Disclaimer: this restaurant serves Pepsi products!
Last week, during one of my visits to the lovely city of Lakewood, I had a hankering for a ham & cheese sub. From... you guessed it, Mr. Hero.
I do not know exactly how broad in spectrum Mr. Hero is, however, I can tell you that here in the Northeast Ohio area, they are a staple, competing with chains like Subway and Quiznos.
The difference is really in the menu. Sure, they sell subs like you would expect: ham, turkey, italian (which is a ham-type sub), meatball, etc., however, they are also popular for their signature sandwiches, like the Romanburger.
Let me first clarify one thing: if you are in the neighborhood to diet, I would not bother visiting a Mr. Hero shop. Their rich mayonnaise and fried meats are not for the health-conscious. It all tastes wonderful, but the calories are astronomical.
This local shop, one of many franchise establishments in the area, is located in a small plaza off Detroit Rd. It is clean, and the owners proudly display their certificates of achievement on the wall by the front door. On the adjacent wall, above the counter by the soda machine, are slips from various customers praising the service given.
The restaurant is carpeted, and there are two tables in the waiting area: you can dine in, or order for take out. The cashier was very friendly; and took our order quickly and efficiently. My husband and I ordered:
1 10" Romanburger combo, which included a large Wafer fry and a large drink, with a side of cheese sauce for the fries;
1 7" ham and cheese sub, no lettuce with extra mayo, a small Wafer fry and a large drink.
We were handed our cups, and walked over to the soda machine to fill them while we waited for our order. We wandered over to a vacant table and sat near the counter. Our wait was probably 7 minutes, as a few other customers came in after we placed our order. We were eventually presented with a tray laden with our items, individually wrapped and ready to go.
Total cost? $18.94. Expensive? Yes. But subs are not cheap, no matter where you go. And to my mind, Mr. Hero has some of the best tasting cheeses and condiments available anywhere.
The food was fresh, and accurate. My ham and cheese sub was cold, with a great amount of mayo (I LOVE their mayo), and the bread was soft and tasty. My husband inhaled his Romanburger, a hamburger/salami/cheese concoction that could undoubtedly cause a heart attack. He nodded that everything tasted wonderfully when asked.
The fries were hot and fresh, and salted just right.
The only real complaint that I had was the lack of a public restroom facility. While the dining area was small, and obviously, the restaurant was not designed to support a large-scale dine-in operation, it was a bit bothersome that there was no bathroom to use.
In short, the restaurant was clean, the service was professional and accurate, and the food tasted wonderful. If you are in the neighborhood and want a tasty, but not necessarily the healthiest, of meals, stop on in.
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