Ike’s Love & Sandwiches

The sandwiches are good, mostly because of the special sauce, but the last two times they have gotten our overpriced sandwiches wrong. For 3 ingredient veggie sandwich I asked for the free extra red onion and jalapeño, got neither. After waiting over 30 minutes for 2 sandwiches, came home and sliced my own sandwich toppings. Just reminded me I could have made my own sandwich at home for a lot less!

I’m so pleased there’s an Ike’s in Concord! They make great sandwiches and am happy to see that they’re opening more locations.
I occasionally work near here and picked up some sandwiches last night.
I called in advance and the sandwiches were ready when I picked up. Gabrielle was very helpful on the phone and reviewed my complex order with me before they started making them.
They don’t take credit card payments on the phone. I really wanted to run in, grab the bag and run out but had to pay in person.
This is where it just didn’t go smoothly. Like the other reviewer said, some customers get stuck trying to look at the big menu and holding up the line. All I had to do was pay but some people were holding up the line. I should have asked them if I could just go up and pay. Will do that next time because it took them a long long time to figure out what they’re ordering.
Paul Reubens — Pastrami, cole slaw, and swiss cheese
Joe Namath — Chicken, bacon, and Monterey jack Cheese
Tony Stark — Tuna and Monterey jack cheese
I had half of Paul Reubens and a few bites of the other 2. They were all good. I always get the sandwiches on dutch crunch roll!
I dug into our bag after dinner but couldn’t find any lollipops. Wonder if they stopped giving them out.

Here is my problem with Ike’s, well a couple of problems.
The menu, while great and expansive, is overwhelming. Not for me, but for others in the store. People are just standing around looking at the wall. I am not sure if they have ordered or not. And if you haven’t, does that mean I can go ahead of you since I am not an indecisive waffler?
Here is my next concern. I hate cheap napkins. I hate them with the intensity of the mid-​day sun focused through a magnifying glass into a pinhead size circle! There are two types of restaurants that should not have cheap thin napkins. Taco and Sandwich places. You know the crappy napkins. You pick it up and nearly put your finger through it. You wipe your hands, correction hand, and then have to get another. For a place that is serving such a messy sandwich, buy a real napkin for us please! I can promise you it will cost less for you in the long run.
Last concern. I feel like I need bath after I am done eating their sandwiches. From the utterly useless napkins to the mess on your face, I need a little soap and water to feel normal again.
Is the sandwich good. Yes. Will I crave it? No. Would I rather go to Jimmy Johns? Yes.
What did I learn today? Never a good place to bring someone you just started dating.

I gotta give another 5 star review for this location, they never let their customers down. I got a message from the business owner that my next meal is on them since I left such great feedback. We just came back here finally and Fernando took care of us no questions asked. Big smile and told us enjoy our meal. As busy as it was today at this location no one was in a bad mood or making the customers feel rushed. All tables were cleaned right after someone was done eating and the line moved very quickly. Just want to thank the business manager Lee and Fernando for doing such a great job at this location.

Love the vegan chicken sandwiches. Makes me so happy they have so many vegan options.

The sandwiches are always bomb & some of the guys always hook it up with free chips.
My go-​to sandwiches are the Ménage à Trois, which is a threesome of cheeses — not just a threesome lol — and The Little Mermaid. I think the latter has some type of special orange sauce, it put me off at first, but that sandwich actually surpassed my love for the Ménage à Trois.
The place is also Halal and vegetarian friendly.

The best sandwiches and LOTS of vegetarian /​vegan options. Even though I had been here before (at the walnut creek location), I was a little overwhelmed and asked for help from the staff. There was a couple friendly gentlemen working who seemed to really enjoy being there. I went with a vegetarian suggestion they gave me. It wasn’t on the menu but it sounded delicious — mushroom, pesto, provolone and artichoke hearts, YUM. Ike’s never disappoints and the staff’s enthusiasm really motivates me to come back for more!

Ike’s has been a big deal, even before this thing called Unilocal.Glad to finally get a chance to try it!
Every sandwich description is an implicit joke, and there’s so many options, for vegan & carnivores alike. I would suggest a today’s special or something to avoid scaring first timers with an over abundance of personality.
Super friendly staff. I saw lots of reward opportunites for frequent customers, and an efficient team working through a ridiculous amount of orders during a busy weekend lunch hour.
I got myself the Robin Williams, halal chicken + mushrooms + italian dressing… Chicken texture weird like tuna but tasted great. Comes with caramel green apple tootsie pop which was delightful and unique.

