Pugzie’s

LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS PLACE.
My co-​worker and I wanted somewhere with sandwiches and soup on a crisp October afternoon and she suggested Pugzie’s. Went in not knowing anything about it and immediately felt like I thrown back into 1971 in Miami. And I loved it. Located inside what HAD TO BE an old motel or something, Pugzie’s is huge. Has a counter and kitchen on one end of the corridor with the other end booth and tables. So much room for seating and everything looks like it’s from a retirement home outta southern Florida, and it’s awesome. Outdoor patio seating under a gorgeous split trunk tree. Patio furniture is a tad old and has bird poop on it but it’s not like you can’t still sit in them.
I order the cranberry turkey panini, chips, Coke and a cookie (You should see the cookie selection and size, trust me you’ll go all out too) and it was $ 11.70. That’s it!
The panini was so delicious, the cranberries were juicy and had enough jelly around them to melt into the turkey nicely too. Pressed to perfection and the bread wasn’t too hard or hard to handle, Ate every bite.
I got the no-​bake cookie and I swear to you, it was the size of a softball. Ah-​mah-​zing.

This place is close to work so I end up here pretty frequently for lunch. While it is true that it lacks a lot of ambiance I will say that the food is always good. I usually stick to the roast beef sandwich, soups, and salads. OH and the COOKIES and CUPCAKES. YUM. Pistachio cupcake with milk chocolate frosting is my favorite. I do realize it is kind of pricey for what it is but then again it beats the alternative of another hamburger for a fast food joint.

Meh. It’s a sandwich. I had the pastrami on rye. The rye was not very rye. I prefer strong rye. They microwaved it. The pasta salad was less than thrilling. I was hungry, it did the job but I won’t be back. Not as great as most say it is. Plus the old folks home theme is something! Holy! It’s disgusting really!

This review strictly relates to the Chicken Salad Croissant sandwich.
I passed by this place for a couple of years before finally giving it a shot. The menu is rather simple and reminds me of a catering business or a cafeteria inside. The location is very old and holds a great deal of history. I noticed that there is an old Barber Shop Museum attached to the eatery.
The Chicken Salad has pineapple and cashews in it. It is very tasty and served on a Croissant. It is just plain and simply good and satisfying. The sandwiches are served with a pickle, and their prices are average for what you get, but certainly not the cheapest in town.
I also ordered a broccoli cheddar soup which was nothing special, and I’m sure that it came from some sort of concentrate, but it wasn’t bad tasting for what it was.
The place has an assortment of baked cookies and dessert bars as you would expect to find in a grandmothers kitchen.
If you’re looking for a quick sandwich at lunchtime or for catering for your business, then this place seems to tow the line.
Give the chicken salad a try and see what you think, I really enjoy it!

So, I’ve been diagnosed with Celiac’s disease and as such, have started my gluten free journey. Now, at least I live in Phoenix instead of some rinky dink small town with no choice! I see gluten free options popping up and Pugzie’s is a front runner in this journey due to the owner having a child with Celiac’s (or so I heard)…whatever the cause I am sure glad that they offer choices for me. I love the sandwiches! The meat is very good tasting and generous! The fruit salad was large and fresh. They also offer gluten free soups and cookies. When doing a pick up the gluten free sandwich is wrapped up well so as not to touch anything from the rest of your order, which I thought was awesome!
The place is kind of lack luster in looks but the gluten free options make it a winner in my book!

Such a unique little place. I don’t think they’ve renovated the place since 1976, but hey, what can you do? They’re a little bit cordoned off in a neighborhood that is mostly residential, medical and mixed commercial properties, but the baked goods and some of the mixtures of meal deals are good.
I have had their cheesecake brownie 2x — (more like a cake in reality), there cookies are large and excellent, I would go with those. I also had a pastrami on rye which was a superb sandwich and I have tried their chili, which was very meaty and a cream of potato which was a bit soupy. Overall, the quality of the food is very good and the prices are very doable.

