We’d been seeing delicious looking breakfast and sandwiches from Big Al’s on Instagram for some time now. We finally got a chance to make it over there. Big Al’s is a simple sandwich shop run by friendly folks who know their customers. They’ve developed plenty of regulars. They offer all your standard breakfast offerings, a philly cheesesteak with premium meat, reubens and a variety of other options.
Big Als – Philly
Address: 10584 Old St Augustine Rd #5, Jacksonville, FL 32257
Phone:904-634-7600
Website: http://www.bigalssandwiches.com/home.html
First up to try was the reuben. The bread was beautifully buttery crisp, the kraut had a nice sweet and sour flavor that you’re looking for in kraut. The meat was high quality. It was definitely tasty. I’d order it here again. Next we tried the hummus. This was nice fresh simple hummus. If you’re in the mood for hummus you won’t have any complaints.
Big Als – Reuben
After that we tried the Philly Cheesesteak. Big Al and his son Basim who runs big Al’s are from Philly so they know what it takes to make a good cheesesteak. High quality meat, good bread and high quality cheese are all key Basim tells me. Having a chance to try it, we thought it was a good Philly. You could tell the meat was high quality. I will mention that most people tend to like mayo on theirs so Big al’s usually serves it with mayo unless requested otherwise so be sure to be clear you don’t want mayo if you’d prefer not to have it. The philly was served with French fries. We loved them. They were crispy on the outside and soft in the middle. Hand cut and beautiful. Fry lovers rejoice! We also tried the cole slaw. It was very vinegary. This southerner wasn’t a fan as I prefer mine a bit sweet but that may just be personal preference. The baklava was decent although it had a very strong cinnamon flavor so you’ll need to be a big cinnamon fan to enjoy it. Last we had a chance to give the burgers a try. Big al’s does a nice job with burgers. Big juicy certified angus beef hand pattied burgers on a Kaiser roll range from their Big Al’s burger topped with bacon roast beef and cheddar to their “Special Burger” with onion rings, bacon and Big Al’s sauce.We thought the burgers were some of the better one’s we’ve had at a sandwich shop in Jax.
Big Als – Baklava
Whether you want breakfast, a sandwich, a philly, a pita, or even an all beef hot dog we don’t think you’ll be disappointed with Big Al’s. If you’re headed to a sandwich shop in Mandarin give Big Al’s a try.
