ALEX ‘N’ ROLLS image

ALEX ‘N’ ROLLS

Restaurant Vietnamese restaurant

😐 How bloody good! The pork is to die for, and I was never a big pork fan. I've tried the banh mi, and the sticky rice; both are amazing - the sticky rice more so. Roast pork is a winner, but I recommend trying the caramelised pork at least once, if it's available. Update: I've downgraded my 5 stars... People often mention pork, roll, rice, sticky, pate, banh, long, chicken, delicious, good,


Address

321 Illawarra Rd, Marrickville NSW 2204, Australia

Price rating

$ $$$

Rating on Google Maps

4.20 (436 reviews)

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Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: pork (52) roll (32) rice (27) sticky (24) pate (14) banh (13) long (12) chicken (12) delicious (12) good (10)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 3/5 Andrew C. 1 year ago on Google
    How bloody good! The pork is to die for, and I was never a big pork fan. I've tried the banh mi, and the sticky rice; both are amazing - the sticky rice more so. Roast pork is a winner, but I recommend trying the caramelised pork at least once, if it's available. Update: I've downgraded my 5 stars to a 3. Something has changed recently, and not for the better. The quality of the Banh Mi's have been declining; they're always missing chilli, the rolls are softer, there are less fillings, and they're not as tasty. Also, their iced coffees are 90% ice! I understand they need to cut their costs, but not at the expense of the flavours.
    7 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Keith W. 1 year ago on Google
    The best banh mi, period. Why it's good: bread is crusty but doesn't flake all over the place, the fillings are juicy but sauce doesn't drip everywhere, the pate is made on site and they slather it on generously, the vegetables are lightly pickled and really fresh. This is the Banh Mi that dreams are made of. Criticisms: no coriander, a little stingy on the meat, the coffee is only "okay", and the lines are always long because they don't have enough people making the rolls.
    5 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Cecil 2 years ago on Google
    Wasn't really a fan the first time I tried the rolls here but gave it another chance a year later and now I'm converted! I've tried the BBQ pork, caramelised pork, and roast chicken roll (BBQ pork is the definite winner for me!). One small downside for me is that the chilli doesn't really have a kick to it, and one time they completely forgot my chilli :( pork rolls just don't hit the same without chilli! Another gripe I have with them is their inconsistent opening hours. I've come here 3 or 4 times in the last few months only to see a cardboard sign "WE'RE CLOSED TODAY" when they were supposed to be open according to google. There doesn't seem to be a pattern as this has happened to me on weekdays and weekends. Having said that, I'll still come back time and time again for the delicious BBQ pork roll! 5 stars for the roll, -1 star for unreliable opening hours.
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 James U. 1 year ago on Google
    I cannot praise the food here highly enough, and the prices are fantastic too. The BBQ Pork sticky rice was delicious, and definitely the best BBQ Pork I've had in Sydney, if not Australia. Has a cool and casual hole in the wall vibe and the seemingly unpredictable and random nature of the opening hours only adds to the allure and intrigue of this trendy small venue. The lines can be long and the wait times longer but this spot has still earned itself a solid 5 stars.
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Hayley P. 1 year ago on Google
    The sticky rice literally brought me back to Nam because it tasted so close to xôi back home. The bbq pork is phenomenal, the pork just melted when you bite into the roll.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Lam T D N. 8 months ago on Google
    I've heard of this place through many people. Mainly due to the fact that they never know when they are open and whether they are selling banh mi's or not. Thought I'd go check it out - of course they didn't sell banh mi's that day. But I got the sticky rice alternative which was absolutely cracker. Meat was tender, flavoursome, pate was tickling my arteries. Together with the sticky rice, egg and then the pickled veggies to wash it down. Would go again and be happy to order the sticky rice.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Miya 2 years ago on Google
    Their caramelised pork sticky rice was SO tasty!! Cannot recommend it enough. Opening hours are a bit random, best to check (call or fb) beforehand if you're travelling from far away.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 C Y. 2 years ago on Google
    I would give this place 6 out of 5 if I could. I got the roast chicken with an add on egg. Bread crunchy, pate delicious, pickled veg refreshing, chilli just the right kick. Would definitely eat this everyday if I could.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Rigby R. 4 months ago on Google
    We went there before 11:30 am. No queue ... which is good. But among their short menu, there's only one dish available - Roast Chicken with Sticky Rice. We could only have 2 choices - take it or leave it. Despite the BBQ Pork we're came for is not available, which is a disappointment, we decided to try their Roast Chicken w/Sticky Rice anyway. It's surprisingly good. The chicken is juicy, tender & tasty. This could be the number 1 best chicken I ever had in Australia as far as I could remember (I would say within the passed 20 years or so, becoz the chicken I had were almost always dry & tasteless ... to the extent I usually avoid ordering chicken at all!). Pickles are spot on, not too sour nor sweet, very refreshing. Sticky Rice is also great, soft with right amount of sweetness (I hate sweet food ... certainly except for dessert). There're only 2 recommendations I could think of ... (1) the portion is just "snack size" for me; (2) may consult production engineer or experienced chef re "How to speed up the food preparation process". Since there's still just the same one dish available by the time I finished my chicken, & I don't want to repeat that dish again on the spot ... I had to go next door to top it up with a bowl of Pho. Having said that, most certainly I will be back again, may be at least until eventually I tried every single dish on their Menu. Hopefully I don't have to endure a long queue (becoz I hate long queue).
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Danny M. 1 year ago on Google
    I think I have just found my favourite Bahn Mi. I’ve been walking past Alex ’n’ Rolls for years, wondering what the fuss is about, and now I know. I chanced on a break in the queue and took my place. A young lady behind me asked me what the Caramelized Pork was, and I had to admit I didn’t know, but I was going to give it a try. I’m so glad I did. The caramelised pork was covered with a great sauce, the pate, salad and pickles veges wrapped in a warmed and crispy bread roll, completed the deal. Two young guys in front of me ordered five pork rolls {for the whole family I thought}. Then they sat and ate them all. That’s dedication to a cause. My new heroes.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 aimee j. 1 year ago on Google
    Prolly the best pork roll we had in Sydney! The bun is not flaky, the pork roll is not at all dry, and the fillings are in right amount. I personally love the caramelized pork and the homemade dressing they put in before the meat. Alex N Rolls is just along Illawarra Rd, close to the train station. I can still remember the first time we tried it, we were just curious about the long queue outside, then lined up, and boom - the best pork roll ever. My photos did not include the pork roll unfortunately but it has the menu and the noodle soup which has a very generous serving and also is a bomb!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Angela L. 11 months ago on Google
    I was aware that there was going to be a long wait, but I wasn't prepared to wait in the scorching sun for a good 30 minutes, with the line moving so slow. The staffs service was slow and I noticed that their making area wasn't really convenient. It would be nice if they implemented a quick and efficient system to cater for the long line. Nevertheless, the food was decent. I usually would stay away from rice dishes, but I saw a lot of customers ordering it, so I had to as well. The sticky rice was priced at $13.50, which included BBQ pork that hit the spot. The meat was succulent, and the rice was cooked to perfection, complemented with some pickled daikon and carrots that were simply delicious together and eaten separately. The added fried egg was good but could have been crispier. The banh mi was packed with a generous amount of pâté and mayo along with the juicy caramelised pork. Absolutely delicious! Definitely one of the best banh mi in Sydney. However, the sticky rice had to be the favourite dish.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Christian V. 5 months ago on Google
    The pork BBQ sticky rice is seriously amazing, and their Vietnamese coffee packs a strong punch with that perfect touch of sweetness.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 James P. 1 year ago on Google
    Small place with yummy Asian food. I had the sticky rice and BBQ pork, which was delicious, and the meat was so soft and flavourful. The prices were relatively cheap for what you were getting as well. My critique would be that they unfortunately ran out of rolls, and caremelised pork when i went, and that seats were rather old and tables were a bit dirty, albeit the seating was outside so slightly more reasonable I guess. But all in all the food was yummy and that's you're there for.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 3/5 Huy Quang D. 1 year ago on Google
