Hoagie Haven - Princeton, NJ

Ah, the infamous Hoagie Haven!  Growing up in Princeton, this little takeout spot was a landmark for nearly everyone, but especially students.  During my high school days, I ate at Haven almost every day, with a rotating set of options so in reviewing these different meals, I will know that one outstanding meal is not a fluke.

As an outsider, you might not think to eat at Haven unless it has been suggested by a local, but you will be glad you did afterward.  The inside is not at all fancy, yet has remained a type of nostalgic classic setup, although there have been some recent additions that make it feel more modern such as a TV and the techno music that has been known to echo through the speakers at night.

As a high school student, one thing I loved about Haven was the fact that you could always go there and see someone you knew, be it the friendly staff who always recognize you or one of your friends, who are likely to eat at Haven as consistently as the fact that the sun rises each day in the east.  No matter the time of day, you can always look in and find someone placing an order at the counter.  Peak times can draw a line that may extend out the door, but when in a hurry, it is easy enough to call in the order.  The place has always been a great meeting spot, with people eating on the benches outside and anyone who spent their high school years getting a wave from someone on the staff frequently upon entering.  The crew of cooks are very friendly and will do anything to meet your requests.  They also waste no time in pumping orders out, making multiple orders at a time while screaming the common phrases "NEXT?!" and "SaltPeppaKetchaHotSauce"to determine what you want to adorn your sandwich.

Set in a nice college town that usually shuts down fairly early with the exception of a couple bars (after midnight it is more common to see police cars than regular cars), it is relieving to know that Haven stays open pretty late.  In fact, they do not have a set closing time but rather go with how busy they tend to be night-by-night, with their website even listing "Late" as their closing time.

Being in Jersey, you know that the hoagies are destined to be good and sure enough they don't disappoint.  The sandwiches tend to be packed, requiring a bread that will hold it all.  This bread, from the Italian Peoples Bakery in Trenton, works perfectly for Haven's sandwiches.  The menu is endless, with options such as the Phat Lady, Sanchez, and Heart Stop among others offering a gut busting combination meal all inside the sandwich.  More on those later.  Additionally, you can have them throw pretty much anything you can think of together if they have the ingredients.  Maybe you can even get your own sandwich created if your combo works!  Just bring some cash as they don't take credit cards, though there is an ATM machine if needed.

Given my numerous visits I will provide a breakdown on a number of their menu items.  One thing to note is that, while using the same bread for each hoagie, I may give different ratings on the bread based on how they impact (or work for) that particular sandwich.

Let's start out with a simple cheeseburger.  The burger is not all that big (maybe 6 ounces) and is one of the few menu items that comes with a bit more bun than meat.  Nevertheless, this burger is pretty good though I would not mind a little more meat to it.  Unfortunately, my phone broke right before I could snap a picture of this so you will just have to imagine it.  I got mine with minimal condiments, just a bit of ketchup which while I often avoid ketchup on burgers works well for Haven.

Meat: 6

Bread: 6.5

Cheese: 6

Condiments: 7.5

Overall: 7

The first dish I ever ordered at Haven was a turkey sub and I have to tell you, it is pretty good.  Sure, it is a simple item to make but I always love it.  The bread is great and that is always a key to the sandwich.  I usually get mine with lettuce, onions and oil & vinger,  but thew on some salt and pepper as well as tomatoes this time.  Simple sandwich and no toppings overpowering the other.

Meat: 8
Bread: 8.5

Condiments: 8.5

Overall: 8

Phat Lady: Today I ordered one of my favorites at Hoagie Haven.  Similar to the Fat Sandwiches at Rutgers, the Phat Lady stuffs mozzarella sticks and fries inside the hoagie along with a cheesesteak.  It also comes with your choice of ketchup, hot sauce, sanchez sauce, or whatever combination of sauce you could think of.  Personally, I went with hot sauce and a touch of sanchez today.  Although it may sound disgusting to some, everyone who tries the sandwich tends to love it.  While not a fan of Haven's cheesesteak by itself, the combination in the Phat Lady is delicious.  The sauce prevents it from being too dry and while the taste is not quite as good as the similar Sanchez, which replaces the cheesesteak with chicken cutlet, the Phat Lady is not as oversized and allows for better bite-sized pieces.  All in all a terrific sandwich, and one of my recommendations.

Bread: 9
Sauces: 8
Cheesesteak: 4.5
Fries/Mozz Sticks: 7
Overall: 10

In my high school days, I followed a rotation of frequently eaten sandwiches, one of them being the chicken parm.  This sandwich features a nicely fried piece of chicken along with a think layer of marinara sauce that proves it is indeed a chicken parm while not overwhelming the sandwich with it.  A few slices of cheese then get melted on top of the sandwich to create a really great hoagie.

Chicken: 8.5
Bread: 8
Marinara: 8
Cheese: 7
Overall: 8

MORE FOOD ITEMS TO COME FROM HOAGIE HAVEN!!! KEEP CHECKING BACK!!