La Baguette French Bakery

This place gets a bad wrap but I dunno why, their sandwiches are actually really good. I came on a Saturday afternoon, primetime, and was the only customer the entire time I was here. But maybe that’s a good thing since I was able to get my sandwich made hot and fresh toasted, with no wait.
My grilled pork sandwich ($ 3.50) came on more of a French style baguette, thinner and denser than the typical Vietnamese banh mi. I thought it was alright, just a bit too chewy and overtoasted. The veggies were pretty standard, not too fresh or stale. The grilled pork was very juicy and packed some great chargrilled flavor, but I did find some hard/​dry pieces of pork. That’s disappointing but to be expected, since they probably don’t get many customers.
Okay, so how do I like this sandwich so much then? It’s the pâté, which was like magic! I don’t think I’ve had pâté this good before, much less pâté that I could actually taste in a banh mi. It alone transformed what should’ve been an average sandwich into a phenomenal sandwich. And it’s because of this surprisingly addicting pâté spread that I’d place it alongside Cali Sandwich as my favorite banh mi in Midtown. I really liked it more than Les Givral’s and Thien An.
To make the $ 5 credit card min, I also picked one of the appetizers, which were mostly just pastries sitting out in open air at the counter. They had sesame balls, fried bananas, spring rolls, and beignets, all of which looked cold and not too appetizing. I got the fried banana ($ 1) which was cold as expected, so I took it home and popped it in the oven for a few minutes. Not bad at all, just a bit too much breading. Too bad they don’t heat it before giving it to you.

We came on a Thursday night around 8 pm. No one was inside and I couldn’t tell if they were about to close. It’s like a mom and pop kinda shop. I ordered the cha lua and spring rolls. Kinda slow but didn’t disappoint when I dived in! The sandwich was good! The spring rolls were warmed and pretty big. It wasn’t the typical spring rolls where they are cold and tiny. Def coming back!

I love this place! The banh mi sandwiches are delicious & HUGE! The Vietnamese egg rolls are extremely good too. They also have some really yummy fish sauce & don’t forget to ask for it!
Oh, check out their menu, the prices can’t be beat, especially for Mid/​Downtown!

This is my first one star review.
I went in to get some baguettes. No one was at the front of the store.
I hollered out «Hello» but no one answered. No bell to ring either???
I could have just taken a baguette and left. Lucky for them I am an honest person.
How does this place stay in business? Or is it a legitimate business? Makes one wonder?

I’ve eaten macaroons fall over and i can bake some bomb a** ones too. But I love this place for their authentic, rustic, well balanced macaroons. It’s all in the flavors and it’s delicious. Soft & sweet :)

There is NO other place in Houston for a delicious bahn mi sandwich! In fact, I don’t think I’ve had a better one in any city I’ve visited outside of Houston. They’re super cheap, I believe $ 3.50 will get a huge sub in your hands. I always get the chicken but I’ve heard the tofu is great. Fresh veggies, crispy bread and make sure you try out their banana coconut tapioca pudding! They also sell French bread individually for pennies each and have pastries ranging from croissants to baklava.
I know where I’m going for lunch today…

baaaaaaahhhhhhnnnnnnn meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
did i mention deep friend banana?

This place may be the end of my quest for midtown bahn mi. Read other reviews and the range wAs all over the place, so nothing like the experience right? Wasn’t expecting nice service but the mature lady and older gentleman were timid smilers. So far so good! Charbroiled beef? 50cents more but yes! Making the sandwiches took a bit of time but they were still warm and what I ordered when I got home. And YES everything I want in a bahn mi! Well seasoned beef, plenty of mayo, good carrot pickle and fresh cilantro and jalapeño.
Yummy drippy goodness!
The ambiance is meh. The service was a bit slow. Little girl needed to potty, clean if not pretty. The older couple was not aggressively nice but they were nice, even gave little girl a treat on the house!
But we were here for the sandwiches and they were pretty terrific!
Will be back to see if they are consistent.

Amazing banh mi! The meat pies are crispy and delicious as well! The prices are good, and people are nice. I make sure to stop by at least once a week. Love this place!

