It’s not your ordinary Subway sandwich. And it’s also a walk from campus, adjacent to Panda Express. Ike’s Lair is a new popular “non-sandwich” shop but they still do sell sandwiches. They boast top-dollar gourmet sandwiches for De Anza College students who are hungry between the hours of 11a.m. to 7p.m. 

The shop has a liberal feel to it, so one can detox their mind of busy schoolwork and relax with the quirky signs, loud yellow walls, and a caricature head of founder, Ike Shehadeh, wearing a military-inspired beanie. They even have stickers in four window panels with De Anza College’s name in the middle of what looks like an “all star” logo… hint, hint (they want to cater to us!).

Their sandwiches run from $5-10 depending on the size you get, but if you want a drink as well, add a couple more to that (they have anything from bottled water to unique bottled sodas priced from $1-2.50). You also have veggie, meat and vegan options, as well as gluten-free bread. It comes with a tasty and unique “dirty sauce” that reminds me of a mixture of dijon mustard and ranch – very savory and flavorful. 

All their sandwiches not only come with that dirty sauce, but a sassy name to go with it. I had a basic miniature sandwich called “Mayoose’s BLT.” Oddly I picked that even though I’m not a bacon fan, and I actually enjoyed it so much I didn’t pick out the bacon or ask to knock it off! 

If you feel like dessert, well, you can purchase hoho-like treats in a variety of flavors like red velvet, peanut butter and cream, and pop-tart snacks, and an oreo sandwich with cream in the middle all individually wrapped goods from Cake Monkey Bakery. And as an FYI from one of the employees, there’s even a secret menu one can find online. Also, if they don’t have one on the menu that is at their other locations, you just let them know the ingredients inside the sandwich, and all is good. 

So far, the spot is a huge hit with students, and you can tell by the multitude of employees that they’re expecting a shop full of starving students. It’s a fun atmosphere for them too – you might even hear someone yell “Womanizer coming down, vegan, extra dirty.” 

There’s only a few of these shops around the Bay Area, but Ike’s Lair proves it has flair having won numerous awards including “Best of Yelp,” “San Francisco Chronicle,” “San Francisco Weekly,” “Best of the Bay,” and featured on Travel Channel’s “Man v. Food.” 

So what say ye? I would dine once in awhile, as the price isn’t for everybody, but it is a very delicious treat after a test or hard quarter!