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Categories: Sandwiches, Burgers
Neighborhood: CastroMon, Nov. 9. we will have a surprise for you! …
Announced 5 days agoMon. 11:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Tue-Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Fri. 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sat. 10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
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How good can a friggin sandwich be? That's what I was thinking after hearing people rave about this sammy shop so much. "Ike's! Ike's! OMG Ike's!!!" It's as if Ike has turned all of San Francisco into a bunch of prepubescent teeny boppers, treating him like a pantydropping rockstar, stopping just short of throwing their training bras at his store.
Finally I succumbed to the hype and decided to give Ike's a shot. I had the meatless meatball sandwich. It really is as great as everyone says. It was filling, messy, and super tasty - what I expected after reading all of the Yelp reviews. The lollipop that came along with our sandwiches was a nice touch that made me "Awww" and the crap load of veg options on the menu (and not just your typical "block of cheese and some bread" options) made my jaw drop (not quite the panties).
I didn't experience the horrendous wait that everyone writes about, I guess because I was there moments before he was closing and the orders had tapered off. What really impressed me though occurred after Ike had closed, and just about everyone was gone. He was outside eating his own sandwich while two people inside were doing prep work for the following day. Two kids drove up ten minutes too late. They were clearly disappointed that they got there after closing; they complained that they had driven so far to try the place. They talked to Ike while he was eating and he actually got up from eating and took their orders. Wow. I was impressed. This is a business that I would love to see thrive.
So how good can a friggin sandwich be? Effing delicious, people. Effing. Delicious. I plan on returning again, and again to eat Ike's meatless meatballs (um, panties on, of course).
People thought this was:
Walked up to Ikes and this is what I saw:
It's perfectly normal
Nothing wrong with me - I'll stand in line and wait until 3
But we're going to need a cleanup
at Ikes Place on 16th
And now I'm posed in an awkward line
Because I jizzed in my pants
To be fair
Your sandwiches are amazing
Plus the way you toast my buns makes me
Bothered and hot
Please stop acting like you're not impressed
One more thing
I'll take the Doomsday
Best Ever!
YUM! Next time I'm gonna ask for extra DIRTY sauce. For those familiar with Roxie in the Sac area - this is my substitute for some sandwich love, while frequenting the bay area.
Very tasty. Very friendly staff. There are also quite a few Vegan/Veggie options for the folks depriving themselves of the wonders of the food chain.
While you will still find a line here, after the sun sets, I'd say it's still worth the little wait... and lack of seating. But, if you're hawk like me... you can probably prey on a table and score by the time your order is ready.
While you can get just about any sandwich featured in a Dagwood Bumstead or Homer Simpson wet dream... including jalapeno poppers and the kitchen sink, between two pieces of bread, I thoroughly enjoyed the regular ol' pastrami and bacon... with a side of Blow Pop.
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I love Ike's sandwiches just like everyone else in the world, but I can't stand their customer service!
1-They can't hear you when you place orders over the phone because it's so loud inside - I know it's a small space, but the workers are so loud that the customer needs to repeat their orders - that's annoying.
2-They only have one cashier and so people picking up and people placing orders need to alternate at the counter, but again that is annoying- I order my sandwiches ahead of time so I can be in and out during my lunch hour.
3-The phone is always busy, I tired calling at 10am, then 10:30am, then 11:15am, 11:30am and then finally at 11:55am got through to place my order. Have two lines or have call waiting or have an estimate wait time or something, but the current phone system is not enjoyable.
I'd love to see these three things change so I can support Ike's more often.
5 stars for the kryptonite. SO worth the wait! I don't remember what exactly was in the ginormous sandwich, but I can tell you it was a cornucopia of GOODNESS. I recall a variety of fried foods such as onion rings and jalapeno poppers, but honestly all of the flavors melded together and created a titillating sensation in my mouth.
Although - I haven't figured out why with five employees behind the counter making sandwiches, it takes a twenty minute wait for ONE sandwich at 8:00PM (weeknight). Whatever though, it was amazing. AND AND AND they give out caramel apple lollipops with orders. I will DEFINITELY be back for more!
