Whether you say sub, grinder or hero, the submarine sandwich is a genre few of us can do without. Capriotti's, a small local chain started by a family from Delaware, has long been our standard for good subs, and neither of these two pretenders has the chops to dislodge them from their perch. Not quite yet, at any rate.
Big Town Hero's first Nevada store is a cheerful place with green Formica tables and a cafeteria-like ambience. Painted on the walls, in addition to a couple of nice frescoes with a man making sandwiches as the subject, are the following words of wisdom: "At most jobs, if all you think about is lunch, you get fired. Here, you become president."
That's cute, but does this chain deliver? The answer depends on your taste. The food is fresh-tasting and some of the combinations are winners. But if you're looking for ethnic, you've definitely come to the wrong place.
When I called to inquire about the cold cuts, asking if there was coppacolla or mortadella in the Italian sandwich, a voice on the other end of the phone told me, "No, none of those things, just regular food." Sorry, bub, but Italian cold cuts are regular food where I come from, perhaps just not in Oregon, where this chain is based.
Additionally, the bread used here, while baked fresh daily, is on the soft side—no crusty sub rolls in these parts. If those disclaimers work for you, then you should be happy with what you eat here. We were, even if some of us like it more slanted towards Italy.
Panini, or Italian sandwiches, come on ridged bread that looks and tastes like what you get when you use one of those George Foreman sandwich machines. The best one was a Reuben: Swiss cheese, pastrami and just the right amounts of sauerkraut and Thousand Island dressing. From the Favorites section, try arti parm chicken, made with artichoke parmesan spread, good smoked chicken and Romaine lettuce.
From the Hot Heroes section, there is a meatball sub that won't impress anyone from the East Coast. The meatballs, though perfectly beefy, are on the small side and not made on the premises, so it is likely they come from the freezer.
I'll also pass on the Italian, a cold sub made with ham, pepperoni, dry salami and American provolone, a bland, Xerox copy of a sub that can be great when made with the right ingredients. Folks, you're better off just having turkey or tuna here, two fillings this all-American chain does understand.
Eat 'Em Sandwiches has an irresistible name and a few really good things to eat, but by and large, it isn't much more than your bare-bones, mom-and-pop sandwich shop.
Co-owner Maggie Shook is a forceful presence behind the counter. That's her making your sandwiches, dishing up soup and chatting away with her customers.
The restaurant recently moved from Sunset Road to its present location in Langford Plaza, and you'll miss it when you drive by unless you know it's there. It's a boxy, homey space with ample room between tables, and walls decorated with French posters, a non sequitur in the context of these all-American sandwiches. Tables are adorned with glass vases and silk dahlias.
There isn't a whole lot of cooking going on in here, save for onions and steak grilling on a small, portable-style griddle, meatballs bubbling away in a back cauldron, and soups, tasty but not prepared here, heating up in a pair of kettles in back of the sandwich counters.
The restaurant opens for breakfast, when you can order commercially acquired bagels or croissant sandwiches, but neither item is a particularly strong suit here. Sandwiches are available in 6- and 8-inch lengths, with all of the usual suspects: lettuce, tomato, mayo, pickles, mustard, oil and oregano in any conceivable permutation.
My favorite sandwich here is the homemade egg salad, about which Maggie states with pride, "The eggs aren't cracked until your sandwich is ordered." The cheese steak sandwich is just fine, too: nice, lean beef thinly sliced and grilled to order, topped with an umbrella of provolone cheese, just as it would be at Pat's in South Philly.
The Super Italian is also good, a real meat fest absolutely crammed with coteghino salami, coppa and other authentic Italian cuts. Do have it with onion, tomato, oregano and oil, but for heaven's sake, hold the Miracle Whip.
Pass on the tasteless meatballs, but by all means have an order of Shook's terrific coleslaw and potato salad, two things she does make here. The only real knock on the place is the boring white and wheat sub rolls the restaurant buys from a supplier. If Eat 'Em is going to compete with the big boys, the bread will have to improve.
Shook says they are working on it.