Having driven to and from the leisure complex at Fountain Park to use my cinema membership card, it’s an area of Edinburgh that I’m quite familiar with. I had driven up and down that road more times than I can remember and was aware of the presence of Hank’s Sandwich Bar but never stopped there. It was always busy and looks appealing from the outside but it was kind of like Harthill. Somewhere you pass on the way to somewhere else. Until today.

After waiting in the queue, which bought us time to look at the extensive menu, bursting with freshly made paninis, flatbreads, sandwiches and salads, we decided on a Moroccan Leg of Lamb Flatbread and a Pastrami Panini. Accompanying the panini were Hank’s Potato Salad and  Hank’s Super Salad (freekah, kale, goats cheese, grapefruit, and orange vinaigrette).

It was all served up to us warm, having been expertly toasted (the sandwiches, not the salad) by the ever friendly and helpful staff, who always had time to explain the ingredients to curious customers (and bloggers) even though they were being bombarded by waves of hungry office workers, seeking a fulfilling lunch to set them up for the afternoon of hard officing to come.

The thing that struck me about this place, as we watched the well marshalled team deliver sandwich after panini after salad, was that boy, they don’t make it easy for themselves. And that’s a good thing. They are clearly pushing themselves to deliver satisfying, quality food that people will return for. There are also lots of gluten free options and a good old breakfast menu using quality ingredients (Stornoway Black Pudding and Puddledub Lorne Sausage). All of that takes effort which is clearly on display here. Anyone can slap a few slices of cheap ham on slices of cheap white bread and call themselves a sandwich shop. Any chain can churn out footlongs stuffed with processed things for extortionate prices and while sure, there is obviously a market for that, the guys at Hank’s actually care about the food they send out and care if you enjoyed it.

So, in short, if you want a quality lunch at reasonable prices then do yourselves a favour, go to Hank’s, get them to give you one of their loyalty cards because believe me, you’ll go back. Now, how do I go about sneaking a panini into a movie? Anyone?

Hank’s Sandwich Bar
Location:  162 Fountainbridge, Edinburgh
Price: Panini/Flatbread with two salads £4.60, Soft Drinks £1-£1.50
Bestinburgh: Fresh sandwiches and salads to go