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Bale French Sandwich Shop
Category: Restaurants Sandwiches Sandwiches [Edit]
4879 University AveSte A
(between Estrella Ave & 49th St)
San Diego, CA 92105
Neighborhood: City Heights
(619) 283-4352
- 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-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
32 reviews for Bale French Sandwich Shop
Review Highlights
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"Probably The best banh mi sandwich I've ever had." In 15 reviews -
"We almost always order the BBQ Pork Sandwich." In 11 reviews -
"I crave Vietnamese sandwiches almost every other day." In 11 reviews
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32 reviews in English
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Review from Nancy P.
San Diego, CA
2/29/2012
My absolute favorite vietnamese sandwich shop! Been coming here since I was a kid. The BBQ sandwich is full of flavors and the bread is perfectly toasted!
Parking is bad sometimes as it is like a 5 car lot. -
Review from Kerra A.
11/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
dunno why Yelp has this place in CIty Heights....cause this location is in MIRA MESA.
Buy 5, get one free. Plenty of Banh Mi variety and Boba drinks. The also have a catering menu of various Viet food for speciall occassions, and bakery items and snacks as well.
If i can't make it to K Sandwiches, this is the place I go to. Simple Mom & Pop shop, good food, good service.
Oh, and don't expect the decor to be all vibrant, not the best to look at. -
Review from Mindy Y.
San Diego, CA
2/27/2012 1 Check-in Here
The banh mi here is absolutely yummy! Usually when I'm in this neighborhood A-Chau is my place to go for sandwiches, but we were driving by and I wanted to give this place a try. Got the Dac Biet (special) which came out toasty and filled with meat. They didnt skimp out on the goodies one bit. There was the perfect amount of Pate, and their sandwiches even had cucumbers- a condiment that neither A-Chau or K's uses. Sandwiches are reasonably prices at 3.75 for one Dac Biet. Also, if you're planning to order 5, you'll get one freee.
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Review from Katrina L.
San Diego, CA
4/27/2011
I've been trying to find the best banh mi place in SD for a long, long time. K's was #1 for me until I came to Bale. I know that a lot of people compare Lee's to K's to Bale but it really depends on what the customer is feeling for that day.
The best thing about the banh mi here is the bread. The bread is a full-shaped baguette with rounded ends - not like K's which takes one long baguette and cuts it into several sandwich length pieces. The crust on the bread is firm but there is a delicate softness to the bread because you can flatten your sandwich and get that wonderful crackled effect that I so enjoy...
The radish, carrot, and cucumber here are larger than Lee's and K's. I don't remember K's or Lee's having cucumber in their's, and it really makes all the difference. Portions of meat are generous here and I got the BBQ pork sandwich. To me, the bbq pork here was not as good as K's - it had less flavor and delicious grease.
I would definately come back and try something that is not the bbq pork. The bread here is the BOMB. Everything is so cheap and filling - on top of that you buy 5 sandwiches and get the 6th free!
I ended up scarfing down my pork banh mi and buying a second one to keep in my purse in case I have a snack attack. YUM -
Review from Roger W.
Updated - 3/18/2011
They're 7 for the price of 6 now. I can't complain though. 4.5.
I think A-Chau's chicken takes the cake in this city.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/10/2010
As with my other banh mi ratings.. this one is for a specific one.. ie: bbq pork
you can get 6 of any… Read more »
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Review from Miss S.
La Mesa, CA
3/5/2011
I had to try this place twice to decide whether I liked it or not. The staff is very, very friendly and nice. I did not wait very long for my order either times. I would consider returning and trying a different sandwich or something on their Vietnamese menu. I just won't be ordering a banh mi with pate on it. I'm not going to make judgments about the location. I shop, run errands, and drive by this area a lot.
What I didn't like:
1. The pate on the dac biet completely turned me off. It smelled and tasted 'fishy' in comparison to other pate. My favorite parts of a banh mi are the bread, the pate, the cha lua, the pickles, and the 'butter'. And if one of those things is missing or wrong, I won't like the sandwich.
2. Parking. Wow, I think there were 5 total spaces and none were large enough to fit my huge, redneck truck. Backing out of this parking lot was quite an amazing feat for me. -
Review from Angela W.