It seemed for a while like Ike's wa the only place everyone was talking about, except me. Why not? Well, simply because I hadn't made it there yet. Hearing from multiple friends how amazing Ike's was, I finally made it there...time to see what this place is all about.
Ike's simply comes down to this....awesome sandwiches. Flavorful, fresh, and great combination of flavors. The first time I went there I thought, eh, this is okay. I mean it's good, but not absolutely amazing. Until one day, out of nowhere, I had a major craving for Ike's and since then, i'm addicted. Something about it just calls out to you.
In the end the question to answer is, can I think of a better sandwich anywhere? and quite simply... no. No better sandwich out there. Try calling in your order (early), helps cut the wait time :)
WOW, This place really blows my mind. These sandwiches are so unique and amazing that the very DEFINITION of "sandwich" has changed in my mind. Oh no, this is not your run of the mill turkey with lettuce and tomatoes. An IKE's sandwich on Dutch Crunch, with dirty sauce baked in, comes with everything in your fattiest dreams.
I had a MILF. and I liked it.
MILF: Halal Chicken Breast, Stuffed Jalapeno Poppers, Franks Red Hot Sauce, Ranch + grilled mushrooms
Have IKE's blow your mind and redefine your idea of sandwich.
Good News: IKE's will be opening up on STANFORD Campus in JUNE. You betcha I'll be there on opening day.
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October 24, 2009 @ 6PM
I am not a sammie kinda girl. I'm usually disappointed whenever a business-sponsored lunch served sandwiches only.
Until BF and I saw Ike's Place on MAN VS. FOOD.
http://www.youtube.com...
And it became a regular topic of our conversations. Until we found ourselves slowly obsessing over the the KRYTONITE.
And this beautiful afternoon around 6 pm BF who's sickie in his sweatpants and I crossed the Bay Bridge to have our Saturday Day Night Date at Ike's Place.
And we placed our orders:
BF: KRYTONITE: http://www.yelp.com/bi... http://www.yelp.com/bi... 13 ingredients:
1) 5 slices of pepperjack cheese, 2) roast beef, 3) turkey,
4) pepperoni, 5) ham, 6) corned beef, 7)bacon, 8) 2 avocados,
9) ONION RINGS, 10) MOZARELLA STICKS, and 11) JALAPENO POPPERS! Bread doused in a top secret DIRTY SAUCE of garlic infused mayo then baked. TOTAL WEIGHT= 4 LBS!
ME: TRINITY: Vegetarian Bacon, avocado and jalapeno poppers on dutch cruch with all the works http://www.yelp.com/bi...
We drove back home while BF was cradling his Kryptonite like our newly born love child. And finally---both the Kryptonite and Trinity were worth obssessing over. Crunchy and creamy, messy, fun, delicious, tasty and with different textures in our mouths. The Kryptonite is the sammie's version of the "Kitchen Sink" but a very delicious flavorful kitchen sink!
And for a girl who does like not sammies, this girl finished her Trinity along with 4 bites of the Kryptonite. I won't say vegetarian bacon can compete with real bacon but I was very happy with mine.
Total: $30.51 including tax and Pioneer Soda before tip.
Ike himself told us that the record for finishing the Kryptonite was 6 minutes and 30 seconds. (BF finished his in 15 minutes.) BTW, Ike is a very nice guy. I felt like I just met a celebrity. It won't be our last, Ike! ;p
MOVIES AT HOME: Watched Man vs. Food in SF after we ate our sammies. (Yeah, we're dorks! LOL!) And "Land of the Lost" on DVD (super-corny but made me LMAO!)
JUST A NOTE: Krytonite is not on the menu. You have to ask. Just mention "Man vs. Food."
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I shepherded my friends to Ike's last week because they had yet to experience the phenomenon. I don't know what it is, but there's something that just compels me to share the goodness of Ike's with everyone. It's like I've seen the light.
