If you're on the hunt for a solid banh mi joint that doesn't shut down early, Ba Le might just fit the bill. We decided to give this place a shot when our usual place was closed for the night. Ordering was a breeze, and the staff were friendly and efficient. My husband opted for the egg banh mi, while I went for the BBQ Beef banh mi with veggies on the side. He seemed content with his choice, noting that you can't really go wrong with a simple banh mi. The BBQ beef was nicely marinated, but there was a tad too many peanuts for my liking. And where was the pate? It's usually a given, but perhaps we should've asked. One thing that sets Ba Le apart is their bread. It's not your typical banh mi baguette; it's softer and fluffier, reminiscent of bolilio rolls. While it's a nice change, traditionalists might miss the crusty exterior. I couldn't finish the entire banh mi in one sitting so I had the second half for a late dinner - toasted it in the oven and it tasted just as good as earlier. On the plus side, prices were fair, and portions were more than generous. Overall, Ba Le earns a solid 3.5/5 from us. It's worth a visit if you're in the area and craving banh mi in the evening, also don't forget to BRING CASH!
Margarita M.
Cash only! Plenty of parking spots located next to Asia Market. Always come to get homemade pork loafs.
David
This is my favorite Bondi place in the San Gabriel Valley. I would get this multiple times a week if I was a little closer. It’s cash only but the prices are extremely reasonable, especially in 2024. my go to is the barbecue pork. My wife gets the pork belly and adds barbecue pork. Also, I really like the green pandan bread they sell. There are no seats or anything. It’s just a takeout place but they do a great sandwich. The bread is baked fresh and it’s not stale. The meat is good. The veggies are good. I definitely recommend.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Regular and Special Bahn MI
Eddie Torres
best banmi period. priced all below $8. and stuffed. huge sandwiches. not skinny. cash
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Cesar Ruiz
As soon as I walk in, he says we’re all out of bread
Tinayen Nguyen
When I came it weren’t busy. Cashier was just stood there and watch t.v service was extremely slow. Sandwich weren’t the best lack of flavor. Penny worth was just average. I asked for recommendations cashiers responds were it depends on what I like because everyone different. Cashiers too busy communicating with each other about non senses about what they are instead of helping customers. Not as attentive as any other banh mi shops in o.c. If this shop were to be in o.c. Can’t compete with thh, or banh mi Saigon
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Hans Harn
Our favourite bahn mi sandwich shop for years. The perfect combination of protein, marinated veggies and freshly made baguettes. We also often pick up flan and vietnamese style coffee bc they are that good. Highly recommended.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Angelica Le
Overall: 3.3/5 (take out)We came on a Saturday around 4:30 PM so it wasn't busy. We were craving banh mi so we did the buy 5 get 1 free sandwich deal. We wanted la lot but they didn't have anymore. The sandwiches came out pretty quickly too but there's a clear difference between which ones are good and which ones are bad.Ba Le Special - Dac Biet ($7.50): This was clearly their best sandwich. Everything was really good and tasty.BBQ Pork ($7): This was a close second. The pork came with peanuts, green onion, & house sauce which made it so flavorful and different from any other BBQ pork we've tried.BBQ Beef ($7.50): This was okay. It was more dry and less flavorful than BBQ pork even though it had the same marinade.Pork Belly - Ba Chi ($6.50): This was the third best banh mi. The pork belly was really thin and looks like xa xiu.Sweet Meat - Xiu Mai ($6): The sweet meat was so gross. The texture was like baby food so I can see why they call it the "Asian Sloppy Joe". We only took 2 bites.Pork Lemongrass Sausage ($7): The sausage was flavorless. It's the 2nd worse one. Would not recommend either.Crispy Chicken Jerky ($8 for 4 oz): Not a fan of the texture. Flavor is meh.Parking: Small plaza parking
James
Amazing banh mi. Crispy, yet soft bread. Good amount of toppings. Fair price.
This is my go to for banh mis because I prefer easily chewable baguettes ?. One of my biggest complaints with banh mis is how tired my jaw gets after eating one but I rarely have that problem here.I’ve had most of their menu but I really like the pate, nem nuong, and bbq pork/beef. They also sell other snacks and desserts. They only accept cash. There’s no seating inside. They’re located inside the Alhambra plaza so they share a parking lot with Starbucks and Asia supermarket so parking can be a pain sometimes.
Freddy Hernandez
We stip by when we are in the Area BALE sandwitches are ???????????Very GOOD i LIKe the Bread how its Flakey its "'BOMB"????????✨✨?✨?
Christopher Lam (YungAuto)
I wish I knew about this place sooner! I want to eat their egg sandwich everyday!!! So good! ??
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fried Egg Sandwich
Paul Rallion
The sandwiches are good, but I love their baguettes ?!!
Toni L.
The Food is alright. Degraded over time, been here many years. Lastly, very bad customer service. Cashier needs to be properly trained. Strictly business and nothing personal...
