Sub shops offer B-ball eats

Published 2:36 pm Thursday, December 19, 2013

Ah, March Madness: That point in the sports year when college basketball fans cluster around televisions to watch league championships and the opening rounds of the NCAA tournament, one game upon another, pausing only to refuel with sleep and food.

One slam-dunk way to make a hungry hoops lover happy is to keep him (or her) satisfied with a continual stream of submarine sandwiches.

Central Oregon has a growing number of sub shops, led by Subway Restaurants. This mammoth corporation, based in Milford, Conn., boasts nearly 39,000 franchises in 100 countries on six continents. There are 327 Subway restaurants in Oregon, a dozen of them in the Central Oregon region.

Of course, bigger doesn’t necessarily mean better. So, with March Madness cravings in mind, I set out to discover the best sub shop in the greater Bend area.

The recent closing of Quiznos’ stores in Bend and Redmond made my task slightly simpler. But I still had to consider the locally based New York City Sub Shops (five stores in two states) and three relative newcomers — Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches, Port of Subs and Togo’s Eateries. I was glad to learn that each one of them is happy to cater.

I disqualified other restaurants that may serve subs (also known as hoagies, grinders, torpedoes, poor boys or hero sandwiches) but do not specialize in them. I chose to focus on one local outlet for each of the sub shops (Jimmy John’s and Port of Subs have only one).

Having once made the rounds of these five stores, enjoying whichever sandwich struck my fancy at the time, I returned to compare, as nearly as possible, the same sandwich from each of the different establishments. Keeping it simple, I got a turkey sandwich with provolone cheese, lettuce and tomato, dressed with mayonnaise and Dijon mustard.

Finally, I involved two other colleagues in a blind taste test, offering slices of each of the five sandwiches without identifying the restaurants’ names.

No scorecard accompanies these reviews, but after dining twice at each shop, I rank Subway — the corporate giant — at the top of the list in terms of value and quality, followed closely by Togo’s and Jimmy John’s. That said, New York City Subs and Port of Subs are not without their good points.

My team’s mutual assessments, in alphabetical order by establishment:

Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches

In terms of speedy and efficient service and in-house atmosphere, this Old Mill District establishment was tops. Unhindered by questions about choice of bread, cheese or other ingredients, the well-trained staff takes orders by number and produces them with remarkable speed, barely two minutes from the time the sandwiches are requested.

But that’s not all good, unless you’re in a terrific hurry. Our take on the JJ’s sandwich was that a little more meat, a different choice of bread and some customizing of ingredients could have gone a long way.

The white French bread was yeasty with a hard crust. I didn’t love it. Only two other options were offered: The ingredients could be prepared as an everyday sandwich in seven-grain brown bread, or they could be wrapped bread-less in iceberg lettuce.

My order was a No. 4 Turkey Tom. An 8-inch gourmet sub was priced at $4.85, although I paid another 50 cents for a slice of provolone cheese.

It was light on turkey, had slices of cucumber instead of the sprouts promised on the menu, and a couple of skinny slices of Roma tomato with shredded lettuce.

Still, its price made it the best value of the five sub shops reviewed. And the ambience makes it the most appealing to want to stay and eat, rather than take out (as I did on an earlier visit, when I ordered at Italian Night Club with salami, capicola, ham and cheese). Large, dark-wood tables give it a tavern-like appeal.

Based in Champaign, Ill., Jimmy John’s has more than 1,000 restaurants in 39 states, including nine in Oregon. The Bend restaurant opened in late 2010.Location: 330 S.W. Powerhouse Drive (Old Mill District), BendHours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. every dayPrice range: Sandwiches $4.85 to $7.85(8-inch subs and giant clubs)Credit cards: American Express, Discover, MasterCard, VisaKids’ menu: “Slims” menu is priced from $3.85Vegetarian menu: Menu includes veggie subs and gourmet club sandwichesOutdoor seating: Seasonal sidewalk seatingContact: www.jimmyjohns.com or 541-633-7224

New York City Sub Shop

Founded in 1985 in Jackson Hole, Wyo., expanded to Hood River four years later, NYC Subs found their way to Bend in the early 1990s. The downtown shop moved this week from Bond Street to Newport Avenue. A second shop opened in early 2012 in the Safeway supermarket complex at North East Third Street and Hawthorne Avenue.

There are a lot of good things about NYC subs. Service is casual and friendly in an off-handed, Central Park sort of way. But decor is minimal — the atmosphere doesn’t entice long visits — and attention to detail is not a strong point.

The yeasty white bread, baked fresh in-house every morning and warmed before serving, is a highlight. In my Bronx sub (turkey and provolone), I found ample meat but it was not evenly distributed through the sandwich. One bite would have turkey; another I’d get only overly dressed, shredded lettuce and a poor excuse for an unripe tomato slice.

I previously had enjoyed a New York Special here — Genoa salami, ham and provolone — but it had some of the same distribution problems.

For diners who want only a small sandwich, NYC has the answer. Its quarter sub, a mere 4 inches in length, costs $3.25. Eight-inch and 12-inch subs are also available, along with a daily choice of house-made soup and The Village salad option.Location: 740 N.E. Third St., Bend (541-330-0444)Hours: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. SundayPrice range: Sandwiches (4-inch) $3.25, (8-inch) $6.45, (12-inch) $11.90. Also soups and saladsCredit cards: MasterCard, VisaKids’ menu: Quarter subs are priced just $3.25Vegetarian menu: Prepared to order on requestOutdoor seating: NoContact: www.newyorkcitysubshop.com or 541-330-0444Other locations: 1075 N.W. Newport Ave., Bend (541-388-4498) and 946 S.E. Veterans Way, Redmond (541-548-4400).

