About us · since 2023

The shop behind the meatball sandwich.

Meat The Balls is the sandwich shop in Amsterdam West that focuses fully on the fancy meatball sandwich. Koen and Rob work in the open kitchen themselves every day. They roll the handmade meatballs by hand, since 2023 at Kinkerstraat 142.

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4.9 out of 315 Google Reviews
Three Indonesian meatball sandwiches being finished with lettuce, satay sauce and spring onion
Close-up: peanuts and spring onion sprinkled over an Indonesian meatball sandwich
Koen and Rob at the table with a tray of freshly rolled meatballs
How it started

One product, endless potential.

The meatball sandwich was long seen in Amsterdam as simple or old-school, a canteen snack with no ambition. Koen and Rob saw it differently: a Dutch classic that can be so much more.

In 2023 they opened their own specialty shop on the Kinkerstraat, right next to the Ten Kate market. The concept started with the deluxe meatball sandwich, and that is and stays our base. We have since added several other sandwiches for guests who are not into meatballs.

Today, the same owners still work every day on the Kinkerstraat to make the best product the Netherlands has to offer: the meatball sandwich.

"A good meatball sandwich deserves more than a paper bag and a blob of mustard."

Koen & Rob
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The owners

Two Cooks, One Mission.

Meet the team, Koen and Rob. The two founders who still work in the shop every day, making the best meatball sandwich in Amsterdam with love.

Koen, co-owner of Meat The Balls, with freshly baked sandwiches
Co-owner

Koen

Koen is co-founder of Meat The Balls and works in the open kitchen almost every day, from the first ball that hits the pan in the morning to the last sandwich right before closing. His focus: flavour and consistency.

What is on the table at your place?
An Amsterdammertje with double Kesbeke onions. Not original, but honest.
What would you never put on the menu?
A meatball in a burger bun. It is a meatball sandwich, not a burger.
Rob, co-owner of Meat The Balls, with a freshly made meatball sandwich
Co-owner

Rob

Rob is co-founder and the driving force behind the international side of the menu. He came up with most of the toppings from around the world, and keeps tweaking the balance between the Dutch base and the worldly twist.

Which sandwich is the most underrated?
The Indonesian. Satay sauce, atjar, spring onion. An underrated classic.
What is the last recipe you adjusted?
The wakame portion on the Tokyo Crunch. It was just a touch too dominant.
Our approach

Why this is a specialty shop.

Four promises we have kept since day one. No marketing story. Our guests feel it, that is the proof.

One product, no noise

No toasties, no burgers, no poké. Eight meatball sandwiches. That is where all our focus goes.

Rolled fresh

Every morning in our own kitchen, not from a factory. No ready-made sauces, all made by us.

Fully halal

The entire menu is halal. The vegan ball scores surprisingly well with meat eaters.

Eight countries, one ball

From the Amsterdammertje to Tokyo Crunch and Seoul Sensation, one classic bun, eight flavour journeys.

Our timeline

The place where Amsterdam eats its meatball.

A short history of the shop, in five moments.

  1. Early 2023

    The idea

    Koen and Rob see that the meatball sandwich in Amsterdam is brushed off as a canteen snack, while with good meatballs, fresh bread and homemade sauce there is a proper dish in it.

  2. Spring 2023

    The recipe

    Months of testing on the Dutch base ball: the right ratio of beef, texture and seasoning for a handmade meatball. Only when the base is right, the worldly toppings go on top.

  3. 2023

    Opening Kinkerstraat 142

    First sandwich over the counter in West Amsterdam. Halal from day one, vegan version added shortly after.

  4. 2024

    Eight toppings from around the world

    The menu reaches its final shape: eight sandwiches, eight countries, from Amsterdam to Seoul, Tokyo and Athens.

  5. 2025

    Catering & Spring Specials

    The first office lunches go out warm; the Meatball Focaccia and Mozzarella Focaccia join the menu.

