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Mon-Fri. 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
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big fan of fresh food and great quality ingredients.
had a "make my own" chicken sammich on cibatta with some better average amenities (arugula, basil aoli, that sort of league.
it was delicious. a few more bucks more than something like an average deli but well worth it.
food prepared as quickly as possible. people were very friendly. sit outside near the fountains at water court near angel's flight. really pleasant.
Hard to find location in a business plaza. But once you find it, you won't forget it.
Long lines that move relatively quickly and friendly staff. Got a sample of potato salad while I was waiting to pay. Yum.
Plenty of options making it hard to choose what I want.
A feeling that one can't go wrong no matter what one ultimately chooses.
I chose the citrus tuna for an even more healthier choice and was quite satisfied. The tuna salad was flavorful, fresh, and light not resulting in a serious food coma crash during the afternoon.
A good lunch time choice, if you don't mind a little waiting.
I've made the 300/350 Grand Ave. lunch spots rounds, and Mendocino Farms definitely takes the cake. The sandwiches and salads are made with innovative, seasonal ingredients - resulting in ridiculously delicious and sophisticated fast food. They support local, organic farmers and have a rotating menu of seasonal sandwiches. The produce is fresh and flavorful, the bread is great (I get the buckwheat), and the spreads are rich and interesting.
I'm slowly but surely making my way through the menu, and everything gets a thumbs up so far. The turkey meatball hoagie with chipotle tomato sauce, goat cheese and chimichurri is great, as is the curry chicken salad sandwich with dried cherries, cranberry chutney, red pepper compote and yogurt mango dressing. Any sandwich can also be ordered "salad style".
Although I've tried and loved their carnivorous options, I've been on a vegan kick lately, and I'm beyond impressed with their offerings. The quinoa burger with butternut squash, chickpeas, almond spread and sauteed greens on ciabatta is my absolute favorite. And the veggie BLT melt with veg bacon, pepperjack and veganaise is surprisingly yummy.
Don't be deterred if the line is ridiculous - it's a well oiled machine and they get you in and out in less than 10 minutes. So psyched that this place is close to work. I only wish they would open an outpost in Santa Monica!
The lines are long but worth the wait!
The vegan options are amazing!!!
They are opening a new location on Flower!
YAY!
OK, so everyone keeps saying that this place is hard to find, but no one actually explains how to find it. I was there today and while, yes, it was hard for me to find this was only because there are NO signs for it and i decided to start my search in the opposite direction. it actually very easy to find if you know where to go. here are the directions:
It is located in the California Plaza at 300 S. Grand, which is on the east side of the street. Enter the plaza at the intersection with 3rd St. and walk down the steps to the "Water Court". Take a left and Mendocino Farms will be on your right. It's basically at the most northern point in the plaza. There is a whole section on the south end, which is where I ended up wandering around until I found the north end. but yeah, really not that difficult.
I'm giving it four stars because my sandwhich was really good, but didn't blow my mind. I got the Rustic California. there are probably other sandwiches that are more mind-blowing however, so i will definitely be back.
Also, if you've ever been to Skratch in Culver City, you'll know that it sets the bar and every other sandwich you will ever eat you will compare to those at Skratch. In my opinion, Skratch trumps Mendocino. but.. it pretty much trumps everything, so don't let that stop you from checking out this place!
For the same reason of why I get excited over food is the same reason why I get scared going to this place - TOO MANY YUMMY CHOICES! Whenever I'm working downtown, I'm always slightly intimated by the lonnnnng lines that form outside of this place. What is the big deal?...I finally decided to dedicate part of my lunch hour to figure it out.
First of all, the line moves quickly, and they take your order as you're standing in line so once you get inside, it's just a matter of seconds before your sandwich is ready. Like most places, there is a pretty extensive menu of the sandwiches they offer, as well as a 'build-your-own" menu.
While you wait for your food and to pay, try the curry salad or spicy potato salad samples. The staff here are upbeat and quick. I'd never thought I'd be excited over a sandwich place.
It's always a great day when I have lunch plans at Mendocino Farms. The best sandwich I've had in Los Angeles so far has been at this place.
Today I got the Steak BLT. It's really everything you'd want in a sandwich. You get these big juicy pieces of carved steak. When you bite into the sandwich, you also taste the roasted tomato and onions that add so much flavor to the meat. And as if that wasn't enough, every now and then you get a bite of that applewood bacon they hide in there to wow your taste buds even more! The rustic white bread they recommend getting with this sandwich is toasted and hearty enough to hold everything together well. You can also really taste the freshness in that bread. One little downside to this sandwich is that its kinda hard to eat because there is so much stuff in it. Definitely not one of those petite sandwiches that you can eat and talk at the same time (also I was quite distracted by my sandwich and lost interest in conversation...)
