After my pan-fried flauta debacle at lunch yesterday, I wasn't that hungry and didn't feel all that well, so decided to pick up something simple to eat at home last night for dinner, which led me to Thundercloud, an Austin institution that I've seen a million times and have never tried.
This place reminds me a bit of the way Subway and Blimpy did before they really started expanding, and I guess today more closely resembles a more local-centric Jersey Mike's, with better quality ingredients.
When it comes to subs, I'm first and foremost an Italian guy so decided to try their NY Italian sub. After ordering, I was presented with the standard set of questions plus one that I didn't expect but was happy to have. Four inch or ten inch? Ten. White or wheat? White. Spicy or sweet peppers? SPICY! Lettuce, tomato, onion and Thundersauce? Yes please. Mustard or Mayo? Mayo please.
The sandwich was really good, just a classic Italian cold cut. The sub roll was soft, but didn't get soggy from any of the ingredients, which can be a common problem, and I think the sandwich benefited from a protective layer of mayo topped with provolone cheese on the bottom bun. The sandwich was a mix of ham, capicola, and salami, and it was very light on all, which could have been a problem but wasn't because the flavors and the ratios of the sandwich in general worked really well together, and resulted in a good meal that didn't leave me stuffed. The lettuce was of the shredded iceberg variety, which was very crisp and didn't have the wilted evidence of sitting out all day. The onion also appeared to be fresh cut, and complemented the sandwich as opposed to overpowering it. The tomatoes were a bit on the unripe side, but not terrible, and the spicy peppers were a bright red spread of what appeared to be minced cherry peppers in oil which provided good heat and incredible flavor. I like the combo of mayo and dressing (the Thundersauce appeared to just be some sort of bottled Italian dressing) to provide the right moisture to the sandwich without adding a contrasting flavor like mustard, and this combination was perfect here.
I'll be back for sure, and this is a great place for a quick lunch or to pick up a sandwich quickly to go. It's not much of a place to hang out, but works for a quick fix when you're craving a fresh sandwich
Summary:
Atmosphere: fast food sandwich shop
Food: submarine sandwiches of Subway variety with better and fresher ingredients and less of a mass produced taste
Dog Friendly: Depends on which one you hit
When to Go: lunch, carry out
Crowd: mix of everyone
What to Get for the First Timer: NY Italian
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