"The sandwich..."
Might be the most boring line we've ever opened with. Yet no other food perfectly epitomizes the American lunch. Your father packed sandwiches for your school lunches, your mother crafted them for picnics. Heck, you probably make them for work when groceries run low (aren't you a grownup)! But can they ever truly compare to a deli, with their warm, crispy bread, fresh ingredients, and thick bits of meat? The answer's no. "But I only purchase the freshest organic ingredients," you say. Nope, nuh uh. The deli rules all!
An Englishman, a Chinese Man, and an Indian visited TJ's Sandwich Shop on Friday afternoon, to put this bold assertion to the test. We'd heard some good things, even done a bit of research. Did you know that TJ's owners also own Mermaid's, the upscale seafood restaurant? As if deli sandwiches weren't already wonderful; now we've got a deli with upscale connections! Bring on the sandwiches, baby!!
Our rating system is structured within four primary categories: Atmosphere, Food, Lunch Bargain, and Service. We base our scores out of a possible ten points per category--typical stuff, we know. But this is where our ratings diverge! Sure, we count up the numbers, but they don't have so much to do with the restaurant's overall score. That, friends, is our pride and joy: a celebrity tribute, where we define a restaurant's personality with a famous person's name. Cool, huh? Ya, we know.
Might be the most boring line we've ever opened with. Yet no other food perfectly epitomizes the American lunch. Your father packed sandwiches for your school lunches, your mother crafted them for picnics. Heck, you probably make them for work when groceries run low (aren't you a grownup)! But can they ever truly compare to a deli, with their warm, crispy bread, fresh ingredients, and thick bits of meat? The answer's no. "But I only purchase the freshest organic ingredients," you say. Nope, nuh uh. The deli rules all!
An Englishman, a Chinese Man, and an Indian visited TJ's Sandwich Shop on Friday afternoon, to put this bold assertion to the test. We'd heard some good things, even done a bit of research. Did you know that TJ's owners also own Mermaid's, the upscale seafood restaurant? As if deli sandwiches weren't already wonderful; now we've got a deli with upscale connections! Bring on the sandwiches, baby!!
Our rating system is structured within four primary categories: Atmosphere, Food, Lunch Bargain, and Service. We base our scores out of a possible ten points per category--typical stuff, we know. But this is where our ratings diverge! Sure, we count up the numbers, but they don't have so much to do with the restaurant's overall score. That, friends, is our pride and joy: a celebrity tribute, where we define a restaurant's personality with a famous person's name. Cool, huh? Ya, we know.
APPEARANCE
At a deli, one doesn't expect to eat upon mahogany tabletops or drink from crystal glasses. What you expect is a line of hungry folks at the counter, sandwich architects layering meat, tomatoes, and condiments before your very eyes. What you expect is food and flavor, stacked between two pieces of bread. At TJ's around noon, that's what an Englishman, a Chinese Man, and an Indian found.
Pictures of individual specials arrayed the walls, a chalk board advertised the soup of the day (Chicken Tortilla), and, at the counter, a steady crowd of lunchers all ordering in a timely manner. The dining area, roughly 3/4th of the restaurant, was what you'd hope for in a deli: tidy, with large windows producing natural light, and consistent theme that included large pictures of vegetables, cherry red seats, metallic tables, and black-and-white checkered tile. A Diner-Deli combo! SCORE 7/10
At a deli, one doesn't expect to eat upon mahogany tabletops or drink from crystal glasses. What you expect is a line of hungry folks at the counter, sandwich architects layering meat, tomatoes, and condiments before your very eyes. What you expect is food and flavor, stacked between two pieces of bread. At TJ's around noon, that's what an Englishman, a Chinese Man, and an Indian found.
Pictures of individual specials arrayed the walls, a chalk board advertised the soup of the day (Chicken Tortilla), and, at the counter, a steady crowd of lunchers all ordering in a timely manner. The dining area, roughly 3/4th of the restaurant, was what you'd hope for in a deli: tidy, with large windows producing natural light, and consistent theme that included large pictures of vegetables, cherry red seats, metallic tables, and black-and-white checkered tile. A Diner-Deli combo! SCORE 7/10
Bathrooms We believe bathrooms are crucial enough to be a subcategory of Atmosphere, deserving of its own score. There are individual women's and men's rooms located just to the left of the registers. Observing the men's room, Mike took note of the freshly painted wall (a paint bucket rested in the corner), the comfortably low lighting, and the polished ceramic. He also noted the macho propaganda on the walls. Signs that said things similar to: "Man Cave", and "What She Says and What She Means." Obviously, geared towards a married man, to clue you into TJ's clientele. We can only surmise what hangs in the ladies' room, or what the birdcage symbolizes, the one standing between the two bathroom doors. Marriage? Prison? Anyway, the bathroom was clean. SCORE 7/10 |
FOOD
Food is our bread and butter. No, literally, at TJ's the bread comes out hot and toasted, with butter fried into a crispy coat. A wonderful touch to a sandwich, if you've never tried it! The menu contains the option of making your meal a combo, only $2.25 extra, including a drink and your choice of chips, a Mediterranean salad, or a cup of soup. As Chicken Tortilla was advertised, Qi and Mike thought it better to not forsake the deli gods. Harvey, however, felt a surge of blasphemy and ordered his combo with a cup of Tomato Basil.
As for sandwiches, Harvey's Spicy Bird was, as the name suggests, the spiciest--bits of tender chicken, basted in what looked like buffalo sauce. Mike's Cheese Steak was the cheesiest and greasiest, with it's caramelized onions and mushrooms. And of course there's Qi!
