Move over Panera and Subway, there is a new king in town called Hot Krust Panini Kitchen!
Located on the corner of Sand Lake and Turkey Lake road is a small restaurant called Hot Krust Panini Kitchen which serves some of the best sandwiches that I have had in a very long time! I have been following the owner of Hot Krust for a long time on Instagram and decided to stop by and say hey! Once entering the restaurant I was met by the owner (Evan Dimov) who not only recognized me, but also made me feel like I was coming home. After speaking to Dimov for a few minutes and watching him interact with other customers you can tell he loves not only his job but the restaurant as a whole.
The menu is a vast choice of paninis, soups, salads, sides and more! Before we talk about what I picked to eat I need to express some things about this restaurant. First off, quality is the word of choice here at Hot Krust! Unlike most sandwich shops, Hot Krust sells no processed meats in their restaurant. All the meats are hormone and preservative free and are roasted fresh in the restaurant before making its way to your plate. Also, these sandwiches are some of the most healthy sandwiches you can eat due to their idea of no friers and no butter is used to cook the amazing food!
Now on to the star of the show… the food!
I picked the Cowboy Jack sandwich which consisted of Slow Cooked Steak, Horseradish Peppercorn, Black Olives, Tomatoes, Spinach, Onions, and Monterey Jack Cheese. The steak was tender and full of rich flavor that went with the Horseradish Peppercorn sauce beautifully. The veggies were crisp and bursting with flavors and the bread was killer as well! I went with a side of the spicy curly fries to compliment my sandwich. I had no idea until I was done eating that there was no deep fryer in the store. The fries were nice and crisp and had just the right amount of seasoning on them!
I ended off my lunch with a cup of their famous Chili Cactus Soup! The soup contained cactus, ground beef, diced tomatoes, corn, onions, northern beans & spinach in spicy broth. I have never had cactus before but I was pleasantly surprised at just how good it was! The chili had the right amount of spices and fresh ingredients to make this a must eat dish!
Overall, the reviews of Hot Krust speak for themselves. This place has won so many awards from websites such as the best in the southeast for the last 3 years. Hot Krust also received the 2014 certificate of excellence from Tripadvisor. For me, the food here was amazing! I have never had such great quality food from a quick service before and the hospitality of Dimov really rounded out the feel of the place! I know one thing, this will not be the last time I eat at Hot Krust!
Now that you have seen the review, will you be trying Hot Krust? Comment below and let me know!