Like Ike, If I Could Be Like Ike!

IKE'S PLACE

I've heard a lot about this place through friends and friends of friends. I didn’t realize how popular it really was until I saw a rerun of Man Vs. Food featuring Ike's. So of course when I planned a trip to San Francisco, this HAD to be one of the places I had to try and see if it is really that good..

I went to Ike's at Lime on Market Street.  It was weird in that its attached to a small bar called Lime, but the front part is reserved for Ike patrons to enjoy their sandwiches.  Surprisingly, their menu has a big variety of sandwiches to choose from, each with their own distinct flavors.  I went with the Change and because it was featured on Man Vs. Food I also had to try the Kryptonite.

The Change has thinly sliced rib-eye with bbq sauce, onion rings, and smoked gouda on dutch crunch bread smothered with their famous ‘Dirty Sauce’. This sandwich was really good. The smokiness of the gouda along with the tanginess of the bbq sauce paired well. The rib-eye was thinly sliced so you didn’t have to fight with the sandwich for a perfect bite. It didn’t need the onion rings. I would’ve preferred it on the side so it stood crispy, but overall this was a flavorful and filling sandwich.

On to the Kryptonite.  For those you wondering why its called Kryptonite, its because it can literally kill Superman with a heart attack.  The Kryptonite is stuffed with roast beef, corned beef, pastrami, salami, turkey, bacon, ham, mozzarella sticks, stuffed jalapeno poppers, onion rings, avocado, pesto, and pepper jack on their dutch crunch bread smothered with ‘Dirty Sauce’.  

This sandwich was definitely HUGE.  It was more than enough for two.  They actually give you 2 regular sandwiches in one. I was already full from The Change, but had to taste this sandwich.  Depending on the size of your bites, you could taste bits and pieces of every ingredient.  This thing was so huge that I felt a little self conscious biting into this monstrosity but I managed to get in a few good bites.  There wasn’t one thing that stood out the most. You could really taste the sweetness of the onion, a little crunch and pop of the jalapeno, the freshness of the pesto, and the meats.  Just recapping on all the ingredients of that sandwich has me salivating.  

Ike's definitely puts sandwiches back on the map.  They literally take sandwiches to that next level by reinventing them as something satisfying and flavorful and not just plain and healthy.  But what makes Ike's stand out from the rest were the Dirty Sauce and the dutch crunch bread. I don’t know what’s in that sauce but it is amazing! Ike should package that up and sell it in stores. It’s better than any garlic spread I’ve tasted.  I would recommend getting any sandwich on the dutch crunch bread and ordering it with extra Dirty Sauce.

While I was eating there I just happened to see Ike himself walking around the back but then I was bummed when I thought I saw him leave because I wanted to take a picture with him. Luckily, the girl who was at the register was nice enough to track him down for me and he was very nice about being photographed.  His sandwiches and also Ike as a person get my seal of approval, I even bought a couple shirts.  I must say the sandwiches are a definite must try when you are out in the Bay Area!!!