It's been really hard to find good Vietnamese food on the east coast. As someone who grew up in a Vietnamese dominated community in Orange County, California, I have high standards. I was searching for a Banh Mi place to try and this place pops up in my search and of course I had to stop by and take a look. It's a small store with very limited variety of things you would expect from an "authentic Vietnamese" store. Of course this place should be specialized in Banh Mi but I was wrong. I don't even think there are any Asian or Vietnamese people who work there, they were all Hispanic. The bread is definitely not crunchy or fluffy as you would think in a traditional Banh mi. It was soft and mushy and I'd give it a zero star. This is the worst banh mi I've ever had in my life. I would not pay 7$ for this. You can even tell in the photo. The Banh beo was decent though except it did start to break apart easily as I got towards the bottom of the plate. 6$ does feel a little pricey for it but it saved my meal. 3 out of 5 star. The sesame ball was decent. For $1.50 I would definitely come back for. The filling was sweet and the ball was crunchy as I would expect. The only thing that I didn't like about it was that it was extremely greasy and soaked the brown paper back it was in. Even when I left it on the counter it's like all the oil just came out and bleed through making a small puddle of oil. 4 out of 5. Keep it in the plastic bag or put it on paper towels to get all of the excess oil before eating it. Overall the only thing I would go back to buy in the store is the side snacks. I will never buy Banh mi at this banh mi place ever again which is ridiculous. It's like going to a pizza place and not buying pizza. read more

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Small hole in the wall bakery. Serving up fresh bread, delicious treats and filling sandwiches! I have loved Bahn Mi for a while but haven't been able to find many spots that serve it. Catina bakery filled the Bahn Mi hole in my heart! The sandwiches are filled with meat, the right amount of jalapeños and mayo (which is made with raw eggs here), they are also only 7 dollars! They are on the smaller side so you could easily eat 2 but if you pair it with any of their buns or breads they offer you could easily have a full lunch for quite a reasonable price. The sandwiches are made to order and my wait for 2 sandwiches was less than 6 minutes. I can't wait to return and if you're also looking to fill your Bahn Mi fix or just looking for a quick lunch spot this is definitely the place! read more

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Used to love this place, but they raise their prices and card minimums. The $10 card minimum caused me to walk out today and probably not come back. Their bahn mi used to be $3 and now it's $7. $3 was too cheap, $7 is too high for what it is... very basic bahn mi. They lost my business because they can't eat a 2% fee (but they can constantly raise their prices). read more

Catina - Grilled Pork Sandwich - Sandwiches Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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Catina is one of my go-to's when I'm craving a banh mi. They have 11 different variations but the banh mi thit nguoi (cold cut combination) is the classic. The banh mi's are priced at $6, which makes it a great option for a quick bite. They're served with a toasted French baguette, cilantro, pickled carrots and daikon, cucumber, jalapeño, and Vietnamese mayo (made with raw egg yolks). All the ingredients combined make the sandwich pretty light and refreshing. The banh mi's have definitely gotten smaller and less filled over time but they're still worth the price. They also have boba tea and other Vietnamese snacks and desserts. I like to grab a Thai tea boba and banh bo nuong (honeycomb cake) or banh bo (steamed rice cakes) while I'm there. It's a take out spot so there's no seating but they get you in and out relatively quickly. I usually bring cash as well. read more

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Came here since a Vietnamese restaurant nearby 0.3 miles away decided to close early the day before Thanksgiving. We tried the grilled pork sandwiches and the cafe sua da. The grilled pork sandwiches were OK, not the greatest, but was a decent meal for our hungry stomachs. It was a good price too at five dollars each. Looked like the bread was fresh. Bread was toasted a little bit too much. The sandwich had an equal ratio of meat to vegetables to herbs. Cafe sua da was not that good, but still drinkable. Also tried Banh Da Lon (steamed green layered sticky cake), which also wasn't that good, but still edible. Got a bun with meat and eggs, which was not that good either. Credit card is accepted with $10 minimum. To-go only. read more

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Ordered a grilled pork banh mi but got a lot of sardines. It also took 10-15 minutes which seemed a bit long considering they totally screwed up the order read more

