A League of Their Own

The Leroy Burger. Photo by Trask Bedortha.

Last year, Food Network star Guy Fieri brought his show Diners, Drive-ins and Dives to Eugene. In the episode, Fieri stopped by popular Whiteaker food truck The Sandwich League.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better advertisement,” Sandwich League owner Dawn Sellers says. “It’s been amazing.”

She continues, “Every time it airs we get these bursts of people. Sometimes it airs four or five times a week. We’ve been able to take the next step because of it.”

The next step for The Sandwich League is opening a brick-and-mortar space adjacent to Hi-Fi Music Hall at 44 E. 7th Ave., in downtown Eugene.

“Due to the Food Network exposure, they offered us the kitchen,” Sellers says, “hoping that our following at the cart will come over here.”

Sellers confirms the cart will remain in operation, referring to it as “her baby." In its new location, Sandwich League provides the food and drink for Hi-Fi events as well as catering to a lunch and dinner crowd.

“The kitchen size alone let us open up our menu,” Sellers explains. “At the cart, we’ve got a 36-inch grill, a double fryer and that’s it. Here, we’ve got a 4-foot grill. Our cooking equipment has grown, and so some of the things we did at the cart as specials have now made it onto the menu permanently.”

Sellers explains that, at the new location, she’s adding shareable, smaller plates to Sandwich League’s menu. “We’re going to add nachos; we’re going to add onion rings,” she says, “typical bar-style food. Of course, it will have our little twist on it.”

One of the twists, Sellers says, is her unique sandwich “builds.”

“It’s not your everyday club sandwich you’ll see at normal restaurants,” she says. “We put french fries on all of our sandwich builds.” Sellers says that using local meat is a priority at Sandwich League, adding, “I make everything from scratch.”

At the Whiteaker location, The Leroy burger (bacon, cheese sauce, barbecue sauce, raw onions, crispy onions and cilantro slaw) is a customer favorite. “It’s my personal favorite,” Sellers says. “I built that one to satisfy my burger needs.”

At the new location, The Big Au Jus is a bestseller. “We make our au jus sauce from bone broth,” Sellers says. “The Big Au Jus is actually a new menu item. We ran it as a special at the cart, and it was exceedingly popular. So now it’s on the menu here.”

Other tasty menu options include slow-roasted pork and “grilled cheesies.”

Sandwich League’s downtown location is open from 11:30 am to 2 am. “We’re really happy to be here, and the community support that helped get us here has been unbelievable,” Sellers says. “We’re really thankful for it. This is a really neat community.”

For more information and a complete menu, go to sandwichleague.com or check them out on Facebook.

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