Lunch Beat: City Subs
Everything old is new again. Or is it everything new is old again? That debate could take awhile.
But here’s something that isn’t up for debate. City Subs is “back” — and it’s delicious.
First of all, it’s one of those great stories that makes a bite into your sandwich that much more pleasurable. The beloved City Sub (note the singular) was located at 450 Bergen Street (between 5th and Flatbush Avenues) for almost 30 years, with a dedicated client base.
In May 2014, City Sub closed for good in their old spot. The landlord of the space was renovating the building, and the owner had been planning to move on from the business.
Bushwick-born Thomas Moran had been working at City Sub for almost a decade and knew the ins and outs of that business. And after some thinking — and cajoling from former customers — Moran launched the new shop. For legal reasons, he added the ‘s.’
In an interview with Grubstreet, Moran explains the mysterious ‘s’ was added due to legal issues. “What he [the original owner] said is, ‘If the landlord’s not gonna reimburse me, we’re gonna have to go to court, and I’m using the name in court, so if you want, you can just add an S — you know, ‘City Subs’ — and it’ll be good.’ That was pretty much it,” says Moran.
When Grubstreet asked Moran if there would be changes to the menu, his response was “No, no, no, no. We’re gonna keep it the same.”
And City Subs was born, opening just before Halloween.
Producer Mackenzie Smith and 1 Minute Meal has put together a micro-documentary on the sandwich shop here:
Each of the sandwiches is named after a neighborhood street. Admittedly, a wordsmith may shudder when looking at the menu — a few of those well-known thoroughfares are misspelled (“Garfeild Place,” “Douglas Street”). But we opted for the Garfield Place sandwich ($8.99) and were smitten by it.
The bread was fresh, and the Cajun turkey and pepper jack cheese combined just right. We added a bag of Mesquite BBQ chips ($1.50) and a Boylan seltzer ($2) and were more than satisfied.
And getting your sandwich toasted is highly recommended!
Prices are right — the shop is still committed to keeping their sandwich prices under $10. The service was brisk, and the line began to heat up around noon.
City Subs isn’t a sit down and relax type of place. It’s petit, and you should probably plan to get your sandwich to go when it’s packed. It’s a quick bite type of place if you choose to stick around.
Downsides? Not many. It was surprising they had run out of honey turkey by 11:45 a.m. the day we stopped in. And shredded lettuce is just not our thing.
But that’s really minutiae. Moran has succeeded in bringing those beloved sandwiches back.
And the least we can do is enjoy them. Right?
Park Slope Lunch Beat Rundown: City Subs
Where: 82 5th Avenue, between St Marks and Warren Streets.
Phone: 718-636-1777
Regular Hours: Mondays-Saturdays, 11am-7pm; Sundays, 11am-4pm
The Layout: It’s a small place and the lunch time rush is brisk. It’s a nice place to come on your own, or with one other person. But be ready to take it to go.
Best Bites: These are great sandwiches, and there’s no way we can really select one over the other. So check out the menu if you want to take a gander before you head over. Prices range from $8-9.50 depending on your sandwich selection.