Sandwiches Made to Go

Grabbing a bite to eat at Plattsburgh’s most famous sandwich shop.

Story and photos by Dimas Sanfiorenzo

In a country where there’s a Subway or Quiznos on every corner in every city of every state, a sandwich shop can be somewhat stale. That’s why I wasn’t really excited about reviewing Zuke’s Deli, Plattsburgh’s most famous sandwich shop.

I mean, I’ve heard plenty about the place, from their legit chicken cutlet sandwich to the Zuke’s girls. But still, as I walked into the dinky hole-in-the-wall house, my first reaction was... blah. Everything seemed rather ordinary, from the bare-bones tables and chairs to the hospital white walls. However, things started to lighten up as I chuckled at the randomness of a slushy machine being placed right next to a stand selling plastic earrings, and I was delighted by the cheery greeting I got from the two Zukes’s girls—both having a perfect combination of young, perky, and cute.

To get a good feel for the food, I decided to order three sandwiches. I got the Zuke’s special, a meatball sub, and a chicken cutlet sandwich, all on hero bread. My mood came down a little bit when I found out the total came to a steep 22 bucks. Hey, at least I got a pickle with each sandwich. 

Since the blandness of the environment forced me to leave, I went back to my place, flicked on the TV, grabbed a Pepsi, and got ready for some eating. First, the Zuke’s special. In all honestly, there’s really nothing special about Zuke’s special. It’s ham, turkey, and swiss, with lettuce and tomato, and Russian dressing on top. The cold cuts tasted decent, and the lettuce and tomato were clean. They didn’t drench the sandwich with sauce, which was a good thing. I also thought the bread was fresh; it had that perfect combination that a roll or hero needs to have—soft but crunchy. But, again, it’s just a ham and turkey sandwich, and not really worth the seven dollars that was missing from my pocket.

Next was the meatball sub, which was shockingly delicious. It wasn't shocking because I have such low feelings toward Zuke’s, but rather because I can’t seem to find a decent meatball sub anywhere. Most places just take the meatballs from a can of Chef Boyardee and stuff them into some bread, but the meatballs and sauce here tasted like someone actually, you know, made them. The entire sandwich was covered by a thick layer of provolone cheese, creating the ultimate guilty pleasure.

So after visiting Zuke’s, checking out the environment—as well as some of the eye candy—inhaling some sandwiches, and suffering the consequences of a stomach ache later, what’s the verdict on the most well know sandwich shop in Plattsburgh? It’s good—not great. It’s worth having once in a while, when you can justify spending $7.50 on a sandwich and a pickle. Well, scratch that—the meatball sub deserves at least a twice-a-month visit. Like really, they need to hang signs up, or have a giant meatball stand next to one of the Zuke’s girls or something. I give it 2.5 stars out of 5.

What's your favorite Zuke sub?

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