McAlister’s Deli

Love, love, love McAllister’s Deli. The service is great, the managers are awesome. My son loves eating here. And I love that we get to have a good time over a huge plate of Nachos. If you love Nachos and chili you will not be disappointed with the Ultimate Nachos, we sure aren’t. Only thing we don’t like is that I no longer work in the area so we can’t go as often as we would like. But even with that said we manage to still frequent the place. (Hey, when your pre-​teen son offers to go to work with you during the summer break just so that they can have a chance to go to McAllister’s Deli for lunch you know they are doing something right; plus it beats burgers and fries any day of the week.

Great and kind service– as a suggestion add sugar to the lemonade, it’s good but slightly bitter. The mango tea was also superb.
Version for teenagers:
sugar

I’ve been coming to McAlister’s since I was a kid, and I love it. It’s a very consistent place: always clean, always tasty, and always has good service.
I usually get the chili, which I think is so delicious. It has a zing to it and there’s tons of meat in it. If you don’t like a «thick» chili, you might not like it. This time I also ordered the Savannah chopped salad. It was very good – no complaints. It had cranberries, almonds, Gorgonzola cheese, cucumbers, tomatoes, and grilled chicken with a tasty dressing. I like that you can pick from the «choose two» menu and pick between salads, sandwiches and soups.
Comparing a place like this to Panera (another favorite lunch place of mine),
I’d say it’s better and here’s why: it feels cleaner inside, it’s not quite as expensive (2 – 3 dollar meal difference), it fills you up more, and for me the two big reasons are that they bring out your food to you AND you don’t have to bus your own table. I don’t know if it’s just me, but that’s my least favorite part about Panera (it’s actually quite disturbing).
You’ve gotta try McAlister’s if you have one near you!

Why 4 stars? Because I think they might be superior to Panera or any competitors.
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I’d never been to a McAllister’s before, so when the fiancé suggested it, she couldn’t have possibly named something more appealing. I was in the mood for something on the lighter side, and I always love trying new places.
I went with the horse radish beef and cheddar, as well as the autumn squash soup. An odd pairing, but a delightful one. I wouldn’t have changed a thing about either item. The sandwich had the perfect ratio of horse radish to meat, and the soup was everything you could hope for.
McAllister’s is a very spacious place, and definitely reminds you of a Panera. Soups, salads, and cookies offered in a fast-​casual environment. The sandwiches are even served on a similarly tasting and similarly sized bread. I’m not sure which restaurant came first, but there is some definite «if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em» going on here.
I offered 4 stars instead of 5 because I will admit that the menu didn’t offer much outside of those items in terms of things that appealed to me. I would definitely make a return trip to explore more, and hope to be proven wrong.

The staff is amazing! They are courteous and knowledgeable. They are tentative and have a passion for helping people. The restaurant is clean. Oh & by the way… the food is superb!!! I have never been to another Mcalisters Deli, not sure if I want to. This restaurant setts the bar pretty high.

I don’t get all the bad reviews… maybe they weren’t ordering the rights things but I LOVE McAlister’s. Their strawberry lemonade rocks and I’ve had several of their salads and their french dip and it’s great. Definitely a try… I love, plus it’s like right around the corner from my office so great for a quick lunch.

After escaping the confines of a creepy office building, my team and I discussed grabbing lunch. One person suggested a «fabulous little deli located opposite of International Plaza Mall.» Cool, I thought. I dig delis. When they followed that line with an «it’s called McAlister’s Deli» my face fell hard and fast. I thought I would be experiencing a nice, little independent place with an angry New Yorker slinging out orders as fast as they came. Instead I was visiting the giant, sanitized world of the franchised deli.
Honestly, after I got over my disappointment and experienced McAlister’s Deli for what it is, I was fine with it. McAlister’s menu includes salads, soups, wraps, deli sandwiches and about a dozen different types of loaded baked potatoes. While there wasn’t much on the menu in the way of vegan food, McAlister’s had a number of vegetarian options that could easily be made dairy free. Ultimately I decided I wasn’t that hungry so I went with a baked potato topped with veggie chili and pickles. I was none too happy to see that the baked potato cost about three times what it does at Wendy’s. Basically I could buy an entire bag for that price. But my anger faded when the potato was delivered to my table. This wasn’t your grandfather’s baked potato. This was a baked potato of epic proportions, a plate filler. When McAlister’s Deli says baked potato, what they really mean is grab-​the-​two-​biggest-​potatoes-​they-​can-​find-​and-​sell-​them-​as-​one potato. The entire double potato was topped beautifully with veggie chili. The pickles were served on the side, about four giant rounds that, when placed end to end, could cover nearly the entire double potato.
The potatoes and veggie chili tasted good. They were fine. But they weren’t greased up with some special seasonings that made me sit back and take notice. They weren’t great. I added some of the various condiments that McAlister’s had sitting around just to give them a bit more pizazz. The others in my group seemed to feel the same way about their food. I didn’t hear anyone exclaim how amazing their food was. It was all memorable in size, not so much in taste.
The restaurant itself was super clean. They had a large number of employees working when we arrived so, even though it was the lunch rush, we didn’t wait more than a few moments to order. While the parking lot of McAlister’s is extremely small (although there is a parking garage behind it) don’t let that fool you. The inside of McAlister’s is pretty big. We had no problem finding a place to sit.
While I won’t go out of my way to visit McAlister’s in the future, if someone suggests a return visit my face won’t fall nearly as far as it did before my first time.