Even at 2pm on a Friday, the line was about 20 deep. I briefly considered calling in the order as we waited in back, but it was a beautiful day, and all good things come to those who wait, so we spent our time debating what to get.
It was a weekday, so this time I absolutely had to get fries. And since I'd been making good progress through the menu via Redwood City, I went with a repeat this time and ordered a nacho boy supreme again. I also splurged on Dirty chips (mmm salt & vinegar) and a ginger soda (so so snazzy). And we were lucky enough to get the table!! Har har, the zen paid off.
Fries came first, which we all promptly devoured while dunking in dirty sauce. Some crunchy, some soft, not at all oily, and oh so delicious. Sandwiches came next. There were a few remarks of "oh this is the best sandwich ever" and "my god this is good" along with "everything is toasted, so awesome", but generally it was pretty quiet because we were too busy scarfing them down.
We came 4 hungry people. We left 4 happy and enlightened souls.
People thought this was:
I just finished the last of the aioli (I had an extra container so I put some on a mcchicken and had… Read more »
Ike's is the type of place you have to try at least once because there are so many reviews about it. Their sandwiches are really unique-
The menage e trois sandwich is their best sandwich. They put a ton of sauces on the sandwiches so they are full of flavor. 100's of crazy sandwich selections.
It takes 30 minutes - 1 hour to get one.. which why I don't have the urge to go back.
What I didn't like about the sandwich is how the sauces over powered the flavor of the meat..
Strawberry girl with tomatoes, no jack cheese, add hummus, dutch crunch. A real healthy yelper would ditch the dirty sauce, but a sandwich without dirty sauce is like a meadow without bluebirds.
CALL IN TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT. Also you do indeed get a free sandwich on your birthday, and Ike might even kiss you.
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Since this place already has bazillion glowing reviews, I figured what's another one, right?
Hubby and I were blowing through town on the way to the airport after a sublime weekend in Napa and we decided to stop in for a sammich from Ike's. We did the right thing and called ahead 20 minutes outside of SF proper.
It sounded like there were conditions as to how many sandwiches you can call in for because the guy sounded hesitant to take my order until I told him it was only for 2. I was quite surprised given that it was 3pm and therefore not peak meal time.
Boy was I wrong. As we pulled up to the front of the restaurant, there were plenty of people hanging around outside waiting for their order. However, we couldn't have timed it more perfectly. We waitied a few minutes until the designated time the guy told us our sandwiches would be ready and then got in the line. As we waited in front of the register, my name was called and our sandwiches ready.
We went with the Superman and Hot Date for Fire - we didn't see this on their menu board so I'm glad we looked on line.
Both sandwiches were AAAAAHHH - awesome! I'm not usually a huge fan of sandwiches but these were soooo good. I regret not having eaten them in the car on the way to the airport but even cold at the airport and for lunch at work the next day, they were delicious.
Four thumbs up (hubby + me)!!
People thought this was:
Hands down the best sandwich place I have every been too! They put their own specialty sauce on every sandwich called dirty sauce, this sauce is just amazing.
I split a doomsday and a name of the girl i'm dating with a friend.
the doomsday is just huge and has every kind of meat in it. its good, but i wouldn't get it again over some of their more rare sandwiches.
[name of the girl i'm dating] was hands down the best sandwich i've had in my entire life.
If you come here, be prepared to wait a while in line (45 minutes when I went), but be rested assured this place is worth it. One of the other things I noticed was that the staff is extremely nice, unlike most places which are this busy and are jerks. I kept thinking wow, these people are just so friendly and when I got to the front of the line, I discovered that I went to middle school with the regional manager. Alex and Ike are great guys and i will definitely be hitting up their Redwood Shores location and the Stanford one when it opens in July.
Pretty decent sandwiches!!!
Tried the Krypto(nite), Doomsday, Paul Ruben and the Eli Manning...35 minutes wait and $55 and change poorer.
=)
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OMGGG I LOVE IKE'S!!! i die for ike's. i stand out in the rain for ike's. i hold pee for 20 minutes for ike's. IKE'S is BOMB.
