Subway

In NYC, I reckon Subway’s got some serious competition, in the name of SUBMARINA. I have a love hate thing with Subway, and some Subway shops are plain AWFUL. It’s almost like they sandwich «artists» do not know the first thing about what a sandwich is and how to make one.
This was sadly our last meal in NYC, as we grabbed a quick footlong on the way to catch an early morning train out of the city. The ham sub looked sad, tasted sad, and so it made me sad. Just sad, sad, sad. SAD.

This little hut located beneath Penn Station loves rushing people. «What else?» are few words they know in English. I noticed a man in front of me asked for Spinach and they gave him mayo instead, they had to make it again. This is what you need to deal with if you want to eat moderately healthier on the cheap.

So I was on my way to a Knicks game (from the A-​C-​E subway line) and did not want to eat inside of Madison Square Garden (because they have limited food options not because it cost $ 15.00 for chicken fingers and fries).
I stopped by the Subway located inside of Penn Station and hey it is a Subway sandwich shop so don’t expect much. Seating is limited so you may have to sit next to someone who is less than desirable or you can always resort to eating the sandwich in the walk way of Penn Station on top of a garbage can.
Remember this place is located inside /​underground of Penn Station so you are not going to get all the «pleasures» of your local Subway who goes above and beyond your culinary Subway expectations. They are just going to make it difficult for you to enjoy that $ 5.00 Foot Long.
As far as the décor there is non. There maybe about 6 tables and if the people behind the counter notice you trying to «Sneak» a refill they maybe incline to charge you a $ 1.00.
Enjoy!!!

I came here on my way to a meeting for a quick bite. All I wanted was a 6-​inch chicken teriyaki sandwich on wheat bread with provolone cheese and with the «works» (all veggies on it) and very little sweet onion dressing. That’s it…
I arrived at this «underground» PENN Station location (closer to the A-​C-​E subway entrance). The lunch crowd has formed a long line but it seems to be moving very fast. The Subway manager here has made the process of making sandwiches like a big assembly line.
One Subway worker takes your bread order, then passes the bread to another one who adds the main ingredients (i.e. ham, chicken, tuna, etc). Then it passes it along to another person who adds the cheese if you want any (without asking what kind of cheese — he just throws in your sandwich whatever piece of cheese he happens to have in his hand). If you want it toasted, then he puts it in the toaster oven. Then, another Subway worker adds any veggie sides (i.e. lettuce, tomato, jalapenos, etc.). Finally, the last Subway worker bags it for you and passes it to the cashier and then you pay… at least 4 to 5 people will touch the sandwich before it gets to your hands. Not a bad idea, huh? But this is where it all breaks down…
The workers go so fast that the propensity of making mistakes is rather huge. The Subway workers seem to loose track of which sandwich belongs to which patron. The patron is the one who actually needs to keep an eye on where his/​her sandwich is… otherwise, you will loose it. At least 3 sandwiches had to be started from scratch, mine being one of them. Here is what happened…
I like my bread toasted. This is where the assembly line breaks down. As we were moving down the line, my sandwich is in the toaster oven. The sandwich of the person behind me, now is in front of me. Then, the Subway workers start asking me what I want in it, but it is the person’s behind… so I have to let that person cut in front of me so she can continue in line with her sandwich; which is fine with me.
But somehow the Subway workers still find a way to screw up. When my sandwich came off the toaster oven, the worker asked someone else what they wanted in it. That person, further down the line, yelled «spicy mustard!». Then the Subway worker put spicy mustard in my sandwich. I told the Subway worker that it was my sandwich and he proceeded to start packing it for me. I said: «I did not ask for spicy mustard nor I want mustard in mine». He gave me the dirtiest look and, with a major attitude, threw it in the garbage and asked me, rolling his eyes, «what kind of sandwich was it???» I told him and he had to go back to the beginning of the line to start the process all over again… argh!
Finally, my sandwich came and I paid. I decided to sit in one of the 4 tables in the locale and do some people watching while I ate my overly toasted, skimpy sandwich (compared to other Subway places). While there, two patrons came with their recently purchased foot-​long sandwiches in hand to complaint that it was not the sandwiches they ordered.
Trying to be too efficient and too fast is leading to major mistakes that actually is going to cost them too much money on waste and will hurt their bottom line in the long run. I am not thrilled by this place. Next time I am better off eating in one of the many other options available around. Subway won’t loose my business, but certainly lost it at this location.

Ok — I work right above penn station, so I occasionally pop down into the maze of penn station to grab lunch. the subway (not the mass transit kind), true to form, just smells bad, like they all do. i mean, it’s the smell of their fresh baked bread, which sounds like it should smell delicious, but it just doesn’t. it smells like a sewer.
it’s tight, gets way too crowded at lunch time, and the people behind the counter look at me weird. but the cashier is usually very nice. why do i go here? cheap lunch.