This review is for the macaron counter at the front of the shop -- I love these macarons! We bought them as wedding favors long ago. I was sad to see T'oui close, but glad the macarons moved back next door to Ba Le. I recently stopped in to bring a couple dozen macarons to an event, and discovered they currently have at least a dozen flavors (probably more). Delicious! read more

Ba Le is one of my favorite bahn mi places to get whenever I'm in the city! The BBQ pork is my favorite and you can order with veggies on the side for ease of traveling and your sandwich won't become soggy! Their ice coffee is amazing too if you like strong Viet coffee! read more

Good place to buy your banh mi sandwiches and to go foods and desserts. Easy in and out. Would come here again. I enjoyed my banh mi sandwich by the lake after biking 8 miles. read more

Ba Le Sandwich - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ordered mango smoothie. It was full of sugar ice with absolutely no fruit. DO NOT order smoothie from here. Complete sugary mess. I vomited after trying one sip. Banh mi was soggy flavor was muted and lack the love. Dont ho here read more

Ba Le Sandwich - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Best banh mi(s) in Chicago. I'm very sad the downtown location closed. Ba Le is a true gem.

My first Banh Mi and was not disappointed. Nice crispy bread loaded with pickled veggies, pate , coriander and washed down with an utterly delicious Vietnamese iced coffee. On vacation in Chi Town from NYC this wonderful little joint did not disappoint. read more

Ba Le Sandwich - Classic Banh Mi Classic Special Banh Mi - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The best band me sandwich in Chicago as far as I'm concerned. The only reason I don't give it five stars is because it has cleanliness issues. You definitely don't wanna know what's going on in the kitchen. And if you've taken a look in their bathroom, you definitely know that you don't want to think about what is getting cleaned, if anything. Some of the stuff in the fridge I think is dubious when it comes to food safety standards. But the sandwiches are so good you want to eat 10 of them just for the flavor, especially the barbecue pork. read more

One of my favorite banh mi places in Chicago! I usually get their "special" sandwich. It has various cold cuts of meat. The baguette bread is very fluffy and crunchy, just how I like it. They added black pepper to the special sandwich recently which I felt like was a little unusual. I would probably pass on the black pepper next time. You can also ask for extra veggies if you like (cilantro is free, radish/carrots are 50 cents). I would recommend asking for veggies on the side so that your bread doesn't get soggy if you are getting it to go. The service was quick and there are some traditional Vietnamese desserts and meats available for purchase. There's a small outdoor dining area in the back that was pretty comfortable and decently shaded. read more

Ba Le Sandwich delivers an outstanding banh mi experience with fresh ingredients and bold flavors. The baguette is perfectly crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, providing the ideal base for their flavorful fillings. From tender grilled meats to vibrant pickled vegetables and a hint of cilantro, each bite offers a satisfying balance of savory, tangy, and fresh. Fast service and generous portions make Ba Le a top choice for a delicious, authentic Vietnamese sandwich. My favorite is the number #1 special every time I go there. read more

Ba Le Sandwich is a neat spot, I think the Sandwiches are decent for an early morning breakfast type but they bun was a bit dry which is how it goes. If you're craving a sandwich like this, it's a decent option but nothing to write home about. Thai Iced Coffee and Vietnamese Iced Coffee is pretty good though! I love the nugget ice cube they use but it's a little too much ice. read more

My cousin suggested banh mi for dinner. We decided to check this place out since yelp showed that they were open and closeby. Walked over and ordered 3 kinds - their #1 with pate and other meats, #4 bbq pork, and #8 honey sausage. All were delicious with a filling amount of meat and veggies sandwiched within the chewy baguette. Cousin said that this place made some of the best banh mis he's had yet. I liked that this shop also had prepackaged food items available, like spring rolls, rice cakes, specialty drinks. Definitely would come here again! read more

