Guy's is the kind of poor boy shop we don't see much anymore. It's basically one guy--Marvin, the owner--who makes all the sandwiches, one at a time, carefully but not too, while engaging in patter with the customers, most of whom are regulars. It's the kind of honestly utilitarian place that convinces a lot of people that this is the real thing. And it is.
Like many poor boy shops, Guy's began life in the 1950s as a grocery store, and evolved into a sandwich house. Marvin Matherne bought it in the early 1990s from Guy Barcia, Jr., the second-generation owner. The interior, which looks much too glitzy and new for a place with this pedigree, was redone in 2007, after a fire shut the place down just long enough for Guy's customers to elevate its status to just short of legendary.
One big room with as many tables as could possibly fit. Marvin works completely out in the open, behind a small counter manned by his cashier. The paint job, lighting sconces, and even the new logo on the window glass seem more appropriate for a spiffy clothing store than an ancient poor boy shop, but there you go.
Don't think of this as fast food. Those in a hurry call ahead and place orders. It's better to order there, and hang out with a root beer while taking in the place and listening to Marvin. They get very busy at around noon; that's a bad time to go.
| Attitude | 2 |
|---|---|
| Environment | 0 |
| Hipness | 0 |
| Local Color | 2 |
| Service | 0 |
| Value | 2 |
| Wine | 0 |