The Steak BLT exceeded my high expectations, and YES! I would totally get it again. But my favorite Mendocino sandwich remains the Roasted Chicken & Prosciutto.
Oh, I also learnt a new thing today. You can beat the lunchtime crowd by calling in your order. Just tell them what time you want your sandwich, and you can pick it up at the cashier. No more waiting in line :)
We walk here for lunch at least twice a week from the Gas Company Tower a couple blocks away. Lucky for us, we won't have to walk up the stupid hill (Grand) to eat fresh sammiches for much longer. Word on the street is they're opening another one along 5th street less than a block away!
The three of us have our own favorites. The lady of the office usually gets the Highway 128 with the jalapeno relish on the side. My buddy orders the Chicken MBT, while I get the Steak MBT. You really have to check out their website for the menu and descriptions, as I'm too lazy to describe the awesomeness. My favorite seasonal menu items would be the Not-So-Fried Chicken sandwich and the fish sandwich (I forget the name).
The sandwiches are fresh, organic and (so far that we've tried) delicious. The Healthy items aren't too heavy but are enough to fill you up. They also have vegetarian and vegan menu options for your veggie friends (or girlfriend, in my case). Tim's Cascade potato chips are win.
The lines can get pretty long sometimes, but the staff is so fast you hardly notice. The average wait time has never exceeded 10 mins. It sometimes takes me about that much time to decide on something outside of "the usual" anyway. Expect to pay up to 15 bucks a person if you pick up a bag of chips and a drink. The food here really is the best in the area; you get what you pay for...
The best sandwiches downtown.
Fresh high-quality ingredients and Breadbar breads come together with creative flair and expert preparation.
Favorite sandwiches:
1 - Curry chicken on curcuma
2 - "November to remember" - turkey, on buckwheat
3 - Duck confit
I can't wait for the 2nd location to open later this week!
Downtown - oh how you love to throw us off with your lack of normal parking and streets on different levels! Ben F. and I have been dying to try Mendocino Farms. We parked at a weird spot, walked down a weird route to get to 300 S. Grand Ave., and couldn't find the restaurant right away. We finally did - it was kindof empty. The hostess took our orders w/out us stepping a foot inside the place. After our order was taken we sat around for 10+mins. until we were told our food was ready. All this removes 1 star from my review.
We both ordered their steak BLT sandwich and we've concluded that it takes up all 4 stars of this review! It's tasty, enough for me to finish, and messy. The steak is super tender, the bacon added a crispy texture, and the herb aioli was a nice touch. Super ridiculous! Now that we know where it is...and how they operate, we can definitely come back.
Expensive but good place for a quality sandwich.
Wow, fantastic lunch! We had two sandwiches. First was a Kurobuta Pork Belly Banh Mi, with carrots and daikon. It was really tasty and rich. Just a little on the fatty side, of course, but actually pretty lean given that it is pork belly. The second was one of the current special sandwiches: the Heirloom TBL. The heirloom tomato was amazing, and the mascarpone spread added a nice twist to the standard BLT.
We joined a line about 25 people long but it moved fast.
Lunch for two was around $30.
Well for now the secret sandwich I devoured is over with as of yesterday. They have a secret sandwich that you can find out about from the website. Last Thursday I met Deb for lunch down here, line was long but only took about 5 minutes to move through amazingly. Deb got a turkey salad, boring, maybe that's how she has that figure, that and the hours of gym, but I digress, I had the secret sandwich, I was between it and the duck confit sandwich but I knew it was only around for one more day and the duck I have one month to try. I think this concept for a restaurant is really great with seasonal items, fresh ingredients, and quick to go food. Ok OK I will tell the secret....It was a Bacon, peanut butter, banana, and apple sandwich with fresh made peanut butter. The bacon was extremely high quality and tasted the best. The combo of these flavors was so salty sweet savory that I didn't know what to do with it all. I got a habernaro chips to spice it up and I think the creme soda was a total pairing catastrophe but I drank it the same. The sandwich was totally 5 stars for the first 3 or 4 bites but it wore on me and I had trouble finishing the second half. I would love to sample more in the future.
Wish I could give it more stars!!!
Consistently fresh food with the best ingredients, unwavering professional and friendly service - this place is a must for the Bunker Hill lunch crowd. This restaurant has single-handedly jump-started the eatery renaissance in the once poorly lit, sparcely attended California Plaza "food court". I use food court carefully, because the upscale options we have here currently are nothing like the McDonalds/Sbarro's food options you'd connect that term with.