This used to be my favorite banh mi place to go to and tasted exactly like banh mi ba Le. But now, the quality has diminished. There's barely any filling, the bread is smaller, and the flavor was off. Something is missing from the sandwich which makes it not as enjoyable. I'm really upset because it's hard to find good banh mi near me and I thought this was the place. read more

Catina - Menu - Sandwiches Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

This is a solid little shop but it isn't something I'd particularly go out of my way to try. Food was decent and only 6 dollars a banh mi, but they are smaller sized so order two ! read more

Catina - Sandwiches Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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Little hole in the wall bakery. Unassuming but great sandwiches at a great price. Fresh baked Vietnamese baguettes. I have had many but the BBQ pork of tofu are my favorites. The Boba is pretty good according to my daughter. Fast, inexpensive and really good. Don't let the looks fool you. Yum. read more

I've been here several times but the quality and the price is inflated for what you get. The interior is hot and kinda humid which made me weary about the food quality. Luckily, I've never gotten sick from eating there. Like the other reviews have mentioned, there's barely any filling, the bread is meager and on the stale side, and it'd be a disservice for me to recommend a mediocre spot for banh mis. read more

Great Banh Mi spot. No frills, no seating, just good sandwiches on house made bread! They've got some packaged items made in house that looked interesting, along with some great in house made drinks. I did mine without boba and it was still good. Important note: In order to use a debit card there is a $10 minimum, so either count on buying a drink and sandwich, or bring cash. The sandwich is packed with flavor and really well balanced textures. What's special about this place is its simplicity. Give it a try! read more

Catina - The original Bahn Mi! - Sandwiches Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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It's been a while since I've been here and the prices went up slightly but I was still able to get two sandwiches for under $10. The sandwiches are tasty and a pretty good size. Service is always quick and friendly. It's a little hole in the wall definitely worth trying out. read more

This place is quite unique. 0 ambiance, no place to sit - it's only a takeout place. HOWEVER they make authentic Vietnamese/french bread for pretty much all of the Vietnamese restaurants in the area. Their Bahn Mi sandwiches are to die for! We go at least once a week. Give them a try read more

Cheap delicious Sammy ! The people are super nice ! 10 out 10 would come back !!!!!!!!!!

Located in a small rundown strip mall next to an Asian grocery, the interior looks just as run down. But don't let that fool you, they have some good grub going down here. There's no dining area inside and is pretty cramped. Just enough to place your order pretty much and make it a to-go. This place has a deal going where if you buy 5 banh mi you get 1 free. It's 5 bucks a pop for a sandwich. I ordered 3 of their cold cut combos and 3 of their grilled pork. They were pretty good. The bread was nice and soft and the proteins were flavorful and tasty. Out of the two flavors I enjoyed the grilled pork more. It had a nice sweetness of bbq flavor to it. Come give this place a try if you're in the mood for banh mi. read more

Catina - #1 cold cut combo banh mi - Sandwiches Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Quick and excellent Bahn Mi. Nothing fancy but the sandwhich does the trick. Only 6$. Will be back.

Got the #10 it was amazing! I'll skip the boba next time and get 2 sandwiches instead

A nice little Vietnamese sandwich shop with other specialties such as desserts and drinks like boba. So far, this is the only Vietnamese-run Banh Mi shop that I know of in Richmond. Other places like the Naked Onion and Answer Brewpub also have banh mi as well. My favorite flavor is always pork belly when it comes to Vietnamese food, especially for their sandwiches. I love how fusion the sandwich is which reflects its mixed history with France. A great cheap eat, each sandwich is $3.50. Apparently, if you buy 5 you get 1 free. Service is really fast and I wish I had checked out the other items as well. It looked like they had other Vietnamese sticky rice desserts and even latino pastries too. It's a great snack or lunch and transports easily and doesn't always need refrigeration. I like that the fish pate they layered on the bread has a creamy, tangy base that contrasts with the freshness of the cilantro, carrots, and cucumbers. And then the beautifully roasted pork belly in the middle is nice. I believe it's because of spices and roasting that the pork belly has a bright red tint to it which makes it more appetizing. read more

