Bánh Mì Ba Lẹ & Bakery
Vietnamese restaurant · Dorchester
1052 Dorchester Ave, Boston, MA 02125
Highlights
Take-out Vietnamese sandwiches, desserts, bubble tea, coffee
Take-out Vietnamese sandwiches, desserts, bubble tea, coffee
"Bread is at the heart of this French-influenced Vietnamese bakery in Dorchester. Their signature offering, the banh mi, starts with a baguette made fresh in-house daily. Topped with barbecued beef or braised pork belly, a pile of pickled veggies, and a housemade sauce, it’s a hard lunch to beat. Don’t sleep on the robust list of juice and smoothie offerings while you’re at it. Want to add to the order? Special lunch boxes at noontime come with a choice of two hot items like spring rolls and sticky rice, plus a soup." - Erika Adams
"A Dorchester must for Vietnamese banh mi; the banh mi is served on fresh bread that is "shatteringly crisp on the outside and pillow-soft on the inside." The grilled beef is marinated with lemongrass and described as "floral and salty and sweet and perfect," and the shop is a core part of Dorchester's well-established Vietnamese community." - Erika Adams
"This is the crown jewel of Dorchester’s noteworthy Vietnamese dining scene. Banh Mi Ba Le is a combination market and takeout restaurant — there are a few seats, but it’s best to get your food to go and eat it elsewhere, such as at the nearby Robert E. Ryan playground, weather permitting — and it’s best known for its grilled beef banh mi. The bread, which is baked in-house, is both shockingly crispy and pillowy, packed with fresh vegetables and sweet, charred strips of beef. There are few better sandwiches in the city, or anywhere. Wash it down with some passionfruit juice, and get some Vietnamese pantry staples from the market." - Eater Staff
"One of Boston’s most iconic dishes can be found at Ba Le, one of Dorchester’s excellent options for Vietnamese food. There’s plenty of variety on Ba Le’s banh mi menu, including baguettes stuffed with spiced pork and shredded pork skin, pickled carrots, daikon, cucumber, cilantro, a choice of hot peppers, and special sauce." - Erika Adams, Rachel Leah Blumenthal
"A Dorchester Vietnamese spot known for its Vietnamese offerings, contributing to Dorchester's strong representation on the list." - Erika Adams
