Round # 1 of the Great Sub-Off Goes to...

Surfside Beach Pizza & Italian Restaurant
...takes this round, but it was very close.

Here lies the Benjamin's Bakery Sub
{Surfside Subs & Deli)
The name of the sub is a Central Park East
Salami, provolone, lettuce, tomato, onions, roasted red peppers and Oil & Vinegar.
$7.50

I ordered an ordinary cold cut sub on white bread.

I wasn't very pleased to find when I got home that the white bread had all sorts of accouterments adorning the top.  I don't mind it for myself, but my daughter wasn't crazy about it, especially when she asked for white and I ordered white.   The topping was flavorful and I take no issue with the flavors as they even held up well after lying in the fridge overnight, but it's not plain white.  It's a very lovely topping...just not what I asked for.


The taste of the sub was very nice, but one more gripe I had was with the onions.  I'm not sure what the deal was with that and I will go back and ask or make a call.   There seemed to be some sort of diced onion mixture applied to the bread.  Not quite as thick as a compote, as it was vinegar based...I think?  That part and the bread are the only two things which separated this sub from beating out a comparable sub at Surfside Beach Pizza.

The Round #1 Sub-Off Winner & Reigning Champion
I know my camera skills rot to high heaven, but what you're looking at here is a Cold Cut Hero
$6.25


The high points of the Surfside Beach Pizza sub were the price, the white bread and the thinly sliced onions.  The lettuce and tomato were extremely fresh and this sandwich, while great when I first brought it home...didn't hold up as well...tastewise, as the Benjamin's Bakery sub after it sat in the refrigerator for a few hours.  Still great, just slightly edged out by BB's.

In my opinion, the Surfside Beach Pizza sub was much larger and much more traditional and much more fresh tasting than the Benjamin's Bakery sandwich.  I dare say you would not be disappointed with either, but here's something else I think is at play here:

Benjamin's Bakery is somewhat of a local institution.  They seem to have built a reputation for their bread and that's what they're known for. The Sub and Deli "thing"...is sort of an afterthought and it will by no means be what keeps them in business.  It's just a nice way to go in and experience their friendliness and I have to say that the gentleman who served me on Wednesday was super duper friendly in the wonderful laid back Southern way.  And even though BB's threw in a bag of chips and a thin slice of deli pickle (my fave)...I wasn't interested in the frou frou...I would've just liked some plain white bread instead.  The nice store clerk gentleman gave me $1 off for being a "local".   He didn't even ask to see my I.D.....must've known I lived in town by the way I "tawk".

I remember when I lived out in the Pacific Northwest and there was an outbreak of E. coli in the early 90's @ a local Jack in the Box fast food restaurant.  After the dust settled and Jack remarketed himself as a little white ball in a suit...a friend suggested to me that it was probably one of the safest places to eat fast food, as they were not only being carefully watched and scrutinized, but they were probably going to be on their best behavior and their food would likely be at its very peak in quality.

I sort of feel that way about Surfside Beach Pizza.  Yes, it's great now because they just opened and it's crucial that they make a name for themselves locally and that they stand out as far as the freshness and quality of their food...but will that philosophy remain in tact as the months and years go by?
As we are fond of saying:  Time will tell.

Not sure who I'll pit the Surfside Beach Pizza sub up against next.  I'll have some time to chew on it (of course the pun is intended) as I won't be buying a sub anytime soon.  I'm sort of "subbed" and pizza'd out for now.