Latest visit: May 2024
First visit: Oct 2009
Founded: 2009
As with Leon Gessi, it's time to get in an annual review of an old favorite. On this Friday, I had some morning meetings, and then decided to do the thriftin' rounds for my "break" before having to come back in the afternoon for more meetings. As I headed south, lunch time had arrived (around 11:00) and I was nearby. I knew what I wanted - The Italian Stallion. I was slightly disappointed on this visit because the bread wasn't very hot, which came as a surprise considering the below update. But otherwise I was satisfied. I'm not usually in this area during lunchtime, so it'll probably be another year before I get back. But I'm sticking with my "new usual". On the plus side, the little restaurant was very crowded, filled with white and blue collar workers. That's a good sign.
---7/29/23 update
OK, we're late for our annual review to a building I used to frequent weekly almost 30 years ago. And I found a new craveable menu item! The Italian Stallion. Not sure when it was added, or if it's been there the whole time, but it leapt right off the page to me on this visit. Essentially it's an Italian sausage pizza residing inside a sub instead of a slice of crisped dough. Great bread to keep the heat in. They did it perfectly. I burned the roof of my mouth - as it's been out of practice as noted on other recent reviews. No one makes the hot dishes hot anymore. Well that's not a problem here. Great sauce and gooey cheese. Need to come back more often than once a year.
---original 7/5/21 review
A long time ago this particular building was my favorite go-to place in all of Colorado Springs. I had just moved here (December of 1993), and my friends that were responsible for that happening, had taken me out to a Mexican restaurant known as the Mission Inn (long out of business). As we were leaving, I glanced across the street and saw a place called Friendly's Subs. It just had the look. A perfect Regular Joe's Guide kinda place. Both these establishments were less than 5 minutes from my apartment. It was football season, and at halftime of the first game, I wandered over and ordered their half meatball and half sausage sub and proceeded to take it home. It was the single best hot sub I ever had to that point! I went back almost every Sunday through early 1995 when I had to move up to Denver for new work. I rarely ventured too far on the menu. The owners were two old friends from Vermont, who mail ordered the sausage and meatballs from Boston. That was their secret. And they had a great homemade Italian sauce to put on it.
I reminisce about Friendly's because this location really hasn't changed all that much in 27 years. The friends moved back to New England a few years later and another buyer kept the name, but forwent the imports from Massachusetts. It was never the same. During the Denver summer townhome years, I had noticed they had new owners and a new name, and that was my introduction to South Jersey Subs. 12 years later, it's clear they have staying power. I have tried their meatball sub in the past, and while certainly very good, it didn't come close to the greatness of Friendly's. But again, nothing I've ever tried has either - and that's nationwide, including New York City, Chicago, Boston, and Philadelphia. On this visit I tried their 8" "Special Italian". It was a stuffed sandwich that's for sure. The "works" weren't sloppy enough for me, but definitely better than Colonel Mustard's that we recently spoke about. The Jersey Mike's chain is the current gold standard, and you have to clear that bar. South Jersey didn't make it. Ah well.
The restaurant itself is as dingy as ever. They opened it up since the 90s (i.e. windows without coverings) - the old guys always had it closed and cozy. But it's more or less an old fashioned neighborhood divey sandwich shop. Not a lot of those still around unfortunately. We'll always come back, as long as the food holds up. We'll try something else on the menu. Something we wouldn't have had to do in 1994.
10/2/09; 7/13/18; 7/5/21 (new entry); 9/1/22; 7/29/23; 5/17/24
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