Happy Halloween, everyone! Hopefully this finds each of you doing well as you prepare for your haunts, tricks, and treats tonight. I know I personally can't wait, my love of Halloween rivals that of my love for Christmas, so my expectations are running pretty high today!. Nevertheless, it's time for some food, right? Nothing sends the spooky season into overdrive quite like some good eatin' Let's get right down to it.
I'm finally getting to review a place that has made quite a name for itself since it opened only a few short years ago. Joe's Sub Station is a unique addition to the Eastern Kentucky landscape, particularly here in the Appalachian/coal fields area. It's physical address is a total mystery, because I honestly don't know where Hazard city limits end, where the town of Jeff technically even is, or if it's actually in Vicco. I just know to look for the sign on Route 15. And you should, too, because this place is worth a stop off the main drag!
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| Seriously, you can't miss it. |
I'd gotten word a few days prior that there was going to be a bit of a special event going on, a "Tap Takeover", as it was referred to, by Country Boy Brewing Co. There were going to be drink specials, food specials, and live music. If you pass something like that up, then it's your own fault. So, I hopped into my ole trusty car and headed over to Hazard...or Vicco. Maybe Jeff.
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| Yes, this was two weeks ago. I've been busy. Sue me. |
I arrived at around 7 pm, just in time for things to start to kick off. The weather was pretty nice that evening, but the temp was dropping fast. Very nice October evening, for sure. I had to park along side the road because the parking area was already filling up. I entered and was greeted by some nice signage displaying what all was going to be happening that evening. Always a nice touch to be greeted up front with what you're about to get yourself into.
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| See? Food and drinks for all! |
So I read and looked to the left, and there was a family style, old most classic diner type room. I assume it's the overflow area, in case business gets too heavy on the other side.
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| I like it, more room is always good. |
To the right of the entrance, however, was a whole different story. To the right, was where all the magic was happening. So, I chose right. The blue pill, if you will.
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| I chose wisely. |
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| Very, very wisely. |
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| I'm a virtual hillbilly SAGE!! |
Seriously, the ambiance and decor of this place is off the hook. It's a rare combination of modern, and that special brand of Appalachian rustic. It's hard to describe, but this place has captured that spirit flawlessly. Notice the lights in the above picture, to the left of the giant video screen and above the tin roof? (See? "video screen" and "tin roof" are generally two things that don't appear in the same sentence) Those lights are actually made out of old bottles.
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| Not something you see everyday, if ever. Especially beside of a state of the art video projector. |
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| I finally sat down. |
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| Quite a selection, for sure. |
After I finally finished drooling over the decor, I finally sat down to order some grub. As you can see, their line up is pretty extensive, ranging from pizzas to subs to prime rib to everything else. I was getting hungry, which at this point I assume you realize is nothing new. For those of you keeping track, I've been "hungry" since February. But anyway, as I sat down, a very nice lady came and took my order, and all I had to do was set back and give it a little time. I got to hear some of my favorite classic rock tracks playing during this time, so it was time certainly not wasted. "Sweet Emotion", and "All Right Now" always make for good time killers, and certainly added some enjoyment and flair to the already super cool ambiance.
My wait was a little long, a bit longer than expected. They were busy, and not just moderately busy. REALLY busy. So, in times like this, it's perfectly understandable. My stomach and brain tend to disagree on this issue, but it's cool. Just more time to look around and jam out.
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| And I would have otherwise never noticed this giant tentacle over in the corner. |
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| Or this shirt with a clever innuendo advertising how big Joe's Deck is. Also, we currently do seem to be in Jeff, Ky. |
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| Joe's Deck is quite large. I'm amazed he could fit it all - ok I'll stop. |
After a few minutes, I found my way back to my seat, and actually began chatting with a few people I'd gone to high school with. They had found their way out here as well, so it was cool to see them and to catch up somewhat. The server brought me a refill of ice water, and immediately afterward, another server brought my food.
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| Oh dear. |
This was one of those moments where I generally felt concern. Were my eyes bigger than my stomach? Did I have a very poor sense of judgement when I walked in earlier? Oh well, this could be the greatest mistake of my life.
What you're actually looking at here, are deep fried cheese balls with what I assumed was house made ranch sauce for dipping, "Seaside Fries", which are classic Waffle Fries with sea salt and a touch of Old Bay, and a "Classic Philly", complete with sauteed peppers, onions, mushrooms (by request) and some of that ooey- gooey liquid gold. Eight million calories of awesome. I couldn't wait to tear into this stuff.
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| I had to try one of these first, no question. |
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| Then one of these beauties. |
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| Then....ah yeah. |
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| Very deserving of two shots. |
The cheese balls were fried to a golden crisp. That means there was a slight crunch when I bit in to it, and the center was very cheesy and moist. Not dried out at all. This is a very hard thing to pull off, because if something like that is fried for mere seconds too long, it loses on all fronts. Dry inside, burnt outside, cheese trying to escape out the sides. Not here, no sir. Fried to perfection.
