Capt’n Nemo’s

The waiting time was long. I guess there were handful of big orders, but for a person like me who wanted a one half sandwich, 20 minutes wait is ridiculous.
However, the barbeque club roll sub was delicious. The BBQ sauce is surprisingly punchy and sweet, while not strongly tasteful. The meat was very juicy and easily bite-​able. This place probably had the best sub sandwich I have ever tasted, so far.
I definitely will come here again when I’m in Winnetka.

No mess, no fuss– what you see is what you get. Have a craving for a sandwich and you’re in the North Shore? This is your spot. The guys working behind the counter are great and explaining and giving recommendations if you’re indecisive but you really can’t go wrong here. Enjoy!

The sandwiches are always good — but not the service. I ordered 4 sandwiches for my office; asked the gentleman to please cut them in half– he said he would and did not. That is not so terrible, but when I paid for the food all he told me was the total I owed and handed me my change — no thank you or anything. We consumers can spend our money anywhere and the fact that we go to a certain establishment means everyone has jobs — without customers he would not have a job. To me it is just common courtesy to thank a person for patronizing the establishment where they work.

First thing I noticed was that it was noticeably dirty… all the tables had crumbs on them and there was a few pieces of garbage on the floor, it wasn’t busy so I’m not sure why they wouldn’t have time to maintain cleanliness. We were also blown away by the prices, our tab was much higher than we would have guessed for sandwiches with lays chips and sodas. For the price of the food and the quality of the shop, I wasn’t all that impressed.

Best original sub place on the North Shore, HANDS DOWN! I have been coming here for about a year now and it is incomparable. Atmosphere, décor, manager, and employees are all fantastic! The subs are extremely well-​prepared and delicious. The soups taste fresh, homemade, and delectable. Clearly Nemo’s is experienced with making great food! The wait is ALWAYS worth it! Highly recommend the signature Balboa!

I really like Capt’n Nemo’s! The storefront is very small and feels like a typical local establishment. I had the combo #3 with the balboa sandwich and split pea soup which came to about $ 8.50. The sandwich was delicious and very flavorful, and it complemented the pea soup very well. The service was very personable, but I wish there was someone at the front to invite people. I was waiting about three minutes until somebody came out of the kitchen to help me.
I definitely rate Nemo’s above all the other chain sandwich places in the area, and I will come again soon!

Delicious. I work about a mile away and I can’t stop going back for lunch. The bread is great and the sauce on the sandwiches is awesome. I love the split pea soup, too. The guy at the register (who I assume is the owner) is very eccentric and you can tell he truly loves his life. All of the staff is smiley and friendly. I also appreciate their transparency in explaining why there are price changes.
My complaints are that 1) there isn’t enough seating during busy times and 2) holy cow, during lunch the kids from New Trier form a line out the door and I use way too much of my lunch hour waiting in line.

This place is a local staple for lunchtime goers on the north shore of Chicago. It’s that sandwich shop that is truly unique compared to it’s chained counterparts. The location in Winnetka, IL is nostalgic to its customers because it immerses itself into the culture of the community. They are adaptable and are very transparent in operation. It’s a must go for anyone and there is a sandwich for everyone. So, go and check it out. I would recommend for take out or catering an event.

Small and cozy. Very personable service. Really old school. One of three locations. Their house special sauce CSS is great.
Had the turkey and cheese hot one… Really good sandwich!!!
The pea soup is also pretty amazing. They give generous tasting so try it and take some home.

A Chicago sub made the way it should be with crusty bread. Unique ingredients for the adventurous. Everything is fresh. People, I beg you do NOT get it toasted. Reserve that for the Subways and Jimmy John’s of the world. The outstanding bread is the base of which these superb subs are based It is like taking a Cadbury egg and dipping it in Skippy. Its is tasty but hides the excellence of the original chocolate. My favorite is the Northern Italian. Do not forget the vinegar and oil. If you use mayonnaise, you are part of the great unwashed should just shag your ass to Subway

Capt’n Nemo’s makes a good sandwich. Not great, not the best, but good.
What I object to is primarily the proportions, not the quality of ingredients. There is too much meat and cheese for this thickness of bread, and not enough vegetables. You need the cool-​and-​crispies to balance out the warm-​and-​savories. And most importantly, a bread dense and broad enough to hold it all together.
But I still keep them on the list for when I’m in the area and want a sandwich, especially to go. They have most of the usual suspects and some more interesting concoctions on the menu, but you can get them to make pretty much any combination of meats, sauces, and toppings.
Surprisingly, this North Shore location has more grit and personality – and less space – than the Lakeview shop. The dudes behind the counter are cool, but inevitably about a third of the customers are dicks.

THE BEST sandwiches you will ever have.
Flavorful, and plentiful, every thing here is great.
In particular, the Northern Italian & Super Cheese are my personal favorites.
Northern Italian has a variety of flavorful meats, with some great cheese.
Cheese lovers rejoice, the super cheese is the sandwich for you.
Lots of cheese (and I mean lots) with the Captains Special Sauce (amazing).
Note, their bread is toasted and delicious.
Can’t go wrong with Captn Nemos, the lines can be a little long and you may be in there for 20 mins, but it is worth the wait.

