Penn Station

Penn Station is going into their 35th year of serving up East Coast style submarine sandwiches. To celebrate, we at Food Adventures are giving away a $35 Gift Card to this regional chain, whose roots are right here in Dayton.

For your chance to win, just comment below and tell us something you love about Penn Station.  Here is a great opportunity for you to win some of those freshly grilled subs, freshly cut fries and freshly squeezed lemonade!

Are you a sub lover?  Than odds are, over the last 34 years, you have made it into a Penn Station restaurant in the Miami Valley for our own Food Adventure.  Known for their flying spatulas, dicing up meat while grilling submarine sandwiches, the ordering process has evolved over the years.  One thing that has not changed, is that they serve some of the most delicious subs in town.

 

HERE’S THE SKINNY on PENN STATION EAST COAST SUBS:

 

 

---

Owner Jeff Osterfeld’s first started “Jeffrey’s Delicatessen” in the Dayton Mall in Dayton, Ohio.

— Jeff opened his first Penn Station in 1985 in Downtown Cincinnati.  Today there are 313 Penn Station restaurants in 15 states.

— The sub bread is cooked in-house with a signature soft inside, and crunchy outside texture.  This is perfect for holding up the sub structure with all of the hot ingredients. The bread is also delicious.

— Customers who walk in, order  in a cafeteria type line, then watch their sandwiches get cooked and/or assembled and most get a ride to get toasted in a conveyor pizza oven.  As you move down the line you are asked if you want some freshly cut fries, cookies, or drinks.

— Most stores feature call ahead, drive-thru pickup windows.

 

Now you know what Penn Station is all about, let’s explore the best of the best on their menu…. our patented “Must Eats” section is below.

 

MUST EATS AT PENN STATION EAST COAST SUBS:

 

 

— DAGWOOD WITH TURKEY ONLY AS THE MEAT ADD TERIYAKI SAUCE:
This first one is a super secret sandwich, not on the menu as is, but a discovery of the Big Ragu.  You order a “Dagwood with Turkey only as the meat.”  Ask them to add extra meat – it is worth the 1 to 2 bucks,  Ask then to grill it in Teriyaki sauce and ask them to the grill onions, mushrooms, and banana peppers and add provolone cheese.  After it is grilled tell them to add mayo, lettuce and tomato.  The result is an amazing “Turkey Teriyaki Cheesesteak.”  It is a Food Adventure original and the workers always compliment us on how good that sandwich looks.  Try it, it will change your life…

 

— THE CHEESESTEAK:

The sandwich that anchors the establishment, the Philly cheesesteak.  Get extra meat, always with this option.  May we suggest asking them to grill the onions, mushrooms and banana peppers.  Then add provolone, oregano and mayo. 

Our pal and Penn Station Regional Manager Randy suggests getting the Cheesesteak with “extra meat, extra cheese, with honey mustard, Parmesan cheese and oregano.”

 

 

 

 

— CHICKEN TERIYAKI SUB:
For those who love chicken, this sub is for you.  The chicken is cubed and not shredded like the Turkey, which is why we prefer the turkey, but this sandwich is excellent as well.  May we suggest trying it this way: Get extra meat, then ask them to the grill onions, mushrooms, and banana peppers and add provolone cheese to the teriyaki chicken “well done”.  After it is grilled tell them to add mayo, lettuce and tomato.

 

 

— THE GRILLED ARTICHOKE SUB:

We had heard from many friends that this sub was great, but it took us years to try it.  Guess what?  It was shockingly good!  Artichoke Hearts mixed with grilled onions, grilled banana peppers and grilled mushrooms, covered in cheese.  It was a velvety bite in each sandwich, and tasted very close to a chicken sub. That’s the part we couldn’t figure out… why?

 

 

 

 

— FRESH CUT FRIES:
It is very hard to resist the freshly cooked “cups” of fries.  Not a fan on how they serve them in cups, but hey they taste so good we soon forget.  They slice them using this wall contraption and take trays full of raw. sliced fries over to the fryer.  Served with a bit of salt, vinegar or ketchup and you are home free.  Always cooked perfectly and some of the best fries in town.

 

— FRESH SQUEEZED LEMONADE:
Hand squeezed daily.  For some reason, the combo of the lemonade deadening the grilled onion breath is a perfect combo.  The lemonade so cold and flavorful and free refills on a hot day is a bonus.  Heck the refills are great no matter what the weather is like outside.

**** NOW – who wants to win a $35 Gift Card to Penn Station and try some great East Coast Subs ? ****
To enter, just type in a comment below on one of your favorite things at Penn Station or why you should win.  The winner will be drawn at random next week.  ONE COMMENT PER PERSON or you will be disqualified.

Food Adventures is a Dayton food blog with weekly articles EXCLUSIVELY on Dayton Most Metro.

Are you a Dayton Foodie?  Then join the 8,000 Dayton Foodies on Food Adventure’s Facebook page and like them by clicking HERE.