This old-school sandwich shop since 1982 is one of Fayetteville's best-kept secrets

Robertson's Sandwich Shop in the Eutaw Village — with its light-pink walls covered in retro signs, wooden booths and tables, and an old-school black menu board with white tile letters— is like traveling back in time.

The cash-only lunch spot off Bragg Boulevard where eight bucks goes a long way has served Fayetteville since 1982, making it one of the oldest restaurants in the area.

Past the service counter and the Pepsi cooler is the kitchen, where you’ll find the owner and cook, Frank Fernandez, grilling hot dogs and burgers, slathering sandwiches with tuna or chicken salad or serving up sides of fries.

The San Antonio, Texas, native took over the place in 2004 after he retired from Army Special Forces. His son Pat, 36, worked as a dishwasher for the previous owner as a high schooler, and when she decided to sell the business, Fernandez jumped at the opportunity.

He hoped Robertson’s would be a stepping stone to opening his own coffee shop, where he imagined he would dress nicely, socialize with customers and have a refrigerator full of fancy desserts, but that has yet to pan out, he said.

“I wanted something laid back, where I could talk to people and visit with people,” Fernandez said.

Now, he said, his restaurant is far too busy for him to make small talk. Though it opens at 11 a.m., by 10:30 a.m. there is a line of customers standing outside the door.

The no-nonsense menu has barely changed over the years, and neither have the prices, thanks to low rent and keeping a small staff of just himself and a cashier, he said. A cheeseburger, fries and a drink will run you $5, and the priciest menu item is just $8.

“I don’t want to be a special occasion restaurant,” Fernandez said. “Some people come in every day for lunch and pay $25 a week.”

Still, each dish has its own special flair. Fernandez said he got his knack for plating while working at a Chinese restaurant in Texas where the chef was “all about presentation.” Every Robertson’s sandwich is served with a garnish; green, white and red onion are the colorful hot dog toppings; and Fernandez has even made heart-shaped burger patties on Valentine’s Day.

The shop has a lot of regulars, many of them employees at nearby car dealerships, and Fernandez said he’s witnessed his customers grow up or grow old over the last nearly two decades. He gets new customers all the time, though — usually, locals who have lived in the neighborhood for years but hadn't heard of the restaurant, he said.

With no social media pages, advertising or presence on apps like Doordash and GrubHub, Robertson's is easy to miss. That's on purpose, Fernandez said, because he is "busy enough" as it is.

However, a few public figures are in the know. The restaurant has seen guests like Pauly Shore, a comedian who ordered a club sandwich after performing at former Fayetteville comedy club ITZ; Chelsea Scott Cooley Altman, a North Carolina native who held the Miss USA 2005 title; NFL player William David "Dee" Hardison; and Detroit Lions player and E.E. Smith graduate Larry Tearry, Fernandez said.

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Corvette stops at sandwich shop counter

In 2018, Fernandez and his youngest son Paxxon, who was 8 at the time, escaped serious injury when a Chevrolet Corvette plowed through the front entrance.

The driver, who Fernandez said was an elderly regular, was attempting to park outside when he apparently stepped on the gas pedal instead of the brake.

The car crashed into a support column outside the restaurant before plunging through the front glass and ripping out the brick wall underneath.

Fernandez jumped across tables to get to his son who was in the middle of the diner getting his things together to go home. He said he grabbed Paxxon and dragged him out of the vehicle’s path as it lunged forward and stopped about a foot away from them. Paxxon was pinned between the food counter and the wheel well of the car.

Fernandez said he pulled his son free. Miraculously, both suffered only cuts and bruises and were treated at the scene. The driver suffered a cut on his forehead and was treated at Cape Fear Valley Hospital.

Now, Fernandez has a sense of humor about the incident. He said his old wooden storefront needed a facelift, and after the crash, it was replaced with glass.

“That’s how I got my new storefront,” he said.

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Will Robertson’s stay open for another 40 years?

When asked what the future holds for the homey eatery, Fernandez said he doesn’t want to sell the business. Either his son Pat will take over, or he’ll close it down completely.

The father of five said though he keeps busy with his family, his poultry farm and his new real estate business, he keeps Robertson’s open because he “loves to cook,” and he doesn’t plan to go away anytime soon.

“I still got a couple years in me,” he said.

The details

Address: 2712 Bragg Blvd.

Phone: 910-484-2519

Hours: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday-Friday, closed Saturday and Sunday

Food, dining and business reporter Taylor Shook can be reached at tshook@gannett.com. Want food news in your inbox every Thursday? Sign up for the Fayetteville Foodies newsletter.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Robertson's Sandwich Shop is one of the oldest Fayetteville restaurants