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    First Sandwich

    4.4 (141 reviews)
    Open • 10:30 am - 7:30 pm

    Order First Sandwich Takeout or Delivery

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    FIRST SANDWICH ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Loud
    Casual
    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - First Sandwich

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    Pork chop rice
    Food Finder G.

    I wanted to get the pork chop rice. It was ok , a little bland. But the price is really expensive ~$16 for a food court. And not much meat. It was more expensive than other restaurants ie. Tofu king. It was disappointing, nothing to write home about. The lady there was nice though.

    turkey melt
    elizabeth

    the staff were warm and welcoming. the people that ran the store were two kind asian people. they recognized we were asian as well and we instantly connected because we both spoke chinese. they were incredibly generous with the beef noodle soup portion. the tables were clean and the wait time for food wasn't bad. sandwiches were savory and had a fair price to them. i definitely recommend this place if your budget for food is between $10 and $20. the food is solid.

    Stacey C.

    They have great sandwiches and so many varieties to choose from. Run by a couple who are great about making sandwiches to order. Love this place!

    Beef noodle soup
    Amy T.

    One of my new go to weekday lunch spots! I have had this spot bookmarked for a while and finally got around to trying it. It's in a food hall with a lot of offices in the area so it does get a little lunch rush but the service is still so quick. I usually come around 12 and my food is ready in 5 minutes. I have only tried the Jah Jun noodles (which is the Taiwanese version of Korean jajangmyeon) and the beef noodle soup so far but they were both excellent options for a quick Taiwanese lunch. I will definitely be back to try some rice dishes as well as their sandwiches.

    Pastrami Sandwich
    Yurie H.

    Bomb sandwich with huge portion and great quality~ A little hard to find since it's in a small mall joined with 3-4 other eateries. Atmosphere is a small mom and pop shop, with huge selection of sandwiches and Taiwanese dishes. BF got the philly cheese steak and I got the pastrami ($10 each with tax). The pastrami was stuffed between two rye breads with veggies, super fresh and not overly salty. Portion is huge so definately enough for two people's worth. I tried a bit of the Philly Cheese Steak and steak was well cooked and seasoned between soft French bread. Owners here are super sweet, highly recommended visiting here for a quick and affordable meal.

    Anthony Z.

    I had the dry pork noodles and they were DELICIOUS. Very authentic flavor, and delivered by Sherry with such kindness! This is the small business flavor you've been looking for. I give them 12 STARS OUT OF 5!!! Antho Mr. Hyperlocal 非常好吃。很地道的凉面,我一定回来。下次我尝一尝那个pastrami三明治。Sherry很善良,丈夫真是个大厨五星。下次再! 安肃 本地通

    3/16/2023 menu
    Gloria K.

    - QQQQQuality sandwich, loaded ingredients - definitely bang for a buck in the current economy - owner is super sweet !

    Try this place! Front counter on First Sandwich
    Cierra V.

    Hidden Gem of Irvine Fast, Fresh, and Friendly! Sandwiches and Asian home cooking served with a smile. This is a Family Owned Business, ran by the same Asian couple everyday. The woman at the front counter is always happy and sweet, and the man making the food in the back is dedicated to his craft. They offer a large menu with variety for any pallet. I get the Home Cooked Stewed Pork Plate every time, highly recommended! Indoor and Outdoor seating available. Please give them a try!

    Steak
    Alejandro P.

    I really enjoyed this steak sandwich it was good!! Poured ranch over it and it was even better. Il def be back to eat here and support them.

    Club sandwich

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    1 month ago

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    10 months ago

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    8 months ago

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    10 months ago

    The Reuben pastrami sandwich was good and service was friendly. We went in the afternoon and it was quiet in the plaza. Would return.

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    6 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Excellent sandwich, good prices and this place is in with 7 others that appears to be a lunch time go-to for local 9-5 people

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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Great food, great service, and the owners are so nice! Come here all the time! Quick and convenient

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    7 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    2 years ago

    The best sandwich spot in Irvine. Hands down!! All of the food here is amazing but the sandwiches, Wowzers!!

