DiBella’s Old Fashioned Submarines

I decided to give DiBella’s a try after receiving a coupon for a free small sub in the mail. I ordered the cowboy, a hot sub with chicken, bacon, cheese, barbecue sauce and extra peppers. What struck me as odd about this hot sub was that only the chicke, bacon, and cheese were actually warm; the bread was not toasted, and the peppers were put on cold, giving the sub an overall strange consistency. It was a good size for a «small,» yet at eight dollars I’m not sure if it would be worth it without a coupon. I’m going to give the shop another shot if I get another coupon, because the allure of a cold Italian sub from what claims to be an authentic Italian shop is still there. That, and their cookies look good.

Well after 15 mins of waiting. They got both of our orders wrong. They put the opposite of what we asked for. So all the things I didn’t want I got. So we also ordered a salad. But said they ran out of forks. Also it took 5 extra mins for them to walk like a snail over to me to even give me salad dressing. Yes the salad I am eating with a spoon. On top of all that they truly don’t care at all. Not even a little bit. Sorry DiBella’s I won’t be bothering you anymore. Ever.

I have to say that it is best to read your mail not knowing what you may find. I typically see the DiBella’s coupons. This time, there is a coupon for a free small sub. Of course, I have to try the restaurant out.
I asked the server about their most popular subs. I decided to go for the DiBella’s steak sub. How could I go wrong with the name DiBella’s in the name of the sub! Just as I expected, it was delicious!
I learned that they are located also in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, and Connecticut.

Service is always horrible. There’s hardly anyone here and no one ever even greets you when you walk in or says I’ll be right with you. Takes 10 minutes before they get your order and this time waited a total of 30 minutes for my sandwich when only two other people were being served. Food is great. Always never sure if I’ll return but ever once in awhile do hoping that the service has changed but it doesn’t. I won’t be back after this time knowing it is always such a disappointment and not just an off day.

Trust me avoid this place. I know for a fact they dont wash bread baking trays. So if you like bread baked on weeks old egg wash and meats cut days in advance you might like it. I suggest going a mile down the road to Jersey Mikes.

Come here all the time and it’s great! Bread is fresh, portions are huge and the place is always very clean! Love their speedy cooking! Great quick lunch if you work in the area!

Having heard from multiple friends and Unilocalers that DiBella’s served up the best subs in town, I’d long anticipated an opportunity to check out the Castleton location of this six state, 44-​location chain that emphasizes the Italian roots of its founding DiBella family nearly a century ago in Rochester, NY.
Today, an unseasonably warm yet rainy day after Christmas in Indy, I was running a few errands in the Castleton area and opted to take the opportunity to finally visit DiBella’s.
I was only a few minutes into my visit when DiBella’s, quite honestly, was on its way to a 1-​star rating. It took me a couple moments to realize that all the accessible parking and the only curb cut was located on the West end of the building, an odd choice that always irritates me a bit especially in newer strip centers as is this one. This is a 4-​unit strip center with a Verizon, Mattress Firm and Mexican restaurant also sharing the space. I finally got parked and entered DiBella’s two sets of doors, the first being a tad heavy, and looked around to gauge how everything worked given this was my first visit. To the right, there’s a double row of small booths. Slightly to the left, there’s a long ordering counter that somewhat resembles a retro New York deli ordering counter. Sharply to the left, there’s approximately 6 – 8 tables. Of the booths, I’d say they’re not wheelchair friendly as the aisle is definitely not wide enough for someone in a chair to sit at the booth without blocking everyone. The tables up front, however, do work pretty well.
There’s a sign that indicates you should go up to the ordering counter and wait for the next available sandwich maker. The counter is quite high. Coupled with a noisier than usual environment given their equipment, it became apparent after a few moments that despite the presence of two employees and only a couple of customers that I was either not being noticed or just being ignored. I tried saying something. Finally, one of the two employees went to the back and I assumed the other employee would serve me. When this didn’t occur, I turned around to leave.
I was near the door when this employee finally noticed me, I had apparently not been noticed, and apologetically encouraged me back. As I was hungry and wanted to see how it would go from here, I stayed. They serve up a variety of subs including a brand new BLT. I opted for a Hoosier that includes Ham, Turkey and Roast Beef. They have a variety of toppings that are available free, though I tend to be fairly basic and added just lettuce and mayo. I had the sandwich on their traditional «plain» bread. They also offer Sesame, Multigrain, and a concoction called «Everything.»
I made it a combo with a side (choice of chips, a large deli pickle, macaroni salad, potato salad, or pasta salad. I opted for a bag of chips. They also sell Grandma DiBella’s cookies.
You can order your sandwich grilled or «classic.» I opted for classic.
While I was never less than polite, I seldom opt for being unpleasant or angry even when service falls short, DiBella’s clearly wanted to win me back and comped the drink and chips. The server even assisted with preparing my drink, the usual unsweetened iced tea (which is branded under their name). They have other fountain drinks and some bottled options.
If I had left without being served, I’d have obviously written a shorter review with a 1-​star rating. However, I was impressed at their immediate owning of the error and the steps they took to address it that were not asked for by me. While I wish the service had been a bit relaxed, it was clear the young woman working the counter was trying to make it right and that’s definitely positive. I found myself a little confused with the menu, ranging from their use of «small, medium, and large» sandwiches and what that means and the exact pricing on combos (sandwich prices are clearly marked with mine being $ 6.99.
The sandwich bread was top notch. It’s obviously fresh (they bake fresh rolls at least twice daily) and the meat on the sandwich is definitely generous. I contemplated a 4-​star review. Yes, I thought they recovered from my initial disappointment nicely. However, my confusion over the menu, modest concerns about accessibility and initial problems are adding up to a 3-​star rating for now. I definitely don’t rule out that the rating may inch up on future visits and there will be future visits.

