Ba Le

My bf and I go there like almost every other day. I love the food there but it gets embarrassing showing up too much LOL. But hey its delicious, fast and cheap! I’ve been all around these Vietnamese place where they sell french sandwiches… this is the only place that hits me in the right spot!

First time here and got the #2 Dac Biet and it is pretty good. Bread is nice and crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. Good portion of meat and veggies in a long sandwich. Would definitely come back again and try another sandwich.

This has to be my new favorite Bahn Mi place. I ordered the: Bahn Mi Dac Biet (mixed cold cuts); and it was the best version I have tasted. The bread was perfectly soft with a light crunch. The meat to veggies ratio was perfect, but the highlight of the sandwich for me was the pâté! The pâté here is soooo good. I normally don’t like pâté, because sometimes it can taste gamey; however, that’s not the case here. Also, i love that this place has a variety of Vietnamese desserts (Che) and prepackaged sandwich goodies in case you want to make your own Bahn Mi at home or at a picnic. Next time I am there, I will try a fresh fruit drink or two, but will skip their egg rolls. The egg rolls were not good, but I didn’t come here for egg rolls. I came here for the Dac Biet Bahn Mi… and will be back again and again.

I was really excited to try Ba Le but it did not live up to my expectations.
Terrible parking lot. Weird set up and very limited spaces.
Order to go if you do not want to wait.
Cash only.
I ordered 5 banh mi’s and they gave me a free $ 3 sandwich, I paid the difference for a more expensive one. I did not see any signage that mentioned the promo like they have at BMC but I wont complain about a free sandwich.
Dac Biet — $ 3.50 — The viet deli meat was decent, nothing that really made it stand out. The pâté and mayo were also pretty average.
Thit Nuong Beef — $ 3.75 — Beef had good seasoning and grill flavor.
Thit Nuong Pork — $ 3.50 — The sweet marinade overwhelmed the pork and all I could taste was the sugary meat. Was not pleasant.
The banh mi’s were not bad but they were nothing special. I definitely have had better in 626.

Love the Banh Mi Sandwiches at Ba Le. As you know I am a big fan of French Baguettes. Growing up I always had Baguettes at home, my parents kept the house fully stocked. Therefore I believe the key to every Banh Mi is the Baguette.
Anddddd Ba Le’s baguettes are pretty decent. The bread is different than other places in that it is soft. I mean it’s still crunchy but still softer than your average Baguette. Eating a Banh Mi guarantees that the roof of your mouth will get scratched up, it’s inevitable. However, eating Ba Le’s Banh Mi your roof will only be scratch a little bit. Maybe that is a big plus because you can eat countless Banh Mi’s all day from here.
The meat and pâté are also important in every Banh Mi. The Pâté was alright, Ba Le is veryyyyy generous with the spread. I got the Dac Biet so it included all the meats. But I always get the Dac Biet everywhere I go. Dac Biet means Special in Viet, and this Ba Le Dac Biet Banh Mi was pretty good. I’d definitely come back.
What I really liked about Ba Le was that they had so many Vietnamese goodies on the tables and counter. Everything from desserts, to meats, to spring rolls, I loved it. It’s very difficult to come here and NOT end up getting one or a few of these goodies with your Banh Mi.
Cash Only — Obviously.

I don’t come here because I tried their BBQ pork sandwich once and decided I liked the BBQ pork banh mis from multiple other banh mi joints more. (Thus the –1 star)
However, my friend bought me the vietnamese iced coffee and egg rolls from here one morning and those egg rolls blew me away! The vietnamese iced coffee wasn’t all that special but I don’t drink much vietnamese iced coffee and am by no means a coffee connoisseur so I don’t know how it compares and therefore, thought it was just decent. On the other hand, I’ve never been a fan of egg rolls but those egg rolls were so good I could eat them for breakfast for the rest of my life. I don’t know how exactly to describe it but the flavor of the filling and the crispy texture of the outside were all so perfect and wonderful and makes me wonder why I never thought to get those steaming egg rolls in the ovens of banh mi shoppes.
The egg rolls here are seriously heavenly! Don’t leave without them!

I come here about once a week to satiate my banh mi craving. Things to note:
1) Cash only (as noted by everyone else here already)
2) Quick, I’m usually in and out in less than 5 minutes
3) Parking difficulty: 4/​10, it’s in a small strip mall so spots get hard to find around lunch time. Don’t be one of those jerks standing on the road though, people go in and out quickly so you’ll find a spot fairly fast.
What I get: One #8 and 2 eggrolls. I’ve been tempted to try one of those flans in the fridge but never got around to them.

