Sometimes little "happy accidents" occur. For instance, I had some meetings over the normal lunch time and decided to head to Creative Deli. Thinking about all my meetings I kind of spaced out and before I knew it, I had passed Carroll Road. Sheesh..... I decided to turn around on Trade Street. I took a right turn and headed down Trade Street for a bit. For some reason, I decide to turn around in a parking lot where I saw this signage.
Sandwich Island? Sandwich Island! Wow....well this hit home....I'm from the Sandwich Islands. So, of course I had to stop here since the open sign was lit.
The shop is quite a bit larger than it appears from the outside. A dining area, then a rather long counter area with some additional seating.
The menu was pretty darn large, with everything from Reubens to Club Sandwiches, to Quesadillas and Wraps, to Breakfast options.
Looking at the names of various items on the menu cracked me up....anyone for a "Humuhumunukunukuapua'a" (breaded fish sandwich)......can you even say it? That's always been fun way to test if you're really "local" back home....along with "Kalanianaʻole" and if you can correctly pronounce "Likelike".
Anyway, as I placed my order, I asked the woman if they were from Hawaii and was told that the former owner was; bummas.....
I ordered the Island Club ($8.95) and it felt quite hefty....and when I opened it up.....
Holy smokes....look at all that white bread. This was fine; wish the bread was toasted, but perhaps that was asking for a bit much. Also, wish it had more bacon, but again how could I complain since this was.....in these times, a good value. So, processed ham and turkey, just like "small kid" time.....when we always called this a "Clubhouse". And I couldn't finish this......and had leftovers with dinner.
During my visit, I noticed daily "specials".
Just eight bucks, so I decided to try some of these out.
First was the Haoli, which was spelled Hoali on the lunch special menu, versus Haoli on the menu....I'm assuming this means Hau'oli (happy) versus "Haole".....which means....well, you know. I got this with the Cabbage Almond Salad.
So, the Italian Roll was actually slightly toasted and fairly crusty and even though it was a bit "too much bread" it wasn't bad. The "salad" was basic almond coleslaw, with very little "dressing on it. Basically coleslaw mix with a bit of dressing.
The sandwich had ham, cheese, and turkey, all standard issue; though the tomatoes were quite ripe and added a nice fruity-acidity to the sandwich.
A bit too much mayo for my taste, but again, you could do a lot worse for eight bucks....like perhaps some interesting "mystery meat"?
So, as things cooled off a bit, I visited on a recent Friday and decided to get the "Special A" for the day....the "Philly" Cheesesteak with fries ($8). And, in all honesty, you couldn't fault the potion size.
These days, here in San Diego, what can you get for eight bucks? Really.... The roll was again decently toasted, the beef surprisingly tender......not enough mushrooms and peppers and the cheese used was really bland and while quite gooey didn't add anything else to the sandwich.
The generous portion of fries didn't hold up well on the 15 minute drive back to the office and was really salty....though some may like that.
I don't want to give you the wrong impression; this is one of those places that is a good value and keeps folks fed. I will say that I prefer Sunrise Deli, Creative Deli, and Kim's Deli to Sandwich Island. Though it again is one of those Mom-and-Pop Delis that keep folks fed for a reasonable price. And I saw some rice bowls and bentos on the menu....so maybe I'll give those a try.
After all, I'm from the "Sandwich Islands".......
Sandwich Island
7350 Trade St.
San Diego, CA 92121
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