The bread. The bread for these subs is what makes them really really good. It has the right level of chewyness, crustiness, and saltiness for the subs. The insides of the subs are as good as any other place, but the bread is really what makes these subs delicious. Look, at the end of the day, what do you expect out of a sub place? Ambience? Decor? This place delivers where it needs to. I dont care about the fries, which are fine standard steak fries but can be greasy. Remember, its the bread that makes this place so delicious. read more

I've only been there once, so take this for what it's worth. I was in Squirrel Hill yesterday looking for a place to grab a bite to eat and saw this spot. They had a veggie portabella sub which caught my eye. I'm an omnivore, but was feeling like having something a little less heavy than the meat options, so I opted for this sandwich. Big mistake! This portabella sandwich with provolone tasted more like Chinese food on a roll than anything close to an Italian sandwich. The mushrooms were fried in way too much corn oil, fully saturating the bread to the point where it couldn't be held together as a sandwich. The provolone cheese was very low quality - pretty much tasteless and did nothing for me. I find that often sandwich shops will have a vegetarian option just for the purpose of offering herbivores something edible while their friends enjoy the "real" menu. The fact that a sandwich lacks meat shouldn't have to mean that it lacks flavor. If you guys are knowingly making vegetarian sandwiches that you wouldn't eat, that's not a symptom of them being veggie sandwiches but a demonstration of your lack of willingness to take the time to figure out how to make a tasty veggie option. Figure it out! read more

I've had my fair share of subs. This isn't something I'm proud of, it's merely a fact. I've traveled through Oakland, most of the East Suburbs, Downtown, and Monroeville. Of all the sandwiches I've enjoyed over the years, some of my favorites are being made at Uncle Sam's Subs, in Squirrel Hill. Uncle Sam's Subs has a wide variety of selections that can be seen on their wall-mounted menu. Among some of the offerings are: The Mediterranean ($4.15), zucchini, tomatoes, grilled onions, black olives, cucumbers, tomatoes and lettuce, The Roma Vegetable Sub ($4.15), broccoli, green beans, mushrooms, zucchini, and sweet peppers, The Vegetable Florentine ($4.15), spinach, sweet peppers and fontina cheese. If you're more of a carnivore, you can go for the Steak Sub ($4.05), The Cheese-Steak Sub ($4.30), The Pepper Mushroom Steak Sandwich ($4.65), Steak and Egg Sub ($4.30), Capicolla and Cheese Sub ($4.15), or the Chicken Cheese Steak ($4.65). Although all of the sandwiches are good, I always opt for the "Ultras." These are pretty much the same sandwiches as above, but with extra everything! Extra meat, cheese, toppings=extra YUM. All of the sandwiches are prepared in front of you, on a flat grill. The steak, chicken, or other protein is grilled, cheese melted, then the sandwich is built...fresh and tasty! You can choose between regular or whole wheat bread for your sandwich. I recommend the whole wheat- it has a hearty texture and great flavor. It also helps me rationalize ingesting a few thousand calories at one sitting. One more thing...the fries...oh the fries...they're crisp, salty, and starchy; a must if you're ordering one of these colossal sandwiches. Uncle Sam's Subs also offers a wide variety of domestic and imported beers. If you're a fan of good subs, give Uncle Sam's Subs a try. The fun atmosphere and great food will likely have you coming back for more. read more

Uncle Sam's Submarines - Uncle Sam's Subs! - Sandwiches Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

I'm not sure why everyone geeks out over Uncle Sam's. The subs are OKAAAYY, the fries are pretty good, you have to pay for refills and no credit cards? What year is this? Of course, sweet potato fries trump all of my complaints. Carry on. read more

Someone once told me that you could tell that a restaurant was exception from the fact that it was cash only. Why else would customers (especially college students) put up with the inconvenience? Uncle Sam's is the proof of this. I came here a lot to order the ultra uncle sam's special and it was phenomenal. The beef is super juicy, it's loaded with cheese, onions and peppers. The bread is great and if you keep it around too long it'll soak up all of the meat juice and fall apart on your lap. But it's sooo good. And they give you all of the fries you could ever ask for. Top notch place. It's also right by a PNC ATM (though there's an ATM inside too if you want to pay a ridiculous fee). And right by the Murray and Forbes bus stop. So good. Definitely stop by for a meal. read more

