In South Pasadena, Gateway Subs packs a punch.Photo by Morgan Banno
When I moved to Florida more than a decade ago, it didn’t take me long to catch onto Publix Subs. Between the warm breads, fresh veggies, wide arrays of meats, and the chicken tenders (my guilty pleasure), I was hooked. But what’s even better (and bigger) than Pub Subs are the sandwiches at Gateway Subs. Believe me when I say that once you try a sub from Gateway, Publix will look like child’s play. Located in South Pasadena, this locally owned eatery will forever change your sandwich game. And you definitely won’t go hungry.
Menu Full of Flavor
The menu at Gateway Subs is fun, eclectic, and vibrant. They serve the standards you’d expect from a sub shop: Spicy Italian ($8.60/$13.80); turkey and bacon ($8.30/$13.30); roast beef ($9.10/$14.40); and tuna salad ($8.60/$13.80). But they have some great combos completely unique to their brand. The Spice Mélange ($9.40/$14.40) comes with hot capicola, buffalo chicken breast, mayo, provolone, lettuce, onion, hot peppers, and hot garlic buffalo sauce with crumbled jalapeños chips. Call me weird but I really dig chips on a sandwich.
I love spicy food and the more heat, the better. I opted for a full-size E-Z Choice sub ($14.50) with spicy pepperoni and buffalo chicken breast, spinach, onion, hot peppers, provolone, chipotle mayo (my kryptonite), and Z’s tang sauce on a white hoagie bun. Fair warning: all of Gateway Subs are generously stuffed full of meat and toppings. Mine was absolutely fantastic, bursting with juicy chicken breast and layers of hot pepperoni, along with an abundance of fresh veggies. The flavors definitely packed a good punch, and now I’m completely addicted.
In addition, I always enjoy a good veggie sub, and Gateway’s Salad Sammy ($7.30/$11.30) on a wheat hoagie totally hit the spot. It was loaded with fresh spinach, lettuce, tomato, onion, black olives, cucumbers, fresh avocado spread, and balsamic vinaigrette. Add cheese for only $1 (because cheese, like butter, makes everything better) for a grand vegetarian experience.
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Other Stuff
In addition to ginormous sandwiches, Gateway serves a few breakfast items on buttered croissants. For a lighter option, they turn any sub into a salad with the same fixings, or you can build your own salad (starting at $8.84). If you’re a coffee junkie, you’ve come to the right place. Gateway offers small batch, specialty coffee (with milk alternatives available; $.50 each) but they pride themselves on their cold brew ($3.61/$4.10). It takes eight hours to produce and the origin of their beans rotates periodically. Whether you enjoy a cappuccino or cortado, for a strong, bold brew, sip on Gateway’s coffee. They also have their own tea label ($3 each) with flavors such as hibiscus mint, peach Bellini and strawberry kiwi.
Gateway Subs has two locations: the South Pasadena location as well as a store near the Grand Central District. Check their website for the most up-to-date menu.
Gateway Subs, 2525 Pasadena Ave. S., South Pasadena, Open daily 8:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. 727-289-9634; gatewaysubs.com.
