Issue date: 1/22/07 Section: University

Media Credit: Will Schneekloth/Photography editor The Fat Darrell, available at the Rutgers Grease Trucks is comprised of chicken fingers, french fries, mozzerella sticks and marinara sauce.

By Sakina Namazi

Staff Writer

As Maxim magazine's number one sandwich in America, the Fat Darrell has inherited quite a reputation since its inception in 1997. With its 10-year anniversary approaching, it is interesting to see how it all began.

Darrell Butler, creator of the Fat Darrell, said the sandwich was made to satisfy all his food cravings that week and save money.

"I had been craving chicken fingers, mozzarella sticks and fries, but when I got to the RU Hungry Grease Truck and looked at the menu, all of those things would have cost me over $10, which I did not have," Butler said.

Butler realized that if he convinced the owners to put all his desired ingredients into the sandwich, they would only charge him $4.50 (the cost of a regular Fat Sandwich). Upon the owner's agreement, Butler made him add the lettuce, tomato and marinara sauce to the normal ingredients of a Fat Sandwich.

The price seems to be one of its most desired factors by University students.

"It's a plethora of everything I could want as a course meal, on a sandwich for 5 bucks," first-year School of Engineering student Mike Tumblety said.

Not only do University students crave the sandwich, people from all around the world also want a taste of the Fat Darrell.

"People overseas ask about the sandwich," said Abdul Elfeiki, partner and owner of the Grease Trucks. "The Grease trucks get calls from all over the world with people who ask what's in the sandwich."

Butler said the sandwich's taste and low price tag are what make it a success.

"When I tried it, it tasted great," Butler said. "The girl in line behind me overheard my conversation with the owners and decided to try it too, as did the next 15 people in line. They ended up selling over 50 Fat Darrells that first night, and it's been the number one seller at Rutgers ever since."

"It is one of our most popular sandwiches," Elfeiki said. Selling around 10 to 12 sandwiches a day, the Fat Darrell still remains the Grease Trucks' number one sandwich, he said.

The sandwich made Butler famous not only on the University campus, but now across the nation.

Butler has made appearances on shows like Good Morning America and Roker on the Road, and on Channel 12 New Jersey.

"Aside from basic money and free food, I've been on hundreds of radio and TV shows as a result of this creation," Butler said.

Recently, Butler flew to Savannah, Ga., to tape an episode of Paula's Party with Paula Deen, which should air in March on the Food Network.

Prior to the Fat Darrell there were only three kinds of Fat Sandwiches: the Fat Cat, Fat Moon and Fat Koko.

Thanks to Butler, numerous Fat Sandwiches have been created and named after different students, a testimony to both Butler and to the thousands of students who enjoy piling all their favorite foods on a single roll.