This place seems like somewhat of an anachronism in an era where nearly every single eatery out there accepts credit cards and stays open past 8pm, but it's okay, because their subs are amazing. Sure, you only get fries with your sub if you dine in and you'll have to go to the PNC next door to get cash to pay for your food, but once you get that sub with a pile of fries next to it, you won't care. The subs are large and can be split among two people if you aren't too hungry, but they do say they charge for refills on your soda at certain places. Someone mentioned that the fries are like crack, and this is most definitely true. They're the thin greasy kind that doesn't get all hard and nasty when they cool down, and you never really have enough of them. I end up getting the ultra Philly cheesesteak every time I come around here. Their filet mignon sub is just alright in comparison, because it doesn't really matter if filet mignon is a more tender cut of steak if it ends up getting thinly sliced up the same. Uncle Sam's "special" bread definitely grows on you and is the perfect sub bread. Regardless of its superficial shortcomings, Uncle Sam's is one of the very few reasons why I would even want to go back to Pittsburgh. read more

Never disappointed at Uncle Sam's. The portions are good, the steak is better than any pizza shop steak hoagie I've had. If you eat in, you get free fries. The staff was quiet, but nonetheless friendly. Actually got a window seat for the first time, and it was a Saturday. I have a very finicky 13 year old daughter, brought her here years ago and remember her being dismayed that they didn't offer chicken fingers lol. Now, that's not a problem. Even though she got the cheesesteak plain, it looked and apparently tasted pretty darn good. You get a lot of food for the price. Definitely worth it if you're in Squirrel Hill. read more

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The thought of the Philly Steak sandwich with the hot fries make me salivate. I was introduced to this sandwich hotspot in the 1990s. I make every effort to stop at this establishment everytime I am in the Pittsburgh area. I still dream about the delicious taste of the sandwich with the fresh hot fries. read more

Everything a sub place should be. Perfect fries. How many other places can you honestly say that about? Its always too oily or too salty or too big. But never here at Uncle Sam's! Uncle Sam's special was hearty enough to feed both of us - fresh bread, plenty of LTM and yummy steak & cheese. Warm and filling. And fast too. Love it. Only complaint was that the tea was obviously forgotten about during the brewing process... too bitter. Not sure if that's my texan southern tea high expectations talking though. read more

YUM! I got a pepper steak Philly cheese steak and my boyfriend got the steak and mushroom. Both were so great and moist, but at times was a little lacking in flavor. The meat could have been spiced more (more salted, even), but they make up for it with the crunchy yet chewy bread and delicious fries. They have this great mysterious spice that you can throw onto your fries and your sandwich -- it's in an orange container with the salt. I have no idea what it is but it is ridiculously yummy and makes your fries finger lickin' good! read more

Strong Pre-Game Primanti's Substitue Sandwich! Been to Pittsburgh more than a few times, and it was always the tourist trap Primanti's or what has been called the best restaurant in town Nakama Japanese. This time I went with a suggestion from some other Pittsburghers. Not that Primanti's or Nakama are bad at all, but it was just time for a change. Enter: Uncle Sam's Subs. Been around since the early 70's so you would think they know what they are doing, and they in fact do. Don't get me wrong, you are not going to be blown away by anything they do here, but you will get a pretty damn good sandwich & fries for under $10. I went with the cheese steak/mushrooms, and as others have said here, it will not disappoint. Order up, sit down, they bring you the sandwich and a side of fries in minutes. Wrap up; Certainly not a gourmet restaurant, but a real good sandwich real quick for real cheap. Also a lighter (a lead brick would be lighter) than a Primanti's monster! read more

Long time favorite place of mine. I stick with the Cheese Steak and can never finish a full one. If you order in, you get fries included. They usually have some cheaper specials for kids. read more

I wasn't impressed. The cheesesteaks were okay, but not great, the fries were meh, the mushrooms were canned. But, the sweet potato fries were inedible because the oil they were cooked in was either burned or old. They smelled and tasted nasty. On top of all that, the restaurant was dirty. The tables weren't wiped down and there was food debris and condiment stains on the tables. The worst sin was when I asked for cheese whiz on my steak and the server told me that was disgusting - by the way, that cheese sauce they serve (and charge extra for) IS cheese whiz. Never tell a former Philly girl that whiz on a cheese steak is disgusting! I won't be back. read more

