John T.
Yelp
4.5
I finally* made it to Bill's! I'd long seen the photos and heard the stories. But the errant hours mocked me and kept me away. Finally, I'd had enough. I waited for the perfect late winter Saturday early afternoon and I made my move.
That move was an online order. Y'see, during those days, Bill's operated in a pop-up virtual space. Check the menu. See what was still available. Race to put in your order and hope that nothing had changed within those milliseconds. Being that Bill likes to experiment with flavors and recipes, I decided to get out of my own way and see what was what. My only hard and fast rule was a sandwich without too much (any?) mayonnaise. That isht is nasty af. Always. Luckily, I found a mustard-based sandwich. I was all in. I was getting the order to go so no need for a side or drink. But, I figured, since I was already ordering, I might as well get a sweet treat. Done.
Ordered and tipped, I made my way over to Inglewood and walked in like a boss. The operation was smaller and quieter than I expected but that's just the signs of a well-oiled machine. I sauntered in, confirmed my name and order, received a giant paper bag of food, and I was on my way. It was that easy. I raced home, got a plate to put my goodies on top of, cracked a cold beverage and got to eating.
Wow! My sandwich of the day was the Hoosier Pork Schnitzl #2. As I native Kentuckian, I have a natural avoidance of most things Hoosier. It's a thing. But even an Indy hater knows that famous nature of the Indiana pork tenderloin sandwich. I was eager to taste Bill's take. The generously-portioned and crispy fried tenderloin was lovingly topped with honey mustard (ugh, mayo; I powered through it), onion, lettuce, and chow chow! The gluten bomb continued via a garlic-butter toasted sesame bun. This was not a sandwich that adheres to any sort of diet but I knew this. You should know it. The combination of flavors and textures made my mouth very happy. This wasn't a dainty sandwich. That made my ROI mind very happy. With every bite, I understood why these sandwiches were so popular and why the (virtual) mad dash associated with getting them into bellies.
After a good while savoring my sandwich (and drinking a heavily carbonated alcoholic beverage to kill the mayo cooties), I set my sights on the sweet part of my meal. My oversized Sugar Danny X BSP Coffee Cookie was a brilliant way to end my lunch. Coffee-infused toffee, Mr. Aarons** Hachi Machi beans and good ol' brown butter. Again, a nice mix of flavor and texture and size. What sounded like it could have been a basic cookie had a surprising amount of depth to it.
Kids nowadays have an easier go of getting a Bill's Sandwich. There's a dedicated brick & mortar and everything. Only the truly gristled know the way of the warrior aka the shortened window and process of getting one's hands on this beast of a sandwich. Worth it.
*The pop-up spot in Inglewood. Not the new LS location.
**He gets his own review.