Ménage à trois? PLEASE. SOOO GOOOOD. i'm the kind of person who HATES touching food and doesnt enjoy crumbs or gooey sauces or any sort of food residue. But when it comes to ike's i am a total slob. i dont care how many people walk by and stare at me as i indulge in this delightful meal. i don't care if there's honey dripping all over my shirt. SO worth it.
i'm moving to va in a few weeks and im pretty sure im going to go to ike's at least ten times before i go. IF ONLY THEY DELIVERED. cross country....
IKE please become hella rich and open a shop in dc. i will love you forever more. the east coast could use some goodness.
IT. WAS. DELICIOUS.
I felt very, very awkward ordering my sandwich order, though. It was Halloween when I first went to this place and I was basically having my order taken from what I thought was Johnny Depp, and I had to say menage a trois. TWICE. It's not the definition of that word, but that it was coming out of a little girl which made it awkward for me.
It'd be five stars for this awesome place but I was burning in line for like, an hour. I think they had nice free cold water inside, but I was in line with a friend and we were so close to the cashier by then that I didn't want to risk someone cutting me..
by the way, the Menage a Trois was a lot tastier than the Pizzle.
Great sandwiches, great service, great atmosphere, though I am somewhat saddened by all the tourists who watched "Man vs. Food" who are now converging on Ike's, creating an even longer line, but heck, they do deserve better than Subway and Quiznos while visiting the Wharf.
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Best. Sandwich. Shop. EVER.
In other words, Best. Sandwich. Shop. EVER.
Great sandwiches... but is it ultimately worth the wait? Yesterday I finally got my hands on an Ike's Place sandwich after being thwarted on previous attempts. The primary obstacle is one of time... from placing the pickup-order via the phone to actually having the sandwiches in hand took two hours. It's faster if you place an in-store order, but then you are waiting in line for 30+ minutes.
The sandwiches themselves were excellent. I ordered The Pizzle, #7 out of 188 meat sandwiches (to say nothing of the numerous and unnumbered veggi sandwiches). The Pizzle had moist and flavorful chicken, crispy bacon, and just enough ranch that I could taste it while not thinking I was ruining my "diet" (if I were on such a diet).
But here's the rub. There's a sandwich place just down the street from my apartment that is easily on-par with Ike's which I reviewed earlier. It doesn't have quite the breadth of options, but personally I don't need 188 sandwiches, I just need one I really like (I'm not going out for sandwiches seven times a week here). The real difference is wait time, I can just pop in, grab my sandwich, and go. Ike's... not so much. Obviously location is everything here, and if you're in the Castro your not going to head out to Inner Sunset to "save time". But if your going destination shopping for a sandwich, there's no need to waste time standing in line at Ike's.
I went here for dinner last night.
This is THE sandwich shop.
The sandwiches here are so good, and there is such a variety. Even the names of the sandwiches are entertaining. I ordered the Eli Manning. I'm an Eagles fan, so I was kinda bummed they didn't have a Donovan McNabb. The sandwich was sooo good that I didn't mind.
All I can really say is if you're hungry and you've got $10 and are in the Castro area. This is where you want to be.
The only complaint I have is the crashing feeling of loss after you finish one of these things. I wanted to go back and get another immediately. I can see people becoming seriously addicted.
+ Great Sandwiches made to your taste
+ Great names for sandwiches
+ Great people behind the counter
+ Great price
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Sandwiches make for the perfect, sun-soaked afternoon. In a recent episode of 30 Rock, Liz Lemon claimed all people aim for in life is to sit by themselves in a quiet spot and eat a sandwich. Well, she should have inserted the word "Ike's" before the word "sandwich." This place is no joke. When I first moved here I passed by it everyday on my way to the 22 stop at 16th and Church and would always note the blue sign and its appeal. I'd chuckle to myself and say: "Look that ole sandwich painted on that big blue woooden sign up there like a cartoon, that's silly." Eventually, as that particular route became routine, I'd think "Look at that sandwich, it looks kind of nice painted up there with all those jazzy colors and all those super fix-ins." And then it hit me: "That sandwich painting looks pretty delicious and I want it in my tummy sort of immediately." And thus began my Ike's experience.
