Midtown Lunch

I’ll admit, I am not extremely well versed in Philly’s authentic banh mi scene. Something about the trendiness of liking it a few years ago made me shy away. Philly has a plethora of Viet bakeries and restaurants serving banh mi for me to familiarize myself with. I started with Ba Le on 6th and Washington. 

The bakery is more than just a place for banh bi. You can get a nice variety of summer rolls, shakes, jello desserts, and even meat products.

Curry beef jerky, for example,  is sold at $23 a pound. Its really good.

The grilled pork was recommended to me, #2.  It was delivered to me partially wrapped in a piece of paper, which to me signaled I had to eat it right there in the parking lot. While sandwiches green garnishes of jalepeno, cucumber, and cilantro looked pretty, the meat itself did not. I was prepared for some gnawing. Looks were deceiving however, and the spicy pork was not gristly and had a nice tangy flavor.  The bread was warm and toasty.  For under $4, this is a pretty impressive sandwich.

THE + (What somebody who likes this place would say)

• Cheap sandwiches for meat eaters and vegetarians
• Love warm bread and spicy pork

THE – (What somebody who doesn’t like this place would say)

• Look out for the jalepenos