BC Deli Sandwiches

My favorite spot in the area for Vietnamese sandwiches!

I've been coming here since FOREVER! They always have their "buy 3 get 1 sandwich for free" deal going on!

Every time when I'm in Oakland Chinatown, I always get their Vietnamese sandwiches and their spring rolls!

My favorite sandwich is #9! (pork cake, ham, pate)

The people who work here can speak some english, Cantonese and Vietnamese and they are super nice too!

Craving for Pandan waffles? This is the spot! My best friend briefly took me here once because I told her I love Pandan waffles. Haven't tried the other stuff they sell, but so far I love that I don't have to go to South Bay just to get them.
LOL the lady asked me how many waffles do I want. I said "one." She said "nope! You're getting two!"
After scarfing down one waffle, I'm glad she insisted that I get two. :)

As my daughter and I walked around Oakland Chinatown, we saw a Vietnamese deli has a "Buy 3 Banh Mi, get one free" promotion on the awning. As soon as we saw that, "we're on it!" awning: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/nz7QJVdBmcSwJ8IHI8AKMQ?select=-EJMCP-rIFBTX7TsE9hrag

And that is what we had for lunch after a leisure day shopping in Oakland Chinatown. The deli offers 12 different kinds of the popular Vietnamese sandwich for under $3.50. We took pair of #5 (grilled chicken) and #6 (grilled pork) at $2.75 each. The sandwich may not be as good as some of the popular banh mi's from San Francisco or San Jose. But for the price, the sandwich is legit.

I'm also adding an extra star for the deli offering Mexican Coke for $1.75 per bottle. Now that is a great complete meal. My meal: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/nz7QJVdBmcSwJ8IHI8AKMQ?select=XXdC6NkClFWOUqszf7AJVA

The deli also serves pho and other hot food items to go too.

The big deal is the promotion.

Did the trick kind of banh mi.... bbq chicken. lacked a nice punch to the sandwich, and i think the ball dropped when it came to the 'viet mystery mayo sauce' some stellar joints spread on: there was none!!

cheap. less than $3

always quick fix. i'm dying to try the one on International near 18th. may have to go soon.. as Vietnamese food (of any variety) is my favorite!

I absolutely love this place!

Now, when people think of BC Deli Sandwiches, their mind conjures up images of Vietnamese baguettes that are crusty on the outside and soft/light on the inside, stuffed with carrots, daikon, cilantro, cucumbers and chilies and a variety of fillings which run the gamut from pork pate to bbq chicken to fish cakes. But not me. Sure, I'll order a fish cake banh mi every now and then. But, my favorite item on the menu is the #37 (vermicelli noodles with thinly sliced beef in a spicy peanut broth) as it is one of the best ways to combat those chilly oakland mornings. Now this soup isn't actually spicy...just absolutely divine. It also comes with a small plate of basil, chilies and a lemon wedge. Sometimes I'll also order an eggroll but it can be cold when they serve it to you...bleh.

They have other stuff too like some vietnamese crepes and madelines. Their banh mi is pretty good too... I just wish they weren't as skimpy with the ingredients. It is really cheap though.

Their service is pretty good. Some of them have trouble with english but that is ok. Everyone is rather friendly.

In short: great authentic food, very reasonable (cheap), service is great, DON"T limit yourself to their banh mi, I'll be back for sure to order #37 again and I recommend that you stop by too...and once, your done, you can walk to Tao Yuen right next door.

After being disappointed at Pho 84's Pho Dac Biet http://www.yelp.com/biz/pho-84-oakland#hrid:dP4okFubhi4nVjhZjuuoxg I remembered this place and headed over to try and salvage my lunch hour.

I got the grilled pork Banh Mi without cilantro. They reached into a small oven, grabbed a premade and prewrapped sando, opened it up and picked out the cilantro. I came after the lunch hour and they needed to clearance some extra inventory, I guess?

Even with that, after all these great reviews about the quality and not skimping on ingredients, I couldn't wait to get home and eat this. Wow! What a let down. First the bread was very tough. How long was this sandwich sitting there? Days? The quality of other ingredients was good, but I GOT SKIMPED ON!!! Little meat. Not many veggies. Oh, and they missed a sprig or two of the cilantro in their haste to use the premades! Meh!

