Phoenix, AZ: Case Of The Missing Sandwich Solved, But Where's The Meat?

Barro's Pizza
2750 W Dove Valley Road, Ste 140
Phoenix, AZ 85085
(623) 215-4141
barrospizza.com
Prices: $$$$

I grew up with Barro's in SoCal, so I figured I could have a decent meal there. I ordered a simple sandwich mid-afternoon on a Sunday, so the place was virtually empty, and was told "that will be ready in 15-20 minutes". Wow, 15-20 minutes to make a sandwich? Had I known, I would have gone somewhere else.

EMPTY

Well, 15-20 minutes went by, people came and went with their orders, but still no sandwich, so I asked when it would be ready. "What sandwich?" I was asked as they searched orders on the computer. "The one I paid for 20 minutes ago", I said, "do you want to see my receipt?". Then they lied to me: "oh, it's in the oven and will be out in just a minute". A few minutes later I saw a guy in the back put my sandwich in the oven and another five minutes later, I finally had my mediocre sandwich.

The sandwich was so-so with four slices of processed ham and eight small slices of salami and a little lettuce and tomato on a 12 inch roll, but was relatively cheap (less than $7 for a 12 inch sub and a bag o' chips) and filled the void in my gut or they would have received my lowest score. Forgetting my order was bad enough, but letting me leave without some sort of compensation (free slice, coupon, etc.) and a heartfelt apology was unforgivable.

CombatCritic Gives Barro's Pizza 2 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Two Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Tits Up" 

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Title: Phoenix, AZ: Case Of The Missing Sandwich Solved, But Where's The Meat?

Key Words: Phoenix, AZ, sandwich, Barro's Pizza, Barro's, Barro, pizza, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato, TripAdvisor, Google, Facebook

Copyright 2019/2020 - 3rd Wave Media Group And CombatCritic ™ - All Rights Reserved

Valletta, Malta: "Sunk" My Teeth Into This "Submarine" And Boy Was I Glad I Did

The Submarine

Italian, Fast Food, Mediterranean

Triq II Merkanti, 42B (aka 42B Merchant Street)

Valletta, Malta 1173

Phone: +356 7706 4944
Facebook Page

Prices: €€€€

TripAdvisor has this little place listed about four blocks East (toward the fort) on Merkanti, so we had to call to find out exactly where they were. The owners have been begging TripAdvisor to fix the map issue for months, but have been ignored. That is one of the reasons why I resigned as a Top Contributor on TripAdvisor, because they do not respond to customers (merchants or reviewers - aka the people that pay their bills) and because they selectively publish reviews, a practice I found deceiving and dishonest.

The Submarine is run by a very nice Italian couple from Bologna and boy do they make great sandwiches and at reasonable prices. Fresh breads (ciabatta, baguette, ftira and others) and fillings of your choice (salami, prosciutto, mortadella ... you name it ... and dozens of cheeses, toppings and sauces ... all for just €3.50 ... MAMMA MIA ... CHE BUONO ... HOOAH!

If the map is wrong, which like most addresses in Malta is very likely, ask a local where 42B Merkanti Street is. I can guarantee you it is worth the effort.

Salami, Gouda, Mushroom and Tomato with Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinaigrette on Ciabatta

Half of a Finocchiona, Provolone, Olive and Pesto on Toasted Ftira

It is a tiny place, but the sandwiches are big and scrummy. I had a salami, gouda, mushroom and tomato sandwich with an olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette, toasted on ciabatta and YUUUUUUUUM, it was delicious. My wife's finocchiona (a Tuscan salami), provolone, olive and pesto on toasted ftira (Maltese bread) was equally as good. Include a cold pint of beer and an ice tea, and we were satiated and happy as larks for just €13 total. What more can you ask for?

CombatCritic Gives The Submarine 10 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Ten Bombs Equates To:

HOOAH!: "Phonetic spelling of the acronym HUA, which stands for 'Heard Understood Acknowledged.' Originally used by the British in the late 1800's in Afghanistan. More recently adopted by the United States Army to indicate an affirmative or a pleased response." - Urban Dictionary

"The Department of Military Science and Leadership, University of Tennessee claim HOOAH 'refers to or means anything except no' ... Regardless of its meaning ... the term is an expression of high morale, confidence, motivation and spirit." - WarChronicle.com

"The U.S. Air Force stole 'HOOAH' from the Army because we were part of the Army until 1947 and rather than waste a bunch of time coming up with something new and unique like "ROO-YAH" or "HAL-A-LOO-YAH", we said 'screw it, let's go with HOOAH' ... thanks Army ... HOOAH!" - CombatCritic

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

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Title: Valletta, Malta: "Sunk" My Teeth Into This "Submarine" And Boy Was I Glad I Did

Key Words: Valletta, Malta, The Submarine, the, submarine, 42, Merkanti, Merchant, street, sandwiches, sandwich, shop, fast, food, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato

Copyright 2017/2018 - 3rd Wave Media Group, LLC and CombatCritic - All Rights Reserved

Austin, TX: Downtown Grocery Selection And Prices Left Me A Little Blue

Royal Blue Grocery - Congress Avenue

609 Congress Avenue

Austin, TX 78701

Phone number: (512) 469-5888

Website: royalbluegrocery.com

Prices: $$$$

If you are downtown and need a market, this is your only choice. The staff are friendly and helpful, but the inventory is severely lacking. 