WOW. I was super impressed with DiBella’s! I really need to make a plan to go back. I enjoyed the bread and the sandwich had the perfect amount of meat. I always get my sandwich hot. It was pretty tough to pick what to get. I went with the Old Fashioned, but Chicken Philly or the Buffalo chicken were runners up and for sure will get one of those 2 next time.

Love their subs!!! Turkey with bacon, godfather, steak, of course, on the everything bread. Best subs in Indianapolis!!!

After running errands all day with our last being stopping in at Fresh Thyme we both realized we were starving and had been wanting to eat here. It was a great end to a busy day. The subs were amazing. We both got the Hoosier, which had roast beef, turkey, and ham. I got the medium and it was HUGE. I was shocked at how big it was for the price. I am glad I didn’t get a bigger one. I didn’t finish the medium. I also got the chips and drink added to it. I think the best part was the bread. It was really fresh tasting. I went with the multi-​grain. Usually I am not a big bread person and most of the time pass on getting it, but this was really worth the carbs.
I can’t believe it took 3 years to eat here. We won’t make that mistake and will for sure be back. I also really enjoyed the décor inside. They had a rather large seating area so perfect for large groups. Usually sandwich places are small. The cookies looked really good, but I passed this time. Next time though I am totally getting one.

Great selections of breads. Subs come in sizes of 7in, 10in, and 14in. The meats are not the slimy cold cuts you get at other sub joints. The cheesesteak is on par, but I highly recommend their Godfather with the spicy ham. You will pay a little more, but it is definitely a step above, quality wise, of the other competitors near by.

Not much you can do to make a sub sandwich stand out from others. I do like the sesame seed bread though. Everything was fresh and service was fast and friendly.

I am a man of few words. The Italian meats were excellent as was the homemade fresh Italian bread (roll). I also appreciated the good amount of meat in the sub. I had the traditional Italian sub called the Godfather.
I would not compare this to subway as have some. This is defiantly a step above subway.
Try it, I don’t think you will be disappointed.

I visited here probably 5 times while I was in town on business.
I would have given it a higher rating had I not had the unpleasant experience on my last visit. I ordered a buffalo chicken sub and the chicken didn’t have buffalo sauce on it and I went up to ask for the sauce to be added. It was an awkward request and the staff and manager seemed to show no real sincere concern for making sure it was fixed right away. Then my table continued to get gazes from a couple of the team members who made the mistake as if we did them a personal injustice by asking for buffalo sauce. I was given a couple of close-​lid cups to pour the sauce into the sub myself. The girl who had taken my order wasn’t very friendly, the staff was fairly inattentive to what was going on with their orders, and then at the register the poor cashier had three sandwiches passed onto him without any labeling so he wasn’t even sure which one was mine until he asked the person who made the sandwich who was like, «I don’t know.» (Well, you just made it, right?)
I will say the other visits I had were nice. It’s better than Subway for certain. The food was good and the service was good. I will assume this was a bad day for them but it could have been done with some more finesse. There are definitely staff members who put the others to shame because they actually smile. Sometimes it’s all in the attitude — more people would rather go somewhere the food is good but the service is great.

