SFReview
We had high expectations for Chuck’s Takeaway. After all, the bánh mì shop is from the chef behind The Slanted Door, the longstanding and beloved upscale Vietnamese restaurant. But similar to a lukewarm Jack Harlow verse or our recent tweet that only got one like, the sandwiches at Chuck’s mostly fall flat.
This takeout-only lunch place in the Mission isn’t a traditional bánh mì spot. They serve mainly bánh mì, but there are a few other kinds of sandwiches not on baguettes, like egg salad on milk bread and Greek-style lamb stuffed in pita. And instead of just variations of grilled meats, fillings range from roasted eggplant with mushroom pâté to pork cha with shallot mayo. We’re completely down to see different ingredients in our bánh mì. But while the sandwiches are not outright bad, they simply lack flavor. And at $16 a piece, you’re better off spending that money at other bánh mì shops in the city, like Saigon Sandwich or Ty Sandwich.
The fillings are where Chuck’s runs into problems. The pâtés and pork cha in CP’s No. 3—their take on a special combination—are too mild to taste like anything substantive. And the vegetarian version with eggplant is overpowered by cilantro. It doesn’t help that the seasonally rotating roster of pickles comes on the side. But even when you add the crunchy pickled jalapeños, cauliflower, or sliced carrots into the sandwiches, there’s still not enough flavor to give each bite the umami punch we crave in a bánh mì.
There are redeeming qualities to a meal here. For starters, the baguettes are fantastic. They’re made in-house, and are crispy on the outside and airy in the middle—we have no notes. The chocolate chip, peanut, and oatmeal raisin cookies are perfectly baked and, like Riley Curry at a 2015 NBA press conference, will absolutely steal the spotlight. And the wall covered in quirky dog portraits might make you briefly forget about the fact that you just spent $7 on an iced coffee the size of a hamster.
The idea of using ingredients we don’t usually see in bánh mì sounds exciting and fresh. But Chuck’s doesn’t execute this vision in a way that makes us want to come back. For now, there are other spots we’ll head to when we’re in the mood for bánh mì.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Julia Chen
CP’s No. 3
photo credit: Julia Chen
Wurster Hall
photo credit: Chuck's Takeaway
Jo Jo’s Bollito
photo credit: Julia Chen
Mom’s Meatballs
Vietnamese Coffee
photo credit: Julia Chen