Impeccable. A nationally acclaimed banh mi institution (I think) for a reason. Although I routinely come for the banh mi (my American tongue shamelessly pronounces this "bon me"), I am always prone to entertain myself with a novel treat, such as the Weiner bun or cheesy bread. The Vietnamese really know how to do their empty carbs right. As I approach the Garden of Eden that is the sandwich station next to the register, the other food on the hot bar also catches my eye, but I never have the confidence to push the language barrier in guessing the name of the delicious looking meat-noodle concoction overflowing the metal tray. My go to sancwich is always the bbq beef banh mi. The beef has an amazing unique grilled flavor and soaks up the special mayo perfectly (make sure to ask for extra mayo, you'll thank me later). A typical order includes anywhere from 10-15 sandwiches which are slowly munched on throughout the following week, and man do those things taste good cold. For around $7/sandwich, a deal like this is hard to find these days, and you know from the speed and precision at which the women behind the counter prepare the sandwiches that you are getting utmost authenticity and flavor. Whenever passing through Boston, I will always make sure to parallel park (perhaps illegally next to a fire hydrant) on Dorchester Ave to pop into Ba Le and buy a bag full of nostalgia. read more

Still a place where one can get great tasting Banh mi and other Vietnamese dishes. Food always fresh and they offer various specialties. Catering is available if it is something you wish. read more

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All I can say is that the banh mi's are really good. I've also tried their summer rolls and they are fresh. There is a like most times but they move fast so you won't be waiting too long. They have so many different options, so I'm sure you'll be able to find something there if you don't want to banh mi. read more

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Ba Le is my FAVORITE spot for orderin Banh mi. I've tried a bunch from different cities and literally can't find one that is even close to the banh mis from here. I always order the Banh Mi Dac Biet and the Banh Mi Thit Nuong. I believe all of the sandwiches are served with homemade mayo, fish sauce, scallion oil, cucumber, picked daikon and carrots, cilantro. For the banh mi dac biet, I love their combination of pate and the homemade mayo. I'm not sure how they make it but its so flavorful and tastes so good. The sandwich comes with a combination of pork and this place does not skimp on the amount of meat. I feel like every bite is good and satisfying. The Thit nuong in the sandwich is SOO good. The sauce for the meat is so flavorful and a bit sweet and its just amazing. If i had to only pick one sandwich to order, i'd probably lean more towards the Thit Nuong cause honestly this sandwich is BOMB. If you're in the area, you definitely need to try this place. Just note that this place can get pretty busy around lunch time since its literally so good! if you can plan around it, I'd try to order early or calling ahead. read more

Ba Le Dorchester - Vietnamese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

(a review from a native Vietnamese person)--Terrible customer experience. The line is way too long, and you place your order when youre at the cash register. i waited 30 minutes in line. They need to figure out a better method to take orders from customers. I wished workers can take customer's order as they are in line, not when they're in front. Here is what I ordered and my thoughts: 1) sticky rice with chinese sausage-- SO YUMMY!! Must try this, 4/5 i approve. needs more sausage though. and the char sui they gave in my box was all fat, no meat... 2) Special combination cold cuts Banh Mi --- Yummy as well, I approve of this! 4/5 3) Banh Bot loc, vietnamese tapioca meat cakes-- too soft! Not chewy enough. So mushy i hate it. Never will get this again 1/5 4) Vietnamese egg rolls--- outside was way too oily! drenched in oil. inside was so mushy.... needs more pork filling, 2/5 5) pandan honeycomb cake--- yummy! perfect texture and flavor 4/5 6) clear stir fried glass noodles with shrimp--- so oily, no flavor. i absolutely hate it. threw the whole thing away! overall, would not come back here... food is too mediocre and disgusting. Would only come back for the banh mi, i guess... not the to-go items. BLEH! read more

Ba Le Dorchester - Vietnamese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

