Tired of staring at computer screens and with stomachs lusting for nourishment, Scott and I deliberated briefly on a lunch stop and came to an agreement from different directions. Dagwood’s Sandwich Shoppe it would be–my choice because I had never been, Scott’s choice because he enjoyed past meals there and wanted to try something else from the menu. So off we went to Republic Road for sandwiches. We got a healthy dollop of cartoon-themed scenery along the way… and we found the secret to Dagwoods’ success.
Yes, I said cartoon-themed scenery. Remember the Blondie comic strip? Dagwood Bumstead is the bumbling, slightly haphazard husband to Blondie’s uberwoman of a bygone era, wasp-waisted and infallible. Blondie got a comic strip, while Dagwood got a deli chain; score one for Dagwood. Of course, that means sitting inside Dagwood’s is the equivalent of lounging in an upholstered comic strip, but there were only about five minutes to ponder the scenery before the food arrived. And when the food arrived, it was all about the food.
I settled on the Turkey Club Royale ($6.99), a double-decker fistful of thinly sliced turkey and ham, while Scott dove headfirst into the New Orleans Roast Beef Po’ Boy (also $6.99), which was about the size of a Jimmy John’s sub but was dripping with supple, gravy-drenched beef. These two sandwiches rank number two and three, respectively, in popularity behind the all-conquering Hot Pressed Cuban, but we’ll wait on that one for another time. Each of us upgraded to the meal combo so we could take advantage of the healthy collection of Zapp’s potato chips. For Pete’s sake, they even have Cajun Crawtator flavor, whatever that is! Thankfully, both our sandwiches were cut in half so we could swap. The two couldn’t be any more different in composition, but they share one important thing in common: an uncommon attention to detail.
Turkey Club Royale
The Turkey Club Royale doesn’t have a single unusual ingredient–just turkey, ham, bacon, cheddar and Swiss cheeses, lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise. What it does have is the best application of mayo I have ever had on a sandwich, enough to supplement the taste of all the other ingredients but not slathered on with a paint roller. It seems an almost absurdly minor detail, yet it totally makes the sandwich… okay, that and the prodigious helping of meat. You can squeeze this sandwich together in your hands everywhere but the middle. Dagwood’s is all about subtlety, doing the little things right and finding some unusual combos and making them work. Want curry dressing on a chicken sandwich? You walked into the right comic-themed deli.
The New Orleans Roast Beef Po' Boy
Similar case in point: The New Orleans gravy on the New Orleans Roast Beef Po’ Boy, which is accentuated by wavy pickle slices and another just-right mayo application. Together they make a two-napkin-minimum mess that provided another reason not to put the sandwich down. Pickles on gravy may sound like something Elvis would have come up with in the Live From Hawaii years, but we’re sold. Add in super-prompt service, an engaging staff and good pricing and you have a go-to spot for a quick lunch and a damn tasty sandwich any other time, too. Thank you, Dagwood’s. We’ll be back soon. In the meantime, say hello to the missus for us.
Dagwood’s Sandwich Shoppe
1111 E Republic Road
(417) 886-5155
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