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Ba Le Sandwich Shop
Categories: Restaurants Sandwiches Restaurants Vietnamese Sandwiches, Vietnamese [Edit]
701 KingswayVancouver, BC V5T 3K6
Neighbourhoods: Mount Pleasant, Kensington-Cedar Cottage
(604) 875-6322
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
33 reviews for Ba Le Sandwich Shop
Review Highlights
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"I love the grilled pork here." In 5 reviews -
"...baked loaves and tasty cold cuts the special was pretty..." In 3 reviews -
"...yourself a Banh Mi Dac Biet (sub special), a delicious..." In 4 reviews
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33 reviews in English
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Review from Bobby L.
Greater Vancouver Regional District, BC
5/18/2012
I've never actually been to the restaurant itself. We often order this for lunch at work and have it delivered, or have someone pick it up. I called and placed an order at 10:30 for 17 sandwiches, and an hour later everything was ready and picked up. Everyone was so happy with their sandwiches. I have only tried the tofu, which is very good. sweet and salty :) we ordered many different kinds and everyone enjoyed. I only had a couple specific orders, and the rest I asked them to pick. All very good recommendations from the staff.
if you're into vege/tofu...I recommend the tofu sandwich :) -
Review from Yvonne C.
2/27/2012
Ba Le is 1 out of my 3 favourite Vietnamese sandwich shops that I would go to and at this location I always order the shredded chicken. They got a wide variety of other tasty sandwiches to choose from their menu board, so don't think they are just limited to just the shredded chicken.
At Ba Le, their sandwich breads are crusty on the outside and warm and soft on the inside. The filling consist of pickled carrots and radish, cilantro, cucumber, hot peppers(if you want it), and whichever kind of meat you have ordered. Their price ranges from $3.25-3.75, which is cheap for a sandwich!Listed in: Budget Meal for under $10
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Review from Loon E.
5/7/2012
One of the better banh mi's I've had. Tasted a lot fresher than Tung Hing's down the street imo.
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Review from Stephanie W.
Vancouver, BC
3/12/2012 3 Check-ins Here
Ba Le is definitely amongst the top-tier banh mi spots in Vancouver. I go almost once a week or once every other week since I moved into the area and I've been trying to try the different varieties, but so far my favourites are the grilled pork and the special sub!
The service/treatment isn't the best but I think someone described it as soup-nazi and I don't disagree! One time they asked me if I wanted hot peppers but I didn't hear them properly so I said 'excuse me?' or something to that effect, and she harumph'd and just told me the amount I owed. I had to listen to the next order to find out what I had missed, and then stood there nervously as I didn't know if she put hot peppers in or not... She did not and saved Ba Le from losing a star!! -
Review from Chuck T.
Vancouver, BC
2/20/2012
This place is awesome. Great sandwiches. So tasty and very cheap too. If I could have these sandwiches everyday I would!
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Review from Sam L.
7/10/2011
Similar menu as the Chinatown location, but with some additions, notably the grilled pork sandwich. While I doubt the pork in this sandwich has ever seen a grill, it doesn't stop it from being delicious.
If you come here around lunchtime and there are only 3 people in front of you, you may say to yourself "sweet! I'll be placing my order and getting my delicious sandwiches in no time!"
Wrong.
Fact: 2 of the 3 people in front of you will be ordering a minimum of 30 sandwiches.
Still, this is not Ba-Le's fault, and the sandwiches are worth the wait, although I find the service to be quicker at the Chinatown shop. -
Review from Johnson C.
Vancouver, BC
2/21/2011 1 photo
Bánh mì (a.k.a. 'Vietnamese subs' or 'nam-wiches') in Vancouver is serious business. SRS BSNS (dramatic pause)... I'm Chinese but I was raised off bánh mì. When parents didn't feel like cooking or needed to pick up the kids something to eat, you may have got Happy Meals -- I got $1.50 bánh mì from the back of a fish market/grocery store on East Hastings. A much happier meal - albeit no toy. This was probably the genesis of my lifelong obsession with Vietnamese cuisine.
The Ba Le franchise is probably the grandpappy of bánh mì in Vancouver. I must say this is the first time I set foot inside the Kingway location and it's been years since I've gone to any Ba Le -- I found comparable, cheaper and more convenient joints. But I have to admit I was out in the wilderness for a long time before I found Tung Hing (http://www.yelp.ca/biz...). So, how does it compare? Inspired by Marc D.'s breakdown and recently depending on a regression analysis on Italian sandwiches - I'm going to drop some science.
