DragonEats

Noodle bowls are great, good for eating in or taking out. Service is friendly and usually pretty fast, even when it’s busy.
The main reason I love this place though is that somebody here has excellent taste in house music. Every time I come in, something tight’s playing on the speakers. Good food, good vibes.

Good food, but everything else is a little off/​weird…
So this Vietnamese restaurant has sandwiches, rice bowls, and some other random things like coffee and lemonade.
First off, the food: Came here with a friend and we split the pork banh my and duck banh my. Pretty good sandwiches, for a decent price. (Sandwiches are all around $ 6.50 or $ 7). Although the sauce was a little too sweet and sometimes overpowering. Also the pork sandwich was super greasy and some parts were just fat… not meat. But like just pieces of fat.
Everything else: This restaurant has NO BATHROOM. (LIKE WHERE DO THE EMPLOYEES GO TO THE BATHROOM OR EVEN WASH THEIR HANDS)
So after sitting here and catching up, we had to use the restroom. And there wasn’t one. Not even for customers. Not even to wash our hands. The employee told us to use the coffee shop next door’s bathroom and specifically told us to go in through the back. We didn’t quite understand his instructions, so we tried to clarify. We even asked if they had a deal with the other store, since we were confused, so we could just ask their employees when we got there. But he was vague and they don’t. In the coffee shop, we asked the barista if we could use their bathroom and she said they didn’t have any agreement with the restaurant next door and that we needed to buy sometime to use the bathroom. So we spent $ 3 buying a bottle of water.
Also, the employee standing in front of the cash register was quiet through all of our interactions with him. We asked him about how the restaurant seemed new, the menu, what items were popular, and also the bathroom issue. He was not particularly helpful and gave us vague and short answers. He wasn’t friendly and was very cold. After our bathroom adventure, we kindly suggested how they might want to make a bathroom somehow available for customers in the future, but he just said no.
Décor is pretty modern and very plain. My friend even commented that it didn’t seem like they were done building the place. There’s limited seating. And with the seating that they do have, there’s no leg room. Like the tables aren’t real tables, they’re more like cabinets.

Time: 12:17pm/55°F cloudy
Purpose: In the vicinity decided to see if place was open yet. No listing on Unilocal for Haight location. Not sure why?
Ambiance: DragonEats replaces Sunrise Deli with minor, but easy changes. Gone are the tables and chair along with sunrise mural. Taking its place are wooden box bleacher style seating with couple of pottery. Counter area is blocked of and not sure if restroom is available now. Place still retain walkway ramp for wheelchair bound people. Feel and look very minimalist pretty bare bone. There’s no television or Wi-​Fi implementated yet. For me I don’t mind, I’ve my own hotspot on the go.
Staff: Saw three back of house worker and cashier guy. Cashier not friendly or helpful in any way. I think they’re too good for their own good now. Just because this is their third location nose in air snooty attitude. I ask what baguette they use, and if possible to see one. The guy with glasses and ball cap said, your first time eating banh mi? Clearly, this indicate no formal CS training prior to opening. I almost walk, but since I was there, I chance it. As I waited, I realized I wasn’t the only one being snappy at. Other experience the same or worst.
Cleanliness: Grade A, clean place with no mess as patrons clean after themselves. Only gripe is utensils should be self help and not given over counter.
Eats/​Drinks: Chicken 5 spices chicken banh my $ 6.50. Nothing special about banh my at DragonEats anymore. To me, it tasted like any other place, but bread is the differentiating factor. Five spices is the seasoning, but seems like 5 pcs of chicken too. Sando contain less than 3oz total. The standard serving size is 4+oz. What happened? Although its weight and drool-​worthy look warrant a must try, it just didn’t wow me. Here’s why? The baguette is hard and chewy. Every time when I bite into it, the fixing/​filling on other end start to slip out. This resulted in a mess and lost hope to return again. Now don’t get me wrong, it was tasty and all, but that price could’ve gotten me two in the TL.
Products/​Services: Banh my w/​best seller (roasted duck), fresh bowl, fresh rolls, green salad, Vietnamese coffee, homemade lemonade, salty plum lemonade, assorted bottle/​can soda, soup of day. Takes plastic (no minimum), dine-​in/​to go.
Punch Lines: New, minimal seating, pleasing flavors, pricey, drool-​worthy, over 10+ minutes wait time, laid back, kitschy décor, light bites, hip crowd, snooty service, occasional spotty service, nothing special, a twist on traditional favorites, kept its standards, slight filling/​fixing skimp, hard/​chewy baguette.
Tradeoffs: They can charge double the price of TL area depending on how hip area is. In the end, its the same everywhere you’re paying for prestige attention.
Final Thoughts: Back in the mid 80s when banh mi was just for those who know where to get them. There was only one place that does banh mi. Fast forward three decades later. Banh mi is so well known that hipster are getting in on the act. When that happens, you know what will follow next right? Price hike.

