No 7 Sub

The only positive thing about the hour and a half wait and the $ 23 sandwich plus chips is that it was spicy. Bread was dry. 2 meager slices of bacon. American hero is the Worst sandwich ever. Maybe the wait was delivery guys fault, but it does not matter as the restaurant farms out the delivery and thus is responsible for it. Stay away

I was pleasantly surprised! Their Corn Chowder is excellent with fresh cut potatoes (some skin included), pickled jalapenos, sour cream and cilantro. Nice little sandwich stand.

Ever heard of bite-​size? Apparently not here. My three-​star breakdown:
LE CHIFFRE — Frittata, Broccoli, Smoked French Dressing. Flavors were pretty good (and saved the rating), but overall execution was poor. My bread was toasted to a crisp, and I felt like I was eating a crown of broccoli in my sandwich.
This was at 7pm on a Thursday. Maybe they’re better during lunch.

Good, but overpriced.
I’ve only been here once, and on that visit ordered the Real American Hero (turkey, bacon, avocado, pickled jalapeños & smoked french dressing). Definitely a tasty sandwich. The smoked dressing ramped up the flavor while melding well with the other ingredients, and the pickled jalapeños provided a welcome, piquant counterpoint to the other rich /​smooth flavors. All served on a just-​right roll that was crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside.
Portion size was large enough to be filling for one person, maybe not quite enough to split unless you’re a lighter eater, or supplementing it with something else (soup, etc.).
Pricing was a tad high ($ 14). If you add in anything else (chips /​pickles /​soup) and a drink, you’re looking at $ 20 for a sandwich-​based lunch.
Oh, and if you’re never been to the Plaza Food Hall before: there’s not much seating, but lotsa lotsa people. You can either go at an off time /​hope to get lucky /​hover, stare & pounce, or else take it to go and eat it in the park.

First time here, I picked the No. 7 sub. MMM, the perfect turkey sandwich. Yes, the bread is as good as it gets — toasty and flaky exterior, chewy interior. The jalapeño mayo doesn’t make it a spicy sandwich, but rather gives it an extra «kick». Some people think the addition of BBQ chips is a little over the top, but I actually quite enjoyed the surprise of some crunch in an otherwise soft sub sandwich. Expensive yes ($ 14), but it is a large delightful sub brimming with good stuff, so I’m willing to pay a few extra bucks. Next time I go back I’m trying the broccoli sub.

Not your traditional sub shop, and I’m giving it a 4 for the unique blend of flavors on a perfectly toasted bread.
Hype:
— The BREAD. I can’t say enough about a perfectly crispy outside with a soft interior. So far every sandwich I’ve had here doesn’t get soggy as they don’t overdress it or the dressings are in between the layers of ingredients.
— The Real American and No. 7 club are their two best sellers. I’ve had the real american — its good. A bit on the salty side due to the meat, but the flavors of the avocado, turkey, bacon, jalepenos, and smoked french dressing give it a balance of sweet and savory
for the vegetarians or wannabes (like me): these are a must get
— General Tso’s setan — definitely a good one. I’ve had this and it was something where you don’t know when you start and finish the sandwich
— If you want sweet — go for the Broccoli classic. The lychee adds a sweetness and pairs interestingly well with the feta, fried shallots, and mayo.
— voodoo chips!
Gripe:
— The no.7 club was a bit on the meatier and saltier side for me. I’ll stick with the vegetarian sandwiches for now.
— seriously pricey for a sub, but its a good treat and worth it for that once in a while stop.

I had the Comic Con special «You Fight to Win, Guardian!» with thick cured prosciutto, veggies (I think sprouts and onions?), and phở mayo (not sure what it was but it was good!). Pretty unique sub shop.

Tried the Pirlo sandwich, named for Italian soccer star Andrea Pirlo of NYCFC. It was $ 13 and a huge footlong sandwich that was delicious. Fresh mozzarella, genoa salami, friend zucchini and pickled blueberries (which was an intriguing sweet/​salty twist to the sandwich). Overall, it was a pleasant experience and I would come back again. Plaza hotel is first class and lots of places to sit inside and outside in that area.

Good not great. I’ll pay $ 14 for an exceptional sub every day of the week… but the American hero didn’t cut it.
The bread was crispy and delicious but the excitement ended there. The rest of the ingredients were subpar. The bacon was like what you would get at McDonald’s…thin, tasteless, and not crispy. Slimy deli type turkey. All I could taste was the pickled jalapeños.
Sorry. Wanted to love it but felt angry and ripped off instead.

