Subway, Van Buren, Riverside

Who knew I'd give Subway a chance to disappoint me so soon after the Quizno's visit. So sad.
First off, it was crowded. Always a turn off for me, but I was on a mission. I ordered a stock Turkey with Provolone cheese, all the veggies, mustard, vinegar and pepper. The sanwich was fine. Fresh enough, and tasty. But I got to the cash register, and said "I want a combo with Chicken Soup and a Large Drink. Oh and throw these in," and I picked out some Baked Lays. So she rings me up and says, "have a nice day!"
Hmmm. "Where's my soup?"
"Oh, you wanted soup?"
"Yeah, that's what I ordered. The chips were the afterthought."
"I didn't charge you for soup. What kind did you want?"
"The Chicken Noodle."
"Oh. We're out of that."

So, it get's better. I have to take my wife a sandwich home.
"Hi. Uh, weren't you just here?"
So, i literally say "Yes, now I'm taking one home to my wife, so I can stay married. Simplest sub ever. Ham & Swiss on wheat. Just meat, cheese and mayo."
She's making my order with someone else's. Sure fire way to screw it up. And true to form, she grabs TWO BIG HANDFULS of lettuce and dumps them on my wife's sandwich.
What I said next was rude and I regret it. The gist was, I didn't see where lettuce fit in with "meat, cheese and mayo".
And then, completely in line with the level of service I have come to expect from this Subway, she brushes off the excess lettuce, and wraps up the sandwich. Un-FREAKING-believable.
Your visit couldn't POSSIBLY be as bad as mine. Subway is located at 5553 Van Buren Blvd, Riverside.



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That's it, thanks. I'm stuffed.

Brian Norwood

Platypi Online: The Platypus Portal

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

Platypi Online: The Platypus Portal

Arby's, Riverside

Well, I had a meeting over lunch today, and we settled on the Arby's on Hole Ave.(10160 Hole Ave., Riverside). I like Arby's well enough. It's something different from the usual fast food fare. I had the Pop Corn Chicken Shakers with Bar-B-Q sauce, A Beef and Cheddar sandwich, Curly Fries and a drink.

Immediately, I wished I'd have gone for the buffalo sauce with the chicken. I'm a sucker for good buffalo chicken. Still, it was hot and fresh, and pretty tasty. I've had this item before and this was neither the best or worst Pop Corn Chicken they have served me. I like the shaker cup. It lets you coat the chicken with sauce, without needing a ton of napkins afterward.

What Arby's does consistently well is roast beef sandwiches. I know, they have really diversified their menu, but they have the roast beef down pat. The Beef and Cheddar was great, hot roast beef, creamy melted cheddar sauce, and a very soft onion roll. I'm not sure I believe there is such a thing as too much Arby Sauce, but today I did not supplement it.

I wasn't feeling the fries. Usually when I come in, it's pretty quiet and they drop and order of fries just for me. Today they weren't super fresh, and I think maybe I wasn't really feeling like fries in the first place. (I actually dislike regular fries, and only tolerate the seasoned criss-cut or curly variety)

I like that the Soft Drink bar at this location is always really clean and never out of ice. In fact, cleanliness is something this location does very well. And that's pretty important to me. I hate sticky tables, and unless it's moments after the lunch rush, they are pretty inexcusable.

Service can be hit or miss at this location, but today it was right on. Our order was ready before I poured my drink. The staff was upbeat and friendly. My associate had a spill at the beverage bar on the way out, and they were on it pretty quick. We tried to clean up a bit, but they woman insisted it was ok and that she'd get it. I guess I spent about 16 bucks picking up the tab for both of us. Not too bad.