This isn’t all of the shops, but it’s a good start. Comment to share your opinions on the best places and any that we’ve missed:
Area Directory – Arizona
Area Directory – Nevada
Area Directory – New Mexico
Banh Mi Southwest
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Phoenix Banh Mi
Although Phoenix is not known for its plethora of Vietnamese restaurants, there are two places where I have had very good to great banh mi.
The first is Lee’s, a chain based out of SoCal. The sandwiches are cheap, even with double meat and all the extras. Lee’s also has a great selection for your fillings, everything from BBQ Pork to Sardines. The Valley’s Lee’s is located in Chandler, so the East Valley denizens can have great baguette sandwiches with a short drive.
The second recommendation is Da Vang. This restaurant has been around for ages and the strip mall it resides in shows the age. The neighborhood isn’t Phoenix’s finest (19th Avenue & Campbell), but the banh mi outstanding and that and a big bowl of pho won’t even set you back a ten spot.
You left out Las Vegas. There are a few shops here. First is Hue Thai, they bake their own baguettes for the sandwiches. HUE THAI’S FAMOUS FRENCH SANDWICHES, 5115 Spring Mountain Road #223, Las Vegas, NV 89146
Then there is Thanh Huong, 1131 E, Tropicana Ave #d, Las Vegas, NV 89119, it’s near UNLV and quite good and reasonable. The people are friendly and the service is fast.
There a couple more but I haven’t tried them
There are quite a few good Vietnamese restuarants along Central Ave in Albuquerque but Cafe Trang located at Central and Louisiana, (behind Talin market), makes the best banh mi. The bread used is a french baguette with a thin crisp and chewy crust with a light interior. You can pick your choice of meat, the grilled pork is my favorite, and it comes loaded with pickled daikon/carrot, sliced jalepenos, lettuce and cilantro. There is a good meat to veggie ratio. The price is under $4, you can’t beat it!
Although I like the bahn mi at Cafe Trang, I believe May Cafe to have excellent ones as well. I prefer the grilled pork with pickled slaw; the bun is cripsy and light and the meat is excellent! It goes well with the limeade soda drink and is an excellent summer treat.
Just wanted to add an excellent Banh Mi joint in Las Vegas since I noticed you don’t have anything listed for Nevada yet (or maybe I’m just not seeing it?):
Pho Thanh Huong Restaurant
1131 E Tropicana Ave, Ste D
Las Vegas, NV 89119
They have pho and bun as well, but their Banh Mi is the best I’ve had in Vegas.
Cheers!
For the greater Phoenix area, Da Vang is terrific, as mentioned in an above post. In the north Scottsdale area, Tea Light has been around for several years now, and is also really good. Their menu is not as extensive as Da Vang, and they are more expensive (Da Vang is crazy inexpensive), however, the food is fresh and tasty. Tea Light is off of Mayo Blvd and Scottsdale Rd (approx). Another, comparatively, new place is Viet Kitchen. There prices are reasonable, food is very good, menu is more “traditional” than Tea Light. It’s located off Cave Creek Rd and Loop 101.
Da Vang is still my favorite, but is not as conveniently located for me as the other two. I feel fortunate that I have two other options that are similar, yet different, that I can mix it up once in a while.
Regards.
I am admittedly new the world of Bang Mi, but even with my limited experience, I think I have just discovered a diamond in the rough: at First Food & Bar at the Palazzo Hotel in Las Vegas. They just added a Duck Banh Mi to their menu. Instead of a plain mayo, they have whipped in a foie gras mousse. Everything else is very traditional: the pickled daikon, the cucmber and cilantro, the jalepeno…it’s incredible! If you are in or near Vegas, go there and get one!
Mr. SANDWICH in Las Vegas Chinatown is delicious! $3.24 per sandwich cannot be beat and service is outstanding. I never skip this for lunch when I am on Vegas.
Lee’s Bakery was renamed Banh Mi coda .I went in and enjoyed the high quality products. Since then, I have ordered banh mis around the Southwest and have developed a feel for the subtleties. I consider banh mi coda to be the best I ever had.I believe they make their own bread, meat/cold cuts/pate, and even mayonnaise in house. I believe their bread to be the best in ABQ.
I absolutely love this new Vietnamese Juice bar/ sandwich shop in Albuquerque, New Mexico called iKrave. I have been to a few Vietnamese restaurants in Albuquerque and have enjoyed their sandwiches but iKrave has absolutely won my heart!