Lily's Sandwiches got the nod. Located in the same 21st century slice of China in north Austin...
...Lily's was more along the lines of what I expected of an authentic Vietnamese sandwich shop, the kind of place that makes any white man pause, take a deep breath, and wonder if this is the right decision before opening the door to a great unknown. Also in-line shop space, this one remains a mystery until that door opens because of the opaqueness of the windows, painted with all sorts of writing and pictures not understandable to anyone not fluent in the language.
As the door opens, the mystery continues when a fish/dried shrimp smell hits you in the face at the same time you see the disposable tin of eggrolls in front of the counter for you to take for a buck. Given the smell, I'm not sure I'd eat there, and I was getting my sandwich to go anyway, and I opted for the grilled pork sandwich. Similar in look to the one at Baguette House, the bread was more along the lines of what I'd expect from a store bought baguette, good, but a bit chewy for a sandwich, and tougher to eat. Ingredients were largely the same...cilantro, jalapeno, carrots, onion, but this place used some sort of brown sauce, which was good, but overall couldn't compare to the feel and flavors of Baguette House.
If you're making the drive, bypass this one and go around the corner where you'll feel better and won't be disappointed.
Summary
Atmosphere: authentic, a little smelly, a little dirty, limited seating, good for take-away
Food: Vietnamese sandwiches
Crowd: real Vietnamese people
Dog Friendly: only if you want them cooked
When to Go: lunch
What to Order for the First Timer: Baguette House
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