Lee’s Sandwiches Opens in Torrance; The Public Lines Up for Banh Mi, Coffee, and More

Lee’s Sandwiches –  the fast food chain known for their fresh coffee, bánh mì sandwiches, and prepackaged Vietnamese goods – has opened in Torrance.

I late July, Lee's Sandwiches opened in Torrance to lines of eager, hungry fans.
In late July, Lee’s Sandwiches opened in Torrance to lines of eager, hungry fans. This location is the first LA location West of the 710 Freeway.

Anticipation for this opening has been high.  After sharing with our readers that the shop was opening soon, emails poured in asking for the exact date.

Since the Grand Opening on July 27th, the response to the store has been overwhelming.  Anxious customers have waited patiently in line to place their order and then wait again until and hearing their order number called by a sweet, bodiless, mechanized voice.

To true fans of Lee’s Sandwiches that voice is like an angel calling. 😀

The South Bay Foodies stopped by Lee’s shortly after the opening to celebrate shop opening in our neck of the woods.

First impression:  we were surprised at how small the location was.  Other Lee’s we’ve dined in have had large kitchens and bakeries behind the counter and ample seating in the dining room.

Our local Lee’s is a bit cramped.  The counter has room for two registers but enough space for one line.  And the kitchen looks tiny.  Space is certainly at a premium on the counter.  The cashiers and servers were constantly jockeying for position as one group took orders and the other brought them out.

Space insde the small store is at a premium. Our visit was during a busy lunch hour.
Space insde the small store is at a premium. Our visit was during a busy lunch hour.

The dining room — which has a capacity of 29 – has several two-seat tables and a few more tables that seat up to four. We visited around lunch time and many folks were taking their food to go.  This was a plus for the few folks dining in since tables became available pretty quickly.  If everyone had been dining in the wait would have been much longer.

The dining room is smaller than we've seen in others.
The dining room is smaller than we’ve seen in others.

The long lines and tight space didn’t stop us from getting an order in: one avocado smoothie, one large iced mocha, one Thai iced tea, Jarritos mandarina, and a round of grilled pork bánh mì.

It was no surprise that everything was as good as we’d had it before.  The freshly brewed coffee and tea were potent and deliciously sweet. The bánh mì were on point as well, served up nicely with carrots and daikon slaw, cilantro, and the perfect amount of Lee’s house made mayonnaise.

A large iced cafe mocha pairs nicely with a grilled pork banh mi, one of the most popular sandwiches at Lee's.
A large iced cafe mocha pairs nicely with a grilled pork banh mi, one of the most popular sandwiches at Lee’s.
Jarritos soda, avocado smoothie, and Thai iced tea are among the many beverages available at Lee's.
Jarritos soda, avocado smoothie, and Thai iced tea are among the many beverages available at Lee’s.

We will certainly be back for more!

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