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Best sandwich place in Irvine. The couple that run it are pleasant and their food is as well.

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    EverSpring Modern Chinese

    EverSpring Modern Chinese

    4.2(481 reviews)
    4.1 mi
    •$$
    Vegetarian friendly
    Casual dining

    What a pleasant surprise! We found this little Xi'an restaurant while shopping and ended up having…read moreone of the most satisfying meals we've had in a while. The lamb skewers were juicy and perfectly seasoned with cumin, and the grilled beef tendon skewers had an amazing crispy, chewy texture. The soup dumplings were full of flavorful broth, and the braised beef knife-cut noodles were chewy with large, tender chunks of beef. We also tried the beef paomo for the first time--it was warm, comforting, and packed with rich flavor. The portions were generous, the prices were very reasonable, and after chatting with the staff we learned the owner is from Xi'an, which explains how authentic everything tasted. If you're craving Northwestern Chinese food in Irvine, this spot is definitely worth checking out!

    The restaurant is located near Dairy Queen and Sephora over by Tustin Marketplace area. There is a…read morelot of parking available, thank goodness. The inside is clean, to the left is where the seats are located and the right is where the kiosks are. You can order the food on a kiosk and sometimes they have deals for a second dish for 50% off. The prices were a little bit more expensive than I would have preferred but they do give generous servings. We ordered stir fried string beans, orange chicken, crispy beef, and salt and pepper fish filet. My least favorite was the crispy beef, mostly because it didn't even taste like I was eating much. I probably should have gotten a different beef dish, otherwise everything else was pretty good. They have a robot delivering food to the tables. They do have someone at the front desk area if you have any questions or need hot water for teas.

    Photos
    EverSpring Modern Chinese - Crispy Beef. Photo is for demonstration purpose only, not our actual serving size.

    Crispy Beef. Photo is for demonstration purpose only, not our actual serving size.

    EverSpring Modern Chinese - Orange Chicken

    Orange Chicken

    EverSpring Modern Chinese - Dry Chili Chicken

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    Dry Chili Chicken

    Kuan Zhai Alley

    Kuan Zhai Alley

    4.3(317 reviews)
    6.4 mi
    •$$
    Outdoor seating
    Free parking

    Came by for lunch on the weekend and the place was packed! We managed to grab a seat but I can see…read morethis filling up or getting to a wait if it was any busier. They have a very Szechuan focused menu with most of the classics. Interior is lively and the space is on the smaller side. Service was prompt and all our food came quickly. The twice cooked pork was a little salty but came with generous ratio of pork to veggies. The hot and sour soup was piping and well flavored. Everything was spicy but not unbearable, and their food was all generously portioned.

    The short female server was extremely rude and had a very unpleasant attitude. We noticed that she…read moregave a larger table to customers she seemed familiar with, while assigning us a much smaller table even though we had the same number of people. What made it even more frustrating was that the restaurant was practically empty at the time, so there was clearly no issue with the restaurant being too busy or running out of available tables. The way we were treated felt unfair and very disrespectful. If you're willing to spend money just to be judged and treated differently based on who you are, this is definitely the place for you. Highly recommended!!!! To clarify the situation: When we entered the restaurant, it was clearly not a busy hour. There were plenty of empty tables available. If your policy is that certain four-person tables are reserved exclusively for customers who make reservations in advance, then that policy should be clearly stated to customers rather than being applied selectively. When we arrived, there was a customer dining alone who was seated at a table for three. Later, another customer who appeared to be familiar with the short female server also came in alone and was given a larger three-person table. So just to clarify: were all of these tables reserved in advance as well? Or does the "reservation" rule only apply when it comes to certain customers? No one wants to sit at a tiny table in the middle of the aisle when there isn't even enough space to comfortably fit four dishes. We are not complaining simply because we were given a smaller table. The issue is the obvious inconsistency in how the seating was handled. If there is a legitimate seating policy, it should be applied consistently to everyone--not selectively depending on who the customer is.

