Review The Roll Shop - Brisbane

Pate was nice and flavour of the crispy pork was good. Unfortunately the roll was dry and the roll itself lacked filing. Disappointingly the pork came from a Tupperware container stored in the fridge - I was expecting the meat to be hot.

Nice food, I've had better so not as great as one of the others reviewers claimed. Service was great, price was a bit high for volume of food. If you want the best Bahn mi, visit Adelaide

Lovely little shop for an easy lunch in the city. Friendly staff, great vegan options and minimal plastic packaging. My favourite is their broken rice vegan tofu bowl. Got one today was super fresh and delish. Does get quite busy during lunch so I suggest going early or after 1.30 to avoid wait times 😊Highly recommend it

Serves (and has done so for some years) the best banh mi in Brisbane. Reliably delicious food and cheerful service, can't recommend highly enough. (I just read this review which I wrote 4 years ago and confirm it is still true today in 2021).

Really average, below average on every front. Service was prompt and not impolite, but it felt very much like being processed. I opted for crispy pork bun - a dish that done well is wonderfully delicious. So they gave me this box, some limp lettuce mostly at one end, and chopped cucumber at the other end. This was sitting on a bed of rice noodles, and scattered throughout an ok amount (they offer extra protein for $2) of fairly tasty pork. No mint leaves like I was anticipating, not bean sprouts. The sauce, so simple and a key element of many Vietnamese dishes, was meagre and weak. They seemed to do a reasonable trade with regulars going in. Maybe it's for the Banh Mi. I don't know. But based on my experience I couldn't recommend this place

Had the BBQ pork COM TAM! It’s delicious!!! Best in Brissie!!

Their vegan banh mi is so flavourful and delicious!! The lemongrass tofu and the vegan pate were so good. Will definitely be coming back.

Best food and best service around. Have remembered my name even after long periods of being away. The owners and staff are super friendly, helpful, and the food is always fresh and delicious. If you're in the city I strongly recommend!

Stopped in here for a quick takeaway lunch after a recommendation from a friend. I chose the Vietnamese noodle salad with crispy pork. The salad lacked a bit of just that... salad. It had lettuce and cucumber but not much else - could have done with some carrot and fresh herbs to lift it a little. But the protein was excellent - really delicious and the highlight of the dish. I will definitely return as service was super quick and the rest of the menu looks great.

One of the things on my longstanding bucket list has been to learn Japanese, and with an upcoming trip there was really no better opportunity for me to do so than here and now. But alas, how does a girl holding down a full time job with gaming and blogging commitments find time to go to class? Enter UQ with its institute of modern languages courses, which allowed Queen V and I to go after work hours. With that sorted, all we needed was dinner during the class. Of course I volunteered to grab us take out. Which is why I found myself loitering around Gresham Lane pondering dinner options when I spied the Roll Shop.

Forgot to bring lunch today and I remembered that The Roll Shop do really good Vietnamese salad bowls so I toddled off down the hill - hello leg day!<br/><br/>After fighting my way through the throng outside Melt Brothers (bookmarked!), I was instantly drawn to the rice paper rolls. Lemongrass chicken rice paper rolls in a pack of 3 for $7 - decision made. Back up the hill I went - oh my quads!<br/><br/>I love rice paper rolls, especially when they're good value and packed with more greenery than rice noodle. Sadly, these contained more noodles than colour; about 6 bits of shredded lettuce and half a mint leaf.....but still yum. I'm a sucker for anything with mint. The chicken was delicious, beautifully moist with good colour, a little hint of lemongrass, and a generous serving. And the hoisin sauce was my kind of sweetly peanut-y.<br/><br/>If I'm honest I've had better rice paper rolls in the city but these were fresh, quick, and tasty. I managed to eat two of the rolls and had to put the third away for another time, which I've since donated to a work colleague and his endless appetite.... (you're welcome MB 😜) Next time though I'll probably stick to one of the salads.

I've had lychee drink from this place. It's the BEST!!!' 😍 love it very very much it's only $4 for small one. And only$2 extra if you want to get big one (of course bigger is better). And staff is so cute

It's good to have some healthier fast food options in the city but there are things that need can be improved with this place. The service is always fast and the staff are friendly and bubbly. The food is okay but it has potential to be so much better, mainly by being more generous with the fillings. The salad was mainly noodles with half a handful of meat and lettuce and the banh mi was very light on the fillings, it may leave you feeling hungry soon after.

Stopped in here for a quick lunchtime Banh Mi while on the way to a nearby bank. <br/>We had a BBQ Pork and a lemongrass chicken. The pork and it's filling was really nice, the chicken didn't have any pate so not quite as good as the pork. The bread wasn't quite as good (or authentic) as elsewhere we've tried in the CBD but overall a tasty Banh Mi.