This team has really transformed its space. Prior to that was a near anonymous and bleak looking Starbucks. Did you know it was there? I didn't. That's why I didn't coffee there. But, Mendocino went forward undaunted, taking down walls and covering the front with glass, welcoming patrons with cool pale blue walls and and antique style white furnishings. Huge smiles and the food to back it up!
And, please don't call it a sandwich shop, because they've catered several of my events and the menu and the set-up is enough to rival Patina in sophistication and taste. In fact, most of the times, my guests ask if it was Patina's food. I just smile and say. . ."No, Mendocino Farms". Keep up the amazing work!!
Can't help but like Mendocino. Any of their seasonal specials... go for it.
Be sure to get there before 11:30 or after 2pm.... line is VERY long.
I am absolutely in love with this place. When I was a college student, I came here at least a couple of times a week. Their menu is very unique and creative. I love their seasonal specials, as well as their traditional favorites. I can't say enough. I know that anytime I'll be in LA again, I will be eating there for lunch.
The lines are long, but they move quickly. Their whole operation is excellent, and you never feel like you're waiting for too long. There's always something to do such as look at the menu before you place your order, check out the various kinds of chips they have, and even sample some of their daily salads (which are also great).
I am a big fan and would recommend this place to everyone. 5 stars!!!
Food= 5 stars
Experience= 3 stars
This place definitely wins for the least convenient lunch spot in all of Los Angeles County. First you have to figure out that it's inside of a mini-mall and not an actual restaurant. Second, you have to find parking. If you're like me, you'll use their underground parking and bring your ticket for validation and (hopefully) free parking. DO NOT DO THIS! Mendocino Farms does NOT validate parking. Who knows why this is, but on top of my already pricey meal I ended up having to pay an additional $12 in parking for the 25 minutes I spent eating!!
The absolute most inconvenient thing about Mendocino Farms is that they're only open 11am-3pm M-F. No delicious weekend sandwiches for you, and you can just forget about dinner! Mendocino Farms must know it's so good that it can keep you at arms length and still have you pining for more.
Based off of several recommendations, I tried the vegan shwarma with a side salad of greens, plums, and nuts. The shwarma was amazing-- totally rich and perfectly cooked and seasoned. The falafel practically melts in your mouth, and the whole sandwich is amazing down to the last bite. The salad I got was equally impressive, and even though I'm not a fruit-in-my-green-salad kind of girl, I thought all the flavors complimented each other very well.
Bonus points for having all vegan items clearly labeled and for letting you sample their side salads before ordering one. The staff is also outrageously friendly and helpful!
If Mendocino Farms can open up a location where eating there is made just a tad easier, I'll be a regular!
I don't really get it. People rave about this place but I thought it is just OK. Maybe I am not a sandwich person. I thought they are pretty expensive for sandwiches (although it is generally hard to get cheap lunch downtown).
Another Catering Review...
I l-o-v-e this place! It's young, hip and trendy but not in a negative sense. They use produce from local farmers and are all about freshness and the highest yummy factor they can possibly provide. Everything has wonderful flavor and they put there own special twist on the classic lunch not just may-o and mustard slapped on some bread here! Sandwiches and Salads here are great! Even offered are special seasonal selections which are always creative and delish.
My favorite thing that I always snag off the platters I order for lunch meetings is the -Steak BLT which is
Hand-carved steak, applewood bacon, romaine lettuce, tomato, herb aioli & balsamic roasted onion. The flavor is ridiculous and a party in my mouth! Nothing like cold steak to get you through your day plus the roasted onions add a sweetness to the flavor but don't over power.
On the flip side a great veggie option is the -Caprese
Gioia fresh mozzarella, tomato, basil pesto spread, balsamic vinegar & organic farmer's market greens.
BTW everyone goes ape shit for the baked goods. Cookies are off the chain and the brownies are the scrumptious!
MF has a great selection of organic sodas, teas and juices. Tastiest salads that you'd think you paid three times more for and the chips they carry are so addicting!
The staff is friendly and I actually call and talk to a few of the same people (depending on time of day) regularly to place orders. Everyone I have dealt with is full of energy and just nice. Great change of pace. I adore local vendors that know me and that I can establish a business relationship with. MF always come through for me and make me look good. I have never been disappointed!
P.S. Appetizer Platters all I have to say is they mean business. I completely impressed the tummy's of my boss and co-workers at a staff meeting by catering some finger food platters.
It's high society flavor with local touch and at a very reasonible price!
(only reason for 4 stars not 5 stars is because there's no such thing as perfection! But they are very close to perfect!)
If they brought back the braised lamb sandwich, my life would be complete. I mourn it in a serious and unhealthy way. That said, I still get lunch here 3 times a week. No better sandwich around.
