A new business is opening at 1 W Broad St on the square. The streets of Nanticoke have seen many changes over the last few years, but no amount of change to the town could ever rival those of which that take place on West Broad Street. Formerly a corner store, three barber shops, a hot dog parlor, and more that I can’t even remember, the address again has a new resident: “Tangz”.

Yesterday (now a couple of months ago from the published date), I decided to give Tangz a shot. I briefly viewed the menu online, and the food looked pretty yummy (at a relatively affordable price too). I was also a big fan of the modern layout of their website. For these reasons, I had to give it a try (and I was very, very hungry). When I arrived, I noticed that the door was blacked out, as were all of the windows. I didn’t think much of it, I thought, “Neat, this is really unique!”. And then I gave the door a tug — locked. Disappointed, I began to walk back to my car. I figured the neon sign glowing above the door was some sort of indication that it was open. As it turns out, I was half-correct. As I opened my car door to get in and leave, a man starts calling for me. “Hey, were you trying to eat at Tangz?”, he yelled across the lot. “Yeah?”, I replied. “Do you still want to try it?”. And just like that, I’m walking with the owner of Nanticoke’s newest restaurant towards the window that they were so obviously working out of, that I missed. I asked him a couple of questions on the walk there — more like the essential icebreakers, “How long have you been in Nanticoke?” “When did you officially open the restaurant?” and “What’s your favorite item on the menu?”. He was very happy to talk to me about it, telling me that he’s only been in Nanticoke for a couple of years, and that they had just opened up in April. Then came the menu talk…

I looked at their menu and was floored by the number of different subs they offered. Subconsciously, I compare local sub shops to the big chain, Subway. In terms of menu size, I think Tangz items to Subways was a ratio somewhere close to 3:1. Better yet, the sandwiches were incredibly unique. With names like “Ray-Ray” and “Danny Boy”, the process of picking something to eat almost felt intimate in a way. I was told that the “Whiskey Cowboy” was to die for, and that it was the best item on the menu by a long shot. So I DIDN’T get it. I fell in love with a better sandwich… the “Guaca”. Grilled, seasoned steak, layered with caramelized onions and drowned in fresh guacamole, with a river of American cheese. As a guacamole fan, I was very excited to see it on the menu. This was a huge green flag for me — I mean, steak and guac? Who does that locally? I was pumped. I was then persuaded into trying their homemade signature sauces. I ended up getting their roasted garlic oil, because I thought it would compliment the steak flavor well. He was adamant that I try the Whiskey sauce, and told me I would regret it if I passed on it. I did end up passing on it. And after ordering a “Philly Chicken” for my mother, my order was complete.

The wait was only 10ish minutes, and the food came out in a very neat bag, with each sub custom wrapped in a branded foil (a good foil makes food taste so much better, trust me). He then said, “I threw in that whiskey sauce anyways. I’m telling you it will change your life. I also threw a cookie in there for you being a cool dude”. I was STOKED. We shook hands, exchanged our farewells, and all I was left with was my bag of food. It was time to indulge.

The “Guaca” was packed. I mean, overflowing, with meat and guacamole. I took my first bite, and I think the tectonic plates shifted and the sun expanded. This sub was the best sandwich I have ever had the pleasure of eating. And I was right about the garlic oil — it was to die for. I ended up giving my sub a dip into that whiskey sauce, took a bite, and sunk into my seat. He was so right. That sauce was easily the best thing I had tasted this year. My mom was also a huge fan of her sandwich, which means a lot, because she’s pretty picky with her bread and whatnot. Overall, the subs were fantastic — and also pretty affordable. I paid somewhere around $19 dollars for the two subs and the one sauce, which is actually CHEAPER than Subway. Great service, great portions, great execution, just great everything. I am a huge fan.

In summary, you gotta try something. There are so many menu choices, I guarantee you can find something that you’ll love. I have a good feeling that Tangz is here to stay, and will become a key part of our little town that is Nanticoke. Thank you, 1 W Broad Street. Welcome, Tangz.