Ba Le Bakery

I came here specifically for the banh mi sandwiches. Although I was pretty disappointed to see chicken as the only non-​pork item, I happily ordered. I do love chicken. Wish they had a beef option…
The sandwich came hot and pressed a little flat. The bread was delicious, and the pickled onions, cilantro and shredded chicken were extremely savory. I enjoyed my sandwich. I wish I had added a little hot sauce, because there wasn’t enough of a kick to it, but nevertheless, a pretty damn good banh mi.
They also had other desserts, like mini red velvet cakes and different pastries. I didn’t try any of it, but they looked decent. The place was completely empty on a Thursday afternoon, so we got our food pretty quickly.
Parking is behind the bakery, and there are plenty of spots. If you like banh mi, this is a good place to try. I am partial to the banh mi sandwiches at Phở 88 though. Craving one now!

I went here on a earlier trip to Orlando this year.
This is the first Bahn Mi place I’ve tried in the area.
I ordered the Roast Pork, a meat pie of some sort, some baguettes and sweet pork to go.
I’ve had Bahn Mi plenty of times, in New York, Miami, and San Fran.
This one was a little different from what I was used to, but it was very good. Maybe it was the way it was heated, or maybe it had extra mayo. whatever, it was yummy and I want more. I’m just 250 mile away. oh well.

Stopped by yesterday to satisfy my grilled pork Bánh mì craving, but they were closed for in observance of Tet (
) until Wednesday 2÷9÷11.
And they are closed on Wednesdays. :)
I still love them SOOOO much. They are worth the wait. Especially since they have the traditional carrot and daikon relish that Phở 88 doesn’t.
Also, Bruno’s closed quite awhile back-​obviously they no longer sell their pastries. :(

This is a pretty straight forward little sub shop.
Order your sub at the counter, grab a drink from the cooler and they bring the food to your table.
They also have a chiller case with some tasty looking cakes and sweets.
I had the #11, the lemon pork, which was just outstanding. The ingredients were fresh and flavorful and I fed myself and 2 others (with sodas) for under $ 15. Good value.
The staff was really friendly and the store is really clean.
I’ll be back again.

This place hs some really good Banh Mi :) I only been there once and I can’t wait to go back to try other stuff on the menu, they sure have different types of banh mi and I’m always so indecisive when it comes to all these choices!
It’s a little nice café too with tables/​chairs, that place brings me back some memories from Asia with the ceiling fans and stuff haha :)
The owner is really nice too, I love my fellow Asians and their foooooooooooooood!

I popped my bahi me cherry here. I had the chicken and my man had the lemon pork both were awesome. I can’t believe I never stopped here earlier. The crunchiness of the veggies and the perfect toasted bread. It reminds me of a healthy version of sandwiches I had in puerto rico. All I can say is you must try it. The only reason it didn’t get 5 stars is because of the décor and some of the tables were dirty and we were the only people there.

I didn’t get a chance to do my homework from the hot-​off-​the-​press Banh Mi issue of Orlando Weekly, and I only had a short period of time for lunch. Still I was determined to try banh mi after reading so many good things. I chose Ba Le Bakery, and went along with two Unilocal friends’ suggestions, #4, Bahn Mi Ga (shredded chicken and vegetables), and #6 Bahn Mi Xiu Mai (meatball with tomato paste and vegetables).
I also picked up a dessert, sweet banana with tapioca and coconut milk. And I ran across some Yeo’s Vietnamese Style Soymilk, which I had to try. A former boss of mine, originally from Vietnam, always kept a supply on hand. Now I can see why.
Thanks to Ricky for the review which includes the sandwich’s origins, including the French influence. Since this was my first time ever trying banh mi, I can’t make any comparisons. But my meal was just great at Ba Le, and I’ll be seeking this out much more often now.

It was just ok. We went on a Monday around lunch time. Slow service. Not enough selection for bakeries. Their sweet sticky rice felt hard. Yogurt was not tasting as good as my mom’s Vietnamese yogurt. Sandwich was not as much meat and veggie wasn’t as plentiful as their Chicago’s counterpart. Also can’t even taste any spicy jalapenos. I was really looking fwd to banh dai but they didn’t have any. On the positive, they had sugar cane juice that was yummy with a hint of kumquat. The ice coffee was good too.

Best Banh Mi in Orlando, hands down.
I’m not quite sure what it is but I think it’s a combination of the fresh bread that’s crunchy on the outside but soft on the inside, and the perfect combination of sweet, sour, salty, and spicy. And they use the right proportions of each so one doesn’t drown out the other.
It’s a small place with several small tables. It’s usually pretty empty when I go. I usually get take-​out. And don’t forget it’s closed on Wednesdays.

Good for their bahn mi… it pretty much seems to be the star at this place but I had higher expectations for a vietnamese bakery. =[ The desserts that were available the day I went mainly consisted of dried up coconut milk, taro, and honey. They only had one dried up cake on sale. no boba teas. only normal plain sodas and sugar cane water. I tried the sugar cane water hoping for a refreshing drink and it tasted old… Had to buy a soda to get the taste out my mouth. Maybe it wasn’t their most impressive day so I will be back to see if my mind changes.

