favorite SF eatery... for the time being.
I've eaten at this place twice. Well, I don't eat while I'm in SF all that often. If I do eat, I usually gravitate to Tommy's Joynt or the Burger King a few blocks down Van Ness after a late night concert. Last October though, I was in the city scoping out Mission Dolores for future Cemetery Girl photo shoots and found that I was extremely hungry and had not brought any sandwiches or snacks for myself. That was when I broke down and decided to spend some money for a sandwich at this place, a virtual hole in the wall, on 16th St. called Ike's Place.
On one's first visit to Ike's they might have difficult choosing what to order. One thing that is easy about ordering is that they only serve sandwiches. But when you look at the felt marker, hand written menu on the wall where over 20 different sandwiches are described, well, I was overwhelmed. I just wanted to stand there and read what the makings of every sandwich were, and fantasized that if I were a neighborhood local I'd eventually try out every single sandwich.
I asked for help in choosing. Said that I enjoyed turkey the most and was shown the names of over 6 different turkey sandwiches; funny, but I decided on one that was not even on the main menu but written out on a colorful sheet of typing paper and tacked up beneath the cash register - The Barry Z. // Turkey, Avocado & Havarti on a sweet French roll. I paid for it and a drink and then went back out onto the sidewalk. There were only a couple of tables with chairs, which were all taken. I just stood around like many, many other people did that seemed to be waiting for their orders too. It took about 20 minutes before one of the sandwich makers came outside with my sandwich and called my name.
Handed me a brown bag with my Barry Z. Went back to my car where I had some warm sodas. Well, that was not the ONLY thing that was warm. My SANDWICH was warm. And I don't mean microwave warmed either. I am at a loss for explaining exactly how they warm it because only the things that should be warm were warm; the meat, cheese and roll, whereas the lettuce, tomato and avocado were not wilted.
It was MARVELOUS. And I tell you, the people that work in this place are brimming with joy. Like they really enjoy working together and they really enjoy making these incredible sandwiches.
Anyway, I was in the city yesterday with a new friend who agreed to model for me on a new photo project I'm just beginning to shoot called "Book Girls". We drove around quite a bit going to different "bookish" locations and I told her that for dinner I'd treat her to a sandwich at Ike's. It was weird but I still couldn't decide for myself what to order (the waitress helped me and suggested the "Lincecum" named after the star pitcher for the Giants (and yeah, the Barry Z. was named after the other hot Giants pitcher, Barry Zito). This one had turkey, avacado, bacon, mushrooms, and Swiss cheese. Also funny was that I misunderstood the name she called it and I asked her if she said do I want the "Lithium" sandwich. Ha ha ha, right? Well, the Lincecum worked just like Lithium and soothed my nerves.
The other thing that turned out really nice about this meal was my company (the red head girl in the top photo) and the fact that we just at leisurely. It's rare that I eat out with anyone other than my mother. Although, recently I have acquired a new, somewhat regular eating partner. But we just sat there without a care in the world. Chatting, watching people walk by (we were just two blocks from The Castro district), and me always busy with my phone and taking photos. There was a cool breeze which put the temp in the mid 60's and I for the first time, maybe ever, I had a feeling that, "Hmmm, I could live in a place like this!" Paris, anyone?
Oh, and here is the menu for JUST the meat sandwiches!
GOOD LOOKING SANDWICHES
All Sandwiches Served Hot & With Dirty Sauce Unless Otherwise Specified(trust us, you want it). Don’t Like Mayo? Just Say “No Mayo”. Also Served with your choice of Dirty Sauce, Lettuce, Tomato, Red Onions, Pickles, Banana Peppers.
Available on Freshly Baked Bread Including French, Wheat, Soudough, DutchCrunch, and Gluten Free.
Mustard, Pesto, and Jalapenos FREE upon request.
