Openings: Sanwits on 1st Avenue

Image via @sanwits.nyc

The East Village now has another sandwich option. 

Sanwits, a Filipino sandwich shop from the team behind Naks, debuted last Friday at 149 First Ave. between Ninth Street and 10th Street. 

The new restaurant comes from Unapologetic Foods — the hospitality group behind Semma and Dhamaka, among others — and is led by Chef Eric Valdez of Naks, the Filipino restaurant located two-plus blocks north on First Avenue. 

The menu features six sandwiches, including the Lechon Dip with pork asado, grilled pineapple relish and pork jus on a hero roll; the Chicken Bagoong with fried chicken and roasted eggplant aioli on a brioche bun; and the Ribeye Caldereta with spicy beef stew sauce, peppers and onions. 

Find the menu here. Hours: Tuesday-Sunday 4-10 p.m.

We first reported on the arrival of Sanwits here. The business takes over the space from another Unapologetic Foods brand — Rowdy Rooster.

Sanwits replacing Rowdy Rooster on 1st Avenue

Photo by William Klayer 

Signage arrived on March 31 for Sanwits at 149 First Ave., between Ninth Street and 10th Street. 

This is being billed as a Filipino sandwich shop. (Photo below by EVG reader Wes.)

The previous tenant, Rowdy Rooster, had been "temporarily closed" here since the fall, with a note on the door promising that "new things are coming." 

That appears to be Sanwits.

The Rowdy Rooster signage disappeared in January (photo by Steven).

The new venture looks to be from the Unapologetic Foods team — the same group behind Rowdy Rooster. (Unapologetic Foods is currently the only account following Sanwits' placeholder Instagram.) 

We've reached out to an Unapologetic Foods rep for more details. 

Rowdy Rooster, which offers spicy Indian fried chicken, opened in February 2022. It proved popular enough to try an outpost near Penn Station in 2023.