Penn Station East Coast Subs (Gull Road)
5909 Gull RoadI got really excited about a new sub place that opened in Westwood way back in 2009. It was a chain, but it was a chain we didn’t have in Kalamazoo and one I had never heard of before.
That Penn Station East Coast Subs opened on West Main in late 2009.
Not long after, locations opened on South Westnedge in Portage and on Gull Road in Comstock Township.
I ate at the Portage and Westwood locations often but that sorted of faded over the years and I don’t know why. I can’t even tell you the last time I was in Penn Station.
As I’ve blogged about several times, I’ve been making trips out to Richland to pick L up from a strength training class she does three nights a week. I usually do it on Thursday but last week, J needed me to go get her on Tuesday night. B had parent-teacher conferences at the same time and since I couldn’t make it to his school on time, J went that way and I went to get L.
I was really hungry when I left work just before 6:00. I didn’t have time to take a lunch break so I survived the day mostly on Pepsi and gas station snacks. I had some ideas in Richland but I wanted to get something that I knew would fill me up.
Every time I drive down Gull Roads, that Penn Station grabs my eye. I knew as soon as I left work that’s where I was going to stop to eat.
The Comstock Township location of Penn Station East Coast Subs is on Gull Road west of 26th Street. It’s in a small shopping plaza that also has a Qdoba, Wingstop and Roll Up Ice Cream. There are a lot of food choices on this stretch of Gull Road and this sub shop has survived the test of time. It opened in 2011 as the third location in the area.
I mentioned earlier I couldn’t tell you the last time I was in a Penn Station but I can tell you the one and only time I was in this location. It was way back in 2012 right after L was born. We were in the hospital a couple of days with her and I didn’t eat much while I was there. After she got here and everything settled down, I ran out to get J and I food. I think I went to Jimmy John’s for her but I hit up this Penn Station.
All of the Penn Station shops are set up pretty much the same. As soon as you walk in the door at this location, you’re at the order counter. It’s a little bit awkward because it’s a really high counter that frames off the kitchen from the dining room. There’s a large menu board hanging on the wall to the right. You give the person on this end your order then head down the length of the kitchen to a cash register to actually pay.
Like I said, I was hungry. I ordered a large Chicken Parm sub, a large order of fries, and a large drink. The cost came out to just under $24.
I filled up my drink then took a seat in the dining room to wait on the food. There are two rows of booths that line a walk way the length of the restaurant. The booths are all built ins and they’re not really made for larger guys like myself. It was slightly uncomfortable when I sat down and I should have moved to one of the two tables that were near the front of the space. I had planned on doing that when I got up to get my food but the cashier brought it out to me so I just stayed where I was.
I started with the large basket of fries. I have always loved Penn Stations fries and that’s the reason I’m so surprised I haven’t been to one of these locations in years. They’re fresh cut fries that come out with that delicious golden brown skin. I have said for years Penn Station has the best fries in Kalamazoo and I’ll stick by that to this day. I love this type of fresh cut fry. They’re similar to Five Guys but better. They’re so much crispier. I didn’t need the large order but I wanted it. I remember how much I loved these fries and wanted as much as I could get.
The sandwich I ordered was the Chicken Parmesan. This thing is loaded with chicken breast, provolone cheese, oregano and pizza sauce. You can add mushrooms and onions for an additional charge but I don’t like either and feel like that would just detract from the sandwich. The sandwich is toasted open face and that’s how it comes out so you can see the crispy bits of bread and the melted provolone covering everything.
Penn Station’s bread has always been the thing that sets them apart in my eyes. The bread is par baked when it gets to the store. It finishes baking in the toaster oven as the sandwich goes through. That gives it a delicious toasty exterior but it’s still soft in the middle. That bread is stuffed with chicken, sauce, and cheese so there’s a little of each in every bite. I hate to rave so much about a chain sandwich but this has always been one of my favorites. My kids are so entrenched right now in Jimmy John’s that I can’t get them to go anywhere else. I need to keep this on my radar when I’m dining alone.
I walked in to Penn Station East Coast subs really hungry and left totally stuffed. I really need to start eating at this place more often again. I love the fries. I love the sandwiches. All three stores have survived as long as they have because they’re doing something right. I just need to add it back in to the rotation.
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