Out The Door
1 Ferry Plaza
San Francisco, CA 94111

Rated: ♣♣♣

Yeah, this place is good. But, it comes with a hefty price tag. You can get Vietnamese food equally this great and pay half the price outside of the city, SF’s Saigon Sandwich even. I went to school in San Jose, and I’m use to $5 bowls of pho and $3.50 Vietnamese sandwiches. Boy, was I spoiled. Because of convenience, I am now paying $7.50 for spring rolls and $8.50 for a Vietnamese sandwich.

The scene:

Out The Door is the take-out version of the very famous, Slanted Door. I’ve never had the opportunity to dine here, but OTD is a good, safe introduction to Vietnamese food. What sets this place apart from other Vietnamese restaurants are their unique menu options. In addition to the usual pho, sandwiches and vermicelli bowls, they have more Chinese-inspired dishes like porridge and buns.

This place gets super busy, so come early if you’re in a rush.

The food:

Spring rolls – I love these spring rolls, especially because there are no bean sprouts. The rolls also have the best balance of ingredients – large pieces of cooked shrimp, tons of noodles, few shreds of mint leaves and a chewy wrapper. I also think there’s some kind of sauce in here, but I can’t pinpoint what it is. Best part of the dish is the peanut sauce. It needs a little kick, but it’s still yummy.

5-spice chicken sandwich – The chicken is flavorful,  juicy and perfectly cooked. The sandwich is loaded with pickled veggies and the special white sauce that’s traditionally in other Vietnamese sandwiches. I also love that they have little containers of jalapenos so I can add as many as I want in my sandwich.

I love this place, partly because there’s barely any good Vietnamese options in this area other than Sai’s (but it’s a hike). But, I’m going to give OTD 3 clubs just because of the price.

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