As a vegetarian in San Francisco, I am not at a loss for establishments with veggie options but a place that can turn any meaty dish into a delicious veg-dream, well that's the bees knees for me. My first order was the Meatless Mike (vegan meatballs, pepperjack, marinara) and it was terrific, like actual meat but not! I then turned myself onto the Vegan Sanchez Elementary and Veggie Menage a Trois. My current crush is on the Veggie M.I.L.F. because not only is it a delicious treat topped with Frank's Red Hot, I also feel a bit a pride repping my hometown of Buffalo, the origin of Frank's.
Yes, the line can get long, very long in fact. But that is a business owner's dream and props to Ike for his place taking off as it has. Just call ahead, they usually always answer and if they don't, they call you back! If you're in the neighborhood and the line is long, don't be deterred, it's worth the wait and the customer service is above average. When ordering, the Ike's folk look you in the eye and you are the only person to whom they are speaking and helping, always friendly and curious how you are doing and how life is treating you. It's that little extra the Ike's crew adds to each of my visits that make it an establishment worthy of high praise.
Liz lemon is right: my afternoon is complete with an Ike's sandwich, a grassy null in Dolores Park, and a little bit of peace. Now I walk to the bus stop and am proud to say I'm an enthusiastic patron of such a fantastic establishment. And I can guarantee you this: an Ike's sandwich will make any other sandwich you eat taste like a big blue wooden sign.
People thought this was:
Ike=short, bold, cute! :-)
Ike's Place= best F$%^ sandwich on earth!!
Ike serves your food himself, so cool! you get a lolly pop too!
I can't say anything more that what everyone else has said!! the best sandwich, so cheap. BTW give salads the try too, they are big and full of veggies.
The only advise, read the menu on line, and decide what you want, because you won't have time to read all those pages standing in line.
Another thing, they don't serve french fries or onion rings during weekends, so get there weekdays if you really want them.
I love love love the sandwich.
Off the top of my head, I cannot compare Ike's sandwiches to any else that I have ever had. The sandwiches I had tasted yesterday must have been the best sandwiches I have ever had.. dare I say it? IN THE WORLD. If I lived closer to the Castro, I would go to Ike's place everyday and have every sandwich on the menu. I calculated, if the total number of sandwiches was 200, if I had one three times a day, (breakfast, lunch, dinner) I would be able to try ALL the sandwiches in 66 full meals.. including a breakfast and a lunch. When I accomplish this feat, not only would I be a very happy person, but I may never need to eat another sandwich again in my life because nothing would compare to Ike's sandwiches.
So my girlfriend and I tried the Ménage à trois and the BLT.. (by far the best BLT I have ever tasted) I had the Ménage à trois, it had chicken, honey, honey mustard, BBQ sauce, smoked gouda, jack cheese, Swiss cheese, and a large assortment of vegetables. A very tasty sandwich to say the least. The two sandwiches totaled to $18 and change, which was very decent because of the quality of the sandwiches.
Also, Ike is a really nice guy, and personally handed us our sandwiches. We really liked that personal feel of service.
I would HIGHLY recommend that you get a sandwich from Ike's Place, PICK one, ANY one. And I would bet my left hand that it will be a brilliant sandwich that you will crave for the rest of your life... that is.. until you get another one, then the cycle begins.
I seriously would give Ike 10 stars if I could. There should be another category for what these masterpieces of yumminess are...because if they are sandwiches they aren't like any sandwich i have ever had! As for customer service ..well Ike came out and met our entire group and personally made sure our orders were right...heaven I have found thee and thy name is Ike's place!
i know there's a ton of reviews for this place already but I have to add to all of them because I had the best sandwich I've ever had at this place! My sister lives in the neighborhood and had never been so when I came to visit, we decided to come here for lunch! The sandwiches, as my sister would describe them, are "intense." I would describe them as ridiculous...because they're ridiculously good. They are huge in portion and will definitely give you food coma afterwards, but it was a good deal because we saved the second half of our sandwiches for dinner! They bake this yummy secret sauce into their bread and use that sauce in most of their sandwiches as well. We got our sandwiches with the dutch crunch bread, which I highly recommend...yuuummm! Oh, and I love the awesome names they have for their sandwiches! =)
Ike,
Please control your crowd. I should not have to walk in the street to get to my house. Your lines zig zag across 16th street. When I remind your customers they are blocking the sidewalk (right of way) they look at you and say WHAT! GO figure...send your bridge and tunnel people elsewhere or teach them some manners.
