Sharpie’s calls them hoagies…

Depending on where you are “from”—feel free to apply your own terminolygy:
subs
heroes
grinders
blimpies
poor boys
po’ boys
rockets
spuckies
torpedoes
tunnels
wedges
zeppelins

In any event, Sharpie’s Hoagies located in Sunrise “makes”- 8″ & 12″ ———(fill in the blanks), kaiser roll sandwiches and salads.

Gave this joint a shot the other day “trying”… chicken salad, tuna salad, crab meat, ham/genoa salami/cappacola/provolone cheese subs—and I gotta tell you, the subs were absolutely dynamite. Sharpie’s uses a nice crusty bread and really loads its sandwiches up. The 4 sampled-subs were right up there with the best that I’ve had down here in South Florida. If I had to single out one for special mention—the chicken salad was my favorite.

In closing, you may call Sharpie’s “submarine sandwich” what you’d like…just don’t call it Ray or Ray-J.

Sharpie’s Hoagies is open Monday-Saturday 11am-7pm, closed on Sunday.

Recently received the following email…

Jeff,

Like you I love a good fast food burger. What are your 5 best picks in the Dade, Broward and Palm Beach areas?

Thanks,

MBG

——————–

Thought you guys might like to “send” in your favorites. Keep the picks to joints where you “order/pickup” at the counter. May-be another day, we’ll cook up a list for waiter/waitress burger joints.

Got a “fast food” breakfast-lunch joint for you…Bennett’s Fresh Roast in Fort Myers.

Let me flesh this out a bit for you…Bennett’s roasts its own coffee–and has a handful of breakfast and lunch items. Order/pickup at the counter. Sorry I can’t tell you “how” the joint’s tuna salad or chicken salad are…same for its scrambled egg pita round or its vegetable soup–the only items “sampled”–1/2 dozen freshly baked (honey glazed, almond coconut, cinnamon twist, boston cream, peanut butter chocolate, maple walnut) donuts that were right up there with the best that Jeff Eats has ever devoured.

Like I said a few seconds ago, I only did donuts (and most of them were “done” in the car), so I have absolutely no idea how the rest of Bennett’s food is. That said, when I was there on a recent Monday morning at 9:15am, every table was taken and there were 6 people ahead of me on line to order. Just a guess here, but based on the donuts–my money says that the breakfast and lunch items are also top-stuff.

Bennett’s Fresh Roast is open 7 days a week from 6am-3pm.

You can check menu/prices at www.bennettsfreshroast.com.

Got something that you “burger” folks might like to checkout…HiWay Burgers, 12 Southeast 5th Avenue, Delray Beach, Florida 33483, (561) 243-6460.

Two weeks ago, I and Mrs. Jeff Eats were “strolling” Atlantic Avenue…and low and behold- we spotted HiWay Burgers, a brand new “hole in the wall” fast food burger joint with a “Coming Soon” sign in its window. Looking in, there were a handful of 50′s style booths and a small counter to order at. Just so you know, this thing really is a “hole in the wall”—the menu board listed— BURGERS, FRIES, SODAS, SHAKES period. Now nothing for nothing, but based on color scheme/decor and menu– my money says that, Hiway’s owner is trying to “emulate” the hugely successful and cult favorite In-N-Out Burger chain. Now for our purposes that’s a good thing, because if my assumption is correct, then it’s a safe bet that the owner “knows” what a top-notch fast food burger joint-should be. Of course, knowing and executing are two whole different things…so, we’ll just have to see how this all plays out. I will tell you, that from my brief “peek” the joint looks really cool.

To rap this up, yesterday- I bumped into my old friend Glenn who owns several Atlantic Avenue buildings…and- he mentioned to me that HiWay Burgers had opened and that the cheesebuger, french fries and chocolate shake that he ordered were terrific. For the record, I think that Glenn knows his fast food burger “stuff” because he’s also a huge fan of Five Guys, BurgerFi and Shake Shack–but then again, he’s a Red Sox fan, so I can’t really swear for this guy!

Anyway…I’m gonna get up to HiWay Burgers in a few weeks and “taste” for myself. If you get there before I do, let me know what you think. By the way, the joint is so new that its website www.hiwayburger.com has yet to be fleshed out.

I know that some of you guys like to be kept in the “loop.” So, with that in mind…I just heard that “fast-food” hamburger chain–Jake’s Wayback Burgers which currently has 10 Connecticut–9 Delaware–13 Pennsylvania–1 Indiana–1 Massachusettes–2 Maryland–4 North Carolina–5 New York–1 Ohio is planning on opening 2 Florida joints in the next couple of months…4690 State Road 7, Coconut Creek and 8201 South Military Trail, Sarasota.

