Lucy’s Oceanside Subs

Best sub shop on the shore. or in NJ for that matter. I have been here a dozen times and the ingredients are always fresh and delicious. The cold cuts they use are quality and piled high. Love to stop here before the beach and pack a sub in the cooler for lunch.

NOPE! No way. Nuh-​Uh. Nononono.
I was on my way to Island Beach State Park and wanted to pick up a sandwich on the way. I read the reviews and I was convinced that this place would be pretty good. Big mistake.
*** Problem #1. Slow Service
Showed up, saw a little bit of a line. I figured… «hmmm, must be a good place.» Waited on line… maybe 5 minutes, no big deal. Placed the order. Was told it would be about 20 minutes for the half-​sandwich to be made. 20 minutes? For a half of a sandwich? In a store that makes only sandwiches. With no cooking involved, not even toasting or any sort of heating? With 4 people behind the counter making sandwiches? Uhm… okay, I guess. That’s fine.
The wait ended up being closer to 30 minutes. But that’s okay… I was CERTAIN that my sandwich was being made with the best ingredients and a lot of love & care.
Read on…
*** Problem #2. Screwed-​up Sandwich
Placed an order for the prosciutto, mozzarella, and roasted pepper half-​sandwich ($ 11). Asked them to omit the shredded lettuce… the woman taking the order informed me that this particular sandwich doesn’t come with lettuce to which I responded «great, I don’t want any lettuce, thanks!».
Fast forward to a couple of hours later. After building up an appetite at the beach, I unwrapped what was to be my awesome sandwich. OH. HELL. NO!
Gobs of stringy, wilted, iceberg lettuce stared back at me. It was like a cruel joke. This is the kind of lettuce that you can’t untangle from food. Its pale, squishy tentacles always manage to slither all around and down the sides of everything else. I was so upset that I had to deal with an ingredient I requested (not once, but twice) be left off the damn sandwich. The lettuce had sogged up the bread so thoroughly that it even fused with the bun. There was nothing to be done. But I was so hungry that I managed to take a bite.
Here is where things REALLY got interesting!
*** Problem #3. Screwed-​up Sandwich (contd.)
I realized that there was no mozzarella on the sandwich! It’s not like they put the wrong cheese on the sandwich… No, no no. They forgot the cheese completely!
ZERO CHEESE!
This is a sandwich with literally 3 ingredients between bread. Prosciutto. Mozzarella. Peppers.
It was listed on a big board. It’s a standard sandwich. I assume they make several sandwiches of this sort daily. What the… How? Why? What???
Why did they replace the cheese with lettuce? How can they mess up a simple order in such an epic fashion? I can’t wrap my head around it.
*** Semi-​Problem #4. Nothing Special
Egregious errors aside, there’s nothing special about this place. The bread is a plain, long roll that you might find almost anywhere else. The meat is unremarkable. The quantity of ingredients is not anything to write home about one way or the other. The sandwich combinations they have are, for the most part, pretty standard. Nobody is particularly nice/​pleasant… which would be absolutely fine IF they could make a sandwich correctly.
And it isn’t exactly cheap. The price that I paid ($ 11 for a HALF of a sandwich, it was ~$ 21 for a whole sandwich) was steep, and way too high for the mind-​bogglingly-​incorrect product that I received. Combine that with the 20+ minute wait, which one might think would be ample time for 4 – 5 sandwich professionals to put together a standard sandwich exactly as it is on the menu… but no!
A serious disappointment. Not worth it.
Epilogue:
The sandwich was inedible. After two terrible bites, I wanted to throw it to the seagulls at Island Beach State Park. However, there are signs posted prohibiting the feeding of wildlife. If you get a screwed-​up sandwich, remember to carry it out of the park and don’t feed the critters. IBSP is gorgeous… even when you’re pissed and hungry. :(

Lucy prides herself on a certain irreverent my way or the highway attitude. which is fine but results in iffy customer service. It’s likely you’ll see some customers get their orders filled quickly while you wait and wait. She’ll also gladly take a new customer order while your sub sits on the counter.
Only cold food, so no chicken cutlets or meatball subs. The sandwiches are big and overstuffed with good quality ingredients. But the kids who work there almost always miss some requested topping. I’ve ordered at least 3 roast beef sandwiches that ended up without any Thousand Island dressing.

I Love Lucy’s
Come for the irreverence (they call their salad, «sub in a tub»); stay for the sandwiches – but not too long, because they don’t have seating.
Sometimes I come in for a can of soda, just to banter with the witty counterpersons.

Unbelievable subs. I come all the way from NYC just for a Lucy sub. I recommend the Italian but frankly the others look just as good…

Horrible service. Ordered two subs and she said 10 minutes. A guy came 5 minutes later to order 4 subs and he got his subs first. Took 20 minutes to receive my order as they forget our food ticket and they were not busy.

Stopped here randomly on the way to island beach to grab a sandwich. Perfect turkey and cheese sub! They didn’t skimp on anything

Good Sub.
Everything was sliced to order fresh.
7″-8″ sub but it weighed a ton. They are not cheap on the cold cuts. BOARS HEAD MEATS. I’m pleased.
The bread is also very good.
Overall Good

If they’d gotten my order right it would have been good. But mustard on an Italian sub? Never would I have ordered that in a million years. Cute place. Would go back but would check my order before I left.

I love Lucys subs– the store, the food and especially Lucy! She is the true queen of sub in a tub! Best place for a sammy down the shore!

the service is great a d I Love Lucy too! She has every subyou would ever want boars head top quality meat cheese and bread. Even the dogs can have a drink while your waiting for your order. Great place to get your subs before you hit Island Beach State Park

Absolutely love it! Best subs, sandwiches are stuffed full of meat and all the fixens, even the shrimp salad is b! tchen! Eat here few times of week, Lucy is awesome just a wonderful lady such a kick in the pants! The shop its self is very cute with local art.

Very very good subs stuffed with quality meats. Highly recommended!

Lucys is a Seaside Park hot spot. Chix salad gets sold out quick. Usually U get a sandwich that is overstuffed w/​meat, a big plus.
I think they’re only open to 3 or 4pm