Everyday Eats: Fat Jerry at Fat Sal’s
Erin Jackson
With a name like Fat Sal’s, you can bet on sandwiches stuffed with greasy goodness, and that’s exactly what you’ll find at this new eatery in Pacific Beach. It’s the third location in a mini-chain owned by a trio of New Yorkers, and the first outside of Los Angeles.
The menu is hoagie-heavy, with hot “Fat Sandwiches” stuffed practically beyond belief with everything from cheeseburgers and hot dogs to french fries and chili. I went with a middle-of-the road sandwich: kooky, but not certifiably insane. The Fat Jerry ($8.95) is a bit like a three-way between a breakfast sandwich, a Philly cheesesteak, and an appetizer plate. It’s likely named after Jerry Ferrara, one of the co-owners, who you might recognize as Turtle from HBO’s Entourage.
Inside the extra-wide hoagie, mozzarella sticks, chicken fingers, french fries, Philly cheesesteak, bacon, and a fried egg mingle. For such a complex sandwich, the flavors are surprisingly complementary. Sure, it’s on the salty side, but even so, it’s more elegant (and less sloppy) than you might imagine. I’d call it “fat kid food at its finest”. The same can’t be said of all the sandwiches. The Fat Cookout with hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, potato chips, and pickles was a bit one-note, so choose wisely.
The Fat Jerry was just the right amount of crazy for me, but if you want to go all out, try the Fat Anthony, a sandwich that uses the Irresistable Italiano (an Italian hero with ham, salami, pepperoni, provolone, and peppers) as a base, and then layers chicken fingers, mozzarella sticks, fries, and marinara right on top. While you’re at it, get the bacon cheeseburger fries on the side. You can always eat steamed broccoli for dinner… for the next two weeks.
Fat Sal’s is located at 956 Garnet Ave. in Pacific Beach (map). All of the “fat sandwiches” are $8.95 each.
