Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Lubi's Hot Subs: Lubi-licious

I got some nice feedback from my loyal readers about last week's post on Jreck Subs, so I thought I'd tell y'all about another obscure-but-rewarding fast food franchise I've come to know and love here in NE Florida. Lubi's Hot Subs, serving Jacksonville, Florida since 1969, offers a uniquely delicious and profoundly unhealthy sandwich that is as tasty as it is indigestible.

To make a "Famous" as it is known throughout the greater J-Ville area, you start with owner Nic DiRamio's secret family recipe: ground beef, slow-cooked for two days in a choice blend of spices, then laid over a base layer of American cheese into an 8" sub roll that has been trimmed at the ends and along the top for easy eating. I say easy eating, but all Lubi's sandwiches, with the possible exception of the "Camel Rider," come with a fork. After that, you have your choice of mayonnaise, mustard, onions, and Lubi's trademark hot peppers. If you want a Lubi Italiano, try their Mozzarella Lubi with tomato sauce. Then there's the "Stroganoff Lubi" with mushrooms and sour cream, or my favorite, the "Mean Machine," with mozzarell', lettuce, tomato, and extra-potent Italian dressing.

After you've had an entire Lubi, say my variation on the Famous: the "Cheeseburger Lubi" with extra American cheese, onions, mayo, and ketchup from the foil packets available on the counter (Perhaps as an echo of the company's genesis during the Burger Wars of the late '60s and early '70s, Lubi's doesn't offer ketchup as a condiment), and it was blissful. The problem is, after you've just wolfed down one of Lubi's loose-meat delicacies, your stomach is still in shock while your mind is making itself up to order another one. That's when you order the Stroganoff Lubi. Hours later, as your digestive tract rebels against the insult of going one Lubi over the line, you ask, "Why did I do that?"

Then you'll say, after a hefty belch, "It was worth it."


For more information and money-saving coupons, visit Lubi's new web site at Lubis.com. It's nice to see them back online, but I kind of miss the old site, with its JPEG close-ups of Famous, Mozzarella, and Chili Lubis that bordered on food porn.


4 Jacksonville-area locations to serve you better

Locally Owned & Operated

2940 University Blvd
904-733-3734


3930 Sunbeam Road
904-260-6100

11633 Beach Blvd
904-642-3800


500 N 3rd. St (A1A)Jacksonville Beach
904-270-1007

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