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so i haven't been going to The Pumps all that much since i reviewed back in 2013. My work scheduled changed, and I didn't need to each lunch in the area that much anymore... and when i did, i chose to go to Jim's diner because i love their club sandwich.
Sadly because of Jim's holiday schedule, today i decided to go to the Pumps. Such a disappointment.
I ordered the Oak Smoked Turkey Club. I pulled up their website to be able to tell you all the specifications, but it's not listed on there... so i'll go by memory.
On this sandwich there is the turkey and bacon which is smothered in a sauce, then there is a pesto aioli, kale, and thyme tomatoes.
It's TOO MANY flavours to combine, and it all gets lost. Whatever the sauce is on the turkey, it over powers the entire sandwich. You cannot taste the thyme of the tomatoes or the pesto aioli at all. The sauce on the turkey does not taste that good either. It's generic blah-ness.
After eating half the sandwich i had to take the meat off and just eat the bun with the tomato and aioli, and that was actually pretty good. They are really great flavours, but they have zero clue how to combine these flavours to make really unique mind blowing sandwiches. There is potential! Why do they have to put sooo much sauce on everything. Not everything has to be like a pulled pork sandwich. This sandwich would have been amazing with just regularly turkey, the pesto aioli, thyme tomatoes and regular bacon. Maybe i'm too simple? However, i'm confident that sometimes a simplified menu is better.
Then there was the price. The sandwich is 8 something. I also got fries and gravy. The total was almost $17. WTF?!?! How much do fries and gravy cost?!?! It wasn't like it's a big order of fries. I can't imagine what the mark up must be on those products, because that is ridiculous. I can get a massive Turkey Club, fries and a pop from Jim's for $12. A meal that totally fills me up (my pumps lunch did not at all), and doesn't leave me having to pull the sandwich apart to be able to enjoy it.
This place is always busy and I'm convinced it's because of the novelty and a very select few of their menu items, like the Morning Classic breakfast sandwich and the pulled pork. All their other sandwiches are disappointing.
Stop trying to create a menu that looks impressive when you read the descriptions, and start making quality products. You've got the quality ingredients (except that one sauce), you just have to figure out how to not over power everything. The flavours should dance together, not be smothered and beat down.
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