CLOSED Review: Dagwood’s Deli & Sub Shop
Author: indianapoliseater | Filed under: Food Reviews, Location: Indianapolis, IN, Recommended: Hall of Fame
Dagwood’s Deli & Sub Shop
6336 Guilford Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46220
http://www.dagwoodsandwiches.com/
An institution at the WIBIA staff’s alma mater, Indiana University, Dagwood’s has been in business since 1985. The original location was in a basement of building on Indiana Avenue in Bloomington, Indiana and was every college kid’s dream. They’ve finally moved their main location up to street level but they still have good and HUGE submarine sandwiches. They deliver at all hours of the night, so any late night of…ahem, studying…could be capped off with having a sandwich delivered. When I was at IU, I ended far too many of my nights that way, but it was worth it.
Anyway, Dagwood’s stayed in Bloomington only for most of their existence, but they opened a third location in the Broad Ripple area of Indianapolis within the past few years and that’s where I went recently to enjoy one of the treasures of my college career. I will point out that I usually order the Italian sub, but for the purposes of this blog and introducing the restaurant to the blog, I went with…
What I Got: Whole Dagwood Supreme (their signature and most popular sandwich) $8.94
Dagwood Supreme
I ordered my sandwich as it would be found on the menu for review purposes (ordinarily I’d play with the vegetables and other toppings), but the menu version is made up of Roast Beef, Ham, Turkey, Provolone and Colby cheeses, along with lettuce, tomato, onions, and Dagwood’s Special Sauce.
Outside of the special sauce, this thing is made up of standard sub sandwich toppings so there is nothing really out of the ordinary there besides the fact that they give you a generous amount of meat. What really makes this sandwich is the special sauce. It’s a tangy mayonnaise based sauce that it not as creamy as mayonnaise, but shares a lot of similar properties. What makes it different than mayo is that it is slightly more runny and not nearly as thick (you can see the sauce in the photo above) and when you contrast this tangy sauce with the coolness of the vegetables, cheese and meat, you have a sandwich that is a sub sandwich lover’s delight.
Would I Buy It Again? Heck yes. I would buy it again because it is good and also for the nostalgic purposes of taking me back to my college days. Like I said, I usually order the Italian sub because of personal preference of meat on that sandwich but you can’t go wrong with either sandwich. Both of them are just so freaking good and that’s why both of them go into the Hall of Fame.
So, if you are in Bloomington or in Broad Ripple and aren’t afraid of something that is a little bit pricey, give this place a shot and you won’t regret it.
-IndianapolisEater
Tags: dagwood supreme, dagwood's, Food, sandwich, sub sandwich
Compared to Jersey Mikes, Lenny’s and Penn Station $8.94 is aligned well with their prices. However, with a drink and a ship, $11+ is pretty spicy for a sandwich lunch. The $5 Foot Long has killed the independent sub shop, which is one of the many reasons that I don’t like Subway. Off my soap box.
I really like Dagwoods as well. My first visit, I didn’t “get it.” However, a few weeks later, I was craving it. Great independent sub shop and glad that they opened in Indy.
“Crave” is the perfect word when describing Dagwoods. I “crave” their Hoosier Hoagie on a regular basis. And, in the eight years I’ve been craving Dagwoods, I’ve given a lot of thought as to why it’s just so. dang. good. And, I think it’s the meat. It tastes like someone just carved it. None of that slimy, thin stuff you can find at other sub places. This stuff is fresh beyond belief. Thanks for reviewing Dagwoods – they rock!
@wibia: I can see that. As you know, I had an older brother that went to IU, so I was kind of pre-conditioned to have an infatuation with Dagwood’s. I can see your point about not really understanding what it was all about on your first visit though. Despite their high prices, I’m glad they are in Indianapolis now too.
@Alane: I agree, it’s got to be the meat. It’s piled high and it is fresh. Truly wins over the sandwich in my mind.
@Uncle…ahem…Bloom resident: Definitely get the Italian sub. As I said in my post, it is by far my favorite but I review the Dagwood Supreme (always a good backup choice) for it signature purposes. Regardless, you can’t go wrong with either!
Good call. I have no trip down nostalgia lane to bias my opinion and this is my favorite sub shop in Bloomington BY FAR. My staff order out from the hospital a lot and almost always order Jimmy john’s. I much prefer Dagwoods. I have literally never had a sub other than the Italian there because I love Italian subs and their’s are so good. I must branch out!
I have never nominated any place for the WIBIA Hall of Fame so I am making a nomination for Dagwood’s. This place is everything that is good about food. good service, locally owned, high quality, unique choice and just a good overall environment. Nothing will beat the old Indiana Ave. basement location in Bloomington.
The Dagwood Supreme is by far my favorite but the Italian is also good. On Supreme has about 3-4 times a $5 Foot long and the slices are thick. I make a trip to out of my way anytime I am near Broadripple to pick on of these up.
I’ll be the first to admit that I just don’t “get” sub shops. I’m not sure what it is, but they’re just not my cup of tea.
That said, I’ve been to Dagwood’s twice, and have enjoyed it both times. I won’t go out of my way to go there, but if I’m in Broad Ripple, I’m happy to stop there for lunch.
As a Purdue grad, the Broad Ripple location was my first exposure to Dagwood’s. This is probably for the best, as I would’ve graduated several pounds heavier from mass Supreme consumption. Even though everything else on the menu sounds good, I’ve never had a reason to deviate from the usual. I may consider giving the Italian a shot.
Dagwoods OWNS every other sub shop. It’s actually not even close.
Here’s my Dagwoods order:
Roast Beef
lettuce
pickle
sprouts
special sauce
swiss cheese
on wheat
That’s it…and it’s almost always what I crave. It’s so good!
I will vote for Dagwoods, too! I never really knew how much I loved their sandwiches until I moved away from Bloomington and found myself craving them. And for me, the meat (and cheese, too, by the way) is great, but it’s gotta have Dagwood sauce. That stuff is awesome. I prefer the Dagwood Supreme with green pepper slices added on a deli-style roll. Makes it a little more affordable and is really enough for a lunch, anyway. I just had one and only paid a little over $7 for the sandwich, chips, and a large drink.
My husband & I have frequented the Broad Ripple location since they opened. The managers & other employees had always been so nice and fun. The people
that are in there now are downright nasty. They don’t treat you like they know you. They don’t smile and they are snappish. We will not be returning. Maybe this explains why there were no other patrons during lunch rush the last time we were in there. We started noticing a definite change in the atmosphere when this latest manager arrived. How sad. We’ve lost a favorite eatery.
I was just there not long ago and my Dagwood Supreme was as good as ever. A shame this Bloomington legend did not make it in Broadripple. The food speaks for itself so it must have been the management.
Thanks for all the kind words – IU Alumni!
We hope to find a more passionate operator for Indy to continue our Bloomington tradition in the near future. It was a challenge to get an outsider to buy into our model, but we learned a lot and it should be better next time around!
I am glad to hear there is willingness to be a next time.