Bale is popular because of the convenient corner it's in. It's also the first established Vietnamese Banh Mi place that is concentrated on made-ready and to-go foods. As a Vietnamese, born and raised in Vietnam, I've lived in Chicago for 12 years, I know the Viet areas here like the back of my hands. My first taste of the Banh Mi in Bale when I first came to America was disappointing. The bread flavor is poor, not light and delicate like in Vietnam, and the condiments make for a dry and ill composed Banh Mi. Their meats and Viet hams, which are homemade, are not tasty compared to other places, or my mommy's ;] I've had Banh Mi here many times after that, but like many Viets who go there, it's for the fastness and convenience of the food, not the taste. I don't know many true Vietnamese people who actually 'enjoys' the food here, it's overpriced compared to other places in Argyle. I go to Nhu Lan for my Banh Mi fill. read more

Finally made it to the new location! Yes, it is huge and beautiful and sparkly but I really miss the charm of the tiny old location. The new store gives off a very corporate space pod feel, which I guess some people like, but I like my cheap Asian food to be served in hole-in-the-wall-esque surroundings. The banh mi still rocks. My favorite in the city. Always get the #1 with extra jalapeno, and maybe a pork skin too. Some shrimp and pork spring rolls. A smoothie (I highly recommend the boring sounding strawberry - if you take a look at the number of FRESH boxes of strawberries they keep in their fridge... this smoothie is no joke. Best strawberry smoothie I have ever had). I've started buying the bread too and going home and making my own sandwiches. The bread is so good! I'm going to start buying the headcheese too. I am totally bananas for banh mi. Every 2 days, I think "Gee, I should really go to Ba Le. Some banh mi sounds very tasty right now" but then I get lazy and watch some Veronica Mars on Netflix. Did they stop doing the buy 5 get 1 free deal? I wouldn't mind having 6 banh mi in the house right now. But yeah, come here and eat. If headcheese/pate/etc creeps you out, you can always go for the turkey banh mi. Or, they've added 2 new sandwiches to their menu, the sauteed beef and sauteed chicken, a little more expensive but very tasty. read more

Ooooo, my mouth is a little bit on fire from my latest sandwich from Ba Le, which is something I don't remember from previous outings. But I don't mind it a bit, cause it's from fresh jalaps, not some crazy-ass spice mix. Full disclosure: I'm kind of a wimp when it comes to the heat, so you may not even notice the peppers. Three words: pork skin sandwich. That's right bitchez, shredded pork skin. What else do you need on a sandwich? My other standard sand is the #1, which comes with headcheese, pate, and Vietnamese ham and pork roll. Mmm, piggy. If this scares you, chicken, turkey, and roast beef are also available. Cheap cheap almost free, at $3.50 for most selections. This is a substantial bump from the 3 bucks of a few years ago, but still a bargain. And buy 5, get one free. Cause everyone needs a half dozen banh mi in the house. Before you order, check out the items in the cooler case. These aren't my favorite spring rolls in the city, but they're good, and there's a selection of salads and drinkies as well. To round out your meal. When they moved into the new space, the ordering and delivery system was a mess. I'm happy to say they're straightened that out. There's even some 1970s-futuristic style seating where you can hang while you're waiting for your order. read more

Strawberry smoothie. Sounds boring, tastes delicious. Strawberry essence, ladies and gents. read more

I've been here multiple times during visits to Chicago. They are known for their bahn mi sandwiches but they also have other stuff like summer rolls, sugar cane shrimp, bottled beverages, rice puddings, and a large selection of baked goods. Its kind of like a Vietnamese fast food restaurant. Everything i have had has been good. I almost always get a bahn mi to go. Try it. You will like it. read more

Lower quality + higher price = disappointment I only get Ba Le once or twice a year because 1) I'm away at college for most of the year and 2) whenever I do come home, my family's first choice is usually Nhu Lan. There used to be a time when I went to Ba Le all the time. The banh mi were fresh, full of flavor, and only about $3 each. However, over the past few years, they've been going downhill. I got a tofu avocado banh mi recently and it was just straight up disappointing- the pickled vegetables were bland and soggy (instead of tangy, sweet, and crunchy like they should be- like another reviewer wrote, probably to accommodate to the average American palate), the jalapeños were pickled (instead of fresh like they should be), there were only two small slices of avocado in my banh mi (instead of a more even ratio of tofu to avocado), and overall, there was not much flavor. Furthermore, for an upped price of $6, it was definitely not worth it. My experience was so disappointing. I will not be coming back. read more

