We’re in a cozy little sandwich shop that’s tucked away in a Conejo Valley shopping center. While it blends in with a dozen other businesses from the street, there is a steady stream of people making a beeline for Uncle Af’s. Locals love the one of a kind sandwiches made at the family owned restaurant.
"What we usually get is the Chicken Burrata sandwich, which is chicken breast, tuna, avocado, burrata, with pesto sauce...it's killer. And it's huge," said a customer munching away on the foot long meal.
The restaurant may be low key, but it’s no longer low profile. The Agoura Hills shop has made Yelp’s top 100 restaurant list for a second time. Two years ago, it was 56th. This week, Yelp named Uncle Af’s the 10th most popular in America.
"The concept was basically bringing good food to the neighborhood," said
Ben Shams is owner of Uncle Af’s. He runs it with his father, and brother. "We love paninis, we love sandwiches, my father and I love to cook."
Shams talks the influences behind the sandwiches, and their unique sauces. "I wanted to come up with some unique flavors, the sauces specifically, I wanted to make them different."
"One of the most popular sandwiches we have is called the Chicken Firecracker," said Shams. "It's got this aioli, it's got a little bit of heat to it. The chicken, the avocado, onions, arugula, and it comes on a ciabatta...and we toast it on a panini press," said Shams. It also features bacon which has been marinated in a sweet and spicy sauce.
There are a number of other unique sandwiches as well. After some members of the LA Rams became regular customers, they even created a sandwich in their honor, which features a blend of chicken, spicy bacon, avocado, and caramelized onions.
He thinks the restaurant’s success is due to its small, hard working staff which includes his family and head chef, Katrin Messropian. She said there is nothing better than seeing someone take a bite of one of their sandwiches and light up with a smile.
The head chef said their one-of-a-kind sandwiches are the result of a lot of experimentation, and not being afraid to try new things
Greg and Allison Sprague says their teenage son introduced them to the shop, and they’ve been regulars ever since.
"The preparation time is probably 10-12 minutes for the sandwich," said Greg Sprague. "It's well worth the wait. The quality is fantastic." Allison Sprague is eating a Chicken Firecracker sandwich. "The meld of flavors he gets together on a sandwich is what keeps us coming back. It just tastes so different."
Shams said Uncle Af’s is doing well because Agoura Hills supported the Kanan Road restaurant since the day it opened nearly seven years ago.
Shams said the unique flavors aren’t the only special ingredients in their sandwiches. "Aside from our secret sauce, aside from our bread, I think it's the love and energy that goes into the place."
By the way, even the restaurant’s name is all in the family. Uncle Af is what they call owner Ben Shams dad. Uncle Af even contributed his own specialty drink to the restaurant. It’s a unique blend of herbal spices and organic teas.
Uncle Af's is located at 5905 Kanan Road in Agoura Hills.