Had the #4 AND #6 subs ($ 3.25ea)…the place is a veritable schmorgasboard of Vietdelights! I snatched a sweet rice and Mung bean desert from the refridge case, it was topped with a coconut crème ($ 1.75).
I saw a square wrapped in coconut leaf with a neat little bow on top… it was pork and mung bean stuffed rice cake ($ 2.00). Tons of stuff on the menu to try. Great hired help ;O}

A friend and I went here for a craving of asian desserts neraby where she resided.
So – i bought a mango cheesecake and chocolate tart like cake and a steamed rice piece.
My impression was the fact its tasted not fresh.
Im def not ordering the desserts but I will def try their subs!

Sometimes, however seldom, the gods just smile. Walking into Ba Le Bakery we were expecting to be underwhelmed. The A/​C was down (or off), the main area was dark, sparse and desolate. We were not acknowledged upon walking in. The kitchen was closed, «only sandwiches!» said the busy but slow-​moving man behind the counter as he was cramming pre-​crushed sugar canes into the industrial juicer. Things were not boding well.
There were sheet pans of meat pies lined along the counter. We ordered two and sat while we contemplated our next move.
«The kitchen’s closed.» I said.
«That sucks. What now?» Said the wife while tending to our happily oblivious almost two year-​old.
«Well the reason we came here was for the Banh Mi. Wanna’ just split one to go?» I said trying to save face. It was, after all, my recommendation.
«May as well.» She responded.
«The meat pie is pretty good.» I said exaggerating the positive.
It actually was just okay. The meat filling was a little more like Thai sausage-​meatball rather than red meat but the texture of the puff pastry immediately surrounding the meatball had become very slimy; probably the result of condensation (I think).
I ordered the Roast Pork Banh Mi as a result of asking what the difference was between the Roast Pork and Shredded Pork and being told that they were out of the Shredded. As he made my sandwich I thought of where to go next time I was in the area. I had tried the Banh Mi at Phở 88 just down the street and it wasn’t bad, but I’d been there done that. So I grabbed the bag, paid the bill and off we went.
I sat in the car, took the sandwich out of its bag and was immediately struck by the texture of the bread. The crust was thin and crunchy and the sandwich had been ever-​so-​slightly pressed. I bit into it. The flavors exploded and my universe was never the same! THIS is the Banh Mi to which all others shall hence be compared!
Crispy. Bright. Clean. Light. Fulfilling. Roast pork. Pickled daikon & cucumbers & assorted veggies in sweet-​vibrant marinade. It was a work of art. A wonder of textural craftsmanship. A symphony in Flavor.
«Probably the best sandwich I’ve ever had. Period!» And that’s what the WIFE said!
If you’re looking for Banh MI in Orlando I’ll make it very easy for you: SKIP EVERYWHERE ELSE!

Ok. ive had bahn mi (viet sandwiches) in FL, CA, TX, PA, NY … what makes this place special is their bread. It is freshly baked, and it is one of the best breads ive had in a viet sandwich. The Thit nuong (bbq pork) was also top notch, HOWEVER they do not nearly give enough in the sandwich. They barely give enough to form a single layer of meat in the bun. Major let down. Due to all the positive reviews, i bought 5 sandwiches. 3 specials and 2 with lemon pork.
Tip: the buy 5 get 1 free rule ONLY applies when all 6 are the exact same price, and since every different sandwich has different price, it only works for 6 of the exact same sandwich. Good for ppl who know what they want and have a group of friends with the same EXACT taste. But for me, who has never been here and wanted to try a couple of different sandwiches, i was really disappointed. I tried to negotiate saying i wanted the more expensive sandwiches, and he could give me a free cheaper sandwich, but no dice.
Price: about average for a viet sandwich place. Range from 2.75 to 3.75 and each different sandwich have increments of 25 cents to prevent you from ordering the buy 5 get 1 free.
Overall: 5 star bread, 4 star meat 3 star price. If they added 3x or 4x amount of bbq pork it would be a 5 star viet sandwich place.

I’m so lucky that my boyfriend’s sister lives right next door to Ba Le. Every time we visit, we get to have banh mi! I usually get the number one (i think, the combo one with head cheese, pâté, ham. etc) and we definitely have done the buy 5 deal as well to bring our precious banh mi back to Gainesville. We also get the che sometimes, I’m partial to the banana/​coconut milk one. We’ve tried their desserts too, which were pretty good. Not sure if they make it specifically but still okay. Once in a while, they have sugar cane, so I definitely suggest getting the fresh sugar cane juice, mmmm. I think they also have a special for a bag of baguettes for $ 1 or something.
Is it just me or do those two Asian girls wear too much make-​up for their age???

