With the new arrival of sandwich chain Jimmy John’s on campus, students said goodbye to warmly toasted sandwiches, flatizzas, and the short-lived Subway sidekicks.
While it’s unclear why Subway was replaced with another sandwich place instead of a pizzeria or even another burger joint to avenge the Original Burger Company – those who know, know – it appears that Jimmy John’s is here to stay.
As a former Loyola-Subway employee and toasted sandwich enthusiast, I’m a bit partial to Subway, but I tried to keep an open mind as I began to sample the new menu.
On my first visit to the new location, I was captured by the Beach Club, which is similar to Subway’s Turkey Cali Club. The sandwich consists of turkey, provolone cheese, avocado, cucumbers, and the standard mayonnaise, lettuce, and tomato combo that all sandwiches come with, and for some pizazz, I added bacon. Although the Jimmy John’s club has many of the same dressings as the Subway club, without the ooey-gooey of the melted cheese or the crunch of the crisply toasted bacon, the Beach Club falls flat.
On my second visit, I attempted to try the Big John, which is just a roast beef sandwich, but instead I got a Billy Club, which has roast beef, ham, provolone cheese, and mustard. Without the order mistake, I wouldn’t have ever thought to mix ham and roast beef, but it wasn’t bad, and it satisfied my afternoon hunger. Then, I thought back to my own sandwich making days at Subway when customers would often try to order multiple meats on their sandwiches, but it was strictly prohibited, or they’d be charged for two sandwiches. Although I don’t think I’ll ever order that sandwich again intentionally, I’m glad there are options for those who want to enjoy a sandwich with both ham and roast beef at a reasonable price.
Even though I won’t reorder the Billy Club, it did inspire me to try another sandwich on the menu – the Bootlegger. Side note: Does anyone know what these sandwich names are inspired by? The Bootlegger has roast beef and turkey, which I quite enjoyed and will be reordering in the future, but my Jimmy John’s go-to from now on has to be the Club Lulu, which is just turkey and bacon, but it’s become my favorite of the ones I’ve tried thus far.
Although I’ve tried less than 5 sandwiches on the menu, I’m not impressed with Jimmy John’s selection of sandwiches. What can I say? There’s nothing like a freshly toasted meatball sub or philly cheesesteak after a long day of classes. Oh, and don’t get me started on the soups! There was nothing like getting a warm cup of soup when the weather started getting cooler, and everyone began fighting off the Biever fever.
While I’ll miss the Italian herb and cheese bread, fresh mozzarella cheese, and just-baked chocolate chip cookies, Jimmy John’s definitely has some perks of its own. For starters, I’m a big fan of the kettle chips, which are the best partner for their signature sandwiches, and as a pickle enthusiast, my order is not complete without one now, so that’s definitely a perk. While I’ve never had their cookies, there’s something about the pristine, clear packaging that makes me feel like I‘ll be disappointed. I could be wrong, but Subway has set the bar high for me with their cookies, so I’m not sure I want to spend my WolfBucks to be let down.
Although Jimmy John’s has taken the spot of Subway in the Danna Canter, it could never claim that spot in my heart. For some students, I’m sure Jimmy Johns has become their new go-to OR-alternative, but for me, I’ll always remember the old Subway classics.
