The Bear and the Bee

*** In Short ***
Tasty deli/​café food with quality ingredients in a cozy space.
*** In Depth ***
The first of many food stops on my most recent Seattle trip was… a sandwich place? Those of you who know me know that I’m not one to usually go for sandwiches when I eat out, but the name of the game here was location and convenience, given that the friends I met up with could only take a quick lunch break. We all ordered our own sandwiches, with myself ordering the:
* The Messica — Honestly, I would have opted for the Schoolhouse Tunafish instead, but I tend to be a little wary when it comes to seafood, especially when one wrong turn might ruin the rest of a foodie vacation! That said, opting for something a little on the lighter side wasn’t a poor decision by any means, as the Messica was still quite tasty. I was a little disappointed to part ways with the other half of the sandwich, but there was more food to be had, and no place to store it (in my stomach, or otherwise)!
* Kale Caeser — If you like kale, and you like Caesar salad, this is a pretty good bet. Seasoned and dressed just right, as to not be overbearing.
* Mud Cookie — I don’t have a second stomach for dessert, and I certainly didn’t have room, given how much I was going to eat the rest of the day, but… I also have very little self control. So, I had to get one of these after seeing it at the register. And yanno what? They’re deliciously dense, rich, and fantastic. I imagine they’re even better warm, but alas, one can only do so much while traveling.
***Accessibility Info***
Venue — A handful of outdoor seating, with indoor seating being of mix of high tops (if I recall correctly) up front, and standard height tables in the back, with a bench on the wall side, and regular pull out chairs on the other. Space was a little tight in the back, but nothing inaccessible.
Bathroom — Accessible!

I love this place! Sandwiches are great and they will make any sandwich into a salad! I had the BLTO salad and it was amazing. My boyfriend loves the Messica. My only complaint is I wish it were open longer!!!

A great Italian sandwich! I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad Muffuletta or a similar version of one. I love sandwiches and I was looking for a place that wasn’t a Jimmy Johns, Jersey Mike’s, or Subway so I made my way up to this sandwich spot for lunch. I really liked the music they played and the workers behind the counter were really friendly. I also like that they promote local events on their wall.

I don’t like tunafish sandwiches, but I like their tunafish sandwich. Why do we say ‘tunafish’ anyway? Isn’t that redundant? Or is there some sort of tasty tasty tunapig out there that I don’t know about yet?

Cute place. I love the ambiance and décor of this sandwich shop. We ordered the Milan-​Torino and Hot Chicago sandwiches. Both were good, and I especially liked the Hot Chicago sandwich. The Milan-​Torino has a lot of yummy cuts of meat, but I think there was too much vinegar on the bread. It was a little overpowering to me. I would definitely come back to try their other sandwiches.

It was a nice day out, wasnt feeling the places around my office, so I decided to branch out from my normal weekly lunch routine and walked further than normal to this spot. Came in around noon, wasnt too busy and was able to place my order pretty quickly.
I decided to get the «Jedi Mind Trick» because of its cool name and it’s a pulled pork kind of sandwich with white cheddar, gravy, fried onions on a tasty brioche bun. It was pretty good, pork was a little dry, wished it had more gravy but overall it was good. Crispy fried onions were awesome on top! Also comes with some delicious horseradish to dip. Maybe dining in is a better option for this sandwich than to-​go.
I had to get one of those delicious cookies they have too, «mud cookie» (choco, caramel, cocoa) Perfect treat for that late afternoon sweet tooth!
Overall, it was a pretty good sandwich shop, interesting looking sandwiches on the board, will have to come back to try out some others. The place was relaxed & comfortable, nice woody décor, some seats outside and staff was friendly.

I wouldn’t eat here if you are a vegetarian.
I ordered the soup and the veggie sandwich (the Slow Prey) and they were both fine, but not outstanding. Also, it was pretty offensive what they charged — $ 6 for a decent bowl of vegetable soup and $ 9.50 for a veggie sandwich is just a bad value.
Fine, I get it, people come here for the meat sandwiches. But then don’t charge the same amount for what turned out to be a lame vegetable sandwich with a slice of cheese on there. Just not a good value for the money.

