Throughout my food-loving life, I have tried dozens of Subway foot-longs and frequently endured my dad’s huge Spanglish-style sandwiches. I thought I had seen all that was out there, but boy, was I wrong.
The revelation of my sandwich naivete came in the form of a visit to the newly opened Fat Sal’s, a small, deli-style restaurant that boasts, “We’re Makin’ Sandwiches Over Here.” Open daily from 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. and conveniently located at 972 Gayley Ave., just past In-N-Out and on the edge of campus, Fat Sal’s is the perfect stop for an afternoon pick-me-up or a midnight craving. It offers catering, takeout and delivery, and is owned by three friends from New York, including Jerry Ferrara, who plays the character Turtle on the show “Entourage.”
Fat Sal’s has an interesting setup, but it’s one that works well for the food it provides. It is small ““ customers order at a window and can sit at bar stools and counters that look out into the street, allowing the breeze to blow in, which is a must in this non-air-conditioned building. There are also TVs showing sports games and speakers blaring old school funk music. Although this setup makes conversation a little difficult, it creates a fun ambiance to go along with the creatively made food.
The menu appears to model that of most American-style delis since it is relatively diverse, offering the classic mix of sandwiches, burgers, hot dogs, salads, fries and even meat dishes. But after reading the fine print, it is clear that this is not your typical sandwich shop.
My first tip-off was the fry selection. Fat Sal’s offers 10 different choices of fries, with everything from classic-style fries to mozzarella fries and gravy, as well as six other side options, including onion rings, Korean barbecue fingers and buffalo fingers.
They also offer signature “Sal’s Fabulous Fat Rolls” for about $5. I ordered the Pastrami Ruben Roll upon the insistence of a customer who knew the owners and was pleasantly surprised. Served as a portion of four and accompanied with a tangy, Caesar-style Russian dressing, it was an interesting take on the classic spring roll. It had a unique and delicious texture ““ a crispy, fried outside with a hot, cheesy inside accompanied by small slices of meat.
But it wasn’t until I saw my sandwich that I knew I was in for a unique experience. Initially, when I ordered the Fat Anthony, I wasn’t sure what to make of the items listed under it (chicken fingers, mozzarella sticks and fries). I thought they would probably come as sides, but when I unwrapped my sandwich, I realized I was quite mistaken. That’s right, all of these ingredients were piled into a huge italiano hero bread along with various cold cuts (pepperoni, salami and ham), lettuce and tomato, and it was all topped off with a marinara sauce.
The sight of the sandwich was overwhelming, but once I dug in, I knew I had made a good choice. The fries were not overly greasy but still irresistible, and there was just the right amount of the other ingredients for everything to mesh well together. The only complaint I had was the marinara sauce dripping from my hands when I was done eating. For $7.95, I got a lot more than I bargained for, and it was definitely worth the price, because I took more than half of it home to eat for lunch the next day.
Albeit delicious, this was probably not the healthiest or lightest meal choice. From what I could gather, the other eight “Fat Sandwiches” would not fit this category either. However, the menu does feature three wraps and three salads for about $7 each, and they all appear lighter and more manageable.
Although Fat Sal’s prices may not be as cheap as some college students’ budgets allow, you are given so much bang for your buck that the prices are easily excused. And although the service seemed a little slower than necessary, the unique and interesting food that is offered should be further incentive to visit this creative take on the American deli.
Email Mackey at lmackey@media.ucla.edu