See all

Decent sandwixh all i can say. Dont know if id go back but as far as banh mi goes pretty Darn good. Banh mi is really just a weak sandwich in concept lol these guys do it good tho must give them that. If u want a banh mi go here read more

Consistency is key for me when I am looking for a lunch spot. I would also say I'm quite picky about my Banh Mi's, growing up in Albany Park where you could find a little of everything only blocks away. But the real home run? Their online ordering Waiting in the line can be frustrating, and waiting for the order even more so. Is this one me? I don't know? Where do I stand? I don't know? Order online, skip the line, etc. 4 stars for one reason - never sure how I can tip your staff? Let me tip them? Please? Tip jars? Anything? They work so hard and never fail to meet the standard, I want the ability to more freely share my appreciation with them! In this case, it happens to be monetarily. read more

Yikes, it's been awhile since we've been here. Based on what we got today, the value for the Ba Le sandwiches has gone way down, and I can't recommend. We ordered a #2 BBQ pork and a # 4 roast pork sandwich, each $6.95. While the freshness was there for the bread, veggies, and meat, it was "where's the beef"? The meat was quite skimpy, at least compared to the more trendsetting early years, and the roast pork meat in my #4 was very fatty. Unfortunately, there's too much better competition out there for us to want to return. read more

Amazing vegetarian/vegan banh mi options. Fantastic grab and go spring rolls, hand rolls and other goodies. Their bakery in front has some incredible treats as well! read more

Ba Le Sandwich - Shrimp Salad Rolls - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Awesome!! The wheat gluten balls were just like I get from the monks at temple. Had a few banh mi's, and they were legit. read more

This is my go to place for Bahn Mi sandwiches. However the last two times I decided to get Vietnamese coffee I felt so cheated. I asked for less ice in both occasions. This was the result: a drink that wasn't full. I asked if they could fill it and they said it will cost me more... the coffee itself is $5... i find it odd that you give customers a drink that isn't completely full. I've never gone to a coffee shop asking for less ice and getting a glass half empty. Because of this I am knocking off two stars. The 3 stars come from the amazing Chinese bbq pork bahn mi. read more

Ba Le Sandwich - Glass half empty of Vietnamese Coffee - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I had been craving a banh mi sandwich and wanted to grab one for a picnic. Unfortunately the place I love for banh mi was closed to we decided to come here. I was excited to try their sandwich since I haven't had a banh mi in a while. I ordered the BBQ pork banh mi ($7.95). I liked the texture of the bread however overall I found the sandwich to be pretty bland and dry. It really lacked the flavors I have grown to love at some other places. I also felt like it didn't have enough meat in it. The size of the sandwich was appropriate however for the price. I also tried their Vietnamese iced coffee ($5.50) which was delicious. I have never had Vietnamese coffee before but found this coffee to be strong and the drink overall was pretty sweet. I placed the order online and it was ready when I arrived. Would recommend doing this to avoid a wait. read more

Ba Le Sandwich - BBQ Pork Banh Mi - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Yummy! The bread is perfect! I went with the veggie eggplant with mango sauce. I'm partial to mango! I cannot no get mango! It's a problem lol. It's was yummy. Next time, I might try the regular vegetarian. Great customer service also! read more

Ba Le Sandwich - Eggplant Bahn Mi with mango sauce - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

No longer impressed with this go-to banh mi place any longer. They sell pho but don't have housin sauce to go with the pho. You are in Vietnamese town and don't have housin sauce with your pho? We were so disappointed. Their banh mi is good but no longer offer the buy 5 get 1 free (another disappointment). The place use to be extremely clean but if you look carefully, it's just no longer maintained. Overall very disappointed in service. Please take pho off your menu if you cannot serve it correctly. read more