(The salads are kinda mediocre - skip 'em. But the soups are divine.)
what a sandwich...Oven roast chicken and prosciutto on fresh ciabatta, bread grilled panini style with basil pesto, balsamic, mozzarella cheese, tomato, and honey roasted almonds.
Based on all the spectacular reviews, I promise to revisit Mendocino the next time I'm downtown and raise the rating.
Based on my singular visit, I was first stuck in a very long line. Lots of young, fun-loving professionals in line here, so it's a cheery line, but a long line nonetheless, so be sure you have plenty of time.
Having never been, a person in line recommended the chicken curry salad sandwich on curcama hazelnut bread. None the wiser, I ordered that sandwich and proceeded to pick it up and pay--and discovered the reason the line is so long all the time; Mendocino has no clue how to distribute the sandwiches, take cash and churn people through the door. They've got like 2 and 1/2 registers going, people plunging forward to grab their food and looking for whomever is ready to take their credit cards, hands reaching over and crossing over hands, and all in front of stations with condiments or napkins or cups or whatever that people need to grab before they leave. No matter how you cut it, before you leave Mendocino, you will have been in someone's way at some point. The place needs to improve this system and the lines will be shorter--I promise.
So I ordered the wrong sandwich. Stay away from the chicken curry sandwich. It's gross at best--like some kind of purple, yellow slop scraped out of the LA river. The ingredients don't come together at all. The bread from another planet doesn't help. Felt like I was chowing on something from a Dr. Seuss book, only it wasn't tasty and it wasn't green.
I am hoping that Mendocino isn't one of these places that tries to do too much--but based on what I've read, they seem to make some really tasty sandwiches. Also, it's great that they take some risks in trying to concoct taste extravaganzas. Next time I go back I'll try a different sandwich and maybe adjust the rating.
i wrote this review before i ate the second half of my sandwich. i am 1/4 through it and i have pulled two large sized bones out of my mouth while eating the duck confit sandwich. really disappointed.
original review below..
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three and a half stars.
THE GOOD:
duck confit sandwich. wow. so good. really fresh. crispy duck skin pieces. fresh spinach. all around a really good sandwich and this is saying a lot because i think that ciabatta is the most overrated bread ever and that is what this sandwich (and most of their other sandwiches) is served on.
dill pickle potato chips. these are hard to find anywhere. i was delighted to pick up a bag of them after i made my order.
friendly staff. everyone was nice and helpful. one guy gave me a huge sample of the vegan dill potato salad and it was VERY good. fortunately he gave me so much of it that i didn't feel the need to actually order any.
speaking of vegan-- there are a fair number of delicious sounding vegan options here. i am not vegan and i rarely eat vegan but i love finding new restaurants that have good vegan things-- it's such a pleasure to feed vegan people something new. i look forward to recommending this to friends.
THE NOT GREAT:
pork belly bahn mi sandwich. by the time i unwrapped this sandwich (5 mins or so) the bread on the bottom was completely soggy and falling apart. fail. the flavors were alright but i felt like there was too much of the pork belly. i know this might sound weird to complain of too much meat but proper bahn mi sandwiches are light on meat and this one had a ton of pork belly. i really wish it would have been on a baguette but it was also on ciabatta. more jalapenos would have been nice too. the pork belly really overwhelms the cilantro and other veggies and causes the sandwich to not taste like bahn mi even though all of the components are there.
i guess this place is 'eco friendly' which i think is really cool. there are compost and recycling bins located outside of the ordering area. this made me happy but while i was sitting and eating i realized that they use a big paper-place-mat sized page for each sandwich ordered. it's basically their menu and then they circle the sandwich you ordered and pass it to the sandwich makers. seems really wasteful as everyone just throws it away two minutes later. a whole huge piece of paper. there must be some digital solution for this or smaller pieces of paper or something.
THE BAD:
this place is nearly impossible to find. it's inside of a business center kind of plaza and we had to circle from 2nd and grand to 6th and whatever the street east of grand is TWICE before we found a parking spot. the other option was to risk paying 49.50 dollars for parking inside of the 300 s. grand parking garage. the parking is like 12 dollars every ten minutes in that garage. scary.
i wish there was another location. i would gladly come back if it wasn't such a hassle to park/find. if i am in the area again i would definitely grab another sandwich but i wouldn't make a special trip again. i am sure this place is really great for everyone who works in the area.
oh-- and i could see a bunch of big ocean spray brand cranberry sauce containers sitting in the back area. there's nothing fresh or eco friendly about buying in cranberry sauce from a giant corporation that does haulage all over the planet but okayyyy.