  6. 2026

    Menu expanded with more sandwiches

    Next to the meatball sandwiches, new sandwiches join the menu, without the meatball. Think Mature / Young cheese, chicken and pastrami, plus vegan options and fresh salads for guests who want something different.

  7. Today

    4.9 ★ out of 315 reviews

    Thanks to every guest who came by, wrote a review or brought a colleague. We are not done yet.

Fresh & local

Dutch Suppliers, International Stamp.

The taste starts with what we buy. We work on purpose with Dutch suppliers who put quality first, so we can give it a worldly twist with confidence.

Amsterdam East

Kesbeke

For our onions, atjar and kimchi. An Amsterdam family business, generations into pickling. You taste the difference with factory stuff right away.

Limburg

Frites Uit Zuyd

Our fries, premium and loaded. Hand-peeled potatoes, fried twice, crispy outside and soft inside.

North Holland

Old Amsterdam

The cheese on the BBQ Glory. Distinct flavour, long aged. Our most classic non-Dutch twist on a Dutch base.

Two guests at the counter of Meat The Balls
Halal, vegan & allergens

Everyone welcome at the counter.

Our full menu is halal. We chose this on purpose, because we want to make our sandwiches for everyone.

Do not eat meat? We have the vegan ball. We put time and effort into this one too, to give the same taste. Not a standard veggie ball like you are used to.

Got something you cannot eat? Let us know. Ask us for the allergens chart. Note: we work in an open kitchen, so traces of allergens cannot be fully excluded.

  • 100% halal menu
  • Vegan version
  • Allergens on request
  • Open kitchen
See menu Ask an allergen question
Reviews

Why guests choose Meat The Balls

What our guests taste at the Kinkerstraat every day, in their own words. 4.9 stars out of 315 Google Reviews.

4.9 out of 315 Google Reviews
★★★★★
“We hebben heerlijke gehaktballen gegeten, BBQ en Amsterdammertjes. Een prachtige, schone zaak gerund door hele vriendelijke jongens. Zeker een aanrader!”
Jacqueline Van den broek
★★★★★
“Wow… this sandwich was exactly what I needed. Perfectly warm bread, that crunches without tearing your mouth apart. So easy to eat and nice toppings on the Indonesian sandwich (peanut sauce 🤌). I’ll definitely be coming back to try the other items on the menu.”
Lil
★★★★★
“Great sandwich. Amazing service! Would definitely return next time in Amsterdam. A little outside the main area but there is a tram stop close by!”
Bronwyn McSorley
★★★★★
“Een aangename verrassing. Iets anders dan de gebruikelijke hamburger. Perfect getoaste bol met heerlijke gehaktbal en smaakvolle toppings. Ga zeker weer terug.”
Marc Hesselink
★★★★★
“Kleine zaak, maar de kwaliteit en sfeer zijn uitstekend. De broodjes kunnen ook vegan, maar je proeft amper verschil met het origineel. Top plek.”
Twan Van De Donk

Read all 315 Google Reviews →

The Meat The Balls storefront at Kinkerstraat 142 in Amsterdam West, with the grey-white awning and a burgundy scooter parked in front
Visit us

Come by on the Kinkerstraat.

Right next to the Ten Kate market, in the heart of West Amsterdam. Walk in, pick your sandwich, eat at the bar or take it to go. We would love to see you.

Opening hours
Mon to Sat 11:00 to 19:00
Sun 12:00 to 19:00
  • Tram 7 & 17, Ten Katestraat stop (1 min on foot)
  • Bike: bike parking at the Ten Kate market
  • Car: paid parking nearby, a bike is faster
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Got hungry?

Come by or order online.

Made fresh in our open kitchen on the Kinkerstraat. Ready while you wait, or delivered warm to your office.

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Kinkerstraat 142, Amsterdam · Mon to Sat 11:00 to 19:00 · Sun 12:00 to 19:00