Pros:
Friendly staff
Nice atmosphere
Good quality food
Cons:
The Jedi Mind Trick sandwich was about the size of Yoda’s palm, and probably still not big enough to fill him up. No side included, no chips, nothing. I am a small man I still left feeling hungry. The pork is ok, but no added flavor, just the porky flavor, no sweetness, no BBQ sauce, no marinade, just pork.
For $ 9.50 a sandwich this place a is big miss for me. I expect at the bare minimum I won’t leave feeling hungry still. If your thinking I’ll get a Brussel sprout salad to go with it, $ 7.
Put that sandwich on a larger Macrina bun and I might come back. They should call it Jedi Mind Trick Slider for $ 9.50.

Home of the Jedi Mind Trick, Bear and the Bee is sandwich as art and will leave you hangry no more. Good work deserves appreciation, your tastebuds won’t be disappointed.
Delish lineup:
— Jedi Mind Trick: clear standout — pulled pork with crispy onions (brilliant! who thought of this.) cheddar on toasted brioche
— Messica (Smoked turkey, sweet peppers, tomato caper pesto, greens, cheese) — perfectly pressed sandwich — lots of flavors working well together
— Southpaw (thinly sliced Black Forest ham, swiss, sweet and sour slaw) — the slaw adds an unexpected tang, nice kick to the Black Forest. Anything but boring
— Milan-​Torino (sopressata, capocollo, provolone, pepperoncini) — coworker loved this, meat lovers dream
Waist not, want not. Head here to cure your hangry-​over

Sandwich lovers, rejoice.
I was in search of something for lunch today, but didn’t really want to hit up any of my bookmarks (does that happen to anybody else)? Like any other Unilocaler, I took to Unilocal for suggestions.
I came across the Bird and The Bee, so I decided to scan their menu. Quite a few things sounded tasty, so it sounded like a no-​brainer.
First impression: this place is so god damn cute. It has that rustic, modern style that every Seattle restaurant tries so hard to attain. Exposed bricks, lots of wooden décor (even the utensils are lined with wood), a chalkboard menu, and lots of Seattle advertisements on the walls… Adorable. It deserves two stars just for the appearance.
I had a few that I was debating between but I ended up getting the Jedi Mind Trick: pulled pork, white cheddar, syrah gravy (honestly don’t know what that is), crispy onion on a brioche style bun.
My goodness. I was worried about the pork being kind of dry but it wasn’t… It was so perfect. The onions weren’t all soggy either, they were nice and crispy. Everything about the sandwich was PERFECT — they serve it with some kind of dijon mustard on the side and that just takes it over the top. It also comes with a little pickle, which is always a plus for me (avid pickle lover).
Know that it’s a little bit of a wait because the sandwiches are made to order, and not just sitting around.
The Bear and The Bee has made a fan out of me — I can’t wait to come back!

With both fast casual and formal burger joints on the rise in just about every state in the country, it’s always nice to see someone diversify a bit and offer up sandwiches that bridge that gap between deli and burger joint. The Bear and the Bee does that exceptionally well.
Star 1: How were the service and atmosphere?
With a very natural wood inspired interior décor and a trendy group of employees who are as efficient as they are knowledgeable, my friend and I thoroughly enjoyed our experience and the atmosphere at TB&B from start to finish. You order at the counter, have a seat, and your order is brought to you within maybe five to ten minutes tops. Well played. Star Granted.
Star 2: How were the portions relative to the cost?
$ 15 is my absolute cap for a sandwich of essentially any kind, and that fluctuates down to between $ 10 and $ 12 for more casual spots. In that my sandwich here was pulled pork, I’ll go ahead and apply the same standard; and that being the case, my $ 9.50 jedi mind trick sandwich was priced just about right. This was a substantial portion. Star Granted.
Stars 3 and 4: How was the food?
The jedi mind trick is a unique blend of ingredients that’s executed in a way that the sandwich is more than a sum of its parts. I’ll admit that the brioche bun, which I’m typically a huge fan of, was a tad bit on the weak side in that there wasn’t much flavor to what was already a pretty large bun, but everything else made up for that nicely. Having been in Texas the past two and a half years, I can safely say that the pulled pork was up to a reasonable standard (could have used a tad bit more flavor instead of relying on sauce and cheese), and the cheese and crispy fried onion straws delivered some good texture. Was this among the best sandwiches I’ve ever had? Probably not, but it was certainly good. Single Star Granted.
Star 5: Would you eat here every day if you could?
This is a close one, but I enjoyed the atmosphere, service, and overall ownership that The Bear and the Bee has for it’s hometown that I would gladly make this a daily spot even if I wasn’t eating. That’s rare, and kudos to the owners and staff for bringing everything together so nicely. Star Granted.

