Samuel Mancino’s Italian Eatery (South Haven)
8093 M-140I used to have a co-worker that loved Mancino’s. I accidentally introduced her to the delicious Michigan-born sandwiches while we were driving from Mt. Pleasant to Grand Rapids one dark, winter night a few years back. Whenever we worked together after that, she would ask if there was one close to us no matter where we were. I still technically have this co-worker but we never work together anymore.
I decided to introduce another co-worker to these delicious sandwiches earlier this week when we were in South Haven. We had time to kill and I needed gas. I knew we could kill two birds with one stone and I may just make another co-worker crave a grinder.
The South Haven location of this delicious chain is a Samuel Mancino’s Pizza & Grinder shop. It’s located just outside of the South Haven city limits on M-140 and Alyworth Avenue. The shop is inside the Village Express gas station right on the corner.
I pulled up to a pump to get gas while my co-worker headed inside. The restaurant actually takes up a pretty good chunk of the building. There is a large kitchen area on one side of the building with a long order counter separating it from the dining area. There is a menu hanging above the order counter but it’s really high up there. You really have to strain your neck. Fortunately, they have paper menus on the counter right next to the cash register.
There are quite a few seats inside the convenience store should you decide to dine in. My co-worker and I had some time so we decided to actually sit down and I eat. I slid into one of the wood laminate booths and waited for our orders to be called out.
You should know by now I’m not adventurous. Every time I try something new from Mancino’s, I wish I would have stuck to my regular so that’s what I did.
I ordered the 16″ Pizza Grinder which the Samuel Mancino locations just treat as 2 8″ sub orders at a slightly discounted price. The Mancino’s bread is baked at 16″ but when the package them up, they do it 8″ at a time. The pizza grinders are simple. They’re Mancino’s unique bread filled with pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and pepperoni. The sandwich is sent through the pizza oven open face so when it’s closed up for consumption, all the crunchy bits of cheese and bread end up in the middle. You get a crispy but chewy bread and slightly spicy filling from the sweet sauce and the large chunks of pepperoni. The sandwich looks a little flat but it’s so packed with deliciousness.
I looked like a pig grabbing two bags but my intention was eat half now and half later like I usually do……but I skipped lunch that day, so…..
The 16″ sandwich set me back about $14 but I usually get two meals out of it. It was my own fault for skipping lunch and eating it all in one sitting….I mean, was going to only eat three of the pieces but it seemed stupid to just bring home 4″
My colleague enjoyed our dinner at Mancino’s, but not nearly as much the co-worker who fell in love with.
I always like finding a Mancino’s. I always have going all the way back to the mid-90’s when we got a Mancino’s near where I grew up in Illinois. It seems nothing has changed over the years and the sandwiches are always delicious no matter which location I choose.
SW Michigan Dining 