Carl’s Steak Subs

Hands down the best thing I’ve eaten in a while.
I had the Chipotle steak and it was supremely out of this world. A friend had the «Nacho Cheese steak» and I had a quarter of that as well. Also outstanding.
It seems that Carl’s takes the standard cheese steak and drives it to the next level with many variations on the traditional. When I am in Waltham again, this is on my list.

Carl’s is always made the way you ordered it and done on a timely manner with generous portions and affordable prices! The staff is friendly and polite! Must try!

Burritos are 4 stars.
I learned the other day that I like their burritos even more than their subs. Really big and really tasty. Better than both Chipotle and Anna’s Taqueria.
Subs are 3.5 stars.
Really big portions but a lot of the burritos end up tasting the same and are pretty greasy.

Hands down the Best Steak and Cheese anywhere, slightly better than TC Lando’s even though its the brothers place. Aunt Terry steak with mushrooms and onions is my go to. Not a fan of the burritos, but cant go wrong with any of the chicken or steak sandwiches, come hungry.

I only have one thing to say, the Porky. Steak and cheese… with bacon! Why did I never think of this before? Why did no one else think of this before?
Sure, it probably takes some time off your life when you eat one, and this is definitely something I will not be discussing with my doctor at my next physical, but wow it is beefy, cheesy, salty heaven.
If I lived or worked in Waltham, I suspect I would have a major addiction.

Best steak n cheese I’ve ever had. From the first bite to the last. The bread, flavor and the amount of meat makes it for me. Thank you :-)

I went there today and got a large chipotle steak and cheese sub. It was amazing! Steak was super fresh. Cheese was melted just perfectly. Closest thing to a philly cheese steak in the area. Highly recommend the steak and cheese subs.

I have no idea how I haven’t reviewed Carl’s yet… it is a Waltham classic and has arguably the best steak subs on the planet. I dare you to find one better. The small is enormous so unless you’re an NFL linebacker or are sharing with your family of 4, I wouldn’t order the large. Steak bomb is the way to go.
Parking in the area can be difficult, don’t park in the gas station across the street because you will get towed. Call ahead is a great option as there is often a line out the door. Outside seating is available in the warmer months as inside is just a counter.
I highly recommend this place. If you live or work in Waltham and haven’t been here, you need to go. Even if you’re just passing through, it’s not far off the highway and it’s a great place to stop for a quick bite.

The subs at this place are ENORMOUS! They are quite greasy, so I guess that’s where they taste comes from… anyway, they have more than healthy portion sized subs. The most memorable sub is their steak bomb… I ate three meals with one sub!
I don’t think they have a good meat/​bread/​veggie/​cheese/​grease ratio in their subs, but if you’re looking for a relatively cheap meal that can get you multiple meals– this is your place!

Amazing. I got the Porky. Because I’m trying to get that bacon cancer. Anyways it was amazing. Best submarine sandwich I’ve ever had. Perfect size. Like a grown persons amount of food. No baby girl healthy nonsense here. The bread was soft and as perfect as you can imagine. The steak greasy and just how you want it. Extra cheese peppers and mayo. Mmmmmmm.
I suggest you visit. Take all your friends.

Carl’s is greasy, cheesy, salty goodness and lots and lots of it… Huge portions. Steak-​um-​type meat fried on a hot-​top grill with lots of oil, garlic, onions. It’s 10 pounds of sandwich that dares you to try and eat it all in one sitting. Challenge accepted! This is not «good for you food». It’s college hangover food at its best /​worst. Try not to over think this place and just let your taste buds enjoy themselves.

If I had gone to college at Bentley, I’d be going to Carl’s like it was a ritual. Basically, what you need to know: cheap, good, and unhealthy. Everything you want as a college student or a middle-​aged adult like me who still acts like he’s in college! I was visiting a friend in Boston and we went to Carl’s for lunch. They have quite a few options on the menu but I went with the kamikaze because I’ve never seen anything like it. Steak, cheese, bacon, ham, pepperoni, BBQ sauce on a huge hoagie… yep kamikaze in my stomach!
The small is more than enough to feed you, I couldn’t even finish it all. We also got the jack fries which are a generous portion of fries smothered in Monterey jack cheese. Definitely enough for two people to share.
I would call ahead and put in your order because they can get pretty busy at peak times. There also are only one or two tables outside so it’s more of a takeout place. Put it on your list if you’re looking for a quick and delicious meal!

I’m not sure about the A-​OK, how about just OK?
Am I the only one that thinks that the steak in the steak and cheese looks like small woodland animal poops?
The bread is soft and does a pretty good job of holding in those steak poops. But calling yourselves the cheese steak guys? That’s presumptuous.
I’ve had better.

