Regular Ass Sandwich is the latest venture from David Hausmann and John Porter, the creative duo who conceived the ever popular Handsome Biscuit and Toast. I am a fan of both.
This one is located inside a former convenience store across the street from Handsome Biscuit in Park Place. When the store closed, its parking lot provided extra spaces for their customers.
The owners took over the store as well and began to convert it into a commercial kitchen, serving as a base for prepping ingredients for their other restaurants.
Their new sandwich shop actually opened in June, but it was not well known. I only found about it earlier this month.
It existed as a sort of "phantom" restaurant for those in the know and who had their delivery apps. Their food was only available through third party delivery services.
The name doesn't exactly excite me. Two definitions of "regular" I looked up were "average" and "ordinary."
If I am going to order a sandwich from any type of eatery, I want one that goes above and beyond the average and the ordinary.
Their concept was explained further by the ownership in a recent article from The Virginian-Pilot:
"I don't think people are looking for anything intense. They're all a little nervous, looking for traditional things that bring them comfort."
That doesn't fit me. I am always looking for bold and intense flavors that go beyond the traditional and expand my comfort zone.
Another quote: "There's nothing to lie about: it's a regular ass sandwich, and the goal is to catch you on the day you forgot about lunch, and you don't want to risk eating anything bad."
That doesn't fit me either. Lunch is my main meal of the day and one I never forget. I do not eat out with the sole intent to avoid "eating anything bad." I want something good.
Inside ordering for pick-up is now available. With no dining area at this time, their ordering space is attractively decorated with what they describe as a "Rad" look and vibe.
Colorful skateboards dangle from the ceiling as Rap tunes provide an upbeat mood. Service is friendly.
You order at the counter from a touch screen by credit card only. You can customize your order with various add-ons with small up charges. I didn't see any jalapenos listed, which was a disappointment.
Any sandwich plus a drink and a side is only $10 with no add-ons. You can actually order for less. For my first visit I ordered my sandwich with no drink, no side, and no add-ons for only $7.68.
Their sides and drinks are listed on the menu of their web site. Their Trading Cards feature MTV Rap Artists.
Each sandwich is served on Wheat Berry Bread. It is a cut above the Wonder Bread my mother used for the sandwiches she made me as a kid. Otherwise, I find it quite ordinary with an average taste and texture.
During my customary three visits, I tried the following:
JUST ROAST BEEF: Hormel Thinly Sliced Roast Beef, Shredded Iceberg Lettuce, Tomato, and Horsey (Horseradish) Sauce on the side. I ordered this one with no drink, sides, or add-ons.
The flavors of this one fell flat for me. The slices of roast beef were stiff and chewy. The lettuce tasted dry and lifeless.
The "horsey" sauce added a bit of zing, but not enough. Overall, I found this sandwich bland, ordinary, and uninspiring. My Rating: 3 Stars
A SIMPLE PIMENTO & HAM SANDWICH: Hormel Pit Cooked Ham stacked high with Pimento Cheese. I ordered Tomato and Bacon as add-ons, as well as a Dr, Brown's Root Beer and an Oatmeal-Creme Pie for my drink and side.
I had better luck with this one. The thickly layered pimento cheese provided a pleasantly tangy flavor that perked up the flavors of the ham and other ingredients nicely.
It wasn't the best pimento and ham sandwich I've had, but it managed to deliver a decent taste. My Rating: 4 Stars.
REGULAR ASS CLUB: Traditional Club Sandwich with Smoked Turkey, Hormel Pit Cooked Ham, Hardwood Smoked Bacon. Iceberg Lettuce, Tomato, and House Made Herb Mayo on the side. Ordered with a Dr. Brown's Root Beer and a bag of Kettle Chips.
The flavors of this one fell totally flat for me and were very bland, killing my hopes of rallying my review to a higher rating. It didn't taste bad. It just didn't taste particularly good. My Rating: 3 Stars.
If I could tweak their concept, I would upgrade the quality of their sandwiches to a cut above the "regular" and maybe change its name to "Kick Ass Sandwich." I would find that more enticing.
There are a number of nearby restaurants in walking distance from this one, where their sandwiches give me a much better taste experience.
I get the nostalgia they are trying to capture with their sandwiches, but not at the expense of quality. Let quality become job one.
Their "regular" concept just doesn't work for me.
We all have different tastes. If you are curious, give this place a try. You might like it better than I did.
I plan to return in a few months in hopes I can post an updated review with a higher rating. read more