This place has quickly become my go-to sandwich shop. Good service. Clean. Good prices. Get the turkey avocado Swiss with hot sauce and you won't be disappointed. read more

I come here about 4 days a weeks, that's how good it is. The meats and cheese are all hand carved and extremely fresh, and all bread, is bought daily. Mike who now owns balboa sub's is a professional, with great customer service, and now a great friend. read more

Balboa Sub Shop - Mike's salads and sandwiches are pretty amazing. This is a "Mike's special" - Sandwiches Near Me - Northridge, California

I don't know what he puts in his subs whatever he's putting in his subs the subs is so good and nice and juicy's putting oils and all kinds of great stuff... you guys got to come try these subs I'm not lying read more

Balboa Sub Shop - Italian cold cut!!! - Sandwiches Near Me - Northridge, California

First time trying out this place Gotta tell you it's fresh and pretty good Right by roscoe Classic subs I enjoyed bacon Swiss turkey sandwich I'll be back soon for a visit Next I need to try their hot sauce everyone is talking about thanks ! read more

Good quality meat, crisp cold lettuce, ripe tomatoes pretty sure everything is cut to order ! Interesting but nice touch, we weren't charged for our food until we finished our meals. We live in Santa Clarita but we will definitely be coming back! read more

Never disappointed..THE SPECIAL SUB: worth every cent..BEST SUBS IN TOWN HANDS DOWN....i always recommend this place and everyone agrees

Hands down the BEST sandwiches in the valley! The owner is amazing and the food is always delicious and fresh!!! Love love love Balboa Sub!

I gotta say Balboa Subs is one of the best sub shops around! While it is a bit hard to find, the inside doesn't have much seating, and it may not be in the best of locations but their sandwiches make-up for all its shortcomings! Their sandwiches are always packed to the brim with meat and all the fixings and reasonably priced. The service is good, always friendly and attentive albeit a bit slow. But I definitely say check this place out! read more

The BEST sandwiches in the LA area. I came here ALL the time when I lived in the Valley. I miss those turkey sanwiches wtih avocado and spicy sauce. Everytime I come back into town, I try and stop for a yummy sandwich, and it's always better than I can remember. The owner and employees are always very nice. You will NOT be disappointed. =) read more

This place is awesome! Best sandwich in the valley for sure. As stated in other reviews, the shop is under new ownership. The new owner is a really nice guy and still makes an awesome sandwich! read more

Amazing subs! Tried the pastrami and.... OMG. Best Pastrami in the Valley. Look no further for an amazing sandwich with a ton of flavor, a lot of meat and superb bread! GIVE THIS PLACE A TRY! You won't regret it. read more

I have been coming here for years... They have changed owners a few times but the sandwiches have ALWAYS BEEN GREAT!!! Especially with the hot sauce. Today was no different. One of the best things is they always have Cactus Cooler nice and cold. This is a one man show so sometimes they open late, close early, or not even open at all but hey everyone has a life... I will always try my luck and come by and hopefully leave with a smile and BIG OL SANDWICH... Your best bet call in advance and order. read more

The girl who takes over Friday can't make a sandwich. Bread is never toasted and chewy, ordering is always wrong and never taste like when the owner does it I don't think I'll be back some how I always go on a friday. There's no ac and her response was... I work In other hot places so I'm used to it. #lasttime read more

Been coming to Balboa sub shop since 1989! Even though it's changed owners- it's still just as good as the first day I walked in there when I was 13! read more

Talk about waiting......sub par sandwich, not worth the wait. Avoid it unless you have plenty of spare time. The wait is horrendous.....