Okay, BIG update needed. I dissed this place harshly wayyyy back in 2006 when had a really, really lousy cup of coffee in here. Flash forward to 2010, and I get a request from two hungry hotties, large and small, where should we go for a quick, good lunch in the area and meet us there? I think of this place, and their sleek, new redesign. The new store is just one door south of their old location, but worlds away. It's all metal and glass, very sleek, clean and modern. I think it's worth of a revisit, so I send them the address via Yelp's cool "Send to Phone" feature (which I LOVE). I show up a bit later, both 7Stars are loving their sandwiches. I go in to get my sandwich, and mini 7Star tags along with me recounting what he had, and how much he loved it. "BBQ Pork sandwich, it was so good! And we got these shrimp Spring Rolls, you have to get them, you will love them I'm positive!" Of course, I take all his reco's, but I opt instead for the Pork Skin Sandwich, finding it a little more interesting and unusual. I also get a weird weiner that is in the warming case just 'cos . . . well, I like weiners. And a good ol' Stewarts Key Lime Soda to round off the meal - although they have a wide variety of interesting American and Vietnamese beverages available. My sandwich is delicious. These are very unusual sandwiches, but I'd order any of them. SuperSize 7Star had a sardine sandwich he loved, and the aforementioned BBQ Pork Sandwich which Mini7Star loved. And the Spring Rolls . . . . oh yes, PLUMP and giant and fresh, and three for only $3.95. Delicious bread, baked on premises, of course. And the sandwich ingredients - in addition to the meats or other fillings, there is daikon, peppers and all sorts of unusual Vietnamese veggies and spices. Fresh, fresh, have I mentioned FRESH!?! F those American sandwich shops, the BaLe peeps KNOW sandwiches. I'm coming here, thank whatever deity will listen that I can walk here from my apt. I became wistful for Pasteur (now closed), these spring rolls tasted just as delicious as the ones I used to enjoy there. Now I have a new source! The weiner I got tasted kind of strange. But, I only got it out of curiosity and love of encased meats. This type of place really isn't known for their hot dogs, so we'll stick to the delicious array of sandwiches next time. And oh yes, we will come back for a next time. There is a lot of stuff that I wanted to try, both ready-made and made to order. And the interior. The remodel could not be nicer. Very pleasant, bright interior, clean and modern. The staff was working at TOP SPEED that Saturday, as the place was PACKED. Everyone was v. efficient and kicking out the jams on everyone's orders in record speed. And being all polite and sweet and just totally appealing . . . this place made me really happy, and the lunch was really delicious. I might even try the coffee here again. But why? There's so much else to love here, I'll be perfectly happy without coffee! read more

Rarely do people associate "clean, modern, and high-tech" with anything Vietnamese. Well, these three (3) adjectives are appropriate to describe the Ba Le Bakery, located in the Arygle/Vietnamese town, part of the Uptown neighborhood. I recalled my last visit at Ba Le over one (1) year ago. I didn't join Yelp at that time, but this place left me a good first impression. I would say Ba Le is a "combination shop." It has an awesome digital board listing all the banh mi options. In addition, there's a mini deli mart and a bakery to distract you from just getting "one thing." Do you remember that famous We*dy's commercial some years ago? "Only one thing??" I would have to say it's pretty easy to walk out the store with a few items in your hands. If you're a Vegan, with a capital "V," you're in luck because choices are plenty. Hubby ordered the avocado veggie. For $4.95, you can have a guilt-free meal with all of these wholesome vegetables. I had the meat ball banh mi. While they weren't extraordinarily, out-of-the-world delicious, they were pretty tasty. Personally, I think banh mi should be a great replacement for typical Western-style fast food, for it's easy to carry on the road, filling yet not stuffy, and health-conscious! I was drooling over those bejeweled macarons. Each piece was $1.65. I would say the price was reasonable in comparison to most bakeries in the city (charging $2 to $2.50 in average). Well, macarons are one of my favorite dessert. I was a bit sad to pass them up this time, but I knew it wouldn't be long until my next visit to Ba Le. The precise location of Ba Le is on the corner of Broadway and Winnemac. The closest transit station is the CTA Argyle Red Line station, approximately one (1) block east to Ba Le. read more

