Once again, I'm making a rare exception to my "no big chain places listed in my journals" rule. I've been eating at Jason's Deli my entire life, since the days when they had fewer than five locations, all in the Beaumont/Port Arthur area. The original Gateway Center location in Beaumont (it's still there) was a frequent lunch spot for us when I was a kid and we went into Beaumont on Saturdays to go shopping. There are now over 75 locations in 16 states, yet Jason's remains one of my favorite places for a good, affordable lunch or dinner.
Jason's Deli is a typical deli menu, with a wide selection of sandwiches, salads, and soups. The restaurant also features giant baked potatoes stuffed with a variety of toppings, wraps, and a large selection of reduced-fat and -calorie menu items. Jason's is one place where all of the "diet" food tastes as good, if not better, than the regular menu items.
My personal favorites on the menu are the all-you-can-eat salad bar, ranchero wrap, turkey muffaletta, Santa Fe chicken sandwich, deli cowboy, French onion soup, and spud lite. One of the best deals on the menu is the 1/4 Muffaletta Special, with your choice of a quarter of a turkey or ham muffaletta served with a cup of soup, red beans and rice, or chili. All sandwiches come with potato chips or Baked Lays; sandwiches with the heart healthy symbol next to them on the menu come with Baked Lays, steamed vegetables, or a delicious bowl of fresh fruit salad. A selection of homemade cookies, baklava, brownies, and other desserts are also available.
With such a wide selection of menu items, large portions at reasonable prices, and locations in many popular areas of town, Jason's Deli makes a good choice for lunch or dinner. The address above is for the Rice Village location on University, but there are also locations near Montrose, Downtown, the Uptown/Galleria area, and the Clear Lake/NASA area. For addresses and phone numbers of other locations, as well as menus, see the Jason's Deli website.
- METRO Routes: 70 Memorial/University, 18 Kirby Limited (Rice Village); 82 Westheimer, 26/27 Outer/Inner Loop Crosstown (South Shepherd); 82 Westheimer, 53 Westheimer Limited (Westheimer/Uptown); METRORail Red Line (Downtown).