Tried this place out on a Tuesday after work and both things we got were fresh, affordable, and delicious! I got the namesake bahn mi sandwich which was delicious pulled pork and veggies on a baguette with both sweet and sour flavors. My friend got the k-town throw down rice bowl which was also lightly spicy and deliciously seasoned gochujang chicken with veggies and hard-boiled egg on rice. Our food was prepared quickly once we figured out that you should order on the screens next to the door instead of waiting for a person to take your order. They have a large seating area with full floor-to-ceiling window walls on two sides and clean, industrial style tables and benches. read more

Bon Me - Test Kitchen - Inside - Vietnamese Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Really like the Vietnamese coffee drink! Very fast service. There isn't much seating, but there are tables close by outside to sit, eat, and unwind. read more

Love this place. I work just down the street and they do all sorts of very neat Asian fusion. I probably go twice a month and their items are always affordable and well portioned for lunch. My personal favorites are their ramen or pho, or if I'm feeling just a bit peckish, I'll get their karrage chicken bites and just nibble on those for a couple hours back at my desk. It's not really worth driving or traveling out there, but if you're in the area and need a quick bite you will rarely be disappointed. read more

Ordered a bahn mi and was impressed! Portions are good, was able to save half for a second meal. Ordered for pick up and was ready quickly. Will definitely be back to try other menu items! read more

Nothing like a fresh Banh mi sandwich with fresh crispy yet soft bread, flavorful chicken and veggies and creamy sauce - for a filling and satisfying yet quick meal after work! We got here around 6:35pm and they close at 7 but it was enough time for us to order, eat and be on our way. Place was fairly empty with only a couple of the tables occupied. Ordering was easy on the little iPads by the entrance. We had about a 5-10 minute wait till the food was ready. Both hubs and I got the same thing - spicy Korean style chicken sandwich. We enjoyed them and ate them pretty quickly. The staff was nice and didn't kick us out even though it was a few minutes past 7 and they had started cleaning the floors. The decor is cute with festive decorations for Chinese new year of the rabbit (see pictures). The space is large, clean with plenty of seating. I imagine it gets busy during the lunch hour being in the Pharma/Biotech central district in Kendall square. It's quieter in the evening as the area overall gets quiet due to the work crowd leaving. They did seem to get several pick up orders while we were there. Overall good satisfying meal and will return to try the other dishes! read more

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I was pleasantly surprised by this bubble tea! The milk tea flavor wasn't too strong and it was the perfect balance of sweet and creamy. Much better than some of the other places I've tried so far. I'm a huge fan of the test kitchen, there is so much seating and huge windows to overlook Cambridge! I'm definitely going to come back for the veggie bahn mi! read more

Bon Me - Test Kitchen - Milk Bubble Tea - Vietnamese Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

I was walking around Kendall Square and was looking for a quick bite, so I decided to stop in. I went with "the namesake" and thought it was pretty solid, but nothing particularly special. The bread tasted fresh and it was stuffed with a good amount of meat and veggies. I thought the pork was a bit bland, but the veggie blend had a nice vinegar flavor and creamy sauce. The real highlight was that when I checked in on Yelp, I got a free milk bubble tea! I considered ordering the tea beforehand, but I figured it might not be the best, given it was more of a food spot. I don't think the tea was especially fresh, since they poured it out of a prepared pitcher, but it had a nice sweet flavor. The boba was perfect, with just the right chewy texture. So be sure to check in on Yelp when you come by! read more

Bon Me - Test Kitchen - The Namesake Sandwich - Vietnamese Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Wok was tasty. Food came out very fast. Solid portions but still on the pricier side for what you get. The seating is mostly cafeteria style long tables. It's a grab and go type place though, so the focus is definitely on serving corporate consumers in the nearby area. Definitely worth a try if you're around. read more

Stopped here for lunch in the middle of the workday and it was delicious! There are kiosks that you can order from and customize your meal. I decided to add kimchi to my noodles and it was an awesome add in. I ended up sitting outside and the tables were clean and it was nice to people watch since there's so much going on in that area. read more

Bon Me - Test Kitchen - The take out - Vietnamese Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Solid little spot. Never as busy as I expect it to be. Nice little afternoon treat to go get Boba.

