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    Mean Sandwich

    4.3 (416 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 3:00 pm
    Updated 3 weeks ago

    Mean Sandwich Photos

    Business Info

    MEAN SANDWICH ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Mean Sandwich

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    Reviews With Photos

    The MEAN Sandwich
    Michelle T.

    My husband and I were leaving the National Nordic Museum and wanted to grab some food to take home so we decided to order online at Mean Sandwich. My order was ready at the time that was specified (also received a text when it was done) and according to what I read, they keep your food on a warmer while they wait for you to pick it up. How nice! $20 for a sandwich seems pricey, but let me tell you, they definitely make a MEAN sandwich! The Mean - THICK pieces of juicy corned beef with housemade mustard, pickled red cabbage and mint. The cross section of the sandwich looks insane! The combination of flavors is excellent. The Hama Hama Oyster Po'Boy - Deep-fried Hama Hama yysters with housemade remoulade and lemon-pepper mayo. I loved this. The oysteres were nicely fried with not too much batter. You could really taste the oyster and appreciate the texture. The French roll was also very nice. It was similar to a Vietnamese Banh Mi roll. Soft, but with a light crispness on the outside. Fully Loaded Skins & Ins - Skins & Ins are basically a mixture of fried potato skins and potato chunks so you get a variety of texture: thin and crispy, or soft and meaty. The fully loaded option adds toppings similar to that of a loaded baked potato (white sauce, spices, scallions, and super crunchy bacon bits). This was a nice change from having the usual chips or fries with a sandwich. Parking can be somewhat of a challenge in this area, but if you're able to make it over then I think it's worth visiting.

    Oyster poor boy with fried potatoes
    Katie A.

    Really helpful service. Had the oyster poor boy, and it was absolutely stunning. It came with fried potatoes, which were actually chunks of potatoes, and it was delicious. BF and I got the same thing... And split a beer. They had a nice selection of draft beer. The poor boy oyster sandwich was $21.

    Courtney C.

    I cannot say enough good things about this sandwich shop. The short review - this is a must try place! This small shop in Ballard is somewhere you likely wouldn't stumble upon, but it is definitely worth seeking out. The shop itself is fairly small with a few booths, some window seating, and a few tables. We ordered our food to go, but there were a few spots open so we could have dined in had we preferred. The owner of the shop was there and help share about the menu. You can tell he is passionate about his restaurant and he answered all our questions. We even got to talking to him about some of his books he has in the shop that are different sandwich books and he was so knowledgeable on them, the chefs and more. We tried 3 different sandwiches - the steak tartar, the mean (corned beef) and the wtk (fried chicken). All three were a wonderful combinations of ingredients you would not see on an average sandwich shop menu and all three were delightful. In addition to the sandwiches, they come with potatoes which were crispy on the outside, soft on the inside (aka. cooked to perfection.) We upgraded one of our potatoes to the loaded version and to no surprise it was also amazing. It runs on the slightly more expensive side for sandwiches, but for the quantity and quality you get it is worth it!

    Alex N.

    One of the most friendliest shops I've ever been to! I got the mean sandwich, which was delicious, the meat was very tender and juicy. The potatoes were great with the white sauce that I got. I definitely have to come back and try their other sandwich sandwiches.

    Wedge Salad, The Mean Sandwich, and potato skins.
    Sharon K.

    When we arrived there was a long line and lots of people waiting. We weren't sure how long the wait was, but it seemed like things were moving pretty good. Its fairly clean and efficient. The reviews were really good so we decided to give it a try. You order at the counter and find a seat or take it to go. Be careful of add ons or asking for things to be put on the side as they do charge extra for that. You can also order online and pick up as well if you don't want to jockey for a seat. On a nice day they also have seating outside in the back. We ordered the Wedge Salad and The Mean Sandwich. The sandwich comes with potato skins too. I love potato skins so I was excited to try those. They are pretty quick with getting you order out. Generally about 15 minutes for your order to come out. The Mean Sandwich is great! It has a savory, sweet, and sour quality that is perfect. The balance of flavors make the experience very enjoyable. The potato skins are perfectly seasoned and cooked to perfection. Little nuggets of goodness. The Wedge Salad was really good as well. Lots of bacon bits and just the right amount of cheese and dressing. Some places drown it in dressing but this was just right. The staff is super nice and hard working. They would clean the tables regularly and make sure everyone was doing well. This place should be a case study on efficiency, service, and good food. I live on the eastside but I would make the trek over to Ballard for this!

