New restaurants open on Modesto’s McHenry Avenue, serving subs, juice, dessert
Two new restaurants are taking over units in a Modesto shopping center that has seen a good amount of activity in the past two years.
With Walmart as its anchor store, North Point Landing has added Hawai’i Pot Shabu Shabu House, Gold Dust Pizza and Dirty Dough since early 2024. Juice Time opened in December and Crave Subs will open in late January.
The juicery and dessert shop took over the unit that previously housed Tealite, and the sandwich shop is replacing Deli Delicious.
Halal sandwich shop coming to Modesto
Bay Area-born Crave Subs is a halal sandwich shop with a comic-book theme. It was established in 2018 by Mohammed Suleman and Abdul Awadalla at San Francisco State University.
The pair opened a second location in Berkeley in 2019 and instead of returning operations to the university after the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns, they opened another location in Hayward in 2023. Modesto will be home to Crave Subs’ third location.
“The Bay Area has become extremely expensive,” Suleman said. “Also, we are a halal restaurant. There’s a big halal need in Modesto.”
In Arabic, “halal” means “permissible.” For meat to be halal, the animal must be slaughtered in the most humane way possible, Suleman said.
“People shouldn’t be scared of the word ‘halal,’” he said. “Really it just means that you’re getting much higher-quality meat.”
The reason for the shop’s comic-book theme is to combine nostalgia with cultural inclusivity. It is reflected in the decor as well as the name of menu items, including Deadpool and Goku Black sandwiches.
In addition to chicken, turkey and pastrami sandwiches, Crave Subs serves chicken tenders, loaded fries and salads. The menu includes several vegan and vegetarian options.
Any sub can be ordered on gluten-free bread from Mariposa Baking Company, an organic bakery in Oakland.
Crave Subs will celebrate its grand opening Saturday, Jan. 24, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m at 3848 McHenry Ave., Suite 105. The first 10 people in line will receive swag and a gift card, and the first 100 customers will receive a free food item.
Middle Eastern juice shop chain opens on McHenry Avenue
Juice Time was originally established as Aseer Time in the Middle East and now has over 500 franchised locations under both names worldwide. It serves juices, smoothies, ice cream, energy drinks, milkshakes, crêpes, pancakes, waffles and Dubai chocolate desserts.
It has Central Valley locations in Fresno and now Modesto, a few doors down from Crave Subs.
“We’re very excited,” Suleman said. “Both of us complement each other.”
Monday through Friday, Juice Time has a $5 menu that includes drinks named emperor, heart attack, fresh cocktail, Oreo milkshake and lemon mint juice.
It is open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
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