If you follow along with my reviews, you have probably seen that ever since my student days as a theatre major at Emerson, I've been a huge fan of everything and anything Bon Me. So imagine my surprise and delight when I stumbled upon the Bon Me Test Kitchen in Kendall Square in Cambridge! I had read about this location - that it was where they pilot new menu items, and even though I was basic and stuck to my usual salad with spicy and flavorful Gojuchang Chicken, it was neat to see what might be in store for the menus of the other locations around Boston and beyond! While of course the quality of the food itself was excellent, Bon Me Test Kitchen does not have the lightening-fast service that I've come to know from the food truck and Public Market locations I usually frequent. It took about ten minutes from order to pickup to get my food, and there was only one other person in the restaurant. I love Bon Me, but if you're in rush, you might be better off going to another location instead. Nonetheless, the employees are friendly and cheerful. Luckily, I had the time, so I was able to enjoy the fun and funky interior that was decked out with handsome light wooden tables, millennial friendly twinkle lights, and a projection screen that scrolls through photos of the restaurant, trucks, and employees doing what they do best - spreading joy throughout Boston through the power of amazing Vietnamese cuisine! I don't think the Test Kitchen will be on my list of must-return Bon Me locales, but it was fun to try something new and chow down on some comfort food as well. read more

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My experiences with Bon Me have made me skeptical. I'm Vietnamese food fanboy and my body is made up of at least 15% pho at any given time. So when I first encountered Bon Me as a Boston/Cambridge institution I was ecstatic. But then I actually tried it. Personally, I find Bon Me's namesake pretty generic. The sandwich is good, don't get me wrong, but it's good in the way a steak sandwich is a steak. If you want a bahn mi, you go to Dorchester. If you want a rough approximation of what it feels like to eat a bahn mi, Bon Me'll do. So all that talk about Bon Me generally just to say that Bon Me Test Kitchen is different. Not their sandwich, it's whatever. But their soups, now, that's steak. Of course it's not the same as Dorchester pho, but it doesn't seem like it's trying to be. It's its own thing, toying with a few different flavors, sometimes spicy, sometimes slightly sweet, always oily salty goodness. Sometimes chains get it right. Especially when they go off script like Bon Me has. read more

Wow Bon Me has definitely grown on me. I hadn't had the best experiences before but now I have a few favorites that never disappoint. Their pork fried rice is delicious!! Always hits the spot and the portion is extremely generous. Will keep getting this over and over. I also really love their lemongrass fried chicken. So delicious and crispy! read more

Bon Me - Test Kitchen - Favorite Pork Fried Rice with light on the carrots! Very delicious. - Vietnamese Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

This location is in my Bldg at work and I went 3 times in one week and each time I was more disappointed than the previous time. It was just not working out for me... I just couldnt seem to find something good, I reviewed them on Square with the same things I said here & the Mgr reached out to me and asked that I try them again, so I went back with my Gift Card that he gave me & tried... I decided to make my own and not pick off the menu this time the the plate I got I actually liked, it still wasnt OMG this is delish, but it was ok, MUCH better than my 3 previous selections. My issues are Im a huge Shrimp fan, and they dont have any. The 12 spice chicken (which has been replaced by salt & pepper) tasted like bland boiled chicken, I then went with spicy & it was FIRE HOT, but still no flavor and that bothered me... I want spice & flavor. Then the spicy peanut sauce was the same way, spicy yet not much flavor, finally went with Sesame & the new chicken & it was ok. I dont know how often Ill be back (unless they get shrimp) but the kiosks in the place & the customer service got my votes! read more

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I came to this binny location when it first opened and I thought the bahn mi was pretty good. Bahn Mi - I got the bahn mi with chinese bbq pork..it was sooo gooooooood. id come back for that. Rice Bowl - lol dont order this unless you want a shit ton of rice. they dont give you enough protein and instead load up the box with rice. i mean carbs ftw dont get me wrong, but i enjoy protein from time to time. Bubble tea (first time getting it) - oh my gosh. it was terrible. the tapioca was SO soggy and i just could not even finish 1/4 of it. i wrote a complaint to bon me and they offered me a free drink voucher which was very much appreciated so i can give it another try. Unfortunately it was terrible to the point where I didn't wanna give it another try so I used my voucher for the un-thai iced tea instead. That was even worse.. I ordered the thai ice tea before but it tasted so different today. So I had to send that back and got a bubble tea instead. Surprisingly, it was decent today. The tapioca wasn't as soggy and the tea was aiight... My conclusion: Order the bahn mi but **don't order any of the drinks. They taste different every time you order.. I'm not sure if different people make it each day ?? But I would hope for some consistency in my drinks. read more

Bon Me - Test Kitchen - Vietnamese Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Delicious, fast, casual Vietnamese.. definitely worth checking out. The food is flavorful, the music and atmosphere are comfortable and upbeat and it's quick quality. I couldn't decide so I got the namesake sandwich and the chicken udon, had a half sandwich leftover for later. Perfect meal on a cold rainy day. read more

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One of the most spacious Bon Me locations serving lots of new menu items! I tried their Dan Dan noodles during opening party and I loved the type of chewy yellow noodles they use. The sauce is definitely spicy, but only to a point. Might need to add a few squeezes of sriracha to bring up the heat for real spice lovers. There are plenty of bench style seats and tables. Bathroom inside as well yay! I will probably go back to try their udon noodle soup. Overall not bad! read more