Catina - Pork belly banh mi - Sandwiches Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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I've been meaning to try this hole in the wall Vietnamese eatery for awhile, and I'm glad I finally went. Inside it is part convenience store, part bakery. They sell bubble tea, smoothies, and sandwiches made to order for rock bottom prices, as well as an assortment of other Vietnamese and American items. I saw quite a few foods I didn't recognize, one of which looked like a fish soup and an unidentified cut of meat, as well as more familiar products: shrimp crackers, banh cam (fried sesame dough balls), sodas, coconut water, candy, vegetables, etc. Service is friendly and fast, but don't expect to be greeted; stand at the register until one of the two workers comes to you. I ordered the #12 banh mi, which has shredded and grilled pork as well as the usual pickled veggies on a large French bread roll. It's served wrapped in wax paper and held shut by a rubber band. The pork was juicy and tender, the vegetables had the right amount of acid, and the fresh bread was perfectly fluffy inside and crunchy on the outside. For $4 it's a great deal, plus they offer a buy 5 get 1 free deal if you're grabbing lunch with friends. read more

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My wife and I went here for lunch and we ordered 3 #6 Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches. The sandwiches are made fresh right after you order. They were $5 each and my wife thought one sandwich may not be enough for each of us. It was enough so we took the extra sandwich for her mom. We also bought 2 cans of Diet Pepsi to go with it and got lucky that they had enough diet soda for both of us. It would be nice to have more soda options but this is a pretty small shop. Do not expect to sit and eat inside this small shop. It's more of an order and go concept. They also had Asian desserts that looked really good but we were trying to be good although my wife did break down and get a sesame ball. She ate it on her way back to work and said it was delicious. We ate the sandwiches in our car and the bread was crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside like French bread should be. The sandwiches were awesome and authentic. The bread looked large compared to the contents but there was enough meat and pickled vegetables in it. My wife thought there was just a little too much pate though. The sandwich also had fresh cilantro and jalapeños on it which was nice but we would have liked more cause we like it spicy. Next time we will ask to make it spicier. We will definitely go back to this sandwich shop to get our banh mi fix. The service was fast and they were friendly. read more

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We've been going here for years and today our sandwiches were nasty. Our banh mi barely had any meat on it. There was one slice of meat. And it was really fatty. I bought 5 sandwiches to get one free. They were all bad. We've been loyal customers for years and I don't think I'm returning. read more

Catina - Sandwiches Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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Whenever I see a Catina picture I squeal. Not a girlie squeal, but like. OK maybe a little girlie. Anyway, let's get on with the actual review. What to get: Avocado Smoothie! What else: I'll tell you more After-cardio (get it, Avo-cado). The folks working here were Latino, and super friendly. They made me an exceptional avocado smoothie for next to no money at all (under $3 if I recall). It's not the best I've ever had (that might be at New Dong in Boston, yes that's a real thing lol), but between the lovely service and the good taste in a state with not much great Asian dessert-and-drink option, I'm happy to give this lovely little Vietnamese place a 5. And if you just came from a Cantina and want to wash down your food, try an Avocado smoothie at Catina! read more

Catina - Like a catina bag, waiting to drown - Sandwiches Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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Yes, it's small and there is no area to eat inside and sometimes there is trash left laying around from customers because there is no trash can. Other than that, the sandwiches are delicious. I tried the pork belly, grilled pork, and grilled chicken sandwiches and I order all of them with extra meat. Simple place with simple delicious food and other treats. Highly recommended for a cheap but fulfilling lunch. read more

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Firstly--I'm basing this review solely on their boba tea. The boba tea smoothies here are LEGITIMATE. I'm talkin real, fresh ingredients---not any of that powder stuff you see at other boba tea shops. But let me forewarn you to BRING CASH so you don't end up an unhappy customer salivating for their smoothies or banh mi. I treated myself to a taro boba smoothie today and was amazed. It was the perfect blend of real taro, ice, and sweetness. I also very much enjoyed their boba. The boba itself was surprisingly chewy and sweet--easier to chew than boba at most places--to the point where It would never cross my mind any awkward situation where a stranger would have to perform the heimlich maneuver on me for being clumsy and choking on one... They only use fresh ingredients here, and offer your usual flavors such as mango, strawberry, and coconut, on top of some more exotic flavors such as soursop, durian, and avocado. The price was also right. 2 boba smoothies totaled $7.35 after tax. I was very happy about this because I am so used to getting jipped with powder smoothies that cost me nearly $5 a cup! This small hole-in-the-wall vietnamese bakery also offers a pretty extensive menu of banh mi (vietnamese sandwiches) as well as vietnamese desserts and baked goods. I can't wait to come back to try some of their other boba smoothies as well as their banh mi! Another thing to note is that they have very odd store hours... that meaning they don't seem to have any set store hours at all, so you have to guess. Also, there is no seating, because it's more of an order to go place. Nonetheless, I recommend this hidden gem for sure. read more