I'll give them another try because everyone has an off day and I'm that kind of guy . . . and I don't mean a masochist! ;-)

I was 0 for 2 today!! :( Maybe I have some ice cream in the freezer?!?

There are several places in Chinatown for banh mi. When we arrived past 11 AM on a weekday, the place was not busy. I was surprised to see the lady prepare our sandwiches on order. Sure it takes some time, but your bread won't get soggy waiting for hours for you to buy one. She toasted the rolls too!

We had #9 (pork combo) and #5 (grilled pork) and shrimp spring rolls. Sure, the sandwiches were a bit anemic in the meat and veggies department. The pork one had better flavors because of the pork cake, deli meat, and pate. The grilled pork had more jalapenos, yet it was still on the bland side. Buy 3, get one free! We had to wait on the rolls, which took a while since they had to make some while we waited. The rolls with the sauce were fantastic.

After reading several reviews touting them as having the best banh mi in the East Bay, I decided to stop by this Vietnamese fast food restaurant for a quick visit. This small quick stop is arranged by a large counter stack full of prepackaged goodies and entrees with overhead display of banh mi photos from the front to back. On the other side of the wall were rows of bright red plastic booths which were only comfortable for short term seating, and the lunch time ambiance was festive with lots of foot traffic brimming with bowls of pho at every table. At the time of my visit they were celebrating their anniversary by having a buy 3 get 1 free promotion.

I decided to order their Combination Banh Mi ($2.75) along with a basil seed dessert drink ($1.75). There unheated French baguette was thick and hearty with noticeable mayo, fish sauce, and pate. There were plenty of steamed pork and ham that came with desirable tender, crunchy and chewy texture in all the right places. The downside was the crusty edges in the baguette were sharp that inadvertently grazed my lips, and the pickled radishes and carrots were skimpy and not sweet enough to render impact. The few pieces of jalapenos and cilantro were decent.

It was overall an okay sandwich that did not warrant all the high praises. My basil seed drink needed more brown sugar and was not nearly as good as the one at Cam Huong. Prices were decent as I was easily full for less than $5. Service was quick with some level of confusion about which order belonged to who. Fellow Yelper Rinky N recommended me to try Banh Mi Ba Le Vietnamese Sandwich Deli so it's something I will need to experience before determining whether to come back.

1.25 Pandan waffles you have captured my heart with the sweet aroma of pandan and the crunchy bits of coconut when I sink my teeth into your loving puff pastry. One side looking all sharp and crispy, on the inside fold.. well it's better than you leave it folded the way you get it. Tip: If it gets cold, toast it up at home in a toaster oven and it will be just as delicious again.

Four stars for the waffle because I'm here every Saturday morning before work to grab myself a pick me up for work. Not to mention that I can't seem to make my own or make it close no matter how many times I google and try.

As for their sandwiches-like the other two shops on this block-they have an on going deal where you Buy 3, you'll get 1 free. They make it fresh and the bread is crunchy. They offer what you would normally find, the pork the chicken the pate the pork cake the ham and some other things. The hot plated food already have the prices stuck to them, telling you what time it came out and when it was good till. For a little bit more, I actually appreciate them for being so innovated and modern since you can never be too sure when food is made and how long it's been out for. They have a whole stove top pile of the plated rice and noodles. Check for steam inside the package, means that it's still fresh and was just put out not too long ago.

Cash only because you're in Chinatown. Service is pretty quick and their English in on point so no worries about having complicated orders.

BC delis isn't just banh mi. there's also have ready made desserts, pandan waffle(1.25), pho, rice plates and other vietnamese goodies in da house

eats: bbq pork banh mi (2.75)
-bbq pork on the dry side, not juicy, with carrot, cilantro, cucumber, radish, jalenpeno, in a butter-spread thick sammie.
-chewing mostly bread. sporadic flavors of jalepenos and bbq pork. not a lot of veggies either. almost 3 stars.

crumbs:
-buy 3 sammie, get one free
-in aftenoon, banh mi made to order.
-panda waffles and pho tai (4.5, 5.95) on the to try list, expectations not high.
-semi-fast, courteous service.