The Lemongrass Chicken Bahn Mi for only $7 from The Roll Shop is my go to quick lunch when I am working in the city. The service is friendly and quick and the Bahi Mi' s are always super tasty.

After lengthy queues at the takeaway downstairs, who sells delish vermicelli salad for $6, I decided to see if anywhere on Gresham Lane did Vermicelli Salad, the roll shop did. I ordered a $7 bowl which turns out to be their 'small' size - it's actually more like a snack sized bowl. The 'lemongrass' chicken had no lemongrass flavor at all. The loads of lettuce in it seemed fresh enough. Very ordinary for $7.

Great flavours. Very well balanced. Fresh and very well priced. Pork crackling amazing!!!!!! If any fault. Maybe a little more meat to balance the bread. Bun very fresh. Salad ingredients also very fresh and chilli great addition. Will being trying more from the menu very soon. Definitely one of the best Bahn Mi in the City.

The Roll Shop is one of a breed of new generation snack bars, selling street food to the hungry office worker masses. The Roll Shop specialises in Bahn Mi, those tasty snacks filled with pork, salad and Asian herbs, crammed into a crusty Vietnamese bread roll. They have half a dozen options including traditional BBQ Pork, Lemongrass Chicken & Pork Belly. The rolls are made fresh to order and take no time at all, no matter how busy the shop is.

Wasn't overly impressed with the Roll Shop. Ordered a BBQ Pork Banh Mi Thit WITH extra bbq pork, and it was still overly saturated with carrot. It didn't make matters much better when the pork itself was pretty tasteless. Quick service and friendly faces behind the counter to be sure, I still think Roll Shop probably has its place as one of Gresham Lane's grouse food establishments, but perhaps the rice paper rolls etc are a better option.

Not the best rice paper rolls in the CBD, but still a decent quick lunch... Would give it another go if I was in need of a quick fix.. Still yet to try the Bahn mi

The Roll Shop is a quick lunch time spot for those who work around. Cheap and tasty, it doesn't take long to get a good Bahn mi. although it's not the best in town, it still gets the job done. The chicken corn soup is good however the rice paper rolls are a bit exxy for what they're worth.

Stingy. For $7 the rolls are really poor value. Tried it for the first time a couple of weeks ago and was disappointed as there was so little filling in it. Decided to try it again and specifically asked if they could fill it up a little more. They did, a little, but it was still rather lacking and measly with the coriander (she only added more carrot) so unfortunately I wont be back. I've had heaps of these when living in Sydney and I know what they should taste and be filled to, and this place just isn't up to par.

Cold banh mi. I ordered a lemongrass chicken banh mi, the chicken was still cold like it had just come out of the fridge.

Shadow of it's former self. When it first openend the servings were generous and even though $6 was steep for a banh-mi, it was still worth it considering the slim pickings in the CBD...however these days either greed or general blaise has crept in and the rolls are tiny, ingredients barely there and just aren't worth the money which is sad because the owner had a great concept for a while there..

