A new shop with steamed bagel sandwiches is opening soon in Lake Norman
You’re going to want to load up on napkins — hot, steamy bagel sandwiches from South Carolina-based Sully’s Steamers are coming soon to Lake Norman.
The restaurant’s newest franchise plans to open in Davidson on Aug. 25 in a spot down the street from Sabi Asian Bistro and across the roundabout from Milkbread and Sabor. The grand opening celebration will include a visit from Davidson Mayor Rusty Knox.
To start out, you’ll be able to get all-day breakfast on a selection of bagels that include blueberry or French toast, or lunch on an Everything or a cheddar jalapeno bagel. Dinner service will add on after a few weeks.
Owners Amber and Andrew Payne of Mooresville are new to the restaurant industry, although Amber Payne has family members who have owned Italian restaurants near Irmo, SC. Together, the couple are setting out to open the first Sully’s Steamers in the Charlotte area. The restaurant’s only other North Carolina location is in Brevard.
“All the sandwiches are made in-house and steamed for about 4 minutes total, so everything comes out hot and gooey,” Andrew Payne said, adding a helpful warning about needing a stack of napkins.
The sandwiches are made with freshly cut meat and produce on bagels brought in from New York. You can build your own custom creation or choose a sandwich from one of the shop’s three main categories: Legendary, Classics and Healthy(ish). (In case you’re wondering, that’s their parenthesis, not ours.)
The Legendary category includes custom creations like The Griswold ($9.25), with turkey, bacon, provolone, lettuce, pepperjack, barbecue sauce and Parmesan peppercorn sauce.
“When you steam it up, it really is something special,” Payne told CharlotteFive. “It blends really well.”
He also shared an off-menu secret: You can add barbecue chips to the sandwich after it’s steamed, making it an Uncle Eddie.
You’ll also find Classics like The Philly ($8.50), a Pizza bagel ($6.25) and Reedy Rueben ($8.50).
The Heathy(ish) menu offers Smoked Salmon ($10.50), the vegetarian Green Vegas ($7.25) with veggie cream cheese, Swiss cheese, lettuce, sprouts, avocado and honey mustard. There’s a vegan option, too — the Vulcan ($7.25) with hummus, green peppers, onion, tomatoes, cucumbers and sprouts.
It’s all “super craveable. Every sandwich is a hot mess — that’s the tagline,” Payne said. “It always hits the spot, and it’s easy and approachable. We don’t take ourselves too seriously.”
Sully’s Steamers also carries a millet and flax bagel that’s gluten-friendly option. (It does shares space with regular bagels in the same steamers, so you may also choose not to get yours steamed. And FYI, toasting is not an option.)
DoorDash will be available, along with ordering through the Sully’s Steamers app that offers reward points for free food and merchandise.
Sully’s Steamers
Location: 721 Jetton St, Davidson, NC 28036
Cuisine: American, sandwiches
Hours: 7 a.m.-3:30 p.m. for breakfast and lunch for the first couple weeks, then 7 a.m.-8:30 p.m. daily
Instagram: @sullyssteamers
This story was originally published June 7, 2023 at 6:30 AM.
