Submarine House Featured in the Columbus Dispatch
The product of a Dayton sub-shop chain that began in 1973, Submarine House Bar & Grill pairs the Submarine House menu with the look and feel of a sports bar.
Open since February, the Hilliard-area location is the first in central Ohio. Despite its name, Submarine House has more than its 33 varieties of subs. Pizzas are available in 10- and 14-inch sizes. One is modeled on the Philly cheese-steak concept that populates much of the sandwich lineup (cheese-steak pizza, $12.99 for a 10-inch pie).
Although not shy with the slices of grilled steak and provolone cheese, the rest of the toppings — hot-pepper relish, mushrooms, onions, and a house-made oil-and-vinegar sauce — balance the richness.
There’s always the more-conventional way of having a Philly cheese steak, beginning with the cheese steak-and-mushrooms combo that sells well here. Like the rest of the sandwiches and subs, it’s available in three sizes: 4-inch ($3.89), 8-inch ($6.49) and 16-inch ($12.79).
As its name states, the main ingredients are grilled steak slices and mushrooms. But the options are equally vital. All sandwiches come with “the works” — or however much of the works a patron wants. The choices are cheese, mayonnaise, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, house-made oil-and-vinegar dressing and hot-pepper relish.
The crucial item is the relish. The combination of tartness and just the right amount of spicy heat perks up the flavor and provides contrast to the richer ingredients. The toasted bun warms the ingredients, adding plenty of flavor.
Although the result might disappoint someone looking for a bold beefy taste, the harmony among the ingredients makes the sandwich a pleasant version of grilled cheese steak.
The pepperoni-and-ham sub ($5.59 for an 8-inch) is loaded with a good-quality sliced pepperoni that establishes the Italian flavor of the sandwich. The Italian sub ($5.59 for an 8-inch) is similar. In place of the pepperoni is a combination of capocollo ham and salami. The house-made chips ($2.99) might be among the best in town. Skin-on potatoes are sliced lengthwise at a perfect thickness. Deep-fried crisp in good oil, they’re simply salted and peppered. The tossed salad ($3.49) has a good mix of cut romaine, shredded red cabbage and carrots, tomato wedges and sliced cucumbers.
jac@iwaynet.net