I'm giving it 5 stars because if the great lengths I have taken to get a sandwich here. I love their sandwiches. You aren't doing it any justice if you don't order the special! It's what they are known for. I usually always get sandwiches here if I'm shopping for Asian groceries. I like them so much that one time I was talking on my cell phone and ordered a sandwich and paid for it. I drove all the way back to my apartment to find out that I left without it. Because I like their sandwiches so much I drove back to get it. Don't worry I played it off like I just stepped into another store to come back and pick it up! See good food can drive me crazy! read more

I'm willing to go against the Yelp groupthink on this one and keep it real. And I'm being a little generous with the 3 star rating. Yes, it's a cheap sandwich joint. At under 4 dollars a pop the banh mis are an OK lunch treat for my fellow frugal folks. But way more often than not, the bread has bordered on stale. It's supposed to be crusty not stale. There's a difference. I really prefer the sandwiches from Tank or Pho Lily (Pho Lily's are only $3--the cheapest I've come across in the area and I haven't had any stale bread yet.) Also, the shop always smells like funky head cheese and pate. I know I shouldn't hate on them too much for this because it's a product that they use heavily in their sandwiches but it's a turn off. read more

Mmmmm, bahn mi. Booooo, sicky. I'm sick. I'm sick and tired of being sick and sick and tired of not being able to taste anything. I decided to break my self-imposed, homebound exile with a trip to Argyle for something spicy that I might actually be able to taste. I ordered a veggie egg roll and a BBQ pork bahn mi to go (I didn't want to go crazy and spend too much time outside of the confines of my home after five days!). The veggie egg roll was ok. It was just barely warmed through. The wrapper was thin and crispy, but because it wasn't fresh it was getting a little heavy with oil. The innards were more like a paste. Ok might be an overstatement. Fine. $1.25 down. I'm not heartbroken -- I came here for the bahn mi. I was not disappointed. I've really only eaten bahn mi on the west coast, so the bar is high. This is a good sandwich. I got my BBQ pork with extra jalapenos. The pickled radish is a great compliment to the meat. The acid cuts through the fat, which by the way, this wasn't a greasy sandwich. The bread is crusty enough to hold up to the filling without completely tearing up the roof of your mouth. Finally, after almost a week of sickly taste buds I can taste something! For $3.25, Ba Le is definitely getting added to my rotation for fast, cheap and tasty eats when I don't want to cook. read more

Yes, in comparison to Orange County's banh mi sandwiches, this pales in comparison. However, for Chicago standards, this is probably one of the best options and the only place that I do go. My husband loves their #8 - the bbq pork sandwich and I don't have a favorite yet but every time we go, I like to stock up on banh mi for lunch later that week. A sandwich is more than filling for me for lunch or dinner. Their custards and desserts are really good and make a perfect meal with the sandwich. We usually split one if we're having a banh mi. And really - you can't go wrong with $2.95 for a sandwich - it's definitely better than Subway anyday. read more

Tried this place yesterday. Went in knowing really nothing about it came out two minutes later with a sandwich and an egg roll for $4.13. The sandwich was loaded with chicken, cilantro, jalepenos and was way bigger than a subway six inch sub and much tastier. It was very flavorful and I didn't feel like a pig after I ate it. The eggroll reminded me of the homemade eggrolls my mom used to make in our fryer as kid which is a good thing. I was pleasantly surprised by this place and will be back. **Update** Went back here the other day and because I was raving about it so much other people in my office wanted a try as well. They have a sweet deal where if you buy 5 sandwiches you get a sixth free. I tried the bbq pork this time and it was awesome. Spicy and flavorful. read more

