OCALA, FL (352today.com) – For a neighborhood sandwich shop, Albelo’s Sub Shop in Ocala has a surprisingly big menu.

Located at 303 SE 17th St., Albelo’s has built its local following around hot, fresh-to-order subs, homemade soups, fresh salads and sweet treats—but a look at the menu reveals there is considerably more to discover. From pressed sandwiches and grilled favorites to quesadillas, wraps, keto-friendly bowls and house-made desserts, there’s plenty of room to make a return visit and order something different.

The family-owned restaurant describes itself simply: “Not your ordinary sub shop.” The menu makes a pretty good case for that description.

More than just a sub

Subs remain at the heart of the Albelo’s experience, with sandwiches made fresh to order and available toasted in the oven or on the grill. Customers can also customize their sandwiches with their choice of meats, cheeses, toppings and sauces.

For those looking for one of the shop’s signature combinations, options include the Albelo’s Original with oven-roasted turkey, bacon and provolone, as well as the Albelo’s Meatball featuring house-made chicken, spinach and mozzarella meatballs on garlic bread.

The menu also ventures well beyond the usual sub shop offerings. Pressed options include the Cubano, while the grill menu features Philly-inspired creations and other hearty combinations. There are also vegetarian selections, quesadillas and wraps for diners who want something a little different.

And then there are the sides. Specialty fries, zucchini fries, fried green tomatoes, cheesy bread, pierogies and other rotating selections make it easy to turn a sandwich into a full lunch—or simply stop in for a few shareable bites.

A menu for different appetites

One of the more notable things about Albelo’s is the range of choices available for diners with different preferences.

The restaurant offers fresh salads and lighter lunch options alongside its more indulgent sandwiches and sides. Its menu also includes protein-packed wraps and a dedicated selection of keto-friendly bowls, giving diners the option to skip the bun while still getting a substantial meal.

The keto bowls aren’t just a stripped-down version of a sandwich, either. Choices include Buffalo Chicken, Greek Chicken, Philly Steak or Chicken, El Mexicano and Chori Chicken, among others. The grilled options combine meats or vegetables with cheeses, sauces and fresh toppings for meals designed to stand on their own.

That variety can make Albelo’s an especially useful stop when a group can’t quite agree on what sounds good.

Homemade soups and sweet treats for fall

As fall approaches, Albelo’s is also leaning into two of the cozier parts of its menu: homemade soups and sweet treats.

The restaurant promotes its homemade soups as a seasonal highlight, and the rotating selection can include comforting options such as turkey pot pie soup and northern bean and ham soup. Soup can also be paired with one of the restaurant’s grilled cheese offerings for a classic cool-weather lunch.

On the sweeter side, Albelo’s makes all of its desserts in-house and bakes them fresh. Depending on the day, that can mean cookies, bars, cakes, cheesecake and other treats.

Current menu offerings have included everything from magic cookie bars and coconut chocolate almond cookies to espresso chocolate chip cookies and German chocolate cheesecake.

For those who like to finish lunch with something sweet, the dessert case can be worth a look before heading out.

A casual Ocala lunch stop

At its core, Albelo’s Sub Shop is about keeping lunch approachable: fresh food, plenty of choices and a menu that gives customers a reason to come back and try something new.

The restaurant is open Tuesday through Saturday according to the Ocala/Marion County tourism listing, while its online ordering platform currently lists daytime hours and pickup ordering.

Whether the craving is for a toasted sub, a bowl of homemade soup, a fresh salad, a hearty keto bowl or a freshly baked sweet treat, Albelo’s offers plenty of ways to build a lunch around whatever sounds good that day.

And with fall bringing cooler-weather cravings along with it, it may be a particularly good time to see what’s coming out of the kitchen at this Ocala neighborhood favorite.

Albelo’s Sub Shop is located at 303 SE 17th St., Unit 310, Ocala, 352-620-2600.