Fall 2024 | Edible Notables

Sub-stantial Sandwiches

Yellow Submarine has been a South Lake favorite for nearly 50 years.

Everything’s bigger in Tahoe — the mountains, the snowpack, the lake … and the sub sandwiches.

Yellow Submarine Sandwich Shop (known by locals simply as “Yellow Sub”) has been a South Lake staple since 1975. Hungry sandwich seekers have sought out Yellow Sub’s gargantuan hoagies for nearly 50 years, and now that the shop is under the ownership of Stefani Hartley and Sean Mullin, they can look forward to more of them for decades to come.

What’s Old is New Again
The couple, who reside in nearby Meyers with their two small children, purchased Yellow Sub from its previous owner in 2021, then spent a month transforming it into a fresh, new space still serving tried-and-true favorites.

Little upgrades were made to the sandwich prep station. Original menu choices, such as the classic Yellow Sub, were retained, but the couple added a build-your-own-sandwich option, along with the ability to make any sandwich or salad a wrap. They also added gluten-free rolls, breakfast options, weekly specials, and a chicken salad with walnuts and cranberries to their offerings.

Their pastrami sandwiches — hot or cold — are beloved by customers; they’re piled high with succulent smoked meat.

Quality is King
Every single ingredient finding its way into customers’ orders is tasted by Mullin for quality control. He says they’re extremely picky about what they serve, and they search for the best ingredients for their customers, no matter the price.

Breads are delivered daily from local bakers Franco and Truckee Sourdough. Lemonade is freshly squeezed and touted as some of the best around. In the winter, soups are made from scratch each morning, such as Hartley’s favorite, a salami minestrone packed with beans and veggies, and the Baja enchilada soup with chipotle peppers, turkey, and corn.

Mullin makes sure the quality is top tier, and ordering gets done while Hartley takes care of the business on the back end, such as paying bills and employees, hiring, and scheduling.

The size of their subs is staggering to most diners. A whole sandwich may feed a family.

“Generally speaking, when we hand someone their sandwich, if they get a whole, they’re like, ‘It’s like a baby; it’s huge!’” Hartley says. “Their eyes get really big and they say, ‘Wow, maybe I should’ve gotten a half.’”

But it’s the customer service that really resonates with everyone entering the shop.

“We have, like, a Rolodex of names of [regulars] who come in, and it has their sandwich and how they like it,” Hartley says. “We kind of offer a Cheers vibe, where everyone knows your name and knows you and what you like, but we’re a sandwich shop and it’s for everyone … we get their sandwich right, and we make sure they feel appreciated. We get to know the people who come in here; we serve this neighborhood and the people who live in it.”

Yellow Submarine Sandwich Shop
983 Tallac Ave., South Lake Tahoe
530-541-8808 · Yellowsubtahoe.com