Today, we are reviewing the Jersey Mike’s #7 Turkey and Provolone sub. This is the third installment of a six-part series (we expanded it from five) called Turkey Sub Quest. The concept is simple: I visit six chain sandwich shops and review a similar turkey sub from each. The goal is to rank how the subs stack up.
The Construction
All six of the Turkey Sub Quest reviews will use a similar format. All sandwiches will have turkey meat as the foundation. Provolone cheese will be part of the sub. Lettuce, tomato, and onions will be toppings. Where possible oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and oregano will also be used. No mayonnaise will be used on any of the sandwiches. White bread will be the default, getting as close to a foot-long option as possible. In this case, Jersey Mike’s didn’t have a footlong, so I was left to pick between Regular (7-inch) or Giant (15-inch). Neither was an ideal option, but I went with the Regular size to keep close to the price range of the previous two Turkey Quest assessments.
The Turkey and Provolone option at Jersey Mike’s is listed as #7 on the menu and is sometimes referred to by that number. Most of the condiments are available in a Mike’s Way option, which is the option I chose. This includes lettuce, tomato, onion, “the juice” (oil and vinegar), and spices (salt and oregano). This was a default sandwich for the #7.
- Sliced Turkey Breast
- Provolone Cheese
- Lettuce (Mike’s Way)
- Tomato (Mike’s Way)
- Onion (Mike’s Way)
- Oil (Mike’s Way)
- Vinegar (Mike’s Way)
- Salt (Mike’ Way)
- Oregano (Mike’s Way)
- White Bread
- Size: Regular (7-inch option)
- Sandwiches Eaten: two (Two separate purchases)
- Location: Mint Hill, NC
- Price: $9.25
The Experience
Meat and Cheese
Jersey Mike’s differentiator is that they slice the meats and cheeses on demand right in front of you. What was nice is that the turkey and cheese were thin-sliced by default (more on that in Intangibles). The turkey’s texture was in a sweet spot—not dry and not overly moist. While the turkey looked smoky, it didn’t taste smoky. I usually prefer more smokiness, but the turkey still tasted good.
Par for the course with the chain shop sandwiches, the cheese was more on the mild side of provolone than sharp. The cheese was good, but not great.
The quantity of the meat and cheese was satisfactory.
Score: 3.00 out of 4.00 points
Bread
Even though the bread had a decent crust, I found Jersey’s Mike’s bread to be a little on the softer side. While my preference is usually a hard sub roll, most chain restaurants do not use a hard roll. In the end, the bread was nothing special but not detrimental to the sandwich as a whole.
Score: 1.00 out of 2 points
Condiments
Overall, the tomatoes used on the #7 Turkey and Provolone were on the ripe side. I was also quite pleased with the onions as they were not pungent. The lettuce had a slight wilt and wasn’t sliced as thin as I like.
While the oil and vinegar tasted good, the amount was excessive. It added a component of sogginess to the sandwich as a whole, and the sub would have tasted fine with less oil and vinegar. This was an issue on each of the #7 Turkey and Provolones I had.
Score: 0.75 out of 2 points
Intangibles
In terms of appearance, I wouldn’t say the #7 Turkey and Provolone sandwich is the best-looking one, but it was not a bad-looking one either.
Proportion-wise, I thought Jersey Mike’s did a good job with the meat/cheese to condiments ratio. The fresh sliced meat being on the thin side was a significant plus in my book. This may sound unbelievable, but thinly sliced turkey and cheese taste better than a thick cut. (Note: the thickness of the turkey and cheese was mentioned earlier under the Meat and Cheese section; it is scored as an intangible.)
The sandwich’s components all tasted good. The amount of oil and vinegar was a bit high, though. As mentioned, it contributed to some sogginess in the bread, and I don’t think the sandwich needed that much.
Score: 1.25 out of 2 points
OVERALL ASSESSMENT
The Jersey Mike’s #7 Turkey and Provolone was a tasty sandwich overall. The Mike’s Way option is a great default combination of condiments. Thank you, Jersey Mike’s, for not making mayonnaise a default condiment. But if you disagree with me on my mayonnaise stance, you have an option to get it. One other note is that fresh and thinly sliced is a great bonus.
Here’s how to improve the sandwich: I wish the oil and vinegar were dialed back a bit and that there was an option between 7 and 15 inches for bread. Still, the #7 Turkey and Provolone is a nice option, and I can see myself going back to it from time to time.
Summary
| Meat and Cheese | 3.00 |
| Bread | 1.00 |
| Condiments | 0.75 |
| Intangibles | 1.25 |
| Total | 6.00 |
6
Score: 6.00 (out of 10 points)
Value: Slightly Above Average
The Turkey Quest Standings (Through 3 Subs)
Note: There will now be six subs from six different chains as a part of the Turkey Quest competition
| Sub | Meat/ Cheese (4) | Bread (2) | Condiments (2) | Intangibles (2) | Score (10) | |
| 1 | Jersey Mike’s #7 Turkey and Provolone | 3.00 | 1.00 | 0.75 | 1.25 | 6.00 |
| 2 | Subway Oven Roasted Turkey | 2.50 | 1.00 | 1.25 | 1.00 | 5.75 |
| 3 | Jimmy John’s Turkey Tom | 1.75 | 1.50 | 1.25 | 0.25 | 4.75 |
Photo Credits: Cigar Coop