Have you ever thought of putting up a rope to control the crowds?
Respectively your neighbor.
People thought this was:
I'm glad that Ike has made a success of his business but wish he would find another location.
As a…
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Well, with over 1300 reviews, what more can I add? The sandwiches are indeed out of this world. The sourdough bread is top notch, as is the way they toast it. The BBQ sauce is phenomenal, and the dirty sauce adds a nice savory flavor. Why four stars? Well, I've only been once, but also...the wait! Thankfully I'll just call ahead next time and not worry about it.
Best sandwich place in SF, hands down.
My husband and I traveled all the way from LA to taste these yummy creations. When we arrived there was a line full
Of happy people Waiting to get their hands on a sandwich! There was this super happy guy outside taking orders and keeping the crowd entertained as people waited... My hubby had a Sean Micheals... And I had a Jon El-Tb...
We got our food quickly and headed back to the car to enjoy the food we drove 400 miles for!
Omg! The food was GREAT! Each bite was better than the next... The dirty sauce was so jammin... And tasty! We would have gone back for seconds but we were
f-in stuffed! My hubby loved the soft bread and I enjoyed that it wasn't heavy or greasy...( I really hate that)
Overall it was worth the trip!
Our only complaint, there are only 2 places to sit down and eat. So if ur looking to eat there bring a lawn chair or be prepared to sit on the curb.... Or in ur car.
Thanks u to man vs foods Adam for finding this treasure... Thanks to the lil guy who took our order. Thanks to the people who made our sanwiches... And last but not least thanks to the skinny guy who brought our food out to us w/ a smile. The next time we're in san Fran or passing through we will visit again!
Yippie for
Ike's Place!
I've been to Ike's once and I can't wait to go back! I'd heard great things about this place but I also heard it could take quite a while to get your sandwich. From the time we arrived until the time we got our food it was about 30 minutes, not bad considering we showed up at the prime lunch hour.
I had the M.I.L.F and my husband had the Eli Manning. My sando had tender, juicy chicken, hot sauce, cheese, and JALAPENO POPPERS! Although it was a heavier sando than I'd normally choose I decided to go big on my first Ike's experience. I ate every bite of the delicious treat.
We live in the East Bay, but we are constantly looking for excuses to get us to that part of SF now so we can have another round!
Best Friend- "Dude were in San Francisco and you want a sandwich?"
Me- "Man this place has amazing reviews on..."
BF- "Let me guess, on Yelp? It better be great, I could eat a sandwich at home"
Me- "Yelp rarely lets me down"
BF- "I will be the judge of that"
When you think of a sandwich you think of a lighter, healthier meal (like Subway).Well if you're looking for that type of sandwich then Ike's Place is not the place for you. Technically you could get a healthy sandwich from Ike's but with crazy and delicious toppings like jalapeño poppers, beer battered onion rings, and mozzarella sticks what could possibly make a person want to order a light and healthy sub.
The sandwich I ordered was called the Jeries' BIG Meat Sandwich.
This bad boy was made on DutchCrunch bread (which was amazing) and was covered with their famous dirty sauce (they bake the sauce into the bread before they put the toppings on it). This sandwich had tons of roast beef, pastrami, turkey, ham, salami, and jack cheese stacked in it. And of course I added a bunch of yummy toppings like provolone and Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, jalapeños, pickles, grilled onions, mozzarella sticks, pesto sauce, avocado slices, and bacon.