For a while, I had avoided Mendocino Farms because:
#1 - Their line is always long during lunchtime
#2 - Pretty pricey for sandwiches
However, I finally decided to give it a try after getting tired of eating at Skew's or Salads 2000. After staring at their menu the entire time I waited in line, I decided to go for the Chicken MBT ($8.25).
The Chicken MBT on ciabatta bread is made up of "roasted chicken, local Gioia fresh mozzarella, basil pesto, tomato, balsamic vinegar, and organic farmer's market greens" (copied off their menu). It was absolutely delicious! The basil pesto and balsamic vinegar are so flavorful! Everything is super fresh. =)
4 1/2 stars for Mendocino Farms - their Chicken MBT was amazing, but I wish it could be a little cheaper. But I HIGHLY recommend it! I guess you're basically paying for the quality and fresh ingredients!
I had the barbecue chicken sandwich, and I really didn't enjoy it. My friend had a salad that looked pretty good.
I will probably go back, but definitely skip the BBQ chicken sandwich!
i give it a ten! this place (as I shake my head) is just spot on. i recommend the prosciutto & roasted chicken ( i also have a coworker that swears by the brie & steak sandy), calling it in ahead of time so you don't have to wait in line with the newbies and wearing comfortable shoes cause its a hike to get to. thankfully they're opening a new location in the citi plaza! the other helpful hint is that the place is a little hidden, refer to the pictures so you can familiarize yourself with your surroundings. happy hunting.
Damn you and your Vegan Avocado Israeli Couscous, Mendocino Farms. It's become more than an addiction and now just some sort of sick and twisted obsession. I subscribe to your daily specials in anticipation for your couscous announcement. If I see it I excuse myself from the office shortly after 11AM to pick something very important up, ahem. Eh, they all know what it is when I hustle back with my plastic container filled with a green goodness of couscous pearls saturated in buttery avocado creaminess and dotted with sweet ripe cherry tomatoes. Mendocino knows too. I am the pest who keeps asking when you are going to make it next. I am the one who gave you the evil eye when you told me you sold out. Never again. I will never come after 12:00. Ever.
Besides that, I have tried a large variety of the sammies, even the meaty ones. Here is the run down:
Lobster Roll: This is a seasonal summer affair, of course one of the most expensive, but worth the splurge with the large, succulent chunks of sweet lobster delivered in a soft light bun. Not a lot of other fillers to distract from the lobster.
Vegan Shwarma: One of my favorites! The lentil and white bean "shwarma," vegan tzatiki, red onions and tomatoes wrapped in a tortilla and grilled is pure awesometown in your mouth.
BBQ Pulled Pork: Really tasty shredded pork meat, but maybe just too much filling and too bread with the foccacia roll. I got this one time for my boss who's from the south, and she just got confused with all the extra stuff.
Caprese: Meh, don't waste your time with this one. It's nothing to write home about. Just a simple basil, tomato and mozzarella melt.
Fort Bragg Melt: One of the finest tuna melts you're ever gonna eat. I always get this on buckwheat bread because the nutty flavor compliments the smoked gouda better than the white bread. PS. No mayo in their tuna concoction.
Citrus Tuna: Meh, a little disappointed with one after loving their other tuna sammie (Fort Bragg) so much. It's good if you want something light and refreshing. This would be a good one to make into a salad, actually.
Drunk'n Goat in Paris: I get annoyed having this because I want a good pinot noir with it and I can't because I'm at work and it just pisses me off that I can't have my vino so I stay away from this one. Just a warning that it's pretty sweet.
PB & Honey: You gotta get this at least once in your lifetime. It's a $9 peanut butter sandwich that weighs at least 2 lbs and its bigger than your face. Ok, so it's not just PB, but also honey, caramelized bananas & apples, roasted almonds and extra goeyness that comes from the Mendocino tar pits. My colleagues get this a lot and I make fun of them for spending $9 on a PB sandwich, but they swear by it. Once was enough for me! But maybe you'll be swooned into giving it do over status as well. Don't say I didn't warn you!
Besides the sandwiches, the workers are all super cutesty wootsy and friendly. I want to just go up to them and squeeze their cheeks, but alas, self constraint is performed with due diligence.
I've been eyeing their lamb sandwich so stay tuned for more updates!
THIS PLACE IS DELICIOUS!!!!
I wish I would have known about this place sooner because my last day working in LA is on Tuesday. But as a good-bye lunch my co-worker and I decided to go here thinking it was close by. It was pretty far for us to walk but it was well worth it.
We called in our order because they said it was pretty busy around lunch time. I ordered the Wine Country Steak & Brie with no tomato and my co-worker ordered the "Old School" Muffaletta.
