Today I decided to grab a sub dinner at a local sub shop and pizzeria on Baltimore Street, named aptly, “B Street Subs.” Parking was a bit cramped and limiting, being confined to a strip rear to the building in an alley. I quickly got the impression that many people enjoy B Street by delivery and sometimes pickup. Regardless, I had time to kill in the area and decided to eat on location.
When I arrived, a man in the
kitchen came to greet me. He was friendly and patient as I checked out the menu
and slowly made my choices. I couldn’t pass up their main claim-to-fame, the
Cheesesteak hoagie (along with a 20oz bottle of Dr. Pepper). The menu breaks
down your choices into 5 or so steps so you can customize your hero. I placed
my order around 4:20pm.
I asked the man if they had
a public restroom I could use. He said yes and then verbally directed me there.
The bathroom was well-kept. It’s a single room with a lock. There was plenty of
hand soap and even the obligatory sign explaining to employees how thoroughly
they must wash their hands.
After taking care of that business, I picked one of the many empty tables to sit. This place was not crowded. Nobody, besides staff and the occasional customer for pick-up, was there at all. B-Street Subs is an excellent candidate for a place to hang out or meet. I will note, however, that there is no free wifi.
The interior looked
interesting and inspired. Stylized skateboards adorned the walls as punk music (like
Nirvana), on 105.7 the X, played over the speakers. I could tell that the
business wanted to appeal to a younger, more angsty crowd. The lighting was
great and the architecture seemed rustic with a modern finish. There were
plenty of ceiling fans to cool down customers and staff alike during the summer.
While I waited for my food,
the same man that greeted me and took my order asked me if I wanted a cup of
ice for the bottle of soda I purchased. I gladly accepted and he promptly
brought it out to me. The ice chunks were uncommonly large and novel. I also
thought it was excellent customer service to offer without prompting.
About 12 minutes from ordering, my cheesesteak sub was delivered to my table from the same man, who asked, “Does it look good?” I answered, “Looks great!” and I wasn’t lying or just being polite. Take a look at the picture below.
My cheesesteak from B Street Subs
Even better than the
appearance, the lettuce tasted fresh, the banana peppers were tart, the bread
not too thick yet not too soggy, the mayonnaise and cheese levels appropriate,
and—most importantly—the beef was thinly sliced and well-seasoned. It was a
fine cheesesteak sub. Being 8 inches, it was a little more food than I needed.
When I got up to leave, the same man told me not to worry about throwing out the remainders of my dinner and implored me to have a great day. The customer service was beyond expectations. The food was tasty and reasonably priced. I left the establishment feeling like I had a worth-while dining experience from a local food venue. 5 out of 5 stars.
These songs were created by four amateur/aspiring musicians who are all friends. Some of the song lyrics were written by me (Daniel J. Neumann) and other words were completely improvised. It was all recorded in one jam session. Mere Roar is a #TrashFolk improv studio jam group. Members are Daniel J. Neumann, Christine E. Neumann, Rachel G., and Ben Solus (aka J.C.). For more information, click the playlist below and enjoy.
It occurred to me today that
I’ve been going to Oakhurst Beverage for years now and I never considered
writing a review. That changes today. The staff at Oakhurst Beverage are
probably the nicest and most helpful people that I regularly do business with.
They remember who you are, what you’ve chosen before, and you get the impression
that they legitimately want to help you select beer. And speaking of selections,
they consistently have something you won’t find at the Giant or other beer distributors—whether
that be an obscure craft brew or an import from Germany. They’re passionate
about what they sell and have a knowledge-base rivaling the forums you could
sort through on Google trying to find what you need.
There’s been times I’d come into the Oakhurst Beverage and one of the staff would stop me and ask me how my day was going. This never felt like an automatic greeting, but a real question. I’d tell them a short answer and they’d ask if they could help me find anything. Somedays I wanted to try something different. I would tell them I was looking for a stout, or this level of ABV, or this measure of drinkability, give them a general feel for the beer I was going for based on other beers I’ve tried and didn’t want this time. It almost seemed unfair to ask the vague and/or convoluted questions I asked, yet their answers were always beyond my expectations. Because of Oakhurst Beverage, I’ve expanded what I’ve been able to try in the beer world.
Beyond the great customer
support and selection, the store is never too crowded. The beers are placed in
a layout that makes sense and easily navigable. The create your own six-pack
aisle is always novel. And perhaps most importantly to anyone reading this: Their
prices are great.
I’m giving Oakhurst Beverage
a five out of five stars. I always leave with a smile on my face.
