I took 3 people with different diets to try new Modesto sandwich shop. Our review
Modesto got a treat when a comic book-themed sandwich shop opened a few days earlier than anticipated.
When I talked with Crave Subs co-owner Mohammed Suleman two weeks ago, he hinted that he might do a soft opening phase before his planned grand opening event on Saturday, Jan. 24. He did just that by serving the first sandwiches out of the McHenry Avenue restaurant on Monday, Jan. 19.
Knowing Crave Subs has something for many dietary restrictions, I took with me a gluten-free co-worker, a vegetarian co-worker and a co-worker who will eat most anything.
Together, we tried a little bit of a lot of menu items: the Boom Reaper sandwich (grilled chicken, pepper jack cheese and boom boom sauce), Space Force sandwich (turkey, pesto, Swiss cheese and arugula), Crave Man sandwich (pastrami, cheddar cheese, arugula and boom boom sauce), Crave Star sandwich (fried chicken, pepper jack cheese, Korean barbecue sauce and ranch), the Slasher fries (curly fries topped with fried chicken pieces, gold barbecue sauce and ranch) and vegan Moon Fighter fries (curly fries topped with vegan “chicken,” vegan ranch and Korean barbecue sauce).
All sandwiches are topped with lettuce, tomato and Crave sauce with choice of Dutch crunch, French, sourdough or organic, gluten-free bread from Mariposa Baking Company in Oakland.
My colleague who has a gluten-free diet said the bread was chewy and soft, with an artisanal, home-baked quality that is rarely found in gluten-free breads.
My vegetarian co-worker was already plotting his next visit in between his first bites of the vegan moon fighter fries. He said it’s harder to find vegan sandwich options in Modesto than vegetarian options. Shops often offer a veggie sandwich but less often offer sandwiches with meat substitutes.
Crave Subs has one veggie sub, four vegan subs and two vegan loaded fries on its menu. Any sub can be turned into a salad for a low-carb option.
It was also, to my memory, the first time I’ve tried halal meat. It tasted just as Suleman told me it would: “high quality.”
Crave Subs is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. It will celebrate its grand opening — with hours extended to 9 p.m. — Saturday, Jan. 24, at 3848 McHenry Ave., Suite 105. It replaces Deli Delicious in the Walmart shopping center. The first 10 people in line will receive swag and a gift card, and the first 100 customers will receive a free food item.
This story was originally published January 22, 2026 at 11:45 AM.
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