Both are good, but I prefer Jersey Mike's over Jimmy John's. Everyone I talk to either likes Jimmy John's by a mile or has never tasted Jersey Mike's. Jimmy John's is good for something quick/easy and tasty, but Jersey Mike's has better quality ingredients and you get more of everything in each bite.
Both are eons better than Subway, Firehouse, Quiznos, etc.
What is your take?
Wawa or Sheetz.
Jersey Mike's allows for much more customization, and it seems to taste a little fresher than Jimmy John's. JMs are more harder to find than JJs, by and large. Typically, I'll spend $10-11 at Jersey Mike's, and $8-9 at Jimmy John's, so it depends on how much I want to spend.
I am partial to Firehouse Subs, though; you get it either "fully involved" or not, with no middle ground. But I find it hard to turn down an Italian sub from them.
Penn Station is pretty good too, but it seems a bit greasier than all the other options. Still, a hot sausage and pepper sub hits the spot on a cold winter day. They seem to be rare birds in comparison.
I just tried Jersey Mike's for the first time in March because I wanted to try it. I would say I prefer Jimmy Johns for the "freaky fast" food. It's filling, it's good and it's excellent. I thought Jersey Mike's was great, but not my favorite.
Firehouse Subs is on my list to try.
I am a big fan of Firehouse. I think it's the best of the chain sub places I've tried by a long shot. I've only been to Jersey Mike's once so far but I liked it a lot. I have had Jimmy Johns a few times and was disappointed by the quality, but certainly not the speed. I just thought they started with a much lower quality meat than Firehouse or Jersey Mike's. For places I can go fairly regularly (none of the above convenient to home or work), I wind up at DiBella's once or twice a month and it's always been good. Far higher quality than Subway, but also a few dollars more expensive.
Now I was really happy with White House Subs in Atlantic City the one time I was there, but to my knowledge, that's the only location.
Jersey Mike's makes a decent sub like you would expect from a deli in NJ. Jimmy John's just popped up here in NJ, I'll have to do a comparison taste. The owner of the Jersey Mike's in Cary NC seemed to pick up that I was from NJ because I always insist it be made "Mike's Way".
Overall if you go to a real deli around here, you get a much better deal. Bigger sub, better taste. Hmm, I could go for some of that Millburn Deli iced tea right about now!
Jimmy John sandwiches are vegan. I dare you to find the meat...LOL! Tried one once and that was the end of going back there. You'll find more meat in a can of pork and beans.
Rick
Doesn't JJ only use provolone cheese, with no options for anything else?
Quote from: jeffandnicole on April 14, 2015, 01:08:48 AM
Doesn't JJ only use provolone cheese, with no options for anything else?
Yes, they do ... and don't order hot peppers "on the side" because Jimmy John's doesn't "do" sides.
Quote from: NJRoadfan on April 13, 2015, 11:37:31 PM
Jersey Mike's makes a decent sub like you would expect from a deli in NJ. Jimmy John's just popped up here in NJ, I'll have to do a comparison taste. The owner of the Jersey Mike's in Cary NC seemed to pick up that I was from NJ because I always insist it be made "Mike's Way".
Overall if you go to a real deli around here, you get a much better deal. Bigger sub, better taste. Hmm, I could go for some of that Millburn Deli iced tea right about now!
I raise a skeptical eyebrow at any chain that purports to export a local specialty nationwide, while admitting that the snobbery of my New Jersey roots fully colors my opinion.
Subs at New Jersey delis generally benefit from an excellent array of top-notch cold cuts, particularly Italian ones. A lot of these come from local/regional producers that have been doing this for generations. Just judging by what makes it into a lot of the "delis" in Mass., the supply thins when you stretch the supply chains (and in fairness, it's not like there aren't local producers here, just apparently fewer and smaller ones).
And if there's no Taylor Ham and egg available, the state should send lawyers and just close the whole goddamn thing down.
I like both. I think Jimmy John's has the better bread, but I like the meat and really like the vinegar that Jersey Mike's have.