What Yinzer doesn't like Uncle Sam's? With direct, but poor competitions in two other chains not too far, Uncle Sam's really has nothing to worry about in my opinion. Here are some reasons: 1) Weekday Specials 2) Free fries when you eat in (and even sometimes when you take out?) 3) Way better sliced meats 4) How does that bread get so shiny?! 5) Actual hot option as opposed to sticking it into a glorified toaster oven Need I say more?? And I'm not even a sub/Italian/hoagie kind of guy. Fun fact: I have lived in each of the geographic regions represented by the above three names most commonly used for Uncle Sam's delicious sandwiches. read more

Uncle Sam's specializes in cheesesteaks, and that's all I've gotten so far during the three times that I've gone here in 3 months. Here's the breakdown: Meat - Mediocre. Not distinctive/nothing special. my friend and i usually grab the seasoning on the side table and season each bite we take with that seasoning + black pepper. veggie/meat ratio = just right. this is one of the more important factors when it comes to a delicious cheesesteak, imo. you need the greens to help regulate the meatiness. bread: a tad heavy/thick for my taste, but the fact that it doesn't get soggy satisfies me very much so. too many times, I've tasted a cheesesteak where the bread was starting to melt with the juices coming from the meat inside. i'm also a huge fan of sweet potato fries, and i would say that they do them very well! some people cut them too short and fry them too long to the point that the sweetness got completely fried out of existence. the thickness of the cut of each sweet potato fry, along with the length in which they fry these things for makes for a perfect sweet potato fry! i'd come here simply for the sweet potato fries. too bad you can't substitute the regular fries that come with your cheesesteak with the sweet potato fries. you have to get them separately. if you make the mistake of not realizing this and tell the cashier you want a cheesesteak with sweet potato fries, prepare to eat a lot of fries (to me, it's a dream come true until my next blood test). read more

Uncle Sam's is an awesome, cheap sub shop with throwback wooden chairs, free french fries if you're eating in, and classic brown mustard bottles for your table! (Mustard trumps Ketchup all the way!) My boyfriend and I eat here a lot on summer weekends especially, since parking and walking in Squirrel Hill is so gross during the winter. The subs here are fairly simple with plenty of vegetable toppings, and I never leave feeling sick from overly greasy food. The friendly staff also wrap up any leftovers you may have, which is a great service to offer! It cuts down on the mess of everyone doing it themselves, and it's super convenient when you're a pixie like me and can't always finish your entire meal. read more

Uncle Sam's Submarines - Steak sub with no cheese and steak and egg sub with no lettuce or tomato. - Sandwiches Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

50c on soda refills and free fries with your sub but only if you eat in. Uncle Sam's is about nickles and dimes and the food's quality doesn't justify. Every sandwich has a healthy dose of lettuce, tomato, an onion, but the spongy bread is too sweet. Sometimes the Italian tastes overcooked or old, like bad prosciutto. The steak is gray and bland. My go-to is the portabella, still my favorite after years. Ketchup on the trash can door and rickety dining room tables and chairs. The back half is depressing and the window-ed front half cramped. Atmosphere at Sam's is as thin as the service. Come for lunch and an afternoon of shopping on forbes avenue maybe followed by a film at the manor, but it's tough to justify with great pizza at Aiellos just a few blocks down Murray. read more

Everytime I go, I get the same thing: Uncle Sam's Ultra Special. It's a steak and cheese with extra meat, mushrooms, grilled onions, and peppers. This place has great steak and cheese, and they'll make it right in front of you. It's worth the wait. The bread tastes great. Their yam fries are good too. read more

Subs. They've got 'em. The bread they use - is special, if you like it - you will like their subs, if you don't you will complain that the subs are weird. They do close pretty early, and many days they will close 15-30 minutes before it actually says they do, because they run out of bread. Also, don't get your food to go - because if you eat it there - you get free fries with every sub, if you do takeout - you gotta pay for those fries (and they only take cash, and I mean you can't really even pay for the fries since you never have enough cash with you anyway). read more

Best subs I have EVER had. Uncle Sam's special is bomb diggity. Bread = awesome. Meat = awesome. Overall just a huge great experience eating here. And I don't think you can get bored of this place with their wide menu. Just excellent. Love coming here with schoolmates. read more