2/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
I have to say I'm prettty torn on this one so I'm going to give it a 3.5. We decided to come check this place out today because I am a huge fan of the Ba le in mira mesa and we weren't sure if they're the same owners but this one had good reviews too, so we figured we'd give it a go.
Location: this place is g-h-e-t-t-o. It looks like a jail, and the shop is really just a counter with sign and a drink fridge. It took at least 1/2 an hour to get our food, and also halfway through ordering the guy stopped to take an order from someone new that walked in. Everyone there had clearly been waiting for their food about as long. There was only one guy taking orders and making the sandwiches, and though he was really nice, it was just an extremely slow process.
Since the most important part is the food, I will say the sandwiches were very very good. Stuffed pretty full with each ingredient and good flavor. We got bbq pork & egg w/ pork and pate (#2). I'd definitely suggest passing on the spring rolls though.. for some reason having shredded lettuce in my spring rolls just doesn't taste right.
We'll probably check out A-Chau since it's the same distance. And I'd be glad to call in an order in advance and take it to-go, but it probably won't be in the regular rotation. -
Review from Nick T.
San Diego, CA
Updated - 9/13/2008
In my humble opinion, I truly believe that the Vietnamese sandwich is on the verge of becoming the next gastronomical sensation.
People outside of the Asian community are beginning to notice this culinary gem and it is now becoming very mainstream.
I love them and there are so many variations and combinations of flavors. I never get sick of them beacuse you can always tailor the sandwich to your own specific taste.
Another plus, they are way cheaper than say a Subway, Submarina or To-Gos. You cannot go wrong. Try them.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/24/2008
I love the sandwiches here. Smack dab in the middle of Little Mogadishu, in the hood.
Its not exactly… Read more »
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Review from Holly N.
San Diego, CA
10/12/2011
My childhood! The is the first place I ever had banh mi. My dad would take us here because he worked across the street. Since then, several Vietnamese sandwich shops have opened in San Diego, the most visible and popular one being K-Sandwiches. Ba Le is older, dingier, but probably still the most delicious. The pickled vegetables are cut thicker and they are generous with the pate. I don't eat meat anymore but when I crave banh mi, this place comes to mind first.
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Review from Denise D.
San Diego, CA
8/24/2007
My family and I have been getting sandwiches here for breakfast and lunch ever since I can remember.
They're pretty cheap, and if you buy 3 you get one for free. The most popular sandwich seems to be the "special", which comes with 3 different types of meat, liver spread, radish, carrots, cucumbers, jalapenos, cilantro, and this special mayonnaise (could just be regular mayonnaise but I think it tastes a little different) all on a french baguette.
I also like ordering the BBQ pork sandwich.
Just a little warning, the sandwiches here are not your typical american deli sandwiches, they do tend (the sandwiches) to smell a little strongly. -
Review from Alicia M.
San Diego, CA
10/20/2009
So far we haven't found a better spot for Banh Mi sandwich. This is so far, the BEST EVER!
We almost always order the BBQ Pork Sandwich. I love this and its a perfect, tasty, satisfying lunch you can have on the serious cheap. We grab sandwiches from here, scoot to 7-11 for chips and drinks and we're set!
Pros:
--------
Best BBQ Pork Banh Mi EVER
The owner guy that works here is pleasant and always polite
They always get our order right. 2 BBQ Pork Banh Mi, one without Cilantro!
The sandwich is always wrapped nicely and ready for transport.
The bread is always fresh and tasty
The veggies are always marinated with a perfect bit of crunch left to them.
Cons:
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- I cannot freggin stand the smell of this place
- The inside is FILTHY (the whole joint needs a power wash) tables, chairs, door handles, windows...all of it
- I would never sit down and eat at the tables or chairs
- Granny in the back can be slow (we've never come during the rush but even without the rush, we wait. I cannot even imagine being behind the 6 Bahn Mi order???)
