Meconi's Italian Subs: A Taste of Tradition and Quality in Lacey
If you're in Lacey, Washington, and craving a truly exceptional sub, Meconi's Italian Subs is an absolute must-try. Having visited several times, I can confidently say this place consistently delivers on quality and flavor. What truly sets Meconi's apart are its core ingredients. The meats are top-notch, clearly chosen for their excellent quality and taste. But the real star, in my opinion, is the bread. Whether baked in-house or sourced from a local artisan, it's undeniably fresh and incredibly good. It's that perfect, dense, white Italian bread that provides a fantastic foundation for every sandwich – a quality that's surprisingly hard to find elsewhere. All the vegetables and other ingredients are also fresh, flavorful, and contribute perfectly to the overall experience.
Their sandwiches are simply delicious, and while you'll develop your own favorites, the staff is always accommodating. For example, they're more than happy to add a little extra marinara if that's what you prefer, ensuring your sandwich is made just the way you like it. They truly listen to your specifications and aim for satisfaction. The attention to detail extends to their balanced use of sauces, ensuring they enhance rather than overwhelm the fresh ingredients.
It's worth noting that a meal here will likely run about $15 per person, which is on par with what you'd expect for a quality, quick-serve meal in the Olympia area these days. The days of $5 meals are largely behind us.
The overall value, considering how easy it can be to make subs at home, I'd rate around a 3.5 out of 5, largely boosted by that exceptional bread which is nearly impossible to replicate.
The overall experience at Meconi's, however, is a solid 4 out of 5. The food is consistently excellent, and the service is top-notch. They now operate out of a newer, larger building which, while perhaps having shed a touch of the "gritty, dirty charm" of their previous setup, still maintains the same high standards for food quality. It definitely feels like an authentic Italian sandwich shop, from the name to the food, hinting at generations of sandwich-making expertise. For a to-go sub or this style of Italian sandwich, Meconi's is about as good as it gets, offering high-quality ingredients and a truly...
Read moreI don't know how this place has such a high rating. They must be paying for reviews. To call this an Italian Sub Shop is an insult to real Italian Sub Shops. The only Italian meats they actually have is Salami and Capicola. But that's not even what turned me off about this place. I still ordered the Italian Sub for myself, and got a Combo Sub for my son because that was the closest thing they had to a Club, which is what he wanted.
When the subs came out, mine looked pretty good. Plenty of meat along with cheese, lettuce and tomato. My sons sub, however, looked like they made it with whatever they had leftover on the cutting board. Seriously. My son was like, "Dad, there's no meat on my sandwich". So I looked, and after digging under a pile of shredded lettuce and tomatoes, I found some cheese and just a few scrap pieces of meat. Not full slices of meat like I had on my sandwich. Literal bits and pieces of meat. Mind you, there's supposed to be 3 different types of meat on the sandwich. But I'm pretty sure it was all just turkey.
I brought it to their attention. So they took it to the back. Then, a few minutes later, they brought it back out. They had just added a few more scraps of meat to it. That's it. My son tried to eat it but he wasn't enjoying it. And mine really wasn't very good either. The bread was soft and chewy, which I did like. But the sandwich overall was dry, and seemed like it was just sort of haphazardly thrown together. Their was no oil and vinegar. No mayonnaise. Nothing. It was just a poor excuse for an Italian Sub.
I asked my son if he'd rather go somewhere else and he said yeah. I agreed. So we just walked out and left the sandwiches on the table. I'm not the type to complain too much. I don't like to make a scene, or ask for my money back. You got me. I just won't ever return. Meconi's will never get another dime of my money. The service was also pretty poor and the fountain drinks tasted watered down.
So we left and went to Jersey Mikes and got quality subs. But I'd go to Subway before I ever went back to this place. What a disappointment. Being a New Jersey Italian myself, it would have been nice to support a local Italian spot here. But the only thing Italian about this place is the name and colors on the windows. Can...
Read moreI was in the mood for a Philly cheesesteak And turn to my good friend Google for help. I wasn't expecting much since we're a world away from Philly, but Meconi's kept coming up over and over again and isn't far away from where I live so I thought I would give it a try. The restaurant was really clean and there were lots of tables, but we got our food to go. It was ready Pretty quickly and the guy at the counter was really friendly and nice. The restaurant was just a little bit busy, but nothing out of control considering it was Friday night. I got a regular Philly cheese steak with no mushrooms and got the half sandwich. I'm glad I only got half because it was a little bit larger than I was expecting. They come wrapped up by halves, so if you get a whole Philly cheese steak to go, don't be surprised that it looks like you ordered two.
I can't call this the best philly cheesesteak I have ever had, but it was pretty good. The meat was tender and not dried out and after I added a few shakes of hot sauce the whole thing came together. I did notice that the cheese kind of melted away somewhat. I don't know if it's just because everything is so hot or if it just needs a little bit more cheese.
I do plan on returning to this restaurant and trying some of their other food. They have other sandwiches and also a chicken Philly cheesesteak. I noticed the prices that were listed online were incorrect. It Is a little bit more expensive than what is shown online, but not significantly maybe a dollar or...
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