McAlister's Deli — Restaurant in Fayetteville

As we walked in, the sterile and cold environment was uninviting. A clear wall of plexiglass divided me from the employee, as if I were at the post office or at a hospital. You really don't want me to eat here, I said to myself. But, it was cold and rainy outside, and I opted to dine in. We ordered the NewYorker and the Ruben with soups as a side. My drink was unsweetened tea with peach puree. Well, I don't know if the employee didn't put enough or did not stir, but I could not taste the peach at all. I used the soup spoon to stir it, but it was too short for the amount of liquid in the cup. I asked the employee if she could stir the drink, and she took the cup and just gave it a whirl. Gee... thanks! Once we got our food, it was handed in bags, as if we ordered take out. I told the employee that it was dine in, and she told me that they give the food like that. Unreal. Once we opened the bags, I took the box that had the Ruben written on it, and I passed the box with New Yorker written on it to my friend. What do you know, they wrote the wrong names on the box! We both bit into our sandwiches, and they were the wrong ones. The soups are not made from scratch or in house. They are made in a factory, and you can tell by the way they taste.

We advised the employees that we were given the wrong sandwiches, and they looked confused. Yeah, I can spend my money in a more inviting...

McAlister management

This provides feedback on my recent experience at your establishment. While I commend the friendly service I received, I offer the following observations for your consideration.

On a previous visit, I noted a food preparation employee wearing a mask that was pulled below their nose. While I chose not to consume the meal on that occasion, this raised concerns regarding food safety protocols. I'm pleased to report that during my most recent visit, all employees were wearing their masks correctly. The manager's presence may have contributed to this improvement.

I also suggest exploring design modifications to further enhance transparency and customer confidence in food handling practices. Specifically, I propose considering the installation of clear plexiglass barriers at food preparation areas, when structural possible; offering customers unobstructed view of the preparation process.

While my overall rating is three stars, reflecting a general level of trust, this rating is necessarily ongoing improvement within the industry. The inherent challenge of completely blind trust in any restaurant setting merits discussion. My comments aim to contribute to a collaborative dialogue on how to continuously strengthen food safety...

Stop playing....this is the best deli I have ever been too! We ordered the sweet Chipotle chicken club, Angus, crunchy jalapeno with avocado, spicy brown mustard with a pickle, and the McAlisters wrap. This place hands down has the best sandwiches I've had in NC. You get what you pay for so you must be willing to do so. The sandwiches have fresh produce and packed with deli meat for days. My crunchy jalapeño had sweet bread with a hot twist combination. The nachos are even awesome! Keep doing what your doing McAlister's! This family will definitely be back....