If you aren’t familar with this chain, trust me, you aren’t alone. Jeff Eats had never heard of Jake’s until last week when I gave its Long Beach, New York outlet a shot. If you want to go further, you can check www.waybackburgers.com for menu/prices/locations.

Now, you know and I know that “upscale” fast food burger joints are literally popping up on every American block. Absolutely no question in my mind, that the day of reckoning is quickly approaching–when the American public is going to tire of most of these joints and tons of franchisees are going to get wiped out. That said, until that reckoning-day arrives, there is no reason whatsoever- why I, Jeff Eats can’t eat myself into a 48 inch pair of pants and a 22″ inch shirt.

Jake’s menu has got it all…burgers, franks, fries, onion rings, salads, milkshakes.

For the record, I did a 2-patty cheeseburger, french fries, coffee and chocolate milkshakes…the burger/fries were as good as the “best” chain stuff I’ve had in South Florida–and that includes- Five Guys, Shake Shack, BurgerFi, Elevation Burger, CG. I will tell you, the milkshakes were outrageously delicious, but the thought of a 22″ inch neck shirt is starting to scare me a bit.

Anyway…you guys are now in the “loop.”

First, let’s give credit to our pals at Burger Beast (www.burgerbeast.com) for turning us onto- Pincho Factory a Latin inspired “fast food” burger/hot dog/pincho joint…before we get going here-the best way to describe a “pincho”-food on a skewer. You can check www.pinchofactory.com for menu/prices…to get a real good “feel” as to what’s going on at Pincho, check the “YELP” site—the last time I looked-Pincho had something like 140 reviews and 109 photos.

Now, I know that what’s “cool” is a very subjective thing…what you may consider cool, I may consider un-cool. Rather than getting into a whole “cool” discussion with you guys, let’s just say that the Pincho Factory was one cool-fast food joint. If you’re really interested in following-up on this column, I seriously urge you to check those YELP photos. Not sure who took them, but they got decor shots and tons of food shots–guranteed after you see the photos, assuming burgers, hot dogs, meat/chicken/seafood grilled skewers, pita bread, fries are your game–you will definitely want to try Pincho Factory. This is a very unique fast food joint…it’s not the standard formica formula.

Let’s talk food…the basic cheeseburger- dynamite, shrimp/chicken/steak skewers-off the chart, basic french fries-on the money, chocolate covered french fries- a homerun, basic hot dog-a knockout, fried cheescake-incredible. Now that I’ve exhausted my Guy Fieri superlatives–let’s just say that Pincho’s food is outstanding and its “toppings” (this is where the Latin influence-kicks in) are literally limitless

I kinda think that you regular readers know that Jeff Eats is a “simple” eater…I like my pizza straight up sans toppings (ok-maybe a drop of sausage or pepperoni here and there), I like my french fries with ketchup, I like my hot dog with mustard & sauerkraut, I like my burger with American cheese-raw onions-ketchup, I like my bagel with plain old cream cheese or butter, I like my Thomas’ English muffin toasted with butter and strawberry jam. The point to be made, believe it or not, I’m really not into food “experimentation.” For you sticklers out there, I know that chocolate french fries and fried cheesecake aren’t “standards” but the Burger Beast himself told me that I had to try them…so I did. Anyway…if you want to put a “different” spin to your favorites, Pincho’s got you covered.

If you want to eat delicious burgers/hot dogs/fries/meat-chicken-seafood fast food, then you gotta try the Pincho Factory.

Pincho Factory is open Monday-Thursday noon-midnight, Friday & Saturday 11am-2am, Sunday 11am-10pm.

