Hot sandwiches and cold microbrews (48 taps!) in Eastlake
Mammoth is a mash-up of your favorite old-school sandwich joint and your favorite taproom. The airy space has a high vaulted ceiling that brings in the light, a long white-tiled bar counter lined with beer taps (and cider and wine), and a dozen or so tables.
By day, the vibe is fast and casual, with diners enjoying a hearty lunch or grabbing a sandwich to go. By night, it’s a mix of families enjoying dinner and beer nerds savoring the many microbrews on tap or from the extensive bottle collection. In fair weather, there is also outdoor seating. Maybe best of all, the prices are more than reasonable–especially considering the hearty portions and premium ingredients.
Hannah and Grant Carter, the wife and husband duo behind Ballard’s Bitterroot BBQ, opened Mammoth just over four years ago. The passion project honors their favorite old-school sandwich joint in Missoula and their love of the local craft beer movement. Mammoth is the kind of place to kick back with a good friend or two. You can savor a hard-to-find pint of something local and fill up on food that finds the sweet spot between exacting and unfussy. Take the Predator, for example. Served on warm Macrina Pane Francese bread, they fill it with a fried chicken leg, roasted pork belly, swiss cheese, roasted red peppers, arugula and slather it with caper aioli. The chicken and pork belly are crisp, the bread tender but crusty enough to stand up to the juicy ingredients, and the peppers, arugula and aioli pack in the flavor. You’ll need plenty of napkins, or go to work with a knife and fork if that’s your style.
“We’re a family-owned business with a small staff of long-tenured employees,” says John Connolly, Mammoth’s General Manager. The many Eastlake regulars add to the comfortable, familial atmosphere. A diverse range of ages fill the place in the evenings, from hipsters who’ve made it their favorite watering hole to families enjoying dinner.
Many of the meats are made in-house, including some that emerge from Bitterroot’s smoker such as their pulled pork. Tender roast beef is made on-site as is corned brisket, which plays a starring role in the Irish Elk, their spin on the classic Reuben. Vegetarians will also find plenty to excite the appetite. One sandwich features marinated tofu, another roasted wild mushrooms, and one has fried eggplant. Mammoth serves all sandwiches on Macrina bread with a side of homemade potato chips made fresh in their kitchen.
Next time you’re in Eastlake—and isn’t Eastlake on the way to everywhere—drop into your new favorite neighborhood sandwich joint. You’ll sate your appetite, find a new favorite beer, and, if you’re so inclined, you can take a growler home for later.
Menu, hours and catering info are available at mammothseattle.com.
Mammoth |2501 Eastlake Ave E. | 206-946-1065