Oceanside Sandwich Shop
Just over a year after opening inside the Express Food Mart on North End Boulevard in Salisbury, Mass., Oceanside Sandwich Shop (27 Lafayette Road, Hampton Falls, 552-5812, find them on Facebook) has found a new home just over the state line in Hampton Falls. It was in July 2021 when Mike Owens of Salisbury, a regular customer at Express Food Mart, decided to open his own sandwich shop after inquiring about a vacant deli space inside the store. “After going there two to three days a week for years, I had said to the owner, ‘You should have food here,’ and she goes, ‘Do you know anybody that would be interested?’” Owens said. “And, I was kind of half kidding when I said that I would be. … She said, ‘Well, give it a shot,’ and so I did.” Born and raised in Haverhill, Mass., Owens recruited owner Steve Dimakis of Mark’s Deli on Railroad Square in the city, a longtime friend of his, to help him write his menu. Oceanside Sandwich Shop quickly became known for its made-to-order 10- and 20-inch cold subs, in addition to specialty items like house-made chowders, soups, meatballs, chicken Parm and more. By the following March, Owens had outgrown the small space and began looking for a new spot to relocate to. The Scene recently caught up with him just as he completed his second full week in Hampton Falls to talk about how business has been going thus far, as well as some of his picks for must-try recommendations when you visit the shop.
How long has Oceanside Sandwich Shop been around?
I opened in July 2021 [in Salisbury], and then in March I ended up looking for a new place. … So it was literally [from] July to March, and then I finally opened up [in Hampton Falls] at the very beginning of September. … It was Sept. 3.
What is your favorite thing on your menu?
It’s kind of a toss-up between the meatball and the Italian subs. We go through a lot of both of those a day.
What is something everyone should try?
The three, I would say in order, are probably the meatball, the Italian and the tuna subs.
What makes Oceanside Sandwich Shop unique?
Our large subs are 20 inches long, and we only use the best meats. … Our sauce and meatballs are homemade, and we also have a very unique recipe for the tuna. Plus, we’re unique because when you come in, it’s not commercial-looking with stainless steel all over the place, and people aren’t just a number. … We greet everybody that comes through the door, and we get to learn everybody’s names.
What is your favorite thing about being on the Seacoast?
I just love the beach. It’s like a different world up here. It’s more laid back and slower-paced than a big city, which I like. … Being next to the ocean, you can’t ask for anything better.
What celebrity would you like to see ordering from your shop?
Maybe Joe Pesci. That would be kind of cool, having him coming in and ordering. I was thinking about him just the other day in that movie Casino when they opened up the sub shop in [Las] Vegas.
What is an essential skill to running a restaurant?
Besides making the food and doing the recipes and all of that, it’s customer service … and just knowing how to treat people. … I think it’s so important to just treat everybody as they walk in almost like you know them [like in] Cheers. That’s what we do.
— Matt Ingersoll
Courtesy photo.
