first guest reviews!!!!

vegan phil'er up kc bbq

veggie napoleon complex

ike's place, 16th & sanchez, san francisco

first off, let me thank mark and katie roquet for contributing breadxbread's very first guest reviews! thank you both for the contributions. and curse you for thinking to take a shot of the sandwich with the SF skyline in the background, before I thought of it. you bastards. let's get to the reviews!

Vegan Phil'er Up's KC BBQ

I'm not usually big on fake meat vegan sandwiches. There are so many things you can grill or roast or fry or slice and stack that usually taste better between two slices of bread. Also, there is something sad and disingenuous about a bunch of tofu, wheat gluten and chemicals masquerading around as meat and cheese.

On the other hand, you know, all things in moderation. Don't be so uptight. Sometimes you want something that tastes like meat, except for whatever reason you don't eat meat. Fair enough. And you want this meat-like product slathered in barbecue sauce and also, hey, throw on some fake cheese (you don't eat cheese either, see). Is there something wrong with that? No, there is not. When you want these things, go to Ike's. Actually call them first because it takes maybe an hour for them to prepare these things for you. They will reward your patience with a lollipop.

Ike's does the fake meat thing right, because the phony meat and cheese are not the point of this sandwich. Nonetheless, they are both really good. The fake turkey is sliced thin, which gives it a nice texture. I expected a fake cheddar cheese but it is more like fake ricotta or mozzarella and is nicely subtle. Neither the cheese nor meat is starchy and heavy (like some of the fake meat at Love N Haight is) or tastes too much like chemicals and soy (like a lot of retail brands do). Both have great texture, but not a lot of flavor, which is actually ideal for a vegan sandwich, at least when you're going to pour a delicious sauce all over it.

The two heavyweights of this sandwich, awkwardly called the "Vegan Phil'er Up's KC BBQ" (no sandwich should need two apostrophes) are the bread and the barbecue sauce. The just-baked french bread is warm and soft and flavorful. It smells great. I could easily eat it on its own. The sauce is a straightforward, classic barbecue sauce - tangy and sweet, a little more on the sweet side, but with enough flavor you can eat a lot of it. And there is a whole lot of it. Bread and sauce together are delicious. Throw in fake meat and fake cheese and some veggies and it is really really great.

This place also has a great drink selection, including cel-ray and banana soda!

guest review by Mark Roquet

Veggie Napoleon Complex

Mark and I called in orders, scootered around the mission enjoying a break in the rain, picked up the sandwiches about an hour later and took ‘em to Dolores Park.

I ordered the veggie napoleon complex on baked-to-order sourdough. It’s got vegan turkey, honey poppy seed French sauce, avocado, and havarti. I’m not sure what kind of fake meat they use but it’s good, not too soy-ish. The highlight by far is the sauce, it’s fantastic and there’s tons of it. I think that the half sandwich that I saved for later got even better because the sauce soaked through the sourdough making it this delicious crusty sauce sponge.

They also give you lollipops.

guest review by Katie Roquet