- The parking is the worst! Its better to pull in going East on University but there is one driveway, about 6 slots and if someone in a big gnarly truck is parked in the spot right ahead of the driveway, you cannot even get in
- Yes, our friends from Mogadishu have different pedestrian and driving rules so you need to be OFF THE PHONE and watching what you're doing when you roll up on this place
And yet, with all of that madness to the CON side of the equation, when its time for the BBQ Pork Bahn Mi, we saddle up and head on over... maybe you missed my first comment, 'ITS THE BEST BBQ PORK BANH MI EVER'...don't get it twisted -- you seriously need to know what's good and give these humble wonderful folks a try! -
Review from Joy C.
Los Angeles, CA
8/6/2009
Probably The best banh mi sandwich I've ever had! After watching an episode of The Best Thing I Ever Ate (on Food Network) I went to Bale in hot pursuit of these sandwiches! The location is odd, off a busy street, and next to a Somalian coffee shop like everyone says, but if you're there for the Banh Mi, then those other things aren't a big deal.
The location is like most casual Asian joints...low key, hole in the wall, not super clean - but amazing food. I had the #2 (Regular) and the #5 BBQ Pork - got one for lunch, and brought two home for dinner. Make sure they put aside the vegetables for you if you're not planning on eating it till later. The fresh one I had was amazing...all the right flavors of savory, sweet, sour, pickled, crispy, crunchy. The bread was fresh and both toasty on the outside and soft on the inside. To my surprise the ones we ate for dinner reheated really well - just toast the meat/bread open face in a toaster oven, then add the chilled vegetables. It may have been even better than the fresh one with the toasting.
Final thoughts...
My top choice in SD to satisfy a Banh Mi craving. Don't expect a ton of ambiance, so get take-out if you want more pretty surroundings. -
Review from Sunanda P.
Hayward, CA
7/12/2010
I crave Vietnamese sandwiches almost every other day! I really like this place because its cheap and good! I always get the combination and I love the vegetables they put in and the pate. Fresh bread too. mmMMMMmm.
oh and i heard its better than the place next store.
The deal rocks! buy 5 get one free! grab a sandwich and head to the beach with friends! -
Review from X f.
San Diego, CA
4/7/2009
Pros: Best Vietnamese sandwiches in San Diego. The sandwiches are very flavorful. They totally blow A Chau and K's Sandwiches out. First off, the pickled veggies are just right & they do not overload on mayonnaise like A Chau. Unlike K's Sandwiches, the sandwich is stuffed with enough meat & pate to make me happy.
Cons:
1. Most days there is only one man working. So when someone ahead of you places an order for like 6 or 12 sandwhiches, be prepared to wait a long ass time for your food. I get impatient, but the sandwich is just too good to stop coming back.
2. This place is in the middle of a very busy street, so turning in can be difficult . Parking is very limited in the front. There is only like 8 parking slots available. & you almost always run over one Somalian to get in or out of the parking lot. The Somalian drivers & pedestrians here are TERRIBLE.
Many of the pedestrians LOVE to jay walk & run across the streets during traffic while the drivers are inconsiderate & just plain terrible. Many occasions I've had a Somalian driver stop in the middle of the road to chat with a jay walking friend. Its irritating but whatevs, i tolerate alot of stupid shit for food. -
Review from Chase C.
San Francisco, CA
7/5/2010
You know those huge Banh Mi, the ones that you have trouble fitting into your mouth because they're practically 99% french roll?
I despise the places that sell those jaw-achingly huge banh mi.
Bale is another story.
The BBQ Pork Banh Mi here are excellent. Bale doesn't cheap out and use the unwanted fatty pieces of BBQ pork in their sandwiches; all nicely balanced with a 80/20 lean-to-fat ratio.
I'm damned picky when it comes to banh mi, and that's the only reason I'm giving Bale 3 stars, but if there was a bit less mayo spread, a couple more sticks of pickled carrots (mine came with 2sticks of carrot and 1stick of radish), and had they toasted the sandwich, I would have easily given them 5-stars.
Overall, a good deal for $3. -
Review from Angela T.
San Francisco, CA
5/26/2010
This place is kind of ghetto looking. It definitely doesn't look too clean. But as long as the food is clean and good, I'm fine with it. Some of the best cheap food places tend to look a bit run down. There is a small (very small) parking lot in the front. They don't have many spots and like all the other reviews have already stated, they share this with the coffee shop next door. But I have never encountered a problem getting a spot.