While Dee W. urged us to try Ba Le months ago - we finally did so just last weekend. It's not that we don't find ourselves on Argyle/Broadway at least once a week to shop at Tai Nam and Golden Paradise Markets (both are excellent) and eat at Tank Noodle or Sun Wah (we usually get carry out from Sun) - and we've always been so stuffed that we just can't bring ourselves to buy six sandwiches - even to eat later - no matter how good they are! But we've never been led astray by Dee's recommendations and add to that the reviews by Mark B. and Susie S. and I finally put my foot down and insisted on going to Ba Le - even if we could barely walk after having lunch at Tank (and I finally tried something other than Pho - though we did get Spring Rolls - but that's another review...) The bakery was pretty busy - but the service was efficient. I decided to play it safe and ordered three each of the Chicken - Bunh Pate and BBQ Pork. While we weren't hungry enough until the following day to try them - they were still VERY VERY good. While I waited for them to fill the order (7-8 minutes) I looked at everything else (prepared and wrapped salads, appetizers, noodles etc. - and so many looked so good - I can't wait to try some the next time I pick up some sandwiches etc (so I don't have to cook in this hot weather!) As noted by others, when you buy Five you get one "free" which is a really good deal. Our Six cost just shy of $17.00. So I want to thank all of you who gave a 4 or 5 star rating - so I didn't get discouraged by the 2 and 3 star ratings. I'd hate to have missed this yummy and inexpensive spot! NOTE: (I will admit it you are a big fan of Subways or Quiznos - you will likely not like these sandwiches - they are not smothered with high fat / calorie-laden sauces - but ARE rich in real flavor and a good balance of filling and very fresh bread. read more

Extremely poor service and wasn't impressed by the sandwich. Staff gave a woman a very hard time for wanting fresh loaves of bread to take home and acted as though she was an idiot for asking. They told her she could only have the prepackaged bread because they were closing soon. No idea what that's supposed to mean since they had a bucket full of fresh unpackaged loaves and were open another 3 hrs. Definitely the last time I'll return to Ba Le since the food was mediocre and I can find much better service in the area. read more

I was quite impressed by the inside of this place. Its definitely bigger than what it looks out on the outside. It was about 4:30pm in the afternoon and there were at least a handful of people inside eating inside. Its always a good time for a sandwich I guess! The have an extensive menu and I was torn between the bbq pork sandwich and the vietnamese pork sandwich. The cashier told me to go with the bbq pork sandwich. He did not steer me wrong! The sandwich was yummie! The sandwich bun was crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. And the best part were the prices! Only $3.25 for a sandwich! Too bad I dont live anywhere close to here, otherwise I'd be here everyday! read more

So you want a sandwich? Given Chicago's rich cultural diversity, why settle for the banal Italian/American cold-cut or chain variety? Those are - to be quite frank, boring. Eating shouldn't be an exercise in wrote mechanics. Rather, a celebration in the creative flavors and techniques used to enrich our lives as well as fuel our bodies. So, what does all that have to do with the sandwiches served at Ba Le? Everything. Look for this when you visit: 1. Sandwiches, duh! (The sandwiches here are basically the contents of those wonderful Vietnamese spring rolls nestled in a light airy baguette.) 2. I love the Chicken one studded with jalapenos, cilantro, and other flavorful, fresh ingredients 3. Take something home - there are many ready-made items and ethnic goodies to experiment with These sandwiches are exotic, fresh, and most of all delicious. read more

The correct pronunciation of this establishment is.... Bah Lay yuh I do not speak Vietnamese, but a friend of mine does and she politely corrected me. I have not been here in a long time. But on a recent visit this place had some cosmetic changes. The sandwich menu seems to have brighter pics. The food items for sale on the counter have ingredients listed. There is a tiny seating area in the front. The french bread loaves are now bagged with stickers bearing the establishments name. (Goodbye to the big bin of bread that was serve your self style and the hanging tongs). They sell the ingredients of the sandwiches in the refrigerated case. Pre packed bubble drinks sit alongside cans of coconut juice. They also make fresh bubble shakes. On this visit I had the #1 sandwich. Fresh, Tasty, and great on the pocket book. I will be back for the banana leaves filled with sweet rice, and maybe sit at the one table. read more

