I have friends who tell me, "You could just make those spring rolls yourself, you know..."…read more
Lies. (I've tried. They tasted like sadness.)
The ones from Banh Mi Cafe are enormous, sooo fresh, and exactly what I wish mine tasted like. Both the fish sauce and the peanut sauce are excellent, and when I need to bring something to a summer potluck but don't have time to cook, I just order six orders of spring rolls and suddenly everyone at the potluck is happy.
Their Vietnamese iced coffee is also absolute jet fuel. It's my go-to whenever I need to work a late night.
But the reason I'll always be loyal to Banh Mi Café has nothing to do with the food. ::IT'S STORYTIME::
One evening I developed an absolutely irrational craving for their avocado smoothie with boba. I spent the whole day thinking about it, finally placed an online order, and then got a phone call saying they had just run out.
They apologized and offered a replacement or a refund.
Instead, I asked them a weird question: "I know this is kind of crazy...but if you'll have avocado again on Saturday, could you just make this exact order then instead, and I'll come pick it up?"
To my surprise, they said yes.
A couple of days later, I picked up my avocado smoothie, my fresh spring rolls, and went home happy.
Maybe it was more work than it was worth for the employee, maybe it wasn't; either way, they took an odd request seriously, and that's the kind of customer service that sticks with you.
Beyond the spring rolls, I've also really enjoyed the nem chua, the cold cut banh mi (I wish the bread were a little softer, but the condiments and veggies are excellent), and the grilled beef wrapped in betel leaves, which I hadn't tried before and now LOVE. I still have a growing list of desserts to work through, including the flan.
One thing to know before you go, regarding ambiance: this is more of a grab-and-go spot, not somewhere to settle in for lunch. There are only a few bar seats, so I almost always take my food with me, sometimes to the nearby park.
There are plenty of Vietnamese restaurants around Boston, and while I'll always happily try new ones, Banh Mi Cafe has earned my loyalty, one avocado smoothie at a time.