I feel sad to say this… because I know it is locally owned by a small family… but yucko! I went there to lunch hesitantly, but my friend wanted to go there.
The place felt old and dirty, too big for too few people and too quiet.
I had the egg salad sandwich. It was bland and boring and served between two slices of stale white bread.
My friend got a chicken salad and I could tell it was disgusting… she barely made her way through it.
The ice tea was ok… but it was really disappointing and I fear it is on it’s last leg unless some changes are made:(

It’s safe to say that I’m addicted to their broccoli cheese soup. I do my best to manage my addiction, limiting my Pugzie’s intake to just once a month. When I do indulge, it’s soup, bread, giant chocolate chip cookie and ice tea. Then I’m a happy camper.
The building is a funky time warp of décor and architecture — inside and out. Dining in is an experience, but I usually get my fix to go (tip: call ahead and pick it up at their drive thru window).
When I don’t cave to my craving for the soup, I switch things up with the chicken salad. I like that they mix chunks of pineapple and slivered almonds in to an otherwise basic chicken salad.
They offer several vegetarian and even gluten-​free options, too.
They’re only open for lunch, so plan accordingly!

Dear Pugzie’s,
I am going to have to change your name to «Granny’s» because your warm bread, soft cookies and delicious homemade soups remind me of a little hug from my miniature pill-​poppin’ granny. When I’m feeling like I should have packed my own lunch, I’ll come see you. The only thing missing is a sweet note written on my lunch napkin.
Today you made me some brocolli cheese soup, and I snagged a magazine from the community kiosk (US Weekly — summer bathing suits hot-​or-​not issue) and had myself quite the nice little lunch.
Thanks for keepin’ it real grandma, I’ll be back next week for another visit!
Love,
MIchelle

I’ve been to Pugzies on a few occasions. They specialize in sandwiches and have a homemade feel to them. They remind me of a cross between Chompies, Miracle Mile, and a cafeteria.
I recently had the roast beef and chedder on a kaiser roll. It was huge and the meat had a decent taste to it. The roll was soft and delicious. The meat was packed generously. The produce was rather week. Cheap iceberg lettuce and tasteless tomatos. It wasnt great but it was good and filling.

Definitely the best chicken salad sandwich I’ve ever had! I’d driven by this place a hundred times and finally stopped in. I got the soup and sandwich combo everything was delicious chicken was fresh and not overloaded with mayo, broccoli cheese soup was perfect. The place probably been around forever and no nothing has been updated. The patio was pleasant and I actually liked the funky mint green color of the building of the place and patio area it made me think of being back home in Cali but, yeah the inside does look a little like a cafeteria.

Pugzie’s is a place I’ve driven by many times, but never had the opportunity to eat there because my schedule didn’t align with theirs. Well now that I’m unemployed I have lots of spare time and I’ve been to Pugzie’s at least three times.
I end up getting the half tuna sandwich with pasta salad or soup everytime.
I like their tuna salad as they add a bit of hard boiled egg and water chestnuts to it.
The pasta salad is decent, but not the best I’ve ever had.
Their baked goods are very yummy. I usually end up getting a brownie. They are so soft and moist. The top layer of the brownie is a yummy swirl of vanilla and chocolate while the rest is all chocolate.
This place is huge and I agree with another reviewer that they could add a bathroom to this place. I don’t like that they have a shared outside bathroom with the rest of the office complex.

Ok, I finally went to Pugzie’s after driving past it umpteen times. It’s okay. Nothing amazing, nothing awful. The set-​up is tres bizzare. Very large open seating area with dual counters, one for your main meal and a smaller for dessert… except that you can buy some desserts at the main counter. Seems like it should all be in one place or no desserts at the main.
The bathrooms are outside across the courtyard. Obviously the building style is old but considering how much space is wasted in the dining room they could probably put the john in there and you’d never know. And the whole thing is painted like the Golden Girls lanai. Whoa.
The food. Sandwich was decent, crab salad was much too salty. Cookie was delicious and chewy yet with a little crispness on the underside. I had a brownie that was pretty good too, on the cakey side as brownies go. If I am going to pay over $ 6 for a sandwich I prefer leaf lettuce not shred.
One hing I very much enjoyed was the counter seating for singles. The counter top is deep enough to comfortably hold work and your lunch tray!
The service was friendly and the place kept clean. While I can’t imagine a craving causing me to return I will probably check it out one more time and order something completely different just to round out my impression.

I don’t like sandwiches. It’s not that I don’t want the carbs from the bread. I mean, if you do this thing called exercise, a sandwich once a month isn’t going to kill you.
Anyway, they get a star simply by having a vegetarian option. It’s made with feta, which added another star. It’s nothing spectacular, though. Lettuce, tomato and chopped mushrooms with a light ranch dressing. Meh. The other star was for having 12-​grain bread. Hard to come by.
It’s pretty expensive for a freaking sandwich. With tax, I paid $ 6.73. For a sandwich. No chips, no drink. Just a sandwich.
It’s so close to work that I’ll be back, just not often and not because I really crave Pugzie’s. It just beats Subway or Chompie’s or Blimpie’s is all.