I found out about Carl’s during the phantom gourmet in Fenway last yr. The cheese steak they sampled was good so I decided to go to the actual shop.
I ordered the same thing but it wasn’t as good. Such a disappointment.
Maybe I will try again one day.

So what makes a good cheesesteak is the quality of the meat and the flavor of the veggies. Traditionally these sandwiches use plain thinly sliced ribeye meat and most of the flavor comes from the caramelized onions, sautéed peppers, mushrooms and cheese. The bread has a very important job and should be able to hold it all together. It’s a simple sandwich, the key being in the quality and freshness of the ingredients.
I ordered Carl’s Steak Special and found the sandwich flavorless. It was basically meat on meat on meat on a soggy roll that was falling apart. The sandwich was bland with not enough veggies and cheese. In fact, only one forth of the sandwich had veggies and cheese on it. Carl’s makes up for their size by serving large portions, not by the quality of ingredients. Yes the sandwich was a generous size, but sorry, that’s not enough of a reason for a high rating.
The men behind the counter can seem unfriendly but that’s because of the rush. They are to the point and too busy to socialize. Expect to wait (or call ahead) and don’t be surprised if your order is forgotten since it happened to the man in front of me. Oh, and don’t wear your nice work clothes inside because you will leave smelling like grease, I speak from experience.

3.5÷5 Before I start with the review, I think I have come to an understanding that, things piled high and big does not make it delicious. I have to admit I woldnt have gone here if Phantom Gourmet wouldt have recommended it. I am curious to know how in the world they came to know about this place. Its a tiny shelter thats very easy to miss. Dont expect to eat here, be prepared for take out! I got their special sub with sausages, steak, mushroom and peppers. It was all cooked perfectly together. Its HUGE! Can feed 3 women or 2 average appetite guys or just me: D
I found the bun ordinary, noting worth mentioning about it. cheese and the meats are well blended together on the flat grill and it comes out very nice together. For my taste it lacked a little salt a little hotness. But had tobasco handy so that worked out pretty well. Perfect for feeding 2 people under $ 5/​person.

Number 1 don’t listen to Phantom Gourmet, they’ve hoodwinked me so many times it’s unreal and I’m sure other people feel the same. Number 2 Carl’s is definitely not as bad as some of these people are making it out to be. Ok it’s more of a eatery if you still have a «college type metabolism» THE FOOD IS GREASY and MESSY. If you want a healthier sandwich head to Dom’s or go grab something at Whole Foods or Wegman’s. It’s located in the middle of Prospect St. which is just a disaster, you’ll see see exactly what i’m talking about if you go. The best thing you can do is call ahead and park across the street in the gas station pick up your order and leave or park at Hannafords parking lot and then walk 2 minutes down the street.
It’s a very small store right with a few seats and tables outside, you’ll definitely see people hanging in front in the summer, mostly college kids or the patrons next door at Tree Top Thai Cuisine. Just walk in, place your order and just chill inside and wait or outside if it’s warm enough and they will bring it out to you. The Steak Sub sandwiches aren’t all great but some of them really stand out, personally I like the Porkey, Firecracker, the Cherry-​Bomb, and the Kama-​Kazi. My favorite on the menu is the Budster which is a speciality chicken sub and grab yourself a side of «Jack Fries» i mean after you eat one of those subs and the Jack Fries you may feel more «lifted than Snoop Dogg!» If your dying of hunger make sure you get a large sub, because it will definitely last you for two days for sure. Nice friendly staff and they definitely get the food done in a timely fashion.
p. s.- CARL’S NEEDS TO START DOING DELIVERY !

I’m so full right now! So much cheese and meat I should be ashamed of myself. Now onto the review…
Wasn’t sure about this place the first time I went because my roll got soggy but I think it was all the teriyaki sauce and the fact that it had been rolled up for takeout for 39 – 45 minutes. Today I decided to venture back because of all the stellar reviews and I was not displeased. The roll was soft and chewy, it was loaded with peppers and onions that were not over cooked like most places do. The meat was bountiful and greasy the way it should be. I got the Carl’s Special with no mushrooms which is basically a steak pepper and onion loaded with provolone and American cheese.
I will be back!

Though it took a good 20 minutes to get our food, I was impressed with the taste, portion size, and value! I can’t remember that name of the particular sandwhich, but it was pretty much a Philly Cheesesteak, with beef, onions, peppers, and provalone cheese. It was huge! I was eating leftovers for the next two days! If you are going with someone, I would suggest finding a sandwhich you both want to try, and sharing it!