In the infinitely wise words of Homer Simpson: "Mmm. Open-faced club sandwich." Or whatever variety tickles your fancy. The Take 5 team visited five sub shops in downtown Iowa City to determine which establishments had the best quality, menu, price, service, and atmosphere. Take a peek and decide which place is best for you!

	Quality and Taste of Food	Menu selections	Price/Value	Service	Atmosphere	Overall Rating
NY Deli	4.3	4.7	2.7	3.8	4.3	3.9
Subway	2	3.3	4.3	3.3	2.8	3.1
Quizno's	4	4	3	2.5	2.8	3.3
Milio's	3.7	2.5	4	3.7	4	3.6
Jimmy John's	4.5	2.8	3.7	3.8	3.2	3.6

Rater comments

NY Deli (3.9)

	As a first-time eater at the NY Deli, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. Their sandwiches are really tasty, albeit a little bit pricier than other subway shops. They have a great atmosphere, perfect for meeting a friend for lunch or having a quiet lunch with your textbooks and portable mP3 player. My one gripe with the NY Deli was it did take me awhile to get served. I know I’m short, but people can still usually see me over a deli counter. - Ju Li
	I have rarely enjoyed a vegetarian sandwich as good as the one at NY Deli. When you don’t eat meat, going to sandwich shops can be boring and bland, but this place had a garden veggie sandwich that was tangy and fresh and felt very satisfying and healthy. It even came with a little side pasta salad. This place also had the best atmosphere of any sandwich place in town. Added bonus: once you finish your lunch at NY Deli, you can cross the room to Capanna and get yourself a gelato for desert. Mmmm. - Lindsay
	NY Deli had a great atmosphere and location. The subs are more “gourmet” than others and cost a little bit more. They do not bake their own bread which you could tell, but I liked the freshly shaved meat. They have a great private meeting room which would be perfect for a meeting or to hang out with a group of friends! - Tyler

Subway (3.1)

	Subway has daily specials on certain subs, which is nice, but uses pressed meat, which I’m not a fan of. They have a great selection of bread made in the store. You can now choose to have your sub toasted or not—a nice touch. Their cookies are really good, too! - Tyler
	I feel very much in the minority among people my age in that I really don’t like Subway. I think their bread is bad, their toppings are just basically grocery store lunch meat and Kraft cheese, and the service is rarely friendly. I was once again unimpressed by the Subway vegetarian sub, although they at least do have all those dressings you can choose to spice up your sandwich a bit, and the deal where you get chips and a pop is pretty cheap and convenient.- Lindsay
	Subway has always been incredibly consistent with their sandwiches. It’s the nice thing about chains, because you pretty much know what you’re going to get no matter where that particular eatery is. I think Subway sandwiches are pretty good and it was nice to see they’ve been branching out a little with their menu selections. I like their different selections of bread and their service was quick and friendly. - Ju Li

Quizno's (3.3)

	When I walked into Quizno’s, I was smacked in the face by their amazing smell. Their sandwiches are pricey, but they do give you a lot for your money; half a regular sandwich takes care of my appetite for the whole day; however, if you’re on a diet or watching your weight…Quizno’s is definitely not the best place to go. Most of their sandwiches are smothered in cheese and bacon. I also had the weird experience of being called “ma’am” by someone who looked two years older than me. - Ju Li
	Quizno’s reminded me a lot of NY Deli. They have a lot of gourmet subs, as well as your typical subs. They also have various types of soup. Not as many choices of bread for Quizno’s. They are not open as late as some of the other sub shops, so after a night of studying or out on the town, you might need to choose another sub shop. - Tyler
	I was pleasantly surprised to discover Quizno’s had a unique spin on the regular old vegetarian sub— theirs is an Italian veggie sub, complete with pesto and mozzarella, and it was really refreshingly good! I had it on wheat, and it was toasted, in Quizno’s tradition. Overall just a very enjoyable sandwich. They also have really amazing gigantic cookies when you need a dessert. And, besides NY Deli, I’d say they had the most attractive location. - Lindsay

Milio's (3.6)

	Milio’s has a great location and is open late. They have various combo meals. You can now choose to have your sub in a tortilla, baguette, or regular bread. I would recommend getting their white bread. It’s AMAZING! I typically get wheat bread, but I know when coming here to get the white bread. They make it fresh in the store. - Tyler
	Now, I must confess Milio’s probably would have received a better review from me had I not worked for a summer at Erbert & Gerbert’s, a Minnesota sub chain that Milio’s actually spun off from. The menu is almost exactly the same as the menu at my former job, and as such, I was just plain sick of it. If you ate nothing but the same exact veggie sub six days a week for three months, you’d probably feel the same. I know Milio’s makes a good sandwich, and their bread is some of the best out there, but for me, it just tasted like work.- Lindsay
	Milio’s bread tastes great and I love their different bread options. The service was quick and friendly and their sandwiches are delicious. I also love the different names they give their sandwiches such as “Pilgrim’s Pride” and “The Godfather.” I’d like to imagine the good folks of the Mayflower waiting in line behind the Don Corleone on “this the day of his daughter’s wedding.” - Ju Li

Jimmy John's (3.6)

	Jimmy John’s and Milio’s taste very similar to me, and even the prices are in the same ballpark, so they’re pretty much like going to the same chain in my mind. A good sandwich, but a somewhat boring one—the veggie sub does have cucumbers here, however, which I greatly appreciated. Also, the staff was pretty fun and didn’t seem to mind a little in-store silliness. - Lindsay
	Jimmy John’s and Milio’s are practically the same place. You get your delicious sandwiches and your Godfather’s reference in one eatery. Service was friendly and the sandwich was tasty. They don’t have that large of a selection, but everything on their menu is great, so why mess with what isn’t broken? - Ju Li
	Jimmy John’s didn’t have the largest selection, but it was still good. They offer a “slim” sub, which is smaller and less filling, and then “Giant Club” sandwiches with twice the meat on them. If you like tuna, I would strongly recommend getting it here! Their service was fast and friendly, and the food was reasonably priced! - Tyler

If you'd like to share feedback about these five sub shops or any of the other sub shops from Iowa City to Coralville, sound off. Fill out our feedback form and watch for next month's newsletter, where we'll share representative comments from S.T.A.T. members.

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