Cali Baguette Express

The banh mi sandwiches are stuffed with all the good stuff crispy baguette, crunchy veggies, and savory meats making every bite feel like a celebration. The Vietnamese iced coffee? It’s like rocket fuel for your day, but way more delicious. Fast, fresh, and seriously satisfying, this place will have you wondering why you’ve been eating boring sandwiches all your life. Bonus: No judgment if you get one to go... and then one more for the road.

My hunt for good banh mi in SD is over! Their fresh baked banh mi nails the thin flaky crust and pillowy soft inside and their fillings really take it home. 10/10 😋

Great sandwiches as usual. Called it in on my way over and it was ready by the time I got there. I got my usual - grilled chicken add pork. 2 meats is better than 1!

I love it here! Service is quick, they’re open early, it’s reasonably priced, and they have great vegetarian options.

My go-to spot for Bahn Mi sandwiches, especially because they open early and I can grab some meals for a hike or road trip. The other food and snacks items are also excellent. They have Pandan cake!

I have been coming to Cali baguette since I was in college 5 years ago. The family that runs this restaurant are the kindest most accommodating people. You can really tell they care about their customers and quality service. I get the same thing everytime and it never disappoints. Tofu bahn mi, they take special caution to prep my vegetarian order without cross contamination and I really appreciate that. This is a wonderful establishment.

Food is very good and the lady is the sweetest ever. Def worth checking out.

Their tofu sandwich is 1000/100, best tofu you will have.

Best Banh Mi. Good prices, good service, and amazing bread. This place deserves 100 stars!

Amazing service the best caramel latte I’ve had rolls very good

Just went there today, always drove past here, but finally gotta chance to take a look. The service was really nice, the drinks are absolute good price. Got a chicken baguette sandwich the thing was the size of my arm. The taste is pretty clean, cucumbers, carrots, chicken, jalapenos, and baguette bread. Really easy on the stomach, and the sugar cane just is really good. 10/10 will be coming back here again. prices are extremely reasonable, and lot of choices available.

Chicken banh mi with added sausage and extra jalapenos is my go-to. The bread is always fresh, and the ingredients are tasty. I usually get the combination fried rice too. I love how fresh and soft the rice is, and the portion size is generous, great for the price. Every time I have a family gathering, I like to bring their fried rice. It's so different from the typical Chinese fried rice you can get anywhere. The owner, or the nice lady who is always there—I think her name is Kim—is so sweet and nice. It's usually just her working the front, and she does an amazing job answering the phones and helping everyone in line. She consistently provides great customer service regardless of how packed the restaurant is. John, who has helped me a couple of times, is nice too.

Love this place so much, so many snacks to grab and go and the coffee is superb.

At first glance, if you weren’t looking for this place…you’d miss it. Inside and out it’s nothing crazy to look at, but to be completely honest…I have had some of the best food of my life curved out of locations that didn’t look like they served food at all. So that’s first. Second. Cali Baguette Express’s food, beverages, and service are top tier. This is my go to for Vietnamese food out side of Pho when I am in the area and you’d be crazy not to come here and try them out.

Pretty chill place. They make the food fresh here. Top tier bbq pork banh mí for the price. The rice paper pork rolls are very crunchy and it’s served with a spicy sauce on the side.

Friendly service and outstanding bread. Some other reviews have noted a lack of meat in their sandwiches, I did not experience this. My BBQ pork and baguette both came out piping hot within three minutes of ordering.

Really like this place! It's not over the top or fancy but has good Vietnamese hole in the wall eatery vibes. Solid food, pretty good prices, can't go wrong. Not too busy either.

