Whatever happened to Club Sandwiches?

[VillageLite]

When I was a teenager, my friends and I used to go to this American style diner in town for birthdays. We thought we were so sophisticated ordering steak and ribs, and all you can eat salads.
I always used to have a club sandwich and fries.
I thought I would try and book somewhere with a similar vibe for an old friends get together as we all have big birthdays this year - sadly the place we used to go is long gone.

I’m imagining dark wood, light up Route 66 signs, Coke in glass bottles, burgers, ribs, steak (extra points for T bone steak), Caesar salad, ranch dressing - and of course, club sandwiches cut into 4 triangles and each pronged with a cocktail stick.

Burgers are easy enough to find, but club sandwiches and all you can eat salad bars in particular seem to have vanished off the face of the earth.

Does anyone live near the sort of restaurant I mean? Is it an impossible dream (in the UK at least)? Will I never taste a club sandwich ever again?

Fanta Limon is literally the taste of holidays!

Craving it now!

Omg I though about club sandwiches yesterday and how long it's been since I had one.

I remember back in the 80s, my first day working in a US 'joint' and politely asking my new employers "what's a club sandwich?" - with much restraint they explained it, and it's exactly as the OP described; thankfully my interpretation of a 'Chef's Salad' got me hired.

Although "what's a club sandwich?" did become an in-house joke.

@PawsisShady £14 for a sarnie! Christ alive, no wonder they've become extinct

Oh it's big portions!
Like this but with chips now

@PawsisShady oh ok then,if there's chips involved I'll maybe give a let off , but I'm northern so there's got to be a bucket load of them 😁, plus hendo's

@GuacamoleinmyDMs “scared” to eat the big club sandwich 😆 I know what you mean, I have a relatively small mouth, can manage the first few edge nibbles ok but then usually have to deconstruct at some point. And if the bread is too toasty it can scratch up your mouth if you bite off more than you can chew! Totally worth it though 😁

I really do think the egg mayo is important though. It adds a nice creamy flavour and some much needed moisture. I find a BLT so dry. The egg makes the club sandwich elite imo. And defo chips not crisps on the side! Plus a bit of mayo for dipping 🤤

who said Fanta limon I’m gonna be dreaming about it all day lol

Aldi do a dupe for Fanta lemon that is pretty decent, it's a sugar free one though

Fanta Limon. With said club sandwich. My mouth is watering. Holiday perfection.

This one

I made a BLT for lunch today, not quite as good as a club sandwich but still lush

My kids stopped at the OK diner on the way up north with their uncle. We pass it on the way to son’s uni too. I asked them how it was and they both said “ok!

Not sure where you are but here in Preston we have an American diner called Billy Bobs where you can find what you seek! There’s one in skipton too!

There is a frankie and bennys still in meadowhall shopping centre in Sheffield. I dont know of any others

Yeah, I had one in a pub a few years ago and occasionally see them in upmarket independent cafes now, but not in the kind of place you're envisioning I'm afraid

There’s one in Colchester called The Bungalow diner and I think maybe as a chain Bodeans sounds pretty close

I'm down south and we have a Smith & Western restaurant which do a club sandwich. It's cowboy themed and lots of fun! There's a couple of them round here

With you 100% ! For some reason a club sandwich and a chocolate milkshake has become a kind of personal celebration meal for me.. had it after finishing my a levels, after my finals, recently on my last day of maternity leave.. other times after big work events have wrapped up. It’s a weird little treating myself ritual, always what I fancy and always delivers

there are quite a few pubs around me that do it, and Browns if you have one of them

Check out this place in Northampton
https://www.hamburgerheaven81.co.uk/

We often do them for dinner at home! Love a club sandwich :-)

Depending where you are, OK Diner sounds like what you are looking for. Apart from the one up near Hartlepool, the other 8 are all scattered around in that section of the country falling north of Northampton and South of Doncaster.

Ditto!

Toasted sourdough, slathered in mayonnaise, crispy bacon, juicy chicken, tomatoes and leaves and then crisps (instead of chips) on the side. Amazing.

Route 47 American Diner near Peterborough - excellent food, right vibe and club sandwiches

Mollie’s diners may be what you’re after. There are only a couple (they’re quite new) but we found one in Oxfordshire on the A420, and then realised they had opened one in Bristol too. They have a hotel attached and apparently are opening one in Manchester at the old Granada TV studios. Very American diner and also do a club, as well as burgers, steaks and loaded fries.

https://mollies.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/All_Day_Menu_October_2023_A3.pdf

I had one in Venice of all places - it was €25 😱