Aboba Cafe

RIP. I stopped by Aboba for lunch today and found an empty shell where a restaurant used to be. Here’s hoping that something good will make it’s way into this location.

My first visit to Aboba was unimpressive. I had taken my sandwich to go and I felt it just didn’t keep well. However, I gave them a second chance, choosing to dine-​in — a rarity for banh mi shops in Denver. Having a dining space is definitely a valuable asset for this banh mi outlet, since their banh mi is wonderful straight out of the toaster. The French bread has a delightful exterior crunch, followed by a fluffy/​soft interior. Their fillings have less of a fishy taste than other shops, which makes the sandwich more appealing to me. In addition, they have a very delicious pâté. Not a bad option if you ever find yourself in this area.

I tried Aboba a while back and am only getting around now to write the review, mainly because I thought I would give it another try before writing a review. That hasn’t happened so before I forget what I ate, I’m reviewing. I still will return and will revise if it seems fitting to.
It was a little hard to discern that I was at the right place even though I had shopped at the Viet Hoa Market a number of times and Aboba sits actually IN the northwest corner of the same space. The problem is that if you look at the pic of the front window signage, there is no reference to sandwiches or Banh Mi. It looks vaguely like a boba shop or… bakery? dunno. Well I finally found my way inside and ordered the signature combo. As I waited for the sandwich I perused my surroundings (spartan, but clean), I received my sandwich which wasn’t what I would want to call a signature sandwich, more like something non-​descript? I wasn’t asked what toppings I wanted which I noticed later was advertised as being offered. There was very little veggies (and no jalapenos!) and the sandwich looks nothing like those advertised. The meats were okay, the bread good (if the bread is indeed from Vinh Xuong Bakery, well… Vinh Xuong makes their own Banh Mi which I much prefer). I guess If I lived in the neighborhood and didn’t want to drive the extra five miles for something I thought was better, then the «close and good enough» rule would apply. Otherwise, I’ll go the extra miles for the tastier samwich. Until I try it again, let’s go with the not quite a three star.

There is nothing more tedious to be waiting while getting an oil change; old magazines, some weird magazines that I rather watch paint dry than to read that, small tube showing figure skating, stare at the broken vending machine, these option just don’t do it for me, luckily this Midas had free Wi-​Fi, so I’ve searched what was around me at a walking distance, found Aboba and remembered Dave S talking briefly about it… So I gave a shot…
Aboba Café is very similar to Ba Le Sandwiches and very different as well. Their bread is a regular French bread, made with more biological yeast, causing the bread to have a fluffier interior, better texture and aroma. Ba Le uses French Baguette which is also great, but when cold and slightly stale it can get hard as a rock… That’s for the bread, as far as the filling of it, it’s quite different… I believe Ba Le makes their own bread; Aboba Café actually sources their bread from Vinh Xuong Bakery, and sells their products on site as well.
Had ordered the Char Siu bahn mi — it was really good, bread was warm, toasty, veggies were crunchy, right amount of seasonings, and the best part, the char siu was really Chinese made char siu! I had the same sandwich from Ba Le, but the Char Siu didn’t taste like the real deal, it looked like char siu but tasted like nem nuong. The thing is that nem nuong tastes great in a sandwich with pâté, but pâté doesn’t go well with Chinese Char Siu so, at Aboba Café, this sandwich is served with seasoned mayonnaise instead of pâté, which makes a better fit for Chinese Char Siu.
Interesting sandwich, great Vietnamese flavors combined with real Chinese flavors (char siu bahn mi). Bobas as mentioned by Dave S, weren’t special…

Bang for the buck, pretty darn good. $ 5 for a good sized sandwich (if you are familiar with Ba Le, the bread here is a tad bigger, with about double the fillings.
I had the combo and an iced coffee, for the aforementioned 5 bucks. The bread is fresh, even though it’s not made on site, still very good. The combo has beef, pork, and all the normal Banh mi veggies (cucumbers, carrots, sprouts, jalapenos, etc.), and they were fresh, crisp, plentiful.
My sandwich was cold, and I am not certain if they have hot/​grilled ones like Ba Le does, but next on my list to try is their bbq sandwich, I’d assume that’s hot.
Inside it was very clean, not a ton of décor (same as 90% of Vietnamese restaurants), though the outside area looks a tad sketchy. It shares the building with the Viet Hoa supermarket, their entrance is just to the right of the market’s. I mention this simply because you probably wouldn’t notice/​find the café otherwise.
I wouldn’t drive across town for this, but if I am reasonably close, it’s a great super cheap option for tasty food.
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Went back today since I was next door at the Viet Hao market, and had the same sandwich and a passion fruit boba tea. The bread was a bit dried out this time. Also, the tea lacked flavor and the boba was undercooked (hard).
I may still go back to try other sandwiches, but only if I am very close by. Otherwise, Ba Le is my preference for Banh Mi sandwiches.

This was the first time we’d ever had Bánh mì, the sandwiches were tasty, the baguettes on which they were served was delicious. We tried the vegetarian and the combo sandwiches, the prices are great, only $ 3 for a nice sized meal. Service was quick, friendly and talkative. The boba tea was a special treat. We will visit regularly.