Ba Le

Went at noon to meet a old coworker and was surprised at how empty it was. We both ordered the same BBQ pork bahn mi sandwich and they were ready in a couple short minutes. Plenty of seating and low noise level so a good place to catch up and chat. The sandwiches were very good and quite filling. I also had a Thai Iced tea and it was delicious. I’ve ordered at many other similar restaurants and this was, by far, the best.
Overall good experience and will go back — the menu is large and has everything from salads to phở, so there should be something for every palate.

LOVE IT! I order a Bahn Mi for lunch here at least twice a week, and I am not tired of it yet. For people working in the area, if you are looking for a change from the mediterranean bowls and chipotle i would recommend it.

Very quick service everytime I come over here. The noodle soups are basically small portions of Phở and don’t forget to ask for the hoisin with sriracha mix to take it a notch but don’t expect anything special. For the bahn mi sandwiches, the daikon radish salad provides the freshness to the dish and compliments any protein you want to throw in: lemon grass /​bbq pork, sauteed beef, chicken, shrimp, pork liver pâté, and even sardines. Everything is being held together by the bread similar to a french baguette. Some folks might be thrown off by the lemon fish sauce when they read it from the menu, but trust me it’s not overpowering, instead it provides the sweet-​salty-​sour goodness to every Vietnamese dish for that matter.
The rice dishes are humongous servings, enough to feed 2 people and comes with the side of the daikon radish salad of course. The shrimp salad roll (aka summer roll) and spicy avocado roll is a must try. You’ll get 3 rolls wrapped in clear rice paper with generous amounts of vermicelli noodles.
You could ask for the combo if you want to have variety in your meal: sandwich + soup, rice + soup, salad roll + soup. Overall it’s a good place for takeouts if you’re craving for Vietnamese food and there’s enough seating too if you plan on dining-​in.

I first walked in around 11:15 on a work day and the place was mostly empty, with 2 workers, which is not a good sign. There was no one at the register waiting for my order. Then I noticed the sandwich maker was wearing gloves. I tend to avoid places that use gloves because workers rarely change them and they touch all sorts of food and other things that contaminate the gloves. Tongs and separate utensils for each food item is a better method. Then one worker was looking at the soap dispenser and the person making my sandwich, with gloves on, went over and filled the soap dispenser with water and first threw the cap in the trash then took it out of the trash. If she was going to make my sandwich with the same gloves I was ready to walk out, but she looked over at me and saw that I was watching and changed the gloves.
The sanwich itself was pretty good, crispy bread and ingredients seemed fresh, so no complaints on the food.

We got the special classic banh mi sandwich and it was sooooooo delicious! The bread is so fresh and crispy, I wish I could go back in time and eat it all over again. Will definitely come back!

We got the special sandwich and it was soooo good! Even thinking about it makes me salivating. I’ve tried some of other Vietnamese sandwich at other places around chicago but this one is on top of my list. The bread is so crispy and soft, freshly out of oven. That’s the freshest bread I’ve had while other places bread is generally more stale. I’m so glad I found this place now next to work. I can foresee myself going here every week! Yum!

LOVE BALÉ — can’t go wrong here! They accommodate anything u want & for the Loop location just a tad bit more than Uptowns location but hey to get it in the LOOP than having to go further North is fine by me! (Parking/​gas, works out) they had a lunch combo that comes with small phở! But no drink, just sandwich/​phở — combo usually comes with drink, odd this wasn’t included.

I hate that the Chinatown location closed down so now I can only get their sandwiches when I am at work in downtown.
They introduced a new lunch special with a sandwich and a small phở. The phở is very good when it’s cold outside.
The lady who took my order spoke VERY softly.
It’s also a long restaurant so if you sit up in front, you probably won’t hear your order called because the orders are closer to the back seating.

