I generally like to stay away from the large chains, but many people in Utah have no clue that Jason’s Deli is exactly that since there are only two in Utah. Although the Murray location has been open for a while now, the Orem store is considered brand new and much of the population of Happy Valley is just now “discovering” this sandwich sensation.

The atmosphere does a good job of making you feel like you are somewhere beyond your average sandwich shop, but not out of your element. The walls are literally covered with framed photograhs of different kinds, the colors are kept to various earth tones (which I always find very relaxing), and a big screen tv playing the sport of the season is always going to score some points in a Deli setting. The line, however, is a little bit like cattle being herded through a corral. It is very fast and very precise, leaving you with a feeling that at the slightest mistake you will here a loud “No soup for you!”

Despite the rushed feeling which left me little time to decide, I chose wisely. Bird to the Wisely, in fact. The Bird to the Wise is roasted turkey sandwiched between piles of juicy pastrami, which is in turn sandwiched between slices of swiss and a toasted onion bun. And when I say piles of juicy pastrami, I mean this sucker is so thick you can barely get both top and bottom bun in the same bite. I can’t fully explain what made it so good, but the pastrami, while it tasted exactly the way pastrami should, was exceptionally good. I dare say I have never tasted pastrami quite so delicious.

I also tried the Deli Club, which is your usual turkey, ham, bacon, cheddar, swiss, lettuce, tomato, and mayo and three slices of bread instead of two (think Big Mac). My opinion is that the club was exactly that; usual. Nothing more, nothing less. Other than that, the fresh fruit really was fresh, the portions of meat were giant, and I am a little sad that I didn’t try the salad bar. It actually looked really good (as I have said before, I am not necessarily a salad guy), with plenty of options like pasta salad and a corn mix that caught my eye, alongside the traditional green salad and toppings.

What it boils down to: This being my first time at Jason’s Deli, I am very glad that I tried the pastrami. If I had based my opinion off the club alone, I’m afraid it wouldn’t have been a very positive one. However, the Bird to the Wise gave me a reason to sit down and write this, and probably a reason to go back again. Other factors that will bring me back are the items that I saw on the way out. I already mentioned the salad bar, but I also caught a glimpse of a chicken panini and then a baked potato, which surprisingly was very encouraging. It looked good! Bottom line is that this round didn’t give me anything to rave about, but with the extremely extensive menu, it definitely gave me a few reasons to go back.

‘Til we eat again

Jason’s Deli

184 E Winchester St. Murray, UT 84107

(801)263-1000

771 University Parkway Orem, UT 84097

(801)665-1150

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