The sandwich was okay. It was just convenient and right by Central Park. Service was a little slower than I expected. I created my own sandwich with ham, mayo, lettuce and tomato. I’ve had better HMLT sandwiches at delis. Really nothing special. Maybe try their special made sandwiches already. Seems like they got a better review for it.

I was expecting a traditional sub shop when this place was recommended to me. I had the Zucchini Parm Sub, what a groundbreaking sandwich bit… is just too «overdone»! C’mon, you have the jalapeños in it! So, why add crushed BBQ Potato Chips too!
The food cost of this item would be lowered if you kept out those two ingredients and you’d have a deliciously inventive sandwich that was befitting of the your informed and well-​heeled clientele.
Stick with the FRESH ingredients that already say enough when they «talk» in our mouths.
Please offer this variation of your Zucchini Parm Sub (No jalepeño, no BBQ Potato Chips).

Not going to lie — this was a surprisingly stellar broccoli sandwich. I had low expectations, honestly — how much can you fancy up broccoli? But clearly my imagination is far more limited than the purveyors of these sandwiches. The broccoli was gussied up with the lychee muchim, feta, fried shallots, and mayo (I think this sandwich normally comes with ricotta salata, FYI, but yesterday it was feta). I knew muchim meant «pickles,» but didn’t realize it meant spicy pickles, so the little bursts of heat were an unexpected wholly-​welcomed kick.
And the bread… I could write an ode to the bread. It was perfect. Crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside, warm, delicious. People don’t pay enough attention to bread… it is so much more than a vehicle. No. 7 Sub understands this.
Altogether, the broccoli sandwich was a lovely combination of interesting, deceptively simple, unanticipated, and delicious, both in texture and flavor. I’m going to need to try the Zucchini Parm next and I’m praying for the Goodfella to return soon.

Finding unique food in midtown is pretty difficult which is why I was surprised to find this place. I tried the broccoli sub which was amazing. From the crispy bread to the broccoli which is cut in easy to eat bites, the sandwich was perfect.

Good thing this place is hidden in the Plaza. The line would stretch out to Strawberry Fields if tourists got a hold of this gem.
Broccoli sandwich is no joke. It is the tastiest sandwich I’ve had in Manhattan. Period. How is that possible for a sandwich that replaces a protein with broccoli? No idea. But it happened and its awesome.
Also, for the practical lunch goer:
1.) It’s $ 10, which includes tax, making it very reasonable relative to all the lesser sandwich joints that charge $ 9 for mediocrity.
2.) Its substantial and filling.

Full disclosure: I’m a NOT a sandwich person. I’m not into meat and bread and everything else that goes on a sandwich or is supposed to. I’ve never liked cold foods. So even if I do go for a sandwich type thing, it’s always cooked and served warm. I think I might be a direct descendant of a cave person, as I’ve never liked cold foods, unless it’s like ice cream or something. Or ice water.
Anyway, back to the No & Sub review. I saw a friend of mine rave about the zucchini parm at this place. She was pregnant at the time, but with or without the wild pickle-​and-​ice-​cream cravings, I thought zucchini parm sounded right up my alley. When I looked at the menu, I was oh — holy wow! BBQ chips w/​breaded zucchini «cutlets» and fontina cheese? SIGN. ME. UP!
So what happens? I am at the Holiday Markets at Columbus Circle in mid-​December and want to break for food. I say — hey wait! I think one of those No 7 Subs is right around the way here. It’s at the Plaza Food Hall, which is basically like a mall food court, but with higher-​end type eateries. But catering to the tourist. So that’s a set up right there. Like many NYers, I walk past the Plaza about a gazillion times in my life, but clearly my trailer park self would not be welcome. Anyway, the mall food court is another review. Let’s stick to the No 7 Sub.
irony would have it, the zucchini parm was SOLD OUT the day I went. NOOOOOOOOO. And though you can create your own sub, nothing really sounded appealing to me. There’s a General Tso’s Seitan, which sounds good. But gluten patties on a glutenous roll… sounds like a stomach ache waiting to happen for me. A broccoli sub which is apparently this joint’s «bread and butter,» no pun intended… and a cold chicken sub which as I referred to earlier is SO not my thing. So I had to setlle for something else. Major bummer.
So fast forward two months later. I finally have an opportunity to go to the No 7 on 29^th/Bway…then I see that it’s CLOSED. Son of a motherless goat. So off to the Plaza I go. Of course I know there is a slight possibility that they might be sold out… but I go anyway.
Luckily for me, I was able to finally scratch the zucchini parm itch. I have to say on paper, it was clever. I love eggplant parm, so I guess I was expecting like a gooey type of parmesan. I guess the fontina was a good accompaniment, but you could barely taste it. Then the pickled jalapenos… I’m not sure if that was necessary. And the BBQ chips which added a distinct crunch but wasn’t overpowering. It was neither here nor there, actually. I could’ve done w/​out the jalapenos and the chips myself. I didn’t feel they added much to it. The bread was not too tough, as is with the crunchy baguette types that sandwiches are served on.
So my overall judgment is… I came, I saw, I conquered. I scratched the itch, but honestly for me, I won’t be back. Only because I don’t like sandwiches, and the zucchini parm had potential, but it just fell slightly short of what I was expecting for all these months. But glad I got to see it for myself.