I ordered lemongrass BBQ pork, but got some sort of sausage instead (unless by chance they think that vaguely Polish-tasting pork sausage is lemongrass BBQ pork). By the time I noticed, it was too late to switch, as we were headed out to see Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind. What's good about Ba Le is their bread: it's ideal, with a crunchy, thin skin and a soft center. Their filling is also basically faultless, with adequately pickled veggies and a non-crazy mayo-to bread ratio (some Vietnamese places must really think Americans like to drink mayo, but I guess I can't argue with their logic). They also had a fair jackfruit smoothie. It wasn't too sweet, but it also wasn't that strong. Mostly, it was milky. I know you can get fresh and frozen jackfruit in the neighborhood (Tai Nam across the street has both), so please up your jackfruit content, Ba Le! I want that sweaty feet aftertaste! read more

No, we don't have Lee's Sandwich here like SoCal. But Ba Le is a good banh mi place for Chicago. Crispity, crunchity, yummy banh mi with tasty, flavorful meats and pate garnished with pickled daikon, hot peppers, and cilantro. If the bread is too crunchy for you, a 10 sec nuke-a-thon in the microwave will soften them up nicely! I don't know about you, but I can't eat just 1. I have to eat 2 at a time. #1 is good, #9, #10 are also good. I haven't tried the other numbers yet. Yes, boys and girls, unless you've been using Rosetta Stone: Vietnamese, it's best that you order by numbers. If you're buying to go, ask for the garnishes to be "on the side". Then your subs won't be all soggy later. PS. Buy 5 and get 1 free! I don't ever have to buy 5, but damnit! I always buy 5 to get that free 1. I'm such a sucker for freebies. read more

I agree with Leang on this one. Ba Le is how a Vietnamese sandwich shop is suppose to be like. The French colonized Vietnam at one point in history, which is why much of Vietnamese food has some french influences. I believe people are a little confused about Vietnamese coffee since I've read a couple reviews today saying coffee at some Vietnamese places are too strong or awful. Vietnamese coffee is typically espresso. Like in Europe, when you ask for a cafe (or coffee) you get espresso. American coffee is not as strong. Iced Vietnamese coffee can be very good if you like strong coffees. They typically are iced with espresso and condensed milk. Very yummy if you have a bitter coffee bone in your body. Oh.. One is probably good enough for a snack. Two would make a meal. read more

I went into Ba Le once on a whim because I was starving and it looked quick and simple. Is it quick and simple? Yes. But is it also cheap and delicious? Most definitely. Since that first trip, I've been back to Ba Le countless times and have tried nearly every sandwich on the menu. My favorite is #9, the BBQ Pork, which also appears to be a favorite of other Yelpers too. All the sandwiches are served on delicious French rolls with cilantro and other veggies. And most recently, I found out that Ba Le supplies the other Vietnamese sandwich places in the Argyle area with bread as well, so skip those places and head right to the source! Don't like the #1 and #2 "Ba Le Special" sandwiches scare you away with their headcheese. They are cheap and delicious just as well. But by far the best part is that all of these sandwiches are mostly between $3 - $4. You can't go wrong with sampling a new one each time you go. Pro Tips: 1. Buy three French rolls (about $1.25) from them for your own sandwiches. 2. Stop in on your way to work (they're open early) to grab your lunch for later. 3. Grab a bao for a breakfast. read more

Four stars for offering sandwiches at a price that won't have you SEEING stars. Subway is SO 1997--the bread is flat and tasteless, the meat is nothing special, and no matter how many different combinations you can muster with their toppings, it's still a glorified salad. Ba Le, however, serves up wonderfully delicious flavors between two halves of crispy, crunchy rolls--nothing boring about 'em. I've had various varieties of the Vietnamese sandwiches here, and I can never remember the names (BBQ pork, spicy chicken, tofu), so I'm sorry I can't share them here. Doesn't really matter, though--they're ALL good. There's never room to eat there, but no matter--take your delicious sammiches home, to the beach or (as I enjoyed mine the first time I ordered from here) at Movies in the Park. The one star off is for almost always being crazybusy (when's that expansion going to happen, guys?), and for the bubble tea. They're not bad--or I should say, I don't know because every time I order, they're ALWAYS out of the flavor I want. Doesn't matter what flavor I want--I ask for it, they ain't got it. Ah, well--guess they hate me. read more

