Once my friends read this, they will unfriend me in real life. This is because I went here on not one but two recommendations. If either of you read this, and you know who you are, I'm sorry, I have to be objective. One person told me that I have to check this place out. I asked another person if she'd been here. She answered she had, I asked if it was any good, she said: "not good, fabulous!" It's decided then! Carl's is where I would get my dinner that day. I parked a little bit down the street, and I swear I could smell this place all the way down there! Location is tiny, when I say it's tiny, I mean you wouldn't be able to eat your sub standing up. They did have some tables set up outside, but if you, like me, don't like eating outside, be prepared to take your stuff to go. I had ordered a small steak sub with extra cheese, with veggies which included onions, peppers and something else I can't remember. As it turns out whether or not I remember exactly what it was is not important to this review. They told me it was 15 minutes, I come back in 10 and I am handed a sub. I go home eager to try it. It was wrapped up really nicely to prevent it causing a mess while it is being transported. Turns out, they gave me someone else's sub. Oops. There are three pieces of evidence to prove this: The time on the check was five minutes before I place my order. There were mushrooms and onions, which didn't seem like the veggies I ordered. And there wasn't extra cheese, not on the sub or check. OK, OK, mistakes happen, I'm not too upset. So from here on out, I assume that the sub I got it as a sub I ordered. First, in terms of the veggies, I did like them, and especially I like that they were mixed into the meat, and were not super chunky. However, while I will not go as far as saying that there was a lack of veggies, just tiny bit more would have been good for my taste. In terms of cheese, even though this specific sub did not have extra cheese because of the mess up, I thought it could've used some more. If you read my reviews you know that I am a stickler for consistency. The cheese on the sub was only towards one side. Now, the sub even though it was a small, was a very generous size. As such one bite would have cheese and one would not. As for the meat, I personally thought it would be different. Well, the meat wasn't bad, I wouldn't say it was great either. It almost seemed like they house ground steak, grilled it, mixed in the veggies and put it inside the sub. I was expecting something of a more steaky consistency, and not a beefy one. Additionally, I would have liked the meat to be cooked just a little bit less, just to preserve some more juiciness. In terms of seasoning, the meat was well seasoned, but a little more pepper would not have hurt. I do hope to return to this place to give them one more shot. read more

The reviews don't lie. This place is tiny. The only way to eat here is outside if they have the tables and chairs set up. Aside from that and the lack of good parking, this place makes some delicious and filling sandwiches! I ate here recently for the first time and had the Mushroom Steak with cheese, peppers and onions. I ordered a small and it filled me up for the day. It was delicious, flavorful and not greasy at all. The service was fast and friendly. I hope to try more sandwiches from Carl's in the future! read more

Carl's Steak Subs - Mushroom Steak with cheese, peppers and onions - Sandwiches Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

Awesome Cheesesteak! We used to live in Philly, these rival Jim's on South Street and blow away Pat's and Geno's hands down! The staff is good overall, just one guy who runs register and works at another one of their locations could use some in-depth customer service skills training. This cat always acts like he'd rather be somewhere else and as if he's doing the customers of Carl's a favor. Love this place, especially when they don't run out of sub rolls and potato chips. Great little business they have going there. Thanks for great cheesesteaks every time. Update- Got 2 cheese steaks the other day and they blew! Watched a new guy working the flat top and my hunch was right, things didn't work out as they usually do. This experience was odd, food was cold and both portions were far from consistent. Sad to the point that it seemed like someone new took over the business. Asked for jalapeños as we usually do and they got plopped on top, not sautéed with the peppers and onions as they've always done before. Very clunky this time around. Hmmmm Went back Jan 29th (glutton for punishment?). What I witnessed was terrible food handling practices. The sad part is that either the owner or manager was there when this was taking place. The young man who was running register taking and handling money and credit cards with his rubber gloves on then was handling food, even ready to eat. He went from the cash register with gloves on to handling cheese, bacon and ham and not once did he change his gloves the entire time. He then proceeded to handle fresh sub rolls, then back to meats, cheeses and running the cash register again. This place will get flipped upside down if the health department comes in or someone ends up getting ill due to their lack of food handling practices/knowledge. Looks as though all employees there need some training and all should have to get Super Safe Mark certified as legit food handling providers. Scary! read more

Great local spot where the menu is simple and the subs are how you remember from being a kid: Big and plentiful.

