Jersey's Cafe

Recently there has been some buzz building in the community and around the interwebs for yet another sandwich shop in the Indy metro area.  That shop is Jersey's Cafe.  Apparently Guy Fieri has been there recently filming a segment to an upcoming episode of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.  I had heard good things so I thought now might be a good time to check it out since the episode hasn't aired yet and it probably wouldn't be too crowded.

If you decide to go to Jersey's Cafe there are some things you should probably know up front.  First of all, you should not be in a hurry if you go here.  The pace of service is well...leisurely.  Take note that the service is not bad.  The truth of the matter is that there was only 1 person out in the front of house that was doing all of the waiting, seating, busing and getting refills.  I thought our waiter actually did a fairly good job considering how busy he was with 7 active tables.  The restaurant is also quite small so it will be interesting to see how they handle any increased business after their segment airs on The Food Network.  Secondly, the menu is enormous to the point of being overwhelming.  They are known for their cheesesteaks of which they have about 25 different varieties.  They also have salads, appetizers, and a large variety of other hot and cold sandwiches.  If you go there I suggest you have a game plan.  I knew I wanted to try their cheesesteak so that's exactly what I got.

After a little deliberation over what I wanted on my steak I decided to go with what they call the New York Steak.  It consisted of seasoned grilled steak that was chopped on the flat top, provolone cheese, mushrooms, onions and oregano.  I have to say this is the best sandwich I have had from any restaurant in the area.  The steak was cooked perfectly and still retained a lot of juiciness.  The onions were chopped fairly small and grilled until they took on a very nice sweet flavor that worked perfectly with the meat and cheese.  The mushrooms were also done on the grill and are a must have for me on any steak sandwich.  However, I think what really made this sandwich was the bread on which it was served.  It was slightly crusty on the outside yet retained just the right amount of softness.  The bread also held up well against the juices of the meat and toppings.  I was able to pick up my sandwich easily and eat it without any breakdown.  Also, I have to mention the fact that this sandwich was huge.  It took up the whole length of my plate, which in and of itself was quite large.  Each sandwich is served with a choice of side and a dill pickle spear.  I decided to go with the mustard potato salad.  It was good, but didn't taste a lot different than other similar potato salads I've had in the past.  Fries were not a side options without paying extra, but taking in consideration the size of the sandwich the small side was more than appropriate.



Taste: 10/10  If I'm going to compare this to other sandwich shops and other places which I've had a cheesesteak in Indiana I can't think of a single one that I thought was better than the one I had at Jersey's Cafe. I can't wait to go back and try one of their other cheesesteaks, their roast pork, or some of their deep fried New Jersey Ripper hot dogs.

Value: 9/10  Each sandwich on the menu was listed at a price around 8 or 9 bucks.  Our total bill drinks included came to 20 bucks and some change.  Each one of us loved our food and were full at the end of the meal.  When the food is this good and the prices are competitive with other sandwich shops that always equals a win.