I think the inclusion of Gourmet in the name of this place is a tad misleading. It is certainly a cafe but nothing about it says gourmet. They don't bake their own bread. They run their sandwiches through your standard toasting oven just like Quiznos. And you get your food served in a parchment paper lined basket. When I think of gourmet I think of pioneering flavor combinations that make your palette question what it is tasting. A meatball sub with marinara and provolone while nice, certainly isn't anything newfangled.
If you want to find out why this place is called Pickleman's just order their signature club and it will all make perfect sense. What constitutes the Pickleman's part is a distinct blend of toppings consisting of peppers, carrots, onions, and celery. This pepper heavy blend literally soaks in a bath of what tastes like pickle brine and vinegar. Since I find pickles to be highly agreeable, this salty wet concoction was generally complimentary to my sandwich. It has some spice, but I think it could pack a little more heat, and it could be a little less salty. By the end of the meal, I felt like my tongue was numb from so much salt (I also had the salt & vinegar chips). If pickles aren't your thing, you will probably find this pickle inspired topping to be a back handed compliment.
In terms of everything else I've had, it has all been pretty typical. Their pizza is thin, crunchy, and nicely topped... and is actually one of the best items on the menu. The meatball sub was as I expected it to be... Average as the specific details have been forgotten. The caesar salad was actually a little on the sad side and is served in their to-go plastic containers even if you have it in the restaurant. But hell, that's totally gourmet right?
The staff is tremendously friendly and probably one of the most redeeming qualities of the restaurant. On my most recent visit there, one of the employees actually brought over a complimentary round of fresh out of the oven chocolate chip cookies for our group. I am a lush for sweets so this went pretty far with me. The cookies were slightly underdone which made them delightfully gooey. Their dough to chocolate chip ratio was chip heavy, which was also appealing. But who wouldn't like a cookie overloaded with chocolate and still slightly resembling raw cookie dough? Again, nothing gourmet as it appeals to one's more naive flavor sensibilities.
I will say that it is difficult to be a unique sandwich shop when there are half a dozen competing purveyors within a 2-block stretch of road. So how does this place stack up? Well it is easily better than Pickerman's. It is cheaper and feels more personalized than Jimmy John's. And it feels about the same as Planet Sub... I'd have to agree with Justin G. that what this lackluster stretch of sandwich places really needs is a Potbelly or something of the like.
The short version: a not-very-good Potbelly clone. Go to Which Wich instead.
The long version:
I lived in Chicago for a year, and my biggest regret after moving back to Springfield was not being able to eat at Potbelly anymore.
Someone told me about Pickleman's -- about how it might possibly be a replacement for my beloved Potbelly. So, a few days ago, my wife (also a Potbelly fanatic) and I ventured south of town to give Pickleman's a shot.
If you've ever been to a Potbelly, you'll immediately notice -- upon entering Pickleman's -- that they're looking to replicate the exact experience of Potbelly. Â Everything from the ordering process, menu style, line formation, giant jars of giardiniera, and overall vibe of Pickleman's appears to be based off of Potbelly -- and it's a poor representation at best. Â It looks like how Potbelly might have looked when its first store opened, before they really found their niche. Â While the inside of Pickleman's is very clean, it lacks any sort of charm.
The sandwiches were okay at best. Â To be honest, I've never liked the ordering process of Potbelly, but their sandwich more than made up for the awkwardness of ordering. Â Unfortunately, Pickleman's still has the awkwardness, but the sandwiches don't quite make up for it. Â The bread was great, but the cold cuts were salty and I was unimpressed with the number of toppings available. Â Also: you have to pay extra for giardiniera. Â It's saving grace -- something even Potbelly doesn't have -- is fountain soda. Â Even so, I doubt I'd choose to go back to Pickleman's when we have a Which Wich 10 minutes down the road.
Pickleman's...wha?? Its a new deli-ish type franchise that is developing from Columbia, MO and just recently made it to the Medical Mile-glomerate on National. Now, what makes this place different from Subway, Quiznos, Jimmy Johns, or Panera?They do "gourmet" sandwiches, but it seems they are interested in pushing soups, salads, and pizzas, which is kinda nice. You have your typical sandwich options; meatball, veggie, roast beef with au jois, turkey, ham, etc. They toast their sandwiches on a little conveyor oven just like the Q. They have tons of Lays chips, offer cookies, and have bottled drinks-that interestingly, are NOT part of your mega corp's lineup, i.e. natural drinks and sodas. Their prices are perfect for what you get, the sandwiches range from $3.39 to $6.49, and 12" pizzas go from $7.99 to $11.99. I also have to consider that their decor, much like a less-loud Quiznos is ready for the franchise world. Ours has vintage pics of Springfield and modern colors on the wall to give it that pseudo upscale, but still homey feel. On this visit I had the Roast Beef and the lady had the veggie with added grilled chicken (long story). They roast beef comes with marinated giardinara peppers (which seems to be their favorite pepper here) that have little chunks of cauliflower and carrot, and a side of thin, but tasty, au jois. Those peppers are something fierce though. I do not recommend them as they are, what I consider, too strong in flavor. They have a nice spice, but man are they strong. The lady's sandwich was what it was. Chicken and veggies. They aren't breaking any moulds in the sandwich world here, but they are good sandwiches. Upon the first visit I see no reason why you should be going to Subway, or Quiznos, and to a lesser extent JImmy Johns. And for now you don't have to deal with the rich-cougar moms that try to be upscale, by eating at a CHAIN, or bitchy teenage-college girls that say "OMG" at Panera. Granted they may not have the "fresh baked gourmet bread" that Panera offers, but not dealing with the hassle of Panera is worth it. I would much rather support a near-local who is getting ready to spread his wings than those giants. They have great prices, good food, and really nice people working the shop. Also-THEY ARE OPEN TILL 2AM. My only complaint; No beer. You can also order online, although their current website doesn't have Springfield listed...
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