One of my favorite places for Subs in Pittsburgh. Very cheap (less than $10) and the food is excellent. Can get crowded and loud, but that also means something right? It's probably because I stick with my standard, but I feel like something is missing... For a quick bite or lunch, you certainly can get a satisfying meal here! read more

Great place for lunch. Quick services. A staple on campus at Pitt. many years always a must get to before my visit is over. read more

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Uncle Sam is a decent, if not spectacular, sub shop. We were at the Squirrel Hill location today and ordered a couple of "ultra" subs for takeout, along with fries. It was lunch time but their line is pretty efficient so the wait was reasonable. I had ordered the 'hot pepper' sub, but I didn't taste or find any in my sub; I suppose they were too busy to put some on. Uncle Sam has fresh buns, but they don't toast them, which means that the sandwich gets soggy over time (I guess if we ate in this may not have been a factor). The fries were good, a cut above (most?) every other place in the neighborhood; unfortunately they seem to use frozen fries rather than bothering to double-fry fresh potatoes (of course I've discovered that they don't always bother to do that in Belgium either). Anyway: best subs in the neighborhood. read more

This place is so affordable, has HUGE serving sizes and really neat vintage photos of the city inside. The only downfall is they're cash only (not sure if it's temporary or permanently this way). I would definitely recommend this place to anyone in the area! read more

Uncle Sam's has some of the best subs I've ever had. Almost all of their subs are great, including their Italian, Ham and Cheese, Turkey, etc. My favorites are the Steak and Egg and the Capicola The prices aren't bad either, as a sandwich, a large handful of fires and a drink will run you about $7-$8. My only complaint with Uncle Sam's is its hours, as they close around 8 or 9 every night. read more

Maybe I am just a hater for all subs that are not Jimmy Johns. But I find these subs to be just okay. However, they could have just been over hyped and so I wasn't blown away by them when I first tried. I've tried the cappicola and philly cheese steak. Like I said, they were good but not amaaaaaazing. One great perk tho is that if you sit and eat inside, you get free fries with your order. Also, if you're considering Uncle Sam's you should check what the special is for the day. They have different deals everyday that are really sweet deals! Another tip is that they only take cash! I know this particular location has a PNC bank/ATM right next door but for those that don't have PNC, they also have a generic ATM inside. read more

From out of town and had heard about this place. Not impressed at all! Subs were okay. Price was alright. Workers are extremely rude! Need better customer service skills. There are so many other choices in Pittsburgh, where the staff are friendly and welcoming. Pass on this one. read more

I go out of my way to go here for not only the food, but the workers too. Everyone is so friendly. The food is always great and now that they know my taste in foods, they will try to make me a sandwich to my liking without me actually ordering it. They have never failed me. The workers love their job, always laughing and they get along so well. It feels like a family atmosphere when I walk in. They don't take credit cards but they now have an ATM in their establishment. You used to have to walk to a bank for cash, but now everything is under the same roof. Can't go wrong with their food and their waffle fries (special order) are so good. read more

Just what I wanted... Great Italian Special Hoagie! The cheese fries were awesome too! So far the best hoagie I've had in Pittsburgh. read more

Uncle Sam's Submarines - This was exactly what I wanted! I've been craving a great Italian sub for weeks, couldn't believe how hard it was to find one! - Sandwiches Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Uncle Sam's has really gone down hill. The staff has gone from polite, to indifferent, to borderline hostile. Simple requests are ignored - when the error is pointed out - they become indignant. Turning to the food... the sandwiches are now 90% lettuce and served cold. If the old adage about judging a kitchen by the state of the bathroom is to believed - stay away. read more

Whenever I go here I get a cheesesteak and fries (which I HIGHLY recommend). If you eat there, the fries are free, but you have to pay for a side of fries if you get your food to go. Overall, the quality of food here is off the charts! Based on food, I would give a 5-star rating. However, I'm giving Uncle Sam's Subs 4 stars because they only take cash. They have an ATM inside, but paying with a card is way more convenient especially since I don't really need cash for anything else. read more

One of the two ladies working there, the one that brought out my sub was rude, I asked her for hot sauce and she pointed me to the condiments counter saying rudly "over there" so I proceeded over there, and found no hot sauce, went up to the counter and had to ask a cook for a bottle of hot sauce while she was standing next to him ignoring me with an immature grin! think I'll just continue using grub hub to avoid such nasty staff members. read more

