The Meatball Shop

The Meatball Shop is a combination of perfectly prepared food and a bundle of fun.  I thought it was going to be a stand where you waited outside on a long line.  It is actually a lovely sit-down restaurant located on the Lower East Side.  

Once you are seated, a waiter or waitress will bring a menu that comes with a marker and a tour.  Yes, a tour.  The waiter will tour you through the menu and explain it to you, which is amazing because there are SO many different choices and TONS of specials. 

The menu is divided into two sections: A La Carte Balls, and Sandwiches.  First for the A La Carte Balls - choose your balls.  Your choices are classic beef, spicy pork, chicken, vegetable, and the weekly special, which was buffalo chicken the day I went.  Next, choose a sauce - tomato, spicy meat sauce, mushroom gravy, or parmesan cream. You can check off your choices with your marker!  For these A La Carte balls, you get 4 balls in one sauce for just $7!  And for $4 more, you can choose between several sides, such as daily greens, risotto, and potatoes.  You even get to choose if you want your side on the side, or under your balls!

On to the sandwiches.  You can choose between Sliders, Heroes, and Meatball Smash.  The Sliders are fun because you can mix and match your balls.  Don't you love mixing and matching your balls?  You can get a classic beef slider with tomato sauce, and a vegetable slider with mushroom sauce.  You can try it all, for just $3 a slider.  If you are feeling like a hungry man/woman, then the Hero is probably the right choice for you.  The $9 heroes consist of balls, sauce, and cheese, on a baguette, with a side salad.  You have the same choices as the a la carte balls, with the additional choice of mozzarella or provolone, and white or whole wheat.  There are 3 balls on this sandwich.

For a smaller sandwich, but by no means is it actually small, you can order what I ordered - the MEATBALL SMASH!  You get 2 balls, sauce, and cheese, on a brioche bun.  Brioche bread is quickly turning into one of those irresistible foods for me.  I got spicy pork meatballs with tomato sauce and provolone cheese.  And it came with a side salad too.  It was messy like a sloppy joe and so perfectly tasty.  I was full for about 7 hours.  For $8, I think that is an AWESOME DEAL! 

O and in case you were wondering, this place has ice cream sandwiches too, which you will be too full for and will order anyway.  You can choose your cookies and your ice cream!  This is one of the few places where having to make so many choices feels really fun and empowering.  It also makes you want to go back again to mix it up, which I plan on doing!

Please, try The Meatball Shop.  You will have fun.  You will eat some delicious balls.  And you will leave full and happy, and still have money left to burn.

Have a delicious day!

NYC Menu Girl