CHEAP EATS: CHEBA HUT'S FOOD IS HIGH-BREAD

By Tanith L. Balaban | Tucson Citizen
Published: December 23rd, 2004

WHAT: Cheba Hut.
ADDRESS AND PHONE: 1820 E. Sixth St., 624-2880
SPECIALTY: Toasted subs.
HOURS: Mondays-Thursdays 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Fridays-Saturdays 11 a.m.-11 p.m.
WHAT WAS ORDERED: The Afghani, or spicy turkey 12-inch blunt ($6.89) Jamaican Red, or spicy chicken 12-inch blunt ($6.99) and two drinks ($1.39 each).

COMMENTS: Just in case you didn't get the reference in the name - this place is named for the green leafy substance called marijuana, pot, weed - pick your choice. Need other names? Check out the menu - all the sandwiches, soups and salads are substitute names for the ganja. Infantile? You betcha. Worth going to anyway? Yes.

My Afghani was composed of thinly sliced turkey breast, jalapeños and pepper jack cheese toasted open-faced on my choice of wheat bread. The other offerings are white or garlic herb bread - yeah, that was another play on words. Get it? Herb, Dude? After getting the bread toasted, I added lettuce, tomatoes, mayo, mustard and pickles. While the sandwich was not as zingy as I had hoped, it was very good, if a bit heavy. My companion's Jamaican Red was an open-faced toasted sandwich with spicy grilled chicken breast, green bell peppers, jalapeños and cheddar cheese. He opted not to include the black olives. His sandwich was a lot spicier than mine as well as a lot creamier. These were not light lunches; I ate half and then picked at the other half. My stalwart companion ate the whole thing and, I swear, did a happy sandwich dance. It must be the atmosphere. Some of the sandwiches are tailor-made for people with mad munchies - all that were missing were the Funyons.

SERVICE: It was friendly, laid back, clean and quick. I admit I was surprised. Substitutions are handled with aplomb, as we saw with other people in line, and everyone got a friendly hello and goodbye. The clientele was composed of all students when we were there - hats backwards and baggy jeans ruled. The one surreal exception was the girls in velour workout clothes - one was in black with a pink purse, the other her exact opposite. It was weird. The decor consisted of legendary tokers as well as a facsimile of a 3-foot blunt over the cash register. Yeah. I know. There is also a nice courtyard where you can dine alfresco and avoid the garish paint job with jungle animals lighting up. I'm not making that up. Check out locations in Tempe; Mesa; Fort Collins, Colo.; and Louisville, Ky.

BAR: No.
VEGETARIAN OPTIONS: Yes.
CURRENCY: Cash, credit.
TAKEOUT: Yes.
CHILDREN'S MENU: No.
WEB SITE: www.chebahut.com.
FUNNY SANDWICH NAMES
I admit, I'm not very hip: I didn't recognize half the names at the Cheba Hut.