In conjunction with July’s Best Suburbs issue, I’m traveling to 10 different ‘burbs in the DFW area for a semi-weird cross-city food tour. I’ll be documenting all my finds in these ‘Burbalicious posts that’ll be peppered throughout June and July. If you feel like your suburb deserves a shot at some SideDish love, email me and I’ll ask my Magic 8 ball if I should go.
We had a cubicle debate the other day on whether Irving should be considered one of Dallas’ best suburbs if it’s ranked #58 on the list. I think the debate ended with a resounding no, or was that just my imagination? Not sure. I’ve been hitting up small towns lately like Murphy and Parker, though, so any city bigger than five square miles is a welcome change. I don’t know much about Irving except that it’s where all the Carrollton South Asians flock for grocery shopping and food. Other than that, the Irving blurb is pretty on point. There’s “nothing sexy” in this city. “Just safe, employed people who enjoy a little convenience, acceptance, some fun stuff to do—and chickens.”
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Liz Johnstone led me to the incredible Captain Nemo’s website, a website so deadly it kills a person’s dream of becoming a journalist. Its mishmash of html and art made me want to throw away my current life and become an English sea captain who roams the Mediterranean Sea.
The kid in me was hoping for a nautical adventure at Captain Nemo’s (est. 1973). I’d imagined the walls painted blue with fishing nets hanging from the ceiling to give you that cheap underwater look places like SeaWorld pull off so well. But when I walked into the dumpy, rectangular building that looked about five decades old, I was sorely disappointed. Where was the plastic fish? And the full-size Captain Nemo statue that was supposed to stand next to me as I ordered my sub sandwich? Why weren’t the high school kids working the cashier dressed in pirate costumes shouting, “Argh, matey!” and “Where’s my gold?”
I settled into this sandwich joint with plain yellow walls and cafeteria-esque chairs, satisfied that at least some of the regulars donned Hawaiian shirts and shirts with sailboat prints on them. I ordered a traditional sub (cotto and genoa salami, ham, and provolone cheese), which honestly quelled the earlier disappointment I had in the interior decoration. Mine was loaded with mushrooms (canned), grilled onions, and green peppers all stuffed inside homemade Italian bread (according to their sign). For $4.89, this was a pretty great deal.
The bread was the highlight of this Captain Nemo’s venture. It’s soft, fluffy, and perfect for a sub that you want to rip apart with your teeth. And, according to the website, it’s only $1.99 for a loaf! What a deal.
I was dumb and didn’t see this coupon until now, but you can get a whole $1 off any sandwich/drink/chips combo up until July 31. If I were you, I’d make a trip to Irving and choose one of the subs (sizzling steak, traditional, corned beef, ham, chicken, turkey, and veggie), load it up with “flavor enhancers,” and eat the crap out of it. This is how the sandwich geniuses of Irving happily live their lives, I tell you. They eat at Captain Nemo’s.