I work nearby, but had never stopped in until a coworker suggested it for lunch. They definitely blow subway (or our awful work cafeteria) out of the water: fresh baked real bread (not weird subway bread), lots of different filling/​toppings, huge sandwiches. Yes, the sandwiches are pricey (I think maybe $ 6 -$ 8 for a small?), but they are enormous: I ordered a small and when I checked out, I tried to give it back thinking I had accidentally gotten someone else’s large. I could have easily split the small with another person and been full — it was basically a loaf of bread sized sandwich. The meat was fine and the toppings (veggies, etc) were generous (I hate places that ration tomatoes).
Is it gourmet? No. It is fresh and tasty? Yes. Overall, I would go back again but I wouldn’t go out of my way to eat there. I found the ordering a little confusing — there was a sign saying to stand one place and wait for a sub maker, but then they were calling people up to halfway down the counter. Also, the counter is quite tall, and I’m rather short, so I had to stand on tiptoe to order.

This is one of those places that kicks subways bottoms big time when it comes to quality of a good sub. They do it right here. The biggest sub they have is plenty to share with a friend.
The service is good and employees are very polite. They did it right to make it feel like when you walk in you step back a little into time. Every detail is there been the ceiling looks cool.
It’s pricy. But the biggest sub is huge and when you split it and the cost with your pal it is no different than Jared’s place.

This particular location is my absolutely favorite. I first heard of Dibella’s by smelling it. I had a coworker who would eat it frequently and her lunch always smelled awesome and I’d ask her who it was and she’d say DiBellas. I won an award at work that included lunch so I picked them and have been hooked every since. They have some of the largest subs that I have ever seen and the prices are great. Their quality of meats are great as well as their service and sub selection. This particular location ALWAYS gets my order right although other locations don’t which can be disappointing when you are craving something. I LOVE that they include their calorie intake with each sub. Out of sub places they are my absolute favorite!

Ah, Dibella’s. I’ve heard a lot about you. My chef at work loves this place, told me it’s the best sub shop around. So I decided to give it a try, and go get lunch for everyone on a slow afternoon.
When you walk in you’ll approach the counter to make your order, and it’s fired once you’re finished. It’s definitely refreshing to see cooks eagerly waiting to make your food in a sub shop, rather than the food being pulled out of a cooler and thrown onto some warm bread. I had a large to-​go order, so I’ll just tell you about my food.
I went with the cheesesteak. I played it pretty safe, I was really hungry and wasn’t very familiar with the menu and all of the add-​on options so I just ordered it how it comes. For the record though, you can add anything you’d like to your sub. Next time I will definitely be customizing my order. I have no complaints about my sub, it was good, but not great. I think adding some personal tastes could make it great though. I will say the «everything» bread is really good.
I look forward to coming back and trying you guys out again! Nothing wrong with my visit, 4 stars.

The best subs in town. You get large portions for the price. Usually, fast food doesn’t offer this type of quality. I’m surprised this restaurant doesn’t get more business. DiBella’s is tucked away in a strip mall so it can be difficult to see it if you don’t know where you’re going.

I grew up near Buffalo, NY and when I moved out to Indy 7 years ago… DiBella’s is one of the things I missed most (aside from my family and friends of course).
I was thrilled when DiBella’s opened in Ohio and then here in Indy. I’m not a big fan of warm subs (although that is an option) so I always go for the cold cut options, like the Old Fashioned or the Godfather. They have the freshest ingredients and many different topping options. The bread is fresh baked daily and you have your choice of types of bread.
Beware of the sizes and don’t be scared of the prices. A small or medium sub for my husband is plenty. The fresh baked cookies are an extra bonus if you still have any room.
Best subs around!