Jersey Giant SUBS! (Paw Paw)
854 S. Kalamazoo StreetYou know how there are days you say to yourself, “I’m not going to eat out. I need to save money.”
I have a lot of those days. The problem is, I don’t always follow through with it.
A co-worker and I were in Paw Paw earlier this week. We had some time to kill around lunch time. I knew I shouldn’t buy lunch but I didn’t have anything back at the office. There’s a familiar sandwich shop in Paw Paw now and it’s right by the highway.
I couldn’t resist.
Jersey Giant SUBS! in Paw Paw is on Kalamazoo Street and Ampey Road just north of the interchange with I-94. The restaurant is part of a new shopping plaza that replaced the Copper Grille on the corner. The small shop is in the part of the building that faces south. The anchor to this new plaza is a restaurant called The Foundation. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to get there too one of these days because the pictures I’ve seen of the place look really good.
If you been to one Jersey Giant, you’ve pretty much been to the them all. This one is a little smaller than the ones in the Kalamazoo area though. The counter is still right in front of you as you walk in with the menu written out on a huge board behind it. Meats and cheeses are sliced to order and the sandwiches are put together in front of you across the large counter area.
There is a small dining room next to the counter but it’s really only three or four tables. The giant logo written in block letters is still on the wall though. That’s a given at a Jersey Giant.
I knew I really shouldn’t spend $20 on lunch so I do something I rarely do. I ordered a half sandwich instead of the whole. I got the #6 which is called the boss on white bread. The lunch rush was getting a little backed up so the lady making sandwiches started making three at a time then passed them along.
Jersey Giant does have many topping options as…say..Subway, but they have the basics. You can use one of their pre-selected terms or you can just ask for what you want. My order typically includes lettuce, banana peppers, Jersey Juice (oil & vinegar) and salt, pepper, and Oregano.
There is one topping not on this list and that’s because it’s a $1 extra. But that dollar is worth it and to me, it’s really what makes these sandwiches amazing. They have little cups of Hot Giardiniera at the end of the counter. You have to ask for it and they will charge you extra but I do it everytime. The guy making the sandwich asked me if I wanted it on the sandwich or on the side. I chose on the sandwich and he took time to spread the oil that was in the cup across the whole sandwich before putting on the pickled vegetables. It gave every bite a little bit of heat.
The cost for the half sandwich was just under $15 with a little bit of a tip.
I threw the wrapped sandwich in the back seat of my car and waited until we got back to Kalamazoo to eat. That gave all the oils and vinegar time to marinate the sandwich. The lettuce and the banana peppers were just soaked with oil and the giardiniera gave every bite a bit of that crunch heat. Jersey Giant’s sandwiches always have a good stack of meat and cheese on them so even the half sandwich is a hearty sandwich. This thing was just so good because I let all of those flavors meld together for a while in the car. By the time I got to it, every bite was like a little bit of heaven. I was so mad when I was done and wished I had ordered the whole. I wasn’t really hungry. I just wanted to keep eating.
I love Jersey Giant SUBS! It’s easily one of my favorite lunch stops in the area. I don’t stop as much as I’d like to just because it can be an expensive lunch and I have no self control. A normal person would eat half and save half for later. I can never stop myself and I end up eating the whole thing whether my stomach has room for it or not. This Jersey Giant in Paw Paw is just like all the other Jersey Giants in the area. It’s freakin’ delicious.
SW Michigan Dining 