I was walking by my hood last week when I came across a clean, pale wooden shop– at first I thought it was some minimal tea/​coffee shop. But it wasn’t. Glad I stepped in there, because I saw signs about Bahn Mi, and Noodle bowls, ginger broths and thai iced coffee. The best part of it? Old Vietnamese women doing the damn thing in the back– ya know it’s legit.
Sure, it’s $ 6.50 for Bahn Mi, «I can get this for cheaper and better in the TL, BLAH BLAH BLAH.» O rly? Then go to the TL, get your 3 dollar sandwich with a side of crackheads taunting you. This is Haight, a neighborhood that pays for tourism and high real estate. I also didn’t see the amount of meat to be a problem. It wasn’t lacking, it just wasn’t massive like those 3 dollar crackhead Bahn Mi’s. Besides, the bread was crunchy, meat was tender (I did have a slightly fatty piece, but was only a small bite), vegetables crisp and fresh. Overall, solid sandwich with flavor, texture and… damn. I think i’m gonna walk over there and get one now.
The ginger chicken broth was perfect as a side on the rainy day. I sat in their seating area while some little vietnamese women chatted their way to making my sandwich and soup, and the cashier filled me a cup of iced coffee. I was just so stunned this place popped out of nowhere. For ambiance– it was brand new. Not super comfortable, but I didn’t plan on staying their the entire day, so I wasn’t complaining– music was not loud and annoying like previous Unilocaler had described.
Unfortunately, local establishments here need to raise their prices for the area. That day I ran across the new Dragoneats, I had seen a local clothing shop’s «10 dollars on entire store» sale. That store had been there for at least 5 years on Haight; it’s sad to see a local establishment disappear. Going back to my point, the food sold at Dragoneats is not expensive, nor outrageously priced. Support a decent joint, especially 1 week into their soft opening. Welcome to the neighborhood!

I was so excited to get a new Vietnamese joint in the hood… but i have to say I was quite disappointed today. First of all correct the spelling of the Vietnamese sandwich. It’s not Banh My but Banh Mi. So here’s my two cents that I have shared with owners /​managers who were very nice and appreciated the feedback:
–Very small sandwich for the price (if you go to the tenderloin in little Saigon you will get the real deal for half the price and double the portion.)
–the sweet sauce they use kills the flavor of the duck (I love duck and had the duck banh mi today)
–the place is very uncomfortable and there is no leg room when you sit
–the music (annoying generic pop tunes) was way too loud, bad for digestion…
–the hours are strange, they close at 6pm. They need to stay open later if they want more business.
–the inside of the place is a bit cold and uninviting, they need to make it more cozy somehow.
On a more positive note: it is nice to have an alternative to pizza, burgers and burritos for an affordable lunch and the people working there seem very nice. Service was great.

So I have been waiting with baited breath for DragonEats to open, hoping that their presence on Haight St means a trend toward better food options. They did not disappoint. 7 hours into their opening day and the staff was kind, quick and the food was so so good.
I ordered a duck bahn mi for 7 dollars and for that price I got a ridiculously tasty, crunchy, flavorful sandwich. They have bowls, rolls, bahn mi, green salads and I believe a soup of the day. I cannot wait to go back and have lunch on Monday.
The most expensive item was the duck so you are looking at lunch for less than 10 bucks!
Seating is limited and a little cramped in front, but the space is nicely done and easy to maneuver.
Welcome to upper Haight. Please please stay a while…