Lee's Sandwiches

I love a good Lee's sandwich with some egg rolls on the side. What I don't love is that whoever manages here seems to not notice that this location is severely understaffed. The last few times we have been here, there has been one person handling all customer interactions, phone calls, order handouts, baguette bagging, providing behind-the-line support, etc. The employee who has helped us the last few times has been absolutley awesome, but you can definitely tell he was super stressed out and doing his best. Unfortunately, this understaffing ultimately causes a large line out the door, 20-25 min wait times, and some really grumpy customers. So, if you're planning on heading this location, please be kind to the people working there - they are doing what they can to manage the situation at hand. Don't give them grief. If you're the person who manages this location, for the sake of those who work there, please consider scheduling an additional employee for the lunchtime rush. It'll end up being a better experience for everyone.

Go to Lee's if you want a light and reasonable priced lunch. Each sandwich ranges around 3 dollars. Not all Lee's are created the same. I was extremely disappoint with the Lee's near the UCI campus. After a worker tried to give me a cup full of ice as a drink, I thought I'd never try Lee's again. Lee's in Lake Forest is a must try. Each sandwich is built using a fresh baked, crunchy baguette. I would consider it a snack size sandwich, but it could be meal if you are not a big eater. The coffee is very good. Since Vietnamese sandwiches and coffees are french influenced expect high quality. I love the Thai ice tea! It taste pretty close to the real thing. It doesn't taste like powder like some Tapioca Express places. For around 5 or 6 dollars you can get a tasty sandwich with a coffee so drop your Starbucks Frap and come here for breakfast, lunch or late night snack.

I love those sandwiches!! The only problem is the person that prepares them, some are really good at making them,other's not so much sometimes they sprinkle some of the meat and veggies and it feel that you are eating only bread, but I always let them know I do not care much about meat but I want my veggies so make sure when you order get it right nobody likes to pay to eat bread only.

Stopped by here over the weekend on my way from San Diego back to LA! I am a bit glad I didn't read these reviews because I might have not stopped by due to my previous experience at a Chino Hill's location of Lee's... but I actually had a good experience here! I was originally going to purchase 4 bottles of their Original Frozen Concentrate because I am OBSESSED with Lee's Vietnamese coffee. Sadly where I live in LA, the closest Lee's is a 1 hr drive for me, and thus I wanted to stalk up! When I was about to purchase, the lady working at the cashier told me I should get an entire case (6 pack) since it is pretty much the same price as getting 4 (just a dollar more). So I did! I also ordered my favorite #12 vegetarian Bánh mì. The bread was a bit tough, but other than that it was consistent with other locations! Their price points are cheaper than Chino Hill's Lee's location interestingly. Sandwiches were around $5-6, and the frozen concentrates are $5 each or a 6 pack for $21. I won't mind stopping by once again. If you're craving Lee's, I say give it a try!

Emily

Stopped by here over the weekend on my way from San Diego back to LA! I am a bit glad I didn't read these reviews because I might have not stopped by due to my previous experience at a Chino Hill's location of Lee's... but I actually had a good experience here! I was originally going to purchase 4 bottles of their Original Frozen Concentrate because I am OBSESSED with Lee's Vietnamese coffee. Sadly where I live in LA, the closest Lee's is a 1 hr drive for me, and thus I wanted to stalk up! When I was about to purchase, the lady working at the cashier told me I should get an entire case (6 pack) since it is pretty much the same price as getting 4 (just a dollar more). So I did! I also ordered my favorite #12 vegetarian Bánh mì. The bread was a bit tough, but other than that it was consistent with other locations! Their price points are cheaper than Chino Hill's Lee's location interestingly. Sandwiches were around $5-6, and the frozen concentrates are $5 each or a 6 pack for $21. I won't mind stopping by once again. If you're craving Lee's, I say give it a try!

Didn't realize this was a Vietnamese deli until we got inside to look at the menu. They serve typical Vietnamese deli fare like Banh Mi and other Asian delicacies. They also have a huge selection of beverages like Iced Mint Milk, Soybean Milk, Avocado Durian, etc. You can actually request for the right amount of sugar you want to have when you order your drink. It may come out too sweet if you don't let them know of your preferences. This particular place is small but they have outside seats which is spacious. The area is quiet so it's actually desirable to sit outside. Major credit cards are accepted. Parking is free.

ice coffee is good. sandwich is cheap.

