Sandwiches & Carrot Cake @ Captain Nemo’s
Don’t be fooled by the dilapidated exterior of Captain Nemo’s Steak Submarines. It sits quietly off the corner of Grauwlyer Road and Irving Heights Drive in Irving, unexpected and unassuming. You might not even think they are open unless you chance upon them during the afternoon lunch rush. On our adventure to this landmark restaurant established in 1973, the place was empty except for an old man in a truck out front, receiving some drive-up service. (Apparently if you pull up and just wait in your car, someone will come out and take your order. Now that’s what I call service.)
Once inside Nemo’s, you’ll see it has a very old-school, “locals only” feel to it. It’s all wood-paneled interior and no frills tables and chairs. These are good signs, because how could a place like this stay in business for so long unless they served up consistently delicious food? We ordered a Steak Sub and an Original. All the subs come with lettuce, tomato, onion, special seasoning, vinegar, and oil. The Original is your classic cold meat sub: salami, cotto, ham and provolone cheese. Nothing too special about it and very standard except for the bread…
As any sandwich connoisseur will tell you, it’s the bread that makes or breaks it. Nemo’s definitely has their bread on lock. It is baked fresh everyday in the bakery next door and is the perfect combination of a crusty outside and a soft, chewy inside. It’s even available for purchase so you can take it home and make your own subs. If I lived closer, I would be taking advantage of this fact daily.
While The Original was nothing to rave about, the popular Steak Sub is a whole different story. It’s stacked with wonderfully flavored, sliced ribeye that warms the bottom of the roll. It’s then piled high with all the standard veggies and sauce mentioned above. I would almost liken it to a cheesesteak, although the meat is not sliced as thin and the seasoning is a bit different. This is the sub that makes Captain Nemo’s what it is. Delicious and unique, what more could you want? Oh, did you say carrot cake?
Let me just say this for their carrot cake: I usually don’t like it, but the homemade, fresh carrot cake that they bake at Nemo’s is an unexpected treat. The frosting is picture perfect and I dare you to find a better piece of carrot cake for the steal of a price, $2.00.
Capt. Nemo’s is a diamond in the rough and I would recommend it to anyone out there searching for a great steak sandwich and carrot cake to top it off with.
Price: $4.69 (Steak or Original Sub)
$2.00 (Carrot Cake)
1426 N Irving Heights Dr | Irving, TX 75024
972 438 7777
Couldn’t agree more, Brian. I love hole-in-the-wall, have-it-our-way kind of places like this. The subs look good, but I suspect the carrot cake was the highlight of your meal, and at $2 a slice, definitely easy on the wallet!
i totally agree with brian’s review… i wasn’t crazy about the original, but the steak sandwich was really awesome
My husband loved this place when he was in college at University of Dallas.
nice review. can’t wait to try this for lunch next week. have you been to Cero’s Heros in Grapevine? I make the trip out there from Irving for lunch all the time. The international hero is sensational.
adkim: Thanks, we will have to check out Cero’s. Appreciate the advice, I love a good sandwich and can’t afford to drive into Dallas to go to Jimmy’s market all the time!