Forkelo ranking · Updated September 2026
10 banh mi across the South Bay, ranked on what people say about the dish itself — never the restaurant's overall rating.
Mommy's Banh Mi · Downtown San Jose
9 dish-specific mentions · 89% positive · 4 source types · menu verified September 2026
Slow-roasted Italian porchetta with sweet pickled carrots, daikon, cucumber, jalapeño, and crispy fried onions on a house-baked baguette. House cilantro aioli on the side.
Duc Huong Sandwiches (McKee Rd) · East San Jose
8 dish-specific mentions · 88% positive · 3 source types · menu verified September 2026
Thin strips of sweet-marinated grilled pork with pickled carrot and daikon, cilantro and jalapeno in a crisp baguette. The shop’s most ordered sandwich.
Duc Huong Sandwiches · Little Saigon / East San Jose
13 dish-specific mentions · 69% positive · 3 source types · menu verified September 2026
Punchy strips of grilled pork with mayo, pickled carrot and daikon, cucumber, jalapeño, and cilantro on a crackly-yet-pillowy baguette. Bay Area benchmark for the classic.
Het Say · The Alameda / Rose Garden
6 dish-specific mentions · 67% positive · 3 source types · menu verified September 2026
Coconut-water-braised pork belly chopped with egg, pickled mustard greens and bird's eye chilies. Bright and chile-hot rather than sweet, with a house pickle on the side.
Thien Huong Sandwiches & Bakery (Capitol Expy) · Silver Creek / East San Jose
5 dish-specific mentions · 60% positive · 4 source types · menu verified September 2026
Red-edged roasted pork belly with cucumber, pickled carrot and daikon and plenty of cilantro. Vegetable-forward: the meat is sliced thin and sparingly.
Thien Huong Sandwiches & Bakery (Capitol Expy) · Silver Creek / East San Jose
5 dish-specific mentions · 60% positive · 3 source types · menu verified September 2026
Sweet-marinated grilled pork packed under cucumber, pickled carrot and a fistful of cilantro, in a soft-shouldered baguette. The counter’s most ordered sandwich.
Thanh Huong Sandwiches (N Capitol Ave) · Berryessa / North San Jose
6 dish-specific mentions · 67% positive · 4 source types · menu verified September 2026
Grilled pork and a thick swipe of mayo in a warm, in-house baguette that stays crisp outside and airy in. You smell the pork before you unwrap it.
Y-Linh Sandwiches · East San Jose
7 dish-specific mentions · 43% positive · 3 source types · menu verified September 2026
Chopped roast pork belly with the crackling left on, cut with pickled carrot, raw onion and jalapeno. Fills are on the light side for the price.
Duc Huong Sandwiches (McKee Rd) · East San Jose
5 dish-specific mentions · 40% positive · 3 source types · menu verified September 2026
Layers of cha lua, ham and headcheese with pate, pickled carrot and daikon, cilantro and jalapeno. The classic combination, stacked heavily.
Yummee Sandwiches · Downtown Campbell
6 dish-specific mentions · 50% positive · 4 source types · menu verified September 2026
Red-rimmed barbecue pork under a thicket of cilantro, jalapeno and pickled carrot and daikon, in Campbell’s crackliest baguette. Portioning swings day to day.
Every score is built from evidence about the specific dish: how often locals recommend it, how strongly, how recently, and whether independent sources agree. A restaurant's overall star rating is never converted into a dish score.
Quality and confidence are reported separately. A dish two people loved can score high, but it is marked limited data until more evidence backs it up. The whole calculation — every constant, and three dishes worked through line by line — is written out on the methodology page.
Think we got it wrong? Tell us what’s better.