STOREFRONT: There's seating and you can buy Vietnamese coffee (cà phê) at Ba Le - which is nice. But Tung Hing has free tea and you can buy Chinese baked goods. Since most people take their bánh mì to go; or if you're like me, eat in the finest of all alfresco dining rooms: the parking lot with your hood/trunk as a table; seating isn't vital. Unless you're going with someone -- like an important first date or something. Finally, the lineups are about the same at both places, but Tung Hing seems to be quicker. TIE.
PRICE: I got the dac biet bánh mì (house special - #5), which is $3.50 tax included (more expensive than I remembered/expected). The house special at Tung Hing is $3. $0.50 difference isn't a huge difference (assuming consistency in other variables) but a 16.7% difference is - especially if you're buying more than one and you take advantage of the free tea at Tung Hing. Sorry to go all Chinese on your ass there... but EDGE: Tung Hing.
BREAD: Ba Le recently starting baking their own bread and quality has improved. It's wide, short, crumbly and airy compared to the longer, narrow and crunchy baguettes at Tung Hing. It's better than before but... EDGE: Tung Hing.
VEGGIES: I love cilantro and Ba Le piles on more but the fresher daikon, carrots and long-sliced cucumbers at Tung Hing give a more satisfying crunch. When you ask for 'spicy' at Tung Hing, it's a much hotter than at Ba Le. EDGE: Tung Hing.
MEAT: The house special at Ba Le was jammed packed with ham compared to the Tung Hing house special. However, Tung Hing has more flavourful pâté and adds Chinese char siu. Inauthentic maybe, but it helps add moistness to the sub. Also, it's similar to the Chinese-fused style of bánh mì (that'll curl your toes) you'll find in Central Vietnam. EDGE: Tung Hing.
Overall - I still like Tung Hing more but I won't slap your hand away if you offer me a Ba Le sub -- it has definitely improved. And the Ba Le grilled pork bánh mì does look intriguing and I do like the seating. But Tung Hing is still king.Listed in: East Van Eateries, Nam-couver
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Review from Michael C.
Vancouver, BC
Give me a namwich a day and I'll forever be your friend.
This place just got newly renovated. Looks... good? I guess. Still not much of a looker, but then again 99% of the customers are ordering take out.
I love the baguette here. I believe at one point they didn't make their own breads? Now, you see the $40,000 deck oven in the back and rolls of bread on the side. A shame if they didn't use it, cause I'll gladly take it from you :)
The bread crust is crunchy and soft on the inside. I love the grilled pork here! Come with the typical stuff cilantro, pickled carrot and daikon, and jalapeno (optional).
They also sell candies, cuttle fish chips, drinks, pop, buns, sticky rice, and whatever nam goodies. I just go for the namwiches! :) $3-3.5 depending on sub.Listed in: Meat and Bread
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Review from Meredith K.
Vancouver, BC
4/4/2011
I'm going to forgo my usual strict grading system because most of it doesn't apply.
Ba-Le does amazing 'Namwiches. I prefer the beef and chicken ones. My Better Half likes the special. I usually buy a couple of strange and wonderful asian juices while I'm waiting. The more strange and wonderful, the better. They also do salad rolls now too.
This is a taco stand masquerading as a storefront. in other words, it is loud, it is crowded, there are a few tables, but you're much better advised to grab some sammies to go and eat elsewhere.
The ladies behind the counter work like speed demons, and as such, I've never waited more than 10 minutes for my order, even when placing orders for 6 or more sammies.
A few tips:
--it's Cash Only. Next door is a Quik-E-Mart type place that has an ATM if you're caught without cash.
--the parking lot is the size of a ping-pong table, and A Complete Gong Show. Park on one of the side streets, or on Kingsway.
--if you're thinking of picking something up for lunch, don't wait til 2pm or you may well be disappointed. On occasions they run out of baguettes. Since they reno'd, they've installed a bigger better oven, but do you want to run the risk of being short a Bahn-Mi when you've been salivating all day? No. No you do not. So go early. And go often. -
Review from Louise G.
4/3/2011
Delicious Banh mi
Surprising that we haven't tried this place before - we love banh mi and its in our usual range of adventuring.
Yesterday we stopped in for a late lunch. Beef sandwich for honey - chicken sandwich for me.
Both very enjoyable. We took a few bites of each others, just to sample but decided to not swap the second halves and continued with our own selections, which we both enjoyed.
Bought some of their buns to take home so that we can make our own sammiches.
