Lunch Ladies: Blimpie inside Gas-N-Go
The Lunch Ladies' meals from Blimpie inside Gas-N-Go in Provo.
Gabby's Ultimate Club Salad from Blimpie and Chocolate Frosty from Gas-N-Go in Provo.
Sylvia's Ultimate Club Salad at Blimpie in Provo.
Jennette's Sicilian 6-inch Sandwich from Blimpie in Provo and Tiger's Blood slushy from Gas-N-Go.
Lyndsi's Turkey Italian Sub Combo and Snickers Ice Cream Bar at Gas-N-Go in Provo.
I’m someone who will definitely sacrifice a certain degree of quality for convenience. Similarly, I am willing to sacrifice a little extra chunk of change for quality or for convenience.
You see, as I have become older and crossed over into that coveted threshold of self-sufficient adulthood, I have embraced the mentality that both my time and energy are of significant value to me. So sometimes I’d simply rather eat out, than cook a meal; I’d prefer to pay for a box of cookies to take to a social function, rather than spend my time and energy baking them, etc. Convenience wins out over saving the almighty dollar.
So sometimes, you just want something fast, quick and easy. You’re willing to pay a little more for it, to just not mess with the hassle. You’re in, you’re out, you’re on your way, thus getting to spend your time how you want to spend it.
Now this does often come at not only a monetary price, but sometimes those homemade cookies would have tasted a lot better than those bought at the store. So you often have to be willing to give up a little quality as well. But I’ve found it can be a small price to pay, depending on your mood and the occasion.
So when our honorary Lunch Lady, Willy, suggested we hit up the Gas-N-Go for lunch, I figured this would be the case. We’d sacrifice a little quality for convenience, but we’d be able to eat quickly, without a lot of hassle. When she informed us there was a Blimpie inside, I became more intrigued, not being overly familiar with the prices or standards.
My fellow Lunch Ladies were also game to give the locally owned franchise a try and were happy with the friendly welcome we received from the owner Mark. The line moved fast and we had our custom-made orders in a flash.
The prices, quality and results were all quite surprising, but I’ll let my cohorts tell you more.
Jennette: Sicilian Sandwich 6-inch Combo, $6.59
In my family, we always tease my mom about being the connoisseur of gas station dining. So she will be very happy when I tell her that she can add another gas station to her list of places to get great food. I chose the Sicilian sandwich. I love Italian sandwiches! I got to choose which bread I wanted and went with the employee-recommended Ciabatta. I added a ton of fresh veggies, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, lettuce and yellow peppers. I opted to have them grill my sandwich, which just added to the deliciousness. The best thing about eating at a gas station is that I don’t have to worry about it having Diet Coke! It did and it also offers a variety of flavored syrup to mix in my Diet Coke. Love it!
Sylvia: Ultimate Club Salad with drink, $5.99
I’m not always an “add a drink” kind of person, but when I walked in and saw the multiple banks of liquid dispensing machines I knew I could find something special — and I did. There was a Sobe Lifewater machine that invites you to “Explore the Exotic” … I chose the Citrus Elixir, and it was so good! My Ultimate Salad was fresh and chock full of ingredients starting with the base of a nice mix of romaine and iceberg lettuce, ham and turkey, and yes I also added bacon, plus every kind of veggie from the wide selection. In the mood for a little something salty to top off my meal, I wandered the isles of goodies and found Wasabi and Soy Sauce Almonds. Oh my! The perfect end to a super fun lunch outing.
Lyndsi: Turkey Italian Sub Combo, $6
Blimpie is not a place that is really on my radar because there was never one close to me when I was growing up or in college. Honestly, I can only recount one other time besides this week that I have eaten there. Now that I know it is right around the corner and has such great food, I think that number will significantly increase in the future. I enjoyed the Turkey Italian sub on jalapeño and cheddar bread, and it was perfectly satisfying. I topped it with just about everything you can think of, but honestly the best part was the roasted red peppers. When the mixed meat and cheese soaked up the oil and vinegar it was a perfect mix of flavors. I added chips and a drink to make it a combo, but since we were at a convenience store and tempted by all the other snacks and dessert options I also added a Snickers ice cream bar. I couldn’t decide if I wanted a candy bar or a frosty, so when I saw this I knew it was a delicious mix of the two. I left feeling full and satisfied, and I know where to stop for lunch or just a quick snack when I’m on the go.
Gabby: Ultimate Club Salad, $4.59
I was tempted by the list of soups — Wisconsin Cheddar, Teriyaki Chicken, etc. — but in the end I didn’t want to risk them being thickened with flour, so went with a salad; which I did not regret! This salad comes with cheddar and Swiss cheese, turkey, ham and bacon. You then can choose your assortment of veggies and type of lettuce. I went with a bed of romaine and iceberg, and had them pile it high with fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers and olives. Delicious! I was impressed with how jam packed my salad was with fresh, crisp ingredients, rather than just a few vegetables scattered on top. And since there were so many tantalizing dessert options staring me down, I couldn’t resist throwing in a creamy chocolate frosty to wash it down. Perfection!
Our lunch at our neighborhood Blimpie was a huge success. We discovered there were way more options than we imagined, including wraps, soups, salads and a wide variety of breads and sandwiches. We also learned it caters and has a drive-thru. After not having to sacrifice quality for convenience in the least, and finding it at such great prices, we couldn’t believe we had not taken advantage of this hot spot before!
– Blimpie: 430 W. 1230 North, Provo. Open Monday to Saturday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Closed Sundays.