Both good, but I think Jersey Mike's is SLIGHTLY better.
Both are much better than Subway or Quiznos.
Jimmy John's, it's only a mile away from my work; to get to the local Jersey Mike's, I'd have to get on Route 1, deal with either a U-Turn, long traffic lights, and the rest of the shopping centers.
Quote from: formulanone on April 13, 2015, 08:37:32 PM
I am partial to Firehouse Subs, though; you get it either "fully involved" or not, with no middle ground. But I find it hard to turn down an Italian sub from them.
I've asked for "no tomatoes" before and they're happy to oblige, just like any other restaurant out there. Could be a local franchise option, I guess.
I've never had a Firehouse Subs location (and I've probably been to 20+) refuse to put exactly what I want on my sub.
Jimmy Johns offer spouts.
Quote from: OCGuy81 on April 14, 2015, 11:37:30 AM
I like both. I think Jimmy John's has the better bread, but I like the meat and really like the vinegar that Jersey Mike's have.
The vinegar is a Jersey deli thing, I haven't found too many chains or delis out of state with that style. As for bread, good luck getting decent rye. I have to smuggle loaves of Pechter's Jewish Rye to my relatives down in NC.
For cold cuts, many delis in NJ have Boar's Head, something that is available all over the place. Thumann's and Dietz & Watson round out the rest. That being said, I've had some horrible subs from delis around here. There are places that somehow cheap out on cold cuts.
Quote from: 02 Park Ave on April 14, 2015, 04:46:46 PM
Jimmy Johns offer spouts.
Are drainpipes included too? LOL!
That was a funny typo :-)
Rick
I've never heard of Jersey Mike's.
Quote from: golden eagle on April 15, 2015, 01:22:17 AM
I've never heard of Jersey Mike's.
I had never heard of them before this year, when they put one in over in Bellevue, NE and now they have another right here in Papillion about a half mile from my parents. I want to try it out sometime.
Reading all of these reviews have me worried about trying Firehouse, JJs or Jersey Mikes. There is a JJs in Monroe on US 165 north of I-20, and the other 2 are located in Shreveport. I will try them one day soon, but I'm interested in reading further reviews.
Quote from: NJRoadfan on April 13, 2015, 11:37:31 PM
Overall if you go to a real deli around here, you get a much better deal. Bigger sub, better taste. Hmm, I could go for some of that Millburn Deli iced tea right about now!
Is sweet tea made up there? It seems to thin out into non-existence if you go north of Arkansas, but I don't know about how far into the northeast restaurants/delis stop serving it.
Apparently, the cutoff point between unsweetened and sweet tea is between Cincinnati and Lexington.
When McDonald's began using the words "sweet tea" to advertise a product it already sold as "iced tea," a person from the deep South implored me to try it, insisting I had never had anything like sweet tea because I had not spent much time down south. Do people in the south really think we don't drink sweetened iced tea up here? I don't understand this concept of a tea dichotomy.
"Sweet Tea" is brown colored sugar water. I can't taste any tea in it whatsoever.
It's really hard to screw up a sub sandwich to the point where it sucks. As long as I like the actual ingredients in the sandwich and it hasn't been sitting in a refrigerator for an undetermined amount of time, it'll be fine.
I will say that I am so completely bored with Subway. There are way, way too many of those in this country.
Quote from: bandit957 on April 15, 2015, 09:53:14 AM
Apparently, the cutoff point between unsweetened and sweet tea is between Cincinnati and Lexington.
Also, the Florida (unsweetened) and Georgia (so sweet, it's crunchy) state line. If you specify, you'll get your tea how you like it.
Alabama typically asks for your choice. I usually 50/50 My teas if there's a dispenser.
Quote from: cjk374 on April 15, 2015, 06:29:14 AM
Is sweet tea made up there? It seems to thin out into non-existence if you go north of Arkansas, but I don't know about how far into the northeast restaurants/delis stop serving it.
