Santa Clara Welcomes Ike’s Lair

The "(Name of the Girl I'm Dating)'' sandwich from Ike's Lair.

Yes, the sandwich shop sensation that took San Francisco by storm has opened a branch in Santa Clara.

The newest Ike’s Lair, a spin-off of the original Ike’s Place, can be found at 2235 The Alameda in Santa Clara, just a stone’s throw from Santa Clara University.

As with all the other Ike’s locations, the lines are already forming for this one.

Earlier this week, my husband, aka Meat Boy, ventured to the sandwich shop to get take-out.

The menu at each Ike’s location may differ a bit, but all of them feature the behemoth sandwiches with the zany names that the place is known for.

I had the “(Name of the Girl I’m Dating)” sammy — a halal chicken breast with honey mustard, avocado, pepper jack, “dirty sauce” (a kind of garlicky mayo) on my choice of sourdough roll. At $8.98, it was a meal and then some. The bread was soft, but with enough heft to hold up to all the fillings. The chicken was moist and warm. It was one creamy sandwich. Just be sure to have plenty of napkins around if you eat this one.

Meat Boy opted for chicken, too, if you can believe it. Only, in the “Andrew Luck” ($9.99) — halal chicken breast with bacon, garlic and herb sauce, avocado, cheddar and “dirty sauce” on a French roll. He enjoyed it, but thought it wasn’t all that distinguishable from my “(Name of the Girl I’m Dating),” once all the sauces melded together.

All the sandwiches come with with lettuce and tomato. You can request red onions, pickles, banana peppers, jalapenos or mustard for free. If you’re really in the calorie-busting mode, you can opt for fried chicken over halal chicken for $2.02 more. Or add mozzarella sticks or stuffed jalapeno poppers to your sandwich for $2.92 each or $3.93 for both. Oh my!

You get dessert, too, as each sandwich comes with a caramel apple lollipop.

The menu for the Santa Clara Ike’s is not yet readily available online. But you can get a glimpse of it here:

The menu at Ike's Lair in Santa Clara.

More: A Visit to Ike’s Place at Stanford University

Plus Other South Bay Sandwich Joints: Clover Bakery in San Jose

And: Neto’s in Santa Clara

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8 comments

  • I can’t believe Meat Boy didn’t try the meatball sub (aka Mario Brother)! LOL. I guess next time. The two main lessons I’ve learned eating Ike’s sandwiches in their Oakland location: 1) Always get the dirty sauce, and 2) Always ask for the Dutch crunch bread, so worth it and goes with everything! You’re welcome! 😉

  • This place sounds fantastic! I hope to try it out when we travel to San Francisco in the New Year.

  • I’m surprised Meat Boy didn’t scarf down red meat! LOL. We might have to give him a new nickname. 😉

  • Swoon! Every sandwich comes with a caramel apple lollipop? I’m not arguing with that! 😀

  • Oh I heard about this sandwich shop from my husband but haven’t had a chance to try yet. I’ll need a good 15 minutes to decide on what I want to order. 😉

  • Add yourself to their email list and you can get a free sandwich for your birthday. I recently had a Huda Chicken with added poppers and was informed that is called a “MILF” – yikes! Tasty though!

  • JStew: OMG, that is hilarious! Thanks for the tip about the birthday sandwich, too. Now, that’s a tasty gift.

  • WAY over hyped! $10.00 for a SMALL sub. Seriously? While the dirty sauce is something new to must sub-eaters. It can be over powering. Too crowed and way too expensive for what you get.

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