Mammoth - Review - Eastlake - Seattle - The Infatuation
"Editor's Note: Mammoth is temporarily operating out of their Ballard sister restaurant, Bitterroot BBQ. Enjoying a truly great sandwich and a cold beer is a basic human right - it’s up there with voting, freedom of speech, and being able to pet at least three puppies quarterly. But there aren’t a lot of places in Eastlake where you can get both. Except for Mammoth, a fun beer bar that has incredible sandwiches. Mammoth is operated by the same team behind Bitterroot BBQ, one of our favorite BBQ restaurants in town. They clearly know their way around a smoker - the club sandwich with smoked turkey and the Cubano with pulled pork are the best two choices because the meats are prepared in-house. There are other winners here too, like the Predator, a monstrous fried chicken sandwich that we swear makes Jurassic Park-style ripples in your beer glass when you set it on the table. As a bonus, every sandwich comes with a little bag of crispy homemade potato chips dusted with an herby spice mix. We’re still trying to guess the seasonings so we can make a batch at home. While this place sounds like some kind of omnivore clubhouse, they do serve quite a few vegetarian options - like a marinated tofu banh mi and fried eggplant hero with goat cheese (and biscuit sandwiches for brunch on the weekends). But, the meaty sandwiches are just better. Nothing against eggplant. You’d be wrong to not get a sandwich here, but if you really aren’t hungry, this is also a great place to come if you’re into beer. They have 43 different taps pouring lots of locally-brewed IPAs, pilsners, and an equally long bottle list. Plus, the atmosphere is way less divey than most other spots in Eastlake where you’d grab a pint. In a neighborhood loaded with bakeries, espresso bars with panini presses, and corner marts “proudly serving Boar’s Head,” Mammoth fills a void that Eastlake needs. It’s the best spot in the neighborhood for a sandwich, the best spot in the neighborhood for a beer, and the best spot in the neighborhood for both. Food Rundown Tusk Leave it to BBQ people to make great smoked meat - this turkey club’s the best thing here with bacon, melty cheddar, and a pleasantly dill-y ranch. We want this sandwich to be our new default lunch. Saber-Tooth If you’re with one other person, get both a Tusk and Saber-Tooth to share. This sandwich is their riff on a Cubano made with pulled pork, ham, swiss, pickles, charred onions, and a really tasty dijon aioli. Predator Before ordering the Predator, consult your inner self and decide if you’re really hungry - because this is a beastly sandwich with crispy fried chicken thigh, bacon, roasted red peppers, arugula, swiss, and caper aioli. The crunchy batter on the chicken is seasoned perfectly, and the melted cheese and mayo combine to make a delicious sauce. Dodo If you’re really in the mood for chicken salad, you’ll be content with Mammoth’s version with raisins, crunchy celery, and whole-grain mustard. However, the smokiness of the chicken is a bit overpowering. Herbivore This is a dependable vegetarian sandwich that won’t make you sad - we’re fans of the fried eggplant sub with goat cheese, arugula, roasted red peppers, and caramelized onions. Cro-Magnon You can safely skip this version of a muffaletta - all of the deli meats stacked on top of each other are too chewy and tough. Potato Chips If every food was sprinkled with Mammoth’s homemade potato chip seasoning, the world would be a better place." - Aimee Rizzo
