Lunch Anyone? Sevens Subs

Seven Subs, in Brookline’s Coolidge Corner, has a small walk-up window, but no indoor seating. Outdoor seating is available in warm weather months. Photos by Alexandra Wimley (COM’17)

If you’re looking for a great grab-and-go lunch place, look no farther than nearby Coolidge Corner. Seven Subs, an unpretentious sandwich shop just off Beacon Street in Brookline, has no indoor seating: orders are taken at a walk-up window and made quickly for customers in a hurry.

More than two-dozen sandwich options are on offer, as well as wraps and salads, with an emphasis on classic deli fare: turkey breast, corned beef, chicken and tuna salad, roast beef, and BLTs. You select your bread, a sub roll, bulkie roll, or white, rye, whole wheat, or multigrain bread (white, wheat, tomato, or spinach for wraps), then the cheese, veggies, and condiments. But the real appeal of Seven Subs lies in the specialty subs, which range from a Chicken Bacon Club ($5.79 small, $6.95 large) to a Buffalo Melt, turkey breast, buffalo sauce, celery, melted provolone, and blue cheese dressing ($5.29 small, $6.45 large).

There was no line when we stopped by before noon on a recent weekday, just after the shop had opened. After a quick debate, we ordered two of the best sellers from the specialty menu. The first was the Lucky 7 ($5.79 small, $6.95 large), described as the shop’s signature specialty sub, with oven roasted turkey breast, homemade coleslaw, melted Swiss cheese, and Russian dressing. The sandwich packed a lot of interesting flavor in a small package. The turkey was bland and largely overpowered by the dressing and coleslaw, although the ingredients and textures worked well together. Not really coleslaw fans, we did like the homemade slaw. But consider yourself warned: eating this sandwich is a sloppy exprience, so be sure to grab plenty of napkins.

Our second order, the Unforgiven ($5.79 small, $6.95 large), was the real standout: roast beef, potato salad, melted provolone, and barbecue sauce. It was so good, we ventured to the counter for seconds, then argued over who got to keep the leftovers. It’s an absolute knockout, with delicious slices of tender roast beef that melt in your mouth. The potato salad was light on the mayonnaise and the barbecue sauce was both tangy and sweet, making everything else all the tastier.

Among the shop’s wraps ($5.49 to $7.45) are numerous vegetarian options (hummus and vinaigrette, Greek wrap, cheddar and sprouts). Seven Subs is also famous for its hot dogs ($2 to $3), which come in all kinds of unconventional combos, including bacon, cheddar cheese, and ranch dressing, or blue cheese dressing, buffalo sauce, and celery.

Chances are you’ve often walked by Seven Subs without even noticing it. But the next time you’re in need of a lunch on the run, between classes or during your holiday shopping, consider stopping by. The quick service and inexpensive prices make it well worth a visit.

Seven Subs, One Center St., Brookline, is open Monday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed Sunday; phone: 617-232-7070. Take an MBTA Green Line trolley to Coolidge Corner.

This is part of a weekly series featuring Boston lunch spots of interest to the BU community. If you have any suggestions for places we should feature, leave them in the Comment section below.

Connor Lenahan can be reached at lenahan@bu.edu; follow him on Twitter at @ConnorLenahan.

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