Qi's Special
We'll call this a special simply because Qi ordered a French Dip, and it so happened to be "French Dip Friday," as advertised by the friendly woman up front. If you'll refer to Qi's picture above, he was often in the cycle of dipping and eating and chewing, almost in artistic fashion. Of the three sandwiches, Qi certainly got the best deal for price. Plus, he made for some funny pictures!
And while the food was scrumptious, and the drinks were cold (TJ's has it's own patented "crunchy ice"), we found ourselves content but not Wow'd. It had not so much to do with the taste, which was great. It wasn't the size of the meal, which was ample. We were not Wow'd because the price of the food entails something that is difficult for a deli to maintain: upscale connections. SCORE 7/10
Food is our bread and butter. No, literally, at TJ's the bread comes out hot and toasted, with butter fried into a crispy coat. A wonderful touch to a sandwich, if you've never tried it! The menu contains the option of making your meal a combo, only $2.25 extra, including a drink and your choice of chips, a Mediterranean salad, or a cup of soup. As Chicken Tortilla was advertised, Qi and Mike thought it better to not forsake the deli gods. Harvey, however, felt a surge of blasphemy and ordered his combo with a cup of Tomato Basil.
As for sandwiches, Harvey's Spicy Bird was, as the name suggests, the spiciest--bits of tender chicken, basted in what looked like buffalo sauce. Mike's Cheese Steak was the cheesiest and greasiest, with it's caramelized onions and mushrooms. And of course there's Qi!
Qi's Special
We'll call this a special simply because Qi ordered a French Dip, and it so happened to be "French Dip Friday," as advertised by the friendly woman up front. If you'll refer to Qi's picture above, he was often in the cycle of dipping and eating and chewing, almost in artistic fashion. Of the three sandwiches, Qi certainly got the best deal for price. Plus, he made for some funny pictures!
And while the food was scrumptious, and the drinks were cold (TJ's has it's own patented "crunchy ice"), we found ourselves content but not Wow'd. It had not so much to do with the taste, which was great. It wasn't the size of the meal, which was ample. We were not Wow'd because the price of the food entails something that is difficult for a deli to maintain: upscale connections. SCORE 7/10
LUNCH BARGAIN
The three of us paid approximately $11-$12 for what we think might sit more comfortably around the range of $8-10. Just a few bucks, we know, but piece of mind weighs more than currency. However, we at Faylunchin would like to be very clear. TJ's offers delicious food! It's just a little heavy, not on your stomach, but on your wallet. SCORE 5.5/10
The three of us paid approximately $11-$12 for what we think might sit more comfortably around the range of $8-10. Just a few bucks, we know, but piece of mind weighs more than currency. However, we at Faylunchin would like to be very clear. TJ's offers delicious food! It's just a little heavy, not on your stomach, but on your wallet. SCORE 5.5/10
SERVICE
Whatever qualms we had over pricing, were nonexistent concerning service. Sure, a patron at a deli doesn't have personalized conversations with a server, just as no one attends to their plates and glasses. But who expects that at a deli anyway? A crazy person, that's who. We were quite satisfied with the speed of the ordering process. In fact, by the time the three of us had decided on what to eat, the line had dwindled down and the staff (abundant and chipper) were waiting on us. We each received our own numbers, took a seat, and had our food in hand within four minutes! SCORE 7/10
Whatever qualms we had over pricing, were nonexistent concerning service. Sure, a patron at a deli doesn't have personalized conversations with a server, just as no one attends to their plates and glasses. But who expects that at a deli anyway? A crazy person, that's who. We were quite satisfied with the speed of the ordering process. In fact, by the time the three of us had decided on what to eat, the line had dwindled down and the staff (abundant and chipper) were waiting on us. We each received our own numbers, took a seat, and had our food in hand within four minutes! SCORE 7/10
OVERALL SCORE
We realize now, after sampling the food and comparing prices, that we were pre-judging TJ's Sandwich Shop based their connections to Mermaid's. The two restaurants are not the same, for obvious reasons. Yet it's easy for a deli to be overshadowed by its fine-dining sibling, which might explain our dissonance between food and price. Therefore, an Englishman, a Chinese Man, and an Indian thought it suitable to offer TJ's the following score...
We realize now, after sampling the food and comparing prices, that we were pre-judging TJ's Sandwich Shop based their connections to Mermaid's. The two restaurants are not the same, for obvious reasons. Yet it's easy for a deli to be overshadowed by its fine-dining sibling, which might explain our dissonance between food and price. Therefore, an Englishman, a Chinese Man, and an Indian thought it suitable to offer TJ's the following score...
(photo courtesy of behindthevoiceactors.com)
In this rare case, we are not referring to Danny DeVito in his everyday life, but rather to his character, Vincent, in the comedy Twins. Vincent is overshadowed, physically and morally, by his brother Julius, played by Austrian-muscle machine-turned-governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. We'll go out on a limb and assume you guys catch our meaning...
Mermaid's is Julius, TJ's is Vincent...
In any case, don't judge TJ's for what it isn't: a fine dining restaurant. Judge it for what it is: a deli with cold drinks, buttered bread, good meat, and fast service. Arnold, hit the bench. Danny, suit up.
Like our blog? Have any restaurants that you would like rated? Or maybe just a food fan? Leave us a comment below or email us.
Mermaid's is Julius, TJ's is Vincent...
In any case, don't judge TJ's for what it isn't: a fine dining restaurant. Judge it for what it is: a deli with cold drinks, buttered bread, good meat, and fast service. Arnold, hit the bench. Danny, suit up.
Like our blog? Have any restaurants that you would like rated? Or maybe just a food fan? Leave us a comment below or email us.
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