+2

Had a turkey with avocado sandwich that was fairly average. Bread didn't seem too fresh. The Vietnamese style sandwiches may be better than the European sandwich I got. The veggie sandwiches looked decent.

I've been to many Lee's locations and have mostly been very impressed but this one left me wanting more. The service was great, but the sandwich itself was lacking, I got the bbq por banh mi and it had very little meat in it. Mostly just a jalapeno, carrot and daikon sandwich with a couple pieces of pork thrown in. Might be willing to give this location another try, but this was a but disappointing.

I was coming to this area to shop at Daiso since I was looking for some supplies and found that there was a Lee's nearby. My boyfriend is pretty particular when it comes to banh mi fillings and his favorite is Lee's #11 Special Combination, so I figured I would pick up on the way home. Upon entrance, I was stunned by the prices, but I still walked away with four baguettes. I mean, when is the next time I was gonna be in this area?! I got 2 #11s priced at $7.49 each and then I also got two other sandwiches (#1 & #2) at $5.99 each. I asked for veggies on the side since we would be eating these throughout the week for lunch. The bread was just as crusty as I remembered, the type that would cut up the roof of your mouth. It's even more intense when toasted, so I always make a mental note to eat with caution. I do enjoy the variety of cold cuts, but I'm unable to justify the price for the distance to acquire. Boyfriend was also shocked to see the price increase on his favorite and said it's no longer worth it, unless we're in a pinch.

If you are used to the bigger busier Lee's sandwiches from other locations, you will be disappointed here. Normally there is only one person working in the kitchen and another at the front. So the wait can be long at busy times. Also the food is not the same as this place does not get much foot traffic versus the ones in Westminster/Garden Grove areas. So the bread and food are not cycled quickly.

The Good: Can't beat this sandwhich for the price. The Bad: This location smells terrible and there's no excuse for that in a place of dining. I must emphasis that other locations of Lee's have been great and this one falls below the bar.

They got the order wrong and I didn't think the person understood English that well. The sandwich barely had meat however the bread/baguette was outstanding.

The ice coffee is a lot of ice and not enough coffee. The little pastry was tasty but small. Tipping is getting out of hand everywhere! The staff was great the only lady doing everything deserves a raise. The place looks run down. Don’t know if they will be here long.

E.J.F

They got the order wrong and I didn't think the person understood English that well. The sandwich barely had meat however the bread/baguette was outstanding.

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The ice coffee is a lot of ice and not enough coffee. The little pastry was tasty but small. Tipping is getting out of hand everywhere! The staff was great the only lady doing everything deserves a raise. The place looks run down. Don’t know if they will be here long.

Charles Shapiro

I've been to many Lee's locations and have mostly been very impressed but this one left me wanting more. The service was great, but the sandwich itself was lacking, I got the bbq por banh mi and it had very little meat in it. Mostly just a jalapeno, carrot and daikon sandwich with a couple pieces of pork thrown in. Might be willing to give this location another try, but this was a but disappointing.

They have been around for awhile now. I know it's usually expected for chains to change a little but the last few locations I've been to had a noticeable decline in quality. Sad because they are so good and the price was always great. The prices has already gone up but the quality has gone down. The coffees are always full of so much ice that after a few sips, it's already empty. Bummer. I know that it's probably tough to stay competitive in today's market but I'm a customer and just reporting what I see and experience. I mean, there's nothing more than I want for Lee's sandwiches to continue their production of great sandwiches at a great price but everything that I've seen in the last year from various locations tells me that there will be a lot of stores closing soon. Sad. But, it is what it is.

Great food but terrible wait time. I always get the grilled chicken sandwich and somtimes an iced coffee and on average it takes at least 12 min to get my 1 sandwich! They seem to only have 2 people working (1 ringing up the orders & 1 person in the back making the food). Also, their menu lists the prices for the egg rolls starting with 1. Yet when I tried ordering 1 egg roll, I was told I had to order more than 1. When I pointed to the menu I was told it was wrong and it was going to be removed. Yet i've been there at least 5 times in the last 2 month's and the menu still lists the price for 1 egg roll. If they are going to advertise it then they should sell it instead of making you buy more.

