Delivery and Carryout: Costello Sandwich and Sides -- Roscoe Village and Lincoln Square
By Erin in Food on Jan 26, 2005 4:38PM
Costello Sandwich and Sides, 2015 W Roscoe [Roscoe Village] and 4647 N Lincoln [Lincoln Square] , was one the first places from which Chicagoist ever ordered carryout when moving to this fair city.
In 1999, this oven-baked sandwich shop in Roscoe Village was a year old and one of Chicagoist's friends worked there and swore, in all of her years of working a food line, that the food was as fresh as she's ever seen. The friend was right and a love affair blossomed.
First off, it's amazing that a shop of its size -- the Roscoe Village location, that is, since the newer Lincoln Square offshoot is much bigger -- can crank out as many original, borderline gourmet sandwiches as it does and have them all taste delightful. Forget what you think you know about sub sandwiches, oven-baked or otherwise. Costello's is not your average sub shop.
Each sandwich is predictably made-to-order, which means you're going to wait a little while for delivery, and the truth is that some of the oomph is lost en route. Think ahead and ask for cold items such as lettuce and tomato on the side, or you're going to have some wilting action.
But with items such as the Smokin' Turk -- smoked turkey on a fresh Italian roll, garnished with sweet pepper rings and mayo -- as well as the "The Mess" -- a bonanza of meat including Genoa salami, capicola, and ham, french fries [on the sandwich], and cole slaw [more "on the sandwich"], it's worth it. Vegetarians aren't left out in the cold; the Baked Caprese, with "roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, Ricotta cheese spread and black olives, melted under provolone cheese, and topped with tomatoes and lettuce, served on an Italian sub," is another winner.
Whatever you do, don't skip out on the sides because it's a place where Costello's really shines. Their Red Skin Mash is incredible, and homemade, as is Maryanne's Pineapple-Tuna Salad, and the Chipotle Mac & Cheese.
We especially love that all sandwiches come with Jay's potato chips and you don't know from gluttony until you've dunked one of those suckers into the Red Skin Mash. Not that Chicagoist would know about this, of course.
Back to the delivery times: on a slow night, we've told that you're going to see your food in about "25 minutes," but it hasn't yet happened to us. We're not actually complaining, though, because we never expect to see our food from any place that quickly, and it isn't long after that that our food arrives. Expect 45 minutes on a weekend.
Chicagoist is delighted to learn that the Lincoln Square location now offers delivery and both locations will deliver during lunch. A smarter move would be to call ahead for pick up or stop in for carryout because you'll only wait about 10 minutes, if that. Parking at both locations is a nightmare, but if you're getting off of the Brown Line at the Western stop up in Lincoln Square, you'll be fine as it's in walking distance.
The delivery charge is great at $1.50 and the average price for one of these generously made sandwiches is $5.35. If you want a small side and a drink, it's $2 more. When ordering, ask for the "Deluxe" to get the $2-more deal.
Costello Sandwich and Sides, 929-2323 for its Roscoe Village location and 989-7788 for its Lincoln Square spot, is open from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m., Monday through Friday. To check out their menu online, visit www.costellosandwich.com.
Images: Costello Sandwich and Sides