Seattle is full of local restaurants that bring unique flavors and community vibes to the city, and Un Bien is a standout. This Caribbean-inspired sandwich shop, run by brothers Julian and Lucas Lorenzo, serves bold, flavorful sandwiches that honor the tastes of the Caribbean while keeping the local community at heart. With three Seattle locations and a commitment to homemade, high-quality ingredients, Un Bien is a must-visit for anyone looking to support local, family-run businesses.
This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
What is Un Bien?
Lucas: Un Bien is a Caribbean-themed sandwich shop. We’ve got three locations. One down here in Golden Gardens, one up on 15th Avenue in Ballard, and one in Queen Anne.
How would you describe the sandwiches that you’re making?
Lucas: Messy.
Julian: It’s like a Caribbean style.
Lucas: Yeah, a full-body experience. It’s like a Taco Time equivalent of Cuban food.
Julian: Because we’re Cuban, people assume it’s Cuban, but it is more inspired by overall Caribbean flavors. And we use a Macrina baguette, which is really good.
Lucas: Yeah, OG. We do all the prep ourselves. We make everything ourselves. We don’t buy anything off the shelf. A lot of love goes into everything we make.
Tell me a little bit about your background and the flavors of Un Bien
Lucas: We came from restaurants.
Julian: Yeah, our background is just jumping into restaurants.
Lucas: Yeah, our family has been in the game for our whole lives. Straight out of high school, straight into the game. Worked for family for seven years roughly, and then we’ve been doing this for almost 11 years now. It’s a family affair. We’re in the sandwich game. That’s what we do.
What are some of the popular items on the menu?
Julian: Definitely number one, the Caribbean Roast Sandwich is the most popular. Pulled pork. Number two is also pulled pork—the Press—but instead of lettuce on top, we do ham and cheese. Instead of jalapenos, we put banana peppers in there.
Lucas: It’s killer. It’s a really good sandwich. That’s our jam right there.
Julian: The steak sandwich, number four, is also really good. You can add some cheese on there if you want.
Lucas: Little Caribbean Philly cheesesteaks, though.
Julian: The West Caribbean Bowl is also pretty good too. It’s got some chips in there, chicken thigh, a little sour cream, beans, salsa.
Lucas: If you’ve been out the night before, it brings you back from the dead. That thing will save your life.
What are some things people should order more? What are the sleeper hits?
Lucas: I’d say the prawn sandwich. Prawn sandwich is very good. People are sleeping on that.
Julian: The chicken thighs! We cook them with bone in, skin on, so you get that nice skin flavor, and then take the bone out before we serve.
Lucas: It just pops right out of there. It’s really good.
Tell us a little bit about the differences between the three locations?
Julian: Each location has the same menu. We have a new spot in Queen Anne, which has been open for about a year. It’s nice to be on the other side of the bridge and to just get a new kind of community. We see a lot of families and a lot of walking traffic, which is awesome.
Lucas: We also get a lot of the people from South Lake Union, that’s been really good too.
So what is it like to work with your family?
Lucas: It’s good. It has struggles, but it’s all good.
Julian: You get big arguments, but you got love there. You actually love each other at the end of the day.
Lucas: It makes it a little more personal. It’s nice to know that when you’re working together, you feel the common goal. Our survival depends on it.
Julian: Lucas has got four kids, and I just had a kid. We’re all doing this for a reason. And who knows, maybe in the future the kids will be involved!
Lucas: We have strengths and we complement each other. The only problem is, we’re brothers, so there’s some nonsense thrown in there.
Julian: But it’s sibling nonsense.
What are some other businesses you like to frequent?
Lucas: In Ballard, I would say Asado Steakhouse. That place is out of control.
Julian: On Phinney, there’s a teriyaki place called Grillbird.
Lucas: Grillbird! We went there last night. It was really good. If you haven’t had some good teriyaki recently, Grillbird is really good. Get their bird sauce. I also love Lupe’s Situ Tacos. That place is on point. I love that woman, she’s the best. She’s one of those people that is so much cooler than me. It makes me a little self-conscious, but whatever.
Why is supporting local small businesses important?
Julian: Small businesses pay local people to work, so when you’re supporting small businesses, you’re supporting your community. All of the money that goes to the business gets spent in our area. You’re not just giving it to a corporation that invests elsewhere. All of our team lives here.
Lucas: I think Seattle is top five most expensive cities now. It’s madness. Support local businesses. There’s crazy talent around here. People curate stores and shops that are amazing. Sonic Boom is incredible. We cannot lose those places.
Julian: It’s not easy. It’s the hardest. Just getting by is challenging, especially with everything still going on from COVID.
Do you have any vegetarian or vegan options?
Julian: We have very good tofu options. We’ve got vegan down.
Lucas: If you’re vegetarian, we got you covered. That tofu sandwich, (the number 11), is very good. We’ll definitely cater to you.
Any final thoughts?
Lucas: Come hang out at our Queen Anne location. It’s brand new, about a year now. Get the word out. If you’re tired of Ballard, want to branch out, come hang. If you’re downtown or South Seattle, it’s easier to get to. It’s getting cold so come eat. Warm up. Get a sandwich!
Julian: We’re open Wednesday through Sunday, 11 to 9. We’re a great spot for sports games.
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