The steak on the Wine Country Steak & Brie sandwich was so juicy and so tender. And there was just enough cheese to have in each bite. The onions were grilled to perfection and the mushrooms were really good. I'm not a big fan of horseradish but the horseradish crema was not that bad on the sandwich. Next time I probably would order without.
My co-worker said that in New Orleans they make a sandwich similar to the Muffaletta and she said that it tasted just as good. She said that even though its pretty far she still would go back.
I wish this place was more of a restaurant because it would be so nice to eat inside, but its more of a pick-up and go place. There are no tables inside, but I do recommend to place your order before you go because the line is sooooo long. I also wished that this place was open longer than 11-3 because it would be a great place to pick up dinner.
I definitely recommend this place!!! I want to go back so bad! I might just have to take some trips to LA once in a while to go back!
The sandwich shop is in the water court, and there's usually a long line spilling out the door. Sandwiches start at $8 and then slowly move to $10-13 range for the fancier shit (i.e. anything with cheese of goat). They have small bags of Tim's 'tater chips for $1.50 as well as various salads and soups. A nice guy near the front of the line will usually give out free samples of the salads and soups. Take advantage of that. You can save money by drinking their free water, which is provided near the salad/soup guy.
I had the "Highway 128," which was a standard chicken sandwich with cranberry sauce, only all the ingredients were described in short phrases. Why do people wait in long lines for a ridiculously expensive sandwich that is double the price and half the size of a processed $5 footlong? Maybe because it's... http://stuffwhitepeopl...
Mendocino Farms is my favorite Downtown lunch spot.
Not one of my favorites, but MY FAVORITE.
Now I could rant on and on about their food, their fresh ingredients, their variety of breads, meats and cheeses, the perfect combination of flavors in their well crafted sandwiches...basically the amazingness that is Mendocino, but I'm not going to. What I'm going to do is tell you to get your butt down to Downtown before spring ends because I just tried the most amazing sandwich I've ever had at Mendocino (and that's saying a lot!).
Spring 2009 Seasonal Menu - Asparagus Gruyere Mac & Cheese Sandwich.
Yes, a mac and cheese sandwich.
Take two pieces of fresh white bread, stuff it full of gruyere covered pasta, asparagus, tomatoes, swiss chard, and red onions, and then press in a panini press. I don't know how they got that to work, but the sweetness of the swiss chard offsets the cheese in the mac and cheese and the whole thing is just one big sandwich of amazingness.
If you don't make it in time to try this concoction of pasta and bread or if you don't have the luxury of working across the street (such a perk!), everything I've tried at Mendocino is good. I personally prefer a hearty sandwich, but their salads are also fresh and flavorful and their side pasta salads are tasty too.
Wow! Mendocino Farms wins best sandwich on my food list.
In general, I HATE sandwiches. Why? They bring me back to the days when I was a little girl and ate plain sandwiches of ham and Kraft American cheese or bologna. Ah! No more!
Mendocino Farms makes sandwiches right. Fresh ingredients, tasty meats, and savory sauces on bread that is toasted, panini pressed, or plain. Every time I look at their menu, I become indecisive of which sandwich I want, procrastinating to order until I'm called upon.
So far I've tried the following sandwiches.
* Kurobuta Pork Belly Banh Mi
* Chef Judy's Turkey Meatball Sub
* Crispy Crab Cake Sandwich
Of the three, Kurobuta pork belly banh mi is my all-time favorite. I ordered this sandwich the first few visits before being brave enough to try something different. I loved it that much. I fell in love with the braised and carmelized Kurobuta pork belly with chili aioli and pickled veggies. Yum! This was definitely a gourmet version of the Vietnamese banh mi and was worth every penny despite the cost.
Their crispy crab cake sandwich tasted pretty good. It was not what I expected. The crab cake patty must have been homemade because they shaped the patty to fit the square ciabatta bread. Every bite had a bit of tomato, greens, crab cake, and lemon relish aioli sauce. No mouthful went unfulfilled.
However, the turkey meatball sub was forgettable. It was very healthy, indeed. They no longer serve the sub as it was a seasonal special. I surely won't miss it.
Most recently, I took another Yelper's advice and called in my order. What a breeze! I skipped the long line, arrived at the front register, payed, and then promptly received my food. Awesome.
Besides the food, I commend Mendocino Farms on their green initiative. In addition to their recycling programs (such as separating food from recyclables), they even use brown paper bags for each order. No styrofoam boxes here.
5 stars for the best sandwiches in downtown!
