In a city where residents pride themselves on variety - a sort of anti-suburban America attitude - Ike's Place sandwich shop in the Castro sums up what San Francisco is all about. And the shop does it in about 150 ways.

"I want people to have a lot of options," shop owner Ike Shehadeh said of the menu offering over 150 made-to-order sandwiches.

The Ike's cooks can whip up anything from a "Fat Bastard" (ham, bacon, "dirty sauce", American cheese) to a "M.I.L.F. "(chicken breast, mozzarella sticks, hot sauce, ranch) to a "Cowboy Curtis" (vegan turkey, coleslaw, smoked gouda), hoping to help satisfy those grumbling stomach blues.

Shehadeh, 30, opened the sandwich shop just over a year ago after discovering his love for sandwich experimentation and said it won't be disappearing anytime soon. He's trying to open another location due to the popular demand.

Kerry Fessenmeyer lives in Ingleside but travels to the Castro for a meal about once a week. Fessenmeyer, 20, is vegan and describes the "Vegan Sanchez" sandwich as "delicious."

"I recommend it to all my friends, all the time," she said of the restaurant.

The sandwiches at Ike's start at about $7, but can go up to $16 each. The restaurant uses quality ingredients and the bread is fresh-baked after every order. Several kinds of meat are offered here as well as a large vegan and vegetarian selection. Adventurous beverages, such as banana root beer, a detox juice and an espresso coffee soda, among other things, are available to go along with a patron's sandwich.

The crowd ranges from 20-something hipsters to middle-aged construction workers who look like they've have a few too many "Mr. Sanderson "(bacon, mozzarella sticks, avocado) sandwiches. Some of the customers travel across the city to get their hands on a sandwich at Ike's.

The tiny establishment is often busy, and five people waiting to order equals a line out the door. The wait time isn't very long, however, and the staff proves to be friendly even when a newbie finds him or herself perplexed by the large selection.

Andrew O'Neil, 21, is a cook at Ike's and a film major at SF State. His favorite sandwich is the "Barry Z." (Turkey, Avacado, Havarti), named after the San Francisco Giants' starting pitcher -- an interesting selection, considering he's from L.A. and the Dodgers are his favorite team.

"It doesn't have as much stuff on it as some of the other crazy-ass sandwiches," he said.

Only outdoor seating is available for those unable to make it home before devouring Ike's creations. It is, however, very possible to eat a big cheesy, toasty Sometimes I'm a Vegetarian (mushrooms, artichoke hearts, pesto, provolone) sandwich right in front of some joggers sweating away on a Gold's Gym treadmill, just a stone's throw away.