An expertly-crafted sandwich made with freshly-baked bread, top-quality meats and cheeses, and all the ingredients perfectly portioned for the right balance of texture and flavor is a thing of beauty. You may think I’m making too much out of a simple sandwich, but if you’re part of the loyal legion of followers of the Baker’s Mark, you know what I’m talking about.
In 2017, Mark Eklund and his wife Lenore opened the Baker’s Mark, a sandwich shop on 11th and SE Division and in 2020, he opened a second location in the Pearl District. The shop prides itself on baking all its bread from scratch every single day and only using the freshest and highest quality ingredients like Boar’s Head meats. The simple and delicious bread dough sits overnight so it can properly ferment and is then baked in batches the next day so it’s soft and chewy with a great sourdough taste. They’re best known for their airy dutch crunch roll that adds an extra dimension of texture and flavor to any sandwich.
The menu at the Baker’s Mark is simple, consisting of cold subs, hot subs, meatless subs, and a few options for sides. The restaurant is efficiently set up where you order at a kiosk at the front counter, but the system is easy to use and you can customize your sandwich any way you like.
Some of the most popular subs are the Godfather (the fan favorite) made with genoa salami, prosciutto, capocollo, ham, mortadella, and provolone cheese, the French Dip made with roast beef, caramelized onions, horseradish mayo, Swiss and a side of au jus for dipping, and the T.B.L.T. made with turkey, bacon, iceberg lettuce, tomato, mayo, red Italian dressing and your choice of cheese. There’s also the surprisingly delicious and inventive Avo-Chickpea that’s made with an avocado and chickpea spread, cilantro and lime, and the Beet Tuna Sandwich made with “Love Beets” and the cafe's signature tuna salad blend.
On all the sandwiches you decide how much or how little of “the works” you want, which is mayo, mustard (yellow, spicy brown, or dijon—all made in house!), lettuce, tomatoes, onion, pickles, red Italian dressing, and pepper salad (hot or mild). You can also add on avocado, bacon, black olives, pepperoncini, or extra meat for an additional charge. They also sell fresh baked cookies, coke in a bottle, and Moonbrine pickles that are made right across the street. Be sure to check out their seasonal specials like the current cheesy garlic dutch crunch or the molasses cookie.
Both locations are open from 11:00pm to 3:00pm with Division open every day and the Pearl only open Monday through Friday. I must point out that they can and will close early if they sell out of bread, so don’t be surprised if you see a “sold out” sign hanging on the door (which can sometimes happen as early as 1:00pm). You can order online ahead of time, so consider this if you’re worried about missing out.
I really can’t stress this enough because nearly all the negative reviews you see online (and there are hardly any to begin with) are people who were upset that they were sold out. You may not agree with this business model, but that’s how it is, and imho it’s better than baking too much bread and having to throw it out at the end of the day—so deal with it!
Both locations are pretty small and the Pearl is only for food to go. Division has a few tables inside but there are lots of picnic tables outside. Parking can sometimes be tricky at both locations, but Division does have a small lot.
Pearl Location: 307 NW 10th Ave, Open Monday - Friday, 11:00pm - 3:00pm
SE Location: 1126 SE Division St, open everyday, 11:00pm - 3:00pm
