West End Donut & Deli - Chuck Van Drunen

WEST END DONUT & DELI

By Chuck Van Drunen

When asked to review West End Donut & Deli subs, I must admit I was delighted and nostalgic. In the early 2000s, I worked in a west side Gallup warehouse helping make custom snowboards for the company CustomCraft (now called customcultsnowboards.com). We often worked deep into the night and invariably would need post-midnight nourishment. West End Donut & Deli was our solace where we often devoured copious amounts of the “buttermilk” donut loafs. On those late nights, our crew would often get into discussions with the lone employee…Zacka. These philosophical discussions were the reason the editor’s notes in the Gallup Journey are often called “Thoughts from the West End”.

Yet while I ate many a donut in those years, I can nare say I sampled their other famed offering: the mighty sub sandwich. Being a bakery, West End, of course makes their own sub bread each day in white or wheat offerings and likewise available toasted or traditional style. Any of their 6” subs is enough to satisfy most reasonable appetites ($7-$9 with chips), and a standard 12” sub is mighty force to a burley brother or sister in caloric need ($10-$13 with chips).

If perhaps you play on the offensive line of an NFL team, or are known to make all-youcan-eat buffets quiver in fear, then I would suggest ordering the ridiculous triple meat/ triple cheese 12” sub. This monster of a sandwich will quiet the hungriest of Jacks, as it has enough caloric goodness to sustain a small village for a weekend. (See pic right)..

I took a crew of Gallupians to sample sandwiches including a youngster to round out the tasters. A variety of sandwiches came quickly and the first thing the group observed was a noticeable heft to each one. You could feel it in your hand, compared to other subs consumed; whether it is less air, more ingredients, or a special gravitational force on the premises, I can’t really say.

No matter, other nice touches include pepperoncini peppers strewn in your sandwich basket, flanked by an ironic, near weightless bag of complementary potato chips. Reviewers (pic left to right) had the following comments:

Father Josh Mayer: “Best roast beef and provolone on wheat in Gallup!”

Lance Tanner: “Worth every penny!”

John Marie Mason: “Better than mommy makes.”

Jeremy Boucher: “My mouf is fall ask mi liter”

Pat Mason: “The spiciest ham around!”

Lena: “It’s okay that you’re getting crumbs everywhere…”

So if you’re looking for a hearty sub sandwich, and perhaps a donut chaser, a little hunting to the west end of town may be worth the exploration to West End Donut & Deli. You can venture day or night as it is still open 24 hours-a- day!

West End Donut & Deli 3030 W Historic Hwy 66 Gallup, NM 87301 (505) 722-3233