The coolest thing about the Justice League has always been that you could get all your superheroes in one fix; they’re all in the same story, working in collaboration with each other.
Goood Friends feels something like the Justice League for food fans. The project represents a mash-up of local culinary heroes from the likes of Paulie Gee’s, Angry Bear and Wario’s. There’s probably a hero sandwich pun somewhere in there, but hero sandwiches aren’t officially on the Goood Friends menu, so we’ll spare you the pain.
Sandwiches of the non-heroic ilk ARE on the menu, though. Goood Friends’ menu is dedicated entirely to sandwiches, in fact. It’s a menu that rounds out the offerings at the Columbus arm of Jackie O’s On Fourth, a local pub with deep roots in Athens. Jackie O’s plays host to Goood Friends, and guests can enjoy the sandwiches in the context of the beloved Athens institution…or there’s also an option to grab some sandwiches carry-out style from an order window. It all works.
In particular, the After School Snack ($13) works. It’s not a snack, though; it’s a commitment. And that commitment starts with a thick slab of fried bologna, teamed with classic companions, American cheese, plus razor-thin loops of onions and spiked pickles. The kitchen also throws in zippy salt & vinegar potato chips for added crunch, and there we have a masterpiece that may forever alter your expectations for after school snacks (or bologna sandwiches, for that matter).
Like many offerings at Goood Friends, the “snack” is served on telera toast. Telera is more often associated with rolls, ones that have a soft inside, but a crispy crust. In toast form, the kitchen enhances both features with a diner-styled griddled finish. With formidable sandwich fillings, its seems to help the bready bookends hold their own.
Perhaps something a little more sophisticated? There’s a plant-based sandwich on the menu called Beefsteak ($11). As you might guess, it’s named for its beefsteak tomato element, layered in luxurious slices and teamed with a kitchen sink of intriguing additions: pickled green tomato, shaved red onion, lettuce, ranch, cured lemon, hints of dill and basil AND everything bagel crunchies. That makes two sandwiches in a row with repurposed, well-seasoned, crunchy snacks as a condiment. When Columbus restaurants start putting chips on on sandwiches en masse, we’ll remember Goood Friends as early advocates. (Editor’s Note: The Beefsteak will be on the menu for a few more weeks, then it will be swapped out with another seasonally-driven vegetarian option.)
We mentioned sophisticated, we haven’t truly gotten to that part yet: For a little extra money ($40), you can add caviar to that mix. While the addition of fish eggs would potentially still meet vegetarian standards, it’s hard to see how anything could add $40 worth of fabulous to the already tasty sandwich.
The caviar would add a story, though. There’s that.
One more? Perhaps something that approaches a classic roast beef. The Warby’s Melt ($14) is solid: piled high with roast beef and crispy onions and then a sauce combo (Wario Wiz, Warby’s Sauce, Horsey Sauce) that allows the natural-tasting beef to remain the central star.
You’ll earn a gold star if you manage to finish your sandwich. If you need a side for the sake of variety, try the loaded Trashy Spuds ($14) that are a mix of fried potatoes with pickles, garlic, a mixture of classic sauce and Wario Wiz with a little hot honey in the mix. While the honey element sounded suspect, it adds mostly complexity to an otherwise pure junk-food pleasure.
And if you need to de-trashify it, well, you can always make it more upscale by adding $40 worth of caviar.
You’ll find Goood Friends at Jackie O’s at 171 N. Fourth St. It’s open from 4 – 10 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday and 4 – 8 p.m. Sunday. Weekend brunch is a recent addition, running from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
For more information, visit eatgooodfriends.com.
All photos by Susan Post
