First Look: Deep End Subs

“I feel like there are parts of Austin that are going away very quickly and we’re trying to show people that it’s still around,” says Andy Todd, owner of Deep End Subs, as the CapMetro Red Line train rumbles in the background.

A longtime Austinite who has worked at Odd Duck, All Day Pizza, and Thundercloud Subs as well as farm-to-market restaurant Kitchen Sync in South Carolina, Todd recently opened his new food truck on 6401 Airport Blvd. outside Highland Collective between Austin Community College’s Highland campus and its adjacent train station stop.

Todd, who originally hails from Port Neches and studied chemical engineering at the University of Texas, is a straight shooter who believes in using high-quality ingredients and not charging the customer any more than the listed price. (A dry-erase board on his truck reads: Tax included!!! No tips!! Just vibes.) “I’m a huge proponent of clarity and letting someone know what they’re getting. It’s so strange to me, this culture that we’ve inherited.”

When you eat sandwiches like the Deep End Po Boy with mushrooms and fried shrimp, the bánh mì or the chicken bacon ranch sandwich, you can feel Todd’s years of experience in the kitchen. His food brings back memories of legendary Austin college campus hot spots like Fricano’s Deli. He also plans to roll out more specials in the future like steak or smoked turkey sandwiches along with sides like mac and cheese or pasta. (Check out Deep End's current menu options here.)

Although there seems to be a looming time limit on how long the building has before it will be redeveloped (RedLeaf, the developer responsible for the ACC Highland project, actually has its headquarters right next door to Highland Collective), Todd is hopeful that things will work out. “This is very much my neighborhood,” he says. “It’s incredibly diverse around here.”

Todd raves about the space he shares with artist/maker studio space Highland Collective, saying that “they have different events all throughout the week. They have the gallery open, and it’s just a really cool space that brings a lot of cool traffic.”

He also wants to build out the patio and make it a more tenable area to have events like screenings or music shows. “Being a young father, it can be incredibly isolating in Austin with children,” he says. “Sometimes it’s not a lot of places you can bring your kid to, so it’s nice to have third spaces that aren’t breweries.”