Mean Sandwich is your go-to Ballard spot for playful takes on classic sandwiches, featuring standout options like corned beef with mint and mouthwatering oyster po' boys.
"This Ballard spot puts spins on classic sandwiches, and they're plot twists that we don't see coming from a mile away. There’s a bacon club, only it features steak tartare. You’ll find falafel, but in giant patty form topped with harissa beets and smashed on a challah bun. And their take on corned beef is particularly outstanding—it involves thick meaty slabs, tangy pickled cabbage, and practically an entire bushel of fresh mint." - aimee rizzo, kayla sager riley
"A burger’s a sandwich, right? The meat on Mean Sandwich’s version is grass-fed and grass-finished. Choose one or two quarter-pound patties and this Ballard-based shop fills in the rest: American cheese (good old Kraft Singles), onions, mayonnaise, house-made pickles, and house-made mustard on a Tribeca Oven bun. “Skins & Ins” (fried baked potatoes, of sorts) fill out an unforgettable feast." - Jay Friedman
"Your Order: The D.A.M Burger ($18) The D.A.M. Burger holds down the fort as the one and only burger on a menu of great sandwiches at this Ballard shop—and it takes the job very seriously. This double-decker dry-aged patty comes with a glue of “USA chez” (a.k.a american cheese), some sweet vinegary pickles, and a lot of grainy housemade Mean mustard. It’s savory, tangy, a little sweet—and even better with a side of the shop’s salt and pepper potato skins. " - aimee rizzo, kayla sager riley, gabe guarente
"Mean Sandwich, the acclaimed Ballard counter, offers winners such as the shop’s eponymous sandwich (griddled corned beef, pickled red cabbage, yellow mustard, and fresh mint), oyster po’ boys, and the vegetarian Midnight at the Oasis, with falafel, hummus, harissa beets, and Persian pickles — not to mention a mind-blowing burger." - Eater Staff, Harry Cheadle
"Mean Sandwich is the plot twist of delis. Their sandwiches seem standard at first—nothing unique about corned beef with mustard, but then they go and top it with a fistful of mint. The result is great, and it’s even better eaten in their gravel backyard. Maybe some people are here because Bickerson next door was packed, but this secret patio’s the better deal. There's no bacon club with steak tartare at Bickerson." - aimee rizzo, kayla sager riley
