My brother recommended McAlister’s Deli to me as a good spot for a quick sandwich. There was actually a location relatively close to our old house in Denver, but I had never heard of it before. Anyway a couple of Saturday’s ago my wife and I found ourselves within a couple of miles of their Mason location and we decided to stop in for lunch.

Outside McAlister's Deli

The location of the deli is in the epitome of the northeastern Cincinnati suburban sprawl, but I won’t hold it against them. Upon entering the front doors we walked down the center of the restaurant to the ordering counter at the back. An employee asked how many in the party and then pointed at the table where we should sit and pointed out the number on the table. We stepped up to a cashier, gave him our number, and then ordered from the rather large menu.

Spicy Southwest Chicken Griller

My wife went with the spicy southwest chicken griller ($6.99), featuring sliced grilled chicken breast topped with guacamole, fire-roasted corn & poblano pepper relish, pepper jack cheese and chipotle ranch on a ciabatta roll. This sandwich is put on a panini press before being served. I stole a couple of bites and it was good, definitely spicy, but full of lots of different flavors. The price included a choice of side, and she went with the fruit.

Southwest Turkey Melt

I went with the southwest turkey melt ($7.29) with a side of potato salad. This sandwich is layered with smoked turkey, applewood smoked bacon, pepper jack cheese, spicy guacamole and chipotle ranch, then topped with lettuce and tomato on a baguette. I didn’t realize the similarities between what we ordered until the food had arrived, but I was definitely able to taste their similarities. I guess we are kind of predictable with our ordering. This sandwich was also good. The baguette was softer than I was expecting. Most times baguettes from delis are crunchy on the outside, but not this one.

Overall I wouldn’t go out of my way for lunch at McAlister’s but it will do just fine if in the neighborhood.