I've had several of their steak subs, mad amigo wraps (steak and chicken) and also their quesadillas. Everything has been fantastic. A large sub is huge. Large subs or even one of the steak wraps will leave most with leftovers. Fun Fact: recently traveled to Philadelphia for the first time, of course needed to try an authentic Philly Cheese Steak. The one I had was good, but Carl's was most definitely better. That should tell you all you need to know. Tips: Call ahead and don't be surprised when the people working there look angry. And don't listen to the haters on here telling you they're the same as your local pizza shop steak and cheese. They're not. read more

Amazing subs and wraps. Their burritos are great and fill you up. I would definitely recommend!

First subs are awesome but their is some much business that the staff does not care. Everytime we have ordered we have 5+ subs and each time they do not take the time to identify what each subs contains. Wwe have to dig through and bite through nad exchange. If this happened one time totally understand but it happens every time more than 3 subs. That is lack of attention to detail, lacks any understanding or caring of the client experience. read more

I have eaten here a few times being in Waltham. I have to say the prices have gotten insane. At this point- its not worth it to eat here anymore because of what you have to pay v. what you get. I was very disappointed in not only the quality, but how pricey it was. read more

The Cherry-Bomb Steak Sub is powerful. So crazy and powerful. And I only got a small sized one too. This thing will KILL A MAN. A+. read more

It's been around for many years, have enjoyed there food all the way back when their dad started the business . Never disappointed alway busy . Was just a steak place back in the day. They have gotten a bigger menu over the years. read more

Just purchased a sm sub and selected No Tip on the cc machine. A couple of days later I checked my bank statement and found a $5.00 tip they issued themselves?? Wtf? Never going back!! Total fail! read more

I'm super picky about my steak and cheese subs but this place nails it every single time!

Amazing sandwiches. I would give it 4.5 stars. I had the Mexican and the wife had a steak, cheese, and mushroom.. One kid had the BBQ and one kid had just a plain chicken cutlet with Mayo. Everything was amazing. read more

Carl's Steak Subs - I had the Mexican and it was great. Very spicy . - Sandwiches Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

Best and largest steak and cheese sub around, haven't found one better yet. I'd recommend it to anyone but go with an appetite, a small sandwich is much bigger than any place else's large read more

Terrific steak. Get the special one with sausage! Delicious. Grew up in Philly and these guys do it right. Great service too. Go for it! A great spot. read more

Before coming here, I was asked if I was ready to have the best steak n cheese of my life, and let's just say the expectation was met

Great steak and cheese subs. Always hot and fresh. Good quality meat, would buy from again. Don't change Carl's!

Another local legend, everyone knows they have the best shaved steak subs around. No nonsense, big portions, good prices.

Excellent spot for the best cheesesteaks in town. Right of the main drag, Carl's is quick, delicious and absolutely gut busting in the best way possible. Chicken stir fry? Awesome. Pepper steak? Even better. read more

My homegirl Ana P insisted that we go here. She got her regular M.O.A.B and I ordered the Smokin Chipotle with: steak, rice, black beans, bbq sauce, BACON, spicy chipotle sauce, melted cheddar and jack cheese, lettuce and tomato with sour cream, guacamole and salsa on the side. BOMB!! #napfood I couldn't finish it... healthy serving sizes read more

Carl's Steak Subs - Smokin chipotle - Sandwiches Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

What a great place for a burrito or a steak sandwich. A typical 'been around for a while' sandwich shop with a surprisingly pleasant offering of nachos, quesadillas, and burritos. Now, let's get our heads right about Carl's. Is it five star dining? Nope. Do they offer vegan and gluten free options? No. But, umm, corn chips are gluten free and meat is gluten free, so get creative. Is it the greatest Mexican food I have ever had? No, but it's tasty and filling. This place is a NO FRILLS, sit on the patio furniture outside, grab a drink from the sliding door cooler with a bag of chips kind of place. And please note, no indoor seating, so if it's inclement, take the order to go. And ladies, listen. Put your cool chick pants on and pony up to the sandwich counter. The main demographic is the young, healthy bachelor coming here for lunch. Mostly blue collar chaps from the local businesses (i.e. car repair joint next door). Because if I were a guy or a lesbian, I would be impressed by a girl who isn't too dainty to order a gut bomb from Carl's and woof it down in the balmy 59 degree weather under grey skies of Waltham trying to keep up with the delicious juice, cheese, and sauce dripping all over the place with the tissue paper napkins that you always forget before you leave the counter. It's what love stories are made of!!! Better yet, leave your plastic bag the sandwich comes in on the table and wait for a gust of wind. That thing will fill up like a helium balloon. Then suddenly, one of the gentlemen regulars will jump up to help you get control of your lunch paraphernalia before your guacamole drops out in the sidewalk and you have to eat your chips plain. I had the steak M.O.A.B. (Mother Of All Burritos) burrito. It is not carne asada, don't get crazy. They use the same steak as the sandwich steak, but it works with nice spice. My husband had a steak sandwich with 'Porky' in the name. Quite excellent. Steak, bacon, and cheese. And don't be like me and let pieces of lunch run down your hands and shirt. I'll be remembering this burrito for the rest of the day until I throw my clothes in the wash with a lot of Oxyclean. It was awesome! read more

