Address:
Schlotzky’s 1732
3825 East Washington Avenue
Madison, WI 53704-3648
(608) 244-0100
The Dish:
The Original Sandwich
Jalapeño Chips
Diet Coke
$7.55 (tip and tax included)
Grade: 1 Fork
A friend and I decided to drive to Green Bay to see the Bengals play the Packers. As it turned out, I arranged it so that we could meet for lunch in Madison with my cousin. He asked what sounded good, I told pick a place and we’ll meet them there. He choose Schlotzky’s, which I had never been to before, but was familiar with.
Ambiance: Definitely has the feel of a deli in a big city somewhere on the east coast. Not that I really have the authority to report on that, but from what is shown in movies and tv shows, Schlotzsky’s has the feel. We arrived at what I would deem “early afternoon” (1:30ish) so it was pretty empty. It almost felt like the place was approaching closing time because it was relatively empty but it was also cleaning time. None of these are bad things, at all.
Menu/Price: It is a sandwich shop and you can get any number of specialized sandwiches all toasted or not toasted. Additionally you can get pizzas (toasted of course), wraps, and salads along with a healthy selection of soups. Price wise it looks like Subway, unlike Subway you seem to get your money’s worth. The most expensive item was a Large Original Sandwich at $9.00. The most unusual item was the Thai Chicken pizza, not something you would expect to find in a deli.
Meal: Having never had a Schlotzky’s sandwich, I opted for the Original. The name implies it is what made them famous, or what set them apart from the competition. The sandwich was good, I don’t know so much as I liked it on a sesame seed bun, but that might have been my fault as I was asked what type of bread. I did enjoy the Jalapeño chips though, to the tune of almost getting another bag for the road.
Service: Nothing good or bad stands out here beside the wait staff behind the counter was polite while we decided what we were going to order. They did not appear to be annoyed in the slightest as I asked questions about this sandwich and that one.
Overall: I wish we had a Schlotzsky’s in Iowa, and I know by my cousin reading this he is going to feel that it was a bad experience, which it was not in any way shape or form. I gave it a 1 Fork rating just because it was like going to Subway or Burger King. Granted there are exceptions to that but if we had one closer, I would experiment with the menu and I can see this rating at least getting another Spoon for sure.