Bon Me - Test Kitchen - Dan dan noodles with hibiscus drink - Vietnamese Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Overall, this is a convenient place to get a quick lunch, but I feel the food tastes only ok and is overpriced based on my first experience here. I had the chicken udon noodle soup. It tasted pretty much like the frozen udon I heat up in boiling water plus soy sauce soup base that I get from an Asian grocery store, with some meat and veggies thrown in. It cost $12-13 and I didn't feel very full afterward. You most likely won't have a long wait here though, which is a huge plus. You place an order on a touch screen and then your name is called when your order is ready. Things work pretty efficiently. There is plenty of seating as well. I went on a rainy day so it was nice that I could eat inside and wouldn't have to carry my food in the rain back to my office. Since I work near here, I may give this place another chance and try another dish. read more

Bon Me - Test Kitchen - Chicken udon noodle soup - Vietnamese Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Tasty! Bon me has tasty cha siu on your choice on ramen, banh mi (Vietnamese sandwich), or bowls. I love their signatures banh mi sandwich here as the bread is perfectly crunchy on the outside, yet soft on the inside. The meat is generous, though watch out for realllly fatty pieces- I've run into this problem a couple times where I've seen whole chunks of fat. I've also had their salad with fish sauce which was good however they had toooo much sauce. There was a huge amount left when I finished my salad and it really soaked my salad into being salty as heck. Solution for this? Ask for the sauce on the side and voila! You have a perfect meal. I'm not a fan of their drinks, but their meals are solid and prices are fair. They have three tablets to the side of the cash register for you to order yourself should you choose to do that. It can get really packed and busy around lunch time so try to go slightly earlier than usual. read more

First time back in boston since college so I was eager to revisit an old favorite. First time seeing the test kitchen so I tried the WrapScallion. Taste was as good as I remembered but I think my server went a bit much on the sauce so my scallion pancake was just a soggy mess - kind of defeated the purpose of a crunchy scallion pancake read more

Ordered ahead(a day before) but still need to wait other people who arrived and ordered after me. Ordered chicken bowl but there was no dressing And tomato in bowl is molded! read more

Bon Me - Test Kitchen - food in a box - Vietnamese Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

A nice quick lunch spot near Kendall square. The inside looks great and the decor is very modern. It was very convenient to order on the iPads and be able to see pictures of the food options. I ordered the dan dan noodles because the description sounded yummy and the photo looked appetizing. I wasn't entirely satisfied though because the container was filled less than what I expected and the noodles were too salty. I couldn't really taste any other flavors and had to chug water afterwards because of the salt. I hope to give this place another chance in the future and maybe try a custom noodle or rice bowl. read more

Bon Me - Test Kitchen - Dan dan noodles - Vietnamese Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Incredibly slow, staff ignoring customers. Won't be back. How do they stay in business?

Had a great quick lunch the other day. Food seemed fresh. Enjoyed my ginger lemonade.

If you are looking for a tasty Vietnamese sandwich this is the place the originalbon me pork sandwich is great I also recommend the scallion pancake never disappointing and always consistent you can eat this food today and come back three years later and it will still be the same good food you had highly recommend it read more

This is my favorite lunch spot in Kendall. I like having access to the experimental stuff and it's mostly pretty good. You get more food at the normal location at 1 Kendall but it's more than enough for lunch already. I usually grab the noodles or salad, but sometimes try the experiments like pho and ramen. I love that they have self service ordering kiosks. Food is fast, tasty, and less expensive than tatte or catalyst cafe. read more

I'm surprised by the low ratings here, as I've ordered Bon me (test kitchen not the one at one kendall!!!!) at least 2-3 times a week for the past 2 years. The test kitchen is so freaking good. I order the noodle bowl a lot and it's always exactly the same and super fresh. Very very clean establishment and they are always washing their hands and using gloves, and constantly cleaning the tables. The staff that works there seem very happy too. Recommend order online to skip the line. Edit also wanted to add, the sandwich with the pork is literally the best sandwich in Cambridge IMHO. Like unhinge your jaw and inhale it kind of sandwich. read more

I'm so excited to discover this restaurant so close to my apartment! I've been to the Bon Me food trucks and they have all the offerings in this store plus several "chef specials". I got the dan dan noodles and a Vietnamese coffee and my friend got a Vietnamese bowl, all of which were delicious. The restaurant has iPads where you can place and customize your order as well as someone to take your order if you would rather go that route instead. There is plenty of seating and our food came out very quickly. I'm excited to come eat here again! read more