'Banh Mi Ba Le', is my new favorite place to stop off whilst trekking between Evanston and the city. I have been to the bakery in the past, but it had been a long time and I was curious to try some new Vietnamese flavors. There is a lot of pork on the menu-yuck. Fortunately, there are some veggie options as well! They were out of what I wanted, so I went for the 'Tofu banh mi' sandwich, which consists of fried tofu, cilantro, mayo, and daikon, and spicy pepper housed inside a baguette. Super flavorful and different than all the usual sandwiches I normally eat. I was hesitant to consume all the bread, but the baguette was so fresh and good, I couldn't help myself!! Off in the refrigerated section, I peeked at the various Vietnamese style puddings. I have never tried any, so I decided to explore! I chose the 'Che Chuoi', banana, coconut milk, tapioca pearls and sugar combination. The texture of the pudding was certainly strange. The consistency was mucous-like and goopy. But surprisingly, it tasted so good, I devoured the entire thing!! When stopping at Ba Le, there is no way you can leave without ordering one of their bubble teas!! I've had the Lychee bubble tea on 2 occasions and it's utterly superb!! Perfect to quench your thirst on a hot day!! The last thing I tried was the brightly colored orange, sweet, sticky rice, topped with coconut shavings and a small side cup containing salt and peanuts. Interesting. So much to explore and taste, I see a return trip in the very near future! Oh yeah and the best thing is that the prices are dirt cheap, you can fill up on a variety of items off their menu!! read more

for the love of banh mi! I love when I go with the man to get his haircut next door at Bionics because we always stop in here for Viet sandwiches. I always get the BBQ pork and today I also got a tofu one thats waiting for me in the fridge. They have a variety of different meats to select from, they also have desserts and an assortment of drinks and tapioca shakes (boba). My daughter LOVES the Green Grass Jelly drink in a can =X and she always insists i sip it to try it, and i do but hate it! but anything for her... The pickled veggies they add on it has the funkiest smell when you unwrap it, but don't let the smell fool you. Deliciousness! read more

My hubby loves this place, but he eats meat, so maybe the meat is what really shines here? Also, my hubby doesn't have the most refined palate, lol. I'm a vegetarian and love spring rolls. The spring rolls here are dry, and the tofu is tough, also, I swear they had a weird chemical taste. Even the sandwich I had, which was made to order, tasted old, and had a freezer burnt taste. I'm fairly certain they freeze the baguettes over and over rather than use fresh baked bread. I was so unimpressed. There's a place called Banh Mi & Co on Broadway in Lakeview that serves the best Vietnamese food I've ever had. The spring rolls are moist, warm, fresh and absolutely divine. If you want great Vietnamese food, I suggest Tank Noodle (which is right across the street from the place I'm reviewing) or Banh Mi & Co. read more

What the hell is up with the new Ba Le? While the food remains great, the ambiance and service is leaving a lot to be desired. SAD. There's some new white dude in charge and he doesn't seem to know what the hell is going on and on top of that, he's a CREEP. While waiting at the counter for my food the other day, I witnessed him hitting on one of the girls working there. I'm sorry, but do you really think it's appropriate to tell one of your subordinates that oh hey, by the way, "your eyes look exceptionally pretty today"? I'm pretty sure my jaw freaking dropped. Please get this dude outta here, he's ruining the vibe and lacks professionalism, hard as he may try to look the part. Also, service is less consistent. My smoothie came out 5 minutes after our sandwiches and was randomly dropped off behind the counter even though I was standing like, right there. Had to ask the creepster 3 times if I could grab it and he totally acted like a fool. "Is that my banana smoothie over there?" *points* Dude: "BANANA!" Me: *...bewilderment and horror* Bah. Lame. I will still be back, though. I just plan on avoiding this dude at all costs. read more

Uhh . . . this is the best place for banh mi in Chicago. The only other place I can think of in the same league is Vin Phat, and you need VN language skills, and it's on Sheridan away from from the other VN establishments. I usually get the #1 and the #9 (combo meats and grilled pork), and I'll throw in some nem chua (fermented pork) to snack on while drinking. Sounds gross, tastes great. The grilled lemongrass pork is also pretty good, as is the sour ham. read more

