"You’ve made it to this small sandwich shop on International (not to be confused with Bánh Mì Ba Le in El Cerrito) when you see the line stretching down the block. Hop in it, because this place makes some of the best bánh mì in Oakland. They have 24 different sandwiches, ranging from grilled pork to sardine to roasted eel, all stuffed into an airy-crackly French roll. The perfect sandwich deserves a fantastic drink to enjoy with it, so don’t leave without one of their iced Vietnamese coffees." - julia chen 1
"A 20-ish block stretch along International Boulevard and East 12th is where you’ll find a concentration of Vietnamese phở houses, cafés, and bánh mì spots—like Banh Mi Ba Le. The counter-service place in Little Saigon is the answer when you need a not-so-sad lunch to power through (another) neverending week. There are 24 sandwiches on the menu, each generously loaded with the most flavorful fillings, from fall-apart grilled pork to meatballs, fish cakes, and sardines, and served still warm. The bánh mì mastery happening here isn’t exactly a secret, so prepare to exercise the ever-dying art of patience." - lani conway, julia chen 1
"You’ve made it to this small sandwich shop on International when you see the line stretching down the block. Hop in it, because this place makes some of the best bánh mì in Oakland. They have 24 different sandwiches, ranging from grilled pork to sardine to roasted eel, all stuffed into an airy-crackly French roll. The perfect sandwich deserves a fantastic drink to enjoy with it, so don’t leave without one of their iced Vietnamese coffees. photo credit: Julia Chen" - Julia Chen
"A 20-ish block stretch along International Boulevard and East 12th is where you’ll find a concentration of Vietnamese phở houses, cafés, and bánh mì spots—like Banh Mi Ba Le. The counter-service place in Little Saigon is the answer when you need a not-so-sad lunch to power through (another) neverending week. There are 24 sandwiches on the menu, each generously loaded with the most flavorful fillings, from fall-apart grilled pork to meatballs, fish cakes, and sardines, and served still warm. The bánh mì mastery happening here isn’t exactly a secret, so prepare to exercise the ever-dying art of patience." - lani conway, julia chen 1
"The gold standard for banh mi in the East Bay, Ba Le nails every component valued by connoisseurs of Vietnamese sandwiches: the bright, sweet crunch of the pickled carrots and daikon; the abundance of pâté in the dac biet combo; the extra oomph of Maggi seasoning; and, maybe most important, the crispness and airy lightness of the baguette. There aren’t any bad sandwiches on the menu, but the #13 — with meatball and a runny-yolked fried egg — is positively life changing." - Dianne de Guzman