Mean Sandwich Is About to Drop Sublime Sandwiches on Ballard

The wait for Mean Sandwich is almost over: Owners Alex and Kevin Pemoulie tell Eater that they plan to open their Ballard shop at 1510 NW Leary Way on or around November 30. Keep an eye on the restaurant's Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts for the official announcement — this post will be updated, too. A whole lot of people are atwitter about this launch, which landed on Eater's list of 23 most anticipated openings around the country this fall.

Mean Sandwich will focus on hot griddled sandwiches, available for dine-in and takeout. An early squint at the menu shows tantalizing options with plenty of twists, like the Mean Sandwich featuring thick-cut corned beef, pickled red cabbage, yellow mustard, mint, and maple syrup; the Buon Appetito with chicken cutlet, provolone, lettuce, tomato, buffalo mayo, and pickled pepper relish; and The Fish, made with a catch of the day fish option, celery root slaw, fried lemons, pickled jalapenos, cilantro, and lettuce. There's also a vegetarian option: Midnight at the Oasis, with eggplant, hummus, harissa beets, Persian pickles, lettuce, and white sauce.

For dessert, Mean Sandwich will be making bread pudding out of day-old sandwich bread. And there's a side option of fried baked potato chunks, either with just salt and pepper or "taco style," covered with ground beef, cheddar, lettuce, and sour cream. There will likely be a consistent core menu of sandwiches complemented by rotating seasonal specials.

Eater broke the news in January that the Pemoulies had returned to Alex's native Seattle and were planning to open Mean Sandwich in either Ballard or Wallingford. The couple closed their prominent Jersey City restaurant, Thirty Acres, last November, with the intent of moving west and opening something more low-key. The 32-seat Thirty Acres, focused on creative small plates and tasting menus, "just sort of ran its course," Kevin told Eater New York last fall. Now, within the next week, Seattleites get to experience that creativity in a much more casual, portable form. Nothing mean about that.