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    Ba Le Dorchester

    4.2 (620 reviews)
    InexpensiveVietnamese, Sandwiches
    Closed • 6:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

    Ba Le Dorchester Photos

    BA LE DORCHESTER ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Dogs allowed
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Ba Le Dorchester

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    Michael S.

    Amazing food. There is a Ba Le North of Boston! It is in the food court and the market is a bit old and could use TLC. This was my first time at the Dorchester location and it lived up to everything I saw on Diner, Drive ins and Dives. Service was excellent! And the ambiance welcoming. Not really a sit down place. But great eats! If I am south of Boston I will go. If not I will hit the northern spot! Great sandwiches!

    Lizzie Y.

    Love going to Ba Le in Dorchester, for a quick bite! They don't have dine-in, just take-out. Love the variety they offer here. They're popular for their banh mi sandwiches & drinks. I enjoy getting their cold cut banh mi with extra butter and pate! I like that their baguettes are not too thick and are quite flaky. The bread to filling ratio is perfect each bite. Every time I visit, I always get a cold cut banh mi, nem, and sugarcane juice or an iced coffee. Super quick service. The line can seem daunting at times, especially in the early morning or lunch time but I promise it does move fast!

    Prices should be indicate there for transparency and to prevent fraudulent marking up prices
    Tulsa H.

    We're regulars here. About 2x a month on average. Love the banh mi sandwiches. Also, must say that we have never encountered them marking up prices based on whatever they feel like (presumably based on them perceiving whether we would figure out that we'd been scammed or not--haven't encountered that here. BUT, definitely encountered this unethical deceptive practice at Ba Le in Quincy (inside the Kan Man Market). Any event, this Ba Le Dorchester is quite solid. Here are things they should really improve on to make it even better: - put expiration dates or packed dates on certain items, such as the desserts in the fridge. That's the norm practice elsewhere. Thus, the absence of these dates strongly suggests deception, i.e., bad faith attempts to sell older produce when they should already have been trashed. - do put the prices of the items rather than letting customers wondering or just blindly let the cashier ring it up without being informed of the price first. Why not place the price there? And yes, this is probably more desirable because of the aforementioned practice of marking up prices at the Ba Le Quincy Branch (this is documented all over Google and Yelp reviews for Ba Le Quincy), which may be why we have good reasons to be hyperly cautious when making purchases from these personnel.

    Chris T.

    I really don't see any complaints anytime I'm here. Since my grandma to my parents to me as an adult. Ba Le is my only go to for banh mi, snacks and the occasional hot food. Two cups of fresh sugarcane and I'm good to go! Prices go up, as cost of goods go up. Still a bargain compared to other sandwiches you get for more money! Filling is always generous, you want extra butter pate? Just say so yes it cost a little more but they don't just give u a tiny bit, they smack it on your sub. The tall handsome guy at the register is always cool as hell! We also get jerky and nem with the pepper pretty frequently. Nice snack when you got class or work. I've gone out and tried so many other people's favorites because they wanted to hate on BaLe, and honest opinion lol, those other places don't even come close. They have long lines here during lunch rush or morning rush, but it moves. The bread is fresh every day. I'll just stick to my day 1. Thanks. But ayyyeee bring in more nem nuong for my custom sub haha jk.

    Iced coffee
    Yueh Qi C.

    This is the best place to get Bahn mi, it really hits different than all other Bahn mis I have had. I will say, this place can be very overwhelming if you don't know Vietnamese but not impossible to order. They have lots of other packaged food in store but some do not have ingredients/labels. So if you're adventurous, we typically see what locals get and do the same. Bahn mi is fairly easy to order. We typically just tell the person the number on the menu and never had issues. This recent trip we got the special combo (#1) and bbq beef (#2), they were both amazing! Bbq beef had a nice Smokey flavor, highly recommend. We also got their iced coffee and it was the best! Very rich. The only downside is that ordering is confusing. The drink people told us to pay at the food counter so we had to wait in line again but then we saw other people paying at the drinks counter without doing what we did. During rush hour this can be a little frustrating.

    Bahn Mi sandwiches
    Todd S.

