Socko’s Subs, Westwood’s newest sandwich shop, is full of depressing truths.
Uninspired sandwiches and a menu laced with standard items refashioned as things new, do very little to save this subpar sub-shack, despite its unabashed popularity.
At the heart of any good eatery lies palatable fare; unfortunately Socko’s doesn’t have this essential feature.
The “Mississippi 3,” a sub for which the name holds no immediately apparent correlation, was a grand letdown. Consisting of tuna salad (onions, celery, mayonnaise and lemon juice), lettuce, tomato, cucumber and sprouts, this sandwich was a waterlogged fiasco, though it is possible that Socko’s wanted to make the flavorless tuna feel at home ““ in an ocean, that is.
Portions are large and prices are low, but the sandwiches have no identity of their own ““ I was continuously asking myself, “What am I eating, again?”
The “Stettler’s Choice,” a sandwich with pesto, hummus and honey mustard, is a perfect representation of this confusion. The three extremely strong flavors compete for attention but don’t work together in this format.
Beyond the title fare, Socko’s offers little else worthy of praise. Miss Vickie’s chips straddle the cash register, while the usual Coca-Cola-brand suspects line the wall to the south. They offer the same bread used in their sandwiches in a 16-inch loaf for $2, but why anyone would buy a loaf of bread from here is unknown. The bread, while sturdy enough to keep the contents of my fish-tank-of-a-sandwich together, has no home-baked flavor, or no flavor at all for that matter.
Despite claims to Socko’s low prices as their saving grace, low cost is not an excuse for lack of creativity. There is a plethora of other sandwich options around town, such as the Vietnamese bánh mì, a type of sandwich that offers simplicity in ingredients coupled with strong flavors that render a sandwich complex, inexpensive and perpetually appealing.
Taste buds are thrown to the wind as common functions such as delivery are driving customers to near worship over the all-too-average fare at Socko’s.
Socko’s charges a mere 50 cents to deliver anywhere in the UCLA and Westwood area. This, added to the fact that they deliver Diddy Riese cookies (at $1 a piece, a 65-cent mark-up), lures many unsuspecting patrons in. Eventually though, the lack of substance will keep them out.
One thing Socko’s does have going for them is their staff. In person and on the phone, they are kind and courteous; one can really tell they want people to eat there.
Unfortunately, their food and drink have both missed the mark in this increasingly artisan-obsessed community of Los Angeles.
““ Jonathan Newman
E-mail Newman at jnewman@media.ucla.edu.