Catina - Menu - Sandwiches Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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The sandwiches and bobas are great! The prices are reasonable too. Bring cash to make purchases. read more

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Don't waste your time, money and patience. Time: they take their time to acknowledge you when you first enter and take your order. They took about 30mins just to prepare a sandwich. It was 2pm and they weren't busy at all. Money: stale bread, limited veggies and the meat (we ordered chicken & pork); were tasteless. Patience: their tone and abrupt-rudeness to your questions is simply not necessary. Btw, I also ordered a soursop boba today, it tasted gross! There are 2 different color tone (brown and black) to the tapioca's. They tasted weird! How could you go wrong with such a simple order?! I am local and have been to this place many times but today, I noticed new faces and new boards/menu. I never thought of anything else but after experiencing all of these, I am certain this will be my last time here! read more

Their Banh mi sandwiches are pretty good. So far we have tried almost all of them. We have tried the chicken, meatball, cha lua (ham), roast pork, grilled and roast pork, the extra and pork belly. Also we have tried mango, pineapple, strawberry, coconut, avocado and papaya bubble drinks. All of their drinks we tried are great!! Customer service is ok. Nothing special I just expect them to be friendlier because we are regulars. Give them a try. If you're looking for an authentic Banh mi sandwich this is the place. Almost forgot. We have also tried their steamed pork bun. Not a fan. Next time I think I will try their Banh coun. Hope it's as good as my moms. read more

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Super cheap banh mi and bubble tea. It's tasty, and from what I can tell (I'm no authority) seems pretty authentic. I like the grilled pork or grilled chicken, I tried the pork belly and it was this marinated red meat that is super gelatinous. I wasn't a huge fan. It is the only place in this area with the fruit smoothie style bubble tea though. Other nearby places have the tea style, but not the mango smoothie which is my favorite. It's a small place, is cheap and delicious. Covid note: there were signs encouraging mask wearing, however I didn't see employees actually wearing masks while I was there. read more

not a person who likes to write any sort of review but this time I just have to. decided to try out their banh mi just because our favorite shop right down the same street is temporary closed. Came here 3 times in total, the banh mi itself was an 8/10, but the service was -1/10. the first time I was there, the lady in the front made it so difficult to order, and had a ridiculous attitude when she tried to throw the pens and stuff after . I was an employee for food service before so I was tryna understand for her, maybe she was having a bad day. but no, the 2nd and 3rd time I came back, the attitude was even worse. I was waiting 10 minutes to get to place my order while I was the only customer, the younger girl in the back saw me the whole time but she was on her phone until 10 minutes later to start coming up and take my order. when I tried to ask her questions about the order, she cut me off and give me a short answer with an attitude, as if she tryna get out of the counter asap. fyi I did not even take that long for my order, I ordered 2 sandwiches. I don't know if they are not happy with working or not happy with customer coming into the store and give them business? I and all the people come in to the store to order are paying for the food, we are not there begging for anything for free so that kind of hospitality should not happen at all. read more

Great place to grab a sandwich or bakery goods. Service is quick and food is great tasting, Banh Mi is the best here! You buy 5, and you get 1 free sandwich, which is a great deal. Bang Mi is a Vietnamse sandwich which is consists of sliced beef, sweetened carrots, celery, cucumber, jalapeno. Though the ingredients can change and be customized the way you want it. My absolute favorite that I always get here is #8 which is the pork belly and #6 which is everything on it. You can get your sandwich pre-made or put the radish in separate plastic Ziplock bag, and put the sandwiches together yourself if you don't plan on eating it right away. I also happen to really like their plain fresh bread. The layout is simple and very small. It's more so for takeout than dining in since there's no table whatsoever and only has one chair to wait for your order. I mainly come here for their Bahn Mi sandwiches because it's very cheap compared to other places that I have been to so far in Virginia. If you're craving some sandwiches or want a good deal, come here and try it out for yourself. read more