Seems like the real deal Vietnamese (there were tons of products - definitely not limited to sandwiches!), and very affordable! Bread was fresh; sandwich was good. read more

Ba Le Sandwich - Special sandwich. - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I am kind of a fan of the French Vietnamese, super fresh, super delicious sandwich known as bahn mi. Especially when you can get an amazing lunch for less than what you would pay at some crappy fast food chain. I have to admit, being closer geographically to Nhu Lan, I frequent them more often, but the few times I have been to Ba Le (the new location) I definitely give them the business when I am over that way. The interior is cool, modern and spacious, done in lime green and white. There are large refrigerated cases along one wall that sell salads, desserts and drinks. The menu where you place your order is well marked and clear. I am a fan of the lemongrass pork (with extra jalapenos, of course) and for $3.50 you get a beautiful sandwich loaded with deliciousness that will satisfy any appetite (but just in case, they do have a deal where if you buy 5 sandwiches you get one free). read more

This place has so much goodies. You can get all kinds of Vietnamese sandwiches for cheap! I even got my fiance's American taste buds hooked! I get him the BBQ pork sandwich fully loaded, with lots of peppers. You can get spring rolls, shrimp/pork thing on the sugar cane, the tapioca pudding, the duck leg with rice to go box. They also have many kinds of Vietnamese deli meat rolls. If you are not familiar with them, slice up the rolls of stuffed season meat and put them in your ramen noodles. Don't forget to buy a chrysanthemum drink to go! Try to avoid Sundays as it is a mad house shopping day for the Vietnamese families. Lots of slow drivers double parked everywhere. read more

When considering Ba Le, it's very hard to review the restaurant and not the idea of a banh mi in general, because it's a rare occasion in itself to come by Vietnamese sandwiches...how to compare one rarity to others? To start with, a good banh mi sandwich has a few key components: 1) crusty yet chewy french bread; 2) some form of pate; 3) flavorful meats; and 4) sweet, pickled radish and carrots. There are other elements, such as fresh jalapeno slices and cilantro, but these are pretty easy to find. The thing I've noticed when trying banh mi sandwiches that makes one place stand out from another are those few I just mentioned. Either they've got one and not the others or they have it but it's not very good, so there's a key element to the experience that's missing. At Ba Le, you have a wide selection of sandwiches to try that will be serve as your base upon which to judge all other banh mi sandwiches. Top that off with seriously affordable prices, some unique take-home grocery options, and a clean environment, and you've got a serious contender for my cash. The amazing thing is that the prices will make you want to try it, thinking "no big deal if I end up not liking it" But then you DO like it. You like it a lot. read more

For all of you that are on a no carb diet - your out of luck! I love this place. I've been to Ba Le ever since I was alittle kid and before they opened up their new bakery. The new venue looks amazing! I enjoy every detail inside, it's pretty clean for a place in Argyle. The staff is friendly and quick which is good. The lines do get busy on weekends, but it's worth the wait. Whenever I'm here I always order the Original #1, it's the best sandwich! Their Spring Rolls are good too along with their Thai Ice Tea. Once in awhile I would get a bean jelly custard dessert in a cup which they have a wide selection of different flavors and they are delicious may I add. If this place was closer to my house I would probably go 3 times a day! I cannot get enough of their fresh sandwiches. Watch out Subway! read more

OK, I don't know what's going on but it seems Ba Le has caught the bug that's been spreading across Vietnamese sandwich shops in the US. It's the rip-off bug, characterized by skimpily filled sandwiches and overpriced desserts. As I said in my last review, I don't get the chance to come out to Argyle often, but when I do, I never forget to stop by this place for a #1 special sammie. And so I did, even after overfilling my belly with grilled pork and noodles from Tank beforehand, just so I'd have a delicious lunch to look forward to. To my dismay the next day, I peeled away the paper wrapper to find the saddest Ba Le sandwich I'd ever seen. On top of that, cups of che dessert are a whoppin' $3.99. Come on, we all know it only takes about $2 to make a huge pot of any of those sweet concoctions... So what gives, BL? read more