The Seaside Fries were much of the same. Golden, crispy outside, fluffy inside. The sea salt and slight sprinkle of Old Bay gave these a different twist that was refreshing. Fries are good, but they tend to get boring, so a little twist occasionally is very welcome, and these were certainly no exception.
The Classic Philly cheese steak was out of this world. It was honestly one of the best Philly's I'd ever had, and I'm quite the connoisseur. The bread was toasted, so it had that nice texture, while still being soft on the inside. The steak was plentiful, shaved, and piled high. No fat or gristle to be found here, and the onions, peppers, and mushrooms were all sauteed very well. The cheese is the classic liquid cheese you generally find with Nachos at festivals and ball games. This is actually among the two cheeses used for a genuine Philly steak sandwich. Sure you can use any kind of cheese you wish, but the real deal uses either Cheese Wiz, or nacho cheese. The way it seeps down through every crevice of the sandwich to fully engulf it with cheesy goodness is something that is simply missing if you use sliced cheese for a sandwich like this. It was sensational.
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| I regret nothing. NOTHING. |
I was full and happy, and those are two feelings that anyone, at any given time, are fortunate to be able to experience. Joe's Sub Station is not your typical 'bar-n-grill' place by any means, and I would certainly recommend it to anyone. If they get even half the satisfaction that I did during my visit, then they're in for something special. I continued to mingle a little bit, talking to some old acquaintances and so forth. I was still honestly taking in the ambiance. I was very impressed with the Halloween decor as well, which is something I haven't mentioned yet. I love a good festive place that acknowledges the holidays that are going on around them. It adds a lot to the experience. I was also, upon further inspection, really impressed with the bar design.
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| Seriously, this is only part of it. |
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| It's a zigzag design with a lot of cool lighting, and some top shelf stuff, a lot of which, of course, is made right here in good ole Kentucky! |
I was almost ready to leave, when something suddenly occurred to me.
There was still live music to come! How could I have forgotten
something like that?? Good food does that to you. It puts you into a
state of poor judgement and idiocy, far worse than any alcohol could.
So, I hung around for a bit longer, as the guys stated to set up for
their performance, and....
.....honestly, how many times have you heard "Ice Cream Man" by Van Halen played live? If your answer to that question is anything other than "not nearly enough", then you're wrong.
Ok guys, let's recap. For a reminder of how I do this, check back to my very first blog entry here:
Food Quality: As I stated earlier, the food here was top notch. The deep fried cheese balls were golden, crisp, gooey on the inside. The Seaside Fries were the same way, with a touch of sea salt and Old Bay seasoning thrown into the mix. Very good. The cheese steak was toasted, shaved thin, piled high, with great add-ons. The cheese was dead on and required for that authentic quality. Everything was good, and I had literally no complaints.
Overall Food Quality Score: 4.5/5
Ambiance: I went on and on about the decor earlier. They were very festive with all the Halloween decorations, and all the normal decor was great as well. Tin signs adorned the walls, the lighting was cool and modern, there were large projector screens, there were lights made of old bottles, the furniture was clean and of a high quality, and the bar itself was a visual marvel with its zigzag pattern. As large as this place is, it was still a little cramped at times, especially once the large crowds started coming on. But, that can't be helped and to a degree is to be expected. Plus, there's an overflow area I highlighted earlier to the left of the entrance. The classic rock playlist was great, playing familiar, cool tunes throughout the evening. The deck out back was really cool as well. Very nice add-on. The live music was stellar. Very talented guys.
Overall Ambiance Score: 4.5/5
Cleanliness: This place was clean, pure and simple. Even the bathrooms were fully stocked and clean. That's something that's nearly impossible to pull off during such a rush and with such a crowd. Everything was simply clean. No further observation needed.
Overall Cleanliness Score: 5/5
Service: The servers were very friendly and attentive. They were slammed that night, and were still be able to keep their cool and be timely and professional. At a distance, the bartenders appeared to be the same way. My food took a little while to get to me, longer than normal, anyway. Typical order time is around 14-16 minutes for the main course, and my wait time was right around 25 minutes. They were tending to a special event crowd on that night, so service was certainly a bit slower, and that is no big deal to me. As I said earlier, it gave me time to mingle a bit, and check out some of the decorations and listen to some of the music. No harm, no foul.
Overall Service Score: 4/5
Joe's Sub Station is yet another gem hidden within the Appalachian landscape. If you're ever in the area, or ever traversing route 15 between Whitesburg and Hazard, stop in and give this place a try. It'll be time well spent! Thanks for reading, and be safe tonight!
