JOEL’S METHUEN FOOD CORNER ~ Bada Bings, Chris’ & Anthony’s

Happy New Year! 2020 is shaping up to be a busy year and I am sure to build up an appetite. Thank you for all the feedback from my roast beef column. This month, I tried steak bombs from three different sub shops in Methuen. I hit up Chris’ Famous Pizza, Bada Bing and Anthony’s on Riverside Drive. I will rate each sub on a scale of 1-5 beards, with 5 beards being the best.

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CHRIS’ FAMOUS PIZZA
124 Lowell St. Methuen, MA
chrisfamouspizza.com
(978) 687-2333

My first stop was Chris’. When we moved to Methuen, this was the first place we got food from, since it was right around the corner. There is something to be said for consistency- not much has changed in 20 years, which isn’t an easy feat. They have added some menu items, but the quality hasn’t changed since my initial visit in 2001.
My sub was packed, meat falling out as soon as I unwrapped it. Good ratio of meat to fillings (I held the mushrooms on all the subs I ordered) and the sub roll was fresh. I recommend getting onion rings from Chris’ as a side, some of the better onion rings in the area. Not stringy at all and crispy. You get a good amount as a side order.
Rating- 4 beards

4 beards

 

BADA BING/BADA BOOM
32 Hampshire St. Methuen, MA
badabingmenu.com
(978) 683-0009

Bada Bing was my next stop. Instead of ordering to go, we decided to eat on the Bada Boom side. Great sports bar atmosphere and ownership is a huge supporter of the community, donating to a variety of youth sports groups and supporting the Methuen HS Booster program.

If you eat in the bar, you can get freshly popped popcorn, a favorite of mine! For the sandwich, I got a steak bomb with no mushrooms. When you dine in, you get to choose either fries or homemade chips. The homemade chips are definitely the way to go. They are made to order and come out warm with your sandwich. The sub was great! Bread was fresh, not too much cheese and a good amount of peppers and onions. I only finished half of the sub and needed to bring the second half home.

Bonus review- Bada Bing has a unique version of the steak and cheese sub but made with shredded chicken in place of steak. They have a Buffalo version and a BBQ version. A must try!
Rating- 4.5 beards

4+ beards

 

ANTHONYS ROAST BEEF & PIZZA
1111 Riverside Dr Methuen, MA
anthonysroastbeef.com
(978) 655-1400

My last stop this month was Anthony’s Roast Beef. I decided to try their subs after receiving an email from a reader. The steak bomb from Anthony’s comes with salami, a nice twist. The sub went heavy on the cheese, which overpowered the taste of the rest of the sub. I ordered onion rings with the sub, as I did at Chris’. I would rate them on par with the onion rings from Royal Roast Beef from last month’s review.

Every week, they offer ½ off specials. On Monday, it’s calzones, Tuesday’s special is pizza and Wednesday its ½ off pasta. We tried the golden fever calzone since we ordered on a Monday and it was great! I didn’t previously realize the scope of their menu with the variety of specialty subs, calzones and pizzas. I will definitely be back to try more of the menu.

Rating- 4 beards

4 beards

Next month, I will be trying Chinese takeout!

If you have a favorite take out place that you want me to try, drop me an email at jfaretra67@gmail.com.

Happy New Year and Mangia!!! ◊