Got a sandwich for lunch. Lee’s sandwiches is known for fresh baguette, not this location. I got a sandwich with stale bread. I should have known. When I walked in at lunch time, there was no line and all the workers with fiddling their thumbs. Won’t be returning for sandwiches. Their ice coffee was redemptive of the 2 stars.

Out of all the banh mi shops I've been to, Lee's Sandwiches served me the worst Vietnamese baguettes. But in south Orange County, where else can I find banh mi sold at working class prices ($3 to $3.50)? Near my office, alternatives for banh mi include a Asian fusion cafe that offers a sandwich + fries combo for $9 and Pho Saigon Pearl that charges $8 a pop, almost 3 times the market price at delis in Westminster or Rosemead. The base of Lee's banh mi isn't an Americanized version loaded with meats and skimpy on the do chua, but the execution was horrible. I've been told that Lee's baguettes are baked in-house, but how often and much time had elapsed between the bread being out of the oven to being served? The baguettes are rarely crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. The type of flour that this fast-food chain is using must be different from what mom and pop bakeries use, because the bread was heavy and not very airy. In addition, the exterior of the baguette has consistently been rock hard. The mouthfeel of Lee's baguette reminds me of "day old stale bread" that's been exposed to air for over 24 hours. It was barely edible. I prefer to eat baguettes that have a flaky crust. Fillings for Lee's banh mi can be hit or miss. In my opinion, the Saigon special (dac biet) and anything with Vietnamese cold meats are the only solid options. Forget about banh mi with grilled meats like thit nuong or ga nuong, because the meat was not even cooked, not to mention the texture was rough and chewy. I suspect the "grilled meats" are pre-cooked and the employees in the back are just "sandwich assemblers". Recently, I ordered the xiu mai, which arrived as a mush of ground meat in collapsed form. The slimy and soupy texture was very unappealing, I'm not even sure if the meat was properly cooked. The only decent aspect was the sweet tomato and vinegar sauce that was mixed with the meatball. Despite the relatively high turnover rate at this location of Lee's Sandwiches, the food quality still managed to disappoint. This deli is a decent introduction to banh mi, but those who want fresher ingredients, better tasting bread, and more options for meat, are unfortunately stuck in a lose-lose situation. Either take a 30 minute drive up to Thanh Tam/Banh Mi Saigon/THH in Westminster or fork over a big bag of money ($9) for a more proper banh mi in Irvine.

Disappointed in the amount of meat that is on this sandwich .

Tasteless and dry Banh Mi without sauce and cilantro. Women’s bathroom needs a thorough cleaning.

Inside in cramped and depressing. Ordered one sandwich and it took 35 minutes. I saw a sandwich on the counter behind the register for 20 minutes and thought that surely can’t be mine and sure enough it was. It sat so long it was hard as a crouton by the time I got it.

I pay extra for more pickles a d they keep forgetting my pickle

They took almost 30 minutes to make 3 sandwiches and 3 drinks (which they also got it wrong). I had a baby sleeping in the car and an appointment to make to. Ended up being 30 mins late. If you only have one worker in the back, shouldn’t you ask if people can wait? Why would you take all the orders when their are a line of people ordering? The worst service ever!

Absolutely ridiculous!! Crappy sandwich with no Mayo when we asked for extra. Hardly any meat. This location is giving Lee’s Sandwiches a bad name.

Walked in and there was no AC. The place smelled funny too. I stood at the front counter for a few minutes and no one came up. Decided to go to the restroom to wash my hands, and that was filthy. I walked right out. Spent about 5 mins in the store total. Didn’t see a single employee and the place was real dirty

8/14/2020 - bread was underbaked and the sandwich was lacking flavor. The almond croissant was just dough - completely raw/unbaked. Either their ovens are not working or those teenage kids working there have no idea what they’re doing. I know this is not the Lee’s in Garden Grove, but c’mon! Just because we’re south County do you take us for fools? Food is garbage quality.