You can buy a sandwich, a cookie, or other prepared meals, but the "grocery" sections are ridiculously understocked. The prices are a tad high, but considering the prime real estate this store occupies, they could be worse.

My wife needed something for breakfast, so we bought two cookies at $1.75 each. The cookies were big and tasty enough, but there was little else to choose from.

Trying to find a supermarket in central Austin is like trying to find a needle in a haystack, In 2+ days in Austin, we saw only one, a H-E-B on the northern outskirts as we drove into town, so choices are limited, especially downtown.

CombatCritic Gives Royal Blue Grocery 4 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Four Bombs Equates To:

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

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Read Chris S.'s review of Royal Blue Grocery - Congress Ave on Yelp

Title: Austin, TX: Downtown Grocery Selection And Prices Left Me A Little Blue

Key Words: Royal Blue Grocery, royal, blue, grocery, Austin, Texas, downtown, sandwiches, convenient, sandwich, expensive, convenience, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, business, review, Yelp

Translation for Civilians: BOHICA = "Bend Over, Here It Comes Again"

Lawrence, KS: Not "America's Best Philly", But A Contender For "Lawrence's Best Sandwich"

PepperJax Grill

919 Massachusetts Street

Lawrence, KS 66044

Phone: (785) 856-4529

Website: pepperjaxgrill.com

Prices: $$$$

Trying to find a decent sandwich in Lawrence is like trying to find the veal cordon bleu in an MRE box, ain't gonna happen, not until I tried PepperJax Grill.

While far from the best sandwich, in general, or cheesesteak, in particular, I have ever had, PepperJax' cheesesteak was the best sandwich I have eaten in Lawrence. Their menu is very limited with cheesesteaks, rice bowls, burritos, nachos and salads, all in the $7.29 to $7.99 range, as well as several sides including fries, chips and salsa/queso, and mandarin oranges. The combination of cheesesteaks and Mexican fare is a bit odd, but the cheesesteaks are decent.

Having eaten "real" cheesesteaks in Philadelphia, PepperJax claims theirs' is "America's Best Philly", but I do not concur. There is ample diced beef sauteed with peppers and onions and the 10-12 inch roll was soft and fresh. The cheese was a nondescript American variety, not the traditional Cheese Whiz found on Philadelphia cheesesteaks and mushrooms, not green bell peppers, would be a more Philly-like addition. The sandwich was tasty and filling.

I also ordered two sides of fries ($2.50 each) , but the guy behind the counter talked me out of one, telling me "they're really big, so you may want just one", so I followed his advice. Turns out they were not as big as he had said and were just barely enough for two of us, but they were fresh, hot and crispy, a nice accompaniment to the cheesesteaks.

There is also a condiment bar with four sauces (au jus, chili sauce, and two others as well as the usual catsup, mustard, napkins, and plasticware. 

Overall, I have to say that PepperJax was worth the visit and a decent value. If in the mood for a Kansas cheesesteak, we will definitely return.

CombatCritic Gives PepperJax Grill 6 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Six Bombs Equates To:

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Title: Lawrence, KS: Not "America's Best Philly", But A Contender For "Lawrence's Best Sandwich"

Key Words: PepperJax Grill, PepperJax, grill, sandwich, Philadelphia, Philly, cheesesteak, Cheese Whiz, cheese, steak, Lawrence, Kansas, CombatCritic, travel, value, restaurant, menu review, Yelp, TripAdvisor, Zomato

Translation for Civilians: G2G = "Good To Go"

Lawrence, KS: Great Burgers, Best-Value In Lawrence ... HOOAH!

KC Smoke Burger
1008 Massachusetts Street
Lawrence, KS 66044
Phone: (785) 424-7723
Website: kcsmokeburger.com

This will be easy ...

1. Excellent hamburger, one of the best I have had in recent memory and a tremendous value

2. Daily Specials Monday through Thursday - 2 for 1 burgers (Monday - dine-in only), hot dogs (Tuesday), Philly cheesesteaks (Wednesday), and Gyros (Thursday) give people a reason to visit mid-week

3. Burgers come to the table in their own individual smokers and are placed hot and juicy on the bun by your server. Nice touch.

