Schlotvsky's Deli! A Great Alternative to Fast Food Restaurants!

Schlotzsky's is a tasty and convenient place to stop for a quick lunch when you're on the road. It presents a nice alternative to the numerous unhealthy fast food restaurants that seem to beckon at every corner. It's also a great place to get a quick takeout lunch to take back to the office or a fast dinner to serve to the family in the evening.

My husband and I initially dined at Schlotzsky's 8 years ago when we lived in another area of the country. At the time, I was not particularly impressed with the food or the atmosphere. The soup and sandwich I ordered at that time were not memorable and I didn't have an occasion to return until recently.

Several weekends ago, we were about 3 hours from home and needed a quick meal that wouldn't take us too far off the highway. My husband pulled into Schlotzky's and I reluctantly agreed to give them another try. My perception of this restaurant was about to change!

Upon entering the restaurant, I noticed there was quite a crowd despite being well past the established lunch hour and too early for the dinner crowd. After surveying the rather large menu, I ordered the Asian Chicken wrap which is a grilled chicken breast marinated in Japanese sauce with a variety of vegetables on a low fat wheat wrap.

We sat down at a clean and comfortable table beside a window and I sampled my newly acquired sandwich wrap. One delicious bite and I was in heaven! The sweet chili sauce Schlotsky placed on this particular wrap perfectly complimented the fresh vegetables and perfectly cooked marinated chicken. The sauce had a sweet maple syrup type flavor with just a hint of rich chili spice which really pleased the taste buds. This is truly one of the best wraps I have eaten in the ten or so years I've been eating sandwich wraps. As an added bonus, the wrap barely had 300 calories! It's hard to find quick, healthy road food. Since that weekend, I've been tack to Schlotzky's several times and have ordered several of their sandwiches and salads. All have been well made, tasty , and quite satisfying.

If there's one criticism I have of Schlotzky's Deli, it's the atmosphere and decor. A deli with food this good should have a better atmosphere and more attention to detail. The interior, although quite comfortable, appeared a bit messy and dated. Several of the tables had not been cleaned during my visits and I got the impression that the restaurant was understaffed. This idea was supported by the fact that service was a bit slow on several of my visits.

Fortunately, I'm able to overlook these small inconveniences since the food is of high quality and is presented at a reasonable price. Some would say the average lunch price of $9 - $12 dollars is a bit high, but I bekeve the quality makes it a worthwhile alternative to more inexpensive and less healthy fast food.

Needless to say, I have changed my opinion about Schlotzky's Deli and am now more than happy to enjoy a quick and healthy meal at one of their many restaurant locations.