Ike’s Place
| Address: | 1333 Powell St a105, Emeryville, CA 94608, USA |
| Phone: | +1 510-817-4902 |
| Site: | ilikeikesplace.com |
| Rating: | 4.2 |
| Working: | 10:30AM–7PM 10:30AM–7PM 10:30AM–7PM 10:30AM–7PM 10:30AM–7PM 10:30AM–7PM 10:30AM–7PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 14
JK
JKay GreenStarsProject
Ike’s new place just opened up on the corner of Powell and Hollis St. in Emeryville, kitty corner to the Chevron station. Walking in, it feels a little soul-less to be honest – the bright colors and plasticky décor isn’t particularly inviting. Most sandwiches are going to come to around $12 or $13 when you add tax and tip. So, considering the fairly hefty price tag (for a sandwich) and the reputation that precedes Ike’s Place, expectations are pretty high. I ordered the Handsome Owl sandwich, which is a combination of breaded vegan chicken, teriyaki sauce, wasabi mayo, and Swiss cheese. On top of these fillings, I think pretty much all sandwiches come with Ike’s by now famous Dirty Sauce and also some lettuce and tomato. The server was very friendly – when it came to bread choice he steered us to the Dutch crunch roll. He also explained that the vegan chicken was made by Gardein. They couldn’t reveal who made their bread, however. Bottom line: the sandwich was delicious – the flavors and textures were good. The downside is that I felt a little bit queasy about an hour after I ate it – and I actually only ate half of it – my friend who ate the other half reported the same symptoms. Is this very surprising? The sandwich is essentially built on very potent sauces – the dirty aioli, the teriyaki sauce and the wasabi mayo – all very rich in oil. Perhaps their attitude to healthiness of their food is best exemplified by their choice of caramel apple Tootsie Roll pop to accompany every sandwich – it’s made with hydrogenated oil. Who the heck uses hydrogenated oil these days?? (Hydrogenated oil = trans fats, btw). The overall message I’m getting is: these sandwiches are undoubtedly delicious, but eat them often enough and they just might kill you. In terms of social and environmental impact, I’m awarding a separate score of 3/5 green stars (it’s a thing. OK, it’s not an official thing yet, but it will be). So aside from the deliciousness and value for money, how does Ike’s do on the social and environmental front? Well, on a basic level, they do go out of their way to offer a good selection of vegetarian and vegan sandwiches. And we know by now that one of the most clear-cut ways of reducing your impact on the planet (land use, greenhouse gas emissions, impact on soil and water systems) is to reduce consumption of meat. On the other hand, Ike’s do also serve a ton of meat! It’s apparently from local farms but when it comes to their ingredients, Ike’s are not as transparent as they should be. Particularly as they are expanding – it would be nice to know that they have some kind of commitment to sustainable ingredients. Their sandwiches come wrapped in paper, inside a recycled paper bag, with recycled napkins. They offer knives and forks (non-compostable) but most people won’t need them. Ratings from employees on Glassdoor are pretty mediocre and the “sandwich artist” salary is reported as just over $11/hr. Their fountain drinks come from PepsiCo – I expected something a bit more alternative (and sustainable) for a maverick SF sandwich maker.
GW
Gwenhwyvar Rua
This place is wonderful for sandwiches! They have great service and fresh ingredients. I get the Sneaky Kitty with vegetarian bacon, vegan cheese and the vegan dirty sauce on Dutch crunch bread. Their menu in the restaurant has lots of choices and there are even more on the website. They are always quick to let me know the bacon is vegetarian and not vegan when I order my sandwich. They even pop a little lollipop in the bag as a treat. Ive been here many times since they opened in Emeryville and each time the service and food was very good. Love that kind of consistency.
BE
Belle Smith
Short Version: Convenient, delicious, and a good value for the area. Longer Version: It is a little expensive for a sandwich, but for the area its actually very fair and one of the best values! My favorite is the Emeryville Exclusive "Crazy Stupid Love" consisting of Chicken fried steak, Ikes sweet ranch, and Swiss cheese. Pro-tip: Use the app to order ahead. This place can get crowded during the lunch rush.
AL
Alexi Anderson
As someone who works super close by, the parking isnt an issue for me, but definitely worth noting. Sandwiches are a bit pricey but consistently tasty!!! They have good ingredients and offer options for vegans and meat eaters like myself. Also, the oatmeal cookie is pretty darn good... (I have no idea how the reviewer below can compare AND prefer a Safeway sandwich to this but to each his own...)
AN
Anthony Zamora
Like the sandwiches, dislike the loud music while Im eating... Can appreciate that their whole vibe is a hip cool place to eat and work ya ya... But ugh... Its always just so goofy talking to kids who are too cool for school, but thats not as bad as listening to their hip "old school" hits blasting loudly into the whole place. Guy taking my order I could not hear him and vice versa... Goofy...
KA
Karl He
Just as good as any other Ikes. Interior is clean and roomy. Not really anywhere to park nearby, unfortunately. Ordered the crazy, stupid love sandwich (Emeryville exclusive) with chicken fried steak, was quite good despite my initial misgivings. Only kind of questionable thing is the 30¢ fee they add by default, theres a sign explaining it but its still weird how they did it.
LI
Lincoln Lorscheider
I must not Ikes. Ikes is the beard-killer. Ikes is the saucy-cheesy-mess that brings total beard obliteration. I will face my Ikes. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the Ikes has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.
RA
Rakesh Kumar
I loved this place because it offers many option for vegetarian/vegan person. I generally dont like sandwiches but I like Ikes sandwiches because they are really good and tasty. During afternoon the lines are really long. I generally place the order by phone before going there so I dont have to wait.
PI
Piccolo Hirst
My daughter recommend it and it was delicious. The chicken was hot, moist and perfectly cooked. The sauce was perfect with a killer dutch crumb bread that they are known for in San Francisco. I was going to split one with my daughter but I had to get my own which I found to be perfect.
RO
Robert Dahlgren
Really enjoyed the pilgrim and handsome owl sandwiches. Try the Dutch crunch bread for both. Visited again today and still the best Ikes in the area. Fast staff puts together tight clean sandwiches and you can tell they really take pride in them. Restaurant is super clean too.
AI
airmikec1
Great selection of sandwhiches. Finally a place that i can go to besides Subway that has fountain drinks. Paying $2 for a can of soda is stupid and that is my biggest complaint with restaurants in the East Bay area of SF. Staff is polite and friendly as well.
JU
Justin Caise Fortier
Overpriced sandwichs not that great plus add .50 cents "surcharge" takes away from my willingness to tip the underpaid employees .for prices that high it had better melt in my mouth... safeway makes better subs..plus..no parking bad location .. wont go back
ER
Erik Appel
Ikes isnt my favorite sandwich shop, but my wife likes it for the vegetarian options, so we go a lot. I like heir sandwiches, but have trouble sometimes finding one that I like. The basic sodas are pretty pricey as well.
DA
David Gonzalez
Love their sandwiches but my only critique is the over powerful smell of cleaning products used. Not complaining that the place is too clean I just wish they would use less powerful smelling products.
