New Charlotte-area takeout spot offers handcrafted banh mi, sweet treats
Banh mi on scratch-made Vietnamese baguette. Hot, crispy chicken wings and egg rolls. Is there anything better? Now, there’s a new takeout spot in Pineville called Lula Banh Mi & Bakery, where you can get all that — plus dessert.
You’ll find the restaurant in the Centrum shopping center across from Carolina Place Mall — the same area where international grocery store and food hall Super G Mart is expected to open soon.
It’s a family affair. Owner Kacie Nguyen and her husband, Tony, opened the shop mid-July The technology specialist for the Fort Mill School District and former network engineer named the shop Lula after a combination of their moms’ names, Luu and Lan.
“We wanted to pay tribute to the two women whose love and talent in the kitchen has inspired us. They taught us that food is about connection, tradition and memories. We love that our food brings families together and how it brings back fond memories of childhood and home for so many,” Kacie Nguyen said.
The Nguyens’ high school-age sons, Peyton and Cohen, are pitching in, too — as are their niece and nephew — taking orders at the counter and chatting with customers packing the space.
THE FOOD: Lula serves Vietnamese food such as banh mi, curry and noodle bowls, and small-batch desserts including cheesecakes, cupcakes, cookies and macarons. Breakfast is also available, with standard American choices like bacon or ham, egg and cheese croissants, and Vietnamese options such as pate chaud, a savory puffed pastry bun stuffed with meat.
“Everything that goes into our banh mi is made in house, including the Vietnamese baguette; I don’t know of another banh mi shop that does this in our area,” Nguyen said.
WHAT TO TRY: The roasted pork belly banh mi pairs the savory meat with fresh cucumber, pickled daikon and carrot, and a healthy layer of cilantro for crunch. Or enjoy the lightly battered chicken wings with fried rice, a comforting pairing that’s exactly what you’d expect. Don’t forget the eggrolls.
THE SPACE: There’s no seating yet, but a few tables are on the way. For now, plan on takeout. (And if you can’t wait to get home, you can always park under the shopping center’s shade trees and chow down — like I did. )
THE VIBE: The restaurant is bright and cheerful, decorated with a mural by New York artist Steffi Lynn Tsai. (You can also shop her gift cards while you’re waiting for your order.)
Nguyen added, “We want to say thank you to everyone who showed up at the shop! Thank you for your patronage, your social media posts, your likes, shares, reviews, gifts and patience! It’s been so wonderful to finally be able to share our food and space with our community.”
HOW TO ORDER: Order online via ToastTab for pickup, or walk in and place an order in person.
Lula Banh Mi & Bakery
Location: 10400 Centrum Parkway, Suite A, Pineville, NC 28134
Neighborhood: Pineville
Cuisine: Vietnamese food, banh mi, bakery
Hours: Closed Monday. Open Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
Instagram: @lulabanhmi
This story was originally published July 26, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