I came in because they sell boba here, but I was not aware that they had a minimum purchase policy of $10. I can understand the reasons behind having a minimum purchase or extra fee for these transactions, but I don't think that should mean paying double the price of my order. read more

Walked in a few minutes after noon. I was the only person in line. There are some sundries on shelves and in small coolers. The feel is very hole in the wall. There are tons of racks full of bread. The menu is above the counter with a number of sandwich and drink options. I opted for a grilled pork sandwich and a honeydew bubble tea. The tea is going to have me running buzzing around from how sweet it is, but I love fake honeydew flavor. It's a definite win because it's not just shaken. They blend it, so it's like a slurpee. The flavor of the sandwich was great, but to be honest, the meat looked a little sketch, so I pulled some out. The bread was crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. The veggies were crisp and there was just the right amount of mayo. I am used to them being a little spicier, so I would have put some sriracha on there had I known. Overall, it was cheap and good. Was the service the best I've ever had? No. It's not a sit down place where I care about that sort of thing as much. It wasn't a big deal. Also, they take cards now! read more

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The young girl who works at the front is rude as sh$! She acts like everyone coming there is bothering her when actually we are giving you business based upon memories of the previous owner. Guess what? If you don't want to be welcoming then there are other places that we can go. I'm not saying make small talk or be overly nice but not seeing an eye roll while I'm trying to figure out what to order might help. The food has been tasteless throughout the years and the fried goods are drenched in oil. I mean sitting in oil on display. The older lady is nice but I'd keep that young one away from the public. She has a bad attitude that shows all over her face! read more

I ordered about six banh mi, it was a disappointment. Veggies were stale, zero taste to the sandwiches. Would not recommend this place to anyone. Please don't waste your money, it's not authentic or good at all. read more

Came across this place randomly, I ordered 2 banh mi and a mango boba tea. Nice staff, hole in the wall kind of joint! I ordered the number 6 and number 8 both pretty good. Not as much meat compared to the typical American sandwiches but the bread tasted fresh and was nice and warm. That's always a plus! The boba tea isn't for me the tapioca balls aren't my favorite personally, the mango smoothie/tea itself was pretty good. There are a few unique things about this spot, they have very interesting items like durian and lichen. Take a walk around to the counter and snack area and try to figure out the names of the premade items sitting out. Try a new and unfamiliar snack like shrimp chips! All in all, I'm not upset with this place, but I can't exactly rave about it either! Check it out for yourself! read more

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A little hole-in-the-wall but such legit banh mi! They have all the classic flavors and great boba options too. Service is fast and reliable, this is my go-to banh mi place in town. read more

Good fresh sandwiches but not Vietnamese style bread or taste. They no longer honor buy 5 get 1 sandwich, but if you're craving something other than Subway, this is a good choice for $5. read more

really solid place especially for the price, food is good, just don't go in expecting a traditional restaurant experience. no frills, looks a bit sketch, but has great bahn mis read more

After visiting Vietnam last year, I've been craving a good, traditional banh mi, and theirs is the closest that I've found in Richmond. This little hole-in-the-wall banh mi shop is located right in the heart of all the other Vietnamese restaurants and Asian stores. It's dingy and cramped, there are no seats, and there are multiple flies buzzing around when I stepped inside. However, the atmosphere and smells of fresh bread and fish sauce really took me back to Vietnam. I got the #6: "Extra" banh mi. It had pate, and some sort of mystery, peppered jellied meat. Not for the faint of heart if you hate grisle! If you want a classy dining experience, this is not the place for you. If you are squirmish of dirty places then this is not for you either. However, if you want good, traditional, Vietnamese food/snacks for a cheap price ($4 banh mi) then check this place out. They have a variety of Vietnamese snacks and side dishes as well. They also sell fresh loaves of bread! I'll be coming back not for the atmosphere or amazing service, but for the awesome banh mis! read more

Catina - #6: The "extra" banh mi. It has patê and a jellied, peppered mystery meat. It's quite tasty for the adventurous eater! - Sandwiches Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Cheap, fast and tasty, credit card is only for 10$ and up but 2 banh mi is perfect. One for now and one for later