If you find yourself 2000 miles west of here, then of course this place would not be 1st choice, but between here and Fan Si Pan on Chicago, i still think Ba Le can do a good sandwich that tastes even better the next day. I enjoy the BBQ as well as the chicken Bahn mi and their iced thai coffee is sweet, wet and tasty. The fresh baked bread rolls make for good home sandwiches that i cut up and use for cheddar burgers sometimes. They finally cleaned up the front area and added some seating, and are doing bubble tea smoothies too. Good place for a quick bite. read more

My second visit and just as amazing! It's rare that you get that kind of consistency. We went at 9am and there were already people coming In and out of the restaurant. Next time I'm hoping to try some coffee too. I ordered the veggie Banh mi. My cat just farted and even that can't dampen my mood! read more

So, after months of talking about visiting Chicago's Viet Town, I finally bustled my butt to Uptown for some supposedly-authentic banh mi at Ba Le. We arrived on a drizzly Friday evening. Upon arriving, I quickly took note of the semi-sketchy-ness of the area. So we hastily sprinted into Ba Le and found ourselves studying the menu. I tried the pork egg role (ok, not entirely too special) and the special (#1). The banh mi was pretty dead-on yummy. Being that it was my first real banh mi in my life EVER, I didn't quite know what to expect. Regardless, however it compares to banh mi in Vietnam, my taste buds were dancing in joy for the 15 minutes they had with the infamous Vietnamese sandwich. For less than $3 a pop, it's a sweet deal. I should've bought 5 (and get the 6th one free) to pack for lunch. Now I'm kicking myself for not doing that. i'll have to make another trip (seemingly thousands of miles away from "civilization"!) to Uptown to try other Ba Le sandwiches and get some pho next time! read more

Holy cow, YAY. I felt a bit bored and stuck in my neighborhood today, so I googled "best chicago sandwich" and got all giddy when I saw banh mi. I haven't had a banh mi sandwich since I left Houston (yes, there are loads of Vietnamese ppl in Texas!). After reading some Yelp reviews, I knew I must get there, and I knew I'd be ordering a #1. Ventured up there on the Red line on a Saturday, and wow, it was busy. The ordering process was very efficient--as others mentioned, they have video screens with photos, although I didn't bother with those and just perused the menu, which lists ingredients. Verified that the #1 was what I wanted, and after grabbing a curious-looking bottle of pomegranate soda and some shrimp spring rolls to go (naturally), my order was quickly placed. I'll dock half a point for the fact that it took a good 15-20 mins to get my order out. I saw there were loads of big orders going out (up to 10 sandwiches a bag) so I'll withhold major judgment, but really, I'm used to these things being busted out pretty quickly. I will say it was worth the wait. The bread was terrifically flaky and fresh, and the sandwich was just overall delicious. I do prefer a bit more of the tangy toppings and a lot more pate (but what do I expect for $3.50, really??). Or maybe the ingredients are in perfect proportion for max flavor, and I have no idea WTH I am talking about. Overall--was this sandwich worth an hour round-trip? Hell yes, it was! read more

I have gotten the sate beef four times. The food is okay, but the service has a lot to improve on. I have a severe allergic reaction to msg which leaves me painfully bloated for 2 days. I know that fish sauce uses msg. I asked for no msg in the sandwich. The person that took the order also correctly placed the order (to be described further). The issue was that I distinctly saw the person put a large squirt of fish sauce in the sandwich. When they called my order, I asked if fish sauce was put in the sandwich. I understand that people make mistakes. No big deal. I expected the person to say that he did put fish sauce in the sandwich and ask me if I want it remade. I didn't expect that he would lie. He blatantly lied. However, it did not stop there. The other workers thought by showing me the order on the order screen it would prove to me that he didn't put fish sauce in the sandwich. The manager picked up that I probably saw him put the fish sauce in the sandwich (since I kept on asking what was in the bottle with the pink liquid). The manager indicated this to the workers and asked them to remake the sandwich. I do not like to be that 'difficult customer', however, I knew the repercussions of eating the sandwich. What made it worse was that one of the guys with short black spiky hair who usually takes orders came by and and stared me down while I was waiting for the sandwich to be remade. Who does that? Very unprofessional. I know that good customer service shouldn't be expected at Asian restaurants, but this situation was over the line in my opinion. The behavior of the worker who lied and the behavior of the other workers is disturbing to me and tell you something about the people they hire. Given this experience, I would not be surprised if quality control can be an issue. read more

