When researching an article about a sub shop in Newberry, Pensylvania, articles about Mileto’s kept popping up. I decided I had to stop there and give them a try. Family owned and operated for over 50 years, Mileto’s Sub Shop exceeds its reputation.

Mileto’s original location is on West 4th Street in the neighborhood of Newberry in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. It is directly off Route 15 at exit 136, just down the road from the Original Little League baseball stadium.

The sub shop started in 1971 by Mary Mileto, when she bought the old Ben Franklin building. At this point she was in her 50s and had lived a full life, including raising children. Several years prior, her husband had passed away. But she loved to cook and opened a sub shop. Mileto’s quickly became popular, and Mary ran it for decades. She passed away in 2012, and her granddaughter Arlene Ardary took over.

Mary is not forgotten; pictures of her are prominently displayed in the shop. In 2018, the business passed to a third generation when Arlene’s daughter Kristi became owner. Kristi is still running the sub shop. She recently opened a second location in Montoursville, Pennsylvania.

Menu

The heart of Mileto’s menu is their subs (Hoagies), with both hot and cold varieties. The cold subs consist of deli favorites such as: Italian, Turkey, Ham, Tuna, Meatball, BLT, and Grinder. Hot subs include, Fried Haddock, Chicken Parm, and a Stromboli Wrap.

But the menu has items other than subs. Appetizers are found in Finger Food and include Wings, Eggrolls, Mac and Cheese Bites, and fried vegetables of various kinds. In the From the Grill section, there are 7 different kinds of Cheesesteaks, burgers, and Hot Sausage, Finally, there is a small selection of Pizzas, which can be customized with additional toppings.

My Meal

With signs all over proclaiming their “Famous Pounder Cheesesteak”, I decided to order one of those. Turns out it is a relatively recent menu addition. Kristi added it when she took over. Nevertheless, it lived up to the hype. Having a copious amount of fresh steak, plenty of cheese, and a good mix of hot peppers and onion, this is a great cheesesteak,. It is served with mayonnaise inside a large, fresh, Italian roll. The lettuce and onions weren’t anything special, but the rest of it certainly was. The mayonnaise is a nice touch; it blends with the cheese really well.

I also wanted to try one of their appetizers. I decided on the Fried Cauliflower. They are excellent. The cauliflower is cut into small, bite sized chunks, and have a thick, crisp coating that is not greasy at all. This gives it a great crunch and smooth texture. Given a choice of sauces, I went with Boom Boom Sauce. Boom Boom is a slightly spicy, thousand island style sauce. It complemented the cauliflower quite well. Highly recommended!

Ambience

You can tell as soon as you walk in that Mileto’s Sub Shop is a local institution. Baseball memorabilia cover the walls. There is even a corner that proudly displays trophies. Mileto’s has sponsored a ball team at Newberry Little League for over 40 years. But that is not the limit of Mileto’s community involvement, as the owners have financially supported the Williamsport Area High School. Of particular note, they donated hoagies to volunteers building a playground for Jackson Elementary School.

I was also impressed with the quality of service. My sub and appetizer, both freshly made, came out in under 10 minutes. The server was quick to provide extra accoutrements and promptly refilled my drinks. Most of the customers were ordering to go, and all were received warmly. Many seemed to be friends with the staff, having long conversations about what was going on in their lives. Mileto’s Sub Shop is a little gem tucked away in central Pennsylvania.