    Photos
    Kuan Zhai Alley
    Kuan Zhai Alley
    Kuan Zhai Alley

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    Northern Cafe

    Northern Cafe

    4.0(513 reviews)
    2.1 mi
    •$$

    We have been to Northern Cafe many times over the years, although we hadn't visited for a while…read morerecently. It is conveniently located near UCI, making it a popular spot for students. The ordering process is simple. Just find an empty table and sit down, browse the menu, and when you're ready, walk up to the front counter to place your order and pay. After that, the staff will bring the food to your table. If you need extra plates, water, or other basic items, it's mostly self-service. Just grab what you need yourself. The setup is straightforward and efficient, which is probably one reason so many students like coming here. It's a great place for a quick meal with friends or family near the UCI area.

    Lots of parking available at UTC area, especially since it's located on the backside over by…read moreIn-N-Out. The restaurant is pretty big and clean. There are a couple of areas where you can get free water in cups. They often have daily specials if you're interested, especially the cold foods. Service was friendly and efficient. We ordered our food at the counter and the food came out relatively fast. We ate so many good foods: XLB, eggplant with garlic, mapo tofu, and zha jiang noodles. I don't know which one was my favorite because they were all very good and the portions were AMAAAZING. We had so much food leftover to eat the next day for me and my friend.

    Photos
    Northern Cafe - Front cashier area

    Front cashier area

    Northern Cafe - Szechuan Mala Pot | IG @moniquedao

    Szechuan Mala Pot | IG @moniquedao

    Northern Cafe - Zha Jiang Noodle

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    Zha Jiang Noodle

    A & J Restaurant

    A & J Restaurant

    4.1(2.8k reviews)
    4.2 mi
    •$$

    One of the best values around for authentic Taiwanese food! The prices feel very SGV and yet this…read moreis in a prime OC location. I went to the A&J in SGV over a decade ago and was thrilled there is one in Irvine. They have the usual Taiwanese staples like nu rou mian (beef noodle soup), beef roll, and green onion pancake but they're done exceptionally well and have abundant portions. Bonus for me is they have a very cheap zhua bing, which I don't usually see on menus. The Beijing style meat pie / hand pie was absolute fire and should be enjoyed immediately upon serving when it's still burning hot. It's sold by the each so you'll have to buy multiple if you're dining with people since I'll can't split one with all the e juicy broth inside. They have other basic items like Chinese zhajiangmein (perfect for kiddos) and lots of other noodle dishes. Avoid the potstickers -- something was really off with the flavor th3 day I went and I usually don't turn away fried dumplings. Plenty of parking!

    Here is what I ordered and how I score the dish with my comments. Sorry I didn't take pictures…read more Each dish has a number. I am not Chinese so take that into consideration. 122 beef soup clear broth - This was a 5/5 - so good we got one too go. The price is good but it is a small portion with just a little meat. It's the broth that tastes so good. 111 noodles with ground pork, sprouts and cucumber 5/5 - I really liked this dish. It's like a Chinese chili on wide noodles. Addictive. Good value too. 139 beef wrap - 3/5 - This is the chinese pancake surrounding overcooked beef that you can get anywhere. Thankfully they didn't use too much cilantro like other places. It was dry. I would not order it again. Needs a sauce too. The vinegar from the table wasn't helping. 137 1000layer pancake - 3/5 This was made fresh and it's puffy! ---probably exactly what it's supposed to be. It, too, needs a special sauce. There just is no flavor by itself. Plus, I only counted 900 layers. Just kidding. I would skip next time. The service here is great. Food comes out fast.

