Banh Mi Ba Le

My mother ordered 50 spring rolls from this place yesterday. The spring rolls and sauce were good, but upon closer inspection, the shrimps were not cleaned. Each and every spring rolls I ate, there is that dirty black string (I posted a pic). When you see something like this, you can’t help but question what else they do not clean. Otherwise, their food is good. Just not hygienic :/

Great food. Friendly service. Love the banh mi

My whole family loves the Banh mi from here. We have tried a lot of different places but this is probably our favorite. It’s deff a must try!
We always order the reg cold cut Banh mi because it’s our go to Banh mi but the others subs are just as good. They are freshly made in front of you which I must say is a plus and they’re never cheap with the meats and garnishes. The spring rolls are good and also the rice noodle plates topped with the asian meats and sauce! If you want a full meal then try their combo plate selection of all diff varieties of prepared food. Last they have a lil section for asian desserts and snacks to pick from as your waiting in line you can’t help but look around.
I would recommend coming here. The banh mi sandwiches is a must try and if you like fresh food then you should deff try it out. It’s usually packed but I’m not surprised and you’ll see why once you’ve experienced it yourself.

Craving banh mi, banh bot loc, bubble tea, egg rolls, viet desserts, viet ice coffee, noodles, soups, ANYTHING VIETNAMESE banh mi ba Le has it! Not only is it the one stop shop for snacks and viet food, you will most likely bump into someone you know here because everyone apparently only knows this shop! Not gonna lie I was gonna rate this place a ³⁄₅ but then I came home and couldn’t stop snacking on all the food I got!
The complain I do have is the bread used for the banh mi. It’s always cut crocked and there’s so much bread, the bread isnt fresh and as I said before, the bread in the banh mi is really what determines a good one from a basic one.

California native who took momma here because momma saw this sandwich shop on Thuy Nga and wanted to try.
Banh Mi Ba Le?
Like b*tch, no.
Banh Mi Cali is even better.
On the exterior, the bread was crispy enough that it wouldn’t rip anyone’s gums off but the interior was almost soggy and tasted almost undercooked. I got the combination/​thit nguoi and the meat wasn’t as fragrant as I expected.
I like to look/​inspect my food before every bite and the number of curly Asian hair I found was akin to the number of guys I mistakenly dated –three. Three too many, for both cases. The ladies here don’t wear hairnets, shedding is a natural process, open trays of food — so extra toppings for yo sandwiches.
There’s no system of ordering. Whoever speaks up first will be served first. I noticed the non-​Asians being passed over. If you want to order drinks, order/​pay for your drinks when you pay for sandwiches. Don’t just go over to the drink area, you’ll just be sent back to the sandwich line.
Sandwiches? No Bueno at $ 4 a pop.
Durian smoothie? More water than durian.
Hair in your food? Honey, you don’t even need to ask.
Even momma said this place was aiite.

This is an awesome place to go if you need delicious food quickly. It has a very authentic feel and they sell a lot of Vietnamese snacks you won’t be able to find a lot of places.
I recommend getting the cured pork sandwich. I don’t love original Banh mi because I can’t wrap my mind around eating pâté. Probably something around being a biologist and having dissected liver… Anyways, the food is so good and fresh. Definitely try the meatballs too.
When you walk in there is a smoothie section on the left. Definitely get the avocado smoothie. Super filling though, so split it with a friend. It is perfect. Don’t ruin it with boba (though they let you add boba to everything). The Thai iced tea is good too. Better than the iced tea at Bön Me.
Also I have to mention prices. The sandwiches are huge and only $ 4.

Pretty much my favorite banh mi shop in Boston. Bread is always fresh, generous with meat and vegetable toppings. They also have other Vietnamese goodies like fresh spring rolls, egg rolls and noodle and rice dishes. I love the spring rolls, the best part is the assortment they offer, there’s usually shrimp, tofu, beef and nam sausage available. They also have a smoothie bar, gotta try the classic avocado shake!
Not really any seating available and sometimes no parking if you go during a rush, but it really is fine if you’re stopping by to grab and go quickly.
There may be a language barrier sometimes with some of the employees but the owner is so nice and personable! As I was waiting for my shake a customer stopped in for some loaves of bread but the total was under $ 7 so she couldn’t swipe her card, the owner however offered her multiple times the bread for free and for her to just pay her back next time instead of digging for cash, now that is what you call customer service, truly awesome customer service!

