Banh Mi Near Me in the Excelsior: Ty Sandwich's Forearm-Size Mission Street Rolls

Ty Sandwich makes bánh mì from grilled pork to lemongrass tofu and sells them from a takeout-only storefront at 4829 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94112, in the Excelsior. The counter is open 10 am to 7 pm seven days a week, The Infatuation's June 2026 bánh mì guide calls it its favorite bánh mì in the Excelsior. Typing banh mi near me south of Interstate 280? Save this address.

The shop sits on the stretch of Mission Street where the Excelsior's country-named avenues cross, a few steps from Russia Avenue and between France Avenue to the south and Onondaga Avenue to the north. Wikipedia's history of the district notes that Emanuel Lewis and his daughter Jeannette named the avenues after countries and the streets after capitals, which is why Lisbon Street and Italy Avenue are only a couple of blocks away.

Transit is simple. The 14 Mission and 14R Mission Rapid run straight down Mission Street, and the Rapid has a stop at Mission and Persia Avenue, about two blocks from the door. SFMTA lists the 14R from 5 am to 10 pm daily. Balboa Park BART is roughly half a mile to the west, past Balboa High School, on Geneva Avenue, so riders coming from downtown or the East Bay can walk over from the station instead of transferring to a bus.

Ty Sandwich has no published founding story, and it does not need one. What reviewers describe is a small operation: on a weekday visit around 12:45, one Google reviewer found two people running the whole thing, one cooking in the back and the other jumping between taking orders and assembling sandwiches, while also filling online pre-orders. Another reviewer, Brian Lagman, singled out a friendly owner who gives plenty of meat.

The regulars are easy to spot. Balboa High School is a few blocks west on the Mission Terrace side, and its Google reviewers describe a wave of high school students hitting the counter at weekday lunch. The other crowd is neighborhood workers on a quick break, plus people like reviewer Alzila, who orders to go and says the food is still warm and fresh by the time they get home.

The sandwich board covers the usual grilled meats plus a combination with cold cuts and pâté, and a lemongrass tofu roll for anyone skipping meat. The Infatuation's review says the marinated meats are some of the best in town, singling out juicy grilled pork and tender lemongrass chicken, and describes a baguette the size of a forearm stuffed with thick carrot and cucumber strips and heaps of herbs.

The Combination is the classic cold-cut build. Time Out's write-up describes toasted bread slathered in mayo, then stacked with ham, Vietnamese pork roll, French country pâté, daikon and carrots, jalapeños, cucumbers and cilantro, and mentions a diagram by the register breaking down its layers. Wanderlog's summary of Google reviews says regulars order the combo with extra vegetables and pâté, and also rate the lemongrass tofu for its sweeter marinade and toasty bread.

Ty Sandwich is not only a sandwich counter. Garlic noodle plates come out of the same small kitchen, and The Infatuation counted three fresh spring rolls per order, each packed with pork and shrimp, which makes a roll order the easy add-on when two people are splitting lunch.

The drinks list is long for a room this size. The Infatuation calls the boba menu lengthy, and the cooler holds cans and bottles for anyone who just wants something cold with a roll. Time Out specifically told readers to finish with the Thai iced tea, and Wanderlog's summary of Google reviews names the Thai tea and the grilled pork bánh mì as favorites.

Because the shop is takeout only, plan where the bag is going before you order. A forearm-length roll stuffed with herbs, carrot and cucumber sheds crumbs and drips sauce, so it eats best on a bench rather than in a car or on a bus. John McLaren Park, covered further down, is the nearest big stretch of grass for that, and it is uphill from the counter rather than across a freeway.

Everything is made to order, which is the reason for the wait. The reviewer who arrived around 12:45 on a weekday got into line just before a wave of students and still waited about 15 minutes for her food. If you have a fixed lunch hour, do not come between roughly noon and 1 pm on a school day. Mid-morning after the 10 am opening, or the slower stretch after 2 pm, is a better bet.

There are also a couple of honest misses to avoid. The same reviewer ordered the lemongrass tofu spring rolls and found the ginger flavoring on the tofu too strong, drowning them in peanut sauce to finish them. Another Google reviewer, Carey, called the combination disappointing. Since The Infatuation's praise is all about the marinated meats, first-timers are better off ordering the grilled pork or lemongrass chicken and saving the combo for a second visit.

If the counter is jammed or the students have cleared out the grilled pork, Pho Golden is a short walk north on Mission Street, also in the Excelsior. It is a sit-down Vietnamese restaurant, and The Infatuation's 2026 guide likes its grilled pork bánh mì for its sticky-sweet pork, buttery mayo and a roll long enough to bat with. It suits a group that wants a table rather than a bag to go.

For somewhere to eat outdoors, head uphill east toward John McLaren Park. At 313.7 acres it is the fourth-largest park in San Francisco, after Golden Gate Park, the Presidio and Lake Merced Park, and it borders the Excelsior, Crocker-Amazon, Visitacion Valley and the Portola. Wikipedia lists Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia among the Excelsior's noteworthy residents, which makes a sandwich on a McLaren bench feel like a small piece of neighborhood history.

Ty Sandwich (TY Sandwiches), 4829 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94112, in the Excelsior near Russia Avenue. Open daily 10 am to 7 pm. Takeout only, with online pre-orders handled at the same counter. Muni 14 and 14R stop at Mission and Persia Avenue, and Balboa Park BART is about half a mile west.