I have been trying many of the different shops for Vietnamese sandwiches (Banh Mi) and this place is one of the best that I have found so far in terms of taste and price in San Diego. Of course, since I do not eat meat, I can only judge the sandwiches based on their vegetarian options. But I do tend to pick up sandwiches for my carnivorous friends while I go.
The vegetarian sandwich actually cost $.50 more than many of the other sandwiches. So unless you are a vegetarian, I do not recommend getting it, as I am sure the BBQ pork or regular sandwich will probably be just as good or better. The bread was nice and soft, which surprised me since I am use to the bread being toasted and leaving crumbs everywhere. But since I was eating this in class, I should be happy; it was much easier to eat. There was plenty of mock meat, which taste sort of like ham, in my sandwich. I would have liked a little more pickled veggies in my sandwich but I always want more. Overall, the sandwich was very yummy.
Since I was getting sandwiches for my friends today, I was able to get the 'buy 5 get 1 free deal'. It is a good deal, but you will only be able to choose from 2 different types of sandwiches and the free one will the the cheaper of the two. So today, I ended up with 7 sandwiches for a total of 18.50. Not bad at all. -
Review from My N.
San Diego, CA
2/5/2009
My parents always buy sandwiches from here!
They have an awesome deal too..I believe that if you buy 5 or 6 sandwiches you get one FREE! I love their banh mi cha lua pate and their banh mi thiet nuong is awesome tooo I just love this place :D
(sorry for the below par vietnamese spelling)
Anyways I would recommend trying this place at least once because thats all it takes before you get hooked. The place is small and its not designed for eating in at the business. Its more like you order get your food and leave kind of place. -
Review from Victoria L.
San Diego, CA
2/12/2011
This place has been around longer than I've been alive! I've tried over a dozen Vietnamese sandwich places in my time and this place is my absolute favorite! I love their bale dac biet and banh mi thit nuong! Their cuts are so flavorful and fresh! Please bring your cash!
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Review from lisa s.
San Diego, CA
3/30/2009
I've been on a major Banh Mi binge these past months. And after trying many, I see why this one gets the reviews it gets. I got the Sardine Banh Mi, some shrimp rolls (not the fried kind, but the ones in the rice paper wraps), and a beverage to end all beverages.
The shrimp, though not particularly heavy in the shrimp flavor department, were a good texture, and when eaten with the peanut and hoisin sauce (heavily doused with chili) and the crunchy, cool mint and bean sprouts, coalesced into a satisfying mix of flavors and textures.
These cooling rolls were a perfect compliment to my Sardine Banh Mi, which though not as spicy as some others I've had, also had a wonderful balance of texture (the fleshy fish and the crunchy cucumber), flavor (salty, spicy, tangy, sweet), and hot and cold. The bread was excellent...crusty on the outside and soft, but not too soft, inside. It had some body, but allowed the ingredients to fit comfortably. The sauce was excellent, though a bit messy.
Then there's the drink..I don't even know what was in this. It was very sweet, with green plants that looked vaguely like aquarium plants in it. There were jujubes and delightfully smoked jujubes, which actually had pits in them. There were two kinds of white beans in it, and some other bits I'm forgetting. This was a drink you needed to eat as well. It was strange, but amazing. And visually, just beautiful.
The service is absolutely charming. Everything is on special on Sunday at 3 apparently...I'm guessing not really, but you could get all of the egg rolls that were there for a few dollars, if you wanted that many egg rolls.
It makes me cry because I want this near my house. I want this in my house. Why do you have to be so far away, wonderful Bale sandwiches?
(I don't see the 'hood as being too crazy. Go live in Baltimore for a few years then come back and talk to me.) -
Review from judy s.
Oceanside, CA
12/14/2010
Let's just say this... quantity does not = quality people!!! 1st off, the lady there did not speak a lick of English so it took quite the effort just to place my order, then it took 20 minutes for her to make the sandwiches.. it would have been worth it if the sandwiches were good. I should've known by the foul smell when I walked in but since they had a A rating on their window I chanced it. The only thing everyone agreed that was good was the bread. I guess the search for a good Vietnamese sandwich in SD continues :(
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Review from Sarah S.
