I like Subway for its value. Certain footlongs are just $5 year-round. Then they introduced a Sandwich of the Month, where a certain normally-higher-priced footlong becomes $5 for a month. Now they lowered the price on two of their six-inch subs to just $2. That's pretty incredible.
But vegetarians at Subway get the short end of the stick. There's exactly one vegetarian sub at most locations: the Veggie Delite. This sandwich, with its delicious-sounding name, is priced the same as many other sandwiches, including Cold Cut Trio, Spicy Italian, and Meatballs. But Veggie Delite is simply one of those sandwiches... minus the meat.
So take a Spicy Italian, with its tasty meats that comprise more than half of the sandwich's innards by weight. Then take out the meat and reserve it for the next customer. Then don't lower the price. That's not a recipe for happiness.
The situation reminds me of a TV commercial for Whataburger in the early 2000s. It portrays a caricature of the typical burger joint, with a disinterested waitress bringing a family their burgers. The father pipes up, "I asked for no mayo." The bored waitress rolls her eyes, takes off the top bun (with the mayo on it), wipes it on the corner of the table, and plops it back on the poor guy's burger. That one always made me laugh.
Subway is getting its act together on this and introducing some fare for vegetarians and vegans worth paying for. But it's not here yet, and may never get rolled out if the pilot isn't to Subway's satisfaction.
In contrast, Which Wich has great vegetarian and vegan options, such as bean-based spiced patties. Too bad the closest one is 30 miles away.
As a vegetarian, I agree, but I used to eat there a lot because Subway was the only place with any veg option in the UTD student union. Well, unless you want to count the crappy "pub" that didn't serve alcohol but did serve a veg quesadilla that was flour tortilla + American cheese + canned corn.
ReplyDeleteBut I think everyone gets the short end of the stick at Subway because their food is flavorless.
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/82757877/
That skit was hilarious. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteOn another note, after much deliberation over where to eat, I couldn't think of a single place that's not a sit-down restaurant and that offers decent vegetarian fare. So I went to Wendy's because I had a coupon. On the way, I passed Noodles & Co, and I became enlightened.
Can you order a $2 cold cut and then say hold the meat?
ReplyDeleteI think restaurant vegetarian options will mostly be overpriced and low quality except in areas with more vegetarians and higher population density. Otherwise it's just not worth it for restaurants to invest much in that part of the menu; a vegetarian will choose that option even if it sucks and isn't cheap. And people usually go out to eat in groups, so a "food minority" will usually not have much sway in where the group chooses to eat.
However, as far as the suckiness of fast-food vegetarian options goes, I think Chipotle is a pretty big exception.
Sure, one could do that. But would you order a burger and ask them to hold the meat? In a sub, the meat, or a good meat substitute, is key. I agree about low density and vegetarianism. But there's something to be said for being first, or at least one of a very few.
ReplyDeleteI love Chipotle, but like Which Wich, it's 30 miles away.
The point is, I need to move out of Iowa. :)
It's not difficult for me to eat out except when we're traveling by car and all the places on the highway are burger chains. Some stuff I've found:
ReplyDeleteBurger King has a veggie burger. It's not good but not terrible. I would say it's on par with their other food though - I mean, I would describe their regular burger as "not good but not terrible" too. Anyway, I think it's just a frozen Morningstar burger or something.
Starbucks - plastic-wrapped caprese sandwich. They'll put it on the panini press if you want it hot.
Schlotzsky's - cheese original!!! A grilled cheese with veggies, basically.
I think even Iowa has to have these places. (I lived there for a few years. 2/10, would not live there again.)
I used to eat the Wendy's broccoli and cheese baked potato pretty often, but then they told me they didn't do the broccoli anymore :(