by MARK SLUTSKY

Sandwichmania spent a few years on Mont-Royal, quietly building a reputation as a solid, inexpensive lunch spot, before moving to a new location on St-Laurent in the past year. From its generic, if enthusiastic, name, you might get the impression that the eatery served straight-up tuna salad or ham and cheese sandwiches, nothing out of the ordinary. At least that was my impression.

But - although you can certainly get tuna, ham and/or cheese in your sandwiches - the focus here is on "saveurs latinos," grilled meats, avocados, chilli peppers, fajitas and empanadas. In that sense, it's in tune with a few other popular restaurants in the neighbourhood: La Chilenita, Chez José and Barros Luco come to mind. Sandwichmania more than holds its own among the Chilean-themed eateries of the Plateau and Mile-End. Its empanadas are almost as good as La Chilenita's, and its Barros Luco outdoes even the restaurant that takes that sandwich as its namesake.

There's little distinction between Sandwichmania's kitchen and the rest of the restaurant. You basically walk up and order at a large block right next to the grill. In the summer the place is a little too stifling to eat inside, so you'd best make for the pair of tables outside or take your order to go and cross the street to Parc des Amériques. Service is friendly, if a little stressed-out.

The mania-inspiring sandwiches are available in 11 different varieties - actually, 35 is more like it, as each is available with either grilled steak, chicken or pork, and there's a pair of stand-alone veggie and tuna options. The straight-up Barros Luco ($5.50), famously named for a Chilean politician who adored the dish, is probably best prepared with grilled steak, the meat matched with avocado, gooey melted cheddar, tomato and mayo. As steak sandwiches go, it's a doozy, made with a soft, airy Portuguese bun.

To be frank, a lot of the other sandwiches on the menu are variations on the Luco: the Clásico ($5.20) withholding the cheese, the Rex ($5.50) substituting it for lettuce, the Tentador ($5.50) boldly removing the tomato and substituting oregano. But you can mix it up a little more by going for the Sabroso ($5.50), with its mushrooms, garlic and black olives, or the Alemán ($5.95), which earns its German appellation with ham, sautéed mushrooms and onions. The Glotón ($5.95), which also earns its name, reminded me a little of Portuguese restaurant Chez Doval's small steak, with a fried egg atop the meat. Yum. All sandwiches come with a handful of nachos and some tasty homemade salsa.

Now, I'm a big booster of La Chilenita's empanadas, and when I heard that Sandwichmania was giving the place a run for its money I had to verify the claim myself, to see if their meat and/or veggie-stuffed pockets of dough (priced at $2.60) met the high standard. Do they? Almost. Sandwichmania's empanadas are a little bigger - almost meal-sized - and I dug the thin, almost-crispy dough. The beef in particular, which is your classic empanada, made with a black olive, a slice of boiled egg and a scattering of raisins, was quite tasty. But in the end La Chilenita's ingredients taste a little fresher to me, and they have a larger, more interesting variety (Sandwichmania offers beef, chicken, artichokes and spinach).

Other options on the menu include the tortilla soup ($3.95), a large bowl of tasty broth, made with ancho and guajillo chillies. The soup had a bit of a sour edge to it, and I wasn't crazy about the block of feta they dropped in - which sank like a stone to the bottom - but the scoop of guacamole suspended in the broth like ice cream in a float was delicious. There are also the Fajitas Californianas ($7.95), standard but fresh and tasty fajitas made on four tortillas, and the Tostada de pollo ($6.95), a corn tostada topped with grilled chicken, cheese and chipotle chilli sauce. Hot and cheesy, it's not a dish for a muggy day - as I found out the hard way.

Tips? Questions? Compliments to the chef? E-mail eattothebeat@gmail.com

Sandwichmania
ADDRESS: 4120 St-Laurent (between Duluth and Rachel)
PHONE: 281-0400
HOURS: 11AM–9PM
BEST FEATURES: The classic Barros Luco sandwich or the big empanadas
ALCOHOL: No
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: One step up
VEGETARIAN FRIENDLY: Yes
CREDIT CARDS: Yes
NON-SMOKING SECTION: Yes
PRICE: $2.60–$12 per person, before tax, wine, or tip
RATING: **1/2 out of ****