All Star Sandwich Bar — Restaurant in Cambridge

I am a customer of about 10 years and eat here once a week. I have eaten most items on the menu at least once. Every restaurant has three qualities which are important to me including food quality, service, and ambiance in that order. Basically, I'll put up with anything for good food... I'm from New Orleans which is basically the slowest service in the world plus some of the filthiest conditions. Ambiance of this sandwich shop is above average. Every shop gets a pass on one flat screen television especially if it has subtitles only and you can sit someplace and not watch it. The colors are stimulating but not garish. The decor is easy to keep clean while still being inviting. The art is not too kitschy, too nice, or too thought-provoking. The music is good and never too loud. The fellow clientele are a mix of younger professionals at lunch and also people "stepping out" to meet friends and grab a bite. There are a fair number of singles as well. The service is always satisfactory, quick, and efficient... the disposition of the server can be detected and the interaction is not overly curated. Just decent younger people doing their thing until the real thing happens. The food quality is excellent. Beer is available. I recommend the specials of the day... with the fried fish sandwich being a stand-out. The chili is decent, salads are fine, and the deviled eggs rival my wife's. The Corned-Beef Reuben is fantastic and the Inigo Montoya (homage to the Princess Bride) is great but I add sriracha which is right there if you need it. On your way out, grab a free Oreo (my maximum is three) from the cookie jar and go about your day feeling extremely well taken care of and... a little guilty for the free Oreos......

I paid $18 here for a burger and fries. Judging by size alone, this was a great deal. Having been at the All Star Pizza bar across the street in the past, and seeing what little food they give you for higher than average slice prices for pizza did not leave me expecting much here.

That said, judging by anything but size, this was a loss. I walked home about 5-8 minutes with my burger and ate some of the fries on the way home. The fries had decently good flavor but absolutely no seasoning. No hint of salt, no pepper, no spices, nothing. When I got home, I unwrapped the burger to find a lot of disappointment. Sure, all the ingredients were there, burger patty cooked as ordered, bun, bacon, cheese, onion rings and some kind of sauce. That said, that's where the similarity to what I ordered ended. The burger was the least flavorful ground meat I can possibly imagine. The bacon tasted like absolutely nothing, and the "bbq" sauce was kinda gritty and tasted like nothing unless I got it alone. Again, the size was great. There were like five slices of bacon, but honestly, it's a huge waste since it didn't taste like anything.

So... If you're looking for a lot of calories without flavor for an average price, this is a good place to go. I could easily have shared this burger with another person and still had extra. That said, if you're looking for quality, find somewhere else.

I sincerely hope for All Star that this was a mistake, but I'm not sure...

A long time ago, I was out at a fancy dinner and asked the waiter for suggestions on where to eat around Boston. He offered up All Star Sandwich Bar. I went a few weeks later and really liked it. I started going all the time. Then, probably because I had a son, I just stopped.

Well Monday, I went back, and it is a shame I went so long without eating there because I really enjoyed my sandwich. I got the Mr. Miyagi (love the name) which is Sweet chile ginger hoisin glazed pulled pork, Thai basil, cilantro, English cucumber, pickled daikon radish, carrots, fried egg and sesame sriracha aioli on a grilled sesame brioche roll. It was excellent.

My wife got the cubano which I have enjoyed in the past and she said it was very good. My son had a grilled cheese and we all shared an order of fries. Other sandwiches I liked back when I used to go more often include the Beef on Weck, The Atomic Meatloaf, and occasionally a funky burger.

Even though there is table service, the atmosphere is casual and the service is relaxed, so come as you are. The sandwiches are about $15 each and come with coleslaw and a pickle. Inman Square isn’t the easiest place to park but there is a lot on Springfield Street that sometimes has spots. Bottom line, if you want a good, not-so-ordinary sandwich, All Star Sandwich Bar is a good place to go. If you like it, you can thank that waiter who told me about it,...