Update review: I tried their vermicelli, it was sooooooooo delicious! The egg rolls are crunchy outside and soft & flavorful inside. The bbq pork is delicious as well. I a hundred percent recommend it. My husband had a big beef lemongrass baguette sandwich. It was so big but he finished it. Precious review: Best Banh Mi I’ve ever had in San Diego!!!! Our friends recommended us their foods and told us their Banh Mi is pretty good. Yes! They are! I tried a Lemongrass Beef Banh Mi. It’s huge, with a very reasonable price. The taste is amazing. One thing I love is their baguette bread is not too hard since I always broke my mouth when I have baguette breads. The combination of beef and lemongrass is very yummy. I also bought a bag of taro chips, I love it. I highly recommend this place!

Best place in Mira Mesa to get Bahn me and other Vietnamese snacks. Try the baguettes, they’re always fresh and delicious when you get them early morning. The Bahn mi here are delicious. The number 13(lemon grass beef) with a fried egg is my go to. Not all Bahn me places offer lemon grass beef, so that already puts them on top of other places. The flower paper egg rolls here are good. Customer service here is always amazing. They Always greet you with a smile. The Vietnamese coffee isn’t as strong as other places but still tastes good.

We ordered a lemongrass pork sandwich and rice noodle combo with egg rolls. The baguette was baked well stuffed with fresh meat and vegetables, but the jalapeños tasted so spicy. The noodle combo tasted amazing with decent noodle, flavorful meat, and sweet juicy. Egg rolls were crispy. Anyway, their lemongrass pork was phenomenal.

This was my first time having Cali Baguette Express. The baguette was phenomenal; it’s baked fresh every day. The sandwich filling was similarly fantastic. I highly recommend, and I will be returning.

There were more than a few indications that this place was a LEGIT Vietnamese eatery! From the lines out the door (trust me, well worth the short wait) To the smell of fresh baguettes 🥖(AMAZING!!) Not to mention the numerous bahn mi options (I had the BBQ Pork. It was delicious!) Less we forget there are a multitude of Vietnamese snacks, drinks and desserts. More than just delicious Vietnamese faire their hospitality is just as on point. You can definitely tell that this is a place where the local Vietnamese community comes for comfort food and a feeling of home. I saw an interaction with the cashier and customer where the cashier thanked the customer in Vietnamese and called her Auntie. Nonetheless Cali Baguette Express is a must!

I had the crispy pork belly banh mi & it was delicious!

Ariadne Dodd

Friendly service and outstanding bread. Some other reviews have noted a lack of meat in their sandwiches, I did not experience this. My BBQ pork and baguette both came out piping hot within three minutes of ordering.

Harrison Brown

Really like this place! It's not over the top or fancy but has good Vietnamese hole in the wall eatery vibes. Solid food, pretty good prices, can't go wrong. Not too busy either.

Michael Jameson

This was my first time having Cali Baguette Express. The baguette was phenomenal; it’s baked fresh every day. The sandwich filling was similarly fantastic. I highly recommend, and I will be returning.

LULU LIVE Art

Update review: I tried their vermicelli, it was sooooooooo delicious! The egg rolls are crunchy outside and soft & flavorful inside. The bbq pork is delicious as well. I a hundred percent recommend it. My husband had a big beef lemongrass baguette sandwich. It was so big but he finished it. Precious review: Best Banh Mi I’ve ever had in San Diego!!!! Our friends recommended us their foods and told us their Banh Mi is pretty good. Yes! They are! I tried a Lemongrass Beef Banh Mi. It’s huge, with a very reasonable price. The taste is amazing. One thing I love is their baguette bread is not too hard since I always broke my mouth when I have baguette breads. The combination of beef and lemongrass is very yummy. I also bought a bag of taro chips, I love it. I highly recommend this place!

Fernando Garcia

Best place in Mira Mesa to get Bahn me and other Vietnamese snacks. Try the baguettes, they’re always fresh and delicious when you get them early morning. The Bahn mi here are delicious. The number 13(lemon grass beef) with a fried egg is my go to. Not all Bahn me places offer lemon grass beef, so that already puts them on top of other places. The flower paper egg rolls here are good. Customer service here is always amazing. They Always greet you with a smile. The Vietnamese coffee isn’t as strong as other places but still tastes good.