This was defiantly not a sandwich that Jared from Subway would be caught dead with. It was huge, delicious, and very filling.
My sandwich, a bag of chips, and bottle of Orange crush coast me about 15 dollars or so which is not bad considering how many extras I added to the sandwich. The service here was also really fast, it only took them about 10 minuets to make my sandwich from scratch and bring it to my table.
This place is must if you're visiting the Bay Area. Just make sure you are hungry and patient (the line for a sandwich can get long).
PS- My friend got a Super Mario which is a sandwich made with all beef meatballs, mozzarella sticks, mozzarella cheese, and marinara sauce on DutchCrunch bread.
He loved it.
Yelp -1
BF- 0
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Can a sandwich really get any better than this? Me thinks not.
Following in the footsteps of Man vs. Food's Adam Richman and 1,327 yelpers before me, I ventured to the Castro to the sandwich haven of San Francisco. Stepping into this hole-in-the-wall for the first time was sensory overload, and clearly my girlfriends and I looked like newbies as we stared at the menu wide-eyed with mouths agape. Sensing it was our first time, the cashier recommended the award winning Menage a Trois and Hot Momma Huda on Dutch Crunch roll (you can't go wrong).
I had no doubt the sandwiches were going to be good, but the first bite was an out of body experience and left me speechless. It's a good thing I couldn't articulate any words because I couldn't stop stuffing my face. Both sandwiches were undeniably scrumptious, but the Menage a Trois took the gold medal by a hair.
We went on a weekday afternoon, and although we beat the rush, our order somehow got lost in the midst of the lunch crowd rush. We waited over 20 minutes for our food, but when they realized they forgot about us, they were deeply apologetic. They made up for it by throwing in a few bags of chips and giving us each a free sandwich at our next visit! The fact that I still gave them 5 stars even though we didn't get to take our first bite until 25 minutes after we ordered speaks highly of the food and service. The staff is super friendly and all the customers receive their brown paper bag of goodies with a smile. I also love that Ike is right there in all the action making the magic happen.
Ike's Place is a goldmine for exotic sandwich creations and mind-blowing flavors. And now holds the title of the 'Best Sandwich' I've ever eaten. These sandwiches are filling, messy, and simply delicious, so first-timers, beware. Only come to Ike's Place if you're ready to have your world rocked and have all other sandwiches fail by comparison.
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DE-FREAKIN-LISH! wow. I dunno what it is about Ike's - maybe they lace their sandwiches with crack? Something amazing happens with every bite!
I really want to kiss the person who came up with putting Jalapenos Poppers and Mozzarella Sticks in a sandwich. That's deep fried goodness masked in bread, lettuce and tomato! GENIUS!
I have had the Hey There with with Avocado (the cashier called it the home run something or other- sorry, I forget!) Pastrami, Bacon, Avocado on an amazing dutch crunch roll. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
The best thing about living in the east bay might just be not living so close to Ikes. I swear I would gain hella weight if I was walking distance from it.
Thank you Ikes for an amazing sandwich - I hate you for the weight you potentially can make me gain. =)
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We came here for lunch last week, and though I adore "Nacho Boy," I forced myself to branch out and try "We're JUST Friends". It was, of course, awesome, but I still think I love Nacho Boy a little better. It's just so overwhelming coming here, b/c there are SO MANY delicious options to try, yet it's so easy to get stuck on a favorite. But hey, that's not a bad dilemma...
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So I get out of my ENT doc's office at 14th and Castro, and realize I haven't eaten lunch. Then I… Read more »
Damn it Ike's! I love your sandwiches but the consistently long waits and messed up orders are making me have second thoughts. I waited for 1 hour and 20 mins for the glorious veggie 16th and market sandwich only to return to my office and find it avocado-less and dry. This is the 3rd time my order was missing a key delicious ingredient. Yves faux turkey and msf's faux bacon are cheap, so what am I really paying for?
Expand your business to a larger space so we can have your delicious sandwiches in less time and of better quality.