Probably not good for a date. It smells kind of «off» in here, things look grimy, there are pastries unwrapped out in the open air, and worst, the tapioca beads are the least delicious I’ve had in Houston, with all kinds of textures in one cup (none of them the right one) and an odd, old taste. I knew I should have checked Unilocal first. I might be back to try the sandwiches since they’re so cheap… but probably not.

8.50 for cold espresso and average almond croissant. This place looks dumpy and is. Ripoff. Not to mention rude service

Even though this place seems to be overshadowed by the hustle and bustle that goes into and comes out of Phở Saigon and Les Givrals, the banh mi sandwiches here are delicious! The bread is super fresh and yummy. Though it will seem a little sketch when they prepare your sandwich. The desserts are also surprisingly good. Definitely worth a try since they usually aren’t as busy as the aforementioned establishments.

Came here early on a Saturday, around 10:45 a.m. It was freezing that day and I needed a good filling meal. All the other cafes were closed at the time, so I decided to try out this place. It was my first time here at La Baguette and the environment was a bit off. The café was dark lit and the menu did not have any prices on it. The old lady in the front didnt know English so she called another lady to take my order. I believe this lady was the manager or cook. not sure. I decided upon a vegetarian banh mi with tofu. I had been craving a banh mi for sometime, so was hoping for a good meal. As my meal was being prepared, I noticed that there were several desserts in the glass display. The cakes and croissants looked good. but what was baklava doing there? I’m not saying that a Vietnamese-​French inspired café shouldn’t have baklava, but it was a bit random seeing it. Previous reviewers said that the baklava wasn’t good. I’m not surprised. Its a dessert that is quite intricate to make and should be served in the best manner. There were coffee and latte drinks on the menu as well. but im picky with my coffee so I didnt order any.
Thankfully, the banh mi sandwich was tasty. It wasn’t amazing, but it was good. I was charged 3.50 for the sandwich, and luckily it was filling. Although the tofu was fried, it wasn’t too greasy. It was soft and tender to eat. There was alot of shredded carrot and cilantro stuffed in the sandwich, but only one strip of cucumber. The amount of mayo in the sandwich was generous and the hoisin sauce made it nice and savory. The French bread was fresh and crispy. The inside of the bread was soft and chewy. It hit the spot.
All in all, I wouldn’t mind dropping by again at La Baguette. Maybe for a quick bite to eat. It’s nearby by campus, so it makes for a convenient place to grab a meal. But until then, im going to explore a few other places in that part of town.

No, no, no. After my breakup with Cali’s Sandwiches, I had begun my quest for good Midtown banh mi on Sunday morning. I should have heeded the warning of my fellow Unilocalers.
I was able to locate the tiny store located in a shopping center next to Phở Saigon. There were three functional tables– two small, one large. The large table was occupied by several family members or friends, because after I walked in and stood at the counter for awhile, one of the table occupants finally called out to the back area for someone to help me.
An older lady came out from the back and took my order. $ 3 for a pork banh mi… Not bad.
As she began crafting the sandwich, a red flag went off when she put some pork sitting in a small bowl on the counter into the sandwich. Hmm, shouldn’t it be kept warm? After she placed the meat and bread into the toaster oven, a younger man came out, and he took over the sandwich making process as she went back into the kitchen. He paused a bit and took the bread out of the toaster oven. It was not in there for very long at all. After topping it, he handed me the sandwich in a to go bag, and as soon as I reached my car, I felt for some heat. The bread didn’t feel warm at all. Worst yet, after opening my sandwich, I felt the meat, and it was cold, as in they recently took it out from the refrigerator cold. The bread was about average size and pretty delicious despite not being warm, and there was a generous helping of bright orange pickled carrots. However, cold grilled pork is just a not that appetizing.
Sadly, this place falls very short of a good banh mi, so I won’t be back. The search continues…

Sandwiches are $ 3 that they make right in front of you. One of the very few places I actually see the servers put on a fresh set of gloves before touching your food.
Sandwiches are not anything spectacular, the place looks quite run down, and most prices are not clearly marked. The plus side that is it good for when you want to grab some sandwiches to go in a jiffy.

