Quizno's Subs, Riverside

I love two types of food above all others. A great sandwich, and a great bowl of soup. I could eat soup almost anytime anymeal. In fact, I am involved in a life long work of perfecting a breakfast soup. And right up there with soup is a sandwich, and especially a Sub. Now, I have a mighty bias, as I grew up in San Pedro, California, which boasts the incredible Busy Bee Market, home to some of the very best, and when it comes to the meatball THE very best sandwiches in the world. Fresh soft bread, fresh cut meats. Just pure bliss. So, be aware of my sandwich bias.
Anyway, we just got back in town and nobody wanted to cook, and I wanted a sandwich. Surprisingly hard to come by in my neck of the woods. So, it's basically a coin toss between Subway and Quizno's, or the hassle of the Von's deli (which is very good, just agonizingly slow). I opt for the toasted subs of Quizno's.
There is good parking in Lowe's Center, so I start off on a high note. There is no crowd. Even happier as I walk in. This is going to be GREAT!
So the guy sweeping mutters a hello, and instantly I am brought low again. My wife eats the most boring sandwich I can think of. Ham and Swiss w/ mayo. That's it. For myself, I ordered the Tuscan Chicken on Rosemary Parmesan bread, a bowl of chili and chips.
It was typical Quizno's fare. I can always tell who shreds their own lettuce and who buys shredded lettuce in a bag. The roasted red pepper sauce on the Tuscan is a little too thick for me. I prefer the chili at Wendy's, and wish I'd have gone for the chicken soup. It's pretty good though, for what it is. I enjoyed the meal when I got it home.
The problem is, sweeper guy is the cashier. And he appears even less interested in ringing. Though HE personally ladles my chili, he forgets to charge me for it. No sooner does he fix that than he tries to charge me for a third sandwich from somebody's phone-in order. (Apparently at some stores you can also order from the web. Dunno if I'll use that). Then the kicker, he shoves my wife's sandwich and cookie, my sandwich, chips and chili all into a single small-ish bag (it appears as though he has never seen a bag before). I don't care that he crushes my Baked Lays, as I crush them myself to put on the sandwich for a little crunch, but, he manages to stack it all in such a way that my chili is sure to spill on the way home. So, I awkwardly carry the bag out to the car so I can repack it before I drive off. Now, I did this job (albeit at a subway) in my youth. I know it's no fun sometimes and it doesn't pay too well. But, I also know, hard work and good attitude makes the job more bareable and eventually more profitable. I took serious pride in my sandwiches, and I had a few people who came in that asked for me by name to fix them up. I wish this kid had some of that kind of gumption, because I left with that "Will I ever come back?" kind of feeling. Now, of course I will, because as I said, I love subs, and it's close. But Subway is comparable as far as I am concerned, and the drive is not so different. Maybe I'll let them try and impress me next time.
Still, I wish there was a nice mom and pop type sandwich shop in my area. The Sub Stop on Pierce and Magnolia used to be awesome, but it changed hands and I wasn't as impressed with the new cook. If you've got any ideas, feel free to drop them in the comments.
This particular Quizno's is located at 9867 Magnolia Ave Ste B, Riverside.
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That's it, thanks. I'm stuffed.

Brian Norwood

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