WAN’S

sandwiches. I went for the first time on last Thursday and went back the day after. Everything is delicious and homemade… great job
Of melding flavors
Together…also, the honey mustard was
Like crack

Believe the hype: when Al makes a sandwich, he creates a work of art. I rarely eat sandwiches, but a friend insisted on this place and I trust his judgment. I got a Reuben – which I’d only had a vegan version of over the past two years – and could not have been more satisfied. The portion was huge so I only ate half. It’s a classic Reuben combined with Al’s Caribbean spices and precise layering of ingredients. All the flavors came together in perfect harmony, making for robust and savory mouthfuls. I would have preferred a smaller portion of meat, but it’s easy to slough some off if you’d like. I’d initially dismissed this place after experiencing somewhat rude customer service before a different friend and I had even placed orders. But now that I’ve become acquainted with Al’s wizardry and distinctive operational methods, I fully appreciate WAN’s for what it is: the domain of a special man who understands that life is too short for generic, carelessly thrown together sandwiches. Try one of Al’s masterpieces and you too will understand this philosophy.

Roomate and I ordered delivery today… Absolutely terrible. While I’ve eaten here before and the sandwiches were ok, I’ll never go back. First things, it took 2 ½ hours to arrive. It’s about a 8 minute walk /​2 minute drive away. We called at about an hour and twenty minutes in and were told it was on the way… more than an hour later the food arrived. Always nice to lie to your customers.
The order:
The orgasm sandwich — this thing came DOUSED in sauce. Which is funny because my Roomate asked for only light balsamic on it, but wan REFUSED to let him order it stating it must be eaten exactly how he has designed it. The bread was literally soaked all the way through. It was inedible, and completely cold. Literally had to just throw it away. I could of made a bowl of soup from all the juice that was gushing out from just picking the thing up.
Deathwich sandwich — the taste was actually good, sauce amount on this one wasn’t as bad, but came ice cold… Wasn’t enjoyable to eat at all.
French fries — came soooooooo soggy they had morphed into one big ball of potato. The laugh we got from seeing this thing was probably the most enjoyable part of the meal. Again ice cold.
Fried ravioli — as with all the food, ice cold. The taste was ok, nothing special.
I’d rather go with an absolutely mediocre subway sandwich than ever go back here.

The best sandwiches I have ever had! It takes some time for them to be made, but it’s because they are huge and fresh. Totally worth every penny. Al (the owner) is very kind and friendly. Huge selection, we will definitely be back again.

I’ve been going to Al’s (Wan’s) since 2009 when he was still in missions hill. by far the best subs in boston… but calling them subs doesn’t do the justice. When i think of subs, i just think of someone throwing some meats on bread with veggies and cheese.
Al put his love and genius for food into every sub he makes. He’ll cook and marinate the meet with the most amazing flavors, often from his home in Jamaica. There is a sub called the HUSH which is basically saying to Al «make me something good.» He picks all the ingredients, and he’ll never let you down.
I’ve waited for almost 3 hours before for one of Al’s subs, and i never regretted it.
Will you cater my wedding Al?

Excellent! Went there two days in a row because the sandwiches are absolutely delicious.

The sandwiches here are delicious and varied. The fillings are flavorful, and the bread is fantastic (and I don’t even care about bread usually). Al and company are friendly, too. The sandwiches are a bit pricey, but you get what you pay for and more — giant, delicious, filling. I was full halfway through but ate the whole thing. Loved it.

We went here for lunch today and Al was outstanding and so was the food. He was juggling then phone, customers, making our food and being social and he did all of it with skill.

Went for the first time and got a sub called Heaven is Here. Best sandwich I’ve had in Alston! It was fantastic and Al’ is extremely friendly and accommodating. Will definitely come back to watch some more Criminal Minds, eat great food, and have good conversation.

A must-​visit spot in Allston. Al is one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet, and the food is phenomenal. Some of the best sandwiches you will ever have, guaranteed. A pleasure every time.

The Balboa was my first taste of Boston and I miss it so much. Coming from New York, I want to travel all the way back just to eat more of Al’s sandwiches.

Al is the man and the food is incredible– at the last second I decided I wanted a cannoli assuming it was something frozen –he went in the back and came back with this sucker– filled ok the spot and equaling my both end cannoli experiences for sure.

Definitely one of the best sandwiches I’ve had in a very long time. Every sandwich posted on the walls looks fantastic, but after a good bit of self-​deliberation, I went with the Deathwich. While I’m sure there’s no such thing as a bad choice there, this was definitely a good one. Juicy, fresh, and a flavor explosion! The bread was very fresh, and the lettuce and tomato added the perfect bit of crunchy texture to the succulent meat. I honestly didn’t really expect to finish it, but when all was said and done, I was staring down at an empty wrapping. Al is a great guy, and he clearly cares about his craft — if you don’t like your sandwich, he’ll make another at no cost (though I can’t imagine he has to do this very often).
I’ll definitely be back for more, especially given the reasonable price for the huge amount of food. I also feel quite lucky, as there was no wait in front of me, though it did take around 10 minutes for him to make my sandwich. But, I guess small sacrifices have to be made for the freshness and quality that is Al’s. And I promise it’s worth it!