    The Mean
    Rima Z.

    What a great meal! The humorous exterior has long intrigued me when driving by on the bus. The friendly greeting from the cashier was welcoming and our interaction was lighthearted and fun. Loved his insights as to the variety of dipping sauces as well. The place is spotless; one of the team members walked through constantly, cleaning the counters and asking patrons if their meals were satisfactory. The owner also came out to have a word and discuss the sandwich ingredients. This is always such a welcome touch, not usually found in a casual restaurant. It really shows how dedicated they are to the product and the experience. I ordered their signature sandwich- the Mean. Absolutely fantastic. Thick chunks of corned beef, pickled cabbage, generous bunch of mint and a home made mustard (made with horseradish?) - every bite was a burst of flavor. Fresh mint was a genius pairing. The salt and pepper fries (half a pound!) were phenomenal. Crispy bits and huge chunks of potatoes all perfectly cooked and well seasoned. To have both sizes so well cooked is sorcery. The dipping sauces (lemon mayo and a spicy remoulade) were the perfect accompaniment. Believe the hype on this sandwich place. I can't wait to come back and try some of their other options!

    Interior.
    Ryan E.

    They make some great sandwiches here. We got a double DAMBurger. It was very good. Not a lot of seating, but we were able to get some bar stone at the counter which were fine. We weren't big fans of the potato's:/fries. They were so salty. All staff were very nice. Next time I come back I will try the MEAN sandwich. It looked very good.

    JCVH Sandwich
    Jonathan W.

    I was in a rush and mapped the closest sandwich shop while on a job. I ended up at this unique spot and although it was pricier than I planned it was worth it. Everything is well thought of, and completely opposite of the boring corporate sandwiches I'm usually stuck with. I was warmly welcomed by staff and they were helpful. Great ambiance I got the falafel sandwich which was yummy but wish I would have gotten meat. The potato skins were a yummy change of pace from fries as well.

    Menu
    Pauline L.

    Walked here from a brewery nearby. Small divey kind of place with some stall seating indoors and covered wooden picnic table seating in the back with a random ping pong table. Our group ordered the MEAN, the fried chicken sandwich, and the falafel burger sandwich. Prices are quite high, but I guess it's because they have to pay rent in Seattle and the cost of the sandwich includes the fresh hand-cut fries, but still - ouch! About $20/sandwich... better be good! Also, sauces/dips other than ketchup are an extra cost. T_T One guy in our party doesn't eat pork and asked about it and the cashier explained that they use the same fryer for everything, so he could not promise no cross-contamination. He was nice about it but it was funny how much bigger a deal he was making of it than my friend was. Anyways, you order at the counter, they hand you a cute table number on top of different toy cars. We sat out in the back and played ping pong until they brought out the sandwiches. I honestly loved my sandwich. It was a good size and full of flavor. The fried chicken sandwiches looked huge and filling. The MEAN sandwich was brisket and we found that meant corned beef brisket. Husband thought it tasted fine but was disappointed in how little meat there was compared to everyone else's sandwiches. Lots of veggies though. Everyone loved the fries. Super crispy and flavorful. However, it would have been nice if we could have ordered the sandwich without the fries at a lower price and just had the option of ordering fries if someone wanted it. So, nice that we got to try this place. Flavorful, fresh, but way too expensive for us to make an effort to come back again. At this price point, we can go somewhere a little fancier.

    Menu items pictured in view finder
    Robyn W.