The vegetarian/​vegan banh mi is currently haunting my dreams it’s so good. My husband is obsessed with the bbq banh mi and shrimp spring rolls. Everything was really fresh.

Off Dorchester ave, Banh Mi is a fast food mom and pap shop with some viet charm. The ladies behind the counter work fast as they dole out sandwich after sandwich in rapid succession. The BBQ beef Banh Mi is quite good with a lightly toasted sub and some subtle heat. It’s a rich blend of savory & sweet with a refreshing crunch of carrots and radish cucumber. The fish sauce is homemade and the price is excellent for the quality of the meal.
I also had a sugar cane drink which wasn’t too sweet and was quite delightful.
Overall, I really enjoyed my meal here and I would definitely come back again.

— there is a minimum to pay by credit card
— sometimes I wish Ba Le had a franchised store near my office instead of bonme
— Banh Mi is definitely great but don’t forget to try other stuffs such as che or VN iced coffee
— the shop owner is super friendly and easygoing

Food: 3.5÷5.0
Service: 2.0÷5.0
Value: 4.5÷5.0
Décor: 2.0÷5.0
Overall: 3.5÷5.0
Nice setup with separate food and drink counters. Having seen the stellar prior reviews, I was actually let down by the banh mi quality here, which was merely good rather than amazing. The meat options are all cold (that includes the BBQ beef and red BBQ pork), and there’s no grilled pork option. At $ 4 for a fairly large sandwich, the value is great though. The French iced coffee was also merely ok. $ 7 minimum for credit cards.

Was out in Dorchester for the dreaded jury duty and thought hey might as well get some banh mi while I’m down here!
The «restaurant» is more a mini-​grocery store and food stand rolled into one. There’s tons of food options, most I have no what they are, so I stuck with what I know: shrimp spring rolls and bahn mi.
The spring rolls are ok. I’ve had way better in Cali but still the best in Boston so far…
The bahn mis were quite solid. I got the #1 and #2, which is mixed sliced meats with pâté, and a grilled BBQ beef. The beef was definitely the winner here, the meat was tender and well seasoned; but the other was certainly good as well. The baguette was fresh and crunchy, and come with a good amount of veggies.
And man these ladies are fast at making sandwiches! I was in and out of the shop in probably 3 min flat.
Best place for bahn mi in Boston I’ve had so far!

This is my all time favorite for banh mi thit nuong (bbq grilled pork sandwich) and banh bot loc (clear shrimp and pork dumpling). I can eat these every meals everyday!!! They are so delicious and tasty… Every bite is just so satisfying I can just keep eating forever and ever… And the price is very reasonable as well for the quality of the food. Every sandwich is $ 4 and banh bot loc is 50 cents each. I usually get a box of 10 for $ 5.
Another favorite is the Vietnamese coffee! So yummy! They have a lot of other great items too so you can’t really go wrong. It’s really crowded though, sometime it’s hard to tell where the line is since everyone just stands in front of the food counters and people can cut in front of you so make sure you are visible and vocal to get in the order.

Want a quick cheap lunch? This is the place! They’ve got a variety of Vietnamese fresh cook foods that is affordable and yummy. I literally spent $ 40 for entirely family lunch (6people). I love coming here, those ladies are quick and nice.
The only little problem is the parking. I don’t mind walking a block a way, totally worthy.

Sometimes I miss Vietnamese food a lot and find myself driving all the way down to dorchester to get some. Above all the good restuarants in this small community, Banh Mi Ba Le is the place to go for your quick food-​to-​go needs. I’ve found myself here numerous times for the delicious and traditional vietnamese food.
I’m a big rice person, so the 2 item combo with rice (less than $ 6) is a constant for me. I usually opt for the caramelized stew pork and a veggie option. The portions are hefty and the food is delicious.
They also have the other things that you would find at a typical banh mi place — banh mi (duh), che, asian snacks, and drinks! I can never resist a good café sua da when I’m here.

