Review: S+S Tacos & Stuff and Marian’s Sub Shop, Ruskin
On our way home from Dooley Groves where we picked some of those fantastically sweet Honeybell oranges, we passed a li’l ol’ shack that shared two separate but equally enticing food service establishments: Marian’s Submarines and S+S Tacos and Stuff. The giant taco sign on the roof set off bells in my stomach-brin.
We had worked up an appetite in the groves but had put off the orange urge until we got back to the house. Subs and tacos would definitely do the trick of taming our rumbling tums. To be fair, simply a sub would suit Christa, but like the food junkie that I am, you can’t dangle subs and tacos in front of me and expect me to choose one or the other. I’m only human, dagnabbit.
Marian’s Sub Shop (a.k.a. Marians Submarine Sandwiches)
701 S US Highway 41
Ruskin, FL 33570
Phone: (813) 645-1088
Hours: Sunday – Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Marian’s Sub Shop does not have a website, but they do have a facebook page.
S & S Tacos and Stuff
701 S US Highway 41
Ruskin, FL 33570
Phone: (813) 645-8226
Hours: Monday – Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Closed Sundays
S & S Tacos and Stuff does not have a website, but their menu is on Singleplatform.
And I had to make a choice. For all my big talk about bottomless stomach, there was no way I was going to fit it all and I figured I’d get at least a quarter of my wife’s sandwich.
Christa opted for a sub, while I went with my initial Pavlovian urge for tacos. We divided and entered, then met up outside to eat. Each place is take-out only, but there is a picnic table in front of each one so you don’t have to eat in your car.
These are independently run restaurants completely unrelated to each other short of sharing the same building. I don’t know if it’s fair to review them in the same post, but I’m going to since that’s how we experienced them.
Both places, despite operating independently of each other, are those types of restaurants where, if you knew what you were getting when you went in, you’d be absolutely satisfied, but when you go in unaware, you might be let down. Understand, it’s your mind that will set you up for disappointment, here. Let me explain.
If you were hankering for a submarine sandwich and happened by Marian’s Sub Shop, as we did, but had a turkey sub in mind, or a meatball sub, a classic Philly hoagie (you hero), or Subway (you cretin), you might be disappointed to find what Marian’s has on the menu. However, once you knew what was in store, you’d go with gusto, and even tell all your friends on social media.
The same goes for S+S Tacos and stuff. If you went in ignorant, bearing false expectations, you might say to yourself, “This is not my beautiful south of the border treat.” However, once you knew what to expect, you may find yourself making it a regular stop as you drive on by.
Mariane’s Submarines is exactly as advertised: submarine sandwiches. And Mariane’s only makes one. That’s it–one choice, which is really no choice at all (It should be called Hobsons Submarines). Of course, you can make omissions from the standard ingredients or get a half. And there is a deluxe option with extra meat and cheese. But there is only one sandwich.
I’m actually jealous of this model. The balls to make one item, nothing fantastic, just one solid and good food item and build a store around it is fascinating to me. I’m been tempted to do it myself in the past but lacked Marian’s nerve. That nerve has resulted in a business that has operated for over half a century. Fifty years! Alas, Marian is no longer with us, but her legacy lives on through family who continues to operate the shop.
I’ll cut to the chase: Christa really liked the sandwich. It was an Italian style sub of salami, ham, provolone with lettuce, tomato onion and thick-sliced deli pickles (hot peppers are optional), oil and herbs. Then every sandwich is popped into the oven until the cheese melts. This extra step turns a sub or hoagie into a grinder where I come from. The half-sized $5.25 and priced right for the volume–a far greater value than from most chains.
According to my wife, the sub was tasty, satisfying and money well spent. A worthwhile value for a satisfying lunch. She said she would gladly return to Marian’s and I’m regretting not getting one myself. I took a bite when she offered it and–good-googly-moogly–what a fantastic flavor. Alas, she would permit me no more–I had chosen tacos.
It looked a little light on the meat to me, but for the price, it’s on par with the current competition. Add extra meat and cheese for $3.
S & S Tacos & Stuff is a little more tricky. Florida abounds with taco trucks, shacks, sheds, trailers, boutiques, chains, franchises, and mom-and-pops. They come authentic, Tex-Mex, Baja, Cali, deconstructed, reconstructed, soft-shell, hard-shell, flour or corn.
Picture all those various options. Now, wipe those images from your mind, because to my mind, S & S is like none of those. S & S Tacos & Stuff serves tacos, burritos, and nachos made the way your mom makes them. And that’s not a knock, because sometimes, that’s what you want. It is its own style of food relevant for a time and a place.
Yellow crunchy shells, or white soft flour tortillas filled with seasoned beef, shredded orange cheddar, shredded lettuce, fresh tomatoes, and a dollop of sour cream. Homemade salsa is available on the side–mild or hot and they must have mixed a few up because both were ringing in nicely on the Scoville scale. Plus, weighing almost a pound each they are priced right. Like, Taco Smell prices with double the portions.
Unfortunately for me, I wasn’t expecting that. If my mom said “Come on over for dinner, I’m making tacos,” and she served what I had from S & S, I’d be delighted, eat my fill and settle into the sofa with a hand tucked just so into my waistband. In this case, I was expecting something else–closer to authentic with marinated, grilled meats and fresh limes and I wound up disappointed. My fault.
When I don’t take the time to research a place before ordering, I’m setting myself up for sorrow, and that’s all on me. So, I ate them. And it was good. Not right away–it was just okay right at that moment because I had been expecting something else. But hours later, days later, weeks later, [Edit: months later], I’d find myself thinking about those tacos, and wishing S+S was right around the corner.
The menu also lists a burrito – regular and “wet” (topped with chili and cheese), a Monterrey – “Same as burrito except twice the size,” also available “wet,” tostadas, enchiladas, nacho pie, and something called a taco blanket, which as far as I can figure is double-decker taco.
As it stood, the tacos were tasty and worth the price. They satisfied my orange pickin’ hunger, but I thought, “No need to ever return.” However, like I said I now find myself thinking back to those mom tacos from time to time, and think that I’d gladly pay for few to avoid the mess and exertion of making them myself. And you know what? The next time I’m going to be in the area, I’m going to pull into S & S Tacos and Stuff and get a couple more mom tacos. And a big beefy wet burrito, because it’s there.
The same goes for Marian’s Submarines. To this day, Christa gets the craving that no chain or local shop can satisfy. If we lived within fifteen minutes of the place, she’d be there once a week. That spicy salami, the hammy ham, the soft melty provolone with the oil, vinegar and juicy pickle soaking into the fresh veggies and melding with the cheese. The crisp crunch as your teeth penetrate the crusty bread then sink into the warm meats and cheese. Well, that’s what I heard.
Be open to any possibility and you’ll rarely be let down. There’s only so many The Skillet(s) around (another story for another time). Try to find a little good in everything and you may be surprised to discover a little more good in you—like those tacos simmering in my belly. [Insert hand into waistband…now.]
Where’s your spot for a good sub, or better yet a cheesesteak? Are there good Philly style cheesesteaks in Tampa Bay? How about a source for a Chester/Philly/Wilmington style Italian sub, with nice chewy bread, imported meats and cheeses and the kind of heft that make your eyes pop when you lift it off the counter?
I know–good is a subjective term–but I’m open to subjective suggestions. I’d love to hear from you.
Thanks for reading!