From the same team that created the upscale Vietnamese fusion at Monsoon, Baguette Box starts with a simple idea—the banh mi sandwich—and ends up with an eclectic menu. The bread’s a big selling point—big, chewy baguettes do justice to the eatery’s name—and all other ingredients are of high quality: organic mixed greens in the salads are downright perky; beef and pork are also organic or sustainably raised. Concoctions range in geography from vaguely Middle Eastern (roasted leg of lamb with cucumber yogurt and harissa) to overtly Spanish (Serrano ham, red peppers, and Manchego) to Vietnamese-for-beginners (lemongrass steak with pickled daikon and carrots).

Baguette Box’s pork loin is boring, however, and its chicken is deeply divisive. Some profess an addiction to the crispy, garlicky drunken chicken, but one of our panelists was reminded of Trader Joe’s orange chicken frozen dinner.

What all agree upon is that the Capitol Hill location is far superior to the Fremont one: the food and service are better, and instead of being stuck between a Peet’s and a Coldstone Creamery (as in Fremont), Cap Hill’s shop occupies a classic, high-ceilinged, converted industrial space.