Very tasty sandwiches. All really unique flavor combinations on fresh baked bread. Wish they had calorie counts. I would come here all the time! Also, getting a decent seat on weekend in the food hall can be tough.

I really hope the original location is better than this. I’d been dying to try No 7 for ages so I finally did today. I was super disappointed.
I felt like it was necessary to try the special at the Plaza, the Happy Pilgrim, as it’s just that time of year. Turkey, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, mozzarella, bacon, and pickled jalapenos – sounds like a very tasty and modern Thanksgiving assortment. In execution, unfortunately, it did not translate well into a sandwich. The turkey was bland and deli meat-​like (chunks of roasted turkey like similar sandwiches at the sub-​par Lenny’s or Toasties would have been much better). The sweet potato, bacon, and mozzarella were all flavorless. The only flavor super present were the pickled jalapenos, but those should be supporting and not the only flavor.
In the deluxe sandwich game, I’d take my $ 14 to one of the many better options.

In my search for suitable vegan grub at the Plaza Food Hall, I came across No 7 Sub and noticed a General Tso’s Seitan listed on the overhead menu. The casher confirmed that omitting the mayo would render this sandwich vegan and I cried happy tears of joy on the inside. I asked to substitute the mayo with spicy mustard, which I would not recommend for those whom find horseradish unpleasant — IT WAS A DOOZY.
I loitered around the stand for ten or so minutes before my sub was ready. After we finally secured seating, I unwrapped the reasonably sized sub and smiled with delight — noting that although the firm crispy and chewy bread was considerable in volume, there was no noticeable skimping on the seitan and beets. I chomped down half of the sub, nourishing my tired tourist body and soul. The seitan was nicely chewy and toothsome, in spite of the overpowering spicy mustard. It wasn’t exactly «General Tso-​ish» to me, in that it didn’t seem to be intensely deep-​fried, not to say it wasn’t, but yes, it was delicious 10 out of 10, would eat again. Admittedly, the bread was rather rough on the interior of my mouth, but I prefer crustier breads over soft gooey breads, so I wasn’t too bothered by it. I could have easily finished the entire sub in one sitting, but I was mindful enough to reserve the rest for later. .. slow and steady, we had a lot of ground to cover in the hours ahead.

Can you find a great sandwich inside the Plaza Hotel food hall? You betcha! Look no further than No. 7 Sub. I stumbled upon this gem today and am so glad that I did.
I ordered «The Goodfella.» Amazing name. Even better sub. Made with genoa salami, pepperoni, mortadella, mozarella, thai basil, giardiniera (i.e. pickled veggies — in this case — jalapenos, hearts of palm, green olives, and red onions), and just a sprinkle of magic (the secret ingredient). It’s choc full of flavor.
Now the sandwich is expensive ($ 12), but you’re paying for quality and let’s not forget you’re inside the Plaza Hotel! If you want a cheaper meal, there’s a Sabrett hot dog stand outside. But don’t do that. Live a little and check out No. 7 Sub. Also be sure to get a frequent diner card from the cashier and get it stamped because you’ll definitely be coming back for more. And when you do finally earn that free sub, it will taste even more glorious.

I have high expectations at The Plaza, even in the food court. Definitely a step above a Subway $ 5 Footlong, but nowhere near O.M.G.-worthy. Probably better to skip this stand and try other, more interesting, food court options.
No. 7 Sub Club: The highlight was definitely the BBQ potato chips in the middle, giving it a nice crunch and adding some diverse flavor perspective. The turkey and ham didn’t taste much different than Boar’s Head from a regular deli. I liked how the bread was chewy and not flaky. The tomato slices were way too thick and too firm, would been better if they used ripe tomatoes.