When I first discovered they finally opened a Jersey Mike's in El Paso, I just about peed my pants in pure shock and jubilation. But wouldn't it be just my luck they'd open one on the far west side of town? Of course it would! It wouldn't be a day that ended in 'Y' if any other inference occurred.
Much to the detriment of my mania for arguably the greatest crafted sandwiches in America, this place is a pilgrimage to get to if you live on the east side like me. That's my only real complaint about this location. Damn near felt like it took me two connecting flights to arrive here. Which leads to one of the hugest dilemmas for yours truly.
See, if the greatest sandwich shop ever to grace the outskirts of the 915 is a mere 30+ miles from my house, this means ordering hot subs is pointless. Because they'll be ice cold by the time I get home. Now, MAYBE....if I order a cold sub, this could work. But then I have to ask myself, "Self, is it worth the long drive?"
To which I promptly answer myself, "F*ck yeah, it is!"
I can't quite put my finger on it. But ever since the very first time I tried a Jersey Mike's in North Carolina, I knew immediately there was something very special about the way these sandwiches tasted compared to other sub shops.
Maybe it's the fact that they use fresh ingredients. Maybe it's the fact that they don't serve it all up on huge ass bloated potato bread the way Brown Bag does. Or perhaps they secretly slip crack into these things to amplify the addiction. Because that's how I would describe my love for these subs--addictive.
There are precisely two "go-to" subs I always get from here. One hot: Mike's Famous Philly; and one cold: the tuna fish. I don't have to explain how these are both phenomenally superior to any rendition of the two I've ever had any place else.
To put it another way, the Philly cheesesteak here is what Charlie's would taste like if they put 50% more effort into their execution, more flavor into their recipe, and if the cooks would quit occasionally burning their steaks. If you still don't understand that, let's just say I'd gladly give up my left kidney if only to have one more of these things.
It's also worth mentioning that the staff and what I *think* is the manager of this place are stellar when it comes to making sure the customer is taken care of. Several times, the head dude kept calling my name to see if I got my order yet. And then they brought it right out to me. How nice!
Now, like most sub shops, the interior isn't much to write home about. It's small and noisy, which encourages the majority of patrons to take their food to go. Since this place is a space voyager's distance away from home, I decided to enjoy my culinary delectation in the solitude of my own car. Final analysis: WORTH IT!!
If you've never been to a Jersey Mike's in your life before, you seriously need to check this out. They pretty much changed the way I judge sandwiches ever since the first time I tried them back in NC. So, you can bet your ass I'll be making this drive again in the future. But not like...every single week or anything. Jersey Mike's gets a solid 5 savory cheesesteaks that make you wanna slap the owners of Subway around a bit with a large trout...out of 5. read more