Nhu Lan Bakery

"Nhu Lan Bakery, who bakes their bread fresh daily and has a menu of around 20 sandwiches, is basically synonymous with banh mi in Chicago. You can’t go wrong with anything from this Lincoln Square staple. That said, there’s a reason that the first item on the banh mi menu is named after the restaurant. There’s also a second location on Sheridan Road." - Eater Staff, Adam Rothbarth

"From the crackly housemade baguette, to the large variety of delicious proteins, our heads make an Exorcist turn whenever we hear someone talking about Nhu Lan’s bánh mì. Plus, this Lincoln Square bakery sells great Vietnamese sandwiches for less than $10. We like to alternate between the Nhu Lan special topped with ham and fatty head cheese, or the #2 made with chunks of sweet roast pork. Both also get plenty of flavor from pate, crisp vegetables, and a sweet mayo that’s made in-house." - john ringor, veda kilaru

"Hungry lunch crowds have long swarmed this Lincoln Square treasure for its Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches. The house-baked baguettes give a pleasing crunch and are paired with meats, seafood, or tofu, plus sweet pickled daikon, fresh cucumber spears, and lots of cilantro. A second Nhu Lan outpost is open in Uptown." - Ashok Selvam, Naomi Waxman, Eater Staff

"The city’s preeminent banh mi expert is a delicious and affordable option. The signature house special contains paté, head cheese, ham, and pork roll alongside a medley of veggies, but customers can also order their Vietnamese sandwiches with ingredients like barbecue pork, lemongrass chicken, and sugarcane shrimp. What really sets Nhu Lan apart from the competition though is its bread, which is baked daily in-house. A second outpost is located in Uptown." - Ashok Selvam, Eater Staff

"A great lunch spot, Nhu Lan is a teeny tiny Vietnamese bakery who makes the best Banh Mi sandwiches around town, and for only $4.95! It’s really small inside—only 3 tables—so take your sandwiches to go and have a picnic in Welles Park. Our favorites are the #3 Lemongrass Chicken (Ga) the #4 Grilled Pork (Thit Nuong) sandwiches. Get them with everything on it—cilantro, cucumber, pickled carrots, daikon (radish) and jalapeno. Their bread is amazing... it's baked fresh daily and has a soft crunch on the outside with a very fluffy inside. For drinks, they make fresh fruit smoothies, bubble tea, Vietnamese Iced Coffee or Thai Iced Tea." - Knoed Creative