When i was in elementary school, and it wasn’t pizza, mashed potatoes and turkey gravy, sloppy joe, or burrito day, i was packing a lunch. In that sack lunch where my dad would draw one happy face and one sad face and write, “you get to choose your day” (that’s another blog), was a twinkie, a bag of chips, grapes, and a sandwich. If my sandwich wasn’t PB&J, it was chip beef, i wanna say that was a brand, but it could just be what my parents called it. The chipped beef wasn’t beef at all; in fact, it was either turkey or chicken. It was slapped between two pieces of white Wonder Bread, pretty sure it wasn’t a racial thing, just my preference. With the meat was a single slice of cheese and Miracle Whip. i don’t care what anyone says; it is true; a sandwich just isn’t a sandwich without the tangy zip of Miracle Whip. i absolutely loved those sandwiches!
The first stop on my quest for the best sandwich in town i went to Jimmy John’s. There is a lot of hype for these gourmet sandwiches and no shortage of delivery drivers that i can tell, so my expectations were high! As i stated i in my intro blog to my sandwich quest, i am rating the entire experience. i walked into the Hilltop location, and besides the five guys behind the counter, i was the only non-employee. This indeed was my first time ever in a Jimmy John’s, and my very first sandwich from them. So i needed a minute with the menu. Noah, the kid on the register, was polite enough, but i don’t think he ever encountered a new customer before. And as i sat eating and listening to everyone come in after me, i could see why he didn’t know how to handle someone who needed the menu, as no one did! They came in and ordered by number and knew their special requests, and Noah didn’t skip a beat getting their orders. i ordered the Beach Club, which consists of turkey, cheese, avocado spread, lettuce, tomato, cucumbers, and mayo, on freshly baked bread, $7.25 for regular size. i also ordered a bag of their brand named chips and a cup of water.
As i went to fill up my cup of water from the soda fountain, i noticed that nearly every table was dirty. Not full of trash, but you know how you can see that something hasn’t been wiped down just brushed off? Yeah, that was nearly every table. This place, clearly run by guys, and by the looks of them, none over 25, maybe even 20. i found the cleanest of the tables after filling my water cup, and my sandwich was already ready. They pride themselves on how quickly they can make a sandwich, and they have every right to. i took my sandwich and went to the clean table to dig into my Beach Club.
i love avocados. In fact, that was pretty much the selling point for me on the Beach Club. i also love cucumbers. my mom would make a cucumber salad every time she made lasagna; speaking of lasagna, i made one yesterday to bake today, and it was terrific. Anyway, i love cucumbers and love eating them, even just sliced like a veggie platter. i also love a good tzatziki sauce, which i also know how to make, if i might add. So, i know what they can add to a sandwich that slightly crisp but refreshing flavor enhancer. Sadly, as you already know, i am a Miracle Whip guy; why? Because i like flavor and one thing mayo lacks is flavor, and while we are at it, it doesn’t enhance flavor either. What is the point of mayo anyway? Either way, let me tell you what the mayo did to the Beach Club; it beached it. It absolutely silenced the avocado.
Now i need to say this i have a friend who says he is Mexican, but i don’t believe him because he adds mayo to his guacamole. No one should add mayo to guacamole, and Jimmy John’s should add it to the Beach Club either. Their avocado spread was bland, to begin with, which didn’t help the whole mayo situation. They needed to add even a little salt and a bit more lime to help it stand out. Let me ask you a question Jimmy John’s, why not use a spicy mayo, or garlic mayo, or Miracle Whip? Because you know what else the mayo did? It deadens the taste of the cucumbers. So i couldn’t help that. Although turkey is naturally dry, it seemed dryer and i couldn’t stop thinking about how a little pepper and salt would have gone a long way.
When i order a gourmet sandwich, i don’t expect to have to also order add ons. i kinda expect that it’s a gourmet sandwich that has been perfected and i shouldn’t have to make any changes, with the exception of perhaps alergins. i don’t say this lightly, but i don’t get the hype. i went fishing today and my nieghbor friend brought a sandwich from Subway, and although this isn’t the Subway review, it was hands down better than my Beach Club. Now the portion was good, i was full when i was done, i ate the whole sandwich but didn’t finish my chips. i was just under-whelmed. The saving grace was the quick, friendly service, sorry Jimmy John’s you only get 3 out of 5 hoggie rolls 🥖🥖🥖 👎🏽👎🏽
Bon Appetit
cj
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