Although it looks like part of a gas station (actually it’s just next door), Banh Mi Boys on Airline Highway is worth the drive — and now there’s a second location right on Magazine Street. The menu ranges from straight up Vietnamese specials like spring rolls, vermicelli plates and banh mi to a mash up of Cajun, Korean and local flavors — try the bulgogi beef banh mi, the Asian wings and the darn good soft shell crab po-boy. Owner Peter Nguyen cares and it shows.

Singleton’s is a typical corner store, family run, located a few minutes from Tulane and Loyola. The family happens to be Vietnamese, which means the fried egg rolls are homemade, the pho (only offered Saturdays) is super, and the banh mi po-boys rock. The “usual” po-boys are also good, from fried oysters to roast beef.

The menu at this Maple street gem is a kick: bacos (bao meets taco), gyoza nachos, kimchi fries, green tea Kit-Kat cheesecake — the mash-ups never stop. Insanely good, cheap, and friendly, Ba Hi Canteen is a winner.

Mint Modern Vietnamese doesn’t follow any rules when it comes to Vietnamese food. There’s a banh mi burger (which also happens to be one of the city’s greatest burgers) and banh mi stuffed with everything from fried soft shell crab to french fries and mushrooms. A meat lover’s option combines barbecue pork, pate, Vietnamese ham and meatballs. This contemporary spot has a full bar, table service, and a playful menu.

Serving breakfast from 11 a.m. every day but Tuesday, Le’s is yet another family-owned Viet cafe that exceeds expectations. Fans appreciate spring rolls, steamed buns filled with lemongrass chicken, banh mi sandwiches, and steaming pho. Worth noting: Le’s Baguette gets its bread from Dong Phuong bakery in New Orleans East.

Pho Tau Bay is a family affair, with roots that reach back to Saigon in the 60s, when the family patriarch owned restaurants there. Spiced beef stew is a specialty here, served over rice noodles or warm French bread, but all the usual suspects are represented on the menu. Lots of good vegetarian dishes, a bonus.

Simply delicious Vietnamese food is the standard at Pho Noi Viet on Magazine. There’s a vegan pho option, but the rare beef brisket is tough to miss. Lemongrass chicken, shaken beef, and plump banh mi sandwiches all served in no time at all, with a smile.

This sweet and cozy Vietnamese cafe in the Lower Garden District has been a longtime lunch favorite, with quick and friendly service. The rich pho broth simmered for eight hours puts it at the top of the city’s crowded pho list.

The menu at Tan Dinh is vast, just one reason this Gretna eatery is such a hot spot. Try the rice paper-wrapped or fried spring rolls filled with shrimp or pork, anything with lemongrass tofu, flavored rice bowls, and tangy vegetable-forward vermicelli bowls. There’s also Korean style barbecued ribs served with kimchi and a nice line up Vietnamese beer.

The huge and newly renovated original restaurant on the West Bank delivers awesome Vietnamese specialties and Chinese food alike, but it’s the crispy spring rolls, vermicelli bowls, and lemongrass tofu that bring us in. There’s a solid vegan menu, too.

One of the go-tos in New Orleans East, Ba Mien is a typical strip mall joint with a menu that delivers traditional Vietnamese flavors and lots of options. There’s tripe in some pho — which isn’t always offered — and banh cuon, or steamed rice flour rolls (think feather-light Vietnamese manicotti), stuffed with grilled pork, a Saigon specialty.

For a strip small, Pho NOLA’s space on Transcontinental Drive is spacious, light, and airy, with a nice L-shaped bar for post-work dining. It’s a favorite for its vast menu of boba and special teas as much as for banh mi, pho, and other noodle soups,

Along the same highway as Ba Mien in New Orleans is the quiet Pho Bang, flying under the radar but not to be overlooked. Try the cold bun salad and ultra meaty house pho featuring tripe, flank, brisket, ‘navel’ and tendon.