"Eric and Sophie Banh's Vietnamese street-food bar on Capitol Hill — oxtail pho and pate chaud served late into the night since 2011."
Ba Bar sits at 550 12th Avenue on Seattle's Capitol Hill, the first of the family's Ba Bar rooms. It anchors part of our Seattle coverage as the city's go-to for Vietnamese street food after dark.
Siblings Eric and Sophie Banh opened it in 2011, drawing on the Saigon street food they grew up with and the success of their earlier Monsoon. The name means 'father' in Vietnamese.
The kitchen runs on Saigon street classics: oxtail pho built on a long-simmered broth, pate chaud pastries, banh mi, rotisserie meats and rice plates. The bar pours a strong list of spirits and a well-made Moscow Mule.
Prices are mid-range and approachable, and the kitchen runs late — until the small hours on weekends. It is bold, casual cooking rather than a formal sit-down dinner.
The room is buzzy and casual, with a long bar, close tables and a late-night energy that builds after dark. It works for a quick solo bowl as much as a group.
It stays open well past most Seattle kitchens, which makes it a reliable late stop. Expect a wait at peak times — it does not lean on reservations.
Ba Bar suits a satisfying solo bowl of pho, a casual first date or a relaxed team dinner. For other Seattle rooms, compare Kedai Makan, Wild Ginger and Stateside.
Not for a quiet fine-dining evening or a hushed special occasion — it is a loud, casual, late-night street-food bar where the wait and the noise are part of it.
Vietnamese street food on Seattle's Capitol Hill, run by siblings Eric and Sophie Banh. The oxtail pho is the signature, alongside pate chaud pastries, banh mi and rotisserie meats, served late into the night.
Siblings Eric and Sophie Banh, who opened it in 2011 and also founded Monsoon. The name means 'father' in Vietnamese, after their own dad.
At 550 12th Avenue on Capitol Hill in Seattle, with later siblings elsewhere in the city.
Late — into the small hours on weekends — which makes it one of Capitol Hill's reliable late-night kitchens.
It runs mostly on walk-ins and can get busy at peak times, so expect a wait rather than relying on a booking.
Walk-ins are the norm; expect a wait at peak times. Find Ba Bar at 550 12th Avenue on Capitol Hill.
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Ba Bar anchors part of our Seattle guide — Eric and Sophie Banh's Vietnamese street-food bar at 550 12th Avenue, oxtail pho and pate chaud served late since 2011.
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