See all

When you pay in-store, check your bank account later. I was charged almost 200% of my order, emailed the restaurant 3 times to ask for a breakdown of the charge, never got a response. Mistakes happen, and "oopsie, drop by later, we'll give you a gift card" would have been fine, but silently overcharging people and not responding to inquiries at all is uncool. read more

My family and I hadn't had Ba Le in a while so I picked up some on the way home for us. I called and put in an order of 5 sandwiches and got 1 free - 3 specials and 3 vegetarian sandwiches with all veggies (jalapeños, cilantro and pickled veggies on the side). When I arrived my order was ready but they were having trouble using their new system so I had to wait a bit. The sandwiches smelled so great in the car! You could smell the fresh bread and sour pickled veggies. But when we got home and started eating, it was OK. The bread was crunchy on the outside and fluffy inside as expected but the flavors seemed lacking. The vegetarian sandwich was very bland and skimped on filling. The special at first glance was also mostly bread. The pickled veggies were very not sour. If you want good pickled veggies, Tai Nam has some for better. Grab a container to add to your sandwich, spring rolls, whatever. For a sandwich that's more than $6 each, I think I had higher expectations... I remembered their sandwiches being better - filled with more meat and veggies so I'm a little sad... Time to maybe find a different sandwich shop. read more

I needed a couple items on the fly. 1) Bahn mi sandwiches to go. 2) Something sweet. 3) Viet food somethings to send along as gifts. Per reviews I decided on this bakery and was pleasantly met with the ability of finding everything I needed in one shop. Sandwiches and bakery items available at the bakery counter and prepared within sight. Vietnamese snacks, drinks and etc available in the refrigerated cases. So I placed an order for a couple bangin' bahn mi sandwiches which hit the spot. Fresh bakery items which created smiles and last a memento to send along; a Viet treat which was a mixed meat roll wrapped in cabbage. (The roll: Cha lua la Chuoi or Steamed pork roll $9.95) Spent a notch over twenty dollars (with tax) on everything. (The receiver of the gift mentioned that the roll was used to create some kind of Vietnamese soup and other dinner entrees. So, the family was pleased with the selection.) read more

Ba Le Sandwich - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Updated review Oh why oh why for the giant price increase. The Ba Le special use to cost 2.95 now it is up to 4.xx. This is a huge downside now with the significant price increase. They still have the buy 5 get 1 free, but you have to ask and it is not advertised. That price jump is ridiculous.... read more

The pork and bread were perfect and that's what a Bahn Mi is all about. I would definitely go back and try some other menu items.

This place has the best banh mi, Che bap, and Patechau. Everything is delivered from bakeries or in house so it's all fresh! BBQ pork banh mi and cha lua banh mi are classics. The store itself is very clean and the employees are friendly! Buy 5 banh mi and get the 6th free!!!! Pro tip: I would recommend trying to park in the tai nam market parking lot across the street to avoid parking fees. read more

Ba Le Sandwich - Cute inside market kind of set-up - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

This restaurant was my first introduction to Vietnamese sandwiches, and I've yet to find anything better over the years. You're not going to get better than this sandwich shoppe. I love their bahn mi, spicy sliced jalapeños and so much cilantro, and the iced coffee is incredible. I wish they served this in an IV. What sets this apart from most places is its part grocery store as well. They've recently added better seating options which is perfect for eating there. Try the special of the day as you can't go wrong regardless of what it is. And the fried tofu on the avocado sandwich is amazing. read more

Ba Le Sandwich - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Delicious! I have been eating and taking home food from Ba Le for years. (Not sure how I forgot to review?) Every time we are in the Argyle area (even if we happen to be eating somewhere else), we stop at Ba Le. It is an excellent place for a meal, snack, drinks, deserts and take home meals. The sandwiches are excellent, and they have a huge variety. BUT you MUST take the time to cruise the take-home section! Don't miss out on their huge selection of treats. Everything is fresh and nicely portioned. read more

