A Sandwich Worth Waiting For

For me, ANY type of influencer or celebrity restaurant is a glaring red flag, since most of them don’t have the best track record. So when I heard about Salt Hank’s, I was originally quite skeptical — and when I heard they serve only one type of sandwich, the French Dip, I was doubly skeptical.

The French Dip sandwich has got to be one of my favorite sandwiches of all time. It’s one of the meals that I can trace back to a specific moment in my childhood. 

Every Sunday, my childhood friend and I would cross the street after church to the Arby’s in a strip mall, and many times my go to order would be the au jus sandwich with a side of curly fries. I still remember the first time I had it: it unlocked a new level of flavor and texture in my brain, this multi layered sandwich — the richness of the jus which is completely soaked up by the bread, the meatiness of the roast beef with some melted cheese. *chefs kiss* Perfection.

So on a hot and humid Thursday morning, Milly and I arrived around when the doors opened at 11:00AM and there was already a line around the block. We waited for about 20ish minutes before getting seated.

And what can I say? It was worth the wait.

It’s been a long time since I’ve had such a good sandwich — the bread was perfectly toasty on the outside and soft in the inside, the meat was not only tender but very well seasoned. The concern with French dips is that it’ll end up being a hot soggy mess — whether i

I only have two gripes with my experience. The first is with the type of fries. In my mind, calling these “fries” feels like a bit of false advertising since these are closer to chips than anything (we’re not going into the British argument). When I eat fries this thin and cripsy, I feel like I’m eating air more than potato and that forces me to have to go in for handfuls at a time. I will say, I understand why they use this certain type of “fry” — it’s a nice accompaniment to the sandwich and gives it an additional textural element. 

Secondly, I found myself craving an element of heat, specifically horseradish or a horseradish mayo. Maybe it’s from my childhood association of horseradish with a roast beef sandwich, but I thought some spiciness would’ve taken this sandwich to the next level. I know Salt Hank’s is a new restaurant, so I understand if they only want to do one specialty and do it well, but I hope in the future some horseradish makes it to the menu!

Should you go? Honestly, yes. Usually when I find myself salivating while writing about a dish, I know it’s a keeper. The main downside besides the wait? The price: It’s $28.00 *eek!* but it’s in the heart of the West Village so what can you expect? You can wait for the hype to die down, but Salt Hank’s should definitely be on your list.