I had lunch there yesterday with some folks as part of this month’s Unilocal Office Hours. It would fit right in in a retirement community. Right from the monochrome outside paint to the interior.
I had a grilled cheese sandwich and a cup of clam chowder. Both were good. But I think overpriced. The menu lists the grilled cheese on” fresh baked sourdough”. The bread was fresh, but it was French. Turns out you get the same bread if you order white, French or sourdough. Not the first time I have run across this. Some of my dining companions had meals that looked a little more substantial. The restaurant was nice and clean. Seating was open and airy and not packed in, even on a Friday. The overall impression was Meh.
So why are they so successful? Everything on the menu is edible. There seems to be plenty of parking. Remember when fast food restaurants all had 6 or more lanes? Well these folks still do and two separate sandwich making stations. They know how to fill orders in a hurry for the downtown lunch crowd they cater to. And everybody I dealt with knows how to smile and be friendly and at least seem like they enjoy being there.
It by itself is not enough draw for me to drive to but I would not put up a fuss if that is where someone suggested to meet.

Time for an update…
I must’ve been in a generous mood when I wrote my original Pugzie’s review. I’ve been back a couple of times, and I’m still a fan — it’s «A-​OK» or worthy of 3 stars in Unilocal terms.
All 3 of those stars are for the food… the ambiance, bathrooms, service, etc… are just eh.
This is not a gourmet eatery… it’s more the place you would go to when in a hurry or just need some nourishment of sorts and don’t care much about atmosphere. I’m sure I’ll be back, but it’s for sure not making my top ten favorite lunch place list anytime soon! But kudos to Pugzie’s for their history (they’ve been in business since 1981) — and as I said, I’ll for sure return on occasion — it just won’t be a regular in my lunchtime rotation!

Yesterday Or maybe the day before Gus won a gift card for five dollars off at Pugzies. Neither he or I had ever been.
I love the building in which it sits. It reminded me of a restaurant my uncle had built in the fifties, walls of windows with trees in the middle. His was more of an elegant super club with the space age chandeliers. So this in it self brought good feelings.
I felt the price we paid was a bit high for what we got. Out total was about 22 bucks for the special half sand and cup of soup. A pastrami sand and two sodas. Gus’ sand was the chicken salad and he liked the mix of ingredients. The soup was mushroom, but had a very tomato undertone to it. My pastrami was fine for the most part. It came on a swirl rye bread. I am not a fan of the swirl as it is too soft in texture for me. I prefer an Russian or Jewish rye. But there really was nothing wrong with the food.
I am not sure I would go back though. We will see.

I dunno if I have horrible taste or if everyone else is wrong, but the décor in this place is RIGHT UP MY ALLEY! It’s a cross between trips to grandma’s house for some cookies, and… well… a trip to my OTHER grandma’s house for some cookies. Except, you see, they don’t ONLY have cookies. Oh No! They have sammiches! Mass varieties of them. Types of sammiches your granny wouldn’t dare to build for you on a sunday afternoon.
My buddy, Groovy P, and myself have been here on two separate occasions, and I also took my wife here once! I know, I know… I spoil her sometimes. Let me tell you, if you want to taste some of the BEST pasta salad on this good brown earth, order the seafood pasta salad. You won’t be sorry. That is, of course, unless you are allergic to seafood.
The roast beef sammich is sometimes on special here, so that is what I usually get. Watch out! If you underestimate this one you WILL be sorry. A single bite into this unearthly delight and I lose all control of myself.
Pair these two items with a drink and a pickle and you will be going back to work a pleasure ravaged ball of contentment. Hey! Grammy never gave me a pickle with my sammich! What was I missing!
P. S. They have drive thru!

Remember the no-​bake cookies of your elementary school cafeteria?! Chocolate, peanut butter and rolled oats in a gooey lump? Uh, yea… you can buy giant ones here for $ 1.95! Totally rich; great excuse for a school yard flashback. (Warning: I do NOT advise attempting to eat the whole thing yourself.)
Also, they have cookies with full sized Resese’s peanut butter cups in the middle… yummm…

Last week I was craving the Tuna Salad Sammy from Pugzies, it’s cold and crisp and perfectly refreshing on a hot day especially when paired with the fruit salad!
Check out my Glorious Lunch (see pics) complete with a cream cheese brownie, which was much lighter and fluffier than a brownie, more like cake if you ask me, but still yummy!
This is by far one of the better sandwich shops, check it out!