had gotten to try them, but they had cucumbers on them 🤷🏻♀️ That isn't a negative, it just is. I'll definitely have to try asking for a set without if I go back so I can taste.
Now to the not so good. Let me start by saying that I absolutely love bahn mi. I usually go to another place in Montclair that I have found to be consistently very good, but decided to shake it up and try somewhere different.
I got myself a grilled pork. My mother got her own sandwich. Together, we took them home to eat.
We almost immediately had to throw them out. It only took a few bites to find out that these sandwiches were SALTY. My mother has to be super careful around excess salt, and so she ended up disappointedly tossing it away for her own good. I'm someone who loves salty food, probably more than I should, and even I couldn't stomach this. They were probably the saltiest things I've had in a long, long time. And that unfortunately made them inedible. This is especially interesting, because there were two people sitting outside eating their own sandwiches when we arrived, and they both stopped eating and said something about the saltiness to one another. My mother and I both assumed that what they had said was that there wasn't enough salt. We know now that it was probably the exact opposite.
If you have any kind of medical concern, like high blood pressure, I definitely would consider skipping this place. At least until they use less sodium. And even then, I'd send someone first to try and give you a heads up.
Maybe one day I'll go back and see if the sandwiches are better. I truly hope that this is the case. The restaurant is so cute and the people are so nice, and I do want them to succeed. I just know it'll probably take me a little bit more time before I put money towards something that might get wasted.
For now, I will keep my money and use it at my reliable spot. But like I said, hopefully one day I'll be able to go back and actually eat a sandwich without getting a mouthful of salt🤞🏻
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 5
Their beef bahn mi is amazing!!
Food: 5
Just about the best grilled beef banh me sandwich I have eaten. Service was great and prices are very reasonable.
Just wish they had more space for sit down.
But still a must visit.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
The best tofu Bánh Mì and summer rolls I have ever had in NJ. The bread, tofu, and other fresh ingredients all came together in some serious deliciousness! The tofu was AMAZING and I already want to go back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great flavors. Simple and clean serving. Great job! I had the tofu and my wife the beef. Both on point!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Finally, a truly authentic Vietnamese spot in Montclair! The beef bánh mì was absolutely delicious, can’t wait to try more from the menu!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
So happy to have good Vietnamese food in such a cute spot in Montclair. Bonus you can browse books next door after. I had a delicious filling rice noodle bowl with pork for take away, but I would definitely come back to hang and try their sandwiches or summer rolls.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Holy smokes dude that bahn mi grilled pork is genuinely the perfect meal, a must try!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Love love love this new Vietnamese place! The bahn mi (chicken) was amazing, and I loved how they let you add extra of all the dressings. I also got the egg rolls and the sauce is defintely homemade and delicious (if a little garlicky). I haven't tried the summer rolls yet but I have high hopes. Will definitely order again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
I have no pictures to share because I absolutely devoured the vegan / vegetarian Bahn Mi as well as the vegetarian vermicelli noodles. Absolutely delicious! One of the best vegan bahn mis I've had. They work magic on that tofu! My family loved all of their meals. Cute seating inside and love that it's connected to a bookstore! I'm sad I live all the way in the Bronx but will definitely make it out here again!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Fabulous!Bread was light as a feather. I could eat there daily.It was the perfect portion size.I was jealous that I couldn't order all at the same time.
I have eaten Banh Mi in probably 50 different restaurants. This sandwich checked more of the boxes than almost every other. For starters, the bread really was perfect. I have no idea where they could be sourcing their bread, or if they make it themselves, but it is perfect. Very crisp on the outside. Very light and airy on the inside. Absolutely perfect. All the meats were in perfect balance, and you could taste them all. They were all very high-quality to me. The pickled veg were perfect. The mayo, surprisingly, stood out. It was delicious. My only regret is that after all of these years, there’s finally a fantastic Banh Mi shop in northern New Jersey just as I am leaving the area. Highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This is an INCREDIBLE new gem in town. Came here for lunch and can’t come back for more!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Everything was great. They recommended the beef banh mi and it didn't disappoint! The garlic aioli complimented it well. If you like spicy, the included jalapeños add a kick.
The Vietnamese iced coffee was good but could be a bit stronger imo.
Excited to come back and try more of the menu!
Great work - J
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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