Business Insider/Dennis Green
The Peruvian steak sandwich at Mendocino Farms.
- Mendocino Farms is a Los Angeles-based sandwich chain with a bit of a following.
- The chain is famous for its fresh ingredients and commitment to tasty and locally sourced ingredients.
- The chain currently only has locations in California, but it has announced plans to open a restaurant in Houston, Texas, in 2019.
- I visited Mendocino Farms on a recent trip to Southern California to see what all the fuss is about.
Mendocino Farms is a jewel.
That's the only way to describe this relatively small chain of fast-casual restaurants that has made a name for itself on the West Coast for its "better sandwich" concept.
What's a "better sandwich?" Think mid-priced (like $11 to $13) sandwiches, all made with gourmet ingredients that are sourced locally and organic when possible.
That approach has filled a niche in the market and attracted the attention of partners like Whole Foods, which first invested an undisclosed amount in the sandwich chain back in 2015. It has also attracted plenty of customers and helped the chain to expand to 22 locations, with eight more on the way, including one in Houston, Texas.
That shop, announced earlier this year, will be Mendocino Farms' first location outside of California.
On a recent trip to the Los Angeles area, I decided to check out what a "better sandwich" is all about: