Lil Mami's Subs

By Matthew H Glasscock

What could be better than a warm, tasty submarine sandwich? How about a warm, tasty sub delivered to your home at 2:30 in the morning? Well, now you can have both. Thanks to the folks at Lil Mami's Subs, you can now munch out on quality food until the wee hours of the morning.

However, you don't necessarily have to wait until the witching hour before you have your sandwich. I stopped by for an early lunch recently and I was very impressed with the food.

The only slight I have towards Lil Mami's is they aren't necessarily located in an ideal spot. They are nestled in the Meadowbrook Plaza on Hargrove between the Asian Market and a discount tobacco outlet. I can't tell you how many times I've driven by and thought to myself, “Hmm, I wonder what's going on in there? I should really check that place out.” But thanks to a short attention span and a perpetually congested intersection, I've shamefully driven by without ever giving them a fair shake.

That is until now.

Lil Mami's is one of the only locally owned and operated sub shops that you'll find in Tuscaloosa. I'm sure you're all too familiar with their franchise counterparts, and I'm sure just like me, you've left these other establishments a little disappointed, a bit too frequently. Well thankfully, Mami's is a breath of fresh air in a market that is over saturated with mediocrity.

Aside from their food being top-notch, another feature that distinguishes Mami's from the rest of the pack is that they are open late. I mean really late. Sunday through Wednesday the doors are open until 3:00 a.m. and Thursday through Saturday, they push the envelope even further and don't douse the lights until 4:00 a.m. Did I mention that they deliver as well? Well, they do.

The menu is loaded with many different types of subs. The task of finding a favorite presents a challenge. From a simple ham and cheese to the honey-mustard chicken, Mami's has every base covered. Since this was my first visit, I opted for The Godfather. The Godfather consists of fresh salami, sliced smoked ham, capicola, roast beef, turkey and cheese, then toasted and finally topped with onions, lettuce, tomato, mayo and Mami's homemade Italian sauce. You know, a little bit of everything.

I was given a nod of approval by the chef after ordering my sub. It seems that The Godfather was a wise choice indeed. As I was leaving the restaurant, the chef recommended that I try one of his chicken subs next time. Oh, don't you worry buddy. I will.

Food: 4/5

Menu: 4/5

Price: 5/5

Service: 5/5