Port of Subs

Located in an industrial-park section of northeast Bend off Empire Road, Port of Subs is the first Oregon franchise for a Reno-based company with 150 locations in six other Western states. Spare in decor but clean and spacious, the cafe has two separate service counters — although both times I visited, only one was in use.

Sandwiches here come in 5-inch, 8-inch, 12-inch and 2-foot sizes. Prices for the smallest sub start at $4.69. Considering that an 8-inch sandwich at Jimmy John’s can cost as little as $4.85, that’s not exactly a bargain.

Diners may choose between white, wheat and sourdough breads. My sandwich was prepared on wheat bread, a deep brown in color with a light crust. I found it lacking in flavor, although one of my colleagues commented that she could taste the Dijon better than on the other sandwiches.

I’m sure the friendly and efficient staff was trained to apply specific portions to each sandwich. I found those portions to be rather modest — especially on the turkey (four thin slices) but also on the cheese, lettuce and tomato slices. “At least I can see the tomatoes on this one,” said my other colleague. “But there’s a little too much mayo for me.”Location: 63056 Lower Meadow Drive (at Empire Way), Suite 160, BendHours: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. SundayPrice range: Sandwiches (5-inch) $4.69, (8-inch) $6.19, (12-inch) $7.79 to $8.99; salads $3.99 to $6.19; breakfast sandwiches $2.99 to $6.99Credit cards: American Express, Discover, MasterCard, VisaKids’ menu: Full kids’ meals availableVegetarian menu: Salads or cheese-and-avocado sandwichesOutdoor seating: SeasonalContact: www.portofsubs.com or 541-388-1580

Subway Restaurants

South Redmond’s Subway outlet is one of 12 in Central Oregon, making this group by far the largest in the region. Consistency is a hallmark from one franchise to the next, despite a recent lawsuit against the international corporation — plaintiffs insisting that the Footlong sandwich is only 11 inches, Subway responding that name is merely a trademark.

I didn’t concern myself with such trivia. I find the 6-inch sandwiches here to be the best bargain (at prices beginning at $3.75) of any sub options in the region, even if they only turn out to be 5 1/2 inches in length. I didn’t measure.

There are obvious reasons why Subway has succeeded, not the least of which are the multiple choices that allow diners to design their own sandwiches. Starting with a half-dozen fresh bread options (I like the nine-grain honey oat), I can build a meal at Subway with various meats, cheeses (at least four choices), vegetables (nine or more), dressings and sauces.

My turkey-breast sandwich had four slices of meat, thicker than those offered at Port of Subs, more evenly distributed across the bread than at New York City Subs. It had a couple of thick slices of tomato, good flavor from the mustard — “and it’s the first sandwich in which I can taste the provolone,” one colleague said.Location: 2209 S. U.S. Highway 97, RedmondHours: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday,9 a.m. to 9 p.m. SundayPrice range: Sandwiches (6-inch) $3.75 to $6, (12-inch) $5 to $9.50; salads $5, personal pizzas from $4.50Credit cards: American Express, MasterCard, VisaKids’ menu: Mini-sub with apples and milk $4.50Vegetarian menu: Veggie Delite salad can also fill a subOutdoor seating: SeasonalContact: www.subway.com or 541-923-5535Other locations: In Bend, 515 N.E. Bellevue Drive (541-330-1155), 1288 S.W. Simpson Ave. (541-382-4220), 62929 N. U.S. Highway 97 (541-388-8847), 61292 S. U.S. Highway 97 (541-383-3961) and 19745 Baker Road (541-389-0503). In Redmond, 520 N.W. Fir Ave. (541-923-5535) and 885 S.W. 17th St. (541-548-1800).Also in La Pine at 16509 Reed Road (541-536-5554), Madras at 24 N.E. Plum St. (541-475-7560), Prineville at 200 N.E. Third St. (541-447-3184) and Sisters at 620 N. Arrowleaf Trail (541-549-9664). A Sunriver shop at 56896 Venture Lane is scheduled to open soon.

Togo’s Eateries

Togo’s established its first location on Bend’s east side last April, then added a second store in the Cascade Village Shopping Center in November.

Based in San Jose, Calif., the company — affiliated with Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream until going independent in 2007 — has nearly 250 franchise restaurants in four Western states, but just six outlets in Oregon.

Togo’s — although food is prepared to go, the name rhymes with pogo — has the priciest menu, by a slim margin, of any of the shops I reviewed. (A 6-inch sandwich costs $5.65, for example.) But it also offers the most meat — a more generous serving than its competitors.

Like Subway, Togo’s offers a choice of breads (white, sourdough, honey wheat and Parmesan), five cheeses, five vegetables and several dressing options for each sandwich. Sandwiches can be served cold, toasted or bread-less; that is, wrapped in iceberg lettuce.

Commented one of my colleagues: “There’s a little too much meat, actually. I really can’t taste anything else, besides the turkey and bread.”

But the other said: “I like that there is a lot of meat. The ingredients and bread are pretty good, but if there is this much meat, I think it needs more of the other ingredients to balance.”Location: 2155 N.W. U.S. Highway 20, BendHours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. SundayPrice range: Sandwiches (6-inch) $4.75 to $6.25, (9-inch) $6.50 to $8; salads $5.95 to $6.75Credit cards: American Express, MasterCard, VisaKids’ menu: Kids’ meal, including drink, $4.75Vegetarian menu: Salad wraps and five veggie sandwich choicesOutdoor seating: Ample patio areaContact: www.togos.com or 541-678-5699Other location: 63455 N. U.S. Highway 97 (Cascade Village), Bend (541-647-1118)