Photos by Evie Carpenter
Grade: B+
Phoenix’s cafe competition is intense, with great coffee brewing in every corner of the city, but Hob Nobs Coffee House at North Third Avenue and West McDowell Road has a distinct advantage: Phoenix’s best sandwich.
From Cartel in the heart of downtown to Lux and Lola in midtown and to Royal at the Market and Fair Trade’s multiple locations just minutes from campus, there are a plethora of great places to kick back with a book and drink some coffee as you forget your worries at the door.
But at Hob Nobs, which is open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and until midnight on Fridays, an unusually tasty food menu accompanies the comfortable atmosphere.
With big windows letting in lots of natural light and local art and photography adorning the walls and table tops, Hob Nobs greets visitors with a true coffee-house vibe. But the menu is more than just muffins, although those are good, too. The sandwiches rival those of any other local restaurant.
The Carver is my favorite sandwich. The simple combination of roast beef and feta works culinary wonders. Put that dynamic duo between two pieces of sea salt crusted bread and you’ve got a masterpiece. Like a good steak, the Carver looks small at first but its thickness makes the sandwich a deceptively filling meal. Sandwiches are served with a refreshing cup of fruit on the side.
Hob Nobs is also known for its pizza, featuring specialties such as a spinach basil pesto pizza and the “Old World Spicy,” with capicola. Upon recommendation, I ordered the barbeque pizza. The sauce was distinct but not overwhelming and the cheese was slightly melted without falling apart, but the pizza’s highlight is its light-as-air bread. Its soft texture makes it a memorable meal, and although it’s relatively small, there is enough to share.
The barbeque pizza had one weakness, though. It would have been perfect with some large chunks of grilled chicken, but this pizza’s chicken was more like the small bits in Campbell’s chicken noodle soup and was devoid of texture. That one lackluster feature dropped the pizza’s overall taste from a “great” to a “very good.”
Even with an extensive menu of top-notch food, Hob Nobs stays true to its cafe roots, featuring a tasty mixed mocha among its assortment of iced and hot coffee and tea.
Although the food is worth it, the price is a little steep and the wait is quite long. A sandwich or pizza with a coffee goes for around $13, and during the peak midday hours, customers stand in line for about 15 minutes. With such a long wait and such good food, it’s a wonder why Hob Nobs doesn’t just hire some waiters and call itself what it really is: a restaurant. The staff seems overwhelmed at times and deserves to focus on maintaining the restaurant’s high quality of food.
Another slight drawback is that walking to Hob Nobs from the Central Avenue and McDowell Road light-rail station is reasonable but not leisurely, especially since McDowell is loud and mostly ugly.
Don’t use its location as an excuse, though. The sandwiches, the coffee and the atmosphere make Hob Nobs one of the best lunch spots in Phoenix. Whether you want to read a book, chat with friends or co-workers or just enjoy some delicious food, Hob Nobs is a great place to visit for an afternoon escape from the city.
Contact the critic at john.l.fitzpatrick@asu.edu
Want to know what we thought of the restrooms at Hob Nobs? Check out the Phoenix Potty Spots blog to get the scoop.
