Pane Pane Sandwiches

Pane Pane is a sandwich shop located in a nook of Downtown occupied mostly by construction workers, the corporate crowd, and tourists who got lost looking for Fran’s Chocolates. In other words, an area with a lackluster lunch showing. But not only does Pane Pane serve incredible sandwiches for the immediate area: they also serve some of the greatest in Seattle, period.

From scrambled egg and fresh mozzarella to prosciutto and mascarpone, we appreciate the variety of sandwich filling options that Pane Pane offers. And yet, we always order the same thing, every time: the teriyaki meatball bánh mì, a.k.a their finest contribution to the planet.

In reality, it’s bánh mì-inspired—don’t expect the daikon radish or shaved jalapeño that you’d find in a classic example. Rather, this one has the aforementioned meatballs, pickled carrots, cilantro, cucumbers (both raw and quick-pickled), and sriracha aioli. The combination of fresh vs. preserved ingredients sets the bar for handheld lunches to come, and a fully-composed bite is phenomenal, down to every bit of baguette soaked in spicy mayo and sweet soy.

Food Rundown

Teriyaki Meatball Banh Mi

Teriyaki-glazed chicken and beef meatballs, raw cucumbers, pickled cucumbers, even more pickled things (carrots and jalapeño), and sriracha mayo, all on a fluffy homemade French baguette with a shell that brickles like crème brûlée. It makes us feel many emotions, all of them good.

Basil Pesto, Genoa Salami, Pepperoni, And Swiss

This sandwich is a very close second to the bánh mì. In fact, when we’re here with another person, we often order both and split them in half. The combination of pepperoni heat, wine-cured salami, and basil-packed pesto is the stuff of Italian sub dreams. We highly recommend adding aioli (the staff will too), for its ability to provide some creamy depth to all of that pork fat and basil.