Only been here once but I love their sandwiches and I love the staff.
Fresh sandwiches, warm, and yummy. If you like jalapeños, pickles, just request for it (free). Like other deli/​sandwich places, they also have variety of chips (packaging looks retro, cool!)
They have bottled drinks and fountain drinks. If you want water, just ask for a cup (or you can just help the business and get a bottled water:))
Small place though. Tables only sit 4 people. But they have outdoor sitting.
Staff are very nice, polite, helpful, and patient.

One of the best sandwich places around! I just love the secret menu and how you can add fried zucchini or mozzarella sticks to your sandwiches, whatever your heart desires. I usually get the «Menage a Trois» but with their vast menu it leaves you wanting to come back and try something new! Their bread is always super fresh and the dirty sauce is bomb! Honestly it can get a little pricey if you add on things to your sandwiches, generally I’d expect to pay around 8 dollars or less for one but it can even go up to $ 12+. yikes. But quality over quantity here.

This place is seriously amazing!
Definitely the best sandwich I’ve ever had, I can never go to Subway or Jersey Mikes ever again…
The menu is very big and organized, making it easy to choose. Since it was my first time, I asked the employee if he had a personal favorite. He was super nice and told me that his go to was the
111. menage a Trois and it was absolutely amazing. The chicken was soft and tender, and the bbq sauce, honey, and provolone cheese just completed each and every bite. Lettuce and tomatoes are offered, along with banana peppers, pickles, and red onions. I loved it and I will definitely be returning!
I finally see what the hype is about!

Great sandwiches, no difference from the one in Downtown Oakland. Dirty sauce is delicious, bread is always fresh and not hard. Mucho meat stuffed between the bread. I usually get the Paul Reuben, which has lots of pastrami and a nice mixture of cabbage slaw. Very good!.. Even after a few hours of buying the sandwich.

I didn’t have cable growing up. I was subjected to watch free tv. I watched a lot of Saved By The Bell.
Food: With that tidbit, it’s so fitting that I love the Kelly Kapowski sandwich. Fried chicken, avocado, honey mustard, on dutch crunch. Ginormous sandwich really meant for 2 people or 2 trips to the gym.
Service: Always speedy and polite
Ambiance: I mostly take the sandwich to go because there is generally never a seat for me due to the crowds.

The sandwich selection is fun and the names are fitting. There’s a tip jar at the register that reads. We work for tips and phone numbers. Super cute.
The staff were very nice. They made my sandwich wrong the first time. Then made me a whole new one. Very delicious sandwiches. Small shop, but totally worth it for 10 bucks a sandwich.

The ever expanding Ike’s empire has, until this point, only been a big positive. Massive, delicious, albeit pricey sandwiches at more and more convenient locations outside the hellmouth that is San Francisco. And in the East Bay, the Willows is certainly a more convenient a location than the traffic kerfuffle of downtown Walnut Creek or battling high schoolers and Trader Joe’s soccer moms at the Danville location.
However, our first visit might be our last to Concord. There were four sandwiches — all ones we’ve ordered at other locations before, all with special requests that other Ike’s have never had an issue with. A Tom Hanks with extra dirty sauce. A Jaymee Sirewich, light on the barbecue sauce. A Paul Reubens, but with halal chicken instead of pastrami. A Menage-​a-​Trois, no pepper jack. All four on dutch crunch.
The guy at the register took our order in person and there didn’t appear to be an issue. Even after reviewing the receipt and noticing that most of our special requests didn’t appear on the receipt, we went back in line to let him know and were told by the guy not to worry. They have all our special requests «in [their] notes».
Look… maybe part of the blame falls on us for not inspecting every sandwich before leaving, but we were in a rush — three of the folks getting sandwiches were waiting about half an hour away — and unwrapping/​rewrapping all four sandwiches to verify orders we haven’t had issues with before, that we even double-​checked with the register guy, seemed unnecessary.
So, we arrived to our hungry masses with a Tom Hanks with no extra dirty sauce, a Jaymee Sirewich drenched in barbecue sauce, a Paul Reubens without halal chicken, and a pepper jacky Menage-​a-​Trois, the latter two essentially a waste because the people they were for wouldn’t or couldn’t eat them.
One star for the fact that the Tom Hanks and the Jaymee Sirewich, even if not made the way requested, were still delicious. A second star for the manager at the restaurant that offered a refund on three of the sandwiches (the buyer of the fourth — the Jaymee Sirewich — passed on the hassle of complaining for a refund) and the offer of a free sandwich in the future. The free sandwich is probably the only reason we would return to the Concord Ike’s. But the first impression was so poor and, if we’re in the mood for an Ike’s, Walnut Creek and Danville are now preferred locations based on service and satisfaction.
Ike’s… you’ve set the service quality bar too high and your product is priced too high for this to be brushed aside and excused as new store hiccups. Unacceptable.

