City Bites

[JayhawkTransplant]

Oh, I agree. Believe me...I am too in love with Chipotle to be able to adopt a 'national chains are bad' mentality.

However, I will add that I travel throughout Oklahoma a lot for work, and I get sad when my coworkers elect to go to a Subway or McDonald's for dinner rather than trying the local restaurant.

[BBatesokc]

Jersey Mike's rules!

My sandwich shop preferences go...

1. Lee's
2. Jersey Mike's
3. Subway
4. Someplace Else (only ranks below Subway because of the single location)

[Achilleslastand]

Jersey Mikes is pretty good but i still like going to Neptunes on 32nd and Classen just as i did as a wee lad attending John Carroll.

[Steve]

Jersey Mike's rules!

My sandwich shop preferences go...

1. Lee's
2. Jersey Mike's
3. Subway
4. Someplace Else (only ranks below Subway because of the single location)

It's amazing how much of the city isn't even aware of Lee's. Considering they have just one location, let's try to keep it that way!

(in total agreement of Lee's on top, but would probably put Hobbie's Hoagies in No. 4 and Someplace Else at No 3)

[OSUMom]

Oh, I love Someplace Else. I can't believe City Bites wanted to go head to head with them by putting a store right across the street.

[Martin]

to those of you ranking sandwich places... no love for nd foods?!? -M

[Double Edge]

1. Which Wich

chicken cordon bleu, on wheat, toasted, swiss,red onions,...

[metro]

Eeeek...I will try to have City Bites this weekend to see if these downgrades have happened at all locations. Very sad.

Jersey Mike's...no thanks. I will always go to the more local sandwich establishment first, but if I must eat at the national chain, JM is at the bottom of my list. Even below Subway.

This. JM is the absolute worst and also the most expensive. JM is bland, stale bread, and have the weirdest menu.

[metro]

to those of you ranking sandwich places... no love for nd foods?!? -M

ND foods is awesome but expensive and very odd location.

[RadicalModerate]

Did I miss someone mentioning Hobbie's Hoagies?
(From what I've heard--never ate there yet--they are, like, The Mount Olympus of Submarine Sandwiches.)

[ljbab728]

Did I miss someone mentioning Hobbie's Hoagies?
(From what I've heard--never ate there yet--they are, like, The Mount Olympus of Submarine Sandwiches.)

See Steve in post number 18.

[tuck]

Lee's Sandwiches has stores in several states I know of...maybe in other countries as well. This concept wasn't started in Oklahoma.

[bluedogok]

The last time we ate at City Bites (NW 39th & MacArthur location) before heading back to Austin (last year sometime) it was not as good as we remembered. My wife was disappointed they no longer had the meatball sub and they were out of the mesquite chicken that I normally got (Sunday afternoon around noon). We used to eat there often on our trips up there and wished they were in Austin. Seems like they lost their way somewhere along the line. That seems to happen to most local shops, maybe it is owner disinterest or something else after awhile. I used to eat at Sub Stop (N. Western location) often until they fell off and started going to City Bites. One of my favorites that was open for a short time was Dave's Hole In the Wall on Campus Corner, they had a unique sandwich. The local Austin institution (Thundercloud) was always a disappointment to me, I pretty much stuck with WhichWich there. Jimmy John's was OK, never tried Jersey Mike's, there weren't many around in Austin that I knew of. I still haven't found a place here in Denver yet, been to Subway a couple of times on 16th Street Mall because it is pretty close to the office but Subway is what it is, the McDonald's of sub shops, you pretty much know what you are gonna get, good or mediocre.

[Steve]

I loved Sub Stop when it was in its prime. Used to go to the one at May and NW 122 all the time. What the heck happened to it?

[Richard at Remax]

Went to city bites last week and tried to order large bbq brisket and all i got was confused faces. ended up having to order two, which is now a few bucks more than if it was just a regular large. prob wont go back. makes zero sense.

Steve, went to sub stop on danforth and bryant last week for first time in a while. don't know if it was same frachise as one on may but it was as good as ever.

[Easy180]

I loved Sub Stop when it was in its prime. Used to go to the one at May and NW 122 all the time. What the heck happened to it?

They used to have one a little down the tunnel from Chase Tower prob 8 yrs or so ago?

[TheTravellers]

Went to city bites last week and tried to order large bbq brisket and all i got was confused faces. ended up having to order two, which is now a few bucks more than if it was just a regular large. prob wont go back. makes zero sense.

.....

May not make any sense to you, but makes lots of "cents" to the owners to have customers order 2 6" sandwiches if they're hungry. :-P

[adaniel]

Lee's Sandwiches has stores in several states I know of...maybe in other countries as well. This concept wasn't started in Oklahoma.

If I'm not mistaken, they were started in Southern California and big in cities where there are large Vietnamese populations (Orange County, Houston, OKC, etc.)

