Calling all carnivores: Sandwich/burger shop is Junction-bound

Story and photo by Keri DeTore
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

Dan Atherton is “A New England Original,” and that’s what his new West Seattle restaurant will be too.

If all goes well, this October, Dan will be opening “Jonny Bostons,” a take-out sandwich shop featuring cheesesteaks, hamburgers, and sausages — New England style.

The former Authentic Home paint shop at 4151 California SW (map) in The Junction – which went online-only 4 months ago – is where Dan plans to create a space that delivers good food efficiently, so that people who have a limited time for lunch can spend it eating, not waiting in line.

Dan, also in the building business with Artistic Design, moved to Seattle from the Boston area in 1990. Since then, he says, he’s been “always looking for something familiar” to eat. He’s never found anything that hit the spot, and he feels Seattle is “lacking in good intermediate restaurants. You’ve got McDonald’s and Ruth’s Chris Steak House, but not much in between.” He promises that his food will be the same as “what you’d pick up in downtown Boston.”

Dan’s so serious about the Boston theme that baseball fans will recognize the color scheme of the shop as reminiscent of Fenway Park, with its “Green Monster” color outside, and the interior done in dark camel with Boston Blue and Red. His longterm plan is to replace the front wall with a roll-up door, so he can offer sidewalk seating in good weather.

Jonny Bostons will be open for lunch and dinner, 11 am-8 pm, Mondays through Saturdays.

42 Replies to "Calling all carnivores: Sandwich/burger shop is Junction-bound"

  • Silly Goose August 14, 2010 (7:29 pm)

    WOO Hoo since in the 50 years of my life I still have not made it to Boston to try a Philly Steak this will be FANTASTIC to have it right here in West Seattle…Welcome so glad you are here!!!

  • LS August 14, 2010 (7:33 pm)

    Awesome! If it were open today, we’d be there right now grabbing take out and heading to the park!

  • Yardvark August 14, 2010 (7:40 pm)

    Steak & Cheese.

    I think I have a new favorite West Seattle restaurant.

  • I. Ponder August 14, 2010 (7:56 pm)

    Oh no, there goes my waistline! Sounds too good.

  • wsgolfer August 14, 2010 (8:00 pm)

    Is a New England Cheesesteak different than one from Philly? I’m happy to have to try it to find out! :)

  • Cheryl August 14, 2010 (8:05 pm)

    Oh this is SO great! Ran into the owner a month or so ago at a local bakery & we talked buns, bread & burgers… I’m SO excited to hear the official announcement! Good luck you guys, I’ll be lining up when you open. :-)

  • I heart West Seattle August 14, 2010 (8:23 pm)

    Ohhh, I can’t wait!! After Seattle, Boston is my fav place, and I visited many a great sandwich while living out there. :-)

  • EyeLiveInWS August 14, 2010 (8:25 pm)

    There is a great spot in Burien called “Hey Paisan!” Awesome sandwiches and a real Philly transplant that owns it.
    .
    I am looking forward to a good sandwich place in the Junction. Please tell me they are going to call their sandwiches “grinders” and that thye will have some hot out of the oven! Beans and Brown Bread?

  • CurlyQ August 14, 2010 (9:09 pm)

    Very cool–my husband is a HUGE Red Sox fan, and I’m sure he’ll go there just to hang with his people. We lived in Boston for a few years near Kenmore Square. We would pass the street vendors grilling sausages with onions and peppers just outside Fenway Park before games–I still remember the delicious smells. Mmmmmmm….

  • Mark August 14, 2010 (9:35 pm)

    Lobster rolls, please! And clam cakes. :-)

  • Carson August 14, 2010 (9:36 pm)

    mmm, lived in Boston for 24 years, don’t remember grabbing any steak and cheese downtown, but, if its like a T Anthony’s steak and cheese, he might have found a great customer!

  • Chris August 14, 2010 (10:16 pm)

    Dan – welcome to the neighborhood – when your in West Seattle, your family. As a fellow Bostonian in Seattle since ’92 it’s about time we got some good east coast grub. Best of luck to you. The Fenway Pahk theme is killer, did the previous occupant of your storefront leave you green moster paint?

    And Mark who commented on lobster rolls – I’m with you – that’s the next culinary ticket – along with clam rolls, clam plates, etc. Going back to Beantown next week for a family vacation and will certainly get my fill.

  • Eric August 14, 2010 (10:33 pm)

    Lets hope that he imports some Fenway Franks too!!!

  • cjboffoli August 14, 2010 (10:34 pm)

    Carson: I’m with you. New England’s not exactly known for its cheese steaks. But as long as Dan can dish up some decent “grine-dizz” and other assorted sangwiches, I’m up for it.

  • mitch August 14, 2010 (11:19 pm)

    14 comments on a sandwich shop and not one on the story that proceeded it – a group of young people trying get others involved in the political process. Yuck.

  • fatty mcfattypants August 15, 2010 (1:47 am)

    I’ll have the baked beans, sausage and peppah grindah, lodge chowdah, lobstah and a scallop roll in a grilled flat sided hot dog bun, an order of fried clams, a lodge meatball sub and throw in some RI clamcakes…to go. Wicked good!

  • sun*e August 15, 2010 (1:51 am)

    That’s so great! I live and work in West Seattle and can’t wait to try out this take-out restaurant. I’ve ran out of a variety of places to go to get a quick lunch so I’m looking forward to something new… and different. I hope it’s a success! :)

  • Gary August 15, 2010 (2:09 am)

    OK Mitch I made a comment on the indoctrinated door to door kids telling me who to vote for story. Now….. I look forward to some authentic Boston-style sandwiches/food!

