Jersey Mike’s

Price: Cheap
Atmosphere: 2 out of 5
Quality of Service: 3 out of 5
Food Overall: 3 out of 5

I first discovered Jersey Mike’s while I was living in North Carolina. I was on my way home from work and trying to decide what I wanted for dinner, and in the little town of Fuquay-Varina, there’s not a ton of choices.

I passed over the train tracks and noticed a little strip mall with nothing in it but a blue and white neon sign with the sub shop’s logo. I pulled up and figured, ‘eh, how bad can it be?’ However, living in small towns in NC, most things are fried or smothered, and I wasn’t in the mood for either. But being as this joint claimed a Jersey address, I’d give them the benefit of the doubt.

And I’m glad I did. If you’ve never been to Mike’s, let me set the expectation: Like I said, it’s a sub shop. The menu isn’t huge, the atmosphere is like any other sub shop you have ever walked into (it is clean, though), and the workers are friendly and usually in their teens.

But who cares, really? That’s just the body, and we know beauty’s only skin deep. It’s the inner workings; the ‘meat’ if you will. Jersey Mike’s has some of the freshest toppings and prettiest cuts of meats I’ve ever seen in a sandwich eatery.

Their famous sub is the roast beef and provolone, and you can get it with whatever you like on top in three different sizes. The bread (wheat or white) is soft and fresh baked on the premises, and it has body that some places neglect when serving their loaves to customers. There’s a sense of ‘care’ here.

But the company’s real passion shows in the meat. The roast beef is a perfect medium-rare, and beautifully red throughout. It’s seasoned well, and they pile it high. The provolone is slightly smoky, and adds a nice creaminess to the sandwich. Both are carved right in front of you to order.

Then there’s the toppings. You can pick and choose, or you can get it ‘Mike’s Way’, which includes: Crisp lettuce, thinly sliced white onions, garden ripe tomatoes, tart pickles, salt & pepper, oil, and a red wine vinegar.

Slap a lid on it and you’ve got yourself a very tasty sub. With all of the other sandwich joints jockeying for your hard earned dollar, it really can be confusing to decide ‘Who deserves it most?’ Trust me: Jersey Mike’s has earned some of that 40 hours you put in.

After all, it’s just Da(m)n Good Food.

Jersey Mike's
Sommerset Shoppes
8903 Glades Rd.
Boca Raton, Fl 33434
(561) 479 - 0003
http://www.jerseymikes.com/