I eat here vaguely regularly now and I’ve found the ultimate sandwich, the Lemon Pork, try it, it’s the best and it’s like $ 4

I decided to trek out to the Ba Le (located off of Mills Avenue in the Mills 50 District of Orlando about 8 blocks north of Colonial Drive) this afternoon to get my fix of their renowned Vietnamese Banh Mi, or Vietnamese baguette sub sandwiches.
Ba Le is actually an independently owned franchise (do not be afraid: they make and bake all their goods on premises) selling its famously good brand of banh mi, those French-​influenced Vietnamese sandwiches that had its own journey of sorts across the Pacific Ocean to the shores of America.
The origin of the Vietnamese banh mi sandwich is a reflection of Vietnam’s history in itself; its French baguette bread: the influence of 200 years of French colonialism, its various pork meat cuts: a cousin of Chinese pork slices, and its Vietnamese fish sauce and pickled carrots and daikon and other ingredients all culminating in the conception of the banh mi sandwich. Even Ba Le’s own trademark logo is a tribute to the French influence with an image of the Eiffel Tower in its center.
The meats of the ubiquitous banh mi, include: ham, headcheese (a type of ham made with pigs ear for crunch), pork liver pâté, and cha lua (fish sauce seasoned pork roll).
There is also a special Vietnamese mayo sauce made of eggs and oil that is spread on the bread that gives it its incredibly addicting taste. There are also hot chilis or jalapeño peppers that are added for that extra kick as well as salt and pepper and vinegar, fish sauce and soy sauce if you like to add it to the mix as well.
Banh mi is like the fast food of choice of the Vietnamese, quick to make they are easy to carry and snack on during long road trips and really cheap (they’re $ 3.25 each for the dac biet special option and buy 5 get 1 free!).
As I entered Ba Le, two teenaged sisters sit idly by at the counter of Ba Le bakery and restaurant, undoubtedly the daughters of the owners of the establishment, like so many other children of Asian-​owned restaurants across the US on weekends. Help out with the family business; it’s your filial duty they say.
In addition to banh mi, Ba Le sells various bakery items including cakes and patechaud (or pateso) a pork-​filled meat patty, deli meats to go, baguettes, banh bao (steamed pork buns), Vietnamese dishes such as banh cuon, and even jackfruit (its fruit season in Florida).
I order the banh mi dac biet to go and one of the sisters heads back behind the counter to assemble the sandwich as the other sister takes my payment. The banh mi is soon ready.
My banh mi was delicious: the bread was baked soft and slightly sweet, the meats were all high quality and tasty and the pickled carrots and daikon crunched as I bit into them. Ba Le Bakery and its banh mi are definitely a tasty chomp. Chomp.

We’ve eaten plenty of Phở for dinner but this was our first time to try a Vietnamese sub place and as is the case with any unfamiliar ethnic cuisine — we were a little overwhelmed when we first went in to place our order. You place your order up at the counter where the menu is posted overhead. Sadly the help here was anything but helpful. In fact we had the distinct impression that the girl behind the counter just didn’t want to be there at all. We stood right in front of her trying to make heads or tails out of the menu, obviously at a loss, and she simply stared at us not saying a word, not even of greeting. I thought perhaps she didn’t speak English but when we finally gave in and asked her a question she replied in perfect English with a fully Americanized accent. Then she stared at us some more — never taking the initiative to explain their offerings. We finally decided to try the shredded pork which brought her out of her coma long enough to tell us they had run out, so we opted for the Banh Mi Xa Xui or roast pork instead.
They bake their bread on the premises, so the roll was fresh and crusty. The sandwich had a very conservative amount of pork, but the relish of carrots, radish, onions and cucumbers along with some jalapenos and cilantro added a really nice flavor.
They had some nice large loaves of bread packaged three to a bag near a sign that advertised 3 for $ 1. So we decided to take home a bag. Surprisingly when we said we would go ahead and take three loaves the girl went over to the rack with the sandwich bread instead and took down three of those loaves, which were half the size of the ones we saw near the sign, and packaged them up. When we asked about the other bags, she told us that the larger loaves were $ 1.25 a piece. Again a little communication from the girl behind the counter when we first asked about the bread might have saved us from walking out feeling like they had pulled a bait and switch on us.
We did enjoy our sandwiches and at the ridiculously cheap price of $ 2.50 each they were a great deal. But the service here left much to be desired.

The great deli was recommended to me .and greatfull for it!
Selling other Vietnamese dishes, it is known for its Vietnamese subs! And with 14 different combinations on sale, these french-​bread baquettes (called «Bánh mì» in Vietnamese) are delicious, healthy alternatives to standard fast-​food (my personal addiction).
«Buy 5, Get 1 Free» sub lets you share with friends and family. And the friendly staff helped me with my lack of Vietnamese-​cuisine knowledge.

Great little place to sample Vietnamese foods.
Mostly deli counter items, but they also have a few meals.
Amongst us we tried the egg rolls, meat pies, sausage, a lemongrass meatloaf type dish, Thai Tea, Tapioca drink, and more.
I occasionally hit the Vietnamese restaurants in the area, but still have not found the one dish that I want to repeat. Even though I like Vietnamese food. This is the place to discover it.
Also good if you are just in the mood for a snack or small meal.
Dafe