So we have ordered bahn mi from here several times and they have always been impeccable, but my most recent visit was the first time I grabbed items from along the hot bar. We basically got a bunch of stuff without having any idea what it was, and then spent a lot of time on google afterwards trying to deduct what the heck it was we just ate. I'm sure if we had asked the counter folk to give us more information they would have, but it was busy and bustling and I didn't want to hold anyone up. Plus I like the sense of adventure!! Whatever we got, it was all delicious and all (besides the obligatory bahn mi) completely different from anything I've had before at a sit down Vietnamese restaurant. Failed to take pictures, but I *think* we tried a rice paper salad, some kind of meat wrapped in betel leaves, some kind of delicious dumpling-esque item, and CAN I TELL YOU ABOUT THE PORK FLOSS BUN?? The most interesting and delicious thing I've tried in a long time. Took me forever to find what it was by looking at images of the bakery shelves on yelp and xrefing with the google searches of what I *thought* I was eating... you could have paid me a million dollars and I would have never guessed it was pork on top of that bun but dang was it delicious!! Anyway, it's take out only, the line moves quick, it could feel intimidating if you have no idea what you're doing but trust me, get something random and be surprised!! Or grab the thing that looks like a donut with seaweed on top, that bun is amazing. read more

We live out of state but it's our must go to whenever visiting. It's a quick and easy place to get an assortment of delicious Vietnamese food. It's a bit of a tight spot despite still expanding recently next door. Definitely a grab-and-go spot, don't expect to sit down and eat here. They have things from Vietnamese dishes, soups, baked goods, snacks, drinks, to banh mi. Be warned, things do run out if you go too late in the day or forget to call ahead of time. Parking is street parking, so not so great. Their banh mi are a good size with delicious and ingredients that are authentic. They even sell the house-made pate and mayo separately. They're great at packing the veggies separately since they know most orders are for to go and to be reheated at home. My Go To's: Banh Mi - Dac Biet or Thit Nuong Banh Cuon Cha Ca Chien Che Banh Lot Their House-made Pate read more

Looking for a great bahn mì without venturing into Chinatown? Check out Bahn Mì Ba Lę @balebakery in Dorchester. I got a bbq beef(thit nuong)bahn Mì and gòi cuốn. The sandwich was a perfect balance of sweet, savory and spicy. The gòi cuôn need more shrimp but was okay. The sauces were divine. The little store is chock full of Southeast Asian food treasures. This is definitely worth the trip to Little Saigon in Dorchester. Someone should really start doing Vietnamese food tours in Dot! There is so much to enjoy in the growing number of restaurants here. read more

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Ba Le has so much variety to offer and I absolutely love visiting each time! Obviously their Banh mis are super good, we usually get the beef and the cold cut pork. They definitely fill it with a lot of meat and pickled veggies on a perfectly toasted baguette. We also tried some of their other dishes which were all pretty good. Their baked foods like the scallion and pork floss rolls are yummy as well and tastes very authentic. We also got the tri-color dessert which was refreshing, it was sweet but not too sweet! Def visit for great viet food! read more

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Best banh mi of my life!! The hot bar has a amazing array of hot prepared foods!! The banh mi was prepared to order. Flavors were off the chart. The grocery items revealed some amazing Vietnamese an Asian treats. I could've spent hours in here but I quickly got out and devoured my sandwich. It was sublime read more

Ba Le Dorchester - Vietnamese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I grew up going to this place and every time I'm in town visiting I make it a point to stop in this to-go shop. It's so exciting to see how the business has blossomed - now more than double the size that it once was. No matter how many years it's been, the owner Jennifer always remembers me! Food has always been high quality and that hasn't changed. Still very delicious and great value for the money. My favorite is the Banh Mi Ga (chicken) and the shrimp spring rolls. And if it's early enough in the day, got to get the Vietnamese iced coffee to wash it all down!! read more

A really solid Vietnamese place with some great options, especially their banh mi. Would definitely come back here again. (B)

Best bang mi in the city! If there's a line, get in it it because it's worth the wait. read more

Food: The Banh mi and the spring rolls are delicious. For the Banh mi- I'd say the chicken is the best. Next would be the beef. The vegetables taste fresh, the bread is a bit hard, a lot of crumbs. The meat is cooked well, seasoned well. Butter Mayo is well mixed. It's very good. The Taro drink is also good as well, tastes like actual taro and not like...powder? It tastes SUPER high in sugar though. Service: The service is great. They work super quick. Prices: More than fair. Location: kind of on a busy street depending on the time of day you go, if you can't parallel park don't bother unless you can sneak a spot near by. Or risk a double park if you ordered ahead. read more

Fantastic Vietnamese deli that serves practically every Viet dish you could ask for. Our friends dropped by here on the way to the airport to pick some banh mis, spring rolls, and boba. The cold cuts were delicious and the bread was nice and fresh. We are spoiled with our Vietnamese food in Orange County so I was thoroughly impressed with this joint out here in Boston. I'll be back to try the rest of the viet menu. So good. Street parking Long lines but they move fast read more

