Like many other cities, Paso Robles is lined with restaurants and delis that offer an endless array of sandwiches, a popular lunch staple among many. With a rather long list of options to choose from, we opted for four locations that stood out from each other, Cider Creek, Subway, Full Belly Deli and Mr. Pickle's.
We visited all of these places with four main points of review in mind; customer service, price, atmosphere and food quality. With locations decided and critique areas established, we had our work cut out for us.
We visited all of these places with four main points of review in mind; customer service, price, atmosphere and food quality. With locations decided and critique areas established, we had our work cut out for us.
Cider Creek
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Firstly we paid a visit to Cider Creek Bakery, a quaint bakery and deli mix nestled among various other shops on Oak Hill Road. Upon walking though the entrance, you’re embraced with a lively atmosphere, various distinctive displays and the full menu, which is written across the majority of the wall behind the counter. The menu was so overwhelming in fact, that we needed to take a few extra moments to read all of the options. After placing our order, we looked through the many seating options and settled on two side-by-side seats overlooking Niblick plaza.
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We had decided on two sandwiches. The first was a a grilled cheese for $5.95, and the second was grilled roast beef with american cheese for $9.75. It was about a fifteen minute wait for our order, which was brought to us by a friendly employee. Though, when we requested the receipt (since we had forgotten to ask the initial cashier,) our waiter seemed a bit bothered. After a few minutes though, we received it and began to eat. The grilled roast beef sandwich came on two slices of lightly toasted, airy white bread which enclosed a generous amount of beef coated in melted cheese. The cheese wasn’t overpowering and actually complimented the beef quite well. The beef itself wasn’t too tough to chew, though it wasn’t soft either- it found a pleasant middle ground. The grilled cheese was ordered with wheat bread and american cheese. The bread was very toasted, and came very close to being burned. It was a very dark brown that crunched really hard when biting. However, he melted cheese was very soft and complemented the bread nicely in the end. If it weren’t for the fact we were down the street from Subway, we would’ve finished the entire sandwiches.
Though, as we were leaving we both felt that as animated as the ambience was, it wasn’t particularly distinctive; it felt like a typical deli atmosphere. That, and the customer service was average as well. Overall, we rated Cider Creek a solid 7 out of 10. It provides enjoyable food and ambience, though with a cost.
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Subway
Subway is the third largest fast food chain in the US with 25,908 locations to date. In Paso alone, there are four restaurants spread across town. We chose to go to the location on Niblick road, since it was so close to Cider Creek. Subway’s branding advertises fresh and healthy sandwiches and we believe their furnishing compliments this advertisement. Upon walking into Subway we were greeted with a distinctive fresh, bready smell. The place is kept very clean and tidy with flattering hanging lights and bright, colorful signs. The store contains a drink dispenser and chip rack in opposite corners. As for the customer service the employees were fairly average.
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We ended up choosing to split a 12 inch Meatball Marinara on Italian bread, which came in at $7.39. Because Subway sandwiches are made to order, and we were the only customers there, the wait time was practically nonexistent. Per our request for the sandwich to be toasted, the cheese was pleasantly melted atop the meatballs. This, combined with the flavorful marinara sauce and the slight crunchiness of the bread created delicious tastes and textures with every bite. Though, the sandwich itself was a bit messy; the sauce and meatballs pushed past the ends of the bread which made it a little hard to hold.
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The affordability, quality and unique atmosphere lands Subway at a respectable 8/10 rating.
Full Belly Deli
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Full Belly Deli is a small deli in the heart of Paso. When arriving at the Full Belly Deli there is a giant welcoming sign with cursive red text to greet you. There is also a spacious lawn that could be perfect for a family with kids. The building is built almost like a mixture between a warehouse and house. Outside is a shaded patio with lots of seating and friendly people to meet. There was a short line inside with little room to stand, but the interior was decorated simple and cozy. There was a small kitchen in the back and a little register in front. The employee taking our order was decently kind, but we did notice she seemed a bit off. We got the feeling she was a bit uncomfortable that we were younger than the average customer. She also bluntly said multiple times that we were too quiet when ordering. |
We decided to get the El Paso Robles sandwich and a chocolate chip cookie to go with it. It was a relatively short wait time, and was delivered to where we were waiting outside. The sandwich was packed with ingredients like turkey, cheese, avocado, and the ingredients balanced each other out relatively well. The lettuce and tomatoes were refreshing compared to the firmer turkey, and there was just the right amount of sauce. That isn’t to say that the sandwich had no downsides, there was a bit too much lettuce. It made the sandwich wider, and a bit messy and harder to eat. |
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We left feeling satisfied. Though the customer service was average, the atmosphere was cozy, and the food was fairly priced for its quality. In the end, we rated Full Belly Deli a 7/10.
Mr. Pickles
Mr. Pickles is a popular sandwich place in Paso located by Food4Less. The place is incredibly welcoming as the customer service is amazing. As we were waiting in line we were greeted with smiles and friendly small talk. They asked us how our day was and gave us plenty of time to decide on what we wanted. As for the atmosphere, it is kept decently clean, but there is little to no decor in the place. We wish there was a bit of a uniqueness to it such as some nice lights or bright signs. Although there wasn’t much in the restaurant we think their logo is really cute and appealing to people passing by in their cars!
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We choose to buy a classic BLT Sandwich. It was a little more on the expensive side, costing us $9.49. And, unfortunately, the sandwich didn’t entirely live up to its price tag. The ingredients themselves weren’t bad, the problem for us was the texture. The sandwich itself was a bit overwhelming, with the considerable amount of bacon and lettuce on toasted bread.The only break from these textures was the much needed tomato, though there were only a few slim slices of it. Overall, the sandwich felt a bit unbalanced because of this. Though, on the brighter side we were given an enjoyable chocolate chip cookie, free of charge, and the customer service was very much above average. The employees were very friendly, and were making the most of their job.
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Overall the service was super quick and we didn’t have to wait around at all. We really enjoyed our time there especially because of the nice employees! We would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants a quick bite on the go! We ended up rating it 7.25/10.