Dining Out:

When I first heard about a new sandwich and salad place in Glendale called Rayhun, I had two thoughts. First, I thought, “I wonder what Rayhun means.” And second, I silently groaned, “Whoopie, another sandwich place.”

Well, my curiosity has been satisfied, and my cynicism has been crushed.

Rayhun means sweet basil and is one of few words that means the same in Armenian and Persian. The husband and wife who own and operate this eatery chose the name to honor their heritage. They lived in Iran but are of Armenian descent.

The items at Rayhun Sandwiches and Salads are not exactly from classic Persian-Armenian cuisine. These are more like quaint family recipes that have been served to hungry people at the kitchen table for decades. I wish my mom had made such complex and unique sandwiches. But I’m also glad she didn’t because these things are high in calories.

There are 16 sandwiches posted on the large wall menu. While there are no detailed descriptions on the sandwich board, you can see images of them looping on video monitors embedded in the bright green walls. If that’s not enough information, ask the friendly servers. They’ll show you the ingredients and homemade sauces behind the clean glass counters.

Our large party tried a goodly number of sandwiches. We found some to be better than others and all to be filling. The beef sirloin shreds sandwich ($6.99) and the chicken shreds ($5.50) were our favorites. They feature delicious seasoned and shredded meat mixed with mayonnaise and parsley on a soft, fresh ciabatta roll.

We also liked the pesto chicken ($5.50) dressed with fresh basil leaves and thin slices of cheese and tomato. The Reuben ($5.99) had decent corned beef and a nice tangy mustard. It would have been too heavy if not for the unique pickles. Many of the sandwiches have these thin, crunchy gems made from Mediterranean cucumbers.

There were a couple of items that were too heavy, however. One is the bacon & mushroom sandwich ($4.99), which has buckets of melted cheese on top of thick slices of mushroom and smoky bacon. It needs fresh lettuce or herbs or something green and crunchy.

But it was their famous chips and cheese ($5.99) that put us right over the edge. They’re similar to nachos with lots of gooey white cheese and a bit of ketchup on top of thin, crispy potato chips instead of tortilla chips. It was like a plate of the top layer of scalloped potatoes. My kids of course loved them. I can picture groups of teenagers on cell phones gathered around plates of these after a movie. But as a side, they’re just too filling.

For a place that’s called Rayhun Sandwiches and Salads, there are very few salads — only veggie, potato and chicken. The chicken salad ($4.50) is delicious, but it’s basically the inside of the chicken shreds sandwich — chicken with mayonnaise and parsley.

The veggie salad ($4.50) is a great combo of iceberg and field greens, corn, tomato, carrots, mushrooms and cukes. The problem is they put it with yet another creamy, fatty sauce. This time it’s a bland Thousand Island dressing. The flavor just goes round and round. There are no peaks or valleys. Where are the onions? Where is the vinegar?

I think they’re a little afraid of strong flavors, such as vinegar and onion, at Rayhun. They lean toward the thick, white and cheesy. But the prices are very good, the bread and other ingredients are fresh, the flavors are a nice change of pace from regular sandwich shops, and you’re sure to leave full.

Get in touch LISA DUPUY reviews restaurants and live theater in the Glendale, Burbank, and Crescenta Valley areas. She can be reached at ldupuy@aol.com.