What I Like about McAlister's

McAlister’s food is about the same wherever we go. Whether we’re eating at Laurel, Mississippi; West Monroe, Louisiana; Lubbock, Texas; or Amarillo, the quality is still good, the food is tasty, and most of it is low fat .

Usually I order a veggie spud. I discovered the Texas restaurants serve a little bowl of red salsa with it but the Southeastern restaurants don’t always know about the salsa. Every McAlister’s where we’ve been has the same formula for making iced tea. It always tastes like Mississippi tea, which is not as strong as Texas and Louisiana tea.

Most McAlister’s Delis have similar décor. Dr. Don Newcomb, a retired dentist, opened the first of these fast casual restaurants in 1989 in Oxford, Mississippi, home of the University of Mississippi. Now there are currently over 300 locations in 23 states, ranging from Virginia in the East to Florida in the South to New Mexico in West to Indiana in the Midwest.

“The original restaurant was started in a renovated gas station, and many of the elements of that original look are present in many McAlister's Delis built today, such as a garage door, and nostalgic black-and-white tile.” (Source: Wikipedia.)

In addition to baked potatoes, the menu includes deli sandwiches, soups, salads, and desserts. At McAlister’s it’s possible to obtain a quality meal quickly and not load up on sodium. The waiters are courteous, the portions are generous, and there’s always a crowd.