Restaurant Review: Lee's Hoagie House

Lee's Hoagie House has a fond place in my heart. Growing up, I would stop in to various locations of the successful sandwich shop whenever I got a hankering for a hoagie. I would stop in to the Ardmore Lee's for a hoagie and black-and-white milkshake. I stopped into the one on Cheltenham (which is now closed) when I was doing SAT prep in Melrose Park. Most recently, a good friend from New York needed a ride from the bus station to her mom's home in Northeast Philly and we stopped at a Lee's Hoagie House so she could get her hoagie fix. (The hoagies in NYC are just not as good.) Imagine my surprise when I found out there was a minutes from my house, tucked away on a stretch of Rock Hill Road. I rarely travel on Rock Hill Road so I never saw it.

I went in to grab some food for my family. The menu at this Lee's is much more extensive than other locations I have been to. It took some time to figure out exactly what I wanted to order. I decided on the garden salad, the Lee's Special "Our American Hoagie", a turkey breast hoagie and a grilled chicken BLT wrap.

The chicken wrap had tender and succulent pieces of well-cooked chicken, plenty of crisp bacon and fresh lettuce and tomato. There was just the right amount of mayonnaise and I didn't need to add extra salt and pepper to make it taste good (which I usually do). It was satisfying despite being somewhat healthy. 

The turkey breast hoagie came with the usual suspects: lettuce, tomato, provolone, Lee's famous oil and seasoning, and I chose to add in onions and their hot pepper mix. The rolls Lee's uses are excellent. I didn't realize how good they are until I had a Wawa hoagie shortly thereafter on the saddest, densest, tasteless roll ever. There was plenty of turkey sliced a bit thicker than other places. While other places can provide quality meats and veggies in their sandwiches, it's the oil, seasonings and peppers that make a Lee's Hoagie truly special. To quote my cousin: "Whatever pepper thing they use in it isdelicious!" The pepper mixture adds just the right amount of heat and acid to the crisp vegetables, savory meats and cheeses in the aforementioned fabulous roll.

The Lee's Special includes beef salami, pepper loaf, spiced ham, cooked salami, provolone, lettuce, tomato, Lee's oil and seasoning and I added onions and hot peppers as well. This is simply a fantastic hoagie. I never get tired of eating it. All the different kinds of meat offer up their own distinct flavors which combine to form one delicious bite. The provolone adds a slightly funky but creamy contrast to the savory meats and then there are the refreshing vegetables. I already mentioned how much I love the oil, seasoning and peppers so that's a given. My cousins preferred the turkey hoagie but for me the Lee's Special will always reign supreme. It's much more interesting.

The garden salad looked to be composed of all the hoagie fixings. There was a bed of shredded lettuce, thin slices of tomato and half moons of onion. The pepper mixture was sprinkled all over the top and there was a small container of dressing on the side. I wasn't such a big fan of the salad. While I love the hoagie components in my hoagie, they are not as tasty when eaten alone.

The decor is unassuming with plenty of seating for families or larger groups. I did enjoy the handwritten chalk board of all the menu items and the various specials they offer on a daily basis (kids under 12 eat for free on Mondays). There are televisions, and you can see into the kitchen and prep area which is reassuring. It was brightly lit and fairly clean. 

The service is friendly and efficient. There isn't too much chitchat at this Lee's location but your food comes out in a timely manner, well prepared. During the summer months, Lee's Hoagie House is a logical choice for family dinner. Pick up a few hoagies, a bag of ready-made salad and your favorite salad dressing and you've got dinner. It sure beats standing over a hot stove and cooking.