Quoc Huong Banh Mi Fast Food is an unassuming looking restaurant located in a center along the famous Buford Highway in metro Atlanta. Don’t let its small appearance fool you. By at lunchtime, this quick-service eatery is beyond busy. It seems most people are there for the same thing, the Banh Mi sandwiches.
Quoc Huong Banh Mi Fast Food does serve more than just BanhMi. They also serve more varieties of Banh Mi sandwiches than just grilled bbq pork. However, I can’t get past my love of their grilled bbq pork Banh Mi to try anything else.
The flavor and texture of the grilled pork make this a fantastic sandwich. In fact, I find myself craving this sandwich.
What is Banh Mi? It is a Vietnamese sandwich that has some type of protein (pork, chicken, eggs, etc), cilantro, and some combination of vegetables. The vegetables usually include hot peppers, pickled carrots, and cucumbers. The ingredients are all nestled in a French-style roll/bun. Yum!
Beyond the deliciousness of the sandwich, another reason to love Banh Mi (at Quoc Huong and elsewhere) is the price. It is usually very affordable. Quoc Huong currently charges $3 to $ 3.5 per sandwich. Additionally, they do have a special where if you buy 5 Banh Mi Sandwiches, your 6 sandwich is free. So, you could treat 6 people to lunch for just $15 to $17.50 plus tax!
It does take some extra planning on my part when I travel to Atlanta to make sure I can get a Banh Mi from Quoc Huong:
First, the restaurant is not open on Thursdays, so I try not to plan a trip on a Thursday.
Second, the restaurant is cash only…no debit or credit cards. So, I must make sure I have enough cash the night before I plan to go to Quoc Huong.
Last, the restaurant opens at 9 a.m. and they usually sell out of Banh Mi’s before 1 p.m., so you need to get there early. Hence, I get the cash the night before because I usually try to arrive by 10:30 a.m.
If you want to get the special (6 sandwiches for the cost of 5) to save some or all of them for later, a local recommended calling in your order for pick-up soon after Quoc Huong opens and asking them to put the vegetables on the side. They will supposedly put the vegetables that will make your sandwich soggy in separate bags. This allows you to heat up the bread and protein(s) later and not ruin your tasty sandwich.
Is it worth the planning? Yes, my family and I think it is.