    Had great anticipation after seeing the Guy Fieri piece on the company. I was sadly, underwhelmed. Was looking forward to a soft, fresh baked roll, but it was crunchy and wasn't so aft inside. I don't think it was all that fresh. To me, the bread used in a Bahn Mi is the second most important item. The bread was crunchy and pieces of the roll crumbled and fell all over the table. The Vietnamese coffee was very sweet, I would say, overly sweetened. The pork and other sandwich ingredients were very well done. Small seating area of about 10 chars and 4 small round tables. It's -not really a restaurant, there's no table service, it's a take out joint.

    Isaac C.

    I wished I lived closer to Ba Le so I could come here more often. I usually get the chicken banh mi, and it's packed with everything you'd want. The pickled daikon and carrots add a bright acidity and crunch and the jalapenos give a subtle heat. The chicken is flavorful and the bread has a light crispy exterior while still being soft enough to bite through easily. One time I left it sitting in the fridge for a couple days, but it was still delicious after reheating.

    Leang L.

    Let me start my saying I grew up in San jose, Ca. I've had my share of bang mi. I Was not expecting a line. Inside is a little cluttered. They have a lot of snacks and baked goods for sale, however no pricing on anything. Really bad set up. Stood in line for about 25min before I could place my order. I always get the cold cut combo and decided to include a grilled beef banh mi. Paid for my food and left. The grilled beef banh mi was flavorful but was really chewy, and had lots inedible fat, could not chew through it. The cold cut was ok. Nothing really stood out other than the bread having a nice crisp and airiness. I forgot mention that I ordered a penny wort drink. It was very watered down and tasted like nothing.

    Banh mi thit nguoi
    Jimmy N.

    Ba Le never disappoints. Grateful to live 5 mins away. Always a great choice after a good work out. Banh mi hits differently when you're tired and hungry after a work out lol My go to is the beef and add shredded pork. (Will cost a little extra but worth it). Rice box is the way to go too. They give you a nice portion. So much that they use a rubber man to close the box. Highly recommend getting these two options!

    Pork banh mi
    Rosita Z.

    The best Banh Mi I ever had! I really love and enjoy their grilled pork/grilled beef Banh Mi. The pickled vegetables are delicious and the bread is very crunchy. I don't usually give 5 stars reviews but this place is a must if you are visiting the Boston area! We originally ordered one Banh Mi to share because we went after having lunch, but because it was so good we ended up buying 1 more! Service is very efficient like most asian owned bakeries.

    Fish patty banh mi
    Lydia C.

    Very casual lunch spot. There's a variety of Vietnamese snacks, take-home ingredients, hot entrees like noodle and rice dishes, and of course the star of the show - the banh mi. I came around 11 AM on a weekday, and there was an only a short line but I had my order within 5 minutes. There's extremely limited seating (maybe 8 people can fit in the back corner), so don't plan for a quiet café type of setting here. I went with the fish patty banh mi, which I've never had before. Everything was extremely fresh. I was especially impressed by the baguette, which was had a crunch but wasn't so hard as to cut the roof of your mouth! There was enough bo (Vietnamese mayonnaise) to ensure it wasn't too dry. The banh mi was also packed with a lot of veggies (daikon, carrots, and peppers), and the fish patty was really tasty. I'll definitely come back and try another soon! Another huge plus: only $8 after tax!

    Few cute tables/chairs- would be harder to score these seats on the weekend though
    Emily R.

    This is my FAVORITE food spot in Boston hands down! The Bahn mi is out of this world no matter which one you try It can get busy on weekends (worth the wait though) If you can go during a weekday it's great to look around while it's less busy Their Vietnamese coffee is a Must try It's very vegetarian friendly- tons of delicious tofu and veggie options to try Huge banner that for those in military uniforms or with an active military ID get a free coffee & sandwich

    Banh mi's for the road. Delicious.
    Eric D.

    Banh mi Ba Le in Dorchester still holding strong. Every time we swing in, the place is packed--and with good reason. Their banh mi here are still delicious. To my knowledge they're the only banh mi shop around that bakes their bread in-house. But if there are others around MA that do the same, let me know! I haven't swung in here in a while--not sure if I was under a rock but I did notice they have a bit of seating now towards the back of their store. Overall banh mi here is the best around in the MA area overall.