I have been here before. I usually get the Bah Mi sandwich but went for something different
today, the shrimp noodle salad. It was delicious! it had a lot of medium sized shrimp on top of a bed of noodles with a little lettuce base. even though the cashier thought it was not going to be filling enough, it defiantly was. I would recommend this place for the Vietnamese sandwiches, as well as NOW the shrimp noodle salad.
Bön Appetit’

I’m usually a fan of this place. The food is good, portions justify the price, and the service is fast. Plus, it’s near my office so I come once every couple weeks or so.
However, on my most recent visit, I was shocked when I watched the employee handing out finished orders proceed to pick her nose and wipe away snot dripping out of her nose. Did she immediately go wash her hands (there’s a sink right behind the counter)? Of course she didn’t. Instead, she picked up my sandwich, stuck my spoon in the soup bag, and handed my my order. With that same hand that had been inside her nose only five seconds before and covered in snot! Whaaa?
There are probably a minimum of a dozen health codes that exist to prevent this. Learn them. Practice them.
I won’t be back.

I ordered the chicken bahn mi and the chicken phở. The soup was tasty, the sandwich was pathetic. It was dry as the Sahara. I pointed this out to one of the workers and I was told «yeah, it’s because you got the chicken»,
In other words, they always have bone dry chicken with the texture of shoe leather, and they don’t care. Hey guys, if you have a product that is terrible, improve it, or TAKE IT OFF THE MENU. I feel totally ripped off right now.
I passed by this place 50 times on the way to work and I always wanted to make time to pop in for a sandwich, since I love a good bahn mi. Then one day a nice man was giving out samples, and the one he gave me was delicious. I got suckered in. I will never waste my money here again. Blech.

to give some background I work in the Loop and don’t want to spend a boatload of $$$ on lunch.
I was walking down Randolph from Wacker when I saw Ba Le out the corner of my eye. If your not looking for the place you will miss it when you blink. I stepped in and could smell the goodness! I looked at the menu posted on the wall and banh mi/​sandwiches started at $ 5.95 yes that’s right $ 5.95!
I ordered a BBQ pork banh min and grabbed a seat. Ba Le is a more of a lunch place, order and eat. Your ordering at the counter and grabbing your own table. My banh mi was ready quick and it was a good sized sandwich for the $ 5.95 I dropped. After my first bite I knew I found a great place! I have to say I am concerned to write this review because I don’t want the secret to get out and I wont be able to get my banh mi BBQ pork any more.
I have to say this place is great great great!
If you read this review and see me there let me cut in-​front of you in the line, I got to get back to my office.

I love Vietnamese sandwiches. Ba Le is the only one close to my office.
In general, the staff is quite quiet. Today, I came at peek hours for lunch and it wasn’t very busy. A younger brought on my order, her voice is so soft and I couldn’t hear her question. There’re about 3 – 4 customer behind me. When she completed input all orders. She seems nervous looking around for the sandwich maker. About 5 – 6 mins later, another lady appear (sandwich maker) seems very unhappy to make sandwich. She made me feel like My order interupted her relaxing.
I enjoy good food but good service is more important to me.
I write this reviwe in hope the manager can look closely and increase the generla service.

This was a really good lunch and would have been less than 10 bucks if I hadn’t panicked at the last moment when the cashier asked, «Is that all?» and tacked on a fat spring roll for almost 2 bucks more.
Like most things in the loop, this is a fast, casual dining restaurant so there was never much of a line even though I arrived around 1230ish. The menu is quite extensive if you’re not familiar with Viet food but it’s pretty much: sandwiches, soups, rice plates, salads and different rolls (spring rolls, etc.) with a lot of vegetarian options. For $ 8.95 you can get a full bahn mi (Sammy) and a small cup of phở (soup) and in less than 2 mins. I wished they would let you get your own lime wedges and bean sprouts because my little baggie was seriously lacking. The sandwich was actually good. Nice portions of meat, pâté, pickled daikon, cilantro and jalapenos. The bread was perfectly crispy and chewy and everything was at the right temperature. The soup was also tasty. It was just enough to tease you and have you wanting more. Was it the best phở? No. But, it was definitely good and fresh. My major complaint was the pork spring roll, which was twice as big as normal ones but mushy. The outside was crunch but the inside just wasn’t good. The places I usually go you can get 4 spring rolls for a buck, instead of 1 for about $ 1.65, but I guess that’s just downtown prices. I’m a fan of Ba Le and shall return.

