Toasty Subs, Maplewood - Visited August 2017

It was my pick this Saturday, which means it was time to visit  a weird, nearby, newly opened eatery. What could be weirder than a place that serves toasted sub sandwiches, sushi rolls, and bubble tea? Yes, it was time to visit Toasty Subs on Big Bend in Maplewood. As we passed the new Raising Canes and Tim Horton's to get there, we were noticing the "new" Toasty Subs exterior actually looked a bit older and beaten compared to the bright new corporate chains closer to Manchester. It has been wearing a "Grand Opening" banner there for the last few times we drove by and we wondered how long that would last.

We showed up a little past 11:00 am so the lot and the dining area were both pretty empty. Upon entering, the menu is displayed on three large HDTV's mounted above the counter showing the sandwiches, sushi, sides and beverages available. The sandwiches come in three sizes which makes it possible to order a small sandwich and some sushi together which is exactly what I did. I selected a small Italian sandwich, the crunchy shrimp tempura roll and a Thai bubble tea. My hungry son selected a large house chicken sub with ranch dressing with a coffee milk tea, my wife ordered a medium turkey club, and my mother-in-law ordered a small ham and cheddar sub. The subs are all toasted on a conveyor belt that takes them through a quick baking oven and they came out pretty quickly.

Large House Chicken Sub - photo by D. Chou

Medium Turkey Club sub  - photo by D. Chou

Small Ham & Cheddar sub - photo by D. Chou

The toasted bread was very crisp and flavorful, and the preparer was careful in making the sandwiches to order. We saw her seasoning one sandwich with pepper for my wife (who is not at all a fan of black pepper) and she quickly remedied the sandwich to make sure it was pepper free. She offered to make a complete new sub, but we were pretty sure she had removed all the pepper. The sushi took a little longer for her to prepare, but she brought it over and it looked very attractive and appealing.

Crunchy Shrimp Tempura roll - photo by D. Chou

It was a good sized roll, and my son tried only one piece which meant... the rest of it was mine! The shrimp was crisp and tasted pretty fresh and there was a nice balance with the rice, avocado, fish roe, cucumbers, spicy mayo and eel sauce. The pieces were actually a little big for my mouth which to me is a good thing (most places have tiny, tiny little sushi pieces.) After eating the small Italian sandwich the one roll made a good combination, and my Thai tea with boba was a fine beverage. 

I also tried my son's coffee milk bubble tea which was pretty good, but I preferred my Thai version. I was a little startled with my first sip with the boba rocketing into my mouth like comets, but once I became used to the experience, it was pretty fun and I enjoyed my bubble tea quite a bit. My son, the more experienced bubble tea expert, thought the tea was okay but not as good as others he has tried at more dedicated bubble tea places where the tea menu is also much larger. My wife and mother-in-law both ordered fountain drinks, and my wife was disappointed they did not have artificial sweetener for the iced tea so she served herself a diet soda instead.

We had a coupon which took 20% off the price, which made the price pretty reasonably for a place that serves custom made sushi. The lady who prepared the food and served us was extremely cordial and came out a couple times to talk to us and ask us how everything was. While we were there others arrived, just before noon to help her when the larger lunch crowd arrived. It appears to be a family run place, and it shows in the way they tend to their customers' needs, and custom prepare each item. It may not look very fancy, but the food was very well prepared and the service was impeccable. Being just outside the "downtown Maplewood" area of eateries, they have a lot of competition, so hopefully they can make it in that location.

Food, Service & Value