    This is where the iced coffee, boba, smoothies, and a wide variety of other drinks are made.

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    Ba Le Dorchester Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Ba Le Dorchester

    Would it be safe for someone with a shellfish allergy to eat here?

    I would think it would be fairly safe to eat some of the pre-packaged foods. If it's a severe allergy, it might be best to stay away from the fresh items, in case of cross-contamination.

    Do the vegetarian Banh mis have fish sauce?

    No they don't put fish sauce in Banh mi. There is a tofu Banh mi

    View All 4 Questions

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    I really like this place. It's a great market where you can find just about everything you need. My…read morefavorite part is the deli, where you can order fresh hot or cold sandwiches. I've never had a bad sandwich from there. I've tried the chopped cheese, steak and cheese, and buffalo chicken sandwiches. I've really enjoyed the chopped cheese and steak and cheese and can say that are favorites for me. I also like grabbing one of their cold-cut sandwiches to take to the beach as an easy snack. I haven't tried anything from the salad or hot bar yet, but it always looks really good. It gets pretty busy, so I'm guessing it's popular for a reason. I also buy my meat and fish there because everything always looks fresh and the quality has been great. The produce I've picked up has always been fresh too. Don't forget their garden section with a great selection for seasonal favorites. It's clean and very organized, so easy to find what you need. The staff is always friendly and welcoming, which makes shopping there even better. If you have not been, you are mission out on a neighborhood gem.

    I have been hearing about the food at this place for a long time and I decided to go there for a…read moresalad. I took literally two bites on the third bite. I noticed a hair in my food. I attempted to call twice. When I call, the machine comes on and tells me that I'm dialing a different number. The name of the restaurant is on they had her so I know I dialed the correct number. I leave a message, hoping to get this resolved, but no one ever called me back. $14 down the drain. The low rating is mainly based on the fact that I didn't even get a call back. To me that's poor customer service. I really did not feel like driving back over there and thought it could've been handled over the phone. Lambert's I still have the salad in my car if you want proof that it was not eaten and the hair is still there.

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    Italian coldcut chicken Parmesan

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    All'Antico Vinaio

    All'Antico Vinaio

    3.9(67 reviews)
    2.7 mi•Back Bay

    The process here are simply fucking shocking ... $20 for a sandwich with a tiny amount of meat. I…read morecould almost fly to Italy and have a sandwich there if these get any more expensive. Oddly, some of the best sandwiches we had in Italy came from a gas station travel plaza on the way from Rome to Florence. We haven't found a similar sandwich in the US ... until here. The meats are sliced fresh and all the sandwiches are made by hand. You have a lot of choices ... and the menu is odd. It stretches from one end of the ordering counter to the other ... it's so long that it's difficult to read the choices at the beginning of the sign. We got the Paradiso, which is made with Mortadella (imagine a thin-sliced bologna) with pistachio cream. Thoughts on the sandwich: Size: - This is one of those places which gives you too much sandwich. I'd come back more often if the sandwiches were $10 - $12 for a single portion. Honestly, the sandwiches here could probably feed two people ... which is fine because it allowed us to split it. However, if I am getting lunch for myself, I don't want to pay double and take a half home. Ingredients: - The best part of the sandwich was the foccacia bread. It was crisp but light ... had a little bit of oil on it and it was dense enough to fill you up. Slightly salty. - The mortadella was high quality ... but at the end of the day, $20 for a bologna sandwich is tough. Also, I was a little surprised at how thin of a layer they put on for the price. - Pistachio/Cream ... Very sweet, I felt like I would have liked a little more savory to balance it out. The sandwich was very pistachio forward and that was the predominant taste. I'd have liked the mortadella to stand out more. Overall, you won't find a sandwich as similar to what you'd get in Italy anywhere else. This place is a bit over hyped in my opinion but the sandwiches are pretty authentic to what you'd find in Italy. Unique combinations and high quality ingredients but the prices are just so fucking sky high here. - The bread is the best part

    Incredible - just about identical to what I had at the Florence location. It might be sad, but my…read moreday trip from Providence RI to Boston was centered around getting a sandwich here. I got the La Paradiso which has Mortadella, stracciatella, pistachio cream and pistachio ($19). The focaccia bread is out of this world, and I absolutely love the combination of creamy stracciatella with pistachio cream and mortadella. Their sandwiches are massive, and while I am able to finish one no problem, the average appetite would have two meals out of one sandwich. La Paradiso was the same sandwich I got in Italy so I gotta mix it up next time. The service is quick and friendly.