Mike the owner is always a pleasure to deal with. His subs are fantastic. Why, because the bread is fresh, he stylizes the subs with great meat, cheeses and fillings and customizes according to taste. The other sub stores fall very short in flavor and quality. This is a small place but packs alot of punch for those who want to compete! Prices are spot on as well.......... read more

Balboa Sub Shop has the greatest sandwiches that I've ever had in the valley. My go to sandwiches are the turkey, bacon, avocado, and swiss and the pastrami. The homemade hot sauce is what keep me coming back as it is very addicting! Mike, the owner and chef, is a very cool guy who is very easy to have conversations with. I like to come here often and it's a place that I suggest everyone should try at least once. read more

CALL AHEAD AND ORDER. Honestly this place threw me off. I did call ahead and order, was told 30 minutes and showed up around 25 minutes. My subs weren't ready, one dude was there working and making subs, I kinda rolled my eyes like 'Seriously??'. But then I got my subs. The one dude who works there is the owner, and he puts LOVE and attention to flavor and detail into each sub. The veggies and amazing relish he puts on the subs are very fresh and delicious, the bread's amazing and quality meats. He also smokes tri tip most days and sells it till its gone. I can't wait to try it. If you get a large, it's enough for 2 people. I live in Glendale, but I'll be back!!!! Often. ***he does put a lot of dressing on the sub, if you want your sub dryer, ask for lite dressing******* read more

My boyfriend and i were craving subs and came here. The bread is lightly toasted and is so delicious. I got the beef teriyaki and my bf got the pastrami. Both of us loved the food. We ordered the 10" and couldn't eat all of it. The sandwich was packed with all sorts of goodness. Good music and Mike is so great. 10/10 would come here again. Im already planning my next trip back here to try some other sandwiches read more

Since forever this place has been perfecting the simple art of submarine sandwhiches. The sandwhich post is pridefully manned by a single employee (Chan) who carefully crafts each sandwhich with great care, so be prepared to wait a minute. This is no frills, no decor, hole in the wall dining at its finest. The ingredients are top notch and the sandwhich options are simple and classic. No fussy nonsense. The bread is light, airy, and perfectly toasted. The tomatoes, red oninon and dill pickle are always fresh and finely diced to almost form a relish. Meats and cheeses are of high quality. Hot Sauce can be requested and compliments the veggies nicely. I highly reccomend the Teriyaki Beef sandwhich. It's one of those things you just can't explain. Its just awesome. As far as the price, you cannot beat this place. read more

Read the reviews here when looking for a good sandwich shop to try and I was not disappointed. Had the bacon, turkey and Swiss with all the fixin's and it was delicious! read more

Balboa Sub Shop - Large Bacon-turkey-Swiss - Sandwiches Near Me - Northridge, California

This is seriously the best sandwich you will have. The bread is amazing and then he handcrafts every sub. You may wait a minute or 2 longer but it is worth it. The pull pork is my favorite, truly amazing. The special is great as well. Make it spicy, you won't regret it. I travel all across the country and this is the best sub I have had, hands down. Great owner, great quality, good value. Tell your friends or better, bring them over. They will thank you. read more

Balboa Sub Shop - Their sandwiches are the bomb! - Sandwiches Near Me - Northridge, California

Stopped by here after the line at DeFranko's was out the door and around the corner.. good second option. The food was solid, the service eh, just ok. The owner does it all here it seems like, so not sure if he's rushed, overwhelmed or what have you, but I didn't care for his attitude. Thankfully for him and my starving self I personally didn't get much from him, but I did see him interact with three other patrons and someone on the phone while I waited on my food and he sounded like I would talk to dumb customers (but customers after all) if I owned a business (reason why I don't). My first visit was a few months ago, and though it was good eats, haven't been back since. read more

Best sub sandwich I had in a long time! Totally worth the wait. Call ahead to order.

