Snarf's Sandwiches Takeaway. Souped Up Subway. Good in a pinch if other places are closed. 6.4/10 Italian sandwich. Seems like it would have been better 10 years ago, but hasn't quite kept up. 12" sandwich is massive for $13.50. 24.4 oz total with 5.6 oz of meat. Bread was the best part. Solid condiments and toppings. Parking is easy in a dedicated lot but depends on location. 6 locations in St. Louis and more across the country. Definitely a bit corporate now, with sandwiches stuck in 2013.
Snarf's Sandwiches Experience Summary
We went to Snarf's on the way home from Innsbruck because it was the only sandwich shop open at noon on the Saturday before Christmas. I've passed by the University City location hundreds of times, so it was a good excuse to finally try it.
Overall, it seems past its prime. Like, I could imagine a time ten years ago when it won the award for best sandwich in St. Louis but has since gone corporate, franchised, and lost the "it" factor.
It now feels like a souped-up Subway.
Definitely better than any national chain, but still a chain. The Italian was a 6.4/10 sandwich. A giant 24.4 oz mostly topping sandwich, I enjoyed it, but wouldn't get it again unless I was in a similar situation with most other places being closed.
The service was super friendly. We were the only ones in line and got 5 sandwiches made in about 9 minutes. They had what looked like a modified Subway production line. And while they only had one cash register open, two were there for busier times.
The Food At Snarf's Sandwiches
The whole family, including my dad, stopped at Snarf's on the way back home from Innsbrook, MO, so I got a lot of feedback.
My dad was very happy to be part of a review after reading every single one I've written so far. He got a roast beef and provolone sandwich. He gave it a 6.1; good sandwich, but wouldn't go back. He got the gist of how this review thing works and said it was not bad by any means, but didn't excite him. He rarely eats anything but turkey, and this wasn't worth the cheat.
My son got a 7" Italian without a lot of toppings. Turns out he loves Italian subs and hasn't met one he hasn't liked. So his review doesn't count for a lot, unfortunately, besides saying that it's Italian. For reference, he rates Dominos better than Union Loafers.
Kids are dumb.
My wife got a chicken salad sandwich. Her favorite part was the bread, and honestly, that's a great bit of insight. The bread at Snarf's is fantastic and probably second only to Union Loafers in terms of quality. I think it's sourdough white bread. It's very crunchy on the outside but soft, fluffy, and flavorful on the inside.
Although, if the bread's the standout, that's normally not great. I had her second half for leftovers, and it was a solid chicken salad, but not much better than something from Costco.
My four-year-old had a grilled cheese. He ate the whole thing, and I stole a dad tax bite. Fine for a four-year-old off the kids' menu. Not sure it was worth the tax, though.
Which finally brings me to me.
I had the grown-up version of my son's Italian. 13" long and 24.4 oz; this thing was huge. It almost beats out Gioia's for the biggest sandwich yet. However, at $13.50 base and over $15 with tax and tip, it's on the expensive side.
The standout for me, like my wife, was the bread. It really was fantastic.
Unfortunately, the meat was a sideshow. It only had 5.6 oz of meat, and when you look at the bite, it actually looks exactly like Subway with the meat kind of rolled on one side. That means the toppings and bread dominate almost every bite. The meat is an afterthought, almost like a topping sandwich with some deli meat thrown in to meet the meat requirement. It was an aftermarket Subway with better bread.
There are a ton of calories in this thing - the board said my version was pushing 1400+ calories, so I only ate half.
Now that I think about it, if a sandwich shop has the calories on the menu or board, that means it has sold out. Snarf's had a lot of "best of 2013" signs around the eating area, which felt right. A 24 oz better version of Subway would have won awards 10 years ago. Snarfs went corporate, franchised six locations in St. Louis, has locations in two other states, and lost some of the magic in favor of scale.
It's a quality sandwich shop stuck in 2013.
Snarf's Sandwiches Atmosphere And Miscellaneous
Service was friendly and quick. I was the only one in line, and the lady helpfully dealt with me as I ordered five sandwiches rather slowly.
All in all, it took them 8 minutes and 30 seconds to make the sandwiches. Their system looks like a combination of Subway and Gioia's, which makes sense. Something more like a production line that delis with multiple locations would use instead of a ticket system like a local deli.
There was a ton of seating at this Maryland Heights location, and I was happy to find them open on a Saturday before Christmas. St. Louis sandwich shops have horrible hours. We tried to go to Jovick Brothers but found out they were closed after already placing an order on Yelp.
And that's actually the perfect reason to go to Snarfs - when you find every other store closed, Snarf's will be there with a better option than Subway.
Parking At Snarf's Sandwiches
Parking is easy in a dedicated lot in the Maryland Heights location. The University City location is on Big Bend and Kingshighway and might be harder, so it'll be location-dependent.
Snarf's Sandwiches Receipt
Sandwich Size Comparisons
