Duc Huong Sandwiches (San Jose)
Sometimes the best meals are the simplest. Duc Huong in San Jose crafts banh mi sandwiches that are loved by South Bay locals. Lines can be seen stretching out the door all times of the day as hungry customers line up for their famous sandwiches. Duc Huong has four locations across San Jose, and one in Sacramento. The pictures in this review are from the location at 1020 Story Road in San Jose, which is the original establishment.
While Duc Huong offers seventeen different kinds of sandwiches on their menu, what makes them famous is their bread. While the sandwiches can be ordered with normal bread, customers can also opt for a garlic bread loaf, which elevates the flavor of the sandwich entirely.
One of their most popular options is the #7, or the “Banh Mi Trung & Thit Nuong”. This sandwich comes with grilled pork and egg, along with jalapeños, cilantro, and other vegetables. All of this is wrapped in a freshly-baked garlic bread loaf (as pictured above), arriving warm and ready-to-eat.
The bread is savory and “buttery”, in a way that softly melts in your mouth when bitten into. The pork is excellently seasoned without being too salty or too bland, and the vegetables nicely balance out each bite into a satisfying combination of flavors.
This is one of my favorite lunch spots to go to in San Jose, and the same can be said for many Bay Area residents who have been coming here for years. Orders can be placed on the phone ahead of time, and it is recommended to do so to avoid the long lines. If you are craving a banh mi, but looking for something a bit different, Duc Huong in San Jose has everything that you are looking for.
