Suburpia on Bluemound — Restaurant in Wauwatosa

I wanted to try a new place with my mom and niece on my way home from work. The initial exchange was fairly simple, and the girl at the counter seemed ok, but the issue started with how it was made. We were very clear that she wanted ‘the White House sub’ with ham and Turkey, no seasonings or oils, very plain with nothing on it but cucumber- NOTHING. When my family got home to eat our meals, we opened up my nieces sub to discover it had EVERYTHING on it. Including so much extra oils it was pouring when we pulled it out of the bag. She was disgusted and couldn’t eat it, and we had to scramble to provide her something to eat. We called Suburpia, same counter girl answered, rather nice and said ‘just come in tomorrow and we’ll make you a new one the way you want it’. We didn’t live in the direct area, but in order to have the mistake corrected and get what we paid for, we made a second trip down there the next day. That’s where things seemed to dramatically escalate. This time there was someone else behind the counter, a young man with a deeply tanned complexion. When we nicely explained the issue and why we had come back down there, his behavior was instantly quite aggressive and confrontational. I don’t know if he was the owner or the original sandwich maker or what, but the way he acted it was like we were robbing him and the sub was coming out of his own pocket. We had the receipt with us, but he kept repeating pretty loudly in front everyone there, including other customers, that we were also supposed to bring the sub back to prove they made it wrong (while we’d already said the girl on the phone did not tell us this and said it’d be fine). It was awhile before he got to asking how we’d wanted done it the first place. Again, we emphasized NOTHING but the ham and Turkey that came on it, and cucumber. We repeated it a couple times, with a lot of ‘no this, no this, no this’, to make it even more clear because of the previous confusion. Yet from the back we still heard ‘do they want x, y, z’ a few times. We also paid extra for the cucumber despite thier long list of included toppings that we all had left off, and it was barely a handful of paper-thin slices so my niece couldn’t even taste it. And the subs aren’t even good to warrant the effort of going there in the first place, with or without the attitude. The whole experience was so shocking, embarrassing, and terrible none of us will ever go back again- and I now recommend to anyone I know and anyone reading this they stay...

I ordered 4 subs, not one was correct. I called to speak with the manager, was told there was not one there at that time. I informed the employee about the incorrect order and was told that the manager would call me the next day. I got no call. I called the store and again asked to speak with the manager. Was told there was none on duty. The girl asked her co-worker what to do, the co-worker asked if the caller sounded "angry" and then got on the phone. I told him what happened and he said that the owner would be there in the morning. I called in the morning and spoke with a man who said he was a manager. I explained the situation. It went downhill from there! I also mentioned that the employee who was stocking sodas was putting the new sodas in front of the old ones, and not rotating them as required. Despite my offering to bring in the incorrect sandwiches for them to see and correct, I was told that I would only be given one free sandwich. He told me that was the only thing he could do per the owner. After what happened, there was no way I was going to take another sandwich from them! I asked if it would be refunded to my debit card. He told me that they don't do that. He also told me he had to open the store and that basically he didn't have time to waste talking to me. Horrible experience. We've been customers for years. I've never been treated so poorly by a business. Sad to see such a nice place go downhill and treat their customers...

Everything about Suburpia is unique.

Firstly, this is a one location only place. It used to be a chain but now this is your one and only.

The single counter decked in unfinished wood paneling immediately evokes an aesthetic you can't quite put your finger on, but definitely ensures you'll remember it.

Prices are cheap! Most items are under $7, and several are under $6. And portions are not small. It's a good value.

The subs themselves manage to be nothing like subs at any other area sub shop. The seeded bread comes as a short thick stump. The signature oil and seasonings ooze all over every sub. Even the way you eat it - pull the bag down and twist the bottom to keep "retracting" it as you eat - is singular.

I can't just be in the mood for any sub, I have to be in the mood for a Suburpia sub. The thing is, that ends up being pretty often. These are darn good subs. It's also worth trying their soup. The mushroom soup is a particularly good option.

Overall I think most could find a sub to enjoy here. They are so different that your Cousins/Jimmy John's crowd might initially be taken aback. But give it a whirl. You might find yourself thinking of coming back sooner than you think....