The Best Lunch Spot

Hands down my favorite lunch spot has got to be Saigon Deli between 12th & 14th on Jackson. I go like 3-4 times a week. They got this lunch buffet all super fresh and tasty where they take a basic takeout container, fill the big tray with rice and the small ones with two items of your choice. Seriously, the portions could feed the average human for 2 days (for me it feeds lunch if I'm real hungry), all for a whopping sum of... $3.50. $3.50?!!!!! The price is ridiculous, probably the best deal EVER.

They also got a kick ass selection of banh mi, Vietnamese sandwiches, ranging from $1.75 to $2.25! I love their sandwiches, the best that I've come across so far in the ID. They got 8 total, I used to order them by name but now I order them by number cause their engrish baaaad.

My favorites are as goes:

Grilled Pork Sandwich #1 - best grilled pork ever?

Three Types Ham and BBQ Ham Sandwich #3 - packed full of mystery meats but all super tasty plus it come with a special surprise - PATE!!!!

Shredded Pork Sandwich #6 - I have no idea what's in this thing and I'm afraid to open it up to check - texture tastes like something between jellyfish and cartilage - in anycase I just close my eyes and chew chew chew my way to food happiness.

Meatball Sandwich #8 - They take a pork meatball and SMASH it into little pieces and scatter it inside your sandwich. Super greasy and juicy, tha way meatball got to be.

All sandwiches come with pickled carrots and radish, fish sauce, cilantro, and jalapeno - you can request them to be taken out but why you wanna mess wit such a good thing???

Besides the food, my favorite part of going to this joint is the people. There this one main guy in the front sportin' a crustache who acts real surly but you can tell he's a nice guy and a little eccentric . Then there are the usual 3-5 ladies running around constructing sandwiches and serving the buffet all gossiping away in Vietnamese. Customers pile around the counter with no semblance of organization and wait until one of them calls on them. And like I said before they're English is SUPER BAD. My typical visit usually goes like this:

Saigon Deli: Hello kia hep you?

Me: Yeah I'd like to order a #3 and a #8

SD: (Pause)... Three #8?

Me: No, one #3 and one #8

SD: (Longer pause)... Three #8?

Me: Nope, (spelling out with my fingers) one #3 and one #8

SD: (Coy smile) ohhhh oookkkayyy!!!

or

SD: You been hepped?

Me: No not yet

SD: What you like?

Me: One #3 and one #8

SD: (Pause) #1 and #8?

Me: No, #3 and #8

SD: Ohhhh okkayyy...waamup? (later I realize they are asking me if I want my bread warmed up?)

Me: Nod my head and smile and pretend I understand

or

SD: Hep you?

Me: Yeah I'd like a #3 and a #5

SD: Okayyy (smile followed by a menacing glance away)

I get my order, check it out and discover I got a #7 instead of a #5.

Me: Excuse me, sorry but I ordered a #3 and #5

SD: (Smiling and almost laughing) nooooooooo youuuu order #3 and #7!!! ... as she walks away.

Me: Oh well...

They get it right around 95% of the time but even if they screw up the order I don't really mind cause it's all tasty and I just scored the best lunch of my life, all for under $4... suckas.