I have heard great things about the Italian Place but I think it is something you can glance right over if you're not paying attention. Yelp recommends them for sandwiches quite frequently so I have been excited to see what they're all about.
I went here with some good friends of mine on a Saturday afternoon. It is right off a busy street and there is quite a bit of parking but it also definitely depends on when you go because there is multiple other businesses in the area that share the same lot as they do.
The interior of The Italian Place is quite small. They don't have a ton of seating and the vibes are fast casual. You go up to the register to place your order and then go back up when they call out your order. As I was looking over the menu, I was a bit confused on their concept. To break it down for those that don't know--this is not necessarily like a sandwich chain, this is more of a cheesesteak chain. I asked, and they confirmed that all of their sandwiches are hot sandwiches. The menu itself is quite simple--they pretty much have two menu items to choose from: a hot sandwich or one of their salads. They have three salads to choose from that can either come in a half size or a full size. As for their sandwiches, they have several to choose from and they come in three different sizes--half, full, or monster size.
I was debating between their turkey n' cheese or their turkey n' everything. The contender was if their sandwiches were all hot or could be served either way. If I could get a cold sandwich, I was going to order the turkey n' cheese, but when he let me know that everything came hot, I decided to get the turkey n' everything sandwich instead. However, I did modify my order to come without turkey or mushrooms, because...ew.
With your order, you can also opt to get it in a combo and they have a few different combo options to choose from. I opted for combo #2, which came with a full size sandwich, chips or a side salad, and a drink. They were almost completely out of chips and I originally wanted a side salad but the cashier said no. I am not sure why, but hey, BBQ chips will do. The drink machine was out of ice, which always bites, but the Dr. Pepper off the rocks sufficed.
Next to the soda machine, they had mustard, mayo and a hot sauce. I did end up putting some of the mayo on my sandwich but I felt like that was the one thing that the sandwich was missing. The ingredients themselves were pretty solid and I felt like it was cooked pretty well...but I was not lost in the sauce. I am a very saucy girl and this had none. Mayo is not a sauce. Mayo tastes like air.
I cannot publish this review without acknowledging their cute ambiance. They have really made it look like a cute little Italian place (literally) with their decorations on the walls and such. It reminds me of Subway circa 2006. It is not very upgraded at all, but that is where this restaurant gets its charm.
All in all, I liked my experience at The Italian Place. Again, my biggest thing is that the sandwiches are lacking in sauce and could use some kind of house sauce to give an extra kick of flavor. Other than that, I thought the prices were great and the food was solid. It's not one of my first choices in the area but I see myself coming back sometime! read more