Helen's Subs & More

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By JEFF KORBELIK / GZO

Helen Johnson is modest.

She argued against naming her sandwich shop after herself, but her family convinced her otherwise.

Johnson took over the old Doozy’s at 55th and Holdrege streets, where she was a manager. She re-opened it as Helen’s Subs & More on May 22.

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Helen Johnson, the new owner of Helen's Subs and More showcases two of their popular dishes; the chicken bacon and ranch in a wrap and the more traditional ham, turkey and roast beef sub. Helen's has been open for just over three weeks on the corner of Holdrege and 55th Street. (Eva Barajas)

Helen Johnson, the new owner of Helen's Subs and More showcases two of their popular dishes; the chicken bacon and ranch in a wrap and the more traditional ham, turkey and roast beef sub. Helen's has been open for just over three weeks on the corner of Holdrege and 55th Street. (Eva Barajas)

“The kids talked me into it,” she said. “They told me since everybody knew me from Doozy’s, it made the most sense.”

The name is not the only thing different about the sandwich shop.

Sure, Helen’s sells Doozy-like subs in 4-, 6- and 12-inch sizes, which are assembled and then toasted/baked in an oven. They range in price from $2.99 to $7.59.

She has a few more sandwich options that include chicken salad, chicken Caesar and French dip sandwiches. Helen’s also has more bread choices: white, wheat and a white or wheat with monterey jack and mozzarella cheese baked into it.

The big difference is the rest of the menu, which also includes wraps, paninis, baked pasta and pizza.

Any sub can be made as a wrap, with sun-dried tomato basil, jalapeno cheddar, wheat or flour as tortilla choices. They cost $4.19 or $4.79.

Paninis are $5.79 and are grilled on focaccia bread with sub ingredients.  

Pasta bakes are made with fettuccine or penne pastas with alfredo, chicken alfredo, garlic butter, butter, red marinara, red marinara with ground beef or red marinara with meatballs. Prices range from $5 to $6.50.

Pizzas are available in three sizes: 7, 9 and 12 inches. They start at $3. Helen’s has four specialty pies: veggie, taco, supreme and BBQ chicken.

“I wanted a broader menu in order to get (every diner’s) tastes taken care of,” she said. “We hope they will find something they like.”

The shop has seating, but takeout is a big part of its business. Like Doozy’s, customers order at the counter and wait for the sandwiches to be prepared and brought out.

A co-worker and I stopped in earlier this week for 6-inch sandwiches. I had the new chicken salad, a cold sandwich made on the cheesy wheat bread ($3.99). My co-worker had the meatball sub on the same bread ($3.99). We “comboed” our meal, adding chips and a soda for $1.75 extra.

I’ve been a Doozy’s fan for awhile, and Helen’s sandwiches are just as good. The 6-inch was packed with goodies and the bread was fresh. We enjoyed the cheesy option.

We also appreciated the expanded menu, which will bring us back to try other things. Johnson is right: Diners should be able to find something to eat at Helen’s.

Reach Jeff Korbelik at 473-7213 or jkorbelik@journalstar.com.