I would like to Thank Fernando at Ike’s in the Willows for turning my not so good experience into one that was exceptional!

Who doesn’t love Ike’s?! It doesn’t matter if you’re a meat lover, vegetarian, or vegan, there is a sandwich for just about everyone.
I live in Walnut Creek, but prefer this location. Parking is free and plentiful vs having to deal with driving around downtown WC looking for parking and having to pay if you don’t find a spot in the nearby garage.
My favorite sandwich right now is the Concord Pavillion, which is a Concord exclusive. The Concord Pavilion: VEGAN fried chicken (I’m not vegan, but this taste just like fried chicken), delicious spicy willow sauce, and jack. Avocado is extra, but I always add it. It doesn’t matter which sandwich I’m feeling that day, I always get it on dutch crunch. In fact, I hated dutch crunch until trying it at Ikes.
I will say that the few times I’ve been here, it takes much longer to get my sandwich compared to other locations; so I try to not come here when I’m impatient and hangry.
Ike’s isn’t the cheapest sandwich and will cost you about $ 10, but it’s worth it.

Doooooood! If you’re not eating at Ike’s, there might be something wrong with you.
The employees were super friendly and funny. The restaurant was clean and inviting too. The fact that Steely Dan Aja was playing says something.
A list of about 40 sandwiches was on the wall. Then I learned about «The Book» which is apparently the Ike’s version of the Bible in which there are over 250 sandwiches. Holy Moses!
I had the Robin Williams. SO good. I laughed and cried in memory of the man — that’s how good the sandwich was. Chips!!! The chip selection was great too. Try the dill.

Their Ike’s in a week. I’m officially addicted.
Once again, ménage a trois for the win!!!
The inside is kind of small. Had to easy pixie because there were only for small tables.
The service is really quick. Got three sandwiches in about 5 – 7 minutes.

Just give me a moment to take it all in… another moment… WOW! I’m still thinking about this place, hands down some of the best sandwiches I’ve «EVER» had at an sandwich shop. Like forget Togos, Subway, Qiznos, so on and so fourth. you get the picture I hope by now.
I like sandwich shops like this, although Ike’s is certainly starting to expand, thanks to excellent word of mouth, reviews from various sources and an appearance on Adam Richmond’s «Man vs Food» SF Episode. I hope with branching out to new locations that the quality and standard stays the same. I been wanting to eat at an Ike’s Place, Ike’s Love & Sandwiches, Ike’s Lair (many names) for a while now. I’m glad that Ike’s lived up to every expectation and than some. The service is great and that dirty sauce is amazing!
On this visit I got an Menage A Trois, and my homie got the Steph #Curryone, which I had expected to have a Curry sauce in it… non the less it was still «Da Bomb» BOOM POW! We took a half of each others sandwiches so we get to experience both. I love super saucy options if a sandwich shop has them available. I’m not too into boring options for my sandwich tastes.
The Trois had 3 types of cheese (swiss, cheddar, pepper jack) and sauces (Bbq, Honey, Honeymustard) and the Halal Chicken and trust me if you think that is just a cluster of flavors than you would be correct. It’s really not as overwhelming as it sounds. at least not to me it wasn’t. If you like sloppy joes then you may like this sandwich. The #Curryone was a more basic straight forward sandwich, but still great Turkey, Yellow BBQ Sauce and Provolone Cheese. No lie, I still still wish they had put an curry sauce on here. But it was great, I think it would work great with the Halal Chicken option as well.
In conclusion, visit an Ike’s near you, although my experience is based on the Concord location, and I know their are a few different item options between locations. But, for a very special twist on a sandwich this place had got it covered, Mr Pickles would be a very similar option, but Ike’s I think elevated the sandwich game. You’re not getting your Big Chain or Delicatessen style sandwich here, this is unique. As always, you be your own judge, if you like it, Unilocal about it. Even if you don’t then. Unilocal about it!