Just moved to the Valley, I wanted a sandwich during my lunch break so I looked things up on Yelp. Funny I couldn't find a sandwich place around where I work it's all sub shops. Not a big deal though, I just thought it's funny. It's tucked away in the corner looked pretty sketchy (I wondered if the food would be good). I almost didn't want to go in because of some creepy guy standing outside smoking. But I was hungry and on a schedule. Mike was super nice! It's just him working in there we chatted up for a bit he's really friendly! He said he prepares everything by himself in the morning. I got a small cold cut it was just enough and very delicious. I tried DeFranko's the day after, but honestly it wasn't as good as Balboa's sub. read more

I had a cheese sub and it was really good and I recommend it to everyone to go there and try. I got really good service. I'm willing to go there again . read more

Yaawwwnnn. This is the epitome of mundane. Anybody can make a sandwich this well with ingredients right off the shelf at Vons. The food might be uninspired, but at least the service was...slow. My wife says I should always try to say something nice- the bread wasn't stale, okay? Dude, if you can't even make a sandwich as well as Subway and Jersey Mike's, you shouldn't be in this business. read more

I've been using Yelp for several years now and have to apologize for never posting reviews for all the great experiences I've had...But it's because of Mike (the owner and awesome sandwich creator at Balboa Submarines) that I decided to take the time to create an account and post a review. Without a doubt my favorite sandwich spot ever. Simple menu, full of authentic flavor and patience to detail. Couldn't ask for a better conversation and a great lunch. Come one, come all. read more

I've been a bit of a foodie my whole life. I really try hard to find that little place that makes incredible dishes that nobody really knows about. Michael had found his craft. The spicy sauce, the bread prep, the whole package. If you can sit down and eat in the shop you won't regret it. Make sure you call your order in, and get there on time. The warm bread with cold cuts, can't be beat. read more

I've eaten here about a half a dozen times; food has been fresh and consistent. I love the super red and tasty tomatoes he puts on the sandwiches. I usually get the roast beef sandwich; it's pretty good. My mouth is watering as I'm typing all this. lol Prices are fair, and portions are satisfying. The owner is a pretty nice guy; always has a smile on his face and takes pride in his work. Good food takes time, so be patient during the busy lunch rush. He's the only person making sandwiches, so don't expect like you're in subway or something. I wish he stayed open longer and opened on Sundays, but I'm sure eventually, when hires more help, he will. I found out today that he has hired someone, so now sandwiches will be made faster. Definitely try this place out. read more

Balboa Sub Shop - Now, this is a foot long :) - Sandwiches Near Me - Northridge, California

I should start by saying I hold sub sandwiches in high regard, and I always look for a new place to call my favorite. Could Balboa Submarines be it? Sadly....no. I have been here twice over a 6-month period. The truth is the subs are good. Super fresh, soft bread, good ingredients. Whats it missing? Style, excitement, zing, pizazz, something new. The house dressing on the sub is maybe the best part. Simple italian type dressing but really good. In the two times I have gone here, I was the only patron. I ordered immediately, and stood and waited as my sub was made. Both times it took about 8 minutes. That's a REALLY long time. I was surprised. Its clean, its cash only, the subs are nice, but not GREAT. And I want great. read more

Once again Balboa Subs delivers. Fresh, fast and delicious. Always get the Lineman Special, our favorite! Although we don't doubt that everything is excellent! Still need to try the BBQ. Thank you for supporting Bishop Alemany Football! read more

Balboa Sub Shop - A favorite, The Lineman Special, and thanks for supporting Bishop Alemany Football!! - Sandwiches Near Me - Northridge, California

Great little sub shop. First time visit and it was awesome. The owner makes the subs and he made all 3 I ordered correctly. The secret spicy sauce is yummy! I ordered a hot pastrami, tuna and turkey subs- all 3 were delicious. Prices are reasonable too. Will be back soon!!! read more

Update: 2nd time I went was much better. 5 min wait. Not too many people but pastrami sandwich was really good So I had a few friends say they liked this place alot. Working by it for a month so tried it. only 7 people and I was 4th in line. ordering took over over 15 mins for the first people in line to get their food. Then over 20 mins after I had ordered I was getting ready to just leave. The owner must have seen this and told me it would be up in a few mins. 5 mins later I got it. It was good. better than subway or togos but not great. great price if you get the large. not so much if you get the small. You pay after you eat so due to the long wait a few people just got fed up and left. only takes cash but was not posted anywhere so had to run over to rite aid to get cash back. Had to buy something there just to get money to pay for lunch. The owner was kinda cool but mostly just to people he knew. decor was boing and blah. a bunch of faded movie posters and pictures with a few sport things up. thank god there was a tv or I would have been bored out of my mind for those 25 mins. and there was no place to park. had to park at rite aid and walk over. read more

