May 8th, 2011 Michael's Italian Beef & Sausage Co

Michael's Italian Beef & Sausage Co

1111 Southeast Sandy Boulevard, Portland, OR

(503) 230-1899

http://www.michaelsitalianbeef.com/

Mon – Fri 1030 AM – 9 PM; Sat Noon – 9 PM

May 8^th, 2011

I had heard quite a few things about Michael’s from co-workers and friends.  The first thing I heard was do not, under any circumstances park in their driveway unless you are going in to eat other wise you will be towed immediately.  Second, they have a no B.S. demeanor to them that is very forthcoming. The main guy, who I assume is Michael, will give anyone crap that walks through the door of his establishment because…well because he can.  I was glad I was given these tid bits of information when I went in as I learned about the latter first hand.

I first and foremost made a decision to only take a picture of the outside because this was not to be a place to take pictures inside of the establishment, as I’d probably get someone screaming and yelling at me.  I discussed this with my manager at work later on and she agreed that was the correct decision. 

The place has plenty of seating on the left side of the restaurant when you walk through the front door. To the right is the counter where you can order and look into their open kitchen.  It’s a simple set up and looks quite solid. When I came in the place was empty.  This was little off putting but not as much as the Manager, who again I assume was Michael, was speaking to another employee about the current buyout by Microsoft.  As he is continuing this conversation he deadlocks his eyes with mine and begins to “Mad Dog” me.  For those who don’t understand the “Mad Dog”, it’s simply when someone is staring you down with a less than lackluster expression.  When someone does this to me, especially when I walk into an establishment where I’m to be a customer, I tend to give it right back. This instance was no different. So we stared each other down while not once did he falter from his conversation with his co-worker. I had been waiting for a, ”They can help you right over there”, or “How are you doing”, or even a “What are you looking at?”, would have sufficed but nothing ever came.  Finally, a pause in the conversation came and I asked what company Microsoft bought, he said, “Skype!”, to which I replied, “Screw Skype.” I wasn’t sure what kind of reaction I was hoping to get out of that statement, I just wanted to relay his own surliness right back to him. At this moment someone behind the counter finally poked their head out and said they could help me. 

I ordered the Meatball sub with peppers and smothered in sauce to go as I was meeting a friend of mine for a drink at a neighborhood bar.  They guy behind the counter was helpful and was really quick with my sando. As I was handed my sando and thanked the crew kindly and went on my day.  I don’t think that it could’ve have been a better first introduction to Michael’s. 

Rating:

Bread:

The Bread was so-so.  It doesn’t really hold the filling together well enough so when you bite into it sometimes it gets pushed out the sides.  The entirety of it was a very chewy consistency.  But for this sando, when covered in sauce, it does have enough body not to completely sog out on you.

3/5

Filling:

The cheese, sauce, and peppers were all great in this sub.  I liked how melted the cheese was, the peppers had a good heat to them, and the sauce is just sweet enough to balance all that. The meatballs themselves however were kind of sub par.  They had an odd spongy texture to them that was not a real turn on for me. 

3/5

Price:

$7.65 for a 12-inch sub is a good deal. I was filled up at the end of it all without a doubt.  If anything, there’s always the option of getting it as a half sub, which is still pretty cheap, and you get a decent amount of food.

4/5

Customer Service, Sides, Drink Selection:

If you can handle the abuse or at least deal it back out (and get away with it) the customer service is fine.  Deep down they do want you to come in and purchase their sandos. They had a fine variety of sodas and other drinks. There were also plenty of sides to choose from such as Fries, Salads, Potato salad, etc….

4/5

Over all Rating: 14/20 points

Repeat Visit?

Yes. There are lots of items on there that I’d love to try. The beef being their signature sando that I would have gotten had I not been in the mood for the Meatball.