I love Ba-​le, it’s good, cheap, and like most other Asian places in 626, CASH ONLY.
The #8 BBQ pork bahn mi is my go-​to and for $ 3.25 it’s perfect for me on my student budget. The meat is very flavorful, not dry, and I like that it comes with cucumber in addition to the pickled veggies and cilantro. For 0.50 more (I think), you can add a fried egg. I’ve also tried the plates with the bbq pork and broken rice, which was OK but I think the bahn mi are more worth your money. The egg rolls are 0.65 each and nice and crispy when fresh. They have a good selection of desserts and drinks too. My roommate always gets the taro tapioca.
Overall it’s a pretty consistent and reliable choice if you want Vietnamese take-​out food.

The place to go if you want to eat delicious authentic banh mi sandwhich! I’ve been going to this place for over 15 years since I was a little kid and this place never fails.
This location is tucked away in a corner place right near the drive through Starbucks and chase bank. The store itself has not changed much but why does it need to?
They serve anything from Vietnamese sandwiches, to egg rolls to banh cuon but I’ve mostly always come for the banh mi. Price are very cheap, almost $ 1 cheaper than your chained Lee’s sandwich shop or Mr. Baguette. Plus, their breach is soft and crunchy, not like the bricks served at these other shops. They dont skimp on meat and veggies and their french rolls are a full 2 inches longer.
One thing is they are Cash only.

This is where you go to get tasty banh mi in the area! It’s more of a take out place– there’s only one table in there and it’s kind of awkward to even sit there.
But if you want fresh baked baguette, coconut waffles, coffee, fried plantains or other Vietnamese café goodies, this is the place to go! We tried the chicken banh mi and BBQ pork banh mi and both were really good and larger than we expected! The bread was the right amount crispy and there was a generous amount of meat too. I was able to split my sandwich in half and save the rest for dinner! I also tried the Vietnamese coffee which was really tasty and not overly sweet.
Would definitely come back next time I’m in the area and needing a Vietnamese sandwich fix.

I don’t know why it took me so long to try this place!
My sisters always go to the drive-​thru Starbucks in this plaza and decided to get a quick on the go bite from Ba Le. It never appealed to me because it was in a run down corner and I didn’t think they’re banh mis would be good. BIG SURPRISE. The sandwiches are bomb. Perfect ass bread — crispy, light, and perfect crunch. Their BBQ Pork and BBQ Beef is really flavorful and good. I also like to get the Pâté with extra veggies. It’s the perfect size — filling and satisfying.
They have other pastries, desserts (good variety to the fridge to your left), spring rolls, egg rolls, and other Vietnamese snacks on their menu. I tried their iced coffee and fresh OJ and both were great. If you order the chicken pies, DO NOT have them heat it up for you. They throw it in the microwave (why!?) and it just becomes a big chewy, greasy, limp mess. Take it to-​go and pop it in a toaster oven when you’re about to eat it – trust me, it keeps the integrity of the pastry.
Amazing prices, great value, and fast service. Can’t go wrong! CASH ONLY so leave your plastic at home.

I am glad my appreciation for banh mi started after I spent time in Chicago (where good Asian food is hard to come across)!
I eat Vietnamese food pretty often for a Chinese person, but I am also weird– because I love their tuna banh mi! They even include lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles– but the freshness/​quantity can vary depending on the day, which is a bit disappointing.
Tips:
(1) If you’re buying for a family/​group– purchase 5 sandwiches and get 1 free. A deal that has been ongoing for years!
(2) Call ahead of time and their promise time is fast– only 5 to 10 minutes! Sandwiches are warm, toasty and fresh! If you order in store, you might just have to wait that long anyway. Save some time.
(3) Cash only!

Located next to Starbucks on Atlantic is what appears to be a decent size Vietnamese bakery and banh mi shop, but when you walk in, the place is small. Only one seating table, so consider this place more of a take-​out place.
I tried the BBQ pork banh mi and it was very good. The bbq pork was tasty, savory, and had just the right amount of sweetness. The bread was the star. Warm, soft, and just the right amount of external texture to make you not second think the carbs. It’s worth it. The veggies (cucumber, jalapeño, etc.) tasted fresh.
Cash only and service was prompt. They also sell all sorts of other food goodies like coconut waffles, dried pork, spring rolls, and plethora of Vietnamese drinks.
Parking is ample and shares the lot with Starbucks and Chase bank.

I’ve been coming here since I was little and kind of stopped after a while since my parents didn’t pick up sandwich from here anymore.
Went here recently to see if the sandwiches were still as good as I remembered. It was pretty busy when we came in but the service is quick since you come in, order, and they hand you the sandwiches in a few minutes.
We ordered the special/​dac biet which is my go to for all Vietnamese sandwiches. When we got home, I dove into them and realized that they were just a good as I remembered! The bread is so fresh and the ingredients were delicious! It’s hands down one of my favorite banh mi spots!
Don’t expect anything extravagant when you come here though! It’s definitely a hole in the wall but those are the best places and are super authentic!