Carl's Steak Subs - Dining al fresco in Waltham! - Sandwiches Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

I was at a friend's place in Waltham to watch a hockey game and before the first face off of the game (it opposed the Bruins to the Penguins if you must know - the same game where Matt Cook gave Savard a concussion), we were hungry and decided to drive over to Carl's for some subs. I had never been to Carl's before and was given absolutely no heads up as to the size of their subs. I took a quick glance at the menu and settled for their Buffalo Bomber, large. I paid $7.50 and saw them stuff something like 15 chicken cutlets into a sub roll, which was later on drenched in both buffalo sauce and bleu cheese sauce. They also had lettuce and tomato. Never in my life had I ever seen a sub that massive. The thing was absolutely gigantic. I held it in both hands, and waited until we got home to eat it. Needless the say, that although I was starving, I did not get very far. I barely ate half and was full to the brim. It was very good, but almost too big. I felt bad, how could they make money on that thing? Seriously. This could have easily fed the both of us, and my friend just looked at me and grinned. I just had never seen subs that big... ever. The place is tiny but service is friendly and efficient. It's affordable and fairly convenient. The only hiccup is that there's no parking there but you can park on the street fairly easily. read more

For Americanized Mexican food, Carl's is pretty amazing and a MUCH better restaurant than Margarita's and Moe's. I've had burritos, subs, and quesadillas, and all were delicious!!! Their "Mother of all Burritos" (MOAB) is to die for. Their portions are HUGE and very reasonably priced. Each side comes with a bag of freshly made chips and they're never too greasy or oily. The food is fresh, perfectly spiced, and prepared with care. Their food is also very consistent. Their staff is really friendly and I've never had a negative experience at Carl's. And although they do not have a lot of space inside the store, I usually pick it up to go and the food's quality does not diminished once its packaged. I once got a burrito around noon and did not eat it until about 4 - still tasted great. Overall, with a friendly staff and excellent food, Carl's is a wonderful restaurant. read more

Carl's Steak Subs - My Veggie Baja Burrito from tonight - Sandwiches Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

I came here the other day with my parents because we heard it was the best cheesesteaks to eat in MA & although the food was good we were disapointed with the quality of the food AFTER cooking. We ordered 3 cheesesteaks, one for each of us. Mine being with pickles & mayo (because I have food allergies), my Dad's being with pickles, hots & mayo and my Mom's having peppers & onions with mayo. We waited like 30-ish minutes for our food & then when it came there was peppers & onions on ALL of the sandwiches, the bread was soaked on me & my dad's sandwiches from the toppings & my moms had no mayo or cheese. To top it all off, I couldn't even eat mine because I'm allergic to peppers & onions. We rate it a 4/10 because the food was good & the people seemed nice but it was sloppy & not put together well. If you come here definetly ask for the toppings on the side! read more

Perfect steak N cheeses. Large portions, fair prices. A very small restaurant with a simple concept.

