Jimmie John’s Gourmet Sandwiches

http://www.jimmiejohns.com/

Baseline and Country Club in Mesa

First off, they are not gourmet sandwiches.  Jimmie John (if I may anthropomorphize the chain) even admits as such.  But there is an inescapable absurdity when someone with two first names claims to serve a gourmet meal.  It is brilliant marketing.

All sandwiches start with bread, and Jimmie John’s does the same.  Their bread is fresh and firm.  It is not too thick, which is something that slows down many other sandwich chains that shall remain nameless.  You never have a bite that is 90% bread. 

The produce is fresh, which is the highest praise I can give it.  The tomatoes were ripe and firm, but not mushy.  The way tomatoes aspire to be.  The sandwich meats were perfectly ordinary.  Neither high nor low, they just were. 

Jimmie John’s has their own line of potato chips.  These kettle chips are a nice change, because they were not “kettled” into a burnt stump of potato.  Remarkably well seasoned.

The ice here tastes like snow.  In case you need snow-tasting ice some day.

As for atmosphere, Jimmie John’s is designed to prepare a large number of sandwiches very quickly.  It is not designed, however, for a large number of people to sit down and actually eat those sandwiches.  There was little to no seating available.  Those fortunate enough to get a table on the patio were graced with the melodious sounds of classic rock tunes playing over the speakers. 

Overall, Jimmie John’s is a welcome addition to the local “sandwich scene.”  I will definitely return.  On the sandwich scale scale, Jimmie John’s earns 3.5 stars!