Theirs a lot you can do wrong with a banh mi, bread expired and way to dry, meat sitting out too long with no flavor and the worst not having any fresh ingredients. This place does it right best banh mi in mass. I got the bbq steak and everything wound up perfect. Bread was fresh with a tad bit of crisp ( bread to me is the most important part), the meat was perfectly seasoned and juicy not dry, they do a great sauce with fresh pickled vegetables my only problem was not trying other things on the menu read more

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Every time we visit Boston, this is a must visit. We bring coolers and ice packs with us. They've got a food station where you can have them make to order sandwiches. I prefer the beef banh mi, extra spicy. They're the best on the East Coast, in my opinion. Looking for other Vietnamese cuisine? You've got so many choices! We always grab a few of the dairy free coconut drinks with pandan, grass jelly, beans, etc. The jerky is quite good, too. The store itself is packed to the gills and has no frills. Truly a diamond in the rough. This store is packed with food stuff as it's a Vietnamese grocery store with many prepared foods made onsite. The staff is very friendly and most are fluent in English. Take out only. You can call in orders. Parking is usually a cinch. We find free street parking within a block, but traffic can be heavy. Next time, I'll take photos...if I don't gobble down the food immediately. read more

I would give this place 6/5 stars if I could - SO GOOD. Hands down, the best banh mi I have ever had in my life. I ordered the BBQ beef banh mi ($5.49) and a lychee smoothie ($3.99) thru uber eats ($1.99 delivery fee), and wished I had ordered another one. Prices are unbelievable for what you get, and the taste is unbeatable. The bread was crispy the way a baguette should be (should make a mess when you bite in, and this one def did), and the fillings (adequate amount of BBQ beef, cilantro, carrots, jalapeños that add a kick, pickled daikon) brought joy to my day. The lychee smoothie was sweet (can add boba, coffee jelly, or rainbow jelly to the smoothies at additional price), but not overly sweet, with a strong lychee taste. I will definitely order again and try other menu items!! read more

Ba Le Dorchester - BBQ beef banh mi, lychee smoothie - Vietnamese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

i've gotten many meals, drinks, and snacks from this place and i'll keep going to this place for many more meals. sometimes there's a line, sometimes there's a long wait. i've had their bahn mi, stew, rice noodles, egg rolls, etc, etc, etc, a lot of things i don't know the names to... i basically point and order to try them out, then repeat. street parking and that area is hard to park. read more

Ba Le Dorchester - flying #1, freshly caught, right out of the ocean - Vietnamese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

the banh mi is buss. So is everything else. This is the spot if you wanna get a sweet treat or something savory. Service is quick and they're very nice. read more

Love getting a bánh mì and nước mía from here as a treat! Efficient store set up, the line is usually long but moves quickly. read more

Ba Le Dorchester - Goods for sale! - Vietnamese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

My fav place to get banh mis near Boston. Even being extremely averse to eating carrots, I'll eat the whole thing here and that's how I know it's good. Super affordable at under $8 too!!! read more

There are not even words that can describe how delicious the food is here. It is always great to get on the fly and always serves the soul. Tip- order on the phone before going if you are short on time! There is a huge line that wraps around the inside of the restaurant all the way to the outside. You can pick up the food directly at the register and pay for it there too. I always ordered the pork belly banh mi! Never changing my order. Their Vietnamese coffee will keep you wide awake for hours and is the perfect mid-day slump pick me up! read more

Best banh mi we've had here in Bos (well, before BonMe switched their namesake BBQ pork to dry shredded.pork)! Great variety store with a mini grocery Mart in the center and on one side of the store, and a counter-style station w traditional Viet hot food and a little banh mi making deli. See pics. We got -2 number 1 banh.mis (grilled BBQ beef) -mung bean pastries -mixed bean sweet congee drinks -garlic hotdog and milk cream basis -steamed sticky rice flour w shrimp paste center mini "tamales" wrapped in pandan leaves -Viet "changfun" w grilled BBQ beef So far everything really tasty, though would probably stick w 99 Ranch for our baos. Meat pounded think, seasoned and grilled well -- tender and flavourful. Steamed rice flour dishes were YUM. Milk cream bao lacking in cream filling, and was a bit coagulated/too firm. Congee driNks just right sweet, and even better when thinned out w some Lactaid milk (home edition). FYI most everything in the store except the banh mis, no menu, listing or prices! But the ladies at the counter were really nice, so just ask! Will def be back for banh mis! read more