The best steak and cheese sub I've ever had. This is well worth the trip. It opens at 11 and we got there at 11:05 and there was already 4 people ahead of us. No place to eat inside though, so you gotta take it to go, or eat at their outdoor seating. read more

I love their subs! If you are close to this place you definitely have to try it! They have many different flavors. My favorite sub is Hawaiian Chicken. It contains grilled chicken, ham, pineapple, Teriyaki sauce, melted American cheese. I do not like pineapples that is why I asked them to remove them from my sub. And anyway it tasted great! They have some tables outside if you would like to eat there. It is kind of crowded during lunchtime. It is a small sub place but it is my favorite one. You have to give it a try! And the prices are fair. The large subs are enough for two people. read more

$14.73 for a large cheese steak and mushroom??? Big disappointment. Tasty but not worth $15 for a sub read more

Carl's Steak Subs - Large cheese steak with mushrooms - Sandwiches Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

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Wow! These were some of the best steak subs we've had in a long long time. The Carls Special and the Chipotle sub were great. We had a great talk with the owner. It's a small place with no indoor seating but there's a few tables outside. They definitely do not skimp in the meat! We will definitely come back next time in the Boston area. read more

I've tried twice on two separate days(Sunday and today) to order Carls through Postmates which I've been able to do several times before. In both cases the order was canceled because Carl's was closed...both times in the middle of prime dinner time...not at all impressed. I tried calling both times and the phone just rings. I love their food but can't always get to that side of Waltham so when they partnered with Postmates I was excited. I'm not excited anymore as I'm not sure they are even open anymore read more

My husband and I really like the subs from this place, according to my husband, this place redefines what a sub is

Best cheese steak in town. They make them huge and they are always good. I would definitely recommend getting the Carl's steak special or steak bomb. read more

The shop itself is a small hole in the wall. The subs itself are massive coming in 2 sizes. A small and a large. The large can easily feed two people. I tried the chipotle steak bomb today and it was okay. I wouldn't say it's the best steak and cheese I've ever had but it's not the worst. It's decent if you're craving it and in the area. I wouldn't drive out of my way for it. Also it's a little costly about $15 for a large sub and about $12 for the smaller size. read more

Wow, just had a large Mexican steak and cheese sub, this thing weighed about 2lbs. Great flavor, super inexpensive, great service. It's not a meal the heart can handle daily, but when you're feeling ravenous, this place should be at the top of your list. read more

Carl's Steak Subs - Large mexican steak and cheese, $8 = no joke - Sandwiches Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

Soooo delicious! Every sub is huge and is basically two meals. Highly recommended. Just make sure you grab enough napkins!

Incredible subs, a lot of meat. Takes just like philly cheesesteaks. Definitely worth going to. Best sub place in the area

Visited this spot today...and while the place is tiny, the food it not. I did another review on Carl's Brother's place in Acton, MA called T.C.Lando's: http://www.yelp.com/biz/t-c-landos-sub-and-pizzeria-of-acton-acton#hrid:f9z_SRgjpu4qN3p9gF4T3w ...there is another brother in Leominster with a place called Tory's, but haven't been to that one. ...and if I had to give the edge one way or the other, it would be with T.C.'s. However, if you've had the Steak N Cheese at one of these places, you've had one at the other. Really loaded Steak Sub, with soft, fresh bread...and any fixings you're heart desires. Well...your mouth desires...your heart might object to some of their meaty-cheesy subs! Carl's does not have pizza like T.C.'s does...but they do have Burritos. (Which I think T.C. is planning on doing if they haven't already). If you're anywhere near the Waltham area...hit it up and give it a go. I've met few who didn't care for their subs... ...most people would beat up those that didn't. read more

If I had gone to college at Bentley, I'd be going to Carl's like it was a ritual. Basically, what you need to know: cheap, good, and unhealthy. Everything you want as a college student or a middle-aged adult like me who still acts like he's in college! I was visiting a friend in Boston and we went to Carl's for lunch. They have quite a few options on the menu but I went with the kamikaze because I've never seen anything like it. Steak, cheese, bacon, ham, pepperoni, BBQ sauce on a huge hoagie...yep kamikaze in my stomach! The small is more than enough to feed you, I couldn't even finish it all. We also got the jack fries which are a generous portion of fries smothered in Monterey jack cheese. Definitely enough for two people to share. I would call ahead and put in your order because they can get pretty busy at peak times. There also are only one or two tables outside so it's more of a takeout place. Put it on your list if you're looking for a quick and delicious meal! read more

I ordered chicken MOAB and it was delicious. I tried again second time with Buffalo chicken burrito and that was good too!

I'm embarrassed to say I've lived here for 3+ years and didn't try Carl's until recently because they don't deliver. Don't let that deter you - I've tried them a couple times now and I'm convinced. Nacho steak is unreal, the pico is amazing and the whole thing just works together. Not sure what else to say, you need to try it to understand. Bottom line: get it today. read more