Last updated: February 18, 2025

In the Weeds

by Travis Mullis

Sometime during the spring of last year, I formed an odd habit. Each week or so, I would go to Google Maps and search for Le’s Sandwiches & Cafe. Every time, it would have those two disheartening words in bright red: Temporarily Closed.

Was it possible that I would never taste the best bánh mì in Charlotte? I kept faith, though, and that faith finally paid off: On October 14, 2023 — to the relief of myself and the thousands of loyal Le’s followers — Le’s Sandwiches & Cafe reopened in its new location. After many months of quiet anticipation, I was finally able to email my coworkers to tell them that our quarterly  bánh mì lunches were back on. Minutes later, one of them ran up to my desk, cash in hand, ready to enjoy an old favorite once again. 

As soon as you pull up to their new building in front of the now-defunct Asian Corner Mall where the former shop opened in 2004, it’s clear the extended wait for the new location was worth it. The parking lot still resembles a cratered battlefield, but the building’s fresh paint and mural work by North Carolina artist Kathryn Crawford give it a crisp look that pops in an otherwise haphazard, worn-down setting. Inside, they have a small seating area that’s a spot-on rendering of the roadside eateries you would see in Hanoi, Hue, or Ho Chi Minh City. Short tables and multi-colored, squatty stools for 12 to 15 diners line one wall in addition to deli coolers filled with drinks, Asian sausages, and other Southeast Asian goods. In the back left corner is an old rickshaw bicycle — the type popular with the Vietnamese — stacked with imported coffee, rice cakes, chili oil, pork sung, and coffee accessories. 

Guests place orders at a long counter just like at the old place, except here the counter is significantly bigger, allowing for a larger sandwich assembly area and more counter space for Asian sweets, cookies, summer rolls, and other treats. Pay special attention to the bright red strips of Vietnamese beef jerky, which are the sign of a truly great bánh mì shop. Farther down the counter, and close to the front  door, are beers on tap. There’s now also a restroom for paying customers. 

The menu has stayed much the same, somewhat to my chagrin. One new options is a make-at-home bánh mì that helps protect the integrity of the veggies and lets you get that freshly made taste from the comfort of your home kitchen. Your best introduction to bánh mì, and the sandwich I still return to the most, is the #6, bánh mì thịt nướng. Thin cuts of tender pork are marinated in chilis and spices, and then grilled until crispy before being nestled in a bed of Vietnamese remoulade and topped with the aforementioned pickled veggies and cilantro. Other noteworthy options are the #4, bánh mì bì, shredded pork and crispy pork skins, which offers a nice variety of textures, and the #11, their version of bánh mì chay, or vegetarian bánh mì. Thinly sliced tofu gets the same marinade as the pork and still packs all the Vietnamese flavors of the other sandwiches without the animal-based protein. 

You can also now find Lay’s chip flavors that are usually only available in China, Japan, and Thailand. Perhaps the most interesting new offering is the fresh-brewed Vietnamese coffee pumped full of nitrogen and served on tap. It’s strong enough to interrupt the impending food coma from your lunch, and depending on your tolerance for caffeine, may still have you staring at your bedroom ceiling at 2 a.m.

Not all of the new additions work, however. Pork buns can be found in a steamy little glass box near the cash register and management seems to be keen on getting customers to order one or two. Unfortunately, when I’ve given into their powers of persuasion, I’ve been let down. The bun itself does what it needs to with soft, pillowy diligence. The filling is what left me disappointed. A dry and nearly flavorless ball of pork encased in hard boiled egg like a reverse scotch egg without any of the attributes that make that dish so comforting. More attention to detail, less cook time, and some sort of dipping sauce might help elevate it, something like a soy and hoisin blend or nuoc cham the thin, sweet fish sauce so ubiquitous in Vietnamese cuisine. It’s great to see Le’s trying new things and expanding their offerings beyond their popular sandwiches, because they’ve got little room to improve there. Here’s to hoping this new attempt can make Le’s truly stand out in a region that with each passing year has more and more excellent Vietnamese eateries.

Even against my first bite of a sandwich I’d craved since Le’s closed, what made me smile the most was seeing Minh Nguyen. The “retired” original owner of Le’s is still behind the counter working hard as ever directing the workers and taking orders, with perfect manners, grace, and charm. Perhaps retirement didn’t suit him, or maybe he’s just helping the new owner, his son Tuan, get off the ground. When you’re making sandwiches this good, I’m sure it can be hard to walk away from — as Tuan’s t-shirt said on my first visit back — “The O.G. Banh mi since 2004.” Tuan’s t-shirt doesn’t lie, the return of this Charlotte O.G. is a welcome relief.

I look forward to seeing what Tuan can do to further the legacy of his parents, while bringing even more delicious offerings to a rapidly growing polyglot city ready to devour more. Even if nothing else changes, Le’s is delivering some of the best sandwiches around.