This is the worst Lee Sandwiches. I ordered an ice Americano with a splash of milk and I was given a very sweet coffee drink. I told them I ordered an iced Americano and didn't ask for sugar in it. I was told they don't make it that way. What bull! I've ordered iced Americano at other Lee sandwiSand with no problems and no sugar! They didn't offer to give me my money back . Not worth the fight so I just threw the drink in the trash in front of the cashier. Will never go back.

I do NOT recommend. There's NOTHING in the sandwich, no meat, no veg, no flavor.

I tried ordering a breakfast croissant and the lady told me no because she was too busy with other orders and didnt have time to make the egg. Definitely never coming here again. I rather go to Scott's in RSM.

Rude, slow, and serve Thai tea with expired dairy….white chunks and sour taste. Glad I live by a better one in Huntington Beach. Won’t come back to this location…hope I don’t get sick.

We've had Mr.Lee's so many times and I've never had a complaint. But this time, I do have one. My wife passed by to get 4 sandwiches(3 grilled pork, 1 grilled chicken.) Once she got home, we started eating. But once we started eating, we noticed that, the meat inside the pork sandwich was really hard to chew. So I take a look at my sandwich. And I'm looking at something that supposed to be grilled pork. But instead looks like burnt grilled pork left overs. I checked the other sub, and it's the same. Who in their right mind would sell someone this kind of sandwich? I'm so disappointed and angry. And I'm definitely not going back to this location ever.

I ordered a sandwiches for my family in town from Michigan because I wanted them to try these style sandwiches I made the mistake of not going to thhh and decided to go to Lee's because it was closer and as you can see from the photo there was probably about two tablespoons of chicken on 10 inchs of bread they were basically bread sandwiches and I was told that the manager measures each sandwich from shelf and the standards are set by corporate but there's no way that corporate would tell somebody to put a teaspoon of meat on a sandwich. I would like a complete refund for my order

Kinda empty and sad looking, like the inside of the store. Normally Lee's is great in other cities, I'm surprised the Lake Forest one is particularly disappointing!

So $4.99 for a drink plus $2 tip for a cup of ice and a 4oz sip of coffee. If you want to get ripped off, come on in.

$10 for a tiny sandwich with one piece of ham and one egg… such a disappointment. Never coming back to this place.

Sarah

Rude, slow, and serve Thai tea with expired dairy….white chunks and sour taste. Glad I live by a better one in Huntington Beach. Won’t come back to this location…hope I don’t get sick.

Ranthony Vents

I ordered a sandwiches for my family in town from Michigan because I wanted them to try these style sandwiches I made the mistake of not going to thhh and decided to go to Lee's because it was closer and as you can see from the photo there was probably about two tablespoons of chicken on 10 inchs of bread they were basically bread sandwiches and I was told that the manager measures each sandwich from shelf and the standards are set by corporate but there's no way that corporate would tell somebody to put a teaspoon of meat on a sandwich. I would like a complete refund for my order

Cristhian Steinsund

We've had Mr.Lee's so many times and I've never had a complaint. But this time, I do have one. My wife passed by to get 4 sandwiches(3 grilled pork, 1 grilled chicken.) Once she got home, we started eating. But once we started eating, we noticed that, the meat inside the pork sandwich was really hard to chew. So I take a look at my sandwich. And I'm looking at something that supposed to be grilled pork. But instead looks like burnt grilled pork left overs. I checked the other sub, and it's the same. Who in their right mind would sell someone this kind of sandwich? I'm so disappointed and angry. And I'm definitely not going back to this location ever.

Viewsonic G

Kinda empty and sad looking, like the inside of the store. Normally Lee's is great in other cities, I'm surprised the Lake Forest one is particularly disappointing!

Mayhieu Morales

So $4.99 for a drink plus $2 tip for a cup of ice and a 4oz sip of coffee. If you want to get ripped off, come on in.

Sweet Leaf

$10 for a tiny sandwich with one piece of ham and one egg… such a disappointment. Never coming back to this place.

