McAlister’s Deli Review 4/22 – Fishers

Restaurant: McAlister’s Deli
Location: Fishers, IN
Address: 8355 East 116th Street, Suite 101  Fishers, IN 46038
Menu: McAlister’s Menu
Type: Deli
Loyalty Program: None Known
Today’s Meal: Taco Salad, Soft Drink
Cost: Less than $10

They went and changed McAlister’s Deli on me!  It all started when I went in, and the menu board had changed.  It’s more representative now of a bistro or such, than a traditional deli with the vivid colors and the pictures that are now up there.  My typical go-to meal, Taco Salad, was still there, but I also noticed a Chipotle salad that I don’t remember seeing in the past that also sounded pretty good.  The second thing I noticed was that the napkins were no longer readily available on the counter.  They used to have those and straws, as well as mints, out in between the seating area and the cash registers.  Now, the straws are up at the cash registers, and I had to ask for napkins at the counter.  (I’m assuming they typically come with your meal now.)  I didn’t notice any mints laying out this time, and they didn’t come with my meal like they typically do either.  We had to wait a little longer than usual for our meals to come out.  I’m assuming there was some confusion in the kitchen because I saw two tables who had the wrong things brought out to them.  When the person I was dining with and I got our meals, they switched whose was whose (we each had order numbers and the waiter clearly said whose was whose), and we didn’t realize it until we had already started eating (both had taco salads, just with little differences between each).  Then we realized the mistake after I had already mixed the sour cream into my salad, and doesn’t it figure, the person I was dining with does not like sour cream.  They had asked for no sour cream, but both of ours came with it anyways.  (If theirs would have came without the sour cream as requested, then we would have easily been able to tell whose was whose.)  So, after trying to get the sour cream portion out of mine as much as possible, we just switched and ate, so as not to have to wait any longer.  The one thing that they changed about the taco salad is that it no longer comes with black olives.  I say, bring back the black olives!  They also now serve the salads in bright colored bowls.  They used to serve in the black plastic saucer-type dishes with a piece of paper on the top that had the McAlister’s Deli logo written all over.  To me, that had more of a deli type look and feel to it.  The new dishes and menu board do update the place a bit.  It would be nice to see the decor updated along with these new changes.  We were given plenty of refills on our drinks during our meal.  There was a picture of the Colossial Carrot Cake, and it looked quite good.

See my otherMcAlister’s Deli reviews.

Quiznos Review- Fishers

Restaurant: Quiznos
Location: Fishers, IN
Address: 11386 Olio Rd  Fishers Indiana 46038
Menu: Quiznos Menu
Today’s Meal: Regular Turkey Ranch & Swiss Sub Sandwich
Cost: Around $6
Type: Sub Shop
Loyalty Program: None Known

This Quiznos is a very small sub shop with the actual sandwich preparation area taking up much of the space.  The dining area is very small; however, I have never been when it has been busy here, so the seating is just fine.  It is a similar setup to Subway, however the sandwiches have more of a standard of what they are suppose to include instead of just going down the aisle and listing each thing you want added like you do at Subway.  You can still request things added or excluded though.

I typically enjoy the Turkey Ranch & Swiss Sub Sandwich at Quiznos.  They toast their subs here, so the cheese is lightly melted and the bread has a nice crispy texture.  The ranch adds a nice zesty taste while the lettuce, tomato, and red onion round the turkey sandwich off nicely.  I enjoyed the sandwich today as it was made well.

The staff here do wear gloves while they are preparing the sandwiches which is very nice to see.  However, it would have been great to have the staff also wear hair nets or caps or something.  One person who was involved in making sandwiches had their hair dangling and swooshing around above the food.  Hair nets or caps would definitely add a welcome element of sanitary precaution.

Paradise Bakery Review 12/21 – Noblesville

Restaurant: Paradise Bakery
Location: Noblesville, IN (Hamilton Town Center)
Address: 13230 Harrell Parkway, Suite 400  Noblesville, IN 46060
Hours: Mon – Sat 6:30am – 9pm; Sun 8am – 8pm
Menu: Paradise Bakery Menu
Type: Cafe and Bakery
Loyalty Program: Taste of Paradise Card (acts as gift card and loyalty card)
Today’s Meal: 1/2 Chicken Walnut Sandwich, 1 Cup Broccoli Cheddar Soup, Chocolate Chip Cookie
Cost: About $8