Vincent Lam

We ordered a lemongrass pork sandwich and rice noodle combo with egg rolls. The baguette was baked well stuffed with fresh meat and vegetables, but the jalapeños tasted so spicy. The noodle combo tasted amazing with decent noodle, flavorful meat, and sweet juicy. Egg rolls were crispy. Anyway, their lemongrass pork was phenomenal.

Phillip Supnet

There were more than a few indications that this place was a LEGIT Vietnamese eatery! From the lines out the door (trust me, well worth the short wait) To the smell of fresh baguettes 🥖(AMAZING!!) Not to mention the numerous bahn mi options (I had the BBQ Pork. It was delicious!) Less we forget there are a multitude of Vietnamese snacks, drinks and desserts. More than just delicious Vietnamese faire their hospitality is just as on point. You can definitely tell that this is a place where the local Vietnamese community comes for comfort food and a feeling of home. I saw an interaction with the cashier and customer where the cashier thanked the customer in Vietnamese and called her Auntie. Nonetheless Cali Baguette Express is a must!

Michelle Hsia

I had the crispy pork belly banh mi & it was delicious!

Of all the times I’ve had Bahn Mi, this is the only place that makes bread fresh daily in house. You can actually tell the difference and it brings this place to the top of the list! The bread is perfectly crispy on the outside and moist and soft on the inside. Honestly, I didn’t know Bahn Mi bread can be this good…. We liked the way the lemongrass beef is seasoned a bit more than the bbq pork, but overall the meat was not fatty or burnt and seasoned very well. The picked veggies and fresh veggies were all fresh and well prepped. The portion was just right, but I felt like I could eat more just because it was sooo good!!! Would love to try their bbq pork with pate and fried egg in it next time. Would recommend 100%!

Family owned and run with 3 other locations in San Diego. Very wonderful people with big hearts. Customers Walk out with smiles very often. French Bread, Vietnamese/French Sandwiches, and treats. Authentic Vietnamese food prepared in the kitchen.

the absolute best! We love getting the cali special or the pork banh mi. Add the meat pies and egg rolls! And can't go wrong with the iced coffee or taro milk tea. But really we come to chat with Kim.

Sean

Family owned and run with 3 other locations in San Diego. Very wonderful people with big hearts. Customers Walk out with smiles very often. French Bread, Vietnamese/French Sandwiches, and treats. Authentic Vietnamese food prepared in the kitchen.

Michael Choi

the absolute best! We love getting the cali special or the pork banh mi. Add the meat pies and egg rolls! And can't go wrong with the iced coffee or taro milk tea. But really we come to chat with Kim.

Jamie

Of all the times I’ve had Bahn Mi, this is the only place that makes bread fresh daily in house. You can actually tell the difference and it brings this place to the top of the list! The bread is perfectly crispy on the outside and moist and soft on the inside. Honestly, I didn’t know Bahn Mi bread can be this good…. We liked the way the lemongrass beef is seasoned a bit more than the bbq pork, but overall the meat was not fatty or burnt and seasoned very well. The picked veggies and fresh veggies were all fresh and well prepped. The portion was just right, but I felt like I could eat more just because it was sooo good!!! Would love to try their bbq pork with pate and fried egg in it next time. Would recommend 100%!

Benjamin Nguyen

My hunt for good banh mi in SD is over! Their fresh baked banh mi nails the thin flaky crust and pillowy soft inside and their fillings really take it home. 10/10 😋

You know it's good when there's a line. Portion sizes were filling. Lots of options. No dine in. Fast food speed.

Great friendly service. Get the fried rice - it's a banger! The Bahn mi sandwiches could stand to have a little more meat. Other than that - it's great 👍

We ordered 9 for the family. 4 ham, 4 bbq pork, and 1 special. It was ready in 20 minutes. I’m not a fan of baguettes and prefer French bread. Mainly because baguette tends to get hard. If you eat it immediately, this is not the case. We sat outside and ate immediately while the bread was still soft and crunchy. You’ll find tables inside and outside. More of a community seating since it’s all picnic style table. Service was wonderful because half of us wanted veggies inside the sandwich, the other half wanted it separated, among other requests. Cali Baguette did a good job on listening to all the requests and it’s written on the receipt.

