Sub Station II

Once again, I learned today that looks can be deceiving.  Sub Station II is a sub place located off of 17 bypass here in Myrtle Beach.  It's maybe a five minute drive from where I live, and I have always believed I wouldn't eat there.  Why you ask?  Because it is part of a gas station strip; it is in a building that is fronted by a gas station, with a few extra store fronts, one of which is Sub Station II.  There is just something about choosing to eat in a restaurant attached to a gas station that seems inherently wrong unless you are on a long car trip or have no other choice.  Today, Sub Station II slapped me in the mouth and set me straight.

When we initially walked into the establishment, I was completely taken aback.  It was one of the cleanest dining areas I had seen in quite some time.  There was interesting artwork on the walls.  I even have one of the prints in my home.  There were a couple of nice flat screen televisions in the dining area, as well as a multitude of tables.  On each table sat a different vase.  My favorite one was an old looking red one that was squarish.  Seriously, how often do you walk into a sub shop and admire glassware?

Of course, it doesn't matter how nice the place looks if the food isn't good.  There is a giant menu hanging above the register where you choose what you want, each item being numbered.  Tell the cashier which number you want, decide if you want chips and a drink, then pay.  It's simple!  You do not specify your desired veggies at the register.  When they are making your sandwich, they will call you over so you can let them know what veggies and sauces you would like added.  It wasn't busy when we were there, but it appears to be a system designed to reduce the chance of sandwich mistakes.  I imagine it runs just as smoothly as a Subway, as far as speed is concerned.

I am always impressed when an establishment lets you see the kitchen area where they are making your food, as it indicates that they are clean and don't have much going on in the way of shady practices.  The kitchen these folks were working out of actually looked a bit like your kitchen at home.  They had cupboards and counters.  I know that sounds obvious and silly, but if you see it, you'll know what I mean.  Heck, there was a Buzz Lightyear on top of the cupboards, which was super exciting.  No, I don't know why.  Don't expect me to figure it out.

Let's get back to discussing the food, shall we?  I ordered a meatball sub special that they had today.  It was a 6 inch meatball sub with chips and a drink for around eight dollars.  Most places consider a meatball sub to be bread, meatballs, sauce, and cheese.  Well, Sub Station II likes to take it a step farther.  My meatball sub also had some slightly spicy meat on it.  I regret that I do not know what it was.  The big sign told me, but I forgot.  I wasn't expecting to review Sub Station II tonight, so I didn't pay close enough attention.

When I order a sub, I always worry about what kind of bread I'll be getting.  I think Sub Station II may have the best sub bread I have had the pleasure of eating.  It was the perfect consistency and thickness.  I have had many a meatball sub fall apart upon being lifted, but this bread had no problem handling the awesomeness that was my sandwich.  In addition to awesome bread, the meatballs were tasty too!  I once ordered a meatball sub at a Subway that contained meatballs that had clearly been hardening over a four hour period.  It has made me wary, but I enjoyed the ones on my sub today.  The addition of the spicy sandwich meat on the sub was also excellent and gave this meatball sub an edge.

The only aspect of my sub that gave me pause was the cheese.  The cheese they chose was good, but it was on the bottom, right against the bread.  It wasn't bad, but it was weird.  Maybe all of my meatball subs have been that way, and I never realized.  I'm not sure, but it struck me as odd today.  It still tasted good though.

If you're in Myrtle Beach and want a sub, don't go to one of the old stand-bys.  Visit Sub Station II on 17 bypass.  You can get an excellent sandwich and relax in a comfortable dining area.  They don't have Coke products, but you'll survive.  The sandwiches are worth it.