    I split the jersey sandwich with one of my boys. The quality was superb and the sandwich was huge! Loved the "fries." We got some extra sauces on the side - white sauce and buffalo sauce. Fresh and delicious!

    Mean sandwich
    Barbara K.

    We've been here many times and love it, especially the Mean, thick cut corned beef with red cabbage slaw and mint! We've learned to share it because it comes with a ton of fries! But this time the slaw and mint were mostly on one half of the sandwich, because the second half of my half had no slaw or mint. And the corned beef was crisp/hard on one side. Disappointing.

    First time here
    Iggy R.

    I waited a long time to try this, coming all the way from Lakewood. Now there's no burger place like this, or I mean a sandwich shop like this. It truly delivered what I was looking for and gave me a great sense of awe. My wife ordered the d.a.m original--it's the dry-aged beer Smashburger--and I got the fish sandwich--the best, made with Spanish sardines.

    WTK (fried chicken po'boy)
    Cari L.

    Excellent but expensive sandwiches! It's a small, unassuming spot with relaxed vibes (though they've won some serious awards!) and very friendly service. The menu isn't huge, so I would make sure to check online beforehand if you have any dietary restrictions. The WTK (fried chicken po'boy) was AMAZING. The chicken was juicy with a light amount of breading that didn't overwhelm the rest of the sandwich. The Calabrian chili relish and lemon-pepper mayo added a pleasant zing. Bread was fine but not anything special. Overall a 9/10 sandwich. While I loved their "skins n ins," it would be nice to have the option to purchase just the sandwich for a cheaper price.

    The Fish Sando - yum!!! I want 3 more to go. Ha.

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    Dan C.

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    23 days ago

    Wonderful service, delicious sandwich, fun atmosphere. Sat outside in the back and enjoyed the sunshine and music.

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    Page 1 of 11

    Ask the Community - Mean Sandwich

    Is there an option to get just a sandwich without the skins? Online ordering doesn't have it as an option.

    Nope, all sandwiches are combos. You can upgrade your side choice from S&P to Buff Style or Loaded skins or our Mean Wedgie salad.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Our appetizers: stuffed grape leaves, tabouleh salad and fries.

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    Our appetizers: stuffed grape leaves, tabouleh salad and fries.
    Falafel Salam

    Falafel Salam

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    Update: I left a comment on the Square receipt about never getting the hot sauce and the business…read moreowner responded within minutes and refunded. Great service and fast response! I got a build-my-own saj wrap with the mushroom base saj $6, sumac chicken $7, tomato $1.5, cucumber $1.5, pickled turnip $1, and a side of hot sauce $2. The saj bread itself tasted good, but got soaked through by the juice of the chicken and became very soggy. We walked to a park 10 minutes away to eat the wraps and the wraps were bending. The ingredients are fresh but nothing particularly stood out. I didn't quite taste the mushroom on the wrap, and on top of that, I got charged $2 for the hot sauce, but never tasted it in the wrap or found it on the side. My partner got the falafel saj wrap which was overall ddcent, but he also found the saj bread quite soggy, yet the falafels were on the dry side.

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    Another winner on my quest to try as many shawarma places as possible in Seattle! After visiting…read moreShawarma King and Shawarma Man during the past month, we now have Shawarma Prince (I'm sensing a theme in the names). Price wise, the Prince is a little higher but it's definitely worth a stop. You actually can choose between a shawarma sandwich in a pita or saj (thin, unleavened wrap) and definitely spend a couple of bucks more for the saj. Compared to other places, I would say the chicken shawarma has less veggies, including the pickled ones, so for those who do not like pickled stuff, this would be a good version to try. The sandwich is served with a copious amount of the garlic sauce, which was nice but probably a calorie bomb:). Nice, friendly service with limited seating (3.5 tables indoors with a couple outdoors) and a small parking lot.

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    Small space with 3.5 tables
    Small space with 3.5 tables
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    Exterior (8/25/25)

    Mean Sandwich - sandwiches - Updated August 2026

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