I walked in cause I was hungry for some good bread and I wasn't disappointed. No frills here--absolutely none. They have all kinds of bahn mi options. Vegetarians welcome here! Looks like they have some daily breads that looked awesome but they only had pork filled buns that day. They have canned sodas, bottled water, and a bunch of random Vietnamese offerings. I went for the lemongrass beef Banh mi and added egg for $2. The beef was the only warm component of the sandwich, the egg was pretty much cold and scrambled but still fresh. All the veggies were on point, crunchy carrot and cucumber and super fresh cilantro. The bread was the superstar but I could see how it would feel a bit skimpy on the fillings if I didn't add egg. There was a man picking up two huge baguettes and I may do that in the future. The guy who took my order could not be bothered. Highly recommend!

Nice Vietnamese place that offers of banh mi and other Vietnamese ready made options like cha lua, sticky rice, spring rolls etc. I ordered a banh mi and it was tasty. My only gripe was that the sandwich weighed less than like a double cheeseburger from McDonald's. Very skimpy on the meat and veggies and mostly bread. Nice staff and friendly service though

We came for a late lunch on a weekday and there was a line. Baguettes are soft inside and crispy outside. Not much filling but can’t complain because prices are cheaper compared to some other places. Outdoor searing available.

Yendry Arreaga

I walked in cause I was hungry for some good bread and I wasn't disappointed. No frills here--absolutely none. They have all kinds of bahn mi options. Vegetarians welcome here! Looks like they have some daily breads that looked awesome but they only had pork filled buns that day. They have canned sodas, bottled water, and a bunch of random Vietnamese offerings. I went for the lemongrass beef Banh mi and added egg for $2. The beef was the only warm component of the sandwich, the egg was pretty much cold and scrambled but still fresh. All the veggies were on point, crunchy carrot and cucumber and super fresh cilantro. The bread was the superstar but I could see how it would feel a bit skimpy on the fillings if I didn't add egg. There was a man picking up two huge baguettes and I may do that in the future. The guy who took my order could not be bothered. Highly recommend!

David Lee

Nice Vietnamese place that offers of banh mi and other Vietnamese ready made options like cha lua, sticky rice, spring rolls etc. I ordered a banh mi and it was tasty. My only gripe was that the sandwich weighed less than like a double cheeseburger from McDonald's. Very skimpy on the meat and veggies and mostly bread. Nice staff and friendly service though

Tania L

We came for a late lunch on a weekday and there was a line. Baguettes are soft inside and crispy outside. Not much filling but can’t complain because prices are cheaper compared to some other places. Outdoor searing available.

My Le

We ordered 9 for the family. 4 ham, 4 bbq pork, and 1 special. It was ready in 20 minutes. I’m not a fan of baguettes and prefer French bread. Mainly because baguette tends to get hard. If you eat it immediately, this is not the case. We sat outside and ate immediately while the bread was still soft and crunchy. You’ll find tables inside and outside. More of a community seating since it’s all picnic style table. Service was wonderful because half of us wanted veggies inside the sandwich, the other half wanted it separated, among other requests. Cali Baguette did a good job on listening to all the requests and it’s written on the receipt.

Fast, good customer service and food. Decent price. No ac. Good vegetarian options. We got the veggie loaf sandwich and the tofu sandwich. Also tried their mung bean balls (good amount of filling), banana rice side dish. Bread is fresh and crisp. Didn’t seem like there was gluten free bread.

C Lo

Fast, good customer service and food. Decent price. No ac. Good vegetarian options. We got the veggie loaf sandwich and the tofu sandwich. Also tried their mung bean balls (good amount of filling), banana rice side dish. Bread is fresh and crisp. Didn’t seem like there was gluten free bread.