We've invented a hybrid between a banh mi and a panini. We are calling it a banhmini
MMMMM -
Review from Marc D.
Vancouver, BC
Updated - 2/8/2010
* They have improved! *
I had previously reviewed the bánh mì here and compared it to Tung Hing (http://www.yelp.ca/biz...) which is just a bit up the block.
One of the ways Tung Hing was better is that they bake their own bread. I heard Ba Le had now started baking its own bread so I had to go and check it out.
I had a bánh mì dac biet. It was better than it was last time - for sure.
Here's the breakdown:
- They no longer reheat bread in a toaster oven that they purchased from someplace else. They now bake the bread on site and it is a higher quality than what they used to offer. The crust was good. I still give a slight edge to the bread at Tung Hing - but it is much closer now.
- I still find that Tung Hing is much more generous with the paté, and the paté at Tung Hing has a stronger flavour, which I prefer. Victory to Tung Hing on this one.
- The veggies were fresher at Ba Le this time around than they were the last time. Good improvement here. I like the way Tung Hing slices the cucumber in long slices though. Edge to Tung Hing.
- Tung Hing adds char siu to its dac biet, which makes a HUGE difference in flavour! Definite point for Tung Hing.
- Ba Le has a few tables. Tung Hing has none. Definite point for Ba Le.
So when it comes down to it these are both really good spots. I give a slight edge to Tung Hing. But I can see myself also stopping by Ba Le when I want to sit at a table and eat.Listed in: Which wich is which?, Vancouver Vietnamese/Cambodian…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/18/2009
* Good. But not as good as Tung Hing for me! *
Ok, I had to branch out and see if I was missing bánh… Read more »
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Review from Joyce D.
Burnaby, BC
3/6/2010
No word of a lie ~ BEST damn Vietnamese sandwich shop in the city. We are talking fresh as fresh can be with awesome homemade bread and loaded to the nines with pates, ham, chicken or pork.
I highly recommend the special. For 3.25 it cannot be beat with a variety of meats including the tastiest pate I have tried in a long time. Not stingy whatsoever when it comes to delicious pickled veggies and long slivers of cucumber. The owner was carrying 3 huge boxes of cilantro when I walked in and it reflected that in the sandwich. I didn't have to squint to see the cilantro and jalapeno either. Don't know what other secret concoction they put in there but after one bite you too will be addicted.
Family run, excellent prices and food you will go out of your way to return to time and time again. Ba-Le rocks! -
Review from Crystal H.
Vancouver, BC
3/6/2010 1 Check-in Here
What's it about getting a banh mi for under $3?
It's biting into something that costs less than a latte and discovering it will keep you revved up through the rest of the afternoon.
It's the serving a veggies
The crunch and softness of the bread
But most importantly, t's the skip in your step after you've fished in your wallet for change and realize you have enough for a tasty, substantial snack. -
Review from Gersham M.
Vancouver, BC
3/31/2010 ROTD 5/17/2010
My Bahn Mi world view is all inclusive, I love without bigotry and they're all welcome to inhabit my belly. However, like the favourite child some are more loved than others. This particular version of Bahn Mi is quite good indeed. With ample freshly baked loaves and tasty cold cuts the special was pretty damn special.
It's easy to compare the Bahn Mi with the favoured Tung Hing Bakery. However, there's a couple demerits I'd give this deli when stood up versus Tung Hing. First the bread isn't quite as good, it's wider and a lot more crumbly. Secondly the sandwich doesn't come with quite as hot peppers, making it a bit more of a blander experience. Another complaint is that this sandwich shop doesn't have the range of Chinese sweets that Tung Hing does.
Still, when all is said and done I'm happy to devour a Ba-Le sandwich. Quite recommended. -
Review from Nam N.
Vancouver, BC
10/21/2010
I'm a Joey. I LOVE sandwiches. I LOVE all sandwiches great and small. But a Vietnamese sub goes straight to the heart for me cuz I grew up on this stuff. What else could you do with $2 in high school with your friends? (Besides the arcade when games were a quarter)
When I crave for a Viet sub, I boogie to Ba Le, some parking out front so I don't have to go far, there's usually a spot or two. There's a few tables inside so I like not having to eat in my car all the time and get bread crumbs all over. Once these sandwiches get in the car you eat them, they can't wait. Then your car smells like meat for a week...
PRICE: You wondering? Its a Viet Sub, its the price of a Starbucks muffin.
SERVICE: There's a menu on the wall, point at your item and it'll be in front of you in 5.