As I mentioned the other day, last Sunday afternoon I killed some time at Town Center Mall–while Mrs. Jeff Eats searched for “who knows what.” Of course during my “stay”—I visited the mall’s recently reconfigured-rebuilt food court. Suffice it to say, the court looks great, but in my humble opinion–there aren’t enough fast-food outlets–and there is too much “duplication” with the outlets that are there. That said, I did come across an “interesting concept” in the fast-food business…Maoz Vegetarian, which- if I was a betting man, will be a “homerun” in the reconfigured Town Center Mall food court. Before I give you the skinny on Maoz Vegetarian, I gotta tell you that the folks behind Forever 21 (a national budget chain of women/men’s clothing & accessories) have to be genuises. Forever 21 just opened a gigantic 2-story location in the back of Town Center Mall’s food court and at 3pm last Sunday the store was jammed and I do mean jammed with people. Not to go off on a tangent here, but Mrs. Jeff Eats and Daughter Jeff Eats swear by this chain–trust me, these girls are professional shoppers. Anyway, let me get back to Maoz Vegetarian…

Maoz Vegetarian is a small fast food chain that does falafel…real simple concept- pita bread filled with falafel/salad (you pick combinations/dressings)—the joint also does belgian and sweet potato fries. You can check www.maozusa.com for menu/prices/prices. Just so you know, there are currently 13 Maoz locations in the United States (I told you it was a small chain)-the Boca outlet is the only Florida location. For the record, I did “one” of these pitas with sweet potato fries and it was delicious…real nice change from the burgers, pizzas, bourbon chicken that I usually get while killing time in malls.

Now nothing for nothing…but during the 20 minutes or so I was in the food court, Maoz had the longest and steadiest lines. Trust me, I know “20 minutes” isn’t long enough for a scientific study to base any conclusions on– As I told you a few seconds ago the food was delicious–and in doing some due diligence (talking to several security guards, mall/store/food court employees) it seems that since the food court’s re-opening a few months ago, Maoz has been doing some real nice business. For the record, if memory serves me correctly… the food court has a pretzel joint, salad joint, pizza joint, Chinese/Japanese joint, Earl of Sandwich joint, Chick-fil-A joint (which was closed on Sunday), yogurt joint—one other thing, in the bay next to the pizza joint there was an “opening soon” sign for another pizza joint–what’s that all about?

Let me wrap Maoz Vegetarian up for you…

I have eaten more food court “meals” than I choose to remember. Not going to list them all but, I’ve been fed by the “best” of them…Nathan’s, Subway, Panda Express, McDonald’s, Burger King, Auntie Annes, Earl of Sandwich, Wetzels Pretzels, Tutti Frutti Yogurt, Dairy Queen/Orange Julius, Saladworks, Kohl’s Frozen Custard, Tossed, Sbarro’s…I’ve devoured more free bourbon chicken toothpick samples than you can shake a stick out. Now, I may be going out on a huge and I do mean huge limb here, but…I am going to predict that itsy bitsy tweeny weeny Maoz Vegetarian is going to grow into a huge brand. The concept is simple, relatively new and has “yet” to be exploited on a national level…plus the food is fresh, delicious and its $5-$10 price points are reasonable…there is one caveat to my prediction—unless the Simons (mall owners) of the world decide that food courts can “handle” more than one falafel joint at a time.

One final observation on Maoz (now, I’m not 100% sure on this)–I think that the Boca Raton “store” is the chain’s first food court location. I believe that the other outlets are much larger and incorporate self-serve salad bars into the concept. If my thinking is correct on this, Maoz Vegetarian has two layouts that make the game even more interesting for potential franchisees.

The next time you are in Town Center Mall give Maoz Vegetarian a shot.

The joint is open, Monday-Saturday 11am-9pm, Sunday 11:30am-6pm.

Got something here that I can’t exactly wrap my arms around…Sweets From Heaven & Fuzziwig’s Candy Factory.

To make a long story-short…

Yesterday, I killed some time in Boca Town Center–while Mrs. Jeff Eats roamed the mall looking for God knows what…For one solid hour I entertained myself- checking out people (most had no packages) and “thinking” about stuff like-how poorly the mall’s new food court “mix” and lay-out was–and what a goldmine the Apple Store was.

Anyway…right near the food court is an “upscale” candy store named Sweets From Heaven. I’m gonna assume that all of you guys have been to big regional malls and have seen and been in “some version” of an upscale candy store. For the record, Sweets From Heaven is a small national chain with a number of franchised locations in the United States. Not sure why, but in some malls the “store-concept” is called Sweets From Heaven and in others it’s called Fuzziwig’s Candy Factory. You can check the chain’s website www.sweetsfromheaven.com for locations/details. For our purposes, there is 1-Sweets From Heaven in Boca Raton, 1-Fuzziwig’s in Fort Myers, 1-Fuzziwig’s in Orlando.

Now, I may be giving you guys too much credit here, but I don’t think so… but, when you saw these “candy stores” which look like amusement parks/candy factories– loaded with bulk candy and kids’ novelty items- didn’t you say to yourselves, “Boy! I wish I was a kid, but man, this stuff costs a fortune.” Well, if you didn’t…I did—and as I walked around the store I couldn’t believe the prices that this joint was getting for the most basic of candies.