Bon Me Test Kitchen was okay, I don't think it was as good as the regular Bon Me locations. The space was very crowded at lunchtime during the week but my food was ready super fast which was a huge plus. The food was good but the menu item I got was not the best. The combination of vegetables in the noodle salad was odd and did not mix well in the dish overall. If I were to go back I would get a different item. The prices are the same as the other Bon Me locations and I think it is a little overpriced for what you get. That being said, most restaurants in the area have similar pricing so in comparison to those it is about the same value. read more

So it doesn't help that we just got off a long trip to Asian and had some of the most authentic, delicious Asian food.. I so wanted to like Bon Me - the space is great, the service is also great. But the food is not authentic in the least; it's like Panda Express - American Fusion - DanDan Noodles - this is traditional Sichuan street food with stir-fried minced pork with peanuts, spicy broth. The Bon Me version was none of these things (chunks of chicken, no spice, and a tad too sweet) - Bon Me Bap - this appears to be a version of BiBimBap... It was decent, but where is the red gochujang sauce? It needed some spicy and kick. - Craft Your Bowl - this was like Chipotle but Asian style - this was tasty and healthy. best dish of the evening. - Lemonade - nothing special. We asked for spicy - there was no spice at all. read more

I like the spicy peanut sauce and the miso lime sauce, and I like that they'll customize pretty much anything any-which-way and don't seem to ever make mistakes on orders (in my experience.) I've only tried their bowls, Chinese broccoli, and edamame, but I've been pretty happy with everything I've gotten. The prices are high but they are on par for the neighborhood, and the service is friendly and solidly reliable. Wish they would offer vegan kimchi, but I know most people don't have that need. Anyway this is where I send most of our new work clients when they ask for lunch recommendations. read more

One of my favorite fast food restaurants. Now they are 5 mins away from my house. High quality food, excellent service and very friendly staff. Always fresh and delicious. So excited... read more

Bon Me - Test Kitchen - Vietnamese Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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I work nearby so I finally grabbed lunch at this location with a friend. I liked the easy ordering options with the tablets though I wish there was an option to modify the dish and remove ingredients whether for dietary or personal preference. I had the japchae noodles which came with char siu bbq pork. Overall the meal was decent but I found the pork to be a bit dry for my taste. The restaurant gets busy during lunch hour but many order to-go so finding a place to seat was not hard. While I wouldn't mind returning to grab lunch in the future, there are several other Asian restaurants in the area I would rather visit first. read more

I've never left a review for any other restaurant I've been to, but my experience at this Bon Me was so terrible that I feel like I have to say something. I ordered the Namesake Sandwich (a classic Banh mi sandwich like the name of the restaurant) using the machine at the entrance. After waiting 20 minutes, I received an entirely different kind of sandwich. I tried to explain to the workers there that I received the wrong order but they had a hard time understanding me and kept rudely arguing back claiming that I made a mistake. After some time, they finally agreed to make me a new one and told me to wait. After 25 more minutes, I received an entirely wrong order of a rice bowl. I was too tired of waiting and shocked to ask for my correct order again so I ended up eating something completely different from what I had ordered, and ended up going over my lunch break time by just waiting for 45 minutes. I understand that mistakes can happen, but I wish the employees had been nicer when I tried to explain and that they had been more patient and actually listened to what I was telling them. Will definitely not be going back- there are many better options for around the same price in this area. read more

I've been to this location multiple times and usually it's efficient and food is pretty good. I went today around 1 pm and ordered the Pho. Since the restaurant is mostly empty this time of the day, it came out quickly. Unfortunately it was luke warm to cold and when I asked to have it heated, I was told to it's cold because they had been calling me for last 10 min. This is of course not true because I went straight from the ordering pad to the waiting area and received the Pho order within a minute or two. I think the management needs to train staff for better food quality control and also refrain from automatically shift blame onto customer. read more

Dude, if you want real food, just go somewhere else. The food here is tasteless, no where near authentic, super bland, and a disgrace to Asian food. Please do not come here, it's a waste of your money. read more

Ordering from the front makes it a simple process. The means are simple and better than expected. Would consider a lunch option for the price. read more

Bon Me - Test Kitchen - Vietnamese Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Bon Me, sub sandwich is wonderful. Pick your protein and enjoy the spicy delicious delight.

Not pleasant at all. Saw an employee in the kitchen eating with food prep gloves. Will not be back.

Great food -- The new noodle dishes (a couple soups and Dan Dan) are my favorites. The Udon noodle soup is nearly perfect (especially the consistent soft boiled egg). The Dan Dan noodles aren't traditional (they use chewy ramen noodles and a very different sauce) but are great nonetheless. It'd be great if they added vegetarian soups though. Reasonably priced for area (similar to B.Good or Clover). Quick service, even during the lunch rush (it's never taken more than 10 minutes from entering to getting my food). I wish it were open more hours (evenings and weekends). The quality and preparation have been very consistent. read more