Longer french baguette for the bahn mi sandwich but missing the crunch. Wish the pork bbq is moist. Pate chaud was light and airy just needing some more of that meat.

Ordered take out for the first time here. The bbq pork bahn mi was decent and affordable, the baguette was pretty good and you could tell it was baked fresh or few hours ago. The disappointment was the bowl(Cajun shrimp bowl) . It was pricey for what it came with. The shrimp was dry, rubbery and very few in the bowl. The bowl was mostly vermicelli, I would not recommend the bowl at all .

Cali Baguette Express is a mid-sized, unassuming and no-nonsense shop in Mira Mesa. It is a value-oriented spot for fresh-daily Banh Mi. The Banh Mi 🥖 The foundation is strong, with sandwiches that are built on thinner French baguettes with a shiny crust and a moist, chewy crumb. 🐓 Chicken Banh Mi ($7.95): The lemongrass flavor really shined through in the chicken slices. 🌯 Tofu Banh Mi ($7.45): A good value containing a generous amount of rich, marinated tofu. While the bread and proteins were good, the vegetables fell short. The pickled daikon, carrots, and jalapeños lacked crispness and acidity. Without that punch of acid and spice, the sandwiches were a bit flat. Spring Rolls 🦐 Shrimp & Pork: The rice paper wrapper was soft and moist (great texture). However, the pork flavor dominated the roll. Note: If you prefer charbroiled pork in your spring rolls, you might want to skip this side. Overall A decent place to pick up a quick, budget-friendly meal.

Banh me sandwiches are good but nothing special.

Daniel H

Banh me sandwiches are good but nothing special.

KakuBites

Cali Baguette Express is a mid-sized, unassuming and no-nonsense shop in Mira Mesa. It is a value-oriented spot for fresh-daily Banh Mi. The Banh Mi 🥖 The foundation is strong, with sandwiches that are built on thinner French baguettes with a shiny crust and a moist, chewy crumb. 🐓 Chicken Banh Mi ($7.95): The lemongrass flavor really shined through in the chicken slices. 🌯 Tofu Banh Mi ($7.45): A good value containing a generous amount of rich, marinated tofu. While the bread and proteins were good, the vegetables fell short. The pickled daikon, carrots, and jalapeños lacked crispness and acidity. Without that punch of acid and spice, the sandwiches were a bit flat. Spring Rolls 🦐 Shrimp & Pork: The rice paper wrapper was soft and moist (great texture). However, the pork flavor dominated the roll. Note: If you prefer charbroiled pork in your spring rolls, you might want to skip this side. Overall A decent place to pick up a quick, budget-friendly meal.

I ordered a beef sandwich with jalapenos and gave a digital tip with payment. I sit waiting while I hear the beef sandwich offered to the lady that ordered directly after me. Then the gentleman that ordered after her is give 3 sandwiches. When I finally stand up to inquire about my beef sandwich, the lady with an attitude gives me one of the sandwiches on the counter. When I let her know that she probably gave my sandwich to another customer she gives an apology with attitude. Well, I get to my car to start eating and - no jalapenos. At least be sincere with your apology when you make a mistake. I won't be back to Cali Baguette Express.

This place is a joke! I have been here multiple times and I kept giving them a chance. There's hardly any meat mostly bread and very little veggies. Not only that, the desserr pandan I got was spoiled. My first bite, the sponge cake dessert was moist had foul smell nasty taste. I got 2 bbq sandwiches and no taste at all!!! Gross!!

This morning I bought 2 loaves of bread. When I ate them, the bread was really bad. I bought a grilled meat sandwich. The meat was very crumbly and had a sour smell.

Paulys PizzaJoint

This place is a joke! I have been here multiple times and I kept giving them a chance. There's hardly any meat mostly bread and very little veggies. Not only that, the desserr pandan I got was spoiled. My first bite, the sponge cake dessert was moist had foul smell nasty taste. I got 2 bbq sandwiches and no taste at all!!! Gross!!