Now, if I recall my basic PS 179 math, there are 16 ounces to a pound. To be perfectly honest with you. I don’t recall the exact “brands” or exact ” $-amounts” but Sweets From Heaven was hitting up customers for something like $7.95–$14.95 lb. Like I said a few seconds ago, the brands may not be exactly the same, but I kinda think that I know what, M & M–Twizzler Licorice–Good & Plenty candies look like. Now, nothing for nothing, but on many standard candies- guys like Walmart, Target, Costco are fetching something like 23-30 cents per oz. I’m gonna let you guys do the math. By the way, this morning before writing this piece I checked my cupboard and visited a Walmart and Costco to make sure I wasn’t talking out of my hat.

Now, I know that businesses like Sweets From Heaven rely on “impulse buying.” It just seems to me, that there is impulse buying and then there is IMPULSE BUYING.

Like I said at the top of this discussion, Got something here that I can’t exactly wrap my arms around.

The next fast food “craze”—sushi!

You know and I know-that at times us-Americans can over do a good thing. You do remember “mom & pop” video stores, don’tcha? If you don’t think that current food crazes…self serve yogurt, cupcakes and upscale burgers aren’t headed for a serious day of reckoning, you might like to think again. For sure, there are going to be a handful of survivors, but I’m willing to bet you a lunch of your choice, that in the next couple of years there are going to be a ton and I do mean a ton of very-very unhappy franchisees. Seriously folks, do you really think that Jeff Eats’ 1-mile square Boca neighborhood- needs something like 14 self serve yogurt joints, 9 upscale burger spots, 23 mom & pop red sauce Italian restaurants? Hate to sound like a quiz-master here, but do you know what overkill is?

From what I’m hearing and seeing, the next fast-food craze about to hit America…SUSHI!. The best way to describe this “concept”—think Subway, Blimpie’s, or your favorite sub shop…you know the deal, you tell the guy/gal behind the counter how to construct your sub-sandwich in this case it will be your “roll.”

Checkout a small company—how do you roll? at www.howdoyouroll.com. For right now, how do you roll?–has a total of 11 stores in 6 states. I know-that with only 11 stores this “chain” is a mere-blip on America’s franchise map. By the way, for our purposes, how do you roll? currently has 2-Florida locations–Gainsville and Jacksonville. For the record, last week I was in a –how do you roll? store which literally just opened in Tucson, Arizona right next door to the University Of Arizona. Wanna talk jammed? During the 3 days I was “out there” I saw a constant and steady line waiting to get in…Now I’m no expert on sushi, but a gut feeling tells me that this fast food sushi concept is going to be huge “around” college campuses–and there are plenty of college towns in America.

Mark my words…fast food sushi joints are the next craze. Now, how do you roll? may not emerge as the dominant player–but my money says, that the “concept” is going to spread like a wildfire…and of course, like yogurt, burgers, cupcakes will eventually get over-done.

Got a real good sub-joint for you, Mr. Nick’s Sub Shoppe in Fort Lauderdale. Freestanding building, order/pickup at window–tables outside under a canopy…not exactly the fanciest joint going. You can check menu/prices at www.mrnickssubshoppe.com. Mr. Nick’s is open Monday-Friday 8:30am-6pm, Saturday 9:30am-3pm, closed on Sunday.

Like I said a few seconds ago, this is a “real good” sub joint…

Mr. Nick’s has all kinds of hot/cold subs (6″ & 12″), sandwiches, burgers, franks, salads.

For the record, Jeff Eats forced himself to “try”–philly cheesesteak sub, chicken parm sub, chicken salad sub–now trust me here, the subs were all delicious, with a special shoutout to the philly cheesesteak which came with cheese-mushrooms-grilled onions-green peppers. Now I know-we could debate sub/hoagie bread here all day long…some of you guys like hard crust and some of you guys like a real soft outside— as for “me” I like it both ways–just as long as it tastes good. For the record, Mr. Nick’s goes with a delicious soft sub.

By the way, did you hear about the guy who ordered a turkey sandwich at a lunch counter. The waitress told him that they were out of turkey, so he ordered a chicken sandwich. The waitress replied, if we had chicken I would have brought you a turkey sandwich.

Anyway…If you’re like me and enjoy eating a sub under a roadside canopy…Mr. Nick’s Sub Shoppe is for you.