Not a fancy place. Looks like a frat boy's idea of a sandwich shop (complete with cartoons always playing). But this hole in the wall sure is delicious. The owner takes pride in his food and that's what counts. Is there a better sub in the valley? If so, I haven't found it. read more

Eating Italian subs is kinda my hobby. I try to explore a new subshop once a week. This place has been on my radar for a long time but usually I do my sub shop tasting on Sunday's and unfortunately this gem is closed on Sunday's. Finally got to try them today, got an Italian sub to go, extra spicy. Def my new favorite spot. I've tried A LOT of sub shops, there's a lot of good ones, but this is an A+++ My only complaint is that I didn't get two subs... because now I want another one. read more

First time going to Balboa Subs. I was amazing! Definitely reccomend the Intalian and teriyaki beef sub. Next trip will be for the pastrami. read more

I can't believe this place is hidden in such a tiny lil corner where no one can see. =( I would have never known about this place until I took a wrong turn in the parking lot. I love me some subs, something about a nice turkey sandwich makes my day. I walked into this shop I was greeted by a very friendly man, took a look at the menu and knew exactly what I wanted. Turkey please..:) The man asked me what I wanted on the sub and while he made my sandwich we chatted. He was quite friendly I must say. Took my sub took a bite and yummy..I really liked the bread how it had sesame seeds on it my only suggestion though the onions I really didn't like the way they were chopped too small I like my onions chopped like in circles. Overall the ingredients were fresh, the sub was delicious and oh and all this hot sauce nonsense that everyone keeps talking about on Yelp..yeahhh nooo thanks on the hot sauce for me too hot and not on a sub. I'll pass. :) read more

Excellent quality sandwiches. Wide variety of options. Amazing steamed bread. Mike (the owner) is truly passionate about his craft. This is my favorite sub shop in the valley by far. They also do smoked meat sandwiches that are unbelievable!! Try the hot sauce--tangy, delicious! read more

4 foods you really need to earn my respect to get the 5***** are: Ribs Pizza Sushi Subs. After 2 months since bookmarked, and since I have no life on a weekday at 11.30am really wanted to come down from porter ranch and try the "special". I'm still smelling/licking my fingers after washing them 3 times. Category breakdown: Location/ambiance. Crap and none, who cares. move on. Time: always come to places that are popular like this around 11am, because I hate people and waiting in line for food. Plus, like a brunch---1 meal all I need till dinner, especially after here. Service: took 15 minutes to make, and I like that. I would rather wait for quality instead of mass assembly line out the door and have my ass shipped out with a $7 piece of crap sub. Nice guy, presumed owner behind the counter. Price: For the gigantic portion you get (about the size length wise of a jersey mike's giant, but loaded I mean LOADED with everything, its $10.50 plus tax. So same price as mike's, about 2x as packed. That's the large; they also have a smaller size for about 9 bucks I think. Food: Ive been to Dan's Subs on Ventura, San Carlo deli in Chatsworth. Sherman Way and Canoga boasts the famous Cavaretta's. Well, this lil' place kicks all their asses to the littered valley curbs... Hell, I've even tried the legendary Bay Cities in Santa Monica and their constipated parking lot. No contest. The pictures of "the special" by fellow yelpers made the choice easy, didn't even ask what was inside. Turns out you have diced roast beef, a tasty ground beefsteak meat, and pastrami I believe, all hot. I ate it so fast when I got home don't know. Oh, and there freaking BACON in it too. All the fixings, a delicious soft sesame roll, and it was spectacular in every sense. Loaded with provolone, a ton of meat, chopped/diced pickles, tomatoes, red onions....wow.If it wasn't this far down and out of the way, I'd come every week. A large can easily feed 2 regular people. (I'm not one of those.) 4 hours have passed and I feel like my tummy is still carrying their special/baby. They have a great variety, but a no-brainer for me to take the special down. I drove home took 15 minutes to go, and still tasted ridiculously good even lukewarm. Imagine how good if I ate it there. The only thing missing was a signature dressing, but still earns the immortality mark from me. Add a little red wine vinegar for icing on the....er sub. B-R-A-V-O rankings of subs: 1) Balboa Subs (even though only tried 1 sub...all I need) 2) Dans subs (great variety, solid subs, good portions, steamed bread) 3) Cavaretta's (corned beef hard to beat, best dressing by far of any place) 4) Bay Cities (best bread by far, but just too damn far...horrible parking during peak hours) 5) San Carlo....ok but limited meats; no corned beef or pastrami. 6) Jersey Mike's.....the best of the crap-3 major chain sub shops. Sliced on site, great, but hardly makes a difference. 7) Jimmy Johns=As useless as the name, tried once cant be more vanilla. 8) Subway=Too many jokes to write. Hey, can someone tell them you didn't invent avocadoes on a sandwich quit acting like it on your lame-ass commercials? read more

