Stephen Montoya
If you like being impressed by something as simple as a garnish then Galligaskin’s Submarines Restaurant & Catering, located at 5817 Camp Bowie Blvd. is the place to be. Again, I took the challenge of trying another local eatery on the word of a co-worker. An endeavor that has paid off in some great meals and extra calories to shed this resolution season. Galligaskin’s is not a name easily forgotten, so I marked it on my list of places to try and headed down the road this week to meet my meal fate in the form of an unknown menu.
Parking was a bit dicey given that Galligaskin’s is located on a pie-shaped piece of blacktop that is very narrow to navigate. Pro tip: drive around back and park behind the restaurant, it’s so much easier than trying to back out into oncoming traffic. After my truck was securely parked, I traversed through the rain to find the front door to an establishment that has a great word-of-mouth reputation. Upon entering this sub shop, I couldn’t help but feel an eerie Scottish pub-style vibe with lots of natural woods and green paint. The dark atmosphere lent itself to an unspoken it’s OK to be incognito mood. The order window was easy to find, mainly because I followed someone in and watched how they approached the staff. As I stood in line, I noticed a server come out from behind the counter and say a name as loud as they could. A hand was raised at a table and the food was delivered. I imagined someone not being honest could possibly get a food order that wasn’t theirs if they wanted to be mischievous, but I digress.
A line of chalkboard menus adorned the top of the order window where I stood staring into unknown food territory. The server on the other end of the window waited patiently while I read everything twice so as to make the right decision. I finally went with the hot pastrami sandwich minus the onions and a side of fried okra. I kept waiting to hear the knight from Indiana Jones say I had chosen wisely, but all I heard was lunchroom chatter. This sub comes equipped with toasty ultra-lean pastrami, Gulden’s mustard, and special garnishes. This specific sandwich comes in three sizes 4”, 7”, and 10”. Exactly two minutes later, I heard a voice call out my name. So, I raised my hand like everyone else and received my order fresh out of the kitchen.
What was placed before me, looked like it could’ve been an art installment from a museum. Green lettuce meshed with a sweet cherry pepper garnish that looked like a type of jam rested on top of a huge sandwich — yes I ordered the 10”. The sweet pepper spread had yellow seeds in it that brought out the brown of the bread it was served on. But everything changed once I bit into the sandwich. The hot sweet cherry pepper garnish meshed perfectly with the warm pastrami waiting to be tasted near the bottom of the sandwich. The meat in a sandwich, mind you, is normally the rock star of the meal, not here. The rock star was the sweet cherry pepper garnish. It kept falling off of the top of the sandwich, so I would swoop my bread back down and use it as a sort of scoop to get the chunky goodness back on top. Needless to say, I kind of made a mess, but all the tables in this establishment have napkin dispensers, probably for this very reason, so crisis averted. The fried okra was fresh and hit the spot as a side item in place of the obligatory French fries that usually come with a sandwich of this caliber elsewhere.
The sub was great, and the service was fine, but the atmosphere was unique in the fact that I could sit at a table by myself and not feel uncomfortable. Most times I try to always invite someone to dine with me to cut through this awkwardness, that reasoning is not necessary here. In fact, there were several of us dining alone for lunch and no one seemed to care. So, if you like sweet and spicy garnish on a hot sandwich, Galligaskins is definitely worth a try.
Holes in the Fort Rating Scale
Ambiance: Out of 5 – 5 (The atmosphere was warm and inviting)
Service: Out of 5 – 4 (Room for a scam artist to take credit for your food)
Food: Out of 5 – 5 (Did I mention I liked the sweet cherry pepper garnish?)
Price point: Economical if you order small (The mid-price point is around $10 +)
Do: the hot pastrami sandwich with a side of your choice.
Don’t: forget to bring a bib, because this food is good but most of it makes a mess.
For more information on Galligaskins Submarines Restaurant & Catering click here.
(Holes in the Fort is an ongoing series that highlights some of the city’s best local food spots.)
