Subway (Oakland Drive)
3025 Oakland DriveSub sandwiches have become a cornerstone of our diet.
We spend a lot of time at ice rinks and since we’ve moved over to Wings Event Center, we’ve eaten less fast food and more Jimmy John’s.
I found myself in a situation last Friday where I had some time to grab lunch. My first thought was Jimmy John’s, but I do that all the time. I kind of wanted a sandwich though and not a fast food burger.
I had a job site over by Asylum Lake just before my lunch break. On my way there, I passed a Subway and thought it’s been a while since I’ve had Subway so why not?
There are many Subway’s in Kalamazoo but the one I passed is on the corner of Oakland Drive and Whites Road in the Oakwood Plaza Shopping Center. The restaurant almost looks like an afterthought. The Plaza underwent some renovations about a decade ago and most of the buildings got a facade update. The Subway appears to be the one spot that didn’t as it still has the design of the original plaza with the slanted metal roof. The shop is on the end of the building right next to White’s Road. It sits next to what used to be Treat Street although a burger shop will be opening in that space soon.
While the outside may be an older design compared to it’s surrounding, the inside of the store has gone through some updated branding and design changes. There’s a big, newer Subway logo that greets you right as you walk inside the door.
The one thing that hasn’t really changed about Subway over the years is the ordering process. The counter is at the back of the store. You still pick your sandwich, bread and then top it off by picking ingredients laid out in front of you. This was such a cool concept back in the early 1990’s when my aunt took me to the new Subway near her work in Kankakee, IL. Now, I’d rather just order online so it’s ready to go when I get there….which is exactly what I did.
You can tell this Subway has probably been around a while because there is a pretty big dining room in the front of the store. There’s a nice big area with a lot of natural light. The design is clean and modern like the rest of the store. I still had some errands to run on my lunch break so I just grabbed my sandwich to head back to the office.
I don’t really have a Subway order like I do at most places. I jump around a bit. When I was younger, I always ordered the Pizza Sub which is really simple sauce, cheese, and pepperoni. I would also occasionally order a meatball sub which is sauce, cheese and meatballs. I never really went for the deli meat subs because you really have to load them up with veggies to get a hearty sandwich and I’m not a big veggie person.
On this trip I opted for the footlong Steak Philly but heavily modified it to get rid of the onions and green peppers. I added lettuce, jalapenos, and MVP Vinaigrette to get the sandwich I wanted. I picked the Italian Herbs and Cheese bread and had the whole thing toasted. With the addition of a bottle of Pepsi and a bag of chips, the cost for the meal was right around $17.
The steak is one of the sandwiches I really kind of like from Subway. I always like sandwiches with steak and melted cheese and this one comes with provolone. I tend to prefer steak sandwiches to have some spiciness to them. I got that from the jalapenos plus got some extra tanginess from the vinaigrette.
Subway and I have a weird relationship. I don’t dislike the sandwiches. I grew up eating at Subway as the “healthy alternative.” I just feel like there are sandwich shops that have popped up since my childhood that do things differently, and quite honestly, a little better. I like a Subway sandwich every now and then but I don’t think it will ever become my go-to again when searching for quick, tasty sandwich meals. That doesn’t mean this will be the last Subway blog post you’ll ever see from me. There are so many of these in the area, I’m sure I’ll get the hankering for a sandwich again in the future.
SW Michigan Dining 