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I've visited Ba Le a few times. If it gets a stamp of approval for my parents, then it's good. The shop is small but meant to be for take-out and quick eats. It's also clean and organized, and the line to checkout does get long, but the staff is nice and efficient. I like their bo kho, where they give a good portion for leftovers or lunch the following day. I've also tried their bun thit nuong cha gio, filling me up for another quick lunch. Their bahn mi is the star of the show - fresh ingredients, soft baguette, and very filling. I like the pork belly bahn mi, not too fat and delicious. They also make drinks you pay for at the register with the rest of your food. Prices are affordable. It's definitely worth a visit if you are in the area. Street parking is easy to find but on a main road, so be careful to cross over. read more

Came here for the Banh Mi! This place for me is one of the hidden gems in Dorchester. Glad I found this place! Let the food speak for itself. Go try it! read more

Wow, can't explain how overwhelmed I was when I walked into Banh Mi Ba Le. I wanted to take everything home! We bought a basket full of food and snacks back to New York before we parted ways with Boston: 3 banh mi (#2 specifically, which came with cold cuts, pate, etc), house made dried mangoes, dehydrated chicken snacks, cha lua, gio lua, glutinous rice cakes, Vietnamese iced coffee and much more! Prices were so reasonable too and the staff were so nice. All the items we bought tasted so fresh and delicious, I kind of wish I bought more . Can't wait to return to try other freshly made food, like the noodles, rice, spring rolls, banh cuon, and so on! read more

Ba Le Dorchester - Vietnamese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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I love Ba Le - literally, I will drive from Braintree/Quincy to Dorchester just to grab some Ba Le. Yes, parking may be difficult sometimes and people do double park on the heavy trafficked road of Dot Ave, but I don't think that's any reason to give a place a bad review - if you believe that the food is good. Everyone's just trying to be in and out to grab a bite, so you can be more cautious whenever you come here. Just park around the corner, it's worth it. They're opened super early in the morning which is convenient for those wanting to grab a bite before heading off to work - but beware, there will be a lot of people going in and out so you'd probably want to figure out what you want to eat before you end up spending too much time in the small space. They close pretty late for a banh mi place too, I've come and bought food at like 6pm. I was really glad when I saw that Ba Le had banh trang tron, and they do give a very generous amount of banh trang and toppings for only seven dollars. Very standard banh mis with cold cuts and thit nuong, I do prefer banh mi thit nuong. Their banh cuon is good too and they include a variety of cha (the Vietnamese pork rolls). They use fresh avocados to make their avocado smoothies which is such a great thing; I am obsessed with them (extra sweetened) and their Vietnamese coffee isn't too bad either. read more

I had Banh mi last week at the Thinking Cup at Boston Commons, and disappointed with the bread, today I decided to try Ba Le, which was known for its Banh mi. I loved it! I got the Banh mi thit heo nuong (bbq pork) and my friend got the Banh mi dac biet (combination of meats), and both surpassed our expectations! Loved the bbq pork more, since it was on the sweeter side but the pate on the combination was also good. I also loved watching them make the Banh mi in front of us. It felt very much like street food making. And of course, the spread of foods on display was amazing. I am probably going to go again to buy some of the stuff there. read more

A long time neighborhood spot to get Bánh mì (Vietnamese cuisine sub). I highly recommend their beef Bánh mì. The baguette is lightly toasted and the sauce is unique. Love it spicy! read more

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Be careful what you put in your mouth when buying food here ! I just bought it yesterday and after eating it, I realized it was hooked, an unacceptable problem ! Đồ ăn ở đây bán có móc xanh, hãy kiểm tra kỉ trước khi bạn ăn nó ! read more

Ba Le Dorchester - Dessert - Vietnamese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I came here on a Sunday afternoon and there was a pretty long line. I actually expected this to be a sit-down restaurant, but it was cool to wait in line and decide what to get while looking over the options. My favorite was definitely the bahn mi - both the BBQ pork and beef were fabulous. The summer rolls were also tasty. I hope to go back and try some more of the bahn mi sandwiches! read more