Great bahn mi sandwiches.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
If you're on the hunt for a solid banh mi joint that doesn't shut down early, Ba Le might just fit the bill. We decided to give this place a shot when our usual place was closed for the night. Ordering was a breeze, and the staff were friendly and efficient. My husband opted for the egg banh mi, while I went for the BBQ Beef banh mi with veggies on the side. He seemed content with his choice, noting that you can't really go wrong with a simple banh mi. The BBQ beef was nicely marinated, but there was a tad too many peanuts for my liking. And where was the pate? It's usually a given, but perhaps we should've asked. One thing that sets Ba Le apart is their bread. It's not your typical banh mi baguette; it's softer and fluffier, reminiscent of bolilio rolls. While it's a nice change, traditionalists might miss the crusty exterior. I couldn't finish the entire banh mi in one sitting so I had the second half for a late dinner - toasted it in the oven and it tasted just as good as earlier. On the plus side, prices were fair, and portions were more than generous. Overall, Ba Le earns a solid 3.5/5 from us. It's worth a visit if you're in the area and craving banh mi in the evening, also don't forget to BRING CASH!
Cash only! Plenty of parking spots located next to Asia Market. Always come to get homemade pork loafs.
This is my favorite Bondi place in the San Gabriel Valley. I would get this multiple times a week if I was a little closer. It’s cash only but the prices are extremely reasonable, especially in 2024. my go to is the barbecue pork. My wife gets the pork belly and adds barbecue pork. Also, I really like the green pandan bread they sell. There are no seats or anything. It’s just a takeout place but they do a great sandwich. The bread is baked fresh and it’s not stale. The meat is good. The veggies are good. I definitely recommend.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Regular and Special Bahn MI
best banmi period. priced all below $8. and stuffed. huge sandwiches. not skinny. cash
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
As soon as I walk in, he says we’re all out of bread
When I came it weren’t busy. Cashier was just stood there and watch t.v service was extremely slow. Sandwich weren’t the best lack of flavor. Penny worth was just average. I asked for recommendations cashiers responds were it depends on what I like because everyone different. Cashiers too busy communicating with each other about non senses about what they are instead of helping customers. Not as attentive as any other banh mi shops in o.c. If this shop were to be in o.c. Can’t compete with thh, or banh mi Saigon
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Our favourite bahn mi sandwich shop for years. The perfect combination of protein, marinated veggies and freshly made baguettes. We also often pick up flan and vietnamese style coffee bc they are that good. Highly recommended.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Overall: 3.3/5 (take out)We came on a Saturday around 4:30 PM so it wasn't busy. We were craving banh mi so we did the buy 5 get 1 free sandwich deal. We wanted la lot but they didn't have anymore. The sandwiches came out pretty quickly too but there's a clear difference between which ones are good and which ones are bad.Ba Le Special - Dac Biet ($7.50): This was clearly their best sandwich. Everything was really good and tasty.BBQ Pork ($7): This was a close second. The pork came with peanuts, green onion, & house sauce which made it so flavorful and different from any other BBQ pork we've tried.BBQ Beef ($7.50): This was okay. It was more dry and less flavorful than BBQ pork even though it had the same marinade.Pork Belly - Ba Chi ($6.50): This was the third best banh mi. The pork belly was really thin and looks like xa xiu.Sweet Meat - Xiu Mai ($6): The sweet meat was so gross. The texture was like baby food so I can see why they call it the "Asian Sloppy Joe". We only took 2 bites.Pork Lemongrass Sausage ($7): The sausage was flavorless. It's the 2nd worse one. Would not recommend either.Crispy Chicken Jerky ($8 for 4 oz): Not a fan of the texture. Flavor is meh.Parking: Small plaza parking
Amazing banh mi. Crispy, yet soft bread. Good amount of toppings. Fair price.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Regular and Special Bahn MI
Restaurantji Recommends
This is my go to for banh mis because I prefer easily chewable baguettes ?. One of my biggest complaints with banh mis is how tired my jaw gets after eating one but I rarely have that problem here.I’ve had most of their menu but I really like the pate, nem nuong, and bbq pork/beef. They also sell other snacks and desserts. They only accept cash. There’s no seating inside. They’re located inside the Alhambra plaza so they share a parking lot with Starbucks and Asia supermarket so parking can be a pain sometimes.
We stip by when we are in the Area BALE sandwitches are ???????????Very GOOD i LIKe the Bread how its Flakey its "'BOMB"????????✨✨?✨?
I wish I knew about this place sooner! I want to eat their egg sandwich everyday!!! So good! ??
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fried Egg Sandwich
The sandwiches are good, but I love their baguettes ?!!
The Food is alright. Degraded over time, been here many years. Lastly, very bad customer service. Cashier needs to be properly trained. Strictly business and nothing personal...