Wow......I just happened to be in the area and stumbled into this jem of the valley. From the outside things seem pretty sketchy but once you bite into any of the sandwiches you won't care. Beats any chain sub place by a mile and I'd say also gives some of the better mom n pop places a run for their money. P.S. my sister is vegetarian and also likes this place read more

I just tried this for the first time today, damn it was delicious. What drew me to try it was (I know this will sound crazy to some, and completely understandable to others...) was the tomatoes!! Bright red and juicy! I knew the rest of the sub had to be delicious. And it was! Oh, and reggae was playing... read more

Best subs I had in the valley if not in LA. The meatball subs were perfect. The meat tasty the marinara sauce perfect and savory the buns crunchy yet soft. read more

Was visiting LA in early March and came across Balboa Submarines on Yelp, figured we'd try it since the ratings were amazing! We ordered a few of the sandwiches and totally enjoyed them!! The gentleman that helped me was amazing!! He was pretty interested in the fact that we were visiting from Oregon and that I had looked them up on Yelp. Great sandwiches and GREAT customer service!!! If were ever back in LA, were eating here again!! read more

No you are not lost...This is the epitome of hidden gem! Balboa Sub Shop is conveniently located on Balboa Blvd dishing out amazing subs. This isn't your average sandwich shop in the valley. Exterior wise, the shop can be easily overlooked, if you step inside it is quite clean and the ingredients are all fresh. In particular, both cold and hot subs are perfection. You really can't go wrong with anything on the menu. If you happen to be in the valley for whatever reason, come give this place a look. read more

bomb.com! just had their italian cold cut with hot sauce and i was fully convinced that heaven was a place on earth. i got a small but it'll last me two meals cause they are that generous with their portions. the small came out to be $5.40, what a steal! the bread was warmed up a bit, which i liked. they do it simple here but get it done right. i'll be back often! read more

Balboa Sub Shop - Small Italian cold cut for $5.40. Are you kidding me?! What a steal! O_o - Sandwiches Near Me - Northridge, California

This is probably the best sub place I've been to! The subs are amazing! They easily wipe out their competition! And super affordable! You won't be disappointed. I was skeptical at first but as soon as I walked in the door the smell had me hooked. The taste is even better!! read more

Balboa Sub Shop - Avocado, turkey, and Swiss sub - Sandwiches Near Me - Northridge, California

Great sandwiches with good prices. Had the pastrami and the turkey and both were really good and fresh. Will definitely be going back read more

Balboa Sub Shop - Pastrami with everything - Sandwiches Near Me - Northridge, California

Definitely not as quick as Subway. Hoping slow food makes for a tastier sub... (10 minutes later) ...sub is better than Subway. Conclusion, good place to come with someone for lunch as I could have been talking to them while I waited. For the quick out-of-office, back-to-office sub grab and eat at my desk it's just a step too slow. read more

The food is good but the owner is not a people person. I asked if my daughter and I could share a 10 inch sandwich but I don't like mayo etc. So can you put more stuff on her side? He said no. Buy another sandwich. I thought he was joking. Even my daughter said he just wants more money. And it's too pricey for what you get. I thought we'd support a local business. We will go elsewhere. read more

These are some quality sandwiches. For the amount of (cash only) money you're paying, you get a nice, filling and tasty meal. The menu isn't that big, but no matter what you pick up, always get some hot sauce to go with it. It adds a flavor to the sandwich that I couldn't find anywhere else. You can eat in if you want to, but the place is very small and usually has a pretty big lunch rush. If this place wasn't so far away from me, I'd be munching on those sammies a few times a week. A few things to keep in mind: It is strictly a lunch place, so they usually close at 5pm. Don't let the 90's vibe of the place turn you off. In fact, let it help you. Cash only. Hot sauce, always. When I leave LA, these are one of the places I will definitely dream about. read more

So maybe this is really a 4-star plussed up for cheap but with great quality, and it's been a quick walk for me for sure. So there's your grain of salt. But I feel like I owe it -- since I ate about 50 subs here over the course of a year. No misses in the bunch, which is worth something too. Best advice: Call ahead. There is only one sub man working the counter at a time. If you wait to order when you arrive, you'll wait 15+ minutes and feel annoyed for no good reason. Call ahead, and they'll happily start making your sandwich early. Walk in, pick it up, be happy. Also, say yes on the mustard & "relish" (which is mainly tomatoes & onions). Just do it. You can have it plain like your momma made tomorrow. read more