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Everytime I see a review for Ike's in the most recent reviews I think crap I STILL haven't wrote a… Read more »
Straight revolutionary. Lordy lordy lordy was that a damn good reuben. If driving to SF wasn't sort of a pain in the ass i'd go there for lunch right now. gahhhh
Anyways it's almost hard to say what makes their sandwiches so good but the breads great and everything is so succulent that it doesn't matter how full you are you will finish the sandwich.
Last time I got the "say hey" which is bacon and pastrami and my friend got the reuben and we split them. The reuben was better but the say hey was totally good too.
It's def a wait thought, when i was there it was almost empty and my food still took like 15-20 minutes
but it's ow
People thought this was:
I Freaking LOVE this place!
I've only tried a few, but my must haves:
-Purple B
-Free Tibet
-Keith Elvis
-Sometimes a Vegetarian
Ive only been a vegetarian for 6months, i get everything veg n i f'n love it.
The boys there are awesome! once one of them asked me if i cooked n i thought he askd me to clown on me for being there so often but he gave me some free veg meat to cook with at home! WOO!
People thought this was:
The sandwiches here are amazing as you've already undoubtedly read on Yelp, but they really need a better location.
This is the real life version of the Shaggy sandwich, straight out of Scooby-Doo. It is what every sandwich should aspire to be. Hot or cold, the flavors and textures meld perfectly with every combination you could dream of.
I like trying new things; that's one of the best things about San Francisco--there are always new places to check out. However, as a diner, I tend to avoid ordering sandwiches because frankly, most places overcharge for them. A couple slices of bread with a few ingredients between = 6, 8, 10+ dollars? No thanks.
So you can imagine my scepticism when the suggestion was made to give Ike's a try. Despite all of the glowing reviews, how good could it really be? They ARE still just sandwiches.
As it turns out, they are just...the best sandwiches I've ever had. They may not be super cheap, but they're not expensive either. Served as two-handfuls of sandwich that could very well be shared by two people or across two meals, you definitely get your money's worth.
The insanely long list of possibilities might be overwhelming, but the staff was very helpful in narrowing things down, along with some friendly bystanders in line who chimed in with their own anecdotal evidence. It's interesting to note that any of their sandwiches can apparently be made meatless/vegetarian, but I'm not afraid of things like ham, so their #20 - Paradise Found really lived up to its name.
As a side note: being a gamer, I was pleased to see not only a few Nintendo-themed options like Mario, Luigi and Bowser, but also the clever meatless versions being the anti-heroes Wario, Waluigi, etc. Brilliant.
The place is tiny--no seating room at all that I could see except a few small tables on the sidewalk nearby, and most of the sidewalk was occupied by the crowd of customers--but for all those people, the wait time was acceptable (~10 minutes).
But on top of the absolutely excellent food, what really blew me away was the service. Yes, the staff was helpful choosing my lunch, but Ike himself wiggles through the crowd and hand-delivers each sandwich personally, recites the order for accuracy, and even makes some genuine, polite small talk before wishing them off to enjoy. It's no exaggeration for me to say that this place has THE BEST service of any place I've been in America, seriously.
Bottom line: great menu selection, unbelievable sandwiches, unmatched service. Worth it, no matter what your excuse.
People thought this was:
I've met my match! There was an epic battle scheduled on Saturday night between me and one of Ike's sandwiches, the "Menage-a-tois". The sandwich WON!
My goodness, that sandwich kicked my butt! I thought I was tough. I'd been training and conditioning for months. But nothing could have prepared me for this gargantuan sandwich.
Seriously, Ike? Mozzarella sticks and jalapeno poppers on a sandwich, with three different kinds of cheese and two different kinds of meat? Dirty sauce and barbecue sauce? I was determined to finish this sandwich, but it was not easy. I barely made it to the last bite.
This place is dangerous, but definitely a must-try! :)
People thought this was:
Neighborhood: Castro
Category: Sandwiches
Neighborhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
Category: Delis
Neighborhood: Mission Terrace
Category: Grocery
Neighborhood: Western Addition/NOPA
Category: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
San Francisco, CA
Category: Sandwiches
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