Bread Head — Restaurant in Santa Monica

I’d seen BreadHead floating around on Instagram a while back and did my usual thing, bookmark it, forget about it, and figure I’ll eventually get there someday. I’m not usually in this part of Santa Monica, but I had a doctor’s appointment nearby, saw it was right around the corner, and decided today was the day. Glad I finally did. The spot itself is a little corner shop tucked in a nice neighborhood. Parking in the back is free and easy (a rare luxury in Santa Monica). Inside, it’s clean, bright, with a simple counter setup, you order up front, grab a seat, and they bring the food to you. No tipping pressure, just good service. It was crowded, but the line moved fast. The gal who helped me out, Zyla, was super friendly and recommended the Turkey Pesto for a first-timer. I almost went Roast Beef but trusted her advice, and it paid off. While I was waiting for my order, something unexpected happened. One of the guys working in the back walked out with a sandwich and an iced tea in his hands, looking around like he was trying to match an order. Then he looked at me and just asked, “Do you want a free iced tea?” I told him I hadn’t ordered one, but he insisted, “Yeah, it’s free,” and set it down. I don’t know if it was an extra or a mistake, but either way it was a kind, simple gesture. It’s those little moments that stick with you. The sandwich itself was excellent. Not massive, but hearty enough. If you just get the sandwich, the full size is perfect for one meal, fills you up without overdoing it. Add chips or a side and you could easily split half now, half later. The focaccia bread they’re known for is terrific, chewy, flavorful, and holds up to everything inside. The turkey and pesto worked perfectly together, and the arugula gave it a fresh, peppery bite. Nothing dry, nothing bland, just a well-balanced sandwich. Price-wise, it’s Santa Monica, so nothing’s cheap, but it didn’t feel inflated either. Honestly, the price was fair, maybe even a little under what you’d expect for this zip code. In Beverly Hills, the same sandwich would cost more and probably be smaller. Now, about the hot sauce. They’ve got Zapp’s hot sauce bottles sitting right out at the counter for anyone dining in to use openly. I ended up pouring half a bottle on my sandwich because it was that good. When I asked if they sold it, they said yes, so of course I bought one. Funny enough, if you look it up online, it’s actually cheaper to buy directly from them than to order elsewhere. Easy decision. Overall, BreadHead nails it. Easy parking, great service, staff that’s genuinely kind, excellent bread, and a sandwich that’s worth the hype. If you’re in Santa Monica and want something hearty but still fresh and balanced, this is the place. I’ll definitely be back next time I’m in the...

Unfortunately, this was a letdown of the year. I was completely obsessed with Breadhead sandwiches when they operated as a pop up and patiently waited for the brick&mortar to finally open only to be awfully disappointed.

We got 2 sandwiches: tuna and mozzarella. We didn’t finish either one and tossed them both in the bin.

Tuna contained what seemed to be about a pound of mayo in it, oozing out with every bite making a royal mess, I’ve found cheddar cheese rather odd next to tuna, the rest of the ingredients (btw the menu lists Iceberg lettuce, but we got arugula?) were so salty (or was it the bread?) I simply couldn’t eat it.

Mozzarella sandwich was better, but still shared same sentiment of being insanely salty, alfalfa amounts were overwhelming, pickled onions were lost in the mix and I wish zaatar was more present. I might be tripping but somehow I remember their old Mozzarella sandwich having a bit of delicious yuzu-like citrus in it and I didn’t find any today.

Maybe it’s the new oven, maybe it’s an off day, maybe it’s me who’s changed, but this wasn’t the same Breadhead I learned to love so much. I don’t think I’ll be back for a while, at least until the construction dust completely settles and some grand opening kinks are ironed out.

P.S. The prices are low key outrageous (especially given my first experience there today) and I noticed Breadhead deleting comments on Instagram talking about the prices (very not cool). I guess you aren’t forced to spend your money there and Montana st. rent must be on outer space levels, but still worth considering checking out the menu before you go there to avoid...

I think I found my new favorite sandwich spot! I checked out Bread Head with a couple of friends and tried 4 different sandwiches. All the sandwiches feature bread head's homemade foccacia bread, which is so delicious, I'd happily eat it by itself. Order's come out in a reasonable amount of time, but if you're in a rush, they've got a grab and go option, with 5-7 of their popular sandwiches.

I ordered a full size sandwich, which is probably the biggest sandwich I've ever seen in my entire life. It can easily feed 2 people. The half sized sandwich is a normal sized sandwich you'd get from any other restaurant. If you're hungry for a full size, I'd recommend getting it cut into fourths.

Combo Grinder: This was my favorite. It's similar to a Italian hoagie, with cured meats, peppers and a really delicious vinaigrette.

Calabrian Turkey: This was a pleasant surprise! The Calabrian mayo gives the sandwich a nice spicy kick. Would love to have it again with avocado.

Turkey Pesto: This was a delightful, fresh, light tasting summer sandwich. Love combination of the arugula, avocado and garlic mayo...

Muffaletta: For olive lovers! This is a Sicilian classic, and Bread Head's take did not disappoint! No leafy greens.

I can't wait to visit again to try some of Bread Head's weekly hot sandwich specials. I noticed on the menu they do a Cuban on Wednesday, Reuben Thursday, and Sausage and Pepper on Friday.

PS - Parrot Heads will get a kick out...