    Photos
    A & J Restaurant - Interior

    Interior

    A & J Restaurant - #151 sliced pork ears w/hot and spicy seasoning, #154 vegetarian delight (gluten puffs, bean curd, and mushrooms)

    #151 sliced pork ears w/hot and spicy seasoning, #154 vegetarian delight (gluten puffs, bean curd, and mushrooms)

    A & J Restaurant - Chinese Style Fried Chicken on Rice

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    Chinese Style Fried Chicken on Rice

    Seven Grams - XLB

    Seven Grams

    4.5(1.4k reviews)
    4.9 mi
    •$$

    Overall (5/5) Really good spot for xiao long bao. Everything…read morewas tasty, the line moved quickly, and the whole place felt casual and clean. First Impressions (5/5) Casual spot that is not super fancy or overly crowded feeling. We were 9th in line and got a table within about 10 to 15 minutes, so they move pretty quickly. What We Got (5/5) * Regular xiao long bao: Really good and flavorful. * Crab xiao long bao: Strong crab flavor and falls apart in your mouth. * Spicy xiao long bao: Good flavor but not very spicy. * Mapo tofu: Not much meat, but the mala flavor is really good, with a nice salty and spicy balance. Came with a good amount of rice. Taste and Quality (5/5) Everything was very tasty. The crab xiao long bao was probably the standout, with a strong crab flavor and soft texture. Service (5/5) Very nice and speedy. The line moved quickly and we were seated pretty fast. Space and Atmosphere (5/5) Very casual with a clean feel and casual music. Good for a quick meal with friends. Was It Worth It (5/5) Definitely worth it. Good food, decent portions, and the quick service makes it an easy choice. Final Thoughts Great spot if you want xiao long bao without waiting forever. I would definitely come back.

    Lovely Taiwanese casual spot with incredible prices!! My mom and I stopped by here for lunch and it…read moredid not disappoint. The wait can get a little long but the outdoor waiting area is in shade and there are a couple of benches. We shared the cucumber salad, chili sauce wontons, Seven Grams XLB, and a scallion pancake all for $33. Insanely cheap, tasty too. The scallion pancake was a little thinner than I'd like, not a ton of scallion flavor. But we especially liked the XLB - juicy and full of meat! The cucumber salad was light and refreshing and the chili sauce wontons were tender and tangy. Great lunch spot - would love to try something from the drink menu the next time I'm back! :)

    Photos
    Seven Grams - Inside seating

    Inside seating

    Seven Grams - Scallion Pancake 8pcs

    Scallion Pancake 8pcs

    Seven Grams - Pan Fried Shrimp&Chicken Dumplings (Whole Wheat) 8pcs

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    Pan Fried Shrimp&Chicken Dumplings (Whole Wheat) 8pcs

    Xishang Roodle - Wagyu Beef Crossing- The-Bridge Rice Noodle

    Xishang Roodle

    4.4(244 reviews)
    2.9 mi
    •$$

    I'm Chinese, but had never had Yunnan food before, so thought of giving it a try…read more I walked in and was immediately sat. It's a QR scan to see the menu and place your order through your phone. The food came out so quick. Less than 2 minutes and everything was in front of me and tasted fresh. The service is extremely fast. I got the classic Roodle and as soon as I put all the ingredients into the broth, they swung by and collected empty dishes immediately. The portion was large and ingredients fresh. I enjoyed the variety and the amount of rice noodle. The broth was salty and refreshing. They have some side sauces to adjust the flavor, but I found myself not needing it. The dish reminded me of a form of hot pot but a soup version. Loved it! I highly recommend and will be returning!

    I decided to give this place a try because I heard their noodles were very authentic, and as…read moresomeone who loves noodles, I was excited to try it. I ordered their most popular dish, the A1 set, but honestly, it didn't really live up to the hype for me. The broth tasted pretty underseasoned overall. From what I understood, you're supposed to mix all the toppings into the soup with the noodles, but even after doing that, I still felt like the flavor was lacking. Yes, they provide seasoning on the side, but personally, I wish the broth already had enough flavor on its own without needing to adjust it myself. Would I come back? Probably not. Nothing really stood out to me enough to return, and it felt more like a one-time experience. Overall, everything was just okay.

    Photos
    Xishang Roodle - We came from all over to meet at this Roodle spot in Santa Ana. Fun times.

    We came from all over to meet at this Roodle spot in Santa Ana. Fun times.

    Xishang Roodle - Beef Stew Noodle

    Beef Stew Noodle

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    Devil Chicken | $9.99

    First Sandwich - sandwiches - Updated September 2026

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