Jimmy John’s
http://www.jimmyjohns.com/

This is Jimmy Johns first time on the blog, although I have had it quite bit.   You will hear their ads on the radio that they are really fast, and I would agree with that.  By the time that you are done paying, your sub is ready.  Great for the lunch crowd, but I will admit that I liked the meat sliced in front of me…it just seems fresher to me.  Also, they should learn a lesson from Dominos thirty minute delivery.  It is great that you can do it quickly, but the food has to be good as well.

You can amend your sub how you want, but this is not the Subway format where you walk down the line.   Every JJ’s that I have been in the music is pretty loud…loud enough you can’t hear the person at the table next to you.  Most of the time the soundtrack is pretty solid, so I never mind…they do a good job at this actually.

What I Ate:  The Italian Night Club Combo.  Salami, Capicola, ham, provolone, lettuce, tomato, vinaigrette, and mayo (I had them hold the mayo) around $8.00 for a combo with chips and a drink.

Served on a french baguette, this is a good sized sub.  Everything tasted ok, but my issue is the ratios.   Any given bite will give you about 60% bread, 20% lettuce, and 10% meat and cheese.  I really can’t comment on the taste/quality of the meat, because I didn’t taste a lot of it.  I liked the baguette and I like finely shredded lettuce on a sub, but that is just not enough for me.  I didn’t taste a lot of tomato, so I took a look under the hood:

Ah ha!  Now, I know it is November, but those are some nasty looking tomatoes and they could easily fit two more slices on the sub.

Would I Buy It Again?  This is a trick question.  Yes and No.

No:  It is not that good.  On the menu, JJ’s admits that they are not gourmet sandwiches, just taste a little better.    Well, they taste better than Subway, but that is about it.  It didn’t offend me and I  felt full after the meal.  I didn’t hate it.

Yes:  The only other sub place by my work is Subway, and you know how I feel about them.  It is the best of the worse.

Supermarkets are missing the boat here.  I worked right next to a Publix in Nashville and they had Boars Head subs out of their deli department for around $7.  The subs were awesome and there was a line everyday for them.  Some Kroger’s have a sub option, but they are pretty bad.

Subs are really easy to make…I just wish that someone would get it right.

-wibia

Firehouse Subs
3516 West 86th Street
Indianapolis, Indiana  46268
http://www.firehousesubs.com/

Firehouse Subs is a chain started in the mid 1990s by a bunch of firemen, as I’m sure you’ll note by the name and when you go inside and see the design motif.  Playing up on that name and design motif, Firehouse has a countertop full of a bottles of at least fifty hot sauces that you can sprinkle onto your sandwich if you like. 

For their food options, Firehouse focuses primarily on a variety of sub sandwich options either hot, cold or steamed.  I had a friend recommend this one to me a while back and since I no longer work in this part of town, I hadn’t had a chance to get over there to test it out until recently. 

What I Got:  Italian Sub (steamed) regular combo, $8.38.  Served with chips and a drink (the drink was HUGE).

When I first walked up to the counter, I mentioned to the very friendly gentleman working the register (everyone in the restaurant was extremely customer friendly; big points there) that it was my first visit, he mentioned that this was one of their two most popular subs.  Since I’m a dope for Italian subs, I figured this was worth a shot, so I got it served hot and in the regular eight inch variety.  Ordinarily, I’m not a big fan of hot subs, but since this is their main business, I figured I would give it a shot.

The Italian Sub is topped with Genoa Salami, Ham, Pepperoni, Provolone Cheese, Italian Dressing and sprinkled with Italian seasonings.  Unless you ask other wise, every sub is served “Fully Involved” which means that it is topped with Mayonnaise (I had it removed), Mustard, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion and comes with a Dill Pickle Spear on the side.

As far as taste was concerned, this was pretty darn good.  Since the sandwich was served hot/steamed, the bun was a little soggy for my liking, but it wasn’t enough to take away from the sandwich.  The toppings were also fresh, plentiful and for an eight inch sub, this was a lot of food!

Would I Buy It Again?  Definitely.  I really liked this (good recommendation by my friend) and I wish there was one of these closer to me because this was a good sandwich.  $8.30 for a combo is a tad high for what I like to pay for a sub sandwich, but I’d be willing to put those reservations aside on occasion for a sub like this one. 

If you are ever in the neighborhood of this location or in their Avon location, give them a shot.  You won’t regret it.

-IndianapolisEater

Penn Station
http://www.penn-station.com

Overall, I like Penn Station.  They are known for their Philly Cheesesteaks and honestly, it is the worst sandwich there (well, maybe artichoke).  I prefer the Italian or Pizza sub.   Wanting something a little different, I ordered a medium (nine inch) Reuben for roughly $7.00.

It is kind of a stretch to call this a Reuben.  They use their regular sub roll in place of rye bread.  There was a ton of sauerkraut and Thousand Island on the sandwich and both really masked the corned beef and the swiss cheese.

Would I Buy It Again?  Umm…probably not.  This Reuben was poorly assembled, but if I want a Reuben, it has to be on rye.  New rule:  when at Penn Station, I am going to keep ordering the Italian or the Pizza sub.

Also, the guys from the Reuben Realm agree.

This is a great website and I signed up last year to be part of their crew.  I don’t receive e-mails anymore and considering their last review was in September, I think they are finished.  Guys, if you are reading this, please re-unite the band and get the website going again!

-wibia