Cali Sandwich & Fast Food is well-loved, mostly by those who think there’s only one kind of banh mi: a great one. In other words, you can do much better than this sandwich, but it can be convincing if you’ve never had Givral’s on Milam, or Nguyen Ngo’s. The service is efficient and pointed, and the room’s got a dingy charm to it; paint’s chipping off the walls, and it does seem to get a little grosser by the minute. But this isn’t the place to be critical about the décor—most of Cali’s sandwiches are just three dollars.

The baguettes are often close to ideal, crisp-exteriored and fluffy in the middle, with lots of air holes snaking throughout; now and then, we’ve had them a bit chewy, but that’s rare. Obviously, stay away from the Chinese-ish offerings, which are boring and incoherent. Vermicelli bowls with grilled pork are spot-on, and bo luc lac is great, with buttery tender beef coated in salt and pepper—it’s all even better with lots of nuoc mam. Pork chops on crushed rice are small and dry, with an egg whose medium hardness totally defies its yolky purpose. A $3 sandwich and a giant Vietnamese coffee, though—that’s the point of this place.