Great Vietnamese sandwiches in Springfield

I just wanted to pass along a great little Vietnamese bakery I found yesterday in Springfield on Hechinger Rd. across from the Backlick Road VRE station.

The place is called Banh Le. I happened upon it while out visiting stores for my job and I was hungry for something different. I'll be honest, the first thing that caught my eye here were the bins of fresh baked baguettes in the front window. But, upon going inside, I discovered a Vietnamese bakery not like most others I have found.

Most Vietnamese bakeries that I have run across in NoVA are true bakeries that are centered upon sales of baked goods and not "restaurant" foods. Banh Le centers their business on the traditional Vietnamese sandwich. They have close to 20 types available, none more than $2.75. And, as a bonus, if you buy five, you get one free. I had the peppered pork and I cannot remember a fresher and better tasting sandwich.

In addition to the sandwiches, they do have some steamed buns and other, what would be considered traditional, Vietnamese "fast food". They also serve a nice selection of "bubble" drinks, from fruit juices to teas to iced coffee.

The bakery has a nice little seating area (about 20 seats) for eating in or they will wrap it up to go. In fact, the only drawback I found was that while they do accept all major credit cards, they do insist (as do most small shops-in violation of their card acceptance agreements) on a minimum $10 purchase for credit.

So, in short, if you find yourself in the area of the Backlick Road VRE station, and are looking for a very fresh alternative to the usual selections, try this place.