| Add Ons: | Avocado | $1.01 | |
| Bacon OR Pineapple | $0.99 | ||
| Extra Cheese, Cream Cheese, OR Brie | $0.69 | ||
| Grilled Mushrooms | $1.91 | ||
| Extra Meat | $2.92 | ||
| BBQ, Ranch, Honey Mustard, Italian, Blue Cheese, Marinara, French, Cranberry, Caesar, Frank's Red Hot, Ike's Red Pesto, Real Honey | $1.01 | ||
| Sprouts OR Cucumbers | $0.25 | ||
| Feeling Extra Dirty? Stuff Your Sandwich With: | Mozzarella Sticks OR Stuffed Jalapeno Poppers | $2.92 | |
| Beer Battered Onion Rings | $1.91 | ||
| 1 | Elvis Kieth | Halal Chicken Breast, Teriyaki Sauce, Wasabi Mayo, Swiss | $6.96 |
| 2 | Hollywood's SF CheeseSteak | Thinly Sliced RibEye Steak, Mushrooms, Provolone | $7.97 |
| 3 | Mayoose's CA-BLT | Cheese, Avocado, Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato | $7.97 |
| 4 | Lizzy's Lips | Halal Chicken Breast, Italian Dressing, PepperJack | $6.96 |
| 5 | Nacho Boy | Hot Roast Beef, Mushrooms, Avocado, Swiss | $8.98 |
| 6 | Hot Momma Huda | Halal Chicken Breast, Franks Red Hot Sauce, Ranch, Provolone | $6.96 |
| 7 | The Pizzle | Halal Chicken Breast, Bacon, Ranch, Cheddar | $6.96 |
| 8 | Phil'er Up's KC BBQ | Hot Roast Beef, BBQ, Cheddar | $6.96 |
| 9 | [Name of Girl I'm Dating] | Halal Chicken Breast, Honey Mustard, Avocado, PepperJack | $7.97 |
| 10 | Curtis! | Halal Chicken Breast, Marinara, Provolone | $6.96 |
| 11 | Mission P.Z. Burger | ½ Pound of Angus Beef, Dirty Sauce, Cheese
| $7.97 |
| 12 | Jon-El's TB | Turkey Burger, Dirty Sauce, Cheese
| $7.97 |
| 13 | Papa Sam | Wild Salmon Burger, Dirty Sauce, Cheese
| $7.97 |
| 14 | Chipper's Fave | Shrimp & Imitation Crab Salad, American | $7.97 |
| 15 | Pride of the Castro | Turkey, Ham and Brie | $6.96 |
| 17 | Sanchez Elementary | Halal Chicken Breast, BBQ, Cheddar | $6.96 |
| 18 | Tony Soprano | Turkey, Ham, Pepperoni, Italian Dressing, Provolone | $6.96 |
| 19 | Going Home for Thanksgiving | Turkey, Cranberry Sauce, Havarti | $6.96 |
| 20 | Paradise Found | Ham, Pineapple, Marinara, Provolone | $6.96 |
| 21 | Fat Bastard | Ham, Bacon, EXTRA Dirty Sauce, American | $6.96 |
| 22 | Will the Thrill | Halal Louisiana Hot Link, Jack | $7.97 |
| 23 | Montana to Rice | All Beef Meatballs, Marinara, PepperJack | $6.96 |
| 24 | "Say Hey" | Hot Pastrami, Bacon, Swiss | $6.96 |
| 25 | Barry B. | Turkey, Bacon, Swiss | $6.96 |
| 26 | Jeries' BIG Meat Sandwich | Roast Beef, Pastrami, Turkey, Ham, Salami, Jack | $8.98 |
| 27 | Ex-Boyfriend | Salami, Bacon, Avocado, Cheddar | $7.97 |
| 28 | Flipper | Tuna, Avocado, American | $7.97 |
| 29 | Dirty CA-Roll | Shrimp & Imitation Crab Salad, Avocado, Wasabi Mayo, Avocado | $8.98 |
| 30 | Backstabber | Halal Chicken Breast, Marinated Artichoke Hearts, Caesar Dressing, Provolone | $7.97 |
| 33 | Al Bundy | Salami, Ham, French Dressing, Avocado, Smoked Gouda | $7.97 |
| 40 | Forty!? | Chicken Fried Steak, Choice of Sauce, Chedder | $8.98 |
| 41 | Mr. Sanderson | Bacon, Mozzarella Sticks, Avocado | $9.99 |
| 52 | Napoleon Complex | Turkey, Honey Poppy Seed French Sauce, Avocado, Havarti | $7.97 |
| 55 | Lincecum | Turkey, Bacon, Mushrooms, Avocado, Swiss | $8.98 |
| 56 | Nacho Girl | Wild Salmon Burger, Mushrooms, Avocado, Swiss | $9.99 |
| 59 | Cristina and Umair Go to Ike's Place | Turkey, Bacon, Ham, Salami, Italian Dressing, Avocado, Provolone | $8.98 |
| 61 | Sometimes I'm a Vegetarian | Mushrooms, Marinated Artichoke Hearts, Pesto, Provolone | $6.96 |
| 63 | "Hella" Fat Bastard | Ham, Mozzarella Sticks, Bacon, EXTRA Dirty Sauce | $8.98 |
| 65 | Jim Rome | Turkey, Ike's Red Pesto, Avocado, Cheddar | $7.97 |