Great place in Belltown to grab lunch on the weekends! On the weekends, I don’t always want to go all out for brunch but want something quick yet quality to eat when heading downtown. It was so good, we went two weekends in a row!
This place is perfect for that! The Jedi Mind Trick was a bit too rich for me (no veggies), but the Roast Beast and the ham sandwich I got were outstanding! The shaved Brussels sprouts are a must!
I think next time my husband and I are going to each get an order of the shaved Brussels sprouts and split a sandwich!

5 stars for the Jedi Mind Trick. I will definitely be taking another work field trip just for that… a generous portion of pulled pork on a brioche bun with gravy, cheese and a sprinkle of fried onion friends. Yes, yes, yes.
Hot Chicago was solid as well, hot pickled vegis are always my friend. However I have to say Potbelly’s still wins my heart here.
Cozy little spot, limited seating, but we had no problem grabbing a bar stool at ~12:30.

It’s everything I’d personally want from a sandwich shop: tasty quality ingredients all bought locally so you know it’s fresh. Unlike Homegrown, these sandwiches are NO JOKE. If you can devour them in one seating, more power to you! What’s also great is you can pair your sandwich with a beer (move over Honey Hole!)
I’d recommend coming a bit early to avoid the lunch rush. Because their sandwiches are huge and prepared and cooked from scratch it may take a while. The Jedi Mind Trick is a must (although not for the faint at heart). The Shaved Brussels Sprouts salad is also a great complement to any sandwich and can be shared (if you want to!).
One can easily come here at least 3x a week. With that said, I’ll be back.
It’s everything I’d personally want from a sandwich shop: tasty quality ingredients all bought locally so you know it’s fresh. Unlike Homegrown, these sandwiches are NO JOKE. If you can devour them in one seating, more power to you! What’s also great is you can pair your sandwich with a beer (move over Honey Hole!)
I’d recommend coming a bit early to avoid the lunch rush. Because their sandwiches are huge and prepared and cooked from scratch it may take a while. The Jedi Mind Trick is a must (although not for the faint at heart). The Shaved Brussels Sprouts salad is also a great complement to any sandwich and can be shared (if you want to!).
One can easily come here at least 3x a week. With that said, I’ll be back.

I can’t believe this escaped my radar screen for nearly a year! Saw this after random search on Unilocal,literally jumped in the car, and drove straight to The Bear and the Bee in Belltown off Hwy 99/​Aurora from Shoreline. It was meant to be with stellar parking karma and beating the lunch crowd!
The restaurant interior is cozy. I prefer the counter seating with the natural light streaming through. There are also half a dozen two-​tops (or more with the banquette seating) towards the back. Plus a ginormous sandwich art piece only Dagwood would love!
The folks at The Bear and the The Bee truly have this down to an art. There were five people working the counter and kitchen line — very focused on their delicious creations. Not slopped together, but with careful precision that didn’t need tweezers. Two other people were waiting for takeout like me. Four additional people showed up after me to dine in. Plus there were delivery service insulated bags lined up with completed sandwiches being sorted for pickup. My entire order took less than fifteen minutes. Very impressive!
All sandwiches also use premium ingredients from purveyors like Zoe’s Meats, Grand Central Bread, Frank’s Produce from nearby Pike Place Market as examples. All sammies also are accompanied with a deli pickle spear. Plus there is a daily special soup (today was potato leek), salads, snacks/​chips, and a wide variety of beverages including beer and wine.
So here’s the lowdown on the takeout order hauled back to Shoreline:
The Jedi Mind Trick ($ 9.50) had tender pulled pork, white cheddar, Syrah gravy, and crispy onions on a brioche roll.
I snagged a little bite — packed full of flavor and those crispy onions are amazing! I saw a large hotel pan atop their convection oven with those onions. I’d stash those away from arm’s reach because one could easily feast on those alone. The husband demolished the JMT stating that bite 1 was «not bad», bite 2 was «mmmmmm», and bite 3 «compelled» (him to polish it off).
The Roast Beast ($ 9.50) had tender thinly sliced beef, caramelized sweet onions, crisp romaine lettuce, Swiss cheese on a toasted roll.
Each of us ate a quarter section and wow again very flavorful. The Swiss cheese transported us back to a long shuttered German deli in the UDistrict. Amazing!
The Milan-​Torino ($ 9.50) had perfect and very generous layers of sopressata, capocollo, provolone, pepperoncini, thinly sliced tomato, finished off with oil and vinegar on the same type of roll as above.
Again, sampling a quarter section we both exclaimed, mamma mia that’s quite the Italian sandwich! Forget the lines down in Pioneer Square at Salumi plus this reminds me of those Italian subs in South Philly.
The Schoolhouse Tunafish ($ 9) had heaping Albacore tuna, sweet onion, butter lettuce all on toasted wheat.
I ate half of it and the composed tuna was very complex (chopped capers?) and not soggy. This is light years above any brown bag tuna fish sandwich I had as a student.
And of course, three Mud Cookies ($ 1.50 each) I read about.
4 ½ inch diameter cookies baked with love and other ingredients including cocoa powder, caramel, chocolate chips, and dusted with powdered sugar.
Monster sized and jam packed with OMG flavor but without being cloyingly sweet. These are amazing and holds it own as the lone ‘dessert’ item on the chalkboard. I’ve seen cookies priced at double elsewhere and don’t have that flavor profile.
There are sandwich businesses all over various Seattle neighborhoods, The Bear and The Bee in Belltown is truly a standout!