Ba Le banh mi’s are ridiculously good. It’s now $ 3.50 (tax included) and don’t forget! They only accept cash.
Le fiancé and I decided to get the Dac Biet (special). Word of mouth is that their baguette is baked fresh in-​house. Maybe it’s the reason why their banh mi is out of this world. The bread really makes 60% of the sandwich, you get the crunch from the crust of the baguette but it’s surprisingly soft and fluffy on the inside. Add the meat, herbs, peppers and pickled veggies into the mix which, once again Ba Le does right and boom, their banh mi is golden!
I’m all about well balanced and delicious banh mi’s and you just can’t go wrong with Ba Le (especially with their price!).

One of my favorite places to get banh mi! Prices here are reasonable and food is good. If you buy 5 sandwiches you will get one for free. My favorite if the cold cuts one. At $ 3.50, it’s a steal! Most other sandwiches are actually only about $ 3. A cup of Vietnamese iced coffee is only $ 2. It’s a very small mom and pop type of shop. There is another location in orange county and they also have the deal where you buy 5 sandwiches and get one free. You can also get egg rolls, meat pâté, dry noodle or rice plates to-​go that make for a great cheap lunch at only about $ 4.
I love to get Vietnamese sandwiches, especially for road trips. The bread here is really good too. It’s crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. I always like to go to either here or banh mi my tho for my Vietnamese sandwiches, but I like the coffee here much better. They pack the sandwiches with a good amount of meat and if you do not plan on eating the sandwiches right away, I suggest you ask for the veggies separate so that your sandwich will not get all soggy. I like that this place opens a bit later than most sandwich places. Like many other Asian place, this place is cash only! So bring cash, but just $ 20 will go a long way! With just $ 20, you can get about 6 sandwiches and a cup of coffee. To store the sandwiches for another day, I suggest putting them in the fridge in a zip lock bag to prevent the bread from getting hard from air exposure. I usually microwave it for 30 seconds to warm it up real quick and then throw it in the oven for a few minutes to get the bread crispy again!
You will find me here again! In fact, I was just here the other day and still have a sandwich left in the fridge… which I will go heat up and eat right now!

I’ve tried the sandwiches several times and a croissant once. Their sandwiches are pretty good. I’m not a huge fan of their bread o_​o It is too soft for my liking. I prefer crusty baguettes, but I know many people like that Ba Le’s bread is softer… so I guess it depends on your preference.
They stuff a good amount into the sandwiches. They also add a piece of cucumber, which you don’t get at all vietnamese sandwich places!
The first sandwich I tried was the fried egg sandwich. I normally love fried egg in sandwiches, but I was very disappointed by this one. It was very bland. The bbq pork is not bad.
Do not get the croissants… They look weird, but I still tried one and regretted it.

The Unassuming Façade.
The unsurprisingly un-​good sandwich.
Ok i’ll stop, the conclusion is that their vietnamese sandwiches are VERY GOOD. The competition is fierce! yes, you can get a sandwich anywhere down Valley Blvd, but I can say with confidence this one won’t let you down.
I have had my fair share of vietnamese sandwiches everywhere (mild addiction) and my all time favorite is in NYC (Hanco’s) but here in LA (Golden Deli ones are good too), they are cheap, simple and fresh. And BA LE accomplishes that.
Very inexpensive, around $ 3.50 for a forearm size sammy loaded with goodness.
Iced Coffee about $ 2 is good too, on the sweeter side. Get it to go.
My go to sandwich, the SPECIAL (ohhhh fancy) which is loaded with veggies! (THAANK YOUUU) and a generous smear of pâté, more than Banh Mi Che Cali ones. Their bread is different too, always soft but denser, less hole-​y, like a latino pan actually.
Fast, and they’re made to order, average wait time for me is 2 – 4 minutes (depending on time of day, early mornings are busy so expect to wait a little longer.
Service, the typical SGV I don’t care, quick quick, just pay me attitude. Oh yea? Just feed me please!
Parking, small, spots become available fast. No problem. Right next to Starbucks.

Good Thai tea with jelly & sugarcane juice.
I usually order banh mi dac biet (the special) with all the meat combos. I like their crispy bread.
Better than banh mi che Cali chain. You can taste the quality. One sandwich $ 3.50.

Holy crap the banh mi sandwiches here are good!
The bbq pork is juicy and flavorful while the whole sandwich really comes together. One bite will lead to two bites and then you’ll want to buy another sandwich.
At $ 2, the passionfruit drink is also a no brainer; not too sweet yet thirst quenching.
The people who work here are friendly so this place is all green lights for me.
I would’ve preferred a wider selection of desserts and drinks but they do what they do very well.
Cash only.