Earl of Sandwich (Langley)

In Canada, we are left out in the cold when it comes to popular chain restaurants.  Sure, there is a Cheesecake Factory out in Ontario, but we are not usually privy to nice things (especially in B.C.).  We are still waiting for In-N-Out, which might take awhile since they have only made it up to Keizer, Oregon so far.  However, we have finally scored our first location of Earl of Sandwich in Langley, specifically out in Willoughby.  That's right, a fan favourite found in such places like Downtown Disney and Vegas, we now have one here!

I was given a sneak peak many weeks ago and came away impressed.  It is exactly like the ones in the US, partially due to the fact they source the ingredients from down South. Before we got to the sammies, we had a cup of Tomato Soup and a Caprese Salad.  Loved the soup as it was creamy enough that it took the edge off the tanginess.  It was nicely spiced and the croutons on top added crunch.  As much as I don't really like talking about salads, this one was pretty substantial due to the amount of cheese on top.

Off to the sandwiches, my personal favourite is the Holiday Turkey with a complete meal in a sandwich.  Yes, there was tender turkey, spiced stuffing, cranberry sauce and the delicious gravy.  Think Friends and the "Moistmaker".  The flavourful gravy soaked into the bread and things were just so saucy and pillowy soft.  I would've liked just a bit more cranberry sauce to give it a bit more sweet tang, but this was still exactly how I remembered it.

Another one that we tried (but I've never had before) was the Cuban featuring the usual ingredients including carnitas, ham, Swiss, pickles & Cuban mustard sauce.  So yeah, other than the bread, all of the components were there.  Hence it had great flavour and texture.  Was it like a Cuban I've had in Miami?  Well no, but for what it was worth, I enjoyed it.

I ended up paying for a few sammies to take home for the kiddos (since they love EOS too...).  I got the Italian since we've had it before and there was a good amount of meat in this one.  It consisted of salami, capicola, ham, pepperoni, mozzarella, Roma tomato, Italian seasoning & dressing.  Other than the spice and saltiness from the meats, we had zesty tang from the dressing.  This was plenty filling.

Staying with lots of meat, I also got the Canonballs! with meatballs, mozzarella, Italian seasoning & marinara sauce.  Moist and meaty, the meatballs were plentiful in this sandwich.  The soft bread enveloped all of the wet ingredients and kept things tight.  Lots of tanginess and melted cheesy goodness.  In addition to the seasoning within the meatballs, the Italian seasoning provided more oregano goodness.

For those who want to cut down on their carbs, there are wraps instead.  Personally, I love the soft bread, but the wraps are solid too.  This fully-loaded Cobb Wrap sported greens, grilled chicken, bacon, cheddar, Roma tomato, cucumber, cranberries and ranch dressing.  This was fresh and crunchy due to the greens and plenty saucy from the dressing.  Lots of chicken and bacon for meatiness and salt content.  So as you can see, the sammies look identical to the ones found in the states.  In fact, they taste the same in my opinion.  Therefore, it is nice to have the option of satisfying my Earl of Sandwich cravings nearby rather than heading South to get it.  Now let's hope we can get an In-N-Out here in the future!

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:
- Just like the stuff you find in the States
- No absence of filling
- That soft bread

The Bad:
- I don't find it particularly expensive, but hungrier appetites might need more than one sammie
- Parking in the complex is tough to find at times