Paradise Bakery Meal

Paradise Bakery is located within the Hamilton Town Center.  It is a fairly large cafe/bakery type of restaurant.  The feel is light and airy; however the seating is a bit crowded.  The place has always looked clean and orderly when I have gone in there.  There are two different stations to order food.  They have the bakery area where you can get cookies and bread, and they have the other area where you get sandwiches, soups, and salads.  Today I got the 1/2 Chicken Walnut Sandwich.  It was good as usual with the big pieces of walnut in the chicken salad smothered on two halves of the wonderful Molasses Bread.  This bread is so good that I have bought loaves of it to use at home with my own sandwiches before.  It has just the right amount of sweetness for many different kinds of sandwiches.  I also had a cup of the broccoli cheddar soup.  It was very good as well.  This soup was the perfect consistency.  I’ve had some broccoli cheddar soups before that seem quite runny/watery, but this was not the case.  When I was getting the soup, they asked me if I would like to have crackers or bread with my soup.  They have not asked me that when I’ve gotten soup here before.  I chose the bread, and I got about three little half slices of white bread inside a paper sleeve (similar to what the cookies come in).  The chocolate chip cookie was a bit chewier than normal.  My preference is when they bake it and it comes out with that slight crisp on the outside but still soft and chewy inside.  That’s how I’ve gotten the cookies here most of the other times I’ve been.

My only complaint would be that they were a little too eager to get me served.  I had intended to step back for a moment and look at the menu and soup board and decide what I wanted, being there wasn’t any other customers in line.  When they asked what I wanted, I said that I was debating between a soup or a salad.  Then, they asked if they could make me a sandwich while I was deciding.  It seemed like I was getting rushed through while I was the only customer in line, and it wasn’t even near their closing time either.  The reply I would have rather heard  from them would have been something like, “Take your time, and let us know when you’re ready to order.”  Then, if they were really feeling generous, they could have even thrown in something like, “If you have any questions about the menu, let us know.”

Check out my other Paradise Bakery review.

McAlister’s Deli Review – Fishers

Restaurant: McAlister’s Deli
Location: Fishers, IN
Address: 8355 East 116th Street, Suite 101  Fishers, IN 46038
Menu: McAlister’s Menu
Type: Deli
Loyalty Program: None Known
Today’s Meal: Taco Salad, Soft Drink
Cost: About $10

Today I ordered the Taco Salad, which as you know from my previous McAlister’s Post, I really enjoy.  Today’s was not quite as good for two reasons though.  One was that I asked for no jalapenos, and yes, you guessed it, it came with jalapenos.  This wasn’t a real big deal though because they were easy enough to pick off.  And second, after I was finished eating the taco salad, I felt like the chili they used had been laced with a large dose of Phillips’ Milk of Magnesia, if you know what I mean.  I have never experienced this after eating this meal before, so I’m not sure what the deal was.  Hopefully next time will be better!

Want to fix a taco salad at home?  Enjoy this simple Taco Salad recipe courtesy of Paula Deen!

Subway – Fishers

Restaurant: Subway
Location: Fishers, IN
Address: Sandstone Commons 11640 Brooks School Rd Suite  Fishers, IN 46038
Menu: Subway Menu
Type: Deli
Loyalty Program: None Known
Today’s Meal: Turkey Breast Sandwich
Cost: About $5

Today’s meal was typical Subway food.  I got what I expected, a cold sandwich with the fixings of my choosing.  Nothing extraordinary, but at least it’s healthy!

Panera Bread – Indianapolis

Restaurant: Panera Bread
Location: Indianapolis, IN
Address: 5020 East 82nd Street  Indianapolis, IN 46250
Menu: Panera Menu
Type:  Bakery & Cafe
Loyalty Program: None Known
Today’s Meal: 1/2 Chicken Fontaga and 1/2 Soup
Cost: About $7

Oh my, I did not have the most pleasant experience at this Panera Bread!  To begin with, there were about 6 of us in line and there was no one at the cash register where they take orders.  We stood there for a several minutes and finally the customer in front asked the person who was making the food where we should all order at.  That person said that we should just order over at the bakery.  (Yes, thanks for making us aware of that!)  So, we end up waiting there in the line, and as soon as that worker sees so many of us there in their line, they call back for someone to open the register we had just been at.  So, by that time, there are new people who came in and went directly to that register and now they are getting waited on before us, while we are still in the bakery line.  The person in front of me finally ordered, and they told her that her sandwich could not be made on the croissant that it was suppose to come on because they had run out of croissants.  When it was my turn to order, the cashier never even asked me if my meal was for there or to go.  Needless to say, they made it for the wrong one.  Then, sure enough, I got the wrong soup.  That was actually the reason I had went to Panera was I knew it was the day for the kind of soup that I like. 

