Brendo's King of Heros opens in Williston Park 

What sold Brendan Banks on the location of his Williston Park sandwich shop? Certainly, there was the location — in the town where he grew up and right next to the iconic, newly revitalized Hildebrandt’s ice cream parlor. But, he said, the clincher was the 16-foot-long exhaust hood in the kitchen.

With that much exhaust capacity, the chef explained: “I could do anything. I saw the kitchen and I signed the lease before I even had a concept.”

That was in January 2022. As Banks prepared to open over the next seven months, the concept presented itself: Heros. “Call them heros or hoagies or subs,” he said. “It’s the same thing.”

Banks’s affinity for meat served on bread was evident as far back as 2017 when he helped to open the first Burgerology in Rockville Centre. The next year he established his own Huntington spot, Rotisserie Banks, which served an unsurpassed roast-beef sandwich. That shop morphed into United Cheesesteaks, where he elevated the Philadelphia specialty using better meat, better cheese and better bread.

United Cheesesteaks became Elsie Lane Wings in 2020; Banks was a partner in that business until he sold his shares and went all-in at Brendo’s, where the cheesesteak still rules. He uses prime rib eye and poaches the slices briefly in beef jus before griddling them — that way you get juicy, meaty and slightly charred all in the same bite. He makes his own cheese “wiz” sauce.

“If you call yourself ‘the king of heros,’” he said, “you can’t cut corners.”

Brendo’s classic Philly cheesesteak (beef, caramelized onions, roasted peppers and wiz on a hero roll) is only outsold by the New Yorker (instead of wiz add provolone, sauteed mushrooms and garlic aioli). Cheesesteak variations include the TexMex (add pepper jack cheese, jalapeños, chipotle aioli) and the Billy Bob (add bacon, mozzarella, barbecue sauce and onion straws).

His most popular non-cheesesteak sandwich is the vodka chick: Chicken cutlets (that he soaks in buttermilk, and fries to order) with vodka sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan on toasted garlic bread. Other hot heroes include the Sopranos (Ceriello’s sausage, provolone, caramelized onion, roasted peppers and garlic aioli on seeded semolina) and the Giddy Up (grilled chicken, Swiss cheese, mushrooms, onions and horseradish aioli).

Brendo’s is the rare sandwich shop that eschews cold cuts.  Right now the cold sandwiches lean hard on grilled chicken and Banks' own roasted rib eye; in the coming weeks he will be roasting his own turkey and pork. He does bring in Italian salumi from the nearby pork store, Ceriello’s Fine Italian Foods, and all of them appear on The Godfather: Capicola, soppressata, mortadella, fresh mozzarella, sun-dried peppers, lettuce, tomato, olive oil and balsamic vinegar on seeded semolina.

Also made under that great hood are a roster of 8-ounce burgers, wraps, salads, macaroni and cheese, fresh-cut fries and wings that are brined, baked and cooled before being fried to order.

All of Brendo’s sandwiches are tightly wrapped to stay hot while being delivered, but you can also enjoy them in the dining room, which seats about two dozen. (Fries, of course, are best eaten as soon as possible.)

Brendo’s King of Heros is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. 82 Hillside Ave., Williston Park, 516-246-9130, brendosheros.com.