San Diego, CA
5/13/2008
Cheap and delicious, nice fresh ingredients, lots of exciting looking mystery packages in the cases. Right here in my hood. A bunch of the sandwiches are under 3$. Can't beat that.
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Review from Isabella O.
Costa Mesa, CA
7/6/2010
Here the deal is buy 5 sandwiches get 1 free, so it's about $15 for 6 sandwiches! Subway has nothing on this place. The BBQ Pork Sandwich is so good! It comes to you warm, toasted and with enough meat. YUM!!!
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Review from Ting R.
Burlingame, CA
5/29/2010
Maybe I am spoiled because I'm from the Bay Area. The vietnamese sandwiches here tasted bland and boring. I ordered the combination and it had absolutely no taste. I'm giving 2 stars because the gentleman taking my order was super nice. Oh yeah, parking was a pain since its parking lot only fits about 4 cars.
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Review from Mike H.
El Cajon, CA
1/23/2010
This place is freakin dirrrrrrty inside (NASTY). The sandwich I got was decent. Thats why it gets one star otherwise it would've been 0 stars. I will not be going back to this place..
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Review from Henry v.
San Diego, CA
Updated - 9/14/2010
This place is great. I always come here and get the regular sandwich or the super sandwich (with extra meat). my girlfriend always get the bbq sandwich and you know it's good if you steal a couple bites. the place got smaller because they split it so some other guy can sell his carpets and shoes i guess. but the food did not change and it has the right amount of ingredients to balance out the whole sandwich. you can really tell the difference if you come here and try sandwich.the pickled veggies are also the main feature on a banh mi and it seems like everywhere else makes it too sweet and i think that tastes nasty. the place does not look that appealing but hey the food is great!! and one more thing.!!! THEY ONLY TAKE CASH!!!!!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/19/2010
i dont give a fuck about wat you guys say. THIS PLACE IS GREAT!!!! WHO CARES IF IT LOOKS GHETTO the… Read more »
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Review from Alan Q.
San Diego, CA
7/23/2009
Great tasting banh mi sandwiches. Parking and the wait sucks though so get there early.
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Review from Cary O.
San Diego, CA
5/26/2010
I love the BBQ pork sandwiches here! Really nice service as well.
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Review from Mikaela P.
San Diego, CA
3/21/2010
Satisfying, cheap, and delicious! Worth a trip anytime.
Plan on picking up your sandwich and eating somewhere else if you like a nice atmosphere. It was the first Bahn-mi my husband and I have ever had and we were not disappointed. Phone in your order for convenience. -
Review from Fiona T.
San Diego, CA
6/7/2009
yummy sandwiches, very bad location b/c of all the mollies.
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Review from Jason G.
San Diego, CA
8/22/2010
Read a lot of good things about this place, so I had to try it. We drove by it the first time because it does not resemble a restaurant. Made a u-turn and headed back. We were able to get a space in front of Bale. Looks like a jail cell. We were not even sure if it was open or how to enter. My wife was refusing to get out of the car and insisting that we were at the wrong place when a customer exited. Ah ha! An entrance. We cautiously went inside and found ourselves in a very typical Vietnamese deli: menu of sandwiches and spring rolls up front, defunct coolers and display cases on the sides filled with inedible things like books, tools, and random containers. A woman was behind the counter waiting to help us. I asked what was in the Bale Special and got no response. She yelled at a kid sitting at a table, and he ran outside. A couple mins. later a man entered and proceeded to answer our questions. We ended up ordering a couple bbq pork sandwiches. Our car was still there (thank god), and we headed home to eat. The sandwiches were nothing to write home about. Minimal veggies and decent bread. I was expecting so much more. I feel so deflated now. Don't believe the hype. There are much better banh mis around.
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Review from anh d.
San Diego, CA
Updated - 4/7/2009
it makes my top 3 banh mi joints.
1 Previous Review:
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3/13/2008
sooooo good. fast service, great deal, but it's in a sketchy hood. buy 5 get 1 free.
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Review from i T.
San Diego, CA
Updated - 3/5/2010
ok went back for chicken and it was not as great as the pork one.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/6/2010
I have been checking all city heights vietnamese sandwich places and ordering pork bbq sandwich and… Read more »
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