Supermercado Sandy Spectacular II Turbo is now underway with King Soopers' attempt at our SSS2T template sandwich.
I was immediately put off by the confusing chalkboard menu array. I saw lots of assorted prices, something about salad and a drawing of a bowl of piping-hot soup. Eventually I located the sandyprice, or rather, the formula for calculating the sandyprice. It said made-to-order sandwiches cost $5.99 per pound of meat and/or cheese. Not being a math whiz, I found the need for sudden calculations disconcerting. I estimated I would need approximately one quarter pound each of meat and cheese. My lunch associate, a healthy-eating pixel artist, advised asking for less cheese. He was right; a quarter pound would have been way too much. In the end, I asked for a QP of peppered turkey and a couple slices of cheese, which worked out well, I feel.
The Breakdown
Overall Taste: Solid. The Soop delivered; this was just what I expected.
Bread: A tame, thinly sliced sourdough. I believe it was Oroweat. The deli man had a whole cupboard full of Oroweat breads to choose from. After I asked what my bread options were, I saw the s-dough and blurted "sourdough's good," but he continued to paw through the various other loaves I could pick from, naming them: "Wheat, white, rye," he said. "I want soughdough -- it sounds good," I reblurted. The deli man appeared not to believe me at first, but finally sighed and started building the sandy on the sourdough.
What's Between: The turkey breast was thick-sliced and peppery as a pepperpot. The requested "couple slices of muenster" were delivered in the loose definition of "a couple" -- three slices, which proved a perfect amount. The mustard turned out to be standard yellow. Being a mustard snob, I was mildly disappointed not to be offered at least a spicy deli mustard, if not dijon. "This is a deli, is it not?" I thought to myself, haughtily. The tomatoes were good -- fresh and unslimy.
Value: Fair. The final damage was $4.31. Compared to $3.99 for the KS Cran-Cream Cheese Threat to National Security, I gladly paid the additional 32 cents. My sandwich cost about the same as a Subway sub and was comparable in size in quality, except for the absence of freshly baked bread. As for paying four bucks for a sandwich I could make at home, that's where I felt a bit uneasy. I think I could have made it myself for cheaper. But maybe not ... again, I suck at math.
Customer Service and other concerns: I found the customer service experience lacking. From start to finish, the whole transaction took approximately several minutes. The deli man demonstrated none of the urgency seen from fast-food sandy preparers. He also assumed I knew way too much. When he asked me what bread I wanted, I panicked, not knowing any of my options. The question "do you want condiments" should have been followed with a list of choices. The deli guy was not so much rude as indifferent to my needs and concerns, which hurt a little. I have needs!
I was immediately put off by the confusing chalkboard menu array. I saw lots of assorted prices, something about salad and a drawing of a bowl of piping-hot soup. Eventually I located the sandyprice, or rather, the formula for calculating the sandyprice. It said made-to-order sandwiches cost $5.99 per pound of meat and/or cheese. Not being a math whiz, I found the need for sudden calculations disconcerting. I estimated I would need approximately one quarter pound each of meat and cheese. My lunch associate, a healthy-eating pixel artist, advised asking for less cheese. He was right; a quarter pound would have been way too much. In the end, I asked for a QP of peppered turkey and a couple slices of cheese, which worked out well, I feel.
The Breakdown
Overall Taste: Solid. The Soop delivered; this was just what I expected.
Bread: A tame, thinly sliced sourdough. I believe it was Oroweat. The deli man had a whole cupboard full of Oroweat breads to choose from. After I asked what my bread options were, I saw the s-dough and blurted "sourdough's good," but he continued to paw through the various other loaves I could pick from, naming them: "Wheat, white, rye," he said. "I want soughdough -- it sounds good," I reblurted. The deli man appeared not to believe me at first, but finally sighed and started building the sandy on the sourdough.
What's Between: The turkey breast was thick-sliced and peppery as a pepperpot. The requested "couple slices of muenster" were delivered in the loose definition of "a couple" -- three slices, which proved a perfect amount. The mustard turned out to be standard yellow. Being a mustard snob, I was mildly disappointed not to be offered at least a spicy deli mustard, if not dijon. "This is a deli, is it not?" I thought to myself, haughtily. The tomatoes were good -- fresh and unslimy.Value: Fair. The final damage was $4.31. Compared to $3.99 for the KS Cran-Cream Cheese Threat to National Security, I gladly paid the additional 32 cents. My sandwich cost about the same as a Subway sub and was comparable in size in quality, except for the absence of freshly baked bread. As for paying four bucks for a sandwich I could make at home, that's where I felt a bit uneasy. I think I could have made it myself for cheaper. But maybe not ... again, I suck at math.
Customer Service and other concerns: I found the customer service experience lacking. From start to finish, the whole transaction took approximately several minutes. The deli man demonstrated none of the urgency seen from fast-food sandy preparers. He also assumed I knew way too much. When he asked me what bread I wanted, I panicked, not knowing any of my options. The question "do you want condiments" should have been followed with a list of choices. The deli guy was not so much rude as indifferent to my needs and concerns, which hurt a little. I have needs!
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