As a resident of the rapidly growing International Mall district, I love that McAlister’s Deli is literally a five minute walk from home.
The two men who have always run this location are super guys and were even front and center when I walked into the store this afternoon to pick up my online order. They also remember repeat customers immediately are greatful for the business.
Speaking of ordering online, their website is one of the best in placing advance orders because of the ease of using it and customizing sandwiches and salads. And they do pay attention to when you ask for extra this or remove that.
Today was Free Tea Day, so they were even busier than their usual steady lunch rush.
The employees are really helpful and I really appreciated how one particular employee made sure that I had a second option as a salad dresssing just in case I didn’t like the first one.
Salads are really jam packed and, like the spuds, are enough for two people to split or just two meals… so you really get a lot for your money.
Sandwiches include your choice of side item and their potato salad and mashed potatoes and gravy are excellent.
Oh, and I give them credit for featuring the Hot Brown on the specialty menu the last few months. Anyone from Louisville or who has visited there knows the history of the Hot Brown and it is neat that McAlister’s offers such a unique and tasty item.

We grabbed some sandwiches here to take back to our hotel for later. This meant that it wasn’t until a couple of hours later that we discovered they had completely forgotten to include any ranch and that the sandwiches were extremely bland without it. We had checked and double checked with them when ordering.
The Mac and cheese side was not worth more than one mouthful either. It was all so very disappointing. Shame as they were quite friendly while we were waiting for our food to be ready.
Oh and why is a fruit pot with just 8 pieces of fruit side a supplementary 75p more on top of your meal compared to the more unhealthy options such us say… a portion of chips. I know the answer is probably ‘because America’, but it shouldn’t be that way.

In Tampa for business and noticed this place on the way to my next appointment. I ordered a veggie sandwich and a lemonade. The veggie sandwich was supposed to come with ranch, which it did not; just a dry, bland pita with veggies on it. I called the manager and he told me I could come back another time and get something free, but Tampa is not convenient to me so I won’t be back. I doubt that I would give it another try anyway because I couldn’t choke down more than one bite of sandwich and the lemonade didn’t wow me. I feel sad that I wasted $ 9 and had no lunch. I wish I had read the other review where the same thing happened to someone else. Two stars because the employees were nice.

Meh… I’m just not a fan of McAlister’s. I have been here four times now, simply because the location is close to my apartment, but I am never happy with the food I order.
I’ve ordered the Italian Chopped Salad, Chef Salad, Savannah Chopped Salad and the Southwest Cobb Salad. All of the salads have been very disappointing. The ingredients don’t taste fresh and they skimp on the protein. The Southwest Cobb Salad was probably the worst. The guacamole tasted premade and I had four meager slices of rubbery chicken that were cold and bland. Something on the salad had an odd chemical flavor. I suspect that it was the «fire roasted» corn.
The only item I have liked on the menu was the baked potato loaded with cheese, sour cream and jalapenos. There are about half a dozen baked potatoes or «Spuds» on McAlister’s menu. The only bad Spud we have had is the Black Angus Roast Beef Spud. Stick with chili; roast beef does not belong on a baked potato!

McAlister’s Deli is within walking distance to where I live, so if I don’t feel like cooking I come here. I’ve had the roast beef sandwich and a bacon and cheese spud which were very tasty. The lemonade is good and the chocolate chips cookies are large and delicious.

