At first glance, Ike’s Place in Santa Rosa seems like any run-of-the-mill sandwich shop; a walk-up and order counter, a soda fountain, a fridge filled with assorted bottled drinks, bagged chips and a menu board. But upon closer inspection, one will find that this is no ordinary shop.
With names like “Skogee the Caveman,” “The Backstabber,” “Ménage A Trois” and “Reading Rainbow,” these sandwiches weren’t created in a typical deli. Owner and original sandwich-creator Ike Shehadeh first opened Ike’s Place in a small storefront, nestled in the Castro neighborhood of San Francisco, on Halloween 2007. Since then, Shehadeh has opened 33 locations all over the Bay Area.
Ike’s Place is not only known for the crazy sandwich names. All of the bread is baked in-house daily, and smothered in Shehadeh’s secret “Dirty Sauce.” This savory, garlicky sauce is heaven on the tastebuds, adding the perfect amount of flavor to every sandwich. Shehadeh also made sure his sandwiches could be made vegan friendly. Almost all of the sandwiches on the menu have a vegetarian or vegan version.
Shehadeh, being a huge San Francisco Giants fan, has created and named sandwiches for players on the team. The “Lincecum” includes bacon, turkey, ham, avocado and havarti cheese, and the “Matt Cain” with roast beef, salami, turkey, provolone and Shehadeh’s secret Godfather sauce.
Next time you’re craving a sandwich but want a little more bang for your buck, skip Jimmy Johns or Olivers and head to Ike’s Place. It’s worth the short trip to Santa Rosa.