My kids have all grown up with Nemo’s since they all went to New Trier in what seems like many moons ago, but I tried it myself for the first time and really enjoyed the turkey with cheese sandwich. It was really tasty with the CSS (Captain’s Special Sauce) which is not too sweet or sour, but just right!
They use real turkey breast and you can taste the difference.
Have the sandwich toasted… umm yummy.

If you take any word away from this review, make it Balboa. Repeat it again and again, so that when you step to the counter, you won’t falter.
Capt’n Nemo’s is a great place. One of my favorite things about them is the subs that they provide for the North Shore Century rest stops, a ride sponsored by the Evanston Bicycle Club every September. They are a community-​minded store that runs circles around the chains, and even work with the local high school to allow them to create and market new items in a real-​world scenario.
The Balboa contains turkey, ham, bacon, lettuce, tomato and buffalo sauce on a toasted bun. The bacon is slightly crisp and not thin-​cut. They don’t provide them to the North Shore Century, but that’s okay. I can forgive them. Also, nice brownie and blondies, and they take their soups seriously too. It was one of the student creations that remained popular, and stayed on their menu.
Go on in, ask for it by name.

We found this place on a whim coming home from a weekend trip in Chicago. We definitely were not impressed with the décor, but who judges quality of food on restaurant décor… there were quite a few sandwich choices to choose from. However, we were not delighted to find out there was no discount in choosing a whole sandwich. It was the same price as two halves and that’s literally what it was: two halves. Why even put a whole sandwich choice up there if the price is the same and they make two separate sandwiches? The sandwich was pretty tasty and we would come back for a visit. Four stars for the quality of the food, but minus a star for atmosphere and friendliness (or lack thereof). Also, we paid more for a small meal for two people than we would have at a sit down restaurant. Too expensive for a sandwich shop.

THE BEST SUB I’VE EVER HAD IN MY ENTIRE LIFE.
I’ve been eating sandwiches for decades now, and I’ve never had such a great experience at a sub shop. I was recently talking about good sandwiches in the suburbs with a woman. She told me that she and her husband love to eat at Nemo’s in Winnetka. Always open to trying new sandwich places I stopped in at lunchtime and WOW, I was really surprised and overjoyed to eat Nemo’s turkey club. Great flavor. Great bite and texture. Great everything about it! This is a sub I’d be proud to give Chef Robert Irvine if we had lunch!
I can’t tell you how rare it is that I eat something that truly blows me away. Usually the world is full to bursting with horrible chains run by people who must hate food, because they serve such incredibly nasty garbage to the world. I have a saying, if you don’t respect yourself, how can you respect your customers.
NEMO’S is run by people who have respect and love for what they do, and it shows very beautifully in the quality of their sandwiches.
I feel I’ve won the sandwich lottery discovering this place!
What a terrific sub! And the man at the register, he must be the owner, is one the coolest, friendliest dudes I’ve ever met. THIS is the way you run a sandwich shop!
GREAT service. GREAT food. GREAT experience.
I’d give ‘em more stars if I could lol!
Blessings,
L.O.

I have never been able to make it to this place before their super early 7pm closing, until today! 6:30pm. Only because I was already in the area. …Do people in Winnetka all just eat dinner at like 4pm or something, because the place was completely empty at what I thought would be prime dinner time…
Their menu seems like they’d be your average sandwiches — toasted bread, deli meats, toppings, italian beef, etc. But oh man, the captain’s sauce is so delicious. Totally takes the whole thing to an newer level. The lightly toasted bread was perfect and so was the meat/​cheese/​bread/​toppings ratio. The liverwurst in the conquerer reminded me a lot of elementary school cafeteria food, but somehow in a good nostalgic way. I definitely scarfed that down way too fast.
The half-​sandwich, cup of soup, and drink combo is a great deal at $ 7. They are the only place I know where a whole sandwich is literally just two half-​sandwiches and twice the price. So mix and match if you’re stuck between two choices! But really, the half is an entire sandwich and perfectly filling on its own, especially along with some soup. The split pea was nice and warm and rustic but tasted only okay. Not gonna complain though since the sandwich more than makes up for it.
Can’t wait to come here again! Definitely a worthy stop if you’re in the area.

There is not a better sub shop in Chicago– Jimmy Johns & Potbelly pale by comparison. They’ve been around a long time, before I moved to Chicago in 1980.
There are 3 locations still around I think — Rogers Park, Lakeview on Ashland and Winnetka.
Best meats, bread and the captains secret sauce make these subs my favorite. Also, the soups are fantastic. Always busy but worth the short wait in line.

Great subs, chilis, soups and Italian beef.

Nemo’s has some of the best sandwiches that you will find in Chicago. I am biased since I have been coming here since birth, but their creations are amazing. The bread is always perfect and they truly do it right. My only gripe is that many times they fail to acknowledge their customers waiting in line. I know they are busy, but it would be nice for them to make more of an effort to greet and provide a higher level of customer service. With that said they have had the same staff for ages and they know how to make a great sub and soup.