Roll Shop - Brisbane CBD. Whatever time of day you order, the food comes out quick and is very fresh. A quiet laneway just a turn off the busy main road will show you a number of little holes-in-the-wall including this gorgeous find. It is more of a takeaway, though is you are lucky you might get a seat at one of the two tables. During their less busy times, they will even beckon you to sit down in spite of it simply being a takeaway. This is about as fresh and healthy fast food can get, with an edge of authenticity.<br/><br/>The first time I went here was before a class, and felt in the need for some sustenance I sought out this place after hearing so much about it. For their namesake, it was mainly to try out the famous banh mis. It was close to closing time and they were pleasant in their service, an aspect present in every visit. The Roll Shop is big for catering, especially for their bahn mis; therefore I was not able to try them out initially. They were kind enough to make suggestions giving a vermicelli bowl as an option which I kindly order, with crackling pork. On the side I got a drink, an avocado shake. <br/><br/>The vermicelli dish was tasty, with coriander, mint and their special nuoc nam sauce - it acted like a dressing, and came in a tiny zip-lock bag (likely to prevent the meal from getting soggy before reaching the office) - combining to create a complex and naturalistic flavour dynamic. It was fresh and after a good mix, really delicious. The crunch of the pork crackle added to it with a contrasting texture. <br/>As for the avocado shake, this is absolutely different from the milkshakes that I have been used to over the years; no sweetness, and the avocado flavour is very much there. I liked it, and the best way to describe it is that it is sort of like drinking guacamole. <br/><br/>Since their banh mi was so popular, I made a deliberate diversion into the city to try one at lunch. I had heard it was popular and that is not joshing around; the lunch time crowd is big. At nigh closing time, few orders are around thus they can remember who got what (two of the three times I have been here before class, I was the only one I saw going up to order). So, finally I got the banh mi; since the crackling pork was so good in the vermicelli I got the same meat. <br/>These were a great little snack; they are not super-filling and are easy to eat while on the run. The bread is crusty and a combination of meat, carrot, cucumber and coriander make for a well-rounded snack. They ask if you want chili on it, and I did (being a fan of chili) for that extra bite. To drink, a jackfruit shake is what I ordered; the flavour is odd and hard to describe. It is like nothing else that I have drunk before, a little on the bitter side this is nothing like the milkshakes from diners and milk bars of past. <br/><br/>The third time around, they looked really close to closing yet were no less pleasant than before. Admittedly, it was in quick succession to the last couple of visits thus they recognised my face. Saved up was an all-meats banh mi which I accepted (plus the added chili) willingly with an iced coffee to go. The combination of meats was great and a second try was just as good as the first try. <br/>The iced coffee is ready-made and only needs to be put onto the ice machine and the delicious treat is ready to drink. Slightly sweet and refreshing, the iced coffee was good for the pre-class caffeine hit. <br/><br/>Probably not for the last visit, I made another trip there for a pre-class meal and to vary it up some more I ordered some roll cake. The roll cake is made of steamed rice paper pancakes with Vietnamese pork loaf, cucumber, bean sprouts, fried shallots, mint and coriander with a bag of nuoc nam sauce. Maybe not as good as the previous orders, it was still very fresh, tasty and complex in flavours while having a simple vibe to it. On the side, to finish off trying the whole range, I got a soursop shake. This was slightly sour, somewhat more creamy than the last two, and proves how interesting drinks can get. <br/><br/>The Roll Shop is one of the hidden gems that is found through exploration. Upon trying to find it a couple of times before, I either found somewhere else or needed to take countless wrong turns before discovering a quicker way to find it. Once you know where it is, it is likely you will locate it subconsciously with no worries needed. Their popularity is apparent and ultimately well-earned.

Love.this.place!! Banh mi.... Love.this.place!!<br/><br/>Banh mi heaven for city workers! Love the regular pork, the pork crackle is divine and the lemongrass... Ok so it's all amazeballs. So glad it exists in Brisbane - they are always fresh and it's busy as anything so not always seats to go around but hey - we are grading food here aren't we! It's busy cause it's popular and it's popular cause it's awesome!

Ban Mi is always good. Fast and easily one of the best places for a quick bite. Have tried a few other places serving Ban Mi but nothing comes close.

10/10. NOW THIS IS WHAT FAST FOOD SHOULD BE LIKE. Staff are super nice. Meals are fresh, cheap and tasty as. Love the rolls and the rice noodle salads. Open more of these around the city, please!!!

Prices okay, food okay. I would say overall I like it, a little bit cheaper than their competitors. Rice paper rolls tasted fresh but the prawns made my partners and my mouths itchy?? Don't know if it's a reflection of the ingredients or not. The BBQ Pork roll was alright, the meat itself was tender and tasty but they could use a little more filling (although maybe this is traditional?). Worth a visit.

Good roast pork rolls. They make good rolls here, better than the other ones I've tried in the city previously, though not as good as the banh mi you can get in Darra. I will definitely be coming back in the future.

Super delicious Banh mi (bread roll) with sweet glazed grill pork, can never get enough of it!! Love it so much I think I've used up at least 3 loyalty cards now (that's 30 rolls). Price very reasonable and staff are always very friendly & efficient.

Tasty and refreshing!. The vermicelli bowl was fantastic. The special sauce was light and delicious and the roast crackling pork was very crispy. I had a coconut juice which contained tender coconut flesh. It was an extremely refreshing meal that was cheap as well.

Tasty Vietnamese lunch rolls!! I had the Pork with crackle and the Lemon grass chicken. I just love the freshness and the combination of chilli (upon request) with the selection of meat. I'll go back again.

Favourite Roll. I am typing this review as soon as I finished my bbq pork banh mi!! LOVE IT! LOVE IT! LOVE IT! Yummy food, Quick service, Cheap price - ticking every boxes!! Definite one of my favourite lunch choice in the city. :)

Crazy not to try!. Great cheap eat on the run - most things are just $6.00

Great, friendly service. These guys remember how I like my banh mi and my vermicelli salad. I recommend the roast crackling pork on everything. Always reliable. Always tasty. Excellent value for a CBD lunch. Don't be frightened by the queue. It's very popular for a reason and you never have to wait long.

