I ran into Mc Alisters the same day I visited the Waysider in Tuscaloosa. I was hungry, tired and the signs near Jackson MS were appealing. So we pulled off the road, took a look inside, and were generally impressed.
Deal is, you go inside and order. They have a large selection of sandwiches, some soups of the day, plenty of large filling salads. You pick up a number and sit. As you wait, staff will refill drinks, make sure everything is okay. The spacing of tables is roomy. It’s a good place for, say, a mom weighed down with a few kids and needing some help getting them all calm and fed.
At the time I got the impression Mc Alisters was a small regional Mississippi chain. The food was good, not mind blowing, but good. There was a smart, interesting menu; things like gumbo and muffulettas were available, pointing out how close Mississippi was to New Orleans. Another sandwich, the Memphian, pointed out that Tennessee and Memphis was a neighbor as well. They served other southern favorites, such as iced tea. For those who didn’t like the stock sandwiches, they had a “build your own” option. I was thinking it’d be cool if they expanded into Atlanta.
Turns out that Mc Alisters is much larger than my original guess. They’re in 22 states, and there is a location in Lawrenceville. One of the things I was planning to do before being snowed in this January was find the Lawrenceville location, and try it out.
The menu, as currently posted in Georgia, is much reduced compared to the menu in Mississippi. I ordered a sandwich for myself and then a couple sandwiches for my family. I spoke with a member of the Lawrenceville staff (Tyler I believe) for a few minutes, asking the questions that were on my mind.
To note, the menu in Georgia is about to change. Things available in Mississippi can be had in Georgia. For now you have to ask for them. The one meat item they didn’t have is pastrami, and that meant the New Yorker was off the menu here in Atlanta. But having the muffuletta available is huge for me. I’m a big fan of muffuletta sandwiches.
The Lawrenceville location is off Old Peachtree Road, and it’s just a minute or two north of Discover Mills. For those of us near Snellville, considering Mc Alisters when we make a jaunt up Sugarloaf towards 85 and Discover Mills simply makes sense.
Mc Alister’s Deli
1030 Old Peachtree Road
Lawrenceville, GA 30043
(678) 407-0818
From the corner of Brown Road and Sugarloaf Parkway, next to Discover Mills, take Brown Road north. Mc Alister’s will then appear on your left, as you approach the intersection of Brown Road and Old Peachtree. It’s in the strip mall that has a Publix.
Mc Alister’s Deli
200 Riverwind Drive
Pearl, MS 39208
(601) 933-0476
There are two other locations in the Atlanta area:
Mc Alister’s Deli
1425 Market Blvd
Roswell, GA 30076
(770) 594-3220
Mc Alister’s Deli
2950 George Busbee Parkway
Kennesaw, GA 30144
(770) 499-1581
This last location has an interesting review by John Bickford.
January 17, 2011 at 2:15 pm
My wife really likes McAlisters but for some reason I can’t seem to get excited about the place. We go to the location in Roswell from time to time. I keep exploring the menu looking for something I like. I’ve tried the baked potatoes and a few of the sandwiches. Nothing jumps out at me, other than snoozer chain deli-type items. I’ll give them a try after the menu expands, which sounds like a major plus.
January 17, 2011 at 2:58 pm
Lee,
Thanks for your response. The sandwich business is so competitive that I think McAlister’s would be best served by being what it is, in MS, pretty much everywhere. It’s also a business driven by location, and they’ve suffered setbacks here and there because their locations haven’t been optimal. Saying any more than that should be reserved for a blogger’s get together some day.
FnS.
January 17, 2011 at 9:54 pm
I had no idea you were driving through Jackson and I was also unaware just how big the McAlister’s empire is. It’s come a long way since it started in Oxford.
Let me know the next time you’re passing through, I can tell you a few better places to stop.
January 24, 2011 at 1:06 am
They’re well known for their iced tea. Which, imho, is actually pretty fantastic.
January 24, 2011 at 10:21 am
Chloe,
I’m crippled here. I used to steal my mother’s tea as a little boy, so my idea of what is good in iced teas is hers: strong and sugar free.
Places that get the sugared Southern tea right tend have pots that are so full of sweet residue they never ever get all the sugar out of their unsweet tea.
FnS.
January 25, 2011 at 8:08 am
I’m with ya! I only drink the unsweetened variety. Which makes McAlister’s really good– you can really taste the brewed tea in their ice tea.