Dad’s Sandwiches is one of those places people have no excuse not to go to.

The sandwiches are delicious and made fairly quickly. The staff is friendly and there is always parking out front. The front of the building even has a window you can peer through to watch sandwiches being made by a crew of 4-5 tattooed guys rocking out to heavy metal music on the radio.

The rest of the building is painted in a friendly, eye-catching shade of blue – think blueberry Slurpee or the Smurfs – that somehow avoids being obnoxious and ends up being inviting. In the same shade of blue, the side of the building has a mural of a young woman getting hollered at by what appears to be Elvis Presley driving by in a convertible.

I had my 8-month-old son Oliver with me in his stroller, so we sat out front in the small fenced in patio area to keep out of people’s way during the busy lunch rush.

The inside of the shop is small, basically just a counter where you order and a few two-top tables. Most people wait for their orders outside and one of the guys from the kitchen regularly runs orders out. Inside, the sandwich makers are busily working, rocking out to some heavy metal music, although Rick James’ “Give it to me baby” got played, so maybe they trade off who has control of the sound system.

The “Green machine” is a vegetarian sandwich usually served on focaccia bread, but to my delight, mine was served on a 6-inch sandwich roll instead. The roll was fresh baked and seemed like it was the perfect partner for what amounts to a salad in sandwich form. It was the perfect sandwich for what was a hot Sacramento afternoon. It’s loaded with a variety of veggies including avocado, wax peppers and roasted red bell peppers, sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions and olives. Then they add a healthy smear of cream cheese on the bottom half with brown mustard, pepper plant sauce and garlic spread mixed in.

The “Blue Collar Dream” is a Philly cheesesteak on steroids. It’s loaded with seasoned tri-tip and Monterrey jack cheese as well as a variety of vegetables including olives, onions, mushrooms and roasted red bell peppers. It’s all served hot on the same type of roll as the “Green Machine,” with a light coat of garlic spread, brown mustard and Dad’s homemade pepper plant sauce. This was hands down my favorite. It’s a bit tangy, a bit spicy, and all delicious.

The “Hot Tuna” was a bit of a dud. It was super heavy on the mustard. We asked for it to be made spicy, an option upon request, which it wasn’t, so maybe they thought we said “extra mustard” instead of spicy. Everything else about it was perfect. The bread was grilled perfectly with golden brown lines of a Panini press emblazoned on both sides of the sliced sourdough bread. It had a good amount of albacore tuna salad inside with cheese, onions, olives, and diced tomatoes all mixed in. If ordered with light mustard this sandwich would be a hit.

Dad’s Sandwiches has another location in downtown Sacramento on J Street that offers identical sandwiches as well as an extended menu with more choices. The S Street location is the original Dad’s Sandwiches.

Steven Senn can be reached at [email protected]