| 66 | Damn Straight | Halal Chicken Breast, Mozzarella Sticks, Marinara | $8.98 |
| 69 | Sexy Boy | Thinly Sliced RibEye Steak, Mozzarella Sticks | $8.98 |
| 70 | Meatless Mike | Vegan Meatballs, Marina, Pepperjack | $7.97 |
| 72 | Stupid Eggplant Sandwich | Breaded Eggplant, Marinara, Provolone | $7.97 |
| 73 | Peg Bundy | Breaded Eggplant, Avocado, French Dressing, Smoked Gouda | $8.98 |
| 75 | Barry Z. | Turkey, Avocado, Havarti | $6.96 |
| 76 | M.I.L.F. | Halal Chicken Breast, Stuffed Jalapeno Poppers, Franks Red Hot Sauce, Ranch | $8.98 |
| 78 | TH MACK | 1/2 Pound Beef Burger, Mozzarella Sticks, French Dressing, American | $11.11 |
| 79 | Shawn Michaels | Thinly Sliced RibEye Steak, Mozzarella Sticks, Bacon | $9.99 |
| 82 | Not Tonight, I Have a Headache | Halal Chicken Breast, Bacon, BBQ, Smoked Gouda | $7.97 |
| 84 | Super Luigi | All Beaf Meatballs, Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers, Marinara | $8.98 |
| 85 | Super Mario | All Beaf Meatballs, Mozzarella Sticks, Marinara | $8.98 |
| 86 | King Koopa | All Beaf Meatballs, Mozzarella Sticks, Stuffed Jalapeno Poppers, Marinara | $9.99 |
| 88 | Superman | Roast Beef, Corned Beef, Pastrami, Salami, Turkey, Bacon, Ham, Avocado, Jack | $12.21 |
| 90 | Get Over It | Halal Chicken Breast, Mozzarella Sticks, Honey Mustard, Avocado | $11.11 |
| 91 | Paul Reubens | Sliced Corned Beef, Home Made Poppy Seed Coleslaw, French Dressing, Swiss | $7.97 |
| 92 | Hot Date for Hire | Thinly Sliced RibEye Steak, Stuffed Jalapeno Poppers | $8.98 |
| 96 | Mills Vikings | Halal Chicken Breast, Ike's Red Pesto, Ranch, PepperJack | $6.96 |
| 99 | We're JUST Friends | Halal Chicken Breast, Sweet Orange Glaze, Avocado, PepperJack | $7.97 |
| 100 | Eli Manning | Halal Chicken Breast, Zesty Garlic and Herb Sauce, Mushrooms, Avocado | $8.98 |
| 101 | Cowboy Curtis | Sliced Corned Beef, Home Made Poppy Seed Coleslaw, BBQ, Smoked Gouda | $7.97 |
| 108 | Do You Smell What Barack is Cooking? | Thinly Sliced RibEye Steak, BBQ, Smoked Gouda | $7.97 |
| 111 | Menage a Trois | Halal Chicken Breast, Real Honey, Honey Mustard, BBQ, PepperJack | $8.98 |
| 128 | Sorry Charlie | Tuna, Cheese | $6.96 |
| 132 | Change | Thinly Sliced RibEye Steak, Beer Battered Onion Rings, BBQ, Smoked Gouda | $9.99 |
| 155 | Nacho Boy Supreme | Roast Beef, Bacon, Mushrooms, Avocado, Havarti | $9.99 |
| 188 | Doomsday | Roast Beef, Corned Beef, Pastrami, Salami, Turkey, Bacon, Ham, Mozzarella Sticks, Stuffed Jalapeno Poppers, Avocado | $15.51 |
| UNORIGINALS | Turkey, Salami, Roast Beef, Pastrami, Ham, OR Halal Chicken Breast All Sandwiches Served Hot & With Dirty Sauce Unless Otherwise Specified(trust us, you want it). Don’t Like Mayo? Just Say “No Mayo”. All UnOrigianls Served With Your Choice of Cheese, Dirty Sauce, Lettuce, Tomato, Red Onions, Pickles, Banana Peppers. Available on Freshly Baked Bread Including French, Wheat, Soudough, and DutchCrunch Mustard, Pesto, and Jalapenos FREE upon request. | $6.43 | |
| Add Ons: | Avocado | $1.01 | |
| Bacon OR Pineapple | $0.99 | ||
| Extra Cheese, Cream Cheese, OR Brie | $0.69 | ||
| Grilled Mushrooms | $1.91 | ||
| Extra Meat | $2.92 | ||
| BBQ, Ranch, Honey Mustard, Italian, Blue Cheese, Marinara, French, Cranberry, Caesar, Frank's Red Hot, Ike's Red Pesto, Real Honey | $1.01 | ||
| Sprouts OR Cucumbers | $0.25 | ||
| Feeling Extra Dirty? Stuff Your Sandwich With: | Mozzarella Sticks OR Stuffed Jalapeno Poppers | $2.92 | |
| Beer Battered Onion Rings | $1.91 |
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