DANK!!!!!!!!!!!!! DANK!!!!!!!!!!!! DANK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Not only is the food amazing, but chicks go there to pick up on guys. What more do you want out of a sando shop
I've been to Mendocino Farms plenty of times now and I really wish:
a) my office was closer
b) I had more money
c) a bigger stomach
d) more money
Oh wait, yeah, I already said that. But really, if I had the dough, I'd try something here every day until I toured the whole menu! Then again, it's not an easy task because between the daily specials of soup and various cold side salads, there's the "secret sandwich of the month" as well as seasonal sandwiches. All this translates to I need more money, another mouth and a bigger stomach so I can really eat here all the time.
A couple of weeks ago, I tried the Cubano Americano Italiano. It was a good sandwich but for some reason, my brain was fixated on the aspargus mac and cheese panini. I didn't get it and for the last couple of weeks, I've plotting when I could go back. C'mon, a mac and cheese sandwich! Must get it. Must have it. Must.must.must!
So today, Erica R and I split one of those as well as Rustic California.
Asparagus Mac and Cheese Panini (from the Seasonal sandwiches)- "Shell Pasta with Cave Aged Gruyere, Grilled Green Farm's Asparagus, Tomatoes, Sauteed Swiss Chard, and Pickled Red Onions, Panini Pressed on Rustic White." What the hell is cave-aged gruyere? Cave aged cheese? I'm there!
As it turned out the sandwich was really not a thing of cheesy, creamy mac and cheese between toast. It really was like a veggie sandwich with some lightly cheesy pasta shells. It was really good with bits of crunchy breadcrumbs on the mac. Ah, but you know what? I kept thinking it needed bacon! Sure, I loved the pickled red onions and the swiss chard was awesome but this would be out of this world with some bacon.
We were torn between the (seasonal) crab cake sandwich or the chicken curry sandwich. But since Erica loves spicy food, we decided to try the Rustic California.
Rustic California- "fresh local farm turkey, hot pepper jack, smoked gouda, avocado, chili aioli, jalapeno relish, tomato, romaine lettuce, side of chipotle salsa"
I only dribbled a bit of the chipotle salsa on and it was fine for me. Erica may have used just slightly more (ha!). I really enjoyed the cheese in this. Heck, this had more cheese flavor than the mac and cheese panini. Still, I think they need to not chop up the romaine lettuce because it pretty much had all fallen out.
No, I'll be back again for that chicken curry on the Curcama hazelnut bread which is my fave bread there. Sometimes I substitute that bread and get it panini-pressed which doesn't always work for some of their sandwiches but I don't care, I love that bread!
The crazy thing is now I've completely changed my mind on their side salads. While they are enchantingly described, they're usually just okay or pretty good. Lemonade has better side salads (albeit theirs are more oily). Today, I had the pork pozole soup with black beans. Eh. I would have liked a thicker soup. This soup was just broth, pork and black beans. No onions or cilantro. Still, I come to Mendo for their sandwiches.
We got here just before noon and beat the rush. Otherwise, this place is packed until probably after 2 p.m. They are only open Monday through Fridays and are open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sandwiches are on average $8-9, some like that crabcake can be more. Seating is outdoors but near Mendo is a covered area.
Oh, as for wishing Mendo was closer? They're building a second location a block away from me. I just need to work on the money thing.
Now that I've had the mac and cheese sandwich, I can rest easy.
I'm so excited that one of my good friends just started a job in Downtown. It means I get to eat in… Read more »
Am I still in downtown??!
*turns head and gets a peek of city cabs on Grand*
Oh, wow...I am!
Biting into my warm 'Asparagus Gruyere Mac & Cheese' sandwich with its crunchy artisan bread sort of whisked me off to a different place...maybe a country road stand with freshly grown ingredients and farm animals pecking around the table. It was just so un-concrete jungle-like! From the friendly staff to the "featured local" goodies to the unconventional chips and beverages and of course to the food itself!
Shauna and I split that and the 'Rustic California' sandwich (the spice factor drew me in, tee hee).....hot pepper jack, chili aioli, jalapeno relish (this really sounds hotter than it is), a side of chipotle salsa (oh yeah, the really moist turkey) then avocado, tomato & romaine to cool it down.
Wash it down with a glass bottle of IBC root beer and we've got a winner everybody! I can't wait for my next visit.....and the next....and, well you catch the drift.
one of the best sandwich places i've been to. great menu with fresh and quality ingredients (even offers a banh mi for you vietnamese sandwich lovers). i wanna say everything is organic here, but don't hold me to that. will def come back to this place when i'm in the area. people who go to lunch in pershing square everyday are stoked to have this place as an option.
OK, for starters, I'm really disappointed with the line. Not disappointed because there was a line- I'm bummed it wasn't long enough. I've read all the yelps about the line that snakes around the building. I was picturing 75 alpha males in suits - bankers, lawyers, silver foxes, etc. Right?
Wrong. The line was 15 people long at any given time. No alpha males. No silver foxes. Just me and my Lobster roll.
