Vancouver Sandwich Shop Opens in Downtown Austin

Meat & Bread, the anticipated Vancouver-based fast-casual sandwich mini-chain, opened its only American location earlier this March ahead of South by Southwest. The 360 Nueces Street, Suite 20 restaurant opened on Tuesday, March 8.

The porchetta sandwich — boneless pork roast stuffed a spice rub, salsa verde, and herbs — is the star of Meat & Bread’s menu, served along with cracklings and a salsa verde. Also on deck are sandwiches with meatballs, Buffalo chicken, peppercorn beef, and grilled cheeses.

There are also dips, ranging from truffle-parmesan to habanero-cilantro cream. Other items include a daily soup (such as tomato), salads like the kale Caesar or broccoli farro with optional protein add-ons, beers, wines, and other beverages.

Behind the Austin location is couple Ernie Villarreal and Lindsay Jordan Villarreal, who are licensees of Meat & Bread and own the master franchise rights for the Austin area. Ernie had wanted to open a restaurant focusing on porchetta for a while, discovered Meat & Bread on YouTube, and decided to reach out about opening a franchise location.

The original Meat & Bread co-owners Frank Harrington and Cord Jarvie opened their first location in Vancouver in 2010 and expanded in the city with an additional one in Calgary. There were locations in Seattle, but that has since closed.

The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday; there are indoor and patio dining areas.

Update, Wednesday, March 23, 4:52 p.m.: This article, originally published on March 21, has been updated to reflect the ingredients of the porchetta and the Villarreals’ relationship to Meat & Bread.

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