You don’t go to McAlister’s for great food, but if you want solid food with a known calorie count and lots of iced tea, this is your place.
McAlister’s is close to my workplace, and I know I can get in and out within an hour. There is parking behind it, and it’s reasonably easy to get into a spot.
I usually do the Pick 2 deal, and I generally get one of the combos that is under 500 calories. Nothing on the menu will change your culinary world, but I haven’t had anything that is bad.
The best thing is the lemonade and ice tea bar with free refills. I like getting an Arnold Palmer with unsweetened tea.

What an abysmal experience. After a trip to the nearby Cigar City Brewing Company, we weren’t hungry, but knew we would be later. We drove by McAlisters and I had remembered good things, so we stopped in for some food.
We both went for the Veggie sandwich and the fruit as our side. We added a side of mac and cheese to share. We got two sweet teas to drink.
As it was 4:52pm when we were in, no one else there. We waited for a few minutes and then the kitchen staff put the order on the counter. Another young woman who was working at the time opened the boxes to check the orders, so I felt safe that they were correct. It did take her an awfully long time to get a bag and put the items in it, but oh well. The man I assume was the manager came out, and we had a nice chat with him.
Flash forward a few hours, we took our orders out of the fridge, and sat down to eat. Alas, we found that they had skipped the ranch on BOTH of our sandwiches, which meant that because I had left off the green peppers and roasted red peppers, was a pita with tomato, cucumber, one piece of lettuce and a piece of Swiss cheese. Bo-​ring. The fruit cup was decent but incredibly small for the $ 0.75 upgrade charge. The mac and cheese wasn’t worth eating. We spent nearly $ 20.00, and it was incredibly disappointing. I’m still hungry and pissed about the mishap. We only have so long in the US and I’m irritated that we wasted our time with this.

Came here for a work event. They have a small private room off to the side that fits about 25 people. We were treated to anything on the menu and I chose the veggie club with the dressing on the side. Also swapped out the wheat bread for ciabatta. Unfortunately it came without the guac that is on the menu. Guacamole, cucumbers, roasted red peppers, red onions, lettuce, tomatoes, sharp cheddar, Swiss and ranch dressing on sliced wheat bread is what the menu said. Got a side of potato salad. It was a-​ok.
I don’t get too excited over sandwich shops but it was clean although with one person taking orders and the other employee delivering food, it took a bit longer to place order.
And the location is very weird to me. Across from the international mall and a tiny parking lot with a parking garage around the corner. Just strange location to put a deli. But I’m guessing they do a good lunch biz with all the nearby workers.

Soup served ice cold. Breeding ground for bacteria. Calling the board of health. Manager was an asshole.

I’ve eaten here twice in the past few weeks and was happy I did, both times. On my first visit I had the french dip sandwich, roast beef and cheddar on a baguette, served with aus jus — delicious. Next time in I had the pot roast sandwich, with provolone and roasted peppers on ciabatta, and a side of gravy — delicious! The first time in the girl who took my order looked and sounded like her cat just died, who knows, maybe kitty did pass that morning. The second time in a different girl took my order and she seemed happy to be there. One last point worth mentioning, the two sandwiches I got were a tad on the small side, but they were still worth it.

This is a place I frequent for lunch. The food is pretty good. The stuffed potatoes are great! The staff is always extremely helpful and pleasant. They have an awesome drink bar!

I’ve been to McAlister’s so many times, I was surprised to find I hadn’t reviewed them yet. Well, no time like the present! This is a great place for lunch or a light dinner and they offer mix and match combos of soup, half sammie and half salad as we’ve grown accustomed to at other (much less delicious) places. But what really hooked me is that McAlister’s offers small topped potatoes or a side of nachos as options as well. I’ve tried a number of their options and have probably had every turkey sandwich on their menu. They sometimes offer Chicken and Dumplings as a soup option and their version is excellent — thick, but tender noodles and a rich, chicken broth.
I’ve also tried their Spud Olé (a potato topped with chili and cheese) and was shocked at how HUGE the potato was. At least, I was shocked until a later visit when I order the full size Spud Olé and wondered where on earth they found these massive taters. The potato filled the whole plate and must have been nearly a pound. In both cases, the potato was well-​baked and fluffy (so often underbaked at other restaurants) and the chili is lovely.
McAlister’s other claim to fame is their fresh brewed Iced Tea (with as many refills as you like). As a huge tea fan, I can testify that their brew is excellent. The service is always prompt and friendly and staff have often brought me tea refills while I’m noshing. My only disappointment was the day I got a slice of their signature Carrot Cake to go. The spicing and flavor was very good, but the cake seemed too dry to me and not as amazing as I was expecting for the considerable price.