Look, I'm not really into food. I'm a nice girl looking for a baby daddy. The yelps I've read made me really excited to try all the sandwiches. The lobster roll was okay. The water? Gimme a break. Mendocino Farms water? Come on. I suspect this place is a marketing ploy. If you are an organic, green restaurant all about sustainability, why are you selling bullshit 12 oz water bottles? Get a water cooler. Or at the very least, how about a recycling bin?
Okay. Moving on.
FREAKING LOVE THIS PLACE.
Probably one of the things I miss most about working in LA when back home or on assignment elsewhere. Made to order sandwich cant be beat -- with all the fresh veggies and guaranteed anti-biotic meat, i mean...you cant go wrong.
Miss you, Mendo's.
With love, from washington, dc
So friggen good.....Who knew a sandwich could be described as fantastic? Apparently a lot of people share the same opinion, judging by the lines and the Yelp reviews. I had been wanting to try this place for the longest time but I had never had the excuse to make the trek from the "other side" of downtown. Luckily a friend of mine who works in Cal Plaza invited me and another friend to lunch (early!) and we walked over to Mendocino Farms.
I ordered the Heirloom TBL and he tried the Untraditional Lobster Roll. Both were superb! The lobster roll was filled with HUGE chunks of lobster tail. Very fresh! Our other friend ordered the Lemongrass Steak Banh Mi and kept marveling how good the sauce was.
My only gripe is that this place is too expensive for an everyday lunch, but I do think the prices are justified given the quality of the ingredients and the fact that everything is locally grown.
I think I may have found my new favorite downtown lunch place.
I would probably rate this a 3.5 given what I had today. I had their fancy BLT (or Heirloom TBL as its called) with the vegetarian bacon. I think the sandwich with the real bacon would have been amazing, but the veggie bacon, which is the Morningstar Farms type, couldn't stand up to the sweetness of the heirloom tomatoes and the tang of what I think was a Balsamic vinaigrette. They have a vegetarian version, but I liked the idea of Heirloom tomatoes and arugula in my sandwich, so I went with the Heirloom version. The bread though, was really good. They have a good veggie selection and even vegan options too so yay! I wasn't super keen on my pick for the day, but certainly would go back to try something else. The quality of the ingredients is great - it is a pricey sandwich, but you get quality ingredients. I still have Ike's Place in SF and M Cafe's Tempeh BLT as my top veggie sandwich choice, but Mendocino could get on the list too.
My friend had the steak BLT which she really liked. She really enjoyed the spread on it and I tried some of the tomatoes that came on it. They were REALLY amazing fire-roasted tomatoes. That would be good on anything I swear!
We had a REALLY hard time finding the place though. It's on Grand and 3rd, near the OMNI hotel and across the street from the KooKooRoo. It's located sort of on the lower floor next to a froyo place where there is a food court. We also paid $4 an hour for parking on the street. EFF!! We headed towards the food court, but because the store doesn't have a very good sign, we didn't realize we were staring right at it as we wondered if the large line might be an awesome sandwich place. We walked to the end of the corridor, looked at a map that was really confusing and said that it was located on the upper floor (we were actually on the "upper floor," but it was below street level . . . wtf does that make any sense?). We went up the escalator to street level, walked into the Wells Fargo Center, where the very friendly staff directed us back downstairs. YEESH.
It ended up being where the hugantic line was. We should have known - the line doesn't compare to any of the other places. I was worried it was going to take a while, but you basically decide in line, order at the front of the line, wait a couple mins, and pay at the end. It was even faster than a Subway store on a busy day. We also bought a bag of olive oil fried potato chips with sea salt that were touted as "the best ANYWHERE." They were not, so don't spend the $5.
Extra points for having a recycling and composting bin outside the store. :D Friendly staff abounds as well. They were so charming I donated to their charity event.
I work downtown a few days a week and sometimes I don't bring lunch. When I feel like spending a few extra bucks I go to this place.
They have really tasty food , with really solid vegetarian choices! Soyrizo burrito was good, as was the not BLT. I give extra points for tasty non meat alternatives that go the extra mile to be inventive. My girlfriend really liked the macaroni and cheese sandwich they had as a special. CARB Sandwich! Everything here could use a touch less salt though.
Like others have mentioned , don't go to this place if you are in a hurry, as the line at lunch can be super long. They shuffle you through pretty quick but the area near the register when paying and waiting for your food is total chaos. It is a little expensive for a sandwich so treat yourself.
20 percent off
Neighborhood: Mid-City West
Late Lunch Special
Neighborhood: Pasadena
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Sandwiches
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Sandwiches
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Sandwiches
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Sandwiches
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Restaurants
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