Nice little sandwich shop; stopped in for lunch and ordered the slow prey. The sandwich was on toasted wheat and contained spinach, avocado, tomato, pesto, red onion, sprouts, and gouda. YUM!

No frills, just a good honest sandwich. Many to choose from, we ordered the roast beast (Tender beef, caramelized sweet onion, romaine, swiss, toasted roll) and the Milan-​Torino (Sopressata, capocollo, provolone, pepperoncini, tomato, oil & vinegar). The ingredients were very fresh and the sandwich combinations seemed well thought out. My husband felt his sandwich could have been a bit larger but for me it was the perfect size. We cannot wait to go back and try out other sandwiches on the menu.

I was looking for a sandwich spot in the Belltown area when I came across The Bear & The Bee. The «Jedi Mind Trick» (pulled pork sandwich) is what drew me in and it didn’t disappoint. Smaller in appearance than some of the other sandwiches on the menu, it is plenty filling as this sandwich is loaded with a generous amount of succulent pulled pork, white cheddar, gravy and crispy onions.
I completed my meal with the Mud Cookie (which I highly recommend). One of the best cookies I’ve had in a while.
The décor of the restaurant is modern rustic, fitting to the area. It isn’t the largest in size but it can accommodate a small lunch group, definitely a good spot to enjoy a Sandwich during lunch time.

I got a tuna sandwich and diet coke. Which was amazing the tuna was so fresh! My diet coke came in a can which gave me more of a mom and pop type feel. My cousin got the Tuna Salad and the Brussel Sprout salad. Which were also both amazing.
They don’t serve iced coffee but they do have beer! So just a heads up on that.
The vibe is also extremely cozy and relaxing. A good place to study or use as a meeting place with an old friend. Would recommend it to a friend.

From the owner of Bathtub Gin & Co comes a sandwich place in Belltown.
Aesthetically, it’s really nice and has more character than a deli-​type of sandwich shop. They are making simple and good sandwiches here.
The day that I was in, I tried to order the Smashed Potato sandwich on sourdough, but they were out, so I had the Schoolhouse Tuna – toasted tuna on wheat. It was good, just like a tuna sandwich should be, but at $ 9 without accoutrements, I will definitely stay on my original course and try to get the potato one.
UPDATE: The open-​faced smashed potato sandwich was good. The soup was average, and the kale salad was standard. (The croutons don’t work on it.)
I appreciated the touch of having butterleaf lettuce surrounding the tuna to keep the bread from getting soggy, so you’ll not have to worry about that as you walk back to work.
My friend had the roast beef sandwich and he too said his was good. They’re generous with the roast beef!
I’m also curious to try their shaved brussel sprout salad. B&B is A-​OK.