Blimpie Subs and Salads - Lexington, SC Review

So, today I'm on my way back from the car dealership and had Blimpie's on the brain.  What I actually wanted was the Tremor.  I have never had as bad an experience at Blimpie's as I did today and I know it will be a long while before I return.  Let me tell you what happened.

First, I ordered a ham and cheese sandwich with bacon on Ciabatta bread.  "I'm sorry Ma'am we don't have any Ciabatta bread today."  Well, that's okay with me I'll just get wheat bread and throw it away (save calories and carbs).  The guy then asks me what kind of cheese do I want (Provolone or Swiss).  I don't eat white cheese!  I told him, "I'll have whatever your orange cheese is."  He told me they didn't have any orange cheese.  No cheddar or American cheese!  So I told him not to worry about it I would add cheese when I got home.  Okay, so far two problems.  The third: I wanted to make my sandwich a combo with French fries and the Tremor drink.  Now keep in mind the whole time I'm talking to the guy I am telling him how much I love the Tremor drink.  Well, he informs me that they are out of fries so I will have to select a bag of chips for my combo.  I decide to try the Doritos Collision (Zesty Taco and Chipotle Ranch-next review).  I go to the fountain stand and the Tremor is nothing but carbonated water; it should be orange.  The guy wrestles with the machine for a while and much to my dismay he cannot get the syrup to come through the canister and into the carbonated water.  Thus, I am stuck selecting another drink.  I opt for Classic Coke because they don't have sweet tea.  The Coke is flat and tastes like soap suds. 

So, let me summarize with you what all went wrong during this one visit:

• No Ciabatta bread
• No orange cheese
• No French fries
• No Tremor drink
• Flat or nasty Coke
• And I didn't like the new brand of Doritos either

I ate a little bit of the sandwich.  It was okay for a typical ham and bacon.  I, however, would not have gotten bacon if I had known I wasn't getting cheese.  I was very nice to the gentleman every time he apologized for not having something.  I just kept telling him it wasn't his fault and yes, I meant it.

Today was a bad experience for me at Blimpie's and that is why I gave it a 3-star rating.  But during all my other visits I would have been able to give it a 5-star.  Blimpie's also sells breakfast sandwiches, soups and salads, and they are also home to a Godfather's Pizza and wings.  The meat and cheese is usually of really good quality.  The vegetables are usually fresh produce and the bread is baked in house; except the Ciabatta.  I found that out today.  The Tremor is a drink unique to this restaurant and I only wish they would bottle it.  Tremor is an energy drink with a wonderful citrus-like flavor and lots of carbonation.  So unlike the beverages I would typically go after.

Blimpie's also has a club card.  For every sandwich you buy you get a stamp: 6-inch, 1 stamp; 12-inch, 2 stamps.  After you get 7 stamps you get a free 6-inch sub. 

Today for my grief the gentleman offered me the following: I ordered a 12-inch sandwich combo; which would include fries or chips and a 16 oz. fountain drink.  He allowed me to upgrade to a 32 oz. fountain drink free of charge and gave me 3 stamps rather than 2.  I don't frequent sandwich shops on a regular basis but I think it will be a while before I return to Blimpie's and when I do the first thing I will do is walk over to the fountain corner and push the Tremor button to see if the drink is available.