I don’t know how it’s taken me so long to find out about The Stuffed Sandwich, but I’m happy to say that I am now a full-fledged supporter of the establishment. I was researching brewery tours in Southern California yesterday when I came upon a beer geek’s blog. He wrote about touring three or four area breweries in a day, with a stop at The Stuffed Sandwich. I was sold immediately upon reading that they offered over 700 beers. I made sure to read “the rules” carefully before running out of my apartment towards San Gabriel. “Make sure you are not there just to buy beer.” “If you do not consume, you do not drink.” “If you are a beer snob, you will be put in your place.” The Yelp reviews are explicit in stating many unofficial bylaws of the establishment. I can’t say I was nervous to go there, but I definitely wanted to see what made the place so polarizing. Also, they supposedly offer amazing beers.
The drive did not take nearly as long as I anticipated. A quick jaunt down the 10-East, and I was there in about 20 minutes. The exterior of the building is as unassuming as can be. It’s located in a small strip mall next to an arts school and a couple other tiny businesses. I walked in and noticed the place was empty save for two guys eating outside on the fenced-in patio. There was no one there to take my order, so I started to move towards the row of taps and fridges just to take a peak at what was offered.
“You have to order food if you want a beer,” a woman’s voice rang out from way back in the kitchen.
“Oh, I know,” I said. I moved towards the counter and she approached. I smiled and asked for a moment to peruse the menu before settling on an Italian sausage sandwich. She asked if I wanted mozzarella or provolone cheese on top. I opted for the latter, then asked if there were any other toppings or fixings available, to which she responded no. Bread, sausage, sauce, cheese. It was fine by me. I asked for a side of curly fries (they’re listed on the menu as “Freedom Fries”) and then we agreed to move on to the beer.
I took a photograph of the fridges, or as best as I could without being noticed. I have not resized the image at all, so if you want to take a peak at everything and zoom in, my shitty handheld camera tried its best to capture labels clearly. Click on the above and below photos to enlarge them. Good luck.
The first thing I noticed about the taps were that they all contained vintage barley wines. I’m not a huge fan of strong ales, but the options were so enticing and the prices so reasonable ($4 for a small, $8 for a large) I decided to stick with what they offered. I was told that most customers can bring their own beer glasses from home if they so desire, or you are encouraged to buy one at the restaurant. And there are hundreds to choose from. The cases of different glasses runs almost the entire length of the far wall of the dining room. I studied the options and asked first for a small Hair Of The Dog Doggie Claws, which was either a 2008 or 2009 vintage. I’ve had the most recent Doggie Claws bottled before, but wanted to try the draught version. The keg was nearly empty, so she tried to fill up my cup as much as she could then offered it to me for free. My official first selection then became the Mad River John Barleycorn Barlywine (2008). I would later try the North Coast Old Stock Ale (2007). I sat and drank and studied the case of beer glasses as I waited for my sandwich and fries. The beers were delicious. I’m sold on barley wines now. They can sneak up on you, too. Doggie Claws is 11.5% ABV, Barleycorn is 9.5%, and Old Stock is 11.7%.
The food arrived, cheese still bubbling atop a mass of sauce, in good time. The sandwich was very good. The sausage could have been a little spicier, but that’s just a personal preference. The homemade sauce was delicious. The seasoned curly fries were good too, only slightly overcooked. I was alone in the dining room reading the news on my phone and was left to myself to enjoy my food and beers. It was actually a really nice, tranquil environment in which to gorge myself.
Before leaving I grabbed some beers for the road. A bottle of Hair Of The Dog Golden Rose, which hasn’t been brewed in…what, five years or more? The lady who helped me reminded me that I shouldn’t be alarmed by the lack of carbonation due to the beer’s age. My second choice was Nogne O Peculiar Yule. I drank the Golden Rose last night and the lady was absolutely right about the lack of carbonation. No worries, it was very tasty, and I can only imagine how awesome it would have been at full strength. Nicci correctly pointed out that it smelled like banana bread. It tasted much better than that.
All in all, my trip set me back about $40 for the sandwich, fries, three beers and two bottles for the road. I spoke to the lady as I was leaving about how they rotate their kegs, and she said they change every month. I asked what I could expect next month, and she smiled and said it’s a secret. The only information she could give was that it is going to be nine taps from a single brewery, but she couldn’t say whether that brewery is domestic or imported. She then smiled wryly at me, and I told her I’d be seeing her in a week or two.
And I will be back in a week or two. If anyone else has eaten here, let me know what your favorite sandwich is, because the menu seemed to have a lot of sandwich shop standards, so it’s tough to choose what you think is going to be best.
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