No photos...but I have been coming to this restaurant since the 80s and it just gets better and better. Now I live 30 miles away and its always a treat when I come. I highly recommended the No. 1 sandwich...their combo, the shrimp sandwich is quite a treat...and springrolls. read more

Missed Ba Le so much while it was closed due to COVID-19! On the first day it re-opened, I called in for pick my usual order, 2 ba le specials with extra cilantro and jalepenos and a pack of shrimp and pork spring rolls. The food was ready for pick up in 10 min. Ba Le had some renovations inside and installed plexiglass in front of the registers to protect both the workers and customers. Food was delicious and can't wait to come back for more! Thank you for re-opening! read more

Huge sandwiches and amazing selection of choices. My wife is a vegitarian and they have like 5 different options for her! The taste is amazing, best way to explain it is savory and spicy but it literally bursts with flavor. So if you want something to wake your taste buds then this is your place. read more

This place is opened for takeout only. I got the lemongrass pork banh mi sandwich. Their baguette is freshly baked and really good! It is flaky and crunchy on the outside and airy and soft in the inside. I thought the lemongrass pork was going to be shredded and marinated in lemongrass but instead it's big slices of a lemongrass pork sausage. I thought it was interesting. They give you a lot of cilantro, mayo, and pickled daikon. The sandwich is pretty decent-sized where you will end up not feeling too full. read more

Midwest Banh Mi doesn't compare to West Coast Banh Mi, but I'll take it. This place is a notch above Lee's Sandwiches, which I don't consider authentic at all. I was a little worried this place might be the same since it was a chain. The inside was completely modern, and the menu was all in English. The sandwiches are expensive to me. I'm used to 3 bucks for one and they are usually big. I still ordered two of the bbq pork. It was insanely packed so I had to wait almost ten minutes for my food. There were so many people ordering ten or more. I was so surprised. The sandwich itself is good, but the meat was a little dry. The sandwich was long and skinny. I was just happy that the sandwich had everything and a lot of pickled veggies. Love that stuff. Overall, I would say that this place settle my craving for banh mi. I didn't leave disappointed, but not WOWed either. I will be back though since I don't really know anywhere else that sells banh mi around the Chicago area. read more

See all

9/11/21 bought Pho @ $12 took home ,open at home found out with no condiments only Sarachi hot sauce the broth and cut beef are horrible , rice noodle was overly cooked and broken. Never again I am a loyal customer with BALE but this time was a mistake Hope they should pay more attention to businesses ..... read more

Ba Le Sandwich - VN PHO - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Unbelievably good! We got Roasted Pork & Lemongrass. Roasted Pork wasn't the kind that I expected, it's more like a cold cut, but it's still VERY GOOD. read more

I was visiting Chicago from Indiana and was excited to saw that there is a Ba Le sandwich in Chicago. I grew up in California and have visited many many Ba Le sandwich stores. This location was a disappointment. It was awful. The sticky rice was hard! Let alone hard, it tasted so bland. I really wanted to order their banh mi but didn't because it the workers couldn't be bothered to take my order. read more

Maybe I came on an off day. My sandwich was mediocre at best. Very stale bread, meat inside was just okay. I got the #2. My husband got the #1 lunch special with the beef soup. He also didn't enjoy his sandwich due to the stale bread and bland meat. He said the one redeeming thing was his beef soup. I also got 2 eggs rolls which were tasty, but definitely not fresh at all. Unfortunately it seems there are no more decent banh mi places in the city. *Update* I have food poisoning. Lowering my review to 1 star. Would not recommend. read more

My go to Banh mi shop in argyle. Consistent fast and delicious. They also offer smoothies with your sandwich. A lot of veggie options as well. read more