Loving it!. I absolutely love the banh mi (roll) here. I always have the vegetarian version of the banh mi. The Roll Shop is very accommodating towards vegetarians and are happy to make vegetarian alternatives. I could seriously eat the banh mi here every day, it's that tasty! *thumbs up*

Good. Price-6, Service-6, Food-6, Atmosphere-n/a<br/>Had a banh mi. It was okay tons of meat maybe too much meat. Not as good as one I had in cabramatta

Awesome Lunchtime Meal. We go to The Roll Shop two or three times each week for lunch. Very well priced ($6 Banh Mi) and the service is quick and friendly. I usually get the Lemongrass Chicken Banh Mi (which I have photographed without the corriander and cucumber) and it's amazing. Highly reccomend to anyone even slightly interested in Vietnamese food.

CBD lunch favourite!. I LOVE THE ROLL SHOP. The pork crackling bun is just amazing! The meat is great, the servings are generous and they also include fresh coriander and chilli on the roll which makes it awesome. Sometimes when I don't want to consume a million calories on that, I will go for their pork and prawn rice paper rolls which are generous and delicious. They give you plenty of hoisin sauce which makes it all the better. I like to go here about once a week - it's a lovely spot.

YUMYUMYUM. So cheap and so good and not too bad on the waistline! My favourite is the bbq pork banh mi, followed closely by the black pepper beef. The rice paper rolls are ok, but I go there for the banh mi!

I've had better.... After reading some of the reviews I thought there might have been a decent banh mi shop in the CBD. How wrong was I. Yea the banh mi had a decent amount of filling in there, but the problem I had with it was the viet mayo and pate. The banh mi lacked the flavour of these two key ingredients, I could hardly taste it at all. Better to go elsewhere..

Started great... but starting to wane. When i first discovered this place, it was awesome! big bread rolls with fresh tasty fillings! the service is fast and friendly.. fast forward a couple of months.. and the queues are 20 people long, service still fast and friendly but the rolls are substantially smaller with less fillings.. hopefully the BBQ pork roll that i got today is a once off.. but felt like 2/3 the size of the normal roll.. i've only ever had the bread rolls (tried all the meats) and my favorite one is definitely the lemon grass chicken bread roll..

Best sandwich in the CBD. I regularly eat there twice a day. Always good quality. Good price too.

Its Really Good!. I have been to Vietnam & yes ate the fab rolls there, yes these rolls dont have the pate that you get in Vietnam but use great pork, beef & fresh ingredients that we have here in Australia. I have had both the roast crackling pork & beef rolls now - yum!<br/>I went back to get an iced Viet coffee - SOLD OUT! :-( Have to get in early next time for one of those as they are an experience in themselves, for $6 for a roll that is fresh & full to the brim how can you go wrong in the CBD.<br/>I went there at 12:30pm to get a roll for lunch on a friday & it was pumping & yes agree I was out of there within 2 minutes - WELL DONE Roll Shop Staff - Dont change a thing!

Very solid banh mi. As per Nina will eat's post, I'm also skeptical when any joint outside Inala, Darra and Sunnybank decides to sell banh mi especially as the price in the city is usually double in comparison to what you would pay in the suburbs. This is the latest joint to start selling these delicious rolls along side Quick Quak and Little Saigon Grill. I have to say that this joint does the best out of the 3 in the city, just slightly better than Little Saigon Grill.<br/><br/>I ordered the Banh Mi with Roast Pork and had no complaints whatsoever. The roll was toasted to a wonderful golden brown colour and the staff didn't skimp on the fillings with plenty of roast crispy belly pork nestled amongst the salads and coriander. Despite the long line of customers, the roll was in my hand within 2 minutes of ordering which was fantastic! <br/><br/>I am looking forward to coming back and trying the other 5 items or so on the menu and I believe this place is here for the long hall....watch out...banh mi will be the next sushi.

Yummy

Best Banh Mi (since Vietnam '07). Read the title. Says it all. Ok maybe missing the mystery meat pate that makes the real thing so good (and the generous squirts of soy sauce). But I'll fight you to point out a better filled roll in the CBD.<br/><br/>All we need now is a Beer Hoi down that lane and a dj on a Thursday and Friday night!

Pleasantly Surprised. I am skeptical with any banh mi thit (pork roll) outside the suburbs of Inala and Darra. However, this place surprised me. I had the BBQ pork roll. They layered on the meat, the homemade butter was creamy and had a traditional flavour, the pate was good and the rest of the fillings were fresh. The chilli had a good kick to it as well. Will definitely be back to try the other flavours!

I'm excited about going back to The Roll Shop for lunch this week and ordering an avocado milkshake to go with a lemongrass chicken banh mi!

Whenever I think about having lunch in the city now, I'm conflicted because I know there are other new places I 'need' to try but I always feel like more banh mi! I loved that they were substantial and filling but still fresh and reasonably healthy. I think it's a great, fast and delicious option for a work lunch.