I had never heard of Beezer's Gourmet Sandwich Shop before until I moved into South Tower my freshman year. At around 1 a.m., my then neighbor, a stranger I had met a day ago, asked if I was hungry — and that's how I discovered the best sandwich shop on campus.
Obviously, I was hungry, so we went for a short walk to what I thought would be, at best, a mediocre sandwich. What I got was not only the best sandwich but some of the best food I’d had since I left home.
Beezer's is easily a better sandwich than Horseshoe Deli or any of the other food available at Russell House. Many other places in the Columbia area are not only boring, corporate chains, but they are expensive and poor quality.
Even though Beezer's doesn't accept meal swipes, none of its sandwiches are expensive. The double meat sandwiches, which are the best of the menu items, are only $7.50. The single meat sandwiches are $6.95 each.
Not only is Beezer's cheap, but it’s also close to campus. Beezer's is about a 10-minute walk from most of the dormitories that are next to Russell House. Whether you’re on your way back from class or coming home from a long night in Five Points, Beezer's is close enough for anyone who lives on campus and cheap enough for the most broke of college students.
Personally, my favorite sub from Beezer's is the BLT with turkey. Eight pieces of bacon, provolone, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise and turkey have never tasted so good.
Other sandwiches include the Godfather, Rebel Rouser and the Blackjack, just to name a few excellent options. In addition to sandwiches, it offers chips, drinks, cookies, potato salad and macaroni salad. Recently, it started offering hot sandwiches such as a meatball sub or a pulled pork barbecue sandwich.
Even the ambiance of the restaurant is compelling and lovable. The inside of the restaurant is filled to the brim with Gamecock and sports memorabilia. It has multiple Gamecock decals throughout the restaurant and several sports ball decals hung up. The menu is uniquely designed so that one half looks like a basketball court and the other half looks like a field, using footballs and basketballs as bullet points. It's perfect for any Gamecock student or fan.
The real selling point of Beezer's is the punch card. It's essential to remember your punch card anytime you go to Beezer's. After every purchase, one notch gets punched, and after seven subs, your eighth sub is free. Even better, on Tuesdays, the workers double-punch your card.
I have had the privilege of getting a free sub from Beezer's multiple times during my time at USC, and it is the best experience a student can have on campus. I know I'll have many more before I graduate, even though I now live off-campus.
With a location conveniently close and food of great quality, no other sandwich in the Columbia area can even compete.