Lately, it seems like every other commercial that comes on is an Arby's ad for its new Angus Cool Deli sandwich. They can claim that their marketing dollars got at least one customer, as I found myself at the Arby's one afternoon.
Arby's is not the first place that comes to mind when I get a craving for fast food, so I haven't made my way there in years. The one thing I do remember about Arby's, besides their signature roast beef sandwiches, of course, are the curly fries. Dare I say, I recall them being better than the ones at Jack in the Box?
Would this really be good mood food?
The Angus Cool Deli Sandwich, as described on their website, is "inspired by classic sandwich shop subs. The Angus Cool Deli sandwich is lean Angus Beef served cool. Topped with crisp lettuce, tomato, red onion, Swiss cheese, mayonnaise, dressed in vinaigrette and popping with banana peppers and pickles." I wonder what sandwich shop they could be talking about?
I order the combo with curly fries and a drink ($6.99). Only half the fries made it home; they are still as good as I remember. The sandwich, on the other hand, definitely did not put me in a good mood.
For all intents and purposes, the six-inch sub looked very good. There was a fair amount of lean, thin-sliced roast beef, the red onions and tomatoes looked bright and fresh, and the bread was toasted. So I was expecting something satisfying, at least. Unfortunately, after the first bite I realized satisfaction was not to be had.
The meat had a good peppered flavor to it but was nothing extraordinary, perhaps because the only thing I could taste was mayonnaise, I was surprised that the bread was not a soggy mess from all the mayonnaise slathered in the middle. Unfortunately, the lettuce was. The only saving graces were the slices of red onion and the thick slices of tomatoes. Not even the banana peppers or the pickles could cut through the overwhelming combination of the mayonnaise and the Swiss cheese. I longed to taste the aforementioned vinaigrette.
Overall, it was just very bland. If I find myself at Arby's again in the next few years, I'll stick to the curly fries.
Nutritional info: 640 calories, 35 g fat (8 g saturated fat), 47 g carbs, 4 g sugar, 37 g protein, 1760 mg sodium
The sandwich also comes in a flat bread wrap option: 620 calories, 36 g fat (8 g saturated fat), 42 g carbs, 5 g sugar, 39 g protein, 1640 mg sodium
Follow Eating Our Words on Facebook and on Twitter @EatingOurWords