The sandwich wasn’t even very good.  It was made sloppy with the bread all shifted around and half the ingredients sticking out of the bread.  That was not surprising, being the people making the sandwiches could be overheard talking about their Halloween night, the night before.  This was definitely not a good experience.  It was actually quite frustrating.  I should have just walked out when I had thought about it, when none of us were getting helped at the cash register.

McAlister’s Deli – Fishers

Restaurant: McAlister’s Deli
Location: Fishers, IN
Address: 8355 East 116th Street, Suite 101  Fishers, IN 46038
Menu: McAlister’s Menu
Type: Deli
Loyalty Program: None Known
Today’s Meal: Taco Salad, Soft Drink
Cost: Less than $10

Today I dined at McAlister’s Deli.  McAlister’s Deli is known for the really large potatoes available with a variety of different toppings as well as their sweet tea.  Nearly everyone I have dined with here will attest to the goodness of the sweet tea.  (I do not like tea, so I cannot offer up my opinion.)  

It’s one of my favorite places to get a taco salad.  Mind you, it’s not a traditional taco salad with the shell shaped like a bowl or anything, and nothing about it really tastes Mexican.  It has a bed of lettuce with some tortilla chips crushed below, and then they use their chili (which you can also get vegetarian chili to make this taco salad entirely vegetarian), cheese, tomatoes, sour cream, and black olives on the top.  It also comes with Jalapenos, but I leave those off.  On the side is extra tortilla chips as well as a little bit of salsa.  Quite yummy!

In the past, the staff at McAlister’s has been very on top of drink refills.  You see, you go to the counter to order (they give you your drink while you’re up there), and then you go find a seat and put the order number they give you on the table.  They bring you your meal when it is prepared, and then typically they come around from time-to-time to see if you would like more to drink (they also have you take your lid and straw before they take your cup, which I REALLY like, more sanitary).  This time they never came around once to see if I would like more to drink.  Hopefully next time I go there they are more on-top of the drink refills!

Find a McAlister’s Deli near you!      

Want to make your own taco salad at home?  Try this recipe for a Quick Taco Salad!

Paradise Bakery – Noblesville

Restaurant: Paradise Bakery
Location: Noblesville, IN (Hamilton Town Center)
Address: 13230 Harrell Parkway, Suite 400  Noblesville, IN 46060
Hours: Mon – Sat 6:30am – 9pm; Sun 8am – 8pm
Menu: Paradise Bakery Menu
Type: Cafe and Bakery
Loyalty Program: Taste of Paradise Card (acts as gift card and loyalty card)
Today’s Meal: 1/2 Chicken Walnut Sandwich, Small Paradise Caesar Salad, Chocolate Chip Cookie, Soft Drink
Yesterday’s Meal: 1/2 Turkey Wrap, Small Paradise Pasta Salad, Chocolate Chip Cookie, Soft Drink
Cost: Each meal, about $10

That’s right, I ate at Paradise Bakery two days in a row!  We’ll start with today’s meal.  Their Chicken Walnut sandwich is very good.  I think that my favorite part is the bread.  They use a sweet molasses bread, and it is amazing.  It is the perfect amount of sweetness for this sandwich.  Their chicken salad is very good, although I could use a tad bit more mayo.  However, that is being picky because, like I stated, it is a very good chicken salad sandwich.  The walnuts in the chicken salad also add a nice texture to the sandwich.  The Caesar salad is good.  They toss it up right in front of you, adding ingredients as they go.  Therefore, they are sometimes a little too quick and the Caesar dressing and Parmesan cheese don’t get completely mixed, and you’ll find small clumps every now and then instead of being perfectly blended.  Now for the chocolate chip cookie which is one of my favorites!  It has the perfect amount of a crispy outside while having a chewy inside.  You can definitely tell they are freshly baked.

When I ate at Paradise Bakery yesterday, I got a turkey wrap.  It was a little on the plain side and dry.  It could have used a bit more mayo or pesto or something.  However, it tasted fresh.  The Paradise Pasta salad was good, but wow, they serve way too much!  You can really taste the vinaigrette dressing, so therefore, it is a pasta that is on the strong side.  It’s one of those things that you can only eat so much of.  I got a small bowl of it (and wasn’t able to finish that), and I couldn’t imagine trying to eat a large bowl!  Once again, the chocolate chip cookie was amazing!

Want to make your own chicken salad sandwich at home?  Click here for a recipe!