SUGGEST: Order yourself a Banh Mi Dac Biet (sub special), a delicious baked bread wrapped around thinly sliced pickled carrots and daikon (do chua), cucumbers, cilantro, HOT chili peppers, flavorful pâté, mayonnaise and cold cuts.
And for your second sandwich cuz one is too little, a Banh Mi Xiu Mai (minced pork meatball) with chili peppers. MY FAVORITE.
Have a Coke and a smile.Listed in: My Fav Vietnamese Dishes and…
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Review from Deandra V.
Vancouver, BC
9/21/2011
I dont understand why people like this place.. The sandwiches taste like dirty feet. Once you go to Kim Saigon you can never go back to ghetto subs.
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Review from Ron M.
Vancouver, BC
Updated - 11/11/2010
Consider reading about my new revelation. Ba Le place is still very worthwhile.
http://www.yelp.ca/biz...1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/1/2010
Since I am not Viet, these kinds of sandwiches don't run in my blood. What I do know is that the… Read more »
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Review from Ainsley D.
Vancouver, BC
3/11/2010
What can I say about Ba Le that hasn't been said?
Oh I know...no wait...nevermind (screw you sandwhichlover32!).
Ok how do I explain the experience of banh mi? Oh I know. Ok do you ever remember meeting the first person whom you found out was 1/2 Asian and 1/2 European? Pretty hot right? Give away a much needed part of your body to get with them, right?
Exactly. Banh Mi is pretty much the same way. A perfect blend of two cultures: French and traditional Vietnamese.
The roll: a typical French baguette, the meats: porky, fatty, delicious Asian sandwich meats. Add some cilantro, pickled diakon/carrot, mayonnaise and pork liver pate and my friend you have a sandwich that you would want to have a wild passionate affair with followed up by marriage and a house in Port Moody with 2.5 kids...but I digress...
Ba Le happens to be the hot older mother of the banh mi world. Yes, she may be a little worn around the edges and maybe not as shiny and new as her daughter, but you know, YOU KNOW that she could make you happy, very happy.
Ba Le has the standard banh mi fare and that's it. Stick to what you know and do it well, that's my motto. Service may be a little slow if they're busy, but all in all they rock the house serving up these tasty little Vietnamese treats.
That's all I have to say about that. Oh and Maggie Q, I'm a comin' baby, daddy'll be back soon... -
Review from Claudia L.
Burnaby, BC
3/9/2009
Nammer buns!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My all time favourite school-skipping snack :D
Skipping schools for nammer buns, although necessary, is no easy task. Please read for instructions:
1. Make sure your bff has her car the night before
2. When you get to school, walk around the building so you don't get caught
3. Pump up the N Sync and drive to Kingsway and Fraser
4. Use caution while parking in their tiny ass parking lot
5. Enter store and proceed to counter to order you and your bff's banh mi of choice (no jalapeños please)
6. Get your bff to simultaneously pick up two cans of soya milk, a yellow bean dessert, taro pudding and creme brulee
7. Pay with cash
8. Receive buns
9. Squeeze a small amount of Sriracha hot sauce on top
10. Get in car
11. Switch CD's to "Baby One More Time"
12. Place plastic bag in lap to catch all the crumbies
13. Devour
It may seem like a lot of steps but trust me, it's worth it :) There's just something about Ba Le's viet subs that I love (even more than Au Petite's). Maybe it's the tasty paté or the fact that each bite brings me back to the carefree days of teenagehood ... ahhh, sweet 16 ^-^ -
Review from Vanessa G.
5/17/2010
I am still looking for a Vietnamese sub shop that makes veg or tofu sandwhiches. Shockingly i have yet to find that in Vancouver (there are many awesome ones in Calgary). Price point is normal for Vietnamese subs. My friend seemed to enjoy the subs for the price, but he has probably not had better choices or options.
There display of the big hunks of meat, and other cups of of what looked like tapioca kind of grossed me out.
Cheap eat for meat eater.. is ok. -
Review from Alex B.
East York, ON
9/26/2010
The sandwiches for the price are fantastic but the real secret is the custom made puddings.
Grab a bunch of them and grab different kinds, they are all awesome and HIGHLY recommended. -
Review from Lisa P.
10/17/2009
I've been on the hunt for the best Vietnamese sub in Vancouver. And after having one at Ba-Le, I'm still searching. The sub here ranks as one to remember but not in a good way.