    We ordered the chicken and pork rolls today . The food here is good but the queue time was very long , there were 5-6 customer in front of me and I waited for around 45 minutes to be served . When it’s my turn , I also asked the lady if she can cut my roll in half but she said she already finished it so does not want to cut . I asked for no shallot and she still put it in , I reminded her again and luckily she took it out . Another roll still had shallots on it .
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Dat H. 1 year ago on Google
    Top contender for best pork roll in Sydney. Caveat: Even with their success and popularity with the locals, I've occasionally and disappointingly found them closed despite the business hours posted on Google. For a heads up before you visit, best to check the dedicated Facebook page: "Is Alex 'N' Rolls Open?!?!" Read on for my review: The bread is lightly re-toasted for a crisp exterior while the inside of the bread is soft and gives way easily with every bite. No need to fear getting jabbed in the gums with shards of crust! The homemade paté is amazing and unique to this particular style of pork roll. The meats are juicy and flavourful (my usual picks are the caramalised pork roll and BBQ pork roll). All the savoury flavours are well balanced with the addition of pickled veggies, cucumber and spring onions. Also noted that they add the homemade sauce to dress the meat before assembly. This particular attention to detail means the meat remained moist and tender, and the roll did not get soggy even after my 17 minute trip home to enjoy my lunch. Care is taken to make sure each roll is assembled thoughtfully for your enjoyment, but as a consequence, the service can be a little slow and the queue can back up during peak meal times. A must try for pork roll fans if you are lucky enough to be there when they are open.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Johnny (. 7 months ago on Google
    Alex n rolls has been on my google saved list for a long time. It’s located along the busy Illawarra road in Marrickville. You might find it hard to find from its shabby frontage and overgrown foliage, but very Vietnamese street food style. It’s only a very small shop, with limited seating (less than 10 seats), but very cosy and unique experience whilst eating and looking out into the street. There wasn’t a lot of people queuing up on a very busy Saturday lunch afternoon, but by the time I was in the queue I realised there was no banh mi on the menu. I am not sure if they were sold out or not selling as there was no menu shown except noodles and sticky rice dish. Nevertheless, I order two bbq pork with sticky rice dishes @ $13.5 each. It’s a great value meal, packed with delicious bbq pork, chicken pate, home made fried shallot, cucumber, pickled radish and a very nice sticky rice. Other choice of meat include caramelised pork or roasted chicken. A little bit disappointed that I was unable to try the banh mi at Alex’n’ rolls, but the sticky rice was a unique, delicious and cheap meal, well worth trying too.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Jane D. 1 year ago on Google
    Delicious combination for a bread roll. It was my first time here. Difficult to pinpoint whether the place is open or not as it was dependent on intel via a Facebook group. Was looking forward to the sticky rice but when it came to ordering, they were out of stock (kind of disappointed). Minimal sitting space as well. Need to be a bit more organised. Though I won’t be giving up and will be coming back just to get a taste of that sticky rice dish when I can!!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Roger A. 1 year ago on Google
    Got off early because of rain & decided to see if it was open. I grabbed a BBQ pork roll & wow, it was absolutely delicious. Really good pate, nice pickled veggies, but the BBQ pork was succulent. Made for a deliciously savoury roll.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Georgi C. 2 years ago on Google
    I had the fish and dill roll and my husband the bbq pork roll. Crunchy bun, rich pate, pickles and delicious fish. Pork roll was melt in mouth sensory explosion in every bite. Amazing value at $7.70 each. Everything made with care. Thanks so much guys!!! Can’t wait to come back!!!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Phillip S. 2 years ago on Google
    Probably the best pork roll I've eaten. Bread was crunchy but not too hard as they airfry the bread and the fillings are great. Opening hours are random, worth checking out the "is Alex n Rolls open?!?!" facebook page.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 3/5 thesydneytram 6 months ago on Google
    Alex ‘n’ Rolls’ banh mi is delicious, I can tell there is careful attention in the making of the bread, the pate, the meat, and even the pickles. I had the BBQ pork rolls when I got home and surprisingly the banh mi was not soggy at all. The sticky rice was good.

