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THE PLACE: When I went to the University of Nevada, Reno, I gathered with friends at Pub N Sub on many Friday nights. It was packed with broke students waiting an hour to use change to pay for half-price pizza. It’s a college hangout in so many ways.
But now that I’m six years out of college and too old to hang out with that crowd anymore, I still find myself craving Pub N Sub’s food. Now. it’s just about finding the right time to go, and I find many of my kind do the same.
THE LOOK: The restaurant is in a residential neighborhood west of the UNR campus and down the street from several fraternities and sororities.
The walls are dark wood. A gas fireplace heats the room on this chilly December afternoon, as do the ovens cranking out heat through a drive-through style window where we place our orders. The bar is tucked in the corner. Bench tables with red and white check tablecloths make up the dining room.
A pool table can keep you busy while waiting for your food. The backyard, or beer garden, has benches on grass. The deck has heat lamps for those pesky snowy nights in the early or late summer.
THE MEAL: Pub N Sub has good sandwiches and pizza, as well as burgers, wings and sandwiches. My buddy and I decide to split a whole sandwich, with the most expensive being about $8. We also share a small pizza, varieties of which run about $9 to $12.
I choose the combo pizza, which comes with the usual pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms and onions. The crust at Pub N Sub is thick and tasty. The slices are floppy, with not too much crunch. I don’t always dip pizza in ranch because of the extra calories, but the Pub N Sub’s ranch is worth the extra time at the gym.
I’m not a vegetarian, but on a recommendation, we order the veggie sandwich for $7.75. A half sandwich is $5.95. It is one of the better veggie sandwiches I’ve had.
The thinly-sliced red pepper stands out, and so do the slivers of mushrooms resting on a layer of mayonnaise. A thinly-cut cucumber keeps the mushrooms from sliding around.
For $20 exactly, we have perfect portions of good-tasting food.
KUDOS: I’ll give credit to Pub N Sub for making good enough food that many different types of people can enjoy it. I wasn’t the only nonstudent in the place many consider a college bar. Two guys in suits were sitting in a table across from us, as well as some kids celebrating the conclusion of their finals. It’s a good mix.
QUIBBLES: The pizza is somewhat expensive for the size. Sure, the quality is there, and I don’t mind paying for it, but for some, a $25 large four-topping or specialty pizza isn’t feasible.
RETURN TRIP?: Yes, for lunch or take-out. But if you plan on going Friday and Saturday nights, be prepared to feel old.
