Cali Sandwich & Fast Food
| Address: | 2900 Travis St, Houston, TX 77006, USA |
| Phone: | +1 713-520-0710 |
| Rating: | 4.4 |
| Working: | 9:30AM–9PM 9:30AM–9PM 9:30AM–9PM 9:30AM–9PM 9:30AM–9PM 9:30AM–9PM Closed |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 10
PR
PRIMO VIRGO
First and the last time ever going. Upon entrance, we were greeted with a really bad stench that unequivocally became evident as to why from the naked eye. The tables were dirty, the chairs sticky, overfilled trashcans and a few flies swarming around. I have over a decade of experience in the restaurant/bar industry and I know matter of factly that if the front of the house looks like a dump, the kitchen can only be worse. Nonetheless and regrettably so, we heeded a fellow business owners recommendation to give Cali a try. So we walked up to the counter to take a look at the board menu and noticed there were a tub of dirty dishes stacked high in a bustub right directly behind the cashier! Even worse, the 20 something year old Vietnamese girl behind the counter casually dressed in a tank top and jeans, had the attitude to match the ambience of the diner. We grabbed a few of the grimey menus and took them back to a nearby table to look them over. An older Vietnamese lady came by to greet us and asked if we had any questions about their menu. Unlike the cashier, she was very friendly, service-oriented and even made some recommendations. By the time we decided what to order, we proceeded to the counter and told the girl our menu selections. Then we sat back at our table to wait and soon after, she came around with the boba milk teas we ordered. I was somewhat disappointed bc both of our drinks were a lil under 3/4 full and loaded with ice to the brim. I believe it was a total of $8 for the drinks that she cheated us out on, so thats where my disappoint came into play. Not too long after, we received our to-go order and little did I know at the time (bc I was busy filling up a small container of Siracha), she grabbed my fiancées arm and flirtatiously smiled at him all while behind my back! He had told me what she had did on the way home and how it made him feel very uncomfortable and sick. Luckily for her, he knew better than to tell me while there or else all hell wlda broke loose bc I have zero tolerance for disrespect and lewd behavior. Surprisingly, the garlic beef was on point but the egg rolls tasted like they were fried in a fish fryer and the stuffing tasted sour/old. We only ate one. So in conclusion, we wasted our time&money including the $5 we tipped her in exchange for all in all a horrible experience. As a business owner myself, I know first hand that first impressions are everything and furthermore, everlasting ones are the ones that you walk out associating whether or not youll be a return customer. In this case: MOST. DEFINITELY. NOT.. Especially in the competitive sea of all the other Vietnamese restaurants in H-Town.
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A Private User
Personally I would have to say that I love this place! I wouldnt say that the service here is great, but they are a family run business and they take a little bit of getting use to. Once you become more of a regular there, they tend to lighten up a bit on you. I have been going to this place for a while now and I just cannot seen to tire of it. The food is always surprisingly fresh and delicious for its considerably low price. I have tried other Vietnamese restaurants and I always found that the food was rather bland and lacked that ethnic flavor, but I can honestly say that Calis is the exception to that. I would recommend to anyone to give this place a try and dont be intimidated by the serious and at times bossy Vietnamese ladies, they are actually very nice. ;)
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Ariel Smith
Hands down, Cali Sandwiches is my favorite place for vietnamese sandwiches and pho. 1) The Banh Mi sandwiches are like... THREE freakin bucks. Crusty french bread, jalapenos, cilantro, cucumber, carrots and yummy pate. Sure beats a Big Mac. 2) Number 11 is a go to for me when I need a nap- Crispy pork with vermicelli over veggies, and with 2 vietnamese egg rolls. The egg rolls are super crispy and go so well with their fish sauce- its a must try. Try Cali the next time you are in Midtown- its a treasure, for sure.
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Mercedes Pang
The service is spotty, and its not the most beautiful spot, but I love their Bun Rieu so much that I can overlook all these things with no problem. Its a real love, one that I cant explain or describe. Whenever Im in the blues, Bun Rieu makes it better (and of course the boyfriend who drove me here, but thats a totally different story). Everything Ive had here is pretty tasty. The pork chop, the banh mi, the egg rolls, the bu luc lac (spelling?), and the pho. But do yourself a favor, and try the Bun Rieu.
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Jeremy Ecowboy
Maybe the kitchen had an off day....maybe not. I ordered a shredded chicken ban mi and was very disappointed. The bread was not fresh and the chicken was definitely old, it actually had the refrigerator taste. The vegetables were very poorly cut and I had large cilantro stems in my sandwich. I may be jaded as I usually go to Les givrals down the street which is always good but usually busy. So, if you are in the area and want a tasty sandwich, a safer choice would be Les Givrals.
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David Wong
Food: excellent and large variety of Vietnamese food. The traditional Pho and vermicelli is always my favorite. The "off menu" item bun ruie is always my favorite. Service: always fast. In and out in less than 30 to 45 minutes. Overall: restaurant is small cozy and some tables require sharing with others. Nothing fancy in the decor which keep the price at a very reasonable range. Parking is available in front of the restaurant as well as street parking.
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Brian Edmondson
I am not sure why it is called Cali sandwich? but it is another pretty authentic Vietnamese restaurant in Midtown that is very popular for lunch. Always full of Vietnamese people and it is hard to read the menu which are all good signs. Prices are excellent here so I usually just end up ordering more banh mi sandwiches than I normally would. I wouldnt seek this place out but when in the area and looking for a very cheap filling lunch this is the spot.
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Adriana Arroyo
Ive been coming to this place for years and it was a favorite. But the past few times, I just cant get over the smell of the place. Its bad. In addition, the past two times Ive come, the #16 beef noodle soup, which I almost always order, had too much cartilage and fat for my taste. The spring rolls were good but a bit on the drier side. It didnt used to be like this. Im really sad to say that I just cant come here anymore.
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Amanda Shipley
Tofu bahn mi and spring rolls are delicious. Other than those two items Ive only had an avocado smoothie which tasted like the avocados were close to bad and was too sweet (but I dont love sweet things like most people do). Delicious. I had read reviews before I went saying how dirty they were. It didnt seem that bad other than maybe the table was a bit sticky. Its the love of the sauce, people! Thats all!
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Stephen Brandau
Best bo luc lac in town. The smaller portion is a perfect amount for one but go with a friend and share the larger portion for more veggies (mushroom, and asparagus!) They also have my favorite Vietnamese egg rolls in town, so grab them and a cafe sua da for the perfect meal. Friendly, if curt, ownership and sometimes difficult to communicate with staff makes it an authentic Vietnamese experience.
