With a large selection of healthy meals and a delicious salad bar, Jason's Deli makes an excellent choice when going out to eat. This is more than a traditional deli with menu items that include everything from wraps, salads, and sandwiches, to pasta and baked potatoes. There are organic choices as well as the peace of mind that comes from knowing nothing in their menu contains trans fat or MSG.

What is it?

Well, it is a deli of course, but it is more than that. The restaurant itself is a casual dining restaurant. You can eat there in the restaurant, get something to go, or even order it online or over the phone and have it delivered. I have taken my children here several times and there is a very family friendly atmosphere.

For those wanting food delivered, just take note that there is a minimum purchase amount and usually a delivery fee, and they do not deliver to all areas. You can call your local restaurant or check out their webpage at www.jasonsdeli.com for more information on delivery in your area.

The original Jason's Deli opened its doors in 1976 in Beaumont, TX, not far from me here in Houston. There are now more than 180 Jason's Delis throughout the U.S., with most of them here in Texas. This part of Texas is known for a sandwich that people from outside of the deep South may be unfamiliar with, the Mufalletta. This is a specialty of Jason's Deli and my favorite thing on their menu.

The Menu

One of the best things about this menu is it is trans fat and MSG free, and according to their restaurants they are working on getting rid of all high fructose corn syrup, as well. This makes for a less processed and thus healthier eating experience. Each menu item that is vegetarian friendly or organic is clearly marked.

Like most restaurants in Texas portion sizes are large. You are not going to get a small sandwich here. They do offer half sandwiches and potatoes for those with less than a Texas sized appetite. The salad bar in every Jason's Deli I have been is has been large too, with a nice selection of fresh vegetables and bread.

The menu itself contains sandwiches, soup and salads, pastas, poboys(sandwich on French bread), paninis, wraps, baked potatoes, and deserts. Jason's Deli also allows customers to custom design their sandwich with a large selection of meats, breads and other toppings.

Prices
Meals at Jason's Deli usually average from about $5 - $7 by themselves, with a drink you can usually add about $2 to that cost. The salad bar is about $10 with the drink including tax. The prices do vary slightly by location, but overall they are fair especially when you consider the portion sizes.


What I recommend

The Mufalletta is my favorite thing on their menu, but be warned, if you do not like olives you probably will not like this sandwich. You can order a full 9" Mufalletta or ½ or ¼ sized sandwich. I will warn you the full sandwich is very large and only for those that are very hungry. For those of you unfamiliar with this sandwich, it is a sandwich made with ham, turkey, salami, Provolone cheese, and covered with an olive spread. This sandwich is famous in New Orleans, but if you cannot get one there this is a good substitute.

My wife loves the baked potatoes here and like everything else they are large. They also have a large selection of toppings, from broccoli to chili, to smoked bbq. If you like baked potatoes you cannot go wrong here.

I also highly recommend the salad bar. I am not much of a salad kind of guy, but the Jason's Deli salad bar offers a wide array of fresh fruit, vegetables and bread. I especially like the little corn bread muffins.

Summary

When I am looking for a place that is fast and that I can depend on for healthy options then this is the place I go. I feel comfortable taking my kids here and I know that while they may still order things off the menu that are not exactly slimming they will not be able to order anything with trans fat or MSG.


Recommended: Yes