All iced tea is sweetened around here for the most part and includes added lemon. Think standard lemon Snapple iced tea in terms of general taste. From the sweet tea I sampled in NC, its no different then iced tea + a boatload of sugar. The biggest difference is restaurants here will usually serve iced tea unsweetened with packets of sweetener or offer the raspberry tea variant.
Quote from: triplemultiplex on April 15, 2015, 03:38:58 PM
"Sweet Tea" is brown colored sugar water. I can't taste any tea in it whatsoever.
It's really hard to screw up a sub sandwich to the point where it sucks. As long as I like the actual ingredients in the sandwich and it hasn't been sitting in a refrigerator for an undetermined amount of time, it'll be fine.
I will say that I am so completely bored with Subway. There are way, way too many of those in this country.
Subway's wheat bread tastes like it's loaded with sugar.
I made a separate discussion about tea & Coke here: https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=15316.0 (https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=15316.0)
Definitely Jersey Mike's by a country mile.
Quote from: Pete from Boston on April 15, 2015, 07:26:09 PM
Subway's wheat bread tastes like it's loaded with sugar.
Almost all American wheat bread
is loaded with sugar.
Quote from: dfwmapper on April 16, 2015, 10:26:03 AM
Quote from: Pete from Boston on April 15, 2015, 07:26:09 PM
Subway's wheat bread tastes like it's loaded with sugar.
Almost all American wheat bread is loaded with sugar.
I tend to go for much less sweet-tasting bread than Subway's. It's like they're saying, "We know being healthy's a chore, so now our wheat bread is cake!"
I don't know if it's that lousy bread (I think it is), but Subways actually smell bad to me. I was walking in Manhattan one Sunday morning recently and smelled that smell, and sure enough, someone was coming out of a Subway behind me.
Quote from: Pete from Boston on April 16, 2015, 10:36:22 AM
I don't know if it's that lousy bread (I think it is), but Subways actually smell bad to me. I was walking in Manhattan one Sunday morning recently and smelled that smell, and sure enough, someone was coming out of a Subway behind me.
I know what you mean and I think it's their shitty bacon that smells like that.
Publix
I'll give the Chicago answer and say neither are better than Mr. Submarine! Between the two, I'll take Jimmy Johns, their grainy-wheat bread is 10x better than their usual white, "French" bread.
Jersey Mikes Parmesan Chicken is better than the JJ Billy Club, though I really like both. Of course, I really like Subway too so what do I know?
Quote from: RG407 on April 19, 2015, 09:59:46 PM
Publix
Unfortunately, not an option in 45 other states.
If they were smart about it, they could push the Pix concept into more of a Wawa/Sheetz, in those coinciding areas for which the aforementioned do not have much coverage.
Quote from: ajlynch91 on April 19, 2015, 10:22:16 PM
I'll give the Chicago answer and say neither are better than Mr. Submarine! Between the two, I'll take Jimmy Johns, their grainy-wheat bread is 10x better than their usual white, "French" bread.
I raise you Potbelly's. :biggrin:
I discovered Jersey Mike's on a layover at Hartsfield-Jackson in January and instantly fell hard for them. I don't eat a lot of subs but they blew pretty much everything away that I'd previously tried.
Another regional chain I like in the Midwest is Erbert and Gerbert's. Goofy sandwich caricatures aside they make pretty good subs, and soups too.
Quote from: triplemultiplex on April 19, 2015, 01:22:16 PM
Quote from: Pete from Boston on April 16, 2015, 10:36:22 AM
I don't know if it's that lousy bread (I think it is), but Subways actually smell bad to me. I was walking in Manhattan one Sunday morning recently and smelled that smell, and sure enough, someone was coming out of a Subway behind me.
I know what you mean and I think it's their shitty bacon that smells like that.
I actually think it might be their white American cheese.
They're both gross.
Potbelly's, any of there hot subs, especially Meatball, are excellent. But don't expect anything resembling customer service from the employees.
^Yeah, it's one of those places with all the yelling.
Jersey Mike's