My favorite bahn mi was not the special combination but the «dry pork» which is a funky spreadable substance that’s complemented by fish sauce and some marinated (and maybe fermented) chopped scallions as well as the usual veggies. The feral odor in my car was tantalizing and I tore into the sandwich as soon as I got back to the hotel room. Wonderfully savory and complex.
The Bahn Mi Dac Biet, on the other hand, was not to my taste with just too many bland processed meats. I’ll get something else next time along with the dry pork. The rolls were fine, the toppings were generous and the price can’t be beat. The surroundings were exactly what you want in a Vietnamese takeout shop – esoteric and unidentifiable goodies stuffed into every nook and cranny, friendly service, and old men shooting the breeze over sweet coffee in the front of the store.
If you need a beer to go with your sandwich, there’s an excellent store across the street.

A bakery and sandwich place that I frequent almost weekly.
At $ 3.50 each, these fresh baguettes are house baked daily and served toasty warm for each sandwich.
Choices include traditional cold cuts with head cheese, chicken, BBQ beef, pork, shredded pork. Pâté is spread on with a swipe of lard and topped with cilantro, shredded carrots, daikon and if spicy is your thing, jalapeños. Maybe a splash of pork fat.
This spot slaps together sandwiches with mind boggling speed — less than a minute per sandwich.
Each one is made perfect for one person.
Fresh wrapped spring rolls with shrimp or pork.
Noodles stir fry, fried fish, chicken and other daily specials await.

Aight, here’s the run down.
I have gone to this place since I was a kid, and this place has been consistently great since then. Yes, I’ve been to other places in Chinatown, and they just don’t have the same amazing tastes and flavors that Ba Le does. Could it be the MSG? Maybe, but who cares, they’re doing it right. Ba Le is known for their banh mi’s, but they also carry a ton of other Vietnamese food, everything from desserts, pastries, drinks, etc. If you’re a noob and not really sure what to order, I think the sure fire direction to go to is the ‘banh mi thit nuong,” (grilled pork).
If I’m going to rate just the food, I’d give it 5 stars, no question. Why I would give it 4 stars, is that, because every time I go, I struggle to find goddamn parking. Because it can get pretty busy inside, and with the limited number of street parking that is tolerable, walkable distance, it makes it more or less a journey to get to the pot of gold (aka the banh mi).
TL;DR: This is the best banh mi shop in the Boston/​greater Boston area. Potentially better than Cali banh mi’s. (wahhhhh??? yeah, I said it)

Small store, but lots of options and good taste. Family owned and operated, and seems pretty authentic. Service is quick and price is cheap for Boston.
I had the special combination Banh Mi Dac Biet, with shrimp spring rolls and a mango smoothie. It was a hot August day, and that smoothie hit the spot, tasting fresh and cooling me off. The Banh Mi was excellent, very flavorful meat and nice portion of the pickled veggies on top. The spring rolls come in groups of 3, and were very tasty when paired with the spicy peanut sauce they came with (would have been a bit bland without the sauce). And I left ~$ 10 later, so a very reasonably priced meal that was also filling.

There’s always a debate amongst the Asian people in my life about which banh mi shop reigns supreme. My cousins favor Ba Le Fields Corner and one of my besties swears by King Do. But alas! This location is a clear winner in my book! And at least a few of my friends agree on this one.
The sandwiches are perfect, the banh mis are made super quickly and service is consistently friendly and spot on — 3 years running now! One lady there is a machine! Put in your order, peruse some Vietnamese cookies behind you, turn around 30 seconds later and she’s handing you your order. Can the rest of the food service industry please follow suit on this awesome efficiency?
The avocado smoothie is a MUST. I always ask for no liquid sugar and it’s still lightly sweet from the condensed milk and still insanely satisfying — buttery, smooth and rich. If you like sugar cane juice, they’ll make it fresh for you (I saw the smoothie dude put a real sugarcane into a sugar cane presser to extract the juice — can you get fresher than that??). Lastly for drinks, if you’re looking for authentic Vietnamese iced coffee, go no further! Viet iced coffee is typically good from, you guessed it, Vietnamese restaurants/​shops. This shop is no exception.
Fresh baguettes, fresh herbs and pickled veggies, delicious pâté and heavenly buttery spreads, and yummy deli meats! My fave is the beef (#2 option) but the #1 option and veggie options are great, too. And the prices are UNREAL. No more than $ 4 for sandwiches — be weary of banh mis that cost more than $ 5 anywhere else, btw. One of the many reasons I keep coming back. Come here for the best banh mis you’ll ever have in your life! Banh Mi Ba Le is king.