I remember twelve years ago when I wanted a cheap deli-style sandwich it had to be Little King. There was something about the hole-in-the-wall feel this Nebraska-based restaurant gave to patrons that made it stand out amongst a group national chain sandwich shops in the area. Whether it was because you could order a beer with your meal, smokers could light up inside the restaurant, or the meat slicers were covered in remnants of meats and cheeses, the atmosphere of Little King appeared dirty but the sandwiches were always delicious.
Today, Little King has cleaned up its act, but not in a good way. The atmosphere has improved in that smoking is no longer allowed inside any Nebraska restaurant. They still cut their meats and cheeses right in front of you instead of using the prepackaged method of most national chains. And the meat slicers appear to pass every health inspection, but that is probably because fewer people are choosing to dine at Little King.
Ever since I began going to Little King back in high school, I ordered the same thing: A King Club (12"), a side of Wisconsin Cheese Soup, and a big chocolate chip cookie. The sandwich was always so big I would have to take half of it home along with half of the chocolate chip cookie. Now, when I do happen to return to Little King in the future, I will still probably order a Club, but only the 6" variety and forget the soup and cookie all together.
What went wrong? How did the quality of their sandwiches drop so much? I'm not blaming Little King entirely. When Subway launched their $5 Footlong campaign and Jimmy John's expanded freakishly fast into Omaha over the past few years, the little local chain probably had a hard time competing with the big national boys. This is probably why Little King is now charging $4 more for my meal than it use to.
To counter this, they can try and cut their meats a little thicker. Recently, the portions of meat were sliced so thin Cosmo Kramer wouldn't be able to see them. Little King can also choose to throw away subpar food instead of pawning it off on its customers. The past few times I've been there, the soup tasted as if I got the last remnants of a pot that had been cooking all day. And if you want a cookie, go inside to order in lieu of the drive thru so you can inspect the batch for yourself. Otherwise, you might get a cookie that could be used as a door stop like I did.
Kind of like that girlfriend you can't get over, I will always have a place in my heart for Little King by making-up excuses for infidelities, and giving third and fourth chances. But at some point I am going to be forced to move on. read more