If you look at my plethora of checkins, you’ll see that I’m constantly eating banh mi sandwiches. So during lunch at work, I decided to give this place a go. The young man who took my order informed me which vegan items were the most popular among customers, I ordered them. The seitan banh mi was dry and tasteless … I even threw away the sandwich after a few bites. I went to my backup, the veggie spring rolls with avocado, and was sadly let down again. The rolls were tasteless and boring. While I appreciate the large number of vegan options offered at Ba Le, I will not return or recommend this place to a friend.

Sandwiches are good, but they don’t give you enough Sriracha.

These sandwiches were definitely good. I ordered the BQQ Pork and thought it was pretty flavorful! The pork was juicy but thought the sandwich itself was a little dry. But overall enjoyed this place– loved how it had many unique options. I’ll be back to try something new soon!

Ba Le was great! The bahn mi sandwiches are delicious and the bread was soft and freshly baked! It’s great that the sandwiches are all very reasonably priced, they are all most $ 5.95 or $ 6.95 per sandwich.
I have tried the Special and the BBQ Pork sandwich, both excellent choices if you’re looking for rich flavors!
Will definitely return!

Great for a fresh and light lunch. Ba Let in uptown had a much more extensive menu of bahn mi sandwiches, sides, Vietnamese coffee, and amazing desserts. However, this Loop location is perfect for work lunches– it is quick, freshly prepared, and all sandwiches are 5.95– 6.95.
Each bahn mi sandwich comes with fresh jalapeño, pickled vegetables, and cilantro. They have a spicy kick to the unless you take off the jalapenos. I love the lemongrass chicken. The vegan tofu with mango sauce has an excellent flavor– they layer on a lot of sauce, so the sandwich is not dry or lacking flavor.

So much variety… I wish there were samples.
Food is always fresh.
Staff not always so nice
Bathroom is gross

I ordered the chicken bahn mi. There was almost no chicken on it. The sandwich was mostly bread, daikon and cilantro. Maybe they ran out of chicken.

I have tenancies of checking out every viet/​banh mi place whenever I travel — and of course, Unilocaled the highest reviewed viet place and this place popped up. Not necessarily this location, but anyways, I got the soup and sandwich combo and I was a bit disappointed. I came into this place with little expectations anyway so it didn’t matter. The sandwich is on par to any average banh mi. The mini cup of phở was lacking in the real phở broth. I love the concept of this place though — it’s like a hale and hearty (in nyc).

This is the second location in downtown Chicago. The original location is in Uptown.
I was staying at the Allegro and decided to grab some sandwiches on the way home back to Iowa. This location does not offer the 5 get one free deal. Also, there isn’t any bakery or other goods sold like the one in Uptown. There was some fried egg rolls and some other small fried type snacks.
This location is more for grabbing a quick banh mi to go. Therr is a seating area if you wish ti eat there. Price wise I think it was a tad more expensive than their Uptown location. For three sandwiches I spent 19.77. Two specials and one bbq pork. Sandwiches were very good! The bread was toasted. I think if you paid a little extra you can make it into a combo meal with a side of phở broth and a drink.

At last, I have finally lost my Banh Mi virginity.
My choice to venture out of the 3 block radius from my office on a lovely spring day led to several unexpected discoveries. One of which was stumbling upon Ba Le. Before taking the nose dive into Vietnamese sandwiches, I scoured the menu for my perfect combination of veggies and protein. I knew I wanted the traditional pickled daikon and carrot accouterments on the classic bahn mi sandwiches, but the specialty sandwich toppings looked just as tempting. Luckily for me, they had no problem adding the specialty toppings to the traditional ones on my BBQ pork banh mi. I truly appreciate eateries that allow customization without criticism or attitude.
Having no prior experience to compare my lunch to, all I can say is that it was good. The pork was tender and well seasoned. The bread was chewy inside and the crust was extremely, borderline painfully crispy (as good French baguette should be.) I could have handled more of those fresh vegetable toppings and lemony fish sauce, but overall the meat to topping ratio was adequate. The fresh jalepenos were bright, grassy, and delicious. I added a good dose of sweet hoisin and sriracha which paired wonderfully with the vinegary veggies. Next time, I will ask for extra daikon which was recommended by other reviewers.
I’m definitely looking forward to trying the Phở and the signature «classic» banh mi. Hopefully my bread included palate abrasion will heal quickly. The pain was certainly worth the payoff.

