My first question walking into this restaurant: who are Erbert and Gerbert? I found out later that they’re not real. The co-founder of the chain, Kevin Schippers, named the store after fictional characters his dad used in stories. Keeping with that charm, a lot of sandwiches here have these fictional names. So instead of ordering an Italian sub, you’ll order a Tappy.

It may be a strange name for a sandwich shop, but the sandwiches they sell here are anything but strange. Erbert and Gerbert’s just opened a new location at 1700 Grand, just down the street from campus. The restaurant sells sub sandwiches that you’d be hard-pressed to tell apart from Jimmy John’s or Subway, but they’re still really high quality and very affordable.

I went to Erbert and Gerbert’s Sunday evening for dinner, and ordered a Boney Billy — a standard turkey sandwich with lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise on honey wheat bread. I enjoyed the sandwich. It was surprisingly high-quality for a fast-food sandwich, and all the ingredients (especially the turkey) were very fresh. They weren’t skimpy either, so I was plenty full after finishing my sandwich. One distinguishing thing about Erbert and Gerbert’s sandwiches: they hollow out the bread that your sandwich is served on, and serve you that bread on the side.

Erbert and Gerbert’s unexpectedly offered a lobster sandwich on the menu (called the Neptune). I don’t have much to compare it to, but I enjoyed it, probably because it’s rare to see lobster on the menu in Midwestern fast food restaurants.

They’re a handy place to go to if you want a run-of-the-mill sandwich. But they do have a few specialty subs, like a cranberry wasabi chicken sandwich and a buffalo chicken and blue cheese sandwich. One disclaimer about their menu: Erbert and Gerbert’s doesn’t have many vegetarian options, only an avocado sub and a PB&J. They do have gluten-free bread, though.

My main complaint, besides the lack of vegetarian options, was that they haven’t advertised to Mac students yet. You can’t blame them, since they only opened up a few weeks ago. But if they offered a student discount, or took Aux Points, the lines would be out the door. Erbert and Gerbert’s does deliver, which I know I’ll definitely take advantage of during late nights of studying.

I enjoyed Erbert and Gerbert’s. It wasn’t fantastic, but it wasn’t supposed to be. Their sandwiches ranged from $5-7, and sides and drinks were a couple dollars more. So I wouldn’t go there if I wanted a quality sandwich on par with the Cheese Shop. I’d go to Erbert and Gerbert’s if it was late at night and I needed more study fuel, or I forgot to pack lunch and there wasn’t any free food on campus that day. There’s nothing that makes it stand out, but it’s good at what it does, and I’ll go back to in the future.