Let me start with the fact that this is no longer actually the original Slack's Hoagie Shack. Much…read moreof the food and the recipes are the same, but the entire business has been rebranded as Phastbreak Cheesesteaks, around a sports-based, basketball-centric theme, and the owner has changed, as well as the vibe of the restaurant. This isn't necessarily a negative, as everyone that we encountered was extremely nice and eager to show us the wonderful new things they were offering now that they had taken ownership of the business. While the menu has definitely expanded, it almost seems like there may be too much on offer now, as some of the items are not up to par of the quality that I have grown used to having frequented Slack's over the past five years.
We were greeted immediately by one of the owners who very enthusiastically asked us what we were looking for and introduced us to a bunch of the people working, including one of the original chefs I have seen over many years coming here, so I had assumed our meal would be in great hands once we got it home and were able to relax and enjoy. However, something is different; not completely sure how, but there seems to be something missing in the sauce of the pizza. They also generously offered to send us home with some crab soup after getting into a long conversation about what the restaurant would be carrying over with the new branding.
So, everything service-wise was amazing and I cannot fault the owners or the people working for anything we experienced because everyone was absolutely outstanding, very nice, and excited about the menu, the restaurant, and everyone that was coming in. However, the soup was extremely salty, and I mean almost inedible salty, and I have no problem eating anything. It was enough that I had to stop and couldn't finish even a small portion. The pizza, while very beautiful looking and smelling delicious was lacking something intangible. The crust wasn't exactly as I had imagined, and as I had stated earlier, something was simply off with the sauce, along with the veggies being slightly underdone, which is very important on a veggie pizza.
Overall, we will be giving Phastbreak another try. You cannot go wrong with a pedigree like Slack's and the soup and square pizza has kept us coming there for years when we happen to be nearby, especially when on our way back home from the Springfield area. Maybe it was just an off day, or that they had recently taken over and "re-opened", but I cannot say that anything I had was all that impressive, which saddened me after knowing that Slack's will never be back; and it's a possibility that could also be a part of it. Though, all that said, you should give them a shot on your own and determine for yourself if they for your bill as the menu is extensive and I'm sure you'll find something on there you may be interested in.
