We are eating sandwiches from McAlister's at home tonight -- The New Yorker and the Horseradish Roast Beef and Cheddar. We also have a Parmesan Kale with Turkey Sausage cup of soup.
First comment: The New Yorker, $9.99, has 10 ounces of Pastrami and Corned Beef. The Horseradish Roast Beef and Cheddar, $7.99, must have only 3 or 4 ounces of Roast Beef!!! The New Yorker was light on the Swiss cheese and mustard; the Horse Beef Cheddar had an equal mix of cheese, grilled onion and beef with a good amount of Horsey sauce. Both come with a quarter dill pickle slice. The difference in price of the two sandwiches is crazy for the fact that there's 2 and 1/2 to 3 Times as much meat on The New Yorker. Of the 26 different sandwiches on the menu, only three specify the weight of the meat you're getting -- 10 ounces for the NYer, 8 ounces for the Reuben and the Big Nasty. The other 23, mine included, God only knows what the meat portion is. Ask.
Second comment: The Parmesan Kale with Turkey Sausage soup, $3.79 for what looks like an 8 ounce cup, has an incredibly good, strong Parmesan flavor. This serving had one good sausage nugget and a few tiny crumbles so it was mostly kale in a creamy Parmesan base, but the flavor makes me want to overlook the lack of turkey sausage. I'm not sure where else you can get this combination -- does Chunky have this flavor combo yet? If not, try this soup. I use this soup philosophy elsewhere. If I can get it in a can, it's usually a better deal than paying the restaurant for a smaller portion, especially on a carry out order. Other flavors at McAlister's like Chicken Tortilla, Chicken and Dumplings, Broccoli Cheddar, I might not bother with.
Third comment: Service was still iffy. Order taker did not mention that The New Yorker came with a choice of side (an even better value than the Horse Beef & Cheddar!). Asked for an iced tea lemonade and received an iced tea with four lemon wedges. Order server caught these mistakes and fixed them. Sandwich construction was also iffy with cheese melted out the sides of The New Yorker; the HB&C was sliced lopsidedly and at a 45 degree angle so first bites from the slice were mostly ciabatta bread.
Did not try the Spuds, salads, nachos or desserts, so in addition to The New Yorker there's a reason to go back.
Tip: You can use backstreets from Woodhollow Drive (stoplight) to make it easier getting in and out of the Indianapolis Boulevard traffic.
McAlister's shouldn't really have the Deli title it gifted itself, as it's not a Deli in the true sense of the word. It's yet another sandwich shop with extra options. Still, worth a try, though I'd rather drive out to Sandwich City in Crown Point for a better sandwich. read more