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    The Munchie Station - 8 pieces chicken wings - hot honey

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    3.9(17 reviews)
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    I had pinned their Instagram reels as one of the places I wanted to try and finally got around to…read moreordering. Unfortunately, we had to order through Uber Eats for delivery, so the food wasn't as hot as it would've been fresh, but even with that, my coworkers and I still enjoyed everything. The mac and cheese with chicken bowl was really good! The cheese was just right not too much or too little and the chicken had great flavor. Definitely one of my favorites and something I'd order again. I also tried the sweet chili chicken fries and the Beantown chopped cheese sandwich. The flavors were solid overall, and even after delivery the food still held up pretty well. Next time I'd love to visit in person and try it fresh because I'm sure it would be even better. Definitely worth checking out!

    This review is solely just for my order today and the experience I had…read more The reason why I'm giving this review 4 out of 5 instead of a solid 5 out of 5, is because I tried calling ahead of time to place my order but no one picked up the phone... i called a few times at 11am. I arrived to the shop at 11:05am and they were open. But it's definitely not the end of the world! I really wanted to try their chicken Caesar wrap. It's been on our minds since Tuesday lol FOOD - Chicken Caesar Wrap is 11/10! I'm not even exaggerating it. Please come and try it for yourself. Lettuce tasted fresh, the right amount of chicken and Parmesan cheese and croutons, nicely wrap in a tortilla wrap, and the RIGHT AMOUTH OF DRESSING/Sauce. I will definitely come back like every other week lol Chicken Buffalo ranch wrap was also good but lacked sauce. Next time I will definitely ask for more sauce. Chicken tender dinner 3pc for $10 with fries is definitely a deal. A deal because their tenders are the right size and fried perfectly . Only down fall is, it does not come with sauce. It's $.75 or $1 for sauce. I believe it should come with one sauce per order. Just my opinion. Strawberry tres leches was mid per wifey. I'll get her the original plain one next time to see how it is. Overall, great customer service when you order in person. The cashier was super friendly and helpful. Their wraps are very good. I will come back to try the other 2-3. Glad I finally decided to come and check this place out.

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    Home.Stead Bakery & Cafe - Hot Norwegian sandwich!  So delicious!

    Home.Stead Bakery & Cafe

    4.4(159 reviews)
    1.0 mi•Dorchester
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    Homestead Bakery is a gem, no doubt. The thing about their food is this: no matter what you order,…read moreit's going to be made well. You really can't go wrong on that front. Case in point--the turf bagel. I love it so much that sometimes it's hard for me to order anything else. Drinks are a mixed bag for me. Their matcha (hot or iced) is solid, but I always need to sweeten it. The limeade was too bitter for my taste, and the rickey-style drink didn't quite hit my sweetness preference either. Chai (both hot and iced) is nice, but definitely add vanilla. Next on my list to try? The grilled cheese. I've been coming here for years, and the space is not big, but when it gets packed -- good luck. There are barstools facing the window and smaller tables throughout, but navigating the space can be tricky, so I wouldn't call it fully accessible. Still, the atmosphere makes up for a lot--it's got that community café element that I personally love. Overall, Homestead is the kind of place you want to experience for yourself: come for the food (which will always deliver), try the drinks with your own preferences in mind, and soak in the sense of community.

    Amazing coffee, pastries and sandwiches here! The tuna melt…read moreis the best I've had in Boston. I lived so close I would get a cappuccino and banana muffin EVERY weekend, sometimes twice! Great atmosphere inside and the staff are always friendly!

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    Home.Stead Bakery & Cafe - Great space! Beautiful!

    Great space! Beautiful!

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    In the Globe!

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