Jimmy John's

In a word: Madison's Other Other Other Sub Shop.

The specs: #0277
Address, hours & details via Isthmus; reviews at Madison Hot Bite, ; Wikipedia article; official web site.

JM ate the #1 (ham and provolone, lettuce, tomato, onion, mayo, vinegar on Italian) and a fountain drink.
Nichole ate the #3 (tuna salad, sprouts, cukes, tomato on wheat) and a fountain drink.
We split a pickle.
The bill was $13, or $6.50/person.
JM gave Jimmy John's a B+; Nichole gave Jimmy John's a B (see our grading rubric).

Latest Jimmy John's news and reviews

Some folks get worked up about the history behind their subs, so for background's sake, here's a review: Jimmy John's, Milio's (formerly Big Mike's) and Erbert and Gerbert's are all run by cousins (no relation.) We thought Jimmy John's has an edge over other sub shops with its fresh veggie options, real deli pickles and delivery (although Milio's clearly has it beat on quantity of locations). And we found a spot in our cupboard for the sturdy plastic fountain soda cups, though that could get old fast if we ate at Jimmy John's a lot.

Nichole's tuna salad sub had a suitable balance of tuna vs. toppings. The tuna salad itself was complex (if one can say that of tuna salad), with celery and other ingredients that added interest.

JM found his ham and cheese just average. In a lot of ways, subs are as good as the bread they're served on.  JM found his bread mediocre.

On the other hand, Jimmy John's menu seems shorter than what you can get at Cousins or Subway. There was not much choice of bread, just white Italian or a thick-cut, glutinous wheat. The manufactured kitsch bordered on irritating, but maybe it was just that some of the staff's crankiness had rubbed off on us.

Comments

[Kyle]

I strongly prefer Jimmy John's roast beef. Don't know why, except that it's less like Subway's than Milio's is. I never order a straight-up roast beef sub anywhere but Jimmy John's.

[Brett]

Laura and I really like Jimmy John's - we always get the Italian Night Club thingy, whatever it's called. It's my favorite cold sub place, though I prefer the hot subs from Quizno's (and yes, I know they're not really 'subs').

[Jessie]

I actually can't tell the difference, for the most part. Although, I tend to eat Milio's / Big Mike's more because I've eaten them since college (over a decade ago) - but I still miss Milan's! However, I do give props to Jimmy John's for having Mitch Hedberg do a couple of radio spots for them before he died.

[Mike]

You are correct in that their "kitsch" is obnoxious. Avoid their website at all costs. Yet when it comes to cold subs, I'll drive/walk/bike past the rest and hit JJs. I've never tried the #1, but I've had most of the rest and I find them much more flavorful than anything that I've ever had from Milio's or Subway, even with the latter's fancy bread options.

[kenzee]

Jimmy John's veggie sub is light years better than Milio's. But have to agree with the cranky staff. Yikes.

[f8]

The fact that one such as myself can eat food from where I work everyday I think says a lot in the restaurant business period. Besides the great food though, the ambiance - music, people, and definately the cleanliness of the stores seem to far surpass our local subways. now if you head to potbelly's or erb&gerb's then you may find some competition in the sub taste, but you lose the convenience and speed that jimmy johns is providing all the folk's out there who keep busy through the day. There is no store that'll get you from standing in line outside to holding a sandwich in just fractions of minutes. If you want soup and grilled buns and some corporate MUSAK station in your ears, head somewhere else. I've worked enough jobs to know employee morale is worth appreciating too, if you know what I mean.

[Smith]

Jimmy John's is OK, but a distant third to Potbelly's or Milio's. Za's "panini," which is right next door to Jimmy John's, is a bit better for a similar price as well. You won't be unhappy (like with any Quizno or Subway experience) but within a half block you can have a better sub with better service.

[Clara]

Erbs and Gerbs easily has the other two beat. They are a staple in Eau Claire's college life. We need one in Madison!