Zubs Pizza & Subs fulfills your bread needs
Zubs' new location in Provo Tuesday, March 4, 2014. MARK JOHNSTON/Daily Herald
Th Greek pizza served at Zubs' new location in Provo Tuesday, March 4, 2014. MARK JOHNSTON/Daily Herald
The Italian combo and Zub Club served at Zubs' new location in Provo Tuesday, March 4, 2014. MARK JOHNSTON/Daily Herald
I’ve never been one to make New Year’s resolutions. This year, though, I made a few. One was to cut down on greasy foods. For the most part I’ve upheld my resolution — except for these darn restaurant reviews. Since the year’s beginning I’ve reviewed a Mexican food joint, a pizza place and now Zubs Pizza & Subs.
None of these were lacking in the grease department. I break my resolutions for YOU, Daily Herald readers. Because you’re worth it.
I’m a sandwich guy, through and through. In grade school I ate more than 2,000 sandwiches (really; I did the math). The best food item I’ve ever eaten was a sandwich, at a famed food truck in Portland. And PB&J is still my go-to lunch centerpiece. Adam Richman, host of “Man v. Food,” described the sandwich as one’s imagination bound by two pieces of bread. I agree.
Zubs first came on my radar a few months ago, when a roommate brought one of the restaurant’s gargantuan foot-long subs home. I knew I needed that in my life. But I got really busy not eating things that were bad for me, so I remained uninitiated. Still, I would pass by Zubs’ Provo location every day on my way to work.
My turn came to review a restaurant, and the Daily Herald hadn’t reviewed Zubs yet. A perfect opportunity — but once again, not for myself. For you, dear readers.
My friends and I approached Zubs’ cashier and grabbed a few menus. My eyes went straight to a truly monstrous cinnamon roll, sitting triumphantly in front of me. “Well, we should probably get one of those,” I thought to myself. “Our readers would definitely want to know about that.”
From there we ordered a mildly astonishing amount of food, which included four different subs, wings, a pesto pizza and the aforementioned cinnamon roll/pillow. I suspect the Zubs employees weren’t used to that much food ordered at once: It was the prime lunchtime and the restaurant was pretty empty. But in a jiffy they brought all our food out at once. Points to Zubs for the fast service.
Of the four subs we ordered — the New Yorker, the Turkey & Avocado, the Barbie, and the Meat Ball — two stood out. The New Yorker, which featured pastrami, Swiss cheese, onions, black olives, mustard and mayo, was my personal favorite: an expert balance of ingredients that will definitely warrant another trip to Zubs. The Meat Ball sub, like a pizza in sandwich form, also hit the spot.
A few of the subs were toasted, though they could’ve sat in the oven a bit longer to make the bread crunchier. They were also a tad lukewarm, not hot like I was hoping. But they brought all our food out at once, so maybe that explains the temperature.
The Wings, however, were piping hot. Instead of spicy, these wings were sweet. This was a welcome surprise. (This might not be for everyone, but I was a fan). Zubs’ Pesto Pizza was good too, though the pesto taste was a bit too subtle for our preference.
The real pièce de résistance was that glorious cinnamon roll. My mom used to run a cinnamon roll business, so I have high standards when it comes to this sort of thing. The Zubs cashier told us they make the rolls from excess dough. It isn’t even on the normal menu. And, from the looks of it, they only make a few of them. In my humble (but informed) cinnamon roll opinion, these rolls deserve better promotion. The people — who, as you know, are the very reason I do these reviews — need this doughy, gooey goodness.
ZUBS PIZZA & SUBS
Where: 684 N. Freedom Blvd., Provo. Original location at 520 N. State St., Springville.
Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Saturday.
Prices: $5 for 6-inch subs, $9 for 12-inch subs, specialty items $2-$10, salads $4-$9, pizzas $6-$23
Info: Facebook.com/ZubsPizzaAndSubs