I got the special combination sandwich which is 11 dollars and costs a around 2 to 3 more dollars than the normal combination. But after I finished paying, the lady came back and told me they ran out of some of the pork product so it would have to be made as the normal combination. I complied as I didn't want to cause extra trouble, especially with my dog there so I took the sandwich and left. When I got home, I opened my sandwich and it was a disaster. The bread was soggy and flat with barely any meat and no jalapenos. I've been putting up with this location only because its the closest one to where I live but im sick of it. I would rather drive 30 minutes to irvine and get a decent sandwich for 11 bucks than waste my money here.

The guy was so rude. I asked 6 breads. Even though there were 10 - 15 breads on the shelf, he gave me only 3. I asked more but he did not give. He was so rude too. I will never come to this location again

The food from this place was not good. I’ve had these sandwiches before in other areas and they were great. But this place here. It’s not good the sandwich was honestly disgusting.

Tables were dirty, Sandwich had practically nothing inside of it, and to make matters worse, staff member came out of the kitchen to blow his nose, then went back in without washing his hands. Unacceptable.

Ordered online ahead of time and when I got to the store, the staff was just sitting there. They started making the sandwich once I arrived. What a waste of time. Won't go here again as staff is clearly pretty lazy. Haven't had this experience with other locations. When I asked the guy at the front regarding the situation, he was pretty cavalier about the situation and said, sometimes it's fast or sometimes it's slower. There was no one else in the store so clearly, the staff is lazy.

Ordered two chicken sandwiches today and hardly no chicken and hardly no veggies. Missing the banh mi taste/flavor that I was craving. What happened to this place? It used to be good. Price went up and the quality dropped. Very disappointed. Not coming back!

Pay more-get less. French Bagette; all other Lee's Sandwiches stores the Bagette for $2.00 and is bigger. Here $2.5 and about 1/3 smaller. Is it legal?

Over priced and a waste of money. My sister and I got some sandwiches this afternoon. The location smelt like it had a sewage problem, bread was dry and stale, the cheese slices on my sandwich looked old and dried out, the tofu on her sandwich tasted way too sweet, the smoothies were too sweet, and it was all for a grand price of $30. Never again.

Ashley Jung

I got the special combination sandwich which is 11 dollars and costs a around 2 to 3 more dollars than the normal combination. But after I finished paying, the lady came back and told me they ran out of some of the pork product so it would have to be made as the normal combination. I complied as I didn't want to cause extra trouble, especially with my dog there so I took the sandwich and left. When I got home, I opened my sandwich and it was a disaster. The bread was soggy and flat with barely any meat and no jalapenos. I've been putting up with this location only because its the closest one to where I live but im sick of it. I would rather drive 30 minutes to irvine and get a decent sandwich for 11 bucks than waste my money here.

Jonathan Rios Benitez

The food from this place was not good. I’ve had these sandwiches before in other areas and they were great. But this place here. It’s not good the sandwich was honestly disgusting.

TechWizard OC

Tables were dirty, Sandwich had practically nothing inside of it, and to make matters worse, staff member came out of the kitchen to blow his nose, then went back in without washing his hands. Unacceptable.

Kevin Brown

Absolutely ridiculous!! Crappy sandwich with no Mayo when we asked for extra. Hardly any meat. This location is giving Lee’s Sandwiches a bad name.

A. R.

Pay more-get less. French Bagette; all other Lee's Sandwiches stores the Bagette for $2.00 and is bigger. Here $2.5 and about 1/3 smaller. Is it legal?

Corey Cann

Inside in cramped and depressing. Ordered one sandwich and it took 35 minutes. I saw a sandwich on the counter behind the register for 20 minutes and thought that surely can’t be mine and sure enough it was. It sat so long it was hard as a crouton by the time I got it.

Chet Mehta

Ordered online ahead of time and when I got to the store, the staff was just sitting there. They started making the sandwich once I arrived. What a waste of time. Won't go here again as staff is clearly pretty lazy. Haven't had this experience with other locations. When I asked the guy at the front regarding the situation, he was pretty cavalier about the situation and said, sometimes it's fast or sometimes it's slower. There was no one else in the store so clearly, the staff is lazy.

Sonia Valenzuela

Ordered two chicken sandwiches today and hardly no chicken and hardly no veggies. Missing the banh mi taste/flavor that I was craving. What happened to this place? It used to be good. Price went up and the quality dropped. Very disappointed. Not coming back!