Larry's Giant Subs

Two questions about Larry's Giant Subs, the sandwich chain out of Jacksonville, Fla.: Who the heck is Larry? Are the subs really giant?

Well, if you scoring at home, or even if you're alone (thanks, Keith Olbermann), Larry is Larry Raikes, who, along with brother Mitch, started schlepping submarines in 1982. He oversees about 100 units as company chairman and president, those stores in Florida, Georgia, West Virginia and, yes, South Cackalacky. As for the subs, they're plenty big and probably good enough for the Jolly Green, Andre, San Francisco, New York and Yomiuri.

The store means to inject Kong-sized flavor into the sandwich biz, starting with its slogan — "Home of the Big One" — and its mascot — an over-sized monkey, his hand wrapped around Larry's Big One.

The menu lists a trove of sandwiches, subs and hoagies, more than 50 in total. We visited the Mount Pleasant location and a sampled a few, starting with the Italian Big One ($5.39, 8-inch; $7.19, 12-inch), a fat sub of cooked ham, genoa salami, beef bologna and pepperoni on toasted bun. It's tasty, no doubt. The turkey reuben ($5.39, 8-inch; $7.29, 12-inch), a humdrum, flattened sandwich with Swiss cheese and Russian dressing, didn't fare as well. But we liked the Cuban pressed sub ($5.09, 8-inch; $6.99, 12-inch) with sliced pork, ham, salami, Swiss, sliced pickles and yellow mustard.

Ditto for the Inferno cheese-steak (6-inch, $5.89; 12-inch, $7.59) melted provolone cascading from bun, the steak spiked by jalapenos, banana peppers and hot sauce.

Larry's prides itself on its Black Angus USDA choice roast beef. The Ultimate ($5.39, 8-inch; $7.29, 12-inch) comes with roast beef, turkey breast and ham. The all-white meat chicken salad sub (8-inch, $5.59; 12-inch, $7.19) is a top seller, and the Monstrous Kong's Combo deli sandwich ($7.19) allows for three meats and choice of bread.

Address: 604 St. James Ave., Goose Creek; 1039 Johnnie Dodds Blvd., Mount Pleasant; 7800 Rivers Ave., North Charleston; 613 Old Trolley Road, Summerville.

Phone: 553-2868, Goose Creek; 216-8361, Mount Pleasant; 553-4005, North Charleston; 832-5933, Summerville.

HOURS: Call for location.