Whether you choose to call it a hoagie, grinder, po’ boy, hero or wedge, Dog House Subs has clearly chosen its side for the argument. Selling cold and hot subs along with soups and salads, Dog House Subs seemingly appeared out of nowhere this semester as a sister location to the infamous Huskies Restaurant and Bar. After hearing of it by word of mouth, I decided to check out the new establishment and see what all the talk was about.
As of right now, the only way to order online is through an application called “Clover,” which was relatively easy to navigate. Using the app, I ordered half of a Philly Cheesesteak, totaling about $10. There are no delivery options yet, but I hope they will choose to join third-party apps like DoorDash and Uber Eats soon. For now, you’ll just have to make your way to their restaurant located in Downtown Storrs just as I did.
The interior holds a very minimalistic layout with no seating whatsoever, so you won’t be able to eat inside of the establishment. I waited inside for a few minutes upon my arrival at the restaurant and was greeted with excellent customer service. After a short wait, I left the restaurant and excitedly found a place to sit and eat my sub sandwich.
The sub was noticeably big for just a half, which isn’t a complaint in this economy! But unfortunately, unraveling the sub was the worst part of the experience. There were three layers: the bag that held everything in place, the Boar’s Head-labeled deli wrap, and the villain of this experience, which arrived in the form of aluminum foil. This layer was sloppily pressed against the sub, unable to fully contain the ingredients held inside the bread.
You’re probably starting to think, “whatever Sarah, stop being lazy and take off the aluminum.” That was the issue. The aluminum wouldn’t separate itself from my sub! Once I started gently removing the aluminum off the sub, little chunks were left behind on the bread and meat. I had to pick out tiny chunks of shiny foil from my sub, which was just plain annoying. It defeats the point of its fast and ready-to-eat concept when the sub is difficult to unravel.
The general taste of the Philly Cheesesteak was decent. On the menu, they made sure to proudly highlight that all meat and cheese came from Boar’s Head, a premium food distributor. The shaved steak was on the dryer side, and there wasn’t as much cheese on it as you’d expect there to be on a cheesesteak. The delicious fluffy bread was the highlight of the sandwich itself, as it was able to hold the contents of the sandwich together. It seriously held the fort down for this sub. Even after all this criticism, I devoured the entire thing, so it was most definitely edible!
Ultimately, there is one word that continues to ring in my head after experiencing Dog House Subs for the first time — decent. We must consider the fact that the location was just recently opened to the public, so they still have time for growth during this adjustment period. If you’re looking for a place to grab a sandwich to go that isn’t Subway, definitely check out Dog House Subs!
Rating: 3/5.