Vietnamese banh mi elevated to an art form. Long pork, kimchi, sriracha mayo, daikon and carrot piled into a perfect baguette. One of the best sandwiches in the city, full stop.
Neighbourhood: Chinatown · Address: 392 Queen St W, Toronto, ON · Hours: Mon–Fri 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM | Sat 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM | Sun 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM · Price Range: $ · Phone: (416) 363-0588 · Editorial status: Not yet verified
Banh Mi Boys takes classic Vietnamese sandwiches and dials them up with inventive fillings like five-spice pork, Korean bulgogi, and fiery sriracha mayo. The bread is crackly, the fillings are generous, and the price remains firmly budget-friendly.
Unlike typical banh mi spots, Banh Mi Boys layers in Asian fusion elements—think kimchi in your sandwich, or fries topped with pulled pork and spicy Asian sauces. Almost everything is house-made, including the pickled daikon and jalapeño-laced sauces, setting them apart from Chinatown’s many old-school bakeries.
The banh mi sandwich is one of the world's great fusion foods — a product of French colonial Vietnam, where the baguette met the lemongrass and the result was better than either. Toronto has good banh mi across many neighbourhoods, but Banh Mi Boys on Queen West is the one that first made the city pay attention: when it opened in 2011, it brought the sandwich to a new audience without condescending to the original, and has been doing it right ever since.
The core sandwich is the long pork banh mi: house-made Vietnamese pork with kimchi, cucumber, jalapeño, cilantro, daikon and carrot pickles, and sriracha mayo in a crispy-outside, soft-inside baguette. The construction is precise — every bite hits the same notes of heat, acid, fat, and crunch in the right proportions. At $7–9, it's one of the best value lunches in the city.
Banh Mi Boys doesn't stop at the sandwich, though. The kimchi fries — shoestring fries loaded with kimchi, pulled pork, sriracha mayo, and scallions — are an aggressively good side that threatens to upstage the main event. The bánh mì tacos and rice bowls provide alternatives for those who want the flavours without the bread. Everything is quick, everything is fresh, and the atmosphere is the energised lunch-counter speed of a place that knows exactly what it's doing.
Multiple locations now (Queen West, Bloor West, Bay/Dundas) — the Queen West original remains the most atmospheric.
Sandwiches at Banh Mi Boys cost approximately $7–9 each, making it one of the best-value lunches in downtown Toronto. The kimchi fries are approximately $8. Rice bowls are $10–13. Everything is made to order and fresh. Multiple locations across the city including Queen Street West (original), Bloor Street West, and the Financial District.
The long pork banh mi is the signature — Vietnamese-spiced pork, kimchi, pickled daikon and carrot, cucumber, jalapeño, cilantro, and sriracha mayo in a crispy baguette. The kimchi fries (shoestring fries with pulled pork, kimchi, and sriracha mayo) are the essential side and frequently steal the show. The spicy squid banh mi is excellent for heat-seekers.
The original Banh Mi Boys location is at 392 Queen Street West, in the Queen West neighbourhood close to Spadina. The nearest transit is Osgoode subway station (Line 1) or the 501 Queen streetcar (Queen & Spadina stop). Additional locations exist at Bloor Street West (near Bathurst) and in the Financial District.
Banh Mi Boys has vegetarian options including a veggie banh mi and some rice bowl variations. However, the restaurant's strengths are primarily in its pork and meat-based offerings. Verify current menu options when ordering, as the menu updates seasonally.
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