4. Good variety of fast food options (starters, burgers, dogs, sandwiches, desserts) provide a choice to consumers

5. Extremely friendly, efficient, and professional service made our short stay enjoyable and pleasant

We were in a hurry due to a logistical SNAFU and only had 30 minutes to dine before we had to leave for an appointment 1/2 mile away down Mass Street. We were warmly greeted when we entered, quickly seated, and order taken. 

Our onion rings ($5) arrived posthaste on a bed of fresh romaine lettuce with accompanying dipping sauce (blue cheese dressing).  There were seven perfectly cooked rings, crispy, not greasy, on the large plate. They were the best onion rings I have had in quite a while, but could have used a little more seasoning.

My wife and I both had the bacon cheeseburger, my wife's without tomato ($9) and mine with avocado ($10 - fries included). The burgers were large and obviously handmade, thick and juicy, and cooked to perfection (medium-well). Unlike other burger joints in town, French fries accompany the sandwiches so you do not have to spend an additional $3-$6 and they are very good. The fries were fresh cut, hot on arrival, well seasoned, and plentiful. They were perfectly crisp on the outside, soft. moist and hot on the inside. Well done!

The decor is modern and basic with the red walls covered in customer graffiti, you know ... tacky. Our server handled our rapid departure requirement flawlessly, getting us our meals and the check in rapid succession interspersed with occasional friendly chit-chat. With our bill coming to just $16 including tax, this 2 for 1 meal was an exceptional value, but even at $25 for the full-price option, an excellent meal at a very reasonable price ... HOOAH!

CombatCritic Gives KC Smokehouse Burgers A Near Perfect 9 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - "Elite '14/'15"

TripAdvisor - "Top Contributor" 

Tabelog - "Official Judge (Bronze)

Zomato - "Super Foodie"

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KC Smoke Burger

Title: Great Burgers, Best-Value In Lawrence ... HOOAH!

Key Words: KC Smoke House, KC, smoke, house, smokehouse, burger, hamburger, sandwich, Mass, Lawrence, Kansas, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, TripAdvisor

Lawrence, KS: Sad, Depressing ... Like Subway Only More Expensive

Yello Sub
Sandwiches
1814 W 23rd Street
Lawrence, KS 66046
Phone: (785) 843-6000
Web: yello-sub.planetsub.com
Prices: $$$$

There is not a lot I can say over and above what I said in the title. I love a good sandwich. I do not eat them often, but when I do I go to my "happy place", reminiscent of childhood, summers in SoCal, and being outdoors. Yello Sub did not take me to my happy place.

There are few decent restaurants and fewer good sandwich shops in this city of nearly 100,000, a college town no less, and I had high expectations after reading Yello Sub's reviews. Four-plus (4+) stars out of 5 on Yelp, TripAdvisor, and Zomato? Really? What are you people thinking?

I stopped eating at Subway years ago, not just because of their false advertising (I have never seen a real sandwich that looks anything like those in the photos, online or in commercials), but because they are not a good value. A "$5 Footlong" has maybe 4 ounces of meat at most (although those in their advertising likely have 8 to 16) and so do Yello Sub's although I could not find a single photo of a sandwich in their store or on their website.

I grew up on "submarine" (Italian cold cut) sandwiches in Los Angeles where good delis are a dime a dozen. Those sandwiches were two-fisters. You had to wrap your hands around them, if you could, to keep all of the meat, cheese, and veggies on them from falling out. If you grew up in the Northeast or in Los Angeles, you know what I am talking about. YUM!

I ordered the footlong Super Hero ($8.49+ tax) with salami, pepperoni, spicy capicola (spelled "capocollo", an Italian ham made from the meat of a hog's head [capo] and shoulder [collo]), provolone cheese, red onions, lettuce, banana peppers, oregano, vinegar, and oil. The first thing I noticed was how light the bag was. When I got home, I found out why. The sandwich was smaller than a Subway Footlong with about the same amount of meat and cheese, but with less veggies. Notedly absent was sliced tomato, an absolute requirement for an Italian "hoagie" or "submarine" (depending on where you grew up). The sandwich was underwhelming to say the least and at nearly twice the price of its "low-value" Subway counterpart, a massive disappointment and poor value.

Well, I guess I had more to say than I thought I did. The only reason they got more than one bomb was because the service I received was friendly and professional and because they do not mis-advertise.

CombatCritic Gives Yello Sub 3 Out of 10 Bombs ... More Bombs Are Better!

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:
Yelp - "Elite '14/'15"

TripAdvisor - "Top Contributor" 

Tabelog - "Official Judge (Bronze)

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Title: Sad, Depressing, Like Subway Only More Expensive

Key Words: Yello Sub, yello, yellow, sub, submarine, Lawrence, Kansas, 23rd, sandwich, shop, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, TripAdvisor