The Jimmy John’s Italian Night Club sub. (Photo by Susan Ericson. Click to enlarge)
By SUSAN ERICSON
Gleaming subway tiles and a mix of communal hightop tables and booths seem to be the template for modern fast food joints today.
The Jimmy John‘s franchise on West Front Street in Red Bank, with Gaslight Anthem bassist Alex Levine on board as a partner, has the decor and menu down to a science. But how does it stack up against other sub shops on the Greater Red Bank Green?
Jimmy John’s took over the space last tenanted by Wayne’s Market on West Front Street. The interior features gleaming subway tiles. (Photos by Susan Ericson. Click to enlarge)
For the sake of being able to compare based on price, flavor, amount and quality of meat, bread and other criteria, PieHole orders the Italian-style sub that we’ve tried at other sub shops — here it’s called the Italian Night Club ($6.79).
We asked that the mayo, listed as an ingredient on the Italian sub, be omitted… because, really? Mayonnaise and salami are a Jersey no-no. Oil, vinegar, maybe a little mustard, but no mayo.
The company website states that its ingredients are all natural, minimally processed, without nitrates, hormones or MSG. It sounds good, but the salami, ham and cheese are also mild to the point of being bland.
Crunchy and fresh, the shaved lettuce and sweet, thin sliced onion add texture, and the tomato, has a summery flavor.
Although the bread is dense, it didn’t help to sop up the, again, bland oil and vinegar, becoming soggy and a little greasy.
Hot peppers are apparently not part of the sub, and must be ordered separately. They might have added the zest this sub sadly lacked.
On a scale of one to ten, PieHole gives this sandwich a generous six, mainly because the space is clean to the point of sterile, the staff is pleasant, it was easy to order, and the sandwich was filling, even though it lacked any of the big spicy flavor you’d expect from an Italian-style sub.
Jimmy John’s is open from 11 a.m. to p.m. Sunday through Wednesday, and until 3 a.m. Thursday through Saturday. Online ordering and free delivery are available.
