LaSpada's Hoagies (University Drive)

     Back when I was in high school I remember hearing about LaSpada's and how everyone loved the food there.  Now I didn't have a car back then and where I went out to eat was basically at the whim of my parents.  You can imagine that as an Asian household we didn't really go out for hoagies or the like very often/at all.   As a result, the name LaSpada's would disappear from my mind until just recently.

     As I was driving one weekend back to campus from home, I noticed a sign that read LaSpada's Hoagies.  Was this the same place that I've heard of, the famed LaSpada's?  If it was LaSpada's what did they even serve?  It sounded Italian and every time I had heard of LaSpada's from someone in high school it wasn't associated with a type of food, just that it was "so good!"  I definitely didn't associate hoagies with the name, but apparently that's what they are known for - really large hoagies with fresh cut deli meats (the fact that the sign said "LaSpada's Hoagies" should have been another tip off).

     The plaza that LaSpada's is located in is very nondescript.  I suppose the only good thing about it is that it's a stone's throw from Nova Southeastern University.  I honestly wouldn't have stopped by if it wasn't for the fact that they had awesome word of mouth back in the Boca area.  Apparently LaSpada's has opened up a few locations, 4 to be exact, throughout Florida.  The interior is extremely simple - tables, chairs, and the counter where the hoagies are made.  The walls really don't have anything on them, they're just white/no frills. The place really doesn't have much of a personality of its own, but it's not the decor which matters in the end, just the food. ^_^

     The menu is really easy to read and honestly you have one of two choices: grab a salad or a hoagie for lunch.  They have all your basic cuts of deli meats available, chicken salad, meatballs, and even crabmeat.  I knew I was going to get an 8" hoagie, but I was debating between the chicken salad and roast beef.  I'm such a sucker for anything with mayo, so I was leaning towards the chicken salad.  One of the employees beind the counter took notice of my conundrum and kindly let me try out the chicken salad, which I thought was cool, before making my decision. The chicken salad was simply dressed with just a bit of celery and tossed lightly in mayonnaise; not a ton of fancy non-related fixings here.  Though the chicken was moist and cooked well, it was slightly lacking in flavor.   Maybe if they added a tinge bit more of salt it would have been better.  In the end I opted for the roast beef on white.

     At LaSpada's all the meat is sliced fresh right in front of you.  None of this pre-sliced, pre-measured stuff.  They bring out the huge hunk of meat, slice it in front of you, weigh it, and then place it on your hoagie.  After choosing a plethora of toppings they topped the hoagie with even more roast beef!  I'm guessing it's to keep the fixings from falling out. =)  That's my best guess and I'm sticking to it!
 

     It was a pretty big hoagie, more so in girth than in length.  Since I had some studying to do I wrapped it back up and headed over to the dorm to devour it in peace along with microbiology notes.  I took the picture below in my dorm, so you could see the ratio of meat to fixings.  There's no way that the entire "small" hoagie was fitting in my stomach by the way, nu-uh.  I finished half for lunch and saved the other half for a midnight snack later.

     With tax it was a little under $8 for the hoagie at LaSpada's.  At Publix, its equivalent (if you got Boar's Head brand deli meat) would be around the same price, I believe it's 30 cents cheaper or so.  LaSpada's hoagie's fillings have a decreased chance of falling out when you're eating it and I like their bread better than what they have available at Publix.  Otherwise, I'd say their hoagies/subs are about equivalent.  Now I'm not dissing LaSpada's by any stretch of the imagination, I think Publix subs are quite good actually and definitely both are far better choices than Subway or Quiznos.  In the end, I'm not head over heels in love with LaSpada's or hoagies in general, but if I feel in the mood for a good sandwich, LaSpada's wouldn't be a bad choice. =)

LaSpada's Original Hoagies
Davie
2645 S. University Dr.
(954) 476-1099