Changed owners.. Not the same. Don't waste your time. In fact not knowing I was talking to the new owner I was told that jerry the previous owner was on vacation.. Next time I went in jerry was off that day.. Third time I walked in asked bout jerry was told he would be in later.... Not a way to run a business. I wish jerry good luck.. Miss your subs! read more

This is a really great sub shop. As Nate F. says, hole in the wall sandwich shop. I was looking for something bigger, and so if you drive around, drive carefully. The shop is in a strip mall complex next to the KFC/McDs/RiteAid, all the way at the end. It's small inside, and the complex doesn't look great, but the sandwiches are delicious! For about the same price as Subway, you can get an even tastier sandwich. So if you're in the Valley, make a trip here and you won't regret it. read more

This place has had some frequent owner ship changes in the past 4 years or so. The recipe has always been there but the preparation and quality was lacking. The last couple times I came into town to visit LA I would not even come to eat here. I heard that it had changed owners again so I said I would try it again. The latest change of owners has been for the better and I hope he stays for a while. The quality and love put into the sandwich is back to the high standards of the original owner Sammy. If you are looking for a quality gourmet sandwich then this hidden gem is the place to go. I have traveled and lived around the world and have never found any sandwich shop close to the quality here. Teriyaki Beef with Avocado is my preferred choice. read more

so i went to dine in at Balboa Subs because i had some time. i ordered a small Cold Cut, but this time he asked if i wanted it spicy. who doesn't want an Italian sub spicy? so i said "yea sure" and he proceeded to fill the orders of others ahead of me as well as my own. i'll spare the other petty details this time, but my sandwich was pretty much covered in this hot sauce. i didn't know what to think, so i just started eating. now if you DO like hot sauce, i recommend trying it. but if you don't, don't even think about it. i actually liked the taste of this hot sauce and when i was done with my sandwich, i was about 2 minutes away from licking the paper dry. it has the flavor of a mixture of Louisiana hot sauce and Tapatio. the drawback to this hot sauce is that it masks pretty much all the flavor of whatever your sandwich is, because the sauce is pretty strong in flavor itself. read more

Great Sandwich spot. Though there have been a few ownership changes, the sandwiches have remained the same. I usually get the Turkey, Avocado, Bacon and Swiss. Fresh ingredients. Been coming here for over 15 years and I make sure to stop in if I'm in the area. I come for the nostalgia. Ask for spicy and make sure to call in ahead. They get super busy. read more

Thanks to mike when I crave a sandwich nothing will satisfy me unless I stop by the shop ! I don't care what anyone else recommends / where my friends drag me to get "the best sandwich ever" NOTHING and I mean NOTHING beats this place! read more

Best sandwiches ever. Always toasted just enough and if you prefer they will make it spicy.

If you don't mind having your sandwich put together with the meticulousness (and time taken) of Hong Kong tailor hand-needling a suit, this is the place for you. The quality of the sandwich will be worth it. I've had a cold cut combination, and my son has had some kind of super salami thing. Fresh, fresh, fresh, and tasty. But I'd budgeted shorter time, so had to eat quickly. Next time, more time. read more

Absolutely hate working in this shitty city, there's nothing but countless 7-11's and fast food restaurants, also that pungent smell what surrounds Northridge. The one great thing mind you is this place, the owner is very nice and creates a phenomenal sub sandwich. A little pricey but you know what, it's worth it for that smile and peace of mind knowing you aren't going to be blowing up the bathroom after having eaten those double XXL nachos from Taco Bell. read more

This place is a hidden gem! My brother and I come here all the time. Once you try this place you won't want to step foot in a subway again. Mike (the owner) values his customers and always makes sure we are satisfied. I recommend the club sandwich. read more