I ordered the grilled pork sub. It was unlike any grilled meat I've ever had. It was kind of like small slices of old pork in some gross tasting sauce. WTH? There was no cucumber on the sub, hardly any cilantro and only one thin sliver of jalepeno pepper with all it's seeds. Again, WTH? I don't think there was any pate or sauce of any kind. Basically it tasted like the weird sauce the meat was in combined with the pickled onions/carrots mix. Don't they use fresh veggies?
I could sum up the grilled pork sub in one word: gross.
I will not be going back here to try any of the other subs as I was so disgusted with this one, I'm not going to waste my time or money here again. -
Review from Ernie B.
Burnaby, BC
7/4/2010
The volume of sandwiches they sell allows them to have the freshest I've found, and it seems they've upsized the sandwiches lately.
The "special" with hot peppers is my favourite, and I was surprised to find that they have vegetarian options now. The iced coffee I had there had a plasticky taste to it, so I wasn't thrilled, and the non sandwich options aren't too great, but the sandwiches here are definitely the focus and the star.
It's best to pick up your sandwich and go, as the in-store experience is lacking, but they're my favourite banh-mi in town by far. -
Review from Annie W.
10/24/2010
The chicken sub melted in my mouth....It was soooo delicious!! My friend had the meatball sub. The smell of the meatball sub was so intoxicating...it made me want to eat her sub as well! I want more!!
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Review from Pork Fried Rice C.
3/9/2009
I dunno.... maybe they had an off day but I've tried the sandwich here and doesn't taste as good as the one on main street.
Will try again and do side by side comparison !!! -
Review from Rose N.
Vancouver, BC
3/14/2010
Being Vietnamese, I would stay far away from this place....
This was one of the first sub places in Vancouver and first tried it about 20 years ago. It was the talk of the town.
Since then, the quality have gone down. Ever since the one on Kingsway have opened up (by Southern Vietnamese family), all their customers, (at least the Vietnamese community) have dropped Ba Le.
We never go here, simply because of poor customer service and it is made by Northern Vietnamese people. If you know your history, they aren't really the chefs of Vietnam. So for the same $, you will get much better service and cleaner food that is fresh and authentic!!
They are pretty cheap on their veggies and this place is VERY dirty. Try the one on Kingsway -
Review from wanderlust c.
Vancouver, BC
8/31/2008
Best Vietnamese Sandwiches in Vancouver. Under $3.00 bucks.
Yummy -
Review from Richard D.
Vancouver, BC
4/8/2011
I've had better banh mi elsewhere. The sandwiches are well-made, with perfect bread and fresh ingredients, and the price can't be beat ($3 and change), but the thing that gets them only three stars is that they're lacking in flavour.
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Review from Eetsay B.
Vancouver, BC
11/17/2010
The Kingsway location has great, great subs and they are cheap and filling! Also good steam buns and a few other unidentifiable things that look good, but I am afraid to try. Owners- please try labelling those things in english with a description for us adventurous, non-vietnamese eaters. I'd try a few of those things, if I only knew what they were. The staff doesn't seem to be very receptive to questions.
This may be the best vietsubs in town. I know, I've tried quite a few! -
Review from alex h.
Vancouver, BC
1/21/2009
I agree, best vietnamese subs in town. It used to be Buu Dien just by the Pink Flamingo on Fraser but that burned down. I searched for years to find a viet sub that was comparable but was always disappointed. I then found Ba Le, oh man is it ever good. You have to have them fresh out of the oven though, the french bread is way better hot and toasty. Try the Viet Bacon, pate, bacon and all the related viet sub fixings. It's my favourite, skip the cucumber. I hate cucumber.
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Review from Cyndi H.
Vancouver, BC
5/12/2010 1 Check-in Here
#2 Grilled Pork sandwich + Viet iced coffee = my constant craving!!! My friends and I can't get enough of this place... it's evil... pure evil... Thanks for getting me addicted Ainsley!!!! ; )
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Review from Christine C.
Vancouver, BC
6/25/2009
I've been going here for years, I won't say how many because that will date myself, but let's say a looooong time. AND this whole time, their sandwiches have only gone up .25. The one I get, the special is $2.75! It has all the different cold cuts, pate, cilantro, pickled carrots and radish and hot peppers are optional. Pair this with some grass jelly, coconut juice or soy milk and you are good to go. Feel like dessert, they also have various tapioca concoctions which are all delicious. All this for just over $5!
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Review from Michael C.
Vancouver, BC
10/18/2010 6 Check-ins Here
I prefer Tung Hing but its OK.
