There are some tricks to eating at Red Rock Subs, a hole-in-the-wall sandwich joint on Broadway in Everett:
Extra parking spaces are in the alley. The street side spots fill up fast.
Call ahead to avoid long lines while each sandwich is made to order.
And pace yourself. These sandwiches are addicting.
Better than that. They’re awesome. The subs at Red Rock put those fast-food sandwich places to shame.
Fresh meats, no pressed cold cuts and a menu of more than 20 sandwich options are just a start.
Add friendly, personal service, delicious homemade baked goods and soups, plus reasonable prices and it gets better.
“I sample every product,” owner Elaine Kwak said. “I want to make sure it’s something I would feed my own family.”
There are a handful of tables inside and a few more on a small patio, but I recommend getting the subs to go. That way no one will watch as you dive into a pot roast sandwich and let the juices drip down your chin.
On two recent visits, I ordered several subs and invited my colleagues to help me sample the menu.
Most six-inch subs are $5.99 and the 12-inch subs are $8.99. Pot roast subs are $1 more, respectively. The breads — French, wheat and sourdough — are baked especially for the shop. They’re supple, fresh, textured and make the sandwiches stand out.
One person ordered the Grecian sub, which comes with seasoned beef and a yogurt-based Tsatziki sauce. She couldn’t believe how delicious the meat was — not nearly as salty as most traditional gyros.
It was “like a big Greek party in my mouth,” she said.
The Reuben had a nice balance of melted Swiss, plenty of lean pastrami and the right amount of sauerkraut: “Moist yet not dangerous or challenging to eat.”
The salami, pepperoni and roast beef on the Sicilian combined well with smooth Havarti cheese. It worked “beautifully” together.
The California club is a combination of turkey, Swiss cheese, bacon, avocado and veggies dressed with mayonnaise and Dijon mustard. “It was a little messy to eat, but aren’t all subs?” this taster said.
For my first sub, I had the original pot roast, a specialty here, that came with melted cheddar, garlic mayo and melt-in-your-mouth beef. Messy, yes. Yummy, yes, again.
On the next trip, I tried the kettle-roasted turkey, tender dark meat simmered in a sauce that made it moist, rich and scrumptious. I was partial to this sandwich. The turkey tasted like Thanksgiving thigh meat right off the bone.
None of these options were exactly diet oriented. The six-inch sub is huge, even though the description is “big.” What they call “huge” was enough to feed three people, but I totally understand why someone would want to eat it all.
There are lunch salads ($5.99), side salads ($1.99) and homemade soups ($2.49, $3.49, $4.29) that all look good. The fresh baked cookies were fine, and the only problem with the seven-layer bar, a gooey conglomeration of marshmallow, graham crackers and nuts, was that I could have eaten a whole platter.
Red Rock Subs offers custom catering and makes box lunches, too.
Stop by and the next time, they’ll likely remember your name.
Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3447; jholtz@heraldnet.com.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