As far as City Bites, yes their quality has gone done unfortunately. They were the first "local" place I ever tried when I came to this area for school back in 2004. I went back about 3 months ago and got some bacon/chicken soft taco thingie.

It was terrible. Jimmy Johns has permanently replaced them in my food rotation.

[SoonerDave]

Always seems like the best-intentioned local eateries go astray for some reason.

I remember a VERY popular (and very good) local chain called Cocina de Mino from about 10-15 years ago that had, at their peak, several sites across OKC and each one was very popular. After they'd been open for some time, someone I knew who was *very* familiar with their operations on the business side relayed that there was concern the owners had kinda stopped paying attention, the books were getting sloppy, lots of internal/ego issues, expanded too quick, didn't manage $$ properly, but the restaurants continued to be successful on their established momentum, so a sense of invincibility set it. Eventually, sure enough, that person became a prophet - when the good reputation faded, the business ebbed, and then the financial house more or less caved in, revealing a pile of debt, and most of (if not all) the original restaurants went kaput. Poof. It's just sad.

Now, let me caveat this comment by saying that I believe there is still a restaurant operating under that name somewhere in S. OKC, but I don't think there's any relationship whatsoever to that original ownership group. If there is, I have no knowledge of it, and the person who told me about the bad condition of the original group is not involved in the restaurant industry any longer. As I said, this was back about a decade or more ago, so please understand there's no disparagement of that current restaurant implied at all....just interesting how even successful restaurants have a tough time enduring over the long haul. Tough, tough business if you're not constantly on top of your game.

[Skyline]

I haven't been to CB in a while, I've always had a good experience, but have not seen their new changes as mentioned here.

Meanwhile....Subway is having.... "Customer Appreciation Month" ; offering $2.00 6" subs!

http://www.subway.com/subwayroot/Fre...n/default.aspx

Local or not, a $2 sub is difficult to pass up.

[onthestrip]

I haven't noticed much decline in city bites, other than I hate how they cut their 6" sandwiches in half these days giving me two 3" pieces. I don't get that.

[Debzkidz]

I like Planet Sub in Edmond. My kids got me hooked on them. Our youngest used to eat at City Bites when he was in high school. They would go there at lot at lunch, because it was quicker than Planet Sub at lunch time and because the girl he always went to lunch with liked it. But if he ever had the time, it was Planet Sub. Still when either of my kids are home for the weekend or the holidays, I always know that on Sunday afternoon, before they head back to school, they will always be planning a stop there on their way out of town.

The last time I went to City Bites, a few months ago, I was really disappointed. It just seemed like there was nothing on the sandwich but bread.

[kelly73099]

City Bites is incredibly frustrating. When they are good they're really good, but when they're bad... The locations are terribly inconsistent too. North Western is usually pretty good and there have never been any issues when I've gone during the lunch hour. But the Yukon location has tons of issues - don't go through the drive thru unless you have at least 20 min to spare. Count on them being out of potatoes and at least some breads. Check your order before you leave - most likely it is incorrect. The inside of the store is usually filthy. I don't think they ever clean tables during the day.

[soonerguru]

Always seems like the best-intentioned local eateries go astray for some reason.

I remember a VERY popular (and very good) local chain called Cocina de Mino from about 10-15 years ago that had, at their peak, several sites across OKC and each one was very popular. After they'd been open for some time, someone I knew who was *very* familiar with their operations on the business side relayed that there was concern the owners had kinda stopped paying attention, the books were getting sloppy, lots of internal/ego issues, expanded too quick, didn't manage $$ properly, but the restaurants continued to be successful on their established momentum, so a sense of invincibility set it. Eventually, sure enough, that person became a prophet - when the good reputation faded, the business ebbed, and then the financial house more or less caved in, revealing a pile of debt, and most of (if not all) the original restaurants went kaput. Poof. It's just sad.

Now, let me caveat this comment by saying that I believe there is still a restaurant operating under that name somewhere in S. OKC, but I don't think there's any relationship whatsoever to that original ownership group. If there is, I have no knowledge of it, and the person who told me about the bad condition of the original group is not involved in the restaurant industry any longer. As I said, this was back about a decade or more ago, so please understand there's no disparagement of that current restaurant implied at all....just interesting how even successful restaurants have a tough time enduring over the long haul. Tough, tough business if you're not constantly on top of your game.

Cocino de Mino went down hill when the original owners sold the concept.

[RadicalModerate]

I don't know a lot of Spanish . . . but doesn't "Cocino de Mino" mean "My Kitchen"?
Or perhaps "Mino's" Kitchen?

And, if the original owners--perhaps including someone named Mino--sold the concept, doesn't that lead, inevitably, to a [lack of] truth in labeling lawsuit? Expecially when the Submarine Sandwiches they may or may not sell at Cocino de [Whoever's] are actually tortas?