  • 4/5 shing y. 7 months ago on Google
    Not a long queue, but a long wait of 30 mins even at 1pm on a thursday. They had run out of BBQ pork when I arrived but still had caramelised pork belly and roast chicken. The food was quite tasty but a tad overhyped. However, $13.50 for a filling lunch was a good deal. The pate is an interesting ground mince type consistency, unlike the pate found in banh mis. The pate is the cake looking object in one of the attached photos. There are a few seats available to sit at but these are right next to passers by who will look at you eating.

  • 5/5 Kristina E. 11 months ago on Google
    It’s hard to compare the food to other places as it is so different. But different is great! The banh mi has a different type of pâté, and different vegetables. The caramelised pork is delicious. The sticky rice is sensational, this is the best I’ve found. 40 minute wait on a Sunday, you won’t be disappointed

  • 4/5 Sharron X. 9 months ago on Google
    Finally, after many attempts, stumbled across this place being (1) open and (2) with meat in stock. We joined the line right after it opened, around 11:30am, with about 7 people in front of us, and left with our food 30 minutes later. It does feel like a slow, long wait, but they are assembling both banh mi and sticky rice. We got the BBQ pork sticky rice ($13.50). It's a generous portion of meat and rice for the price, and you get a runny fried egg, a generous smear of flavourful chicken pate, fresh cucumber and pickled carrots and daikon too. The pork tastes like a hybrid charsiu/siu yuk, kind of like charsiu made with pork belly, minus skin. Charred, sweet and salty, tender and very fatty. Delicious. The other type of pork they offer is "caramelised pork", which is braised pork belly - it looks even more outrageously fatty and soft, but without the char.

  • 5/5 Reshma C. 11 months ago on Google
    HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! Although you could be waiting a while to order, the Pork roll here is definitely worth the wait! Bread is warm and crusty, they make their own pate, pork belly has mouth watering crackling, could honestly eat more of them. The flavour is incredible! Try the pork belly with sticky rice too.

  • 5/5 Lan H. 1 year ago on Google
    Amazing sticky rice with authentic taste and texture. I also love the pate that went with it. The place is small and cozy and service was quick. Only problem is one of the workers (female) was very loud and she was yelling at other workers, me and my partner could clearly hear her from outside of the stall. Overall, the food was great, highly recommend but the restaurant should work on the treatment of their employees.

  • 5/5 Yeon K. 1 year ago on Google
    The best bbq pork roll I had! Meat was perfect and bread was also perfect! I had marrickville pork roll before but I prefer here. Highly recommended! Thank you!

  • 5/5 Nima 1 year ago on Google
    Stopped by for a quick lunch. About a 10 minute wait but we’ll worth it. Got one BBQ pork roll and one double boiled egg roll. Both were fantastic, even after a 15 minute drive back home. The buns, fillings and sauces are top notch. (1 BBQ Pork roll + 1 double boiled egg roll = $15.79)


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Amenities


  • Payments
    • ✓️ Credit cards
    • ✓️ NFC mobile payments
  • Offerings
    • ✓️ Coffee
    • ✓️ Healthy options
  • Accessibility
    • ✗ Wheelchair-accessible car park
  • Dining options
    • ✓️ Lunch
    • ✓️ Brunch
    • ✓️ Seating
    • ✓️ Breakfast
  • Service options
    • ✓️ Dine-in
    • ✓️ Takeaway
    • ✓️ Outdoor seating

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