I decided to take a detour from the typical crispy, fried spicy chicken sandwich and try the new deli meat spicy sammy that Jimmy John’s just put out. This was largely because I was stuck at the office with nothing but a five-year-old expired package of noodle soup, so delivery was the better option. But I also knew this had been added to the menu and thought this was the perfect opportunity to give it a try.
Following is the blueprint for the sandwich according to the website:
Seasoned chicken, creole chili pepper sauce, Jimmy peppers, avocado, provolone cheese, onions, mayo, vinegar, and oil.
The highlight of this sandwich is the creole pepper sauce, but sadly it is also its downfall. It is a mayonnaise-based sauce with various secret spices added to kick up the flavor. It reminded me of the Raising Caine’s sauce, though a bit spicier. Not that it is too hot (definitely not “smokin’ and kickin’” hot), but it still has some heat that lingers a bit. It would make a good dipping sauce and maybe that is the way they should have used it because they put far too much of it on the sandwich I got. And considering it also comes with mayo and oil & vinegar, this just turned into a gloppy mess.
The chicken is the typical sliced deli stuff that you get from places like this and Subway. It is nothing outstanding, but it’s not bad either. I think grilled chicken would have worked better, though Jimmy John’s does not offer that. They refer to it as “seasoned chicken”, but I did not taste much in the way of spices. The sandwich also comes with lettuce, onion, and avocado (though I did not notice any of the latter in my sandwich, probably lost in the mess). The provolone cheese added a bit of creaminess, but did not really stand out. It also includes Jimmy’s Peppers which are pickled hot cherry peppers. Those added a nice tang and sweetness, but like everything else, were mostly lost in the mix.
I got the large (as opposed to the giant) and that is definitely a hefty sandwich. Felt like it weighed at least a pound and probably a third of that came from the sauces and oil. (I should have done a few curls with it to burn some calories before chompin’ in.) You could easily cut this in half and make a meal of that with chips or some other side (which I should have done because I regretted eating the whole thing an hour later). If you do order this, I would advise dropping the mayo and the oil & vinegar (which cuts the calories by 200). And maybe even going easy on the creole pepper sauce (an option for online ordering), though it would be nice if they let you order that on the side to regulate it yourself. That should allow the ingredients to shine through and you can taste that pepper sauce on its own.
On a positive side note, I got the combo and ordered the Jimmy’s Jalapeno Chips as my side. Those I rather liked and they reminded me of Bob’s Jalapeno Texas Style Chips (which are sadly no longer made in Texas). They have good heat and taste, though nothing that will set your mouth on fire. And the chips ended up being the highlight of my lunch.
Jimmy John’s is known for fast delivery, and they did get my sandwich to me pretty quickly. I can’t tell you that I am a huge fan of the chain, and given the choice I would typically go to Subway or a local deli for this sort of sandwich. But they will do in a pinch, especially if you don’t have time to drive out and pick up something. I might actually order this sandwich again with the modifications mentioned above, but with quite a number of other chicken sammies I need to try, a re-order will not be high on my list and I might not get to it before this one heads back to limited-time-only-ville.
Jimmy John’s is headquartered out of Champaign, Illinois, and it is named after founder Jimmy John Liautaud who started up the company in 1983. The chain has 2,700 locations covering most of the United States, and their online ordering is really quite easy. They are a great choice for quick delivery, just be sure to check the option for less sauce on your sandwich. And get the jalapeno chips!
Tale of the Tape:
Serving Size: 1 Sandwich
Calories: 850
Fat: 50g (12g Sat/0g Trans)
Protein: 37g
Carbs: 60g
Sodium: 1890mg