A Sandwich a Day: 'A Wreck' at Potbelly, Rockefeller Center

Posted by Lauren Sloss, January 25, 2012 at 12:30 PM

In this great city of ours, one could eat a different sandwich every day of the year—so that's what we'll do. Here's A Sandwich a Day, our daily look at sandwiches around New York. Got a sandwich we should check out? Let us know. —The Mgmt.

[Photograph: Alice Gao]

Every time a Potbelly Sandwich Shop opens a new outpost in this fair city, it seems to be greeted with a reception so enthusiastic, you'd think New Yorkers had never seen meat between bread before. So, being a diligent sandwich lover, I gave it a shot. But frankly, I don't get what all of the fuss is about. Potbelly doesn't make bad sandwiches—maybe they're better than Subway by virtue of being toasted—but they're nothing to write home about (or wait in a long line for).

A Wreck ($5.80) is one of the signature sandwiches at the Rockefeller Center location, a promising-sounding combination of salami, ham, roast beef, turkey, and Swiss cheese. I asked for the works, which included mustard, mayonnaise, hot peppers, pickles, lettuce, tomato, onion, oil, and Italian seasoning.

Here's the thing: there was an incredibly small amount of meat on a sandwich promising four different kinds. And taste-wise, I could sort of make out the salami, maybe the ham, but nothing else. I have to wonder if a turkey or roast beef sandwich would taste like meat at all. This sandwich mostly tasted of the salty peppers and pickles, and the (reasonably good) brown mustard.

So, would I go back? Sure, Potbelly's not a bad option if there isn't much else around. I might go for the vegetarian sandwich next time, though, considering the meat is more a background than anything.

Potbelly Sandwich Shop

30 Rockefeller Center, New York NY 10020 (map)
646-289-4203; potbelly.com

About the author: Lauren Sloss is a bicoastal food-lover who splits her time between New York (where she is finishing graduate school) and San Francisco (where she does most other things). Some of her favorite things include The Black Keys, goat gouda, and guacamole. You can follow her on Twitter @laurensloss.

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