Another reviewer had given this place four stars, stating the ambiance as one of the positive factors. Well, if you think Ron Jeremy’s pad is the bee’s knees, then sure, La Baguette is where it’s at. Likewise, if you think the DMV gives great customer service, then five stars for La Baguette. But hey, I’m not here for customer service, even if the dour expressions on the weedy son and his mother make me want to stay up till 4am, watch some infomercials on the plight of children in Africa, weep, and donate money.
The food. Ahhh, the food. In the interest of a comprehensive review, I had gotten some fudge, baklava, a banh mi, and some pre-​packaged tapioca cake. Pre-​packaged tapioca cake – was I really crazy when I was a kid and loved these things? Then again, I used to love wintermelon tea, which was just sugar and water. The tapioca cake was mushy and bland. The baklava was also mushy and tasteless. The banh mi’s bread was really soft, and there wasn’t enough meat or sauce. The only thing I ate close to completion was the fudge, which I gnawed on as I was driving and wondering why people drive so slow. Thank you, fudge, from saving my teeth by keeping me from gnashing them.

Service is horrible. They have have one tiny toaster oven so if you order more than one banh mi sandwich, be prepared to wait and wait and wait. The folks here act like they do not care for your business. I am going further elsewhere for my banh mi sandwiches.
Aside from the service, the quality of the meat has gone downhill. The meat used to be good, but now they gone cheap with the grilled pork and so, there is more fat in the pieces they put in the sandwiches.
Again, I will be going elsewhere in the future.

This updated review is written in the spirit of Danielle S.’ review of Urban Outfitters:
La Baguette – SCREW YOU!!! You can take your RUDE attitude and go screw yourself with it!
I do not care that you are Vietnamese. In fact, you are the ONLY rude Vietnamese business owners/​workers that I have ever encountered!!!
Your sweets are fine, but they are not near good enough to overlook your crappy attitude – every. single. time.
I am not rude and was not raised to be such, but you assume that it is fine for you to be an obnoxious ass, just because you are Vietnamese?
Well, I think not. In fact I will never patronize your establishment again.
In case you haven’t noticed, the economy is tight. And if you are not willing to at least be helpful and moderately pleasant, then I am more than happy to take my hard earned money else where!

I feel like I’ve been stalking Gretchen P. Another spot that I have to thank her for.
So I have been searching for a place that has the type of banh mi bread that I really crave. So yeah a banh mi is a simple sandwich which consists of a Baguette, some spread, meat, and possibly veggies. So that allows for 3 main things that can make a banh mi spectacular.
In this case it’s the bread. Probably my favorite bread in all of Houston. It’s the soft lightly toasted bread that just melts in your mouth instead of the crunchy kind that cuts up the roof of your mouth.
This place also has some really cheap sandwiches at only 2.50 a pop. I have been noticing some places have been raising their prices due to the popularity. I had the chicken and the grilled pork. The chicken was actually better than the grilled pork. The only reason this place doesn’t get 5 stars is the lack of meat. If they doubled their meat to bread ratio it would be heaven on a bun.

I’ve recently taken to making my own banh mi. Yes, I KNOW, why bother when they only cost $ 2.50. Plainly? I can make them at any hour of the day… and virtually fat free, too. I won’t bore you with the details of assembling a tofu banh mi, that’s pretty easy to figure out on your own. My brilliant recent discovery? I don’t have to drive all the way into New Chinatown to purchase the crucial piece, La Baguette has the perfect mini baguettes.
They are (obviously) true banh mi length, they taste like they should, and they’re only 40¢. Also, they are next to Phở Saigon and across from Givral’s. In the past, every time I stopped on that block, I considered them, but kept moving. Dumb. I should have stopped in each of those times. I suggest you do the same.
The bakery is a odd little space. The people are extremely nice, the the space is odd. It’s not well lit; there are darkish corners. It feels like the extra space is unwelcome, as if the shop would rather just be a tiny little storefront with just enough room between the counter and front windows to step in out of the rain and/​or the five month long August humidity.
The baguettes are in a bin to the right of the counter. This may save you some time as on my first visit, there was a bit of a language issue between me and the lady behind the counter. («Baguette, not banh mi,» was said several times.) The sweets in and on top of the display case looked and tasted wonderful. I’ve never had many Vietnamese baked goods other than Cassava cake, so I’m not certain how they compare with other bakeries. Bottom line, wonderful.
They also sell banh mi. As I was on a Make My Own expedition/​fact finding mission, I didn’t get one. Next time, I will.
Just one note, bring cash unless you plan on spending more than $ 5.