Chuck and Ann's

A sweet little snapshot of a simpler time
By MC SLIM JB  |  April 29, 2009

090501_cheap_main

How many Boston restaurants can you name that have been in business for 47 years — with the same staff? That's the remarkable achievement of Chuck & Ann's, a tiny sub shop in Southie that was bought from its original, namesake owners in 1962 by a just-married couple who have run it continually ever since. It operates on "construction hours," catering to contractors, utility workers, MBTA employees, and other folks on the early shift who need inexpensive, portable meals. The menu is simple and to the point, mainly subs and sandwiches on your choice of a soft bulkie roll or French, Syrian, and (occasionally) whole-wheat bread.

Sandwiches are $5.25–$5.50 for a small, $5.75–$6 for a large. The standard menu focuses on deli meats: American cold cuts, Italian cold cuts, ham, salami, and cheese in exactly one variety (white American). For hot sandwiches, there's pastrami (lean), steak (thin-sliced and generously laid on), and meatballs (regrettably not made in-house). Egg salad and tuna salad can be ordered on bread, or added to the iceberg-lettuce-heavy garden salad ($6) for an extra 50 cents. Hand-lettered signs indicate the smattering of specials: BLT, turkey, chicken salad, crab salad, and the only bank-breaker on the menu, a turkey club that clocks in at a whopping $6.50.

The paneling is faded, and there's only enough standing room at the counter for a few people; most customers carry out to eat in their vehicles or at job sites. This little store isn't likely to make anyone's best-of-Boston or roadside-food must-visit lists. But I'm going to remember Chuck & Ann's for two things: its unswervingly sweet and friendly service, and one special sandwich of sardines ($5.50), a rarity that vividly transports me back to when I was a pre-schooler. I'd sneak down to the kitchen at 2 am to find my dad making one with mustard and onions; we'd share it in silence lest we wake Mom, who disapproved of late-night snacks. That sardine sandwich might be my version of Proust's madeleines: it epitomizes the old-time simplicity and wholesomeness of this place, qualities that help explain how it has stayed in business for half a century.

Chuck & Ann's, located at 284 Dorchester Avenue in South Boston, is open Monday–Friday, 6 am–3 pm. Call 617.269.6462.

  Topics: On The Cheap , Culture and Lifestyle, Food and Cooking, Foods,  More more >
| More


Most Popular
-->
ARTICLES BY MC SLIM JB
Share this entry with Delicious
  •   BUTTERMILK FRIED CHICKEN AT ESTELLE’S SOUTHERN CUISINE  |  March 12, 2013
    In food-nerd circles, the question of authenticity is a loaded one.
  •   OYSTER STEW AT STEEL & RYE  |  March 01, 2013
    Pity the poor would-be restaurateur in the city of Boston.
  •   PROVENÇAL FISH STEW AT SYCAMORE  |  February 13, 2013
    For food geeks accustomed to dining in urban Boston, it's easy to be a little dismissive of suburban restaurants.
  •   LAMB BELLY AT PURITAN & COMPANY  |  February 01, 2013
    By about the end of 2011, restaurant-industry PR people had already worn out the phrase "farm to table."
  •   PORCHETTA ARROSTO AT CINQUECENTO  |  January 18, 2013
    As a South Ender, I find it easy to admire the smooth professionalism and crowd-pleasing instincts of the Aquitaine Group, which operates six of its eight restaurants in the neighborhood, including Metropolis, Union, Aquitaine, and Gaslight.

 See all articles by: MC SLIM JB