Meh. I've never been very impressed with the place - I always thought their sandwiches were on the dry side. But .... it was a fine place to go to for okay and cheap sandwiches. Now, the owner has relocated to a bigger location next door and the sandwiches are even drier and, frankly, taste stale. I just had the pork bbq sandwich, which used to be among their best - slightly smoky and succulent, wrapped in a crispy baguette. Today's sandwich was dry and too salty and I came across a stale-tasting bit of pork every now and then. The sandwiches now take much less time to come out, which tells me they're rushing things through, and it tells in the quality - they're slopped together quite indifferently. The veggie avocado sandwich was delicious the first time I tried it, when they introduced it. Since then, I've tried it twice and it has never failed to disappoint. It's neither fish nor fowl, neither Vietnamese nor a particularly good health-food-place sandwich. The avocado bubble tea was literally tasteless, which is unfortunate because they actually make it from real avocados (I've seen other places substitute a strange green flavoured powder). And yet, what you get is a sludgy green drink that only "tastes" of ice crystals. The bubbles were weirdly over-done. My friend G., who was with me on my last trip to Ba Le, took a sip of mine and agreed with me. The pork roll is weird - filled with a strange, processed material. This is the place to go if you're in a rush, are very hungry, and need a cheap and quick snack to tide you over. I suspect it will only get worse - word is that the owner plans to open Ba Le branches everywhere. He'll probably do well in gentrifying areas like Uptown where clueless hipsters make a big deal of eating jalapenos in their sandwiches and tout that as some kind of ethnic authenticity. But as others have pointed out here, it's not particularly good and the only saving grace is the cheapness of the wares. There are more seats here now, but it's a weird place to eat at - too brightly-lit and cramped in the back, and the front is not conducive to more than quickly wolfing down your food and moving on. They have outdoor seating that's in the ugliest location for such - sandwiched, no pun intended, between the parking area, the street, and the old location. Altogether, a weird place with indifferent sandwiches. Their ready-made specialty drinks used to be good - but I don't see the same ones any more. They may just have run out of them when I dropped in. But, given the drop in quality of the sandwiches, I doubt those are worth the money. I'm stepping over to Nhu Lan, which comes with better recommendations. Alas, it's not as close by as Ba Le (another of its saving graces), but it might be worth the trek. read more

I'm not sure why I'm always writing about hangover cures, but these damn sandwiches get it done, plain and simple. It's become something of a ritual: drink 1,000,000 beers on Friday, wake up Saturday and stumble my Pabst-smelling ass down the street to Ba Le. The walk is cathartic, the wind blowing in your grizzled face. And then shelter, respite. Ba Le and their magical banh mi are the fucking chronic, like how doctor Dre used to say, or rap, or whatever doctor Dre used to do, before he met Eminem and went on a diet. And for the sake of full disclosure, this place smells a little funky, definitely an acquired smell, if there is such a thing. I love it, with great vigor. Sometimes I wish my living room could smell like that. Oh wait, it does, when I bring these bastards home, barbecued pork and head cheese spilling out of my gaping mouth. Pabst leaking out of my pores. In a related story, my fiancee hates Ba Le, but she respects that I can't live without it, as the following personal anecdote will illustrate. We were walking down the street today, after I had picked up a number 2 (ham and pate) and a number 9 (BBQ pork). I had my swagger working, anticipating gastronomic bliss, when all the sudden... The bag ripped. In slow motion my number two went tumbling to the late-fall concrete. I reached in vain as my fiancee began to cackle with glee. "Why the hell are you laughing woman?! This is no laughing matter." "The funny thing isn't that you dropped the stinky sandwiches, it's the reaction. Like you had dropped a baby." "Curse you woman. You wouldn't understand." (End of charming personal anecdote) But you know who would understand? The fine people at Ba Le... read more

I'll be sticking to Uptown Pho for avocado smoothies from now on. Rude service & smoothie that tastes like an old avocado do not make for a good morning. read more