Sub are good. I can say I've had better but it's not bad. However, there should be more options on the menu. I feel that a place that is trying to attract customers would make it feel more lively. The clerk working there is really nice and friendly. I could say that most people might go back because of him but because there is a lot of competition, pick up your game. I'd really like to see this place succeed as it's close to my house. I might be wrong because they've been in business for over 35 years but times have changed and maybe the old way just isn't cutting it. read more

Balboa Sub Shop - Italian Cold Cut - Sandwiches Near Me - Northridge, California

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It's huge!!! Ha! It's really good stuff. A must try! If you're in the mood for a sub this place is the best place to go in town. read more

Balboa Sub Shop - Grilled chicken sandwich! - Sandwiches Near Me - Northridge, California

I really loved my sandwich! Great bread, meats, and other ingredients. What more can you ask for? I only wish I had found this place sooner. Thanks Mike, you made my day. Good to know there is a real sub shop still left around here. read more

Just finished my Turkey Bacon Avocado Swiss sub and I have to say it was a very good sandwich. Good quality ingredients. The guy there I guess is the owner, he's the only one there so be prepared to wait for him to make your sandwich. The shop is literally a hole in the wall, but it's clean so whatever. About 10 people could sit in the shop if they wanted. But just order your sandwich over the phone and go pick it up. The sandwich itself was interesting, he used mashed avocado and a kind of chopped tomato/onion/dill relish on top. The meat and cheese were good, too. Be careful, it's a little hard to eat because of the house dressing breaks down the bread a little. Either eat it there or have him cut it in 2/4. The half sandwich is huge. The whole sandwich is definitely enough for two adults. Enjoy! read more

My favorite sandwich shop in the valley. The ham avocado Swiss and teriyaki beef are my go to's. But everything on the menu is bomb.

There are definitely a few sub shops to choose from in this part of the valley, but Balboa Sub Shop is definitely up there. The 6 inch subs are more than enough but go for the 10 inch and save some for later. The meats are fresh and the bread is fresh. There is only one guy preparing the sandwiches so prepare to wait a minute if there are a few people ahead of you. Highly recommend to give this place a try as you will not be disappointed. read more

Not the same as used to be. The turkey was slimey and had no taste. Pastrami wasn't great at all either too fatty. Just not the same since Sam owned it. read more

Better than Subway Great prices Friendly Small selection Great sandwich, This was my first 10/25/12 and it was a pastrami with cheese $5.75 could of been a little more meat but it was real good when I added the Tapatio! bread was great . I HATE SUBWAY AND DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW PEOPLE EAT THERE!!!!! read more

Mike makes the best sandwich around. Make sure to ask about the tri tip. Perfect for your lunch break read more

Best handmade and homemade subs in the valley! So unique with the special spicy sauce and also special subs. Love this place and the owner is a cool guy to boot. It's always busy so have time or call your order in ahead and you won't be disappointed. Can't wait to go back! A+ read more

The only rival to Defrankos in my mind and I have never had a bad sandwich here. If you don't mind a more basic location with few frills this is so much better than mikes or subway. The bread is great and the pickle tomato onion relish is so tasty and perfect on a sub.. I know people love the spicy option as my wife always has hers that way. If you are looking for a substantial sub that shows the care given it. run don't walk to Balboa Subs. Beyond tasty and last time I moved I insisted on staying within lunch distance it's so good. The large is huge and yet manageable if you're hungry. Love this place. read more

Got two veggie sandwiches from here and they were the best! Filled with tons of vegetable. Vinaigrette is great!

Great sandwiches. Hole in a wall kind of restaurant but bomb food and service. Great little shop.

This is my favorite sub shop in the valley! Simply the best and the owner Mike is such a sweetheart. I love the special, it's amazing. read more

Balboa Sub Shop - The special. This is a small! - Sandwiches Near Me - Northridge, California

The sandwiches are deeeeelicious!! I got a cheese sandwich with all the veggies and loved it!! .. the guy behind the counter was super kewl too... just the place itself could use a little face lift, and it smelled kinda funky when we first walked in.. but all that is an easy fix!! read more

Good sandwich, good bread, good onion tomato mix. Once again. Buy better meat. Im not sure why sandwich places put the cheapest trash processed turkey in their sandwiches...THEN charge 12 bucks. They could easily be a 5 star place. The spicy sauce...idk...im not a fan. Owner says its a "secret". Im from LA....one taste and i know how they are making it. Anyhow. .. Come on guys....you are so close to excellence !! read more

Amazing subs! Definitely get a lot of food for what you pay. I got one cold and hot sub and each were very good. Highly recommend

Just went here for the first time and it was amazing! This place is probably one of the best sub shops I have been too. I will definitely be coming back here whenever I need my sandwich fix. read more