Walking into Second Street Sub Shop, you would not expect to be blown away.  There are three tables with six chairs in a small, dingy space. In fact, Second Street, 108 W. 2nd St., is Royal Oak's smallest restaurant at 400 square feet. Owner Scott Perry doesn't need much room, though.  

It is truly amazing what Perry creates with such limited space and equipment. He has a meat slicer, small deep fryer, a couple of refrigerators/freezers, a sink and some counter space. Oh, there is also a cool tomato slicing device, which slices perfectly uniform tomatoes for the sandwiches.  

Perry is there all the time. "I touch everything that comes in and leaves this place," he said.

He loves doing it, too.  A former gas station owner, Perry has loved sandwiches ever since his days visiting Kalamazoo. "Every time I'd visit Kalamazoo, I had to visit the Galley Sub Shop," Perry said. "I loved their sandwiches. Their sandwiches are the genesis for this shop. How can you not love a sandwich? It is the perfect meal."

For being such a small shop, the choices are bountiful. Eighteen sandwiches with combinations such as salami, bologna, ham, and cheese or turkey, ham, and provolone are available, but Perry will make any combination your heart desires.  

From slicing the meat and cheese to making all of the dressings, Perry meticulously makes every sandwich with love.  

The bread is brought in from a 100-year-old bakery in Dearborn.  Soft and crumbly, this bread is both flavorful and relenting. It does not overpower the meats.  Basically, it is perfect sandwich bread. Perry serves his subs cold by default, but if you enjoy toasted subs he can do that, too. Toasting the sub will crust up the bread a bit for those averse to soft bread.

Four sizes of sub are available (4", 6", 8" and 12").  Across the bottom of the menu, a boast is printed in bold type: "Our smallest 4" sub tips the scale at 1/2 lb.!"

As a point of reference, the 12" sub weighs approximately 2.5 lbs.  My co-diner and I split two 6" subs, which probably weighed close to 3/4 of a pound each.

Perry suggested we try the 2nd Street Special (#12) and 2nd Street Deluxe (#13).  His reasoning was we would be sampling every meat Second Street offers in those two sandwiches. Each sandwich is made to order, so if you are in a rush, don't expect to be in and out quickly.  Perry is an artist and your wait will be rewarded.

Let's start with the deluxe — roast beef, corned beef, turkey, ham, cheddar and provolone, along with lettuce, tomato, and house-made dressing are piled into a bun. It's not proper form to eat your sandwich with a fork and knife, but Perry's sandwiches almost demand it. Moist turkey, tender roast beef, and gently spiced corned beef are quite good together.  

Not to play favorites, but the special blows the deluxe out of the water. Think incredibly high-quality Italian sub -- mortadella (an Italian bologna), capicolla, salami, genoa, ham, cheddar and provolone. Lettuce, tomato, banana pepper, and house made dressing round out the ingredients on this behemoth. Spicy, salty and savory, this sandwich has everything.  

I would be remiss if I didn't talk about the dressing. Perry's dressing is simple olive oil, basil, oregano, and chive. "This is the original Italian dressing," he says. As simple as it may seem, it adds a layer of flavor to his sandwiches unlike any I have tasted. Perry also makes the potato salad, pasta salad, cole slaw, cookies and brownies.

Places like Second Street, with such involved ownership, are becoming rare. Perry is there day-in and day-out. Every hour his shop is open, he is there. It is truly a testament to the small-business mentality.  His overhead is low, so he keeps his prices very reasonable.  A 12" Special runs $14.25, but will feed three to four normal appetites.  

Next time you are looking for a lunch spot, or if you don't feel like making dinner, stop by Second Street and be prepared to eat an amazing sandwich.