After having some decent Phở at Green Apple, I had a hankering for bahn mi the next day. Thank goodness Ba Le had good reviews and was close to the office. Tasty? Yes, definitely hit the spot but it did not match up to what I have back home.
The sandwiches costs slightly more, were smaller and are not as stuffed than the ones I get back at home. It sucks that I keep comparing the food to NYC but hey, that’s where I’m from. I want to try the places in Argyle but they are too far from the Loop. Oh well.
Anyways, I got the special since that is the standard sandwich for any bahn mi place. As I wrote before, definitely tasty though it could use more meat and fixings. Was disappointed in the bread which was a little dense and did not have that nice crispy crust. Improve the bread, give more meat and fixins, then I would say it is worth 4 stars.

I’m not particularly a fan of Vietnamese sandwiches, but my friends wanted to meet up for lunch. The lunch deal is affordable, but the cup of phở that accompanies the sandwich is negligible. The noodles are overcooked and the broth isn’t impressive.
Pro tip: If your mouth hurts from the crunchy bread, just flip it over so the smooth side hits the roof of your mouth.

Vietnamese cuisine is characterized by the variety of flavors and textures with the use of fresh herbs. Banh mi is the perfect fusion street food between Vietnamese and French cuisine and a must try for any sandwich lover. It’s pickled daikon radish and carrots, cilantro, marinated meat, pâté, mayo, and jalapeño peppers on a crusty chewy French baguette. Pro tip: get everything on it with no substitutions and dabble some hoi sin and sriracha sauce.
There have been negative reviews about the price since it’s around $ 7 a sandwich but it’s comparable to what you would pay at Jimmy Johns or Potbellys. It’s downtown Chicago where gas, real estate, and a pack of cigarettes are more expensive so it shouldn’t be a surprise. Being able to get a banh mi sandwich within walking distance of work is worth the price alone. On a side note, most Vietnamese restaurants including Ba Le’s Uptown location have increased the prices on for around $ 5 for a banh mi so this isn’t too far of a stretch. The one downside is that Loop location doesn’t have as much variety as the one in Uptown — not nearly as much of the handmade pre-​packaged items.
It’s a shame that this place isn’t busier than it should be. It could be because banh mi isn’t as well known in Chicago than in other places in the US. If you work in the area, then I would recommend giving Ba Le a try if you want something new and feeling adventurous.

First let me say, I was surprised to learn this was a Vietnamese restaurant. I walk past it to work every day and decided to check it out one day. I don’t know what that logo is but I guess it’s not the Eiffel Tower.
Once I realized this wasn’t a French restaurant, I ordered the combo with beef soup and a shrimp salad roll. The salad roll was fresh and crisp, but it needed for flavor. It was quite bland. The dipping sauce was delicious but it still needed something more. The soup on the other hand, wow! I’m no phở expert but this was delicious. I especially loved loved loved the hint of lime.
The individual prices are high but the combo is only $ 9. Service was quick and friendly. I’m excited to try a sandwich next time I’m in a mood for more carbs. I would highly recommend this place for a work day lunch. You won’t feel gross at all for the afternoon at your desk. Boo for greasy food. Yay for Ba Le.

I would give Ba Le 5 stars for its Phở. Im from Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam. Since I came to the US, all the Phở here is Southern style. I dont think many people know but Phở from the North and one from the South are greatly different.
Phở at Ba Le is legit Phở in Northern style.
The vegetarian banh my is a good plus as well.
However, the macaroons here are inconsistent and not that good. I bought three macaroons in three flavors and their qualities vary.