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If you want banh mi sandwiches in the boston area, skip chinatown and drive down to Dorchester. This is like a vietnamese populated city and they know how to prepare vietnamese food. They make the best viet sandwiches and are most generous with filling, IMHO. The taste is consistently great over the years and this place is always busy. I got 2 orders of the rice noodle plate, the beef lo mein, 3 sesame balls, 4 spring rolls and 4 "special" banh mi sandwiches. All of that was $55. It fed our family of 4 for 2 meals! I can't wait to go back and possibly explore more of their menu to try new things. My favorites are the banh mi and the spring rolls. They also take credit cards now. read more

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This is my all time favorite spot to go to. I visit this bakery at least once a week for their iced Viet coffee, fried egg rolls and banh mi. They do such a great job making the sandwiches with the right amount of butter and pate and the price for all the food is really reasonable and affordable. I'm not Vietnamese but i love the food and the staff is really good at helping you. The wait in line averages about 20 mins each time I visit just because there's always a lot of people any time of the day but I can honestly say that this is one of my favorite Bahn mi places especially for the price that you get for the sandwich considering a lot of other places charge almost $7+ read more

UGH. HOW HAVE I BEEN MISSING OUT ON BA LE MY WHOLE LIFE. I'm a Bostonian but I've really secluded myself to eating Banh Mi's in Chinatown due to the accessibility. But wowwww. In this economy, if I'm going to eat a bomb sandwich I'll just go to Dorchester for Ba Le. Everyone was kind and attentive. Service was fast even if you dont order ahead. I've tried Cold Cut and #2 which I think is Pork but add the spicy if you can handle. It's as spicy as hot cheetos which is not bad at all. Their spring rolls are really good and fresh, I would get them again. I didn't like their papaya salad that much. Better to order that in a restaurant where its made more fresh and has the spice. In terms of drinks, their viet coffee is solid, but I think King Do's was better. Pennywort was really interesting... like a milky grassy latte, a bit hard to describe until you try it for yourself. Sugar cane was really good too, and tasted more like the chunks I chewed on back in China (better than King Do's). Overall, I think this is my new favorite place for viet sandwiches. The taste just hits. Tip: Order your drinks first! Then when they are ready, pay for them when you finally get in front of the cash register. read more

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Best bahn mi sandwiches that I've had in a very long time. I got the bbq pork, bread had the firmness that baguettes should have but still soft enough where you can actually bite into the whole sandwich! The bbq pork was well seasoned and cooked to a smokey perfection, and it balanced out well with the pickled veggies, which were just the right amount of tang and sour. Restaurant looks like it also sells groceries and bread and other yummy looking things. It is only a short walk from the red line! read more

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Disappointing experience here as vegetarians. We ordered a few items from here on UberEats. Based on reviews on Yelp it seemed as though they were accommodating of vegetarian requests. We ordered spring rolls, lo mein, and Banh mi, making sure to say we were vegetarian and specify no fish sauce. The spring rolls on Uber eats said there was a choice of either tofu, shrimp, or pork, and we specified tofu in the special requests also adding that we were vegetarian. When we received our order we were dismayed to find that the spring rolls had shrimp in them despite us specifying otherwise and could not eat them. We also found fish sauce with the vegetarian lo mein, despite specifying "no fish sauce" the special comments section. Additionally, the tofu in the lo mein had visible black marks of mold on it. We ended up throwing out over half of our meal due to it not being vegetarian and containing stale food. It's possible that the vegetarian experience is better in person, but if you're a vegetarian, do not order delivery from here. read more

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Foods is good, its banh mi is soft and fluffy; are they tried to cut cost in doing it? I loved banh mi Ba le but now have to give it up. read more

Anytime I want a banh mi, vermicelli bowl, or a rice plate, I come here. They're the best priced, tastiest Vietnamese place. The quality is the same (5 stars) every time whether I get delivery or pick up. The inside is small (during COVID they only allow 10 people at a time) You move in a line around the store and while you wait to order you can see what they have. I have been to most Vietnamese places in Boston and I have had homemade food as well. Unless I want pho or a soup, I always go here. Their smoothies are also good as well but order it when you order your food. There's a big TV on the left that shows all the different drink options. Please give this place a try. On Ubereats their name is just Ba Le. read more

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Great banh mi, got take out. Everyone loved the food. The spring rolls are also some I would recommend adding on. Would come back.