When we first planned this trip, it didn’t look like we would be writing a blog post for it, but we were pleasantly surprised by a random find. It was on our drive from the airport to our hotel that we passed a place with a sign I just happened to see – Fat Sal’s. The moment I saw it, all I could think of was with a name like that, you know it has to be good.
Luckily, the schedule for the trip was pretty open so we were able to head there for lunch the next day. Before I go any further, I should share a bit of information. If you’re from Jersey though you probably already know this; but if you aren’t, just a bit on what a fat sandwich is. I was first introduced to fat sandwiches when I moved to New Jersey many years ago for school. There was a break in between classes, so I went with some friends to a food truck down the block. Someone ordered me a “kitchen sink” sandwich, and when I got it, I was stunned by how much filling was stuffed into a hoagie roll. There was mozzarella sticks, an egg, french fries, melted cheese, and a hamburger patty. Later on I realized that this was a big thing at Rutgers University with the fat sandwiches at the grease trucks there. If you want to know more, check out this link – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grease_trucks
Now back to Fat Sal’s. This is one place I would recommend studying the menu before you go. It can be overwhelming with the choices, and if you go hungry, I wouldn’t be surprised if you ended up wanting everything. For us, Sonia and I ordered the Fat Texas (which we split) with a side of onion rings. There’s a lot going on in the sandwich, and it did not disappoint. You don’t necessarily get everything in each bite, but the one flavor you do get throughout is the BBQ sauce, which made the sandwich for me. The one thing we would recommend though is eat it once you get it. Not sure if we were just taking our time, but the mozzarella sticks had cooled so it wasn’t as gooey as we would have liked.
If you’ve ever wanted to try a Jersey fat sandwich but couldn’t get to the Garden State, Fat Sal’s does the sandwiches justice. There are multiple locations for the restaurant, which are mainly in California; however, their web site also lists an Austin location.