This is a tough place to find! It is so close to Eddie V’s, it is easy to miss. Not a novel concept: soup, sandwiches & spuds. It is a chain that I understand many locals are glad to see in Tampa.
I has the roast beef club sandwich, without the center piece of bread. The sandwich had all the right notes and was was well seasoned and prepared.
The problem I had was that with the bread, the sandwich was not even an inch & ½ high. Show me the beef & cheese was wafer thin
I put it all on ½ of the bread & that made it closer to being a deli sandwich and not a pauper, lost ingredients bread sandwich. It was a good sandwich, but there were way too few toppings.
I also tried the broccoli chedar soup and a bowl was a usual cup size. It was hot and tasty, but I don’t think there is any way it could be homade. It had the same flavor, as most chains have when they buy frozen soup from their vendor.
What’s a girl to do? Go to an independent deli and get all the fixings piled too high, instead of meager portions.

McAlister’s is a nice little deli franchise located next door to Eddie V’s restaurant along Boy Scout Road and directly opposite International Plaza Mall. You can park in the free garage behind the deli, and then walk down the stairs to their front door
The original McAlister’s opened in Oxford, Mississippi in the late 80s, and the franchise has grown throughout the southern US since that time.
The menu is soups, salads, wraps, loaded baked potatoes and a wide variety of deli sandwiches. They had about half a dozen different types of soup (and chili) which could be served as stand-​alone cups or bowls, or even as a side with your salad or sandwich. There were quite a few different entrée salads with a number of different salad dressings, and about 10 different types of loaded baked potatoes.
As for the sandwiches, McAlister’s has several classic deli and vegetarian sandwiches, club sandwiches, hot sandwiches like melts, French Dips, Reuben’s, and The Big Nasty. They also have grilled panini sandwiches including a four-​cheese griller, a smoky pepper jack turkey, and the spicy southwest chicken griller served on a ciabatta roll.
For lunch I had the horseradish roast beef & cheddar grilled sammie which was Black Angus roast beef with a slice of sharp cheddar cheese, caramelized onions and a horseradish Dijon sauce on a ciabatta roll. My choice of sides included chips, potato salad, fruit cup, coleslaw, applesauce, pasta salad, steamed veggies, mashed potatoes & gravy, mac & cheese, or a cup of soup or a side salad for a slight upcharge. I added a cup of broccoli cheddar soup which was a great decision as the soup was delicious.
The sandwich was good, though the melted horseradish Dijon sauce turned into a drippy mess without a lot of horseradish bite. If I order this sandwich again I would ask that they go light on the sauce, and then serve some extra on the side. They are known for their sweet tea and lemonade, but I went straight for the Diet Coke instead.
I thought that the restaurant was surprisingly large, including a private meeting room, and that they kept the place very clean and organized. The cashier and servers were very friendly, and they walked around offering free refills on the drinks which was nice. Prices are certainly in line with other delis in the area. I gave McAlister’s an extra star for the diversity of foods on their menu, the cleanliness of the restaurant, and the friendliness of their staff.
If you have an office nearby they will also assemble some nice looking deli trays. They’re open 7 days a week from 10:30 am — 8:30 pm.

Once again, my husband gave this joint rave reviews and dragged me along for lunch on a weekday. I am trying not to gag while I write this:
DO NOT ORDER THE TUNA. EVER. *gags*
It was so, so bad. It was like tuna chunks in milk or soapy water… horrible.
My husband said «you shouldn’t have ordered tuna!» Ummm? That is not an excuse. If you have tuna on the menu, it should be fresh and delicious, or don’t offer it!
I also had the broccoli cheddar soup, which was the only redeeming part of my lunch (but couldn’t hold a candle to Panera Bread!).
I also think it’s strange that they have giant baked potatoes as a side option with a ½ sandwich…
Steer clear of this place!

Man I love this place! I can’t believe I haven’t wrote a review yet! The staff here is awesome, I want to stay the owner is usually there and he is always pleasant and makes sure everyone is taken care of. They also have a huge gluten free menu too.
I highly recommend the nacho basket I get one every time I come here! The soup so amazing and so are the spuds! In fact I’m pretty sure everything is awesome here, Brandon has tried a different sandwich every time we’ve come and he’s never had a complaint he also loves the Mac n cheese and of course the sweet tea.