I grew up where sub sandwiches were not only "invented" but rose to an art form. Big corporate chains didn't stand a chance against some guy in a corner deli who made subs "his way" and his devotees would not accept any other way a sub would or should ever be made. Of course I have my favorite subs but I've always kept an open mind and whenever I visit a sandwich shop or deli I always order a traditional Italian sub made "their way". I've had some great ones and I've had some that are embarrassments to the whole genre. But unless the place simply isn't trying I always give them an A for effort. I do get a little irked however when they try to get away with selling an inferior, or very tiny, sub sandwich for a ridiculously expensive price.
So let's talk about the new kids in town, Subslinger. They are obviously not a corporate chain nor do they look like some guy's fantasy of becoming the next Ray Kroc and franchising with 100,000 locations.
They look like what they are, the sincere effort of a guy (or guys) who put a lot of thought, labor and love into opening their own store. What you see when you walk in is obviously the work of their own hands, probably working all night and day with saw and hammer in hand. I know, I've been there doing that and the results turned out to be less than "fancy". I'm glad they didn't blow hundreds of thousands of dollars on fancy furnishings, signage and advertising. They are building their business the smart way, and I would so much rather walk in and see the owner right there greeting me and hoping I'll like his place and will tell others about it.
Although the "look" of the place doesn't bother me (we'll see if the influx of winter residents are so kind) I have to offer my honest opinion that they are still a little rough around the edges in what I call presentation skill. I had the small Italian sub and it did look like a child's size on the oversize paper plate. My first impression was that it was quite a bit overpriced. I was wrong. Like some of my favorite back-east sub shops they put a lot more meat than veggies in their sandwich. That sandwich that I guessed was too small was much more filling than I thought it would be, with just enough veggies. The bread (which they say they bake themselves) is different than most other sub shops in that it doesn't look like a French roll sliced in half but more like a cup that the ingredients are placed in. Take a close look at the picture I posted and you'll see what I mean. Doing it this way keeps the stuff from falling out while you're eating it.
Their homemade macaroni and potato salads (I tried both) truly taste fresh and homemade. They are a little pricey but worth it and to be fair, the per-pound price is probably less than what you would pay in the supermarket for that so-called deli stuff.
Yes, these guys are still feeling their way in the classic "crawl, walk, run" manner and I'm not going to nitpick the tiny details I'm giving them 5-star because I want others to give them a chance. I'll bet in a year from now (after a season of winter residents) they will have ironed out all those little nits. read more