Jersey Mike’s review: By Chaz Au | Staff Writer

Congratulations Hawaiʻi, we have an alternative choice to choose wear we eat subs.

Jersey Mike’s, known for its fresh grilled sub sandwiches opened its first Hawai‘i location on January 25. Located is locaated in Hawai‘i Kai town center next to American Saving Bank.  Jersey Mike’s is open daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Jersey Mike’s is a popular mainland chain that has finally made the move across the Pacific. It is unknown whether Jersey Mike’s  plans on opening any more Hawaiʻi locations. 

First impressions are critical, because the customer does not know what to expect when stepping into a store for the first time.  After stepping into Jersey Mike’s, I immediately recognized that it was a clean place to eat. . There was also a television showing ESPN to keep people dining in entertained. There are 8 tables with 4 chairs per table. This means 32 people could dine in at one time.  However, I went in late at night so there was only two other people dining in with me.

The staff is young and very energetic. Upon walking in, I was greeted and the workers displayed excellent customer service by giving me a detailed explanation of their menu as I decided what to order. As I ate, the TV kept me entertained, which was an added bonus. 

Jersey Mike’s offers hot and cold subs in a regular or giant size. Think of the regular as a 6 inch and the giant as a footlong. I would recommend getting the giant size since you get a greater value per 6 inches of sub.  The 6 inch sub costs about $9.90, but the giant costs $15.

While paying, Jersey Mike’s offers the opportunity to donate a few dollars to charity.  I found this unique since most restaurants in the area do not offer donations at the register. Jersey Mike’s also offers a rewards system.  However, since I was just there to try it once I did not sign up. But, if you enjoy the subs it could save you a few dollars off an expensive sub by building up rewards points for every sub you eat. If you  don’t enjoy ordering in store, you are still able to order online through their website and pick up your food from the store. 

Jersey Mike’s offers grilled chicken, steak, and chipotle chicken/steak subs. All subs come with cheese, onions and pepper. When you receive your sub, it comes in a foil wrap. I think they could improve on this because it looks cheap and less presentable as a quality food. Fortunately for Jersey Mike’s and I, looks can be deceiving.

I ordered the steak and cheese sub and was blown away by its taste. The quality of the meat is much better than Subway. Also, Jersey Mike’s custom sauce blows away any sauce that subway offers. I am not sure what goes into the sauce after only one eat, but next time I will try to learn the ingredients. However, the steep price tag may keep me from going there often.

My delicious steak and cheese sub. (Photo by Chaz Au)

In comparison, I would choose Subway over Jersey Mike’s. Subway allows more consumer friendly choices when making their sandwich. Jersey Mike’s only offers 1 bread, which could send people back to Subway. Not to mention Jersey Mike’s $15 price tag for one footlong sub.

However, Jersey Mike’s reigns superior meats and sauce. In the end, Subway’s cheap prices leads me to believe that Subway will be the sub restaurant of choice. However, Jersey Mike’s does give Hawaiʻi residents a delicious alternative to prevent our taste buds from going stale.