I Came in with my friends too eat and we went to uncle sams I've never been to a single uncle sams in my 15 years of existence I asked my friend for a hoagie and a fountain drink and then I walk over to talk to my friend I come back and he finishes paying and tells me to get a cup and grabs a plastic one i follow and grab a cup as I'm walking over to the fountain area my friend only ever drinks water he can't drink sweet stuff because it hurts his teeth so I don't find it weird that he gets water he walks away and I look at him and out of the corner of my eye I seen the waitress sneak from around the counter and stare at me I proceed to fill my cup up with sprite the waitress in a very Anngry manner said oh you can't put a drink in that that's for water I say ok I'm sorry and pour it out she then says you have to leave and I'm like what did I do and she said ask my manager he then came at me in a very hostile manner and says you kids think you can come in hear and do this ever time get out and I told him this was my first time here a lady seen the altercation and jumped in and offered to buy me a drink je then berg rudely told me just go sit done and don't do it again this is my worst experience at a restaurant ever and I work at one I almost wanted to cry after seeing the way this manager treated me! read more

Uncle Sam's Submarines - Cheese steak hoagie and fries - Sandwiches Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The sandwiches are tasty and filling.With the sandwiches(I usually get the ultra mushrrom cheesesteak),you get a side of fries and somewhere hidden in the mix of fries,you can find a treat-a mint. There are 50 cent drink refills,pics of retro Pittsburgh on the walls,a non smoking environment & of course-great food that's filling. read more

BEST SUB, WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE!!! Each time I call to order my tasty sub (yes, they are so very tasty!!!) I ask for the bread to be grilled. I truly love a hot & toasty sub. Lately, I have been told they don't have time or space on the grill for the bread. Really? No space to make my "made to order" sub made to order? Each time I tell them, if its not toasted I really don't want it. Each time its a little more difficult to convince them that I actually want my $7 sub, the way I want my $7 sub. Today I got the same "large attitude" they advertise on their site! As it turns out, they burned the meat to make up for not toasting the bread! Thanks. THANKS!!! So I called to speak to Brian the manager and got an even larger attitude. Brian quite snarkily informed me that he didn't "have time" to cook my bread when he had a "line out the door". Really? No time to make the food I ordered and paid for? So I guess they don't need or want my business. So to everyone in that line, good luck. Sams makes the best subs almost the way you want as long as you dont take too much time for want anything special, or expect decent customer service. Bye bye Sam, and good riddance Brian! read more

I love Cheese steaks as you may have read from prior posts. I have never been disappointed at Uncle Sam's. I have only been to this location and the one in the Waterworks in Aspinwall, next to another favorite place Burgatory. Uncle Sam's Submarines is located on Forbes Ave in Squirrel Hill. In my option this cheese steak is much better than any pizza shop steak hoagie and I think it is because Sam's specializes in great steak hoagies. The steaks are made in front of you, always fresh and never a so-so hoagie. I like the fact that, If you eat in, you get free fries. I like the small thin shoestring fries, they remind me of the fries on the boardwalk. The staff here and in the Waterworks have always been friendly. I think that the price is very affordable for what you receive. The restaurant is always clean and I have never had a problem finding a seat. Yes it is CASH ONLY. Highly Recommend for a great Cheesesteak! read more

Last weekend was my first time here, and I thought it was great! Even the vegetarian options are pretty unhealthy, but it is well worth it. Prices are low, especially since I took half my sandwich home with me. I don't eat food like this too often, but next time I am craving it, I will come here! read more

Yummy subs. I crave it even when I'm not in the city of Pittsburgh. It's pretty satisfying, even though it clearly is unhealthy to eat too many times in one week. The fries are only free if you eat there - you have to order it for take out. The bacon cheeseburger is my favorite sub, but the special is pretty good as well. I hear the salads are decent, too. Cash only. Parking is best over at the lot across the street, under the library. read more

Best chicken cheesesteak in the world. Period. And like everyone says, the fries obviously have liberal amounts of crack. The waffle fries were even better, but I went back recently to find that they are not seasoned and not quite as good. Minus one star for that. read more

The service is fast and the food is great I don't see why you wouldn't want to eat here