Al is genuinely and awesome person and makes a mean delicious sandwich. I went there while my car was at a nearby dealership and I have never wished to have more excuses to take my care back there… just so I can visit Wan’s again.
I was mesmerized by all the options because they all looked good but Al took the time to talk through what I was in the mood for and we finally settled on the Bob Marley. He guided me through that menu and the sandwich is the thing of dreams. Good sized, fresh ingredients but he layers the flavors so you taste each one individually and yet the come together collectively in this well rehearsed symphony of flavor. Yes, I love my food and he did not disappoint. It’s clean, inviting, the food is excellent and he makes it with passion. I kid you not, I don’t see that often, but when I do… it’s all good and this was good!

These sandwiches are ridiculous. I got the The Deathwich, which is a masterful combination of FOUR meats (steak, pork, turkey, and bacon) and top quality tomatoes and lettuce. Despite the intense amount of meat, the sandwich remained crunchy and juicy in all the right places. Al’s sandwich menu is on the right and left wall, while the menu over the counter is still Wise Guy’s menu, which I believe he also serves. If you can’t make a decision, definitely ask for the Hush — he accurately pinpointed my friend’s love of intensely spicy food and turkey cold cuts.
The 3 star rating however, was for the wait. The time it took for us to order a sandwich to obtaining said sandwich was 90 minutes. He charges you right when you order as well, so we couldn’t walk out either. He did tell us it would ‘take a while’, but continuous ‘just five more minutes…’ were driving up my hanger meter. Al is a wonderful man, but him serving as the only cook for each sandwich (most of the ingredients weren’t prepped, so he cooked them on the griddle for each sandwich… which is probably why it’s so delicious) is just not a sustainable model for any food business, let alone one you’d think would be rather quick.

Food is great, especially the carribean food! Brings me back to childhood.
But do not order food on a weekend, I waited 2 hours for a sandwich and when I got it I was so disappointed. I will come back and hope it won’t take that long.

this is the best sandwich shop. I had the opportunity to get to know the mission hill location long ago, and the new brighton ave location is much better suited to his speciality sandwiches.
DEBBIE!!!

Just the best sandwich shop ever!
Nuff said.. . well, there are a lot of choices. It took quite a while to decide.

I am both gluten and dairy free, but thankfully both of those issues are only intolerances… meaning I still eat fries. Thank goodness because my roommate got sweet potato fries from Wans this past weekend and they blew my mind. When I went to pick up the fries with her, Wan was there crafting her an amazing sandwich (so I was told) and when he heard of my intolerances he promised to make me a gluten/​dairy-​free sandwich this upcoming weekend. If he follows through on the impossible I will be posting, yet again, as the happiest girl on the gluten/​dairy-​free planet. But for now I’m still a happy camper with my sweet potato fries.
— — — — — — — — — — — –
One week later…
Went into Wans today and, as promised, Wan delivered the impossible; a gluten and dairy-​free sandwich!!! Wan went above and beyond what I ever thought possible and created the most delicious sandwich I’ve EVER had. From going out of town to get the perfect gluten-​free roll to researching exactly what he could make for me — Wan did not cut any corners. He clearly loves what he does and it shows in every way.

Al you make some of the best sandwiches I’ve ever had but please bring back the plates option. The goat, ox, chicken curry, all those dishes are finger licking. I used to have a plate every week then you only had it available for Friday and Saturday. Then i waited a whole month for a Saturday to have one of your plates then you hit me with bomb: no more plates at all. Bring them back, people will find out how good they are.
P. S. the wait time sometimes gets too hectic that even if I order 30 min in advance its still not ready for another 30 min. Deliciousness makes up for it but still.

The man who runs this place is one of the nastiest and laziest people I have ever met.
My girlfriend and I walk into this place and this man is on his phone yapping away. He smirks at us, «What do you want?» Not «Can I help you?» or «What would you like?» We say we have never been before to him, yet he continued to yap away on his phone and doodle on his pad.
I finally order a sandwich and my girlfriend orders soup. The man said they didn’t have any soup, and then takes about 15 minutes to make my sandwich. He failed to mention that it would take so long.
He comes back with my sandwich and my girlfriend places her order and simply says she’s in a hurry. The man then proceeds to SCREAM AT HER, saying, «YOU EXPECT ME TO BE IN A HURRY FOR YOU WHEN YOU TAKE 30 MINUTES TO DECIDE WHAT YOU WANT.» You didn’t help us to decide and you failed to mention that you would take forever to make a sandwich. The worst part was, when we said we were leaving, this jerk continued to scream at us for being bad customers.
We did not say or do a single rude thing except for wanting to be served in a timely and professional manner. Yelling at someone for saying «they are in a hurry» is completely inappropriate and unprofessional. This high-​tempered man has no business being in Allston or in the service industry in general.

Went late one night and waited 45+ minutes for 2 sandwiches. Probably would of left if I had noticed it was taking so long but I was caught in a conversation. Ordered the Nina caliente and the turkey something. The turkey sandwich was great and very juicy with lots of veggies. The Nina caliente (a buffalo chicken sandwich) did not have a chicken breast as pictured but instead tiny bits of meat that swam in tonsssss of hot sauce. It was more sauce than meat. The tiny bits of meat turned out to be sliced turkey chopped super super small, my guess to disguise it as chicken because they had none which is why it took so awfully long. I later woke up in the early morning with a real bad stomach ache. I’m guessing it is because I ate a straight up hot sauce sandwich and it was too much acid for my stomach to take.
The owner talked about still serving everything from the wise guys menu as well as having a «secret» Jamacian menu. The Turkey sandwich was great and I’d love to try their Jamacian dishes but the fact that Al couldn’t just tell me he was out of chicken and let me decide if I wanted another sandwich which made me feel godawful the next day makes me not want to run back any time soon. Too bad.
No bathroom.