Based on the idea two friends had to “leave corporate America and chase [their] dream of opening the greatest sandwich shop ever,” The Sandwich Club, 3703 N. Western Ave., is the best local, ’80s-nostalgia sandwich shop you’ll find in Oklahoma City. Making the obvious career jump from working in the tech industry in Silicon Valley to selling sandwiches, owners Alan Grande and Isaac Barton moved to Oklahoma City and The Sandwich Club was born. With over 20 sandwiches on the menu, you’re sure to find the retro-themed sandwich of your dreams.
The theme isn’t subtle; as I walked in, “Don’t You (Forget About Me) played softly. Each item on the menu is named after a pop-culture reference from the ‘80s (I ordered the “Jessie’s Girl”), and there are photos of popular ’80s actors on each wall. It’s reminiscent of that scene in BoJack Horseman in whichBoJack takes Wanda to an ’80sdiner that’s full of ’50s nostalgia, because “nothing was bigger in the ’80s than ’50s nostalgia.” Whatever brand of nostalgia is cool right now, this restaurant doesn’t care. It’s clear the owners love the ’80s and are just trying to make you laugh while you eat.
Everything is made fresh, and as a result, they’re only open until 4 p.m. (3 on Saturdays). But the fresh food is worth it. Each sandwich comes in a brown paper bag, making me question if I had accidentally ordered it to-go, but a quick glance around assured me that this is just their style. My sandwich had red pepper hummus, cucumbers, lettuce, tomato, onions, and avocados on Big Sky bread. The serving sizes are decent, but sides and drinks cost extra. The meat options are probably more exciting, but the vegetarian fare isn’t anything to scoff at.
While I was brainstorming ’80s puns to include in this review, a customer questioned what the coleslaw was made out of, and the chefs responded with a thorough list of ingredients — it’s clear that they’re proud of what they’re doing. Hopefully it’ll last longer than the vape store next door.
