Meatballs in gravy, on subs and wrapped in bacon at new Lakewood restaurant

Ah, the cult of the Swedish meatball, a phenomenon that exists perhaps entirely because of a certain furniture retailer.

I’m not sure who among you was making the trek to Renton solely to satisfy the craving for those pork and beef orbs, drenched in gravy, but if you were: Turn around and head south on Interstate 5.

Look for the logo — naturally, navy blue and gold — on the Food Exit 122 sign. Ignore the golden arches and purple bell.

For this saving grace, we shall thank the Stalder family, owners of the fast-casual restaurant Manic Meatballs at 14815 Union Ave. in the Tillicum neighborhood of Lakewood. The city will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony June 8 at 5:30 p.m., and samples will abound.

Carrie Stalder and her husband Chad — he with Swedish roots, though the style arguably originated in what is now Turkey as a form of kofte — would often cook Swedish meatballs at home, feeding their family of five and frequently toting them to parties and potlucks.

“I wish you could buy them,” recalled Stalder in late 2020, as the restaurant was preparing to open after various pandemic delays. Then she realized, “We are the ones that are supposed to sell them!”

The menu hinges, of course, on the signature Manic meatball, a classic kötbullar blend of ground pork and beef, rolled and rested in a thick gravy of beef broth and cream.

“A lot of the flavor comes from the meatballs being in the gravy for a long time — thick gravy that really feels like home,” said Stalder.

A ground chicken meatball baked with apples and dill offers a welcome alternative, as does a vegan version featuring Impossible “meat.”

One of Stalder’s vegan cooks, along with the rest of her kitchen staff, helped develop a winning vegan spin.

At first, they simply duplicated the typical Swedish meatball flavors, but “we really couldn’t get the consistency,” Stalder said. They went back to the drawing board with the end goal of making “the best vegan, gluten-free meatball we can.”

Try them all by halving an order of six ($8), or mix-and-match an order of 12 or 24 ($14 or $24), but first, choose your base — homemade mashed potatoes, rice, or egg noodles for an enjoyable stroganoff-style situation.

Upgrade to a full meal ($12 for six meatballs, $16 for 12) to add two sides, such as simply salted green beans, cucumber salad with dill and red onions, baked beans, mac and cheese, or applesauce, another Stalder family specialty. Here you also get a fountain drink, and though I adhere to the soda water lifestyle, I yielded to the Vanilla Agave Cream Soda by Stubborn, a PepsiCo brand sweetened not with corn syrup but cane sugar and Stevia.

Stop for daily happy hour, 2-4 p.m., to save $2 on any meal, including the meatball sub topped with purple cabbage coleslaw ($8 sandwich, $12 meal).

On the snacky side, add some bacon-wrapped meatballs (three for $6, six for $10, nine for $14) and deviled eggs, a recent addition that, at $3 for a pair, has quickly become a fan-favorite, according to Stalder.

Last but certainly not least, there is a poutine of sorts: Flooded Fries ($8-$12), described as “seashore style” on the menu, covered in melted cheese curds and served with or without meatballs.

For dessert, there are options, including a Stubborn Pineapple Cream Soda float, chocolate coconut balls and an applesauce sundae, which might sound strange until you realize that Stalder’s recipe, served warm, resembles a chutney or compote that complements a cold scoop with crunch from candied walnuts.

She recalls her mother-in-law making it from scratch, seasoning with cinnamon and sugar.

“We would always eat it right off the stove,” she said.

After quietly operating and adjusting to the restaurant business, Stalder — a former health care professional who worked on nearby Joint Base Lewis-McChord for a few years — said they now offer catering (a smorgasbord!) and are experimenting with seasonal menu specials. Currently, for instance, they offer a Korean-style meatball and a summer salad, and are developing a lefse wrap featuring the Scandivian potato crêpe.

The building features a drive-thru — convenient considering its proximity to I-5 and JBLM — and ample indoor seating, plus a few tables outside.

Eventually, Stalder hopes to add a food truck to the brand.

“The Puyallup Fair would be perfect for bacon-wrapped meatballs,” she said.

MANIC MEATBALLS

▪ 14814 Union Ave. SW, Lakewood, 253-584-9798, facebook.com/manicmeatballs

▪ Daily 11 a.m.-9 p.m., happy hour 2-4 p.m.; order by phone or in-person (drive-thru available)

▪ Details: Swedish-style meatballs over starch or on sandwiches, most dishes $6-$16, plus a $35 family meal

This story was originally published June 6, 2021 at 5:00 AM.