Critic's Review
Monster Subs has closed and Greek Guys Souvlaki will open in it's place.
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It's been a long time since my last visit to Monster Subs. This location was sold a few years ago, so my previous experience here, which was a pretty good sub, didn't really apply.
On their web site they say they have lunch specials and a Cuban sandwich, but they don't tell you what they are. I figured I'd find out when I got there.
Something has to be said about this parking lot. It's a total disaster. One way for no reason and part of the lot is only accessible from Sunrise Blvd. If you wander too far you'll find no other way to go except back onto Sunrise.
Inside the place has been remodeled; it looks like your typical fast food store with bad seating.
They have a blackboard that list the "specials", with no prices. To me, a special includes a price. If I have to ask, I don't want it.
So I just went with an Italian. They don't have set recipes, so I had to specific each item. I hate having to do this, because I always forget something. Real sub shops have a "works" italian sub.
I paid before I got it (something else I dislike), and stood at the register to watch the girl make it. There seemed to be an owner and a trainee, and the trainee was making the sandwich. I was the only one in the place, and she was cutting a wheat roll.
"That's not for me is it?". "Yes". "That's a wheat roll".
She looks at the order, and then goes to get another roll. Kind of a big mistake. I was sure to watch her with the rest. The owner person handed her a pre-measured bunch of sandwich meats, which just get plopped onto the sandwich without any understanding of what's being done.
When I got home I opened it up.
Not particularly appetizing, let's see what's inside.
I'd asked for oil and vinegar (and I saw her grab the bottles), but there was no sign of liquid. Also no mustard or mayo; she didn't ask about condiments and they're not listed on the menu.
I added some banana peppers and ate the first half, as is, and it just tasted like ham on a bad roll. I added some mustard, without much improvement.
The problem with the pre-bundled meat packs is that they're not distributed across the sandwich, so you only get all of the flavors in the middle. Because of the larger ham slices, the outer 2" of the sandwich on both sides is just ham. Another issue was the pickles; they weren't good. They weren't dill, and not quite sweet; whatever they were, I didn't like them.
I added oil and vinegar and mustard but I couldn't save this. The bread wasn't good either; just a loser from head to toe.
Conclusion
This place is now more like Subway than the old Monster Subs; with pre-measured sandwiches on bad bread made by people who don't really understand the sandwiches. They have a bunch of fake pictures on their facebook page, so I'd be hesitant to try any of their specials. The use of other people's food photos to promote a restaurant is false advertising, pure and simple.
Review 5/28/10
A good friend of mine swears by Monster Subs. I'd never been there myself; ever since the low-carb mentality has set in I'm not a big sub guy. But once in a while I really enjoy a good Italian Sub.
As with most sub places, its not much to look at on the inside. A small counter, yellow walls, a display with sandwich choices and prices, and lots of extras like chips and drinks fill the space.
I find it difficult not to compare this to LaSpada's Hoagies; they are the main non-chain sub shops around these parts. La Spada's is definitely more of a show; the guys in there are confident and real showman the way they cut and layer the meat on the subs. This place is more mom-and-pop; the sandwich assembler asked me 20 questions about whether I wanted this or that; the proud slicer came over and handed me an ultra-thin slice of ham for a taste.
And the sandwich, well its not as pretty as the LaSpada either.
But, I have to admit that I really liked the sandwich. They put some sort of mustard sauce on it; and it really brought out the flavor. I got the 8" figuring I could eat half of it and then have the other half as a midnight snack. If I wasn't so disciplined I would have eaten the whole thing. Of course I was pretty hungry. But it was definitely a good sub.
