Lee’s Sandwiches

As Vietnamese banh mi chains go, there’s no question that Lee’s Sandwiches is both the largest overall and the one with the most Orange County locations – more than twice as many as THH Sandwiches, all in north OC. Founded in the 1980s in San Jose, then reimagined with a new Westminster concept in 2001, Lee’s is like a Vietnamese convenience store merged with a Quizno’s. At least half the floor space is allocated to displays of freshly made ingredients (mayonnaise, pate), takeout-ready items – canned Vietnamese coffees, bags of shelf-stable egg rolls, packages of fresh spring rolls – and floor space for waiting guests, with no seating or tables. You order sandwiches from a large touchscreen near cash registers, then stand around waiting for your order.

To Lee’s credit, the menu is larger than THH’s, including many of the same banh mi and pastry choices, plus European-style sandwiches (served on croissants), macarons, wings, chicken nuggets, and steamed buns, plus smoothies. Lee’s also has a “hot baguettes now” sign in the window, mimicking Krispy Kreme’s famous “hot doughnuts now” signs for $2.50 long bread loaves.