  • Orr4 August 15, 2010 (7:06 am)

    Any self respecting Bostonian knows a good Steak & Cheese starts with good bread. This is a very welcomed addtion to the Junction.Dan-do us right.
    I’ll have a Steak Bomb !

  • Mac J August 15, 2010 (8:46 am)

    Sounds good, but “Seattle is “lacking in good intermediate restaurants. You’ve got McDonald’s and Ruth’s Chris Steak House, but not much in between.”” What city is this guy living in? Also, Ruth’s Chris as our premier restaurant, in the land of Tom Douglas? I’ll check out his place, but he needs to get out more.

  • Yardvark August 15, 2010 (8:51 am)

    These are the definitions as I know them:

    Basic Philly Cheesesteak – Steak-um Product & Cheese Whiz Product

    Basic Steak & Cheese – Actual Steak & Actual Cheese

    I love them both.

  • austin August 15, 2010 (9:08 am)

    Thank goodness, we need better takeaway in the neighborhood.

  • Gawdge August 15, 2010 (9:18 am)

    Go Yankees.

  • Yardvark August 15, 2010 (9:29 am)

    Who are the Yankees?

  • Gawdge August 15, 2010 (9:43 am)

    Go Yankees!!

  • RJB August 15, 2010 (10:02 am)

    What’s a Yankee??? Welcome and can’t wait til you are open!! Mitch needs a grinder…stat!

  • ElevenTruckmen August 15, 2010 (10:04 am)

    I’ve been out here since ’94 and have yet to find a real meatball parm or a cold cut grinder. Lots of signs saying “east coast style” or “grinder” but not even close. The deli sandwich shops of Boston are a true American tradition. With families owning the same deli for generations and generations of families ordering from that same deli. A good sandwich is a tradition passed on and on from the makers to the patrons and from the patrons to their kids. Let’s get a little of that out here, “East Coast Style”.

    Yeah “go Jankees” I’m not sure how you can top the biggest CHOKE in sports history but I look forward to watching them set a new low or at least trying.

  • bgh August 15, 2010 (1:14 pm)

    MAKE SURE YOU USE CHEESE-WHIZ. That will really tell if it is a real “eastcoast style” cheesesteak.

  • coffee August 15, 2010 (3:04 pm)

    Bummed that they are closed on Sundays. Too many places close on Sundays……

  • Jonny August 15, 2010 (4:12 pm)

    Cheese-Whiz is only used on cheese steaks in Pennsylvania an Jersey (and imitators around the country)……a true New England Cheese Steak only uses white American Cheese

  • Carson August 15, 2010 (7:10 pm)

    Keep in mind, the Fenway Frank is nothing more than a marketing idea. The Red Sox own the name and license the use of it. You are then the “offical” hot dog of Fenway Park and can sell hot dogs with that name. Over the years Oscar Mayer, Hillshire Farms, Kahn and currently, Kayem have made and marketed Fenway Franks!!

  • ttt August 15, 2010 (9:38 pm)

    My Mainer husband will be eating there every week. Red Sox and New England food? I’m never gonna see him at home for dinner again…

  • kristi August 16, 2010 (4:29 am)

    i think you gonna make some money honey (and some friends too!:)

  • sun*e August 16, 2010 (9:22 am)

    @mitch per your quote “14 comments on a sandwich shop and not one on the story that proceeded it” – how ironic that you added to these comments but made no comment yourself on the “story that proceeded it”. :?:

  • displacedcoastie August 16, 2010 (9:23 am)

    Ummmmm….”New England Style Cheesesteaks”?….stick to the chowda and lobster rolls please…

  • Mike August 16, 2010 (10:18 am)

    Dan–Welcome! Looking forward to trying your craft. I hope you do lobster rolls or make a Seattle spin on it and do dungeness crab rolls.

    You’ve been here since 1990, so I hope you don’t cast off Seattle totally. I’m all for bringing foods in, but please make it a Seattle place too.

    The last thing we need is some Red Sox joint–I get enough of that when they come to play the M’s.

    Good luck!!

  • Paul in Gatewood August 16, 2010 (1:28 pm)

    If you can make an authentic Italian sub sandwich (Maine style) you’ll have two loyal customers.

  • Rod August 17, 2010 (2:52 pm)

    If you’re going to do lobster rolls, don’t settle for the icky lobster salad kind with celery and gobs of mayo…go the kind with big chunks of hot lobstah and drawn butter. On a split toasted hot dog bun, of course. Or at least a choice between the two! Praying…

  • Lisa August 17, 2010 (3:56 pm)

    Hear hear on the lobster roll!

    Even without that New England favorite, this place sounds like it will be great!

    Good “grinders” are hard to find here in Seattle. They’re everywhere back East. I miss them – am glad this may be changing.

  • giggy withit August 18, 2010 (12:27 am)

    I’m so freakin hungry right now I could my hand

  • ray west September 1, 2010 (2:29 pm)

    Can’t wait. Please have a web site with full menu.

  • Paul September 19, 2010 (7:39 pm)

    I am from Boston myself, as a matter of fact I just came home from there yesterday 9/18 & have been bitching that there is nothing good to eat here. I can’t wait to try your steak & cheese sandwich (as long as it is not a philly steak & cheese.) Look forward to coming in, as I am a hard core Red Sox fan myself. Best of luck to you glad someone is doing something rite.

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