Jake’s Sandwich Board

I ordered from here for a work function (and did not partake) and promptly lost the receipt. I went back a couple of weeks later and asked for a copy– no problem! They immediately found it for me.
While waiting for the printed copy I decided to try one of their sandwiches — I’m a vegetarian, so the Crunchy & Hot sounded good. I looked away for a couple of minutes and when I looked back it was being loaded up with the grilled veggies. I didn’t realize it came with those, and since I have a mushroom allergy, I quickly asked for him to stop. When I explained my problem, he offered to make my sandwich over and freshly grill some veggies without mushrooms. !!! Anyone with an odd allergy probably recognizes that this is a pretty awesome thing– usually these pre-​made foods are of the «you get what you get, that’s how it is prepped» variety.
Sandwich and fries are delicious and I will definitely be coming back! Super service wins again :)

This place rocks. I am a huge fan of the food, especially the brisket. It would be nice if they had some more sensible options for the waistline but sometimes you have to live a little. And if you’re deciding to live a little, I would recommend a side of fried pickles. This is a sandwich shop and they have great sandwiches. No doubt about that. They could make it even more top notch, though, if the bread were a little better – it feels like a standard long roll rather than something that knocks your socks off like the rest of the sandwich does. That’s just one man’s opinion, though. I know a lot of people I eat with actually really like the bread.

Stopped in after a meeting at Penn. Great location, convenient — great food. Had a new summer seasonal sandwich and it was great. awesome brisket. big fan, will be back for more.

University City has definitely brought some good places to eat including this place. Every Monday their pork sandwhich is 5 bucks with the fixings. They could add more meat to their sandwhiches but still very tasty.

⁵⁰⁄₅₀ is a great sandwich. I had midtown turkey. Delish. Great bread. Unique and flavorful combos of veggies.

Tried the food twice. Don’t remember what I had the first time, but apparently I wasn’t impressed, since I had never returned again. Then, I attended a catered lunch, which had sandwiches from Jake’s Sandwich Board, so I tried them again.
— Village turkey: I liked how the bacon was on top of the sandwich. The crispy bacon complemented the tender pulled turkey well. The black cherry spread was good, adding sweetness and savoriness to the (fairly dry) meat-​heavy sandwich.
— Cheesesteak: awful, so dry and so bland. I never liked cheesesteaks much, and this was no exception. It LOOKED good with caramelized onions on the top, but they added absolutely nothing to the dry, bland taste.
— ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ (half pork and half bacon) — 50/​50, really? I didn’t even notice there was bacon in the sandwich, since there was so much pork. It was more flavorful than the other sandwiches — not because of the meat but because of the Sriracha spread, which was slightly spicy and flavorful, but there was too much of it (an unpleasant– and unhealthy-​looking amount) in the sandwich. It made me feel guilty for eating it.
Overall, the meat sandwiches just tasted kind of dry, not much flavor, and really needed the spreads to make them more flavorful and edible. I added pickles, which didn’t do much help there. Plus, the sandwiches are pretty overpriced, since the meat tasted just the same as other places… I don’t see many people eating there, so it’s not a very popular place.

I ordered from Jake’s this past Thursday and I will certainly be ordering from them again. First off, the delivery driver showed up at the worst time or maybe it was the perfect time. Now this wasn’t his fault. Unbeknownst to me there was an underground fire directly in front of my building. He informed me of what was going on and just as I peeked out the door I saw a cop yelling for everyone to evacuate. I quickly told the driver I’d have to call him back. Some 10 to 15 min later after I evacuated I called him, expecting that he had left by then. Nope! He waited it out across the street until I could get out if my apartment. He also texted me later to make sure everyone was safe. So nice of him!
Now the food. I built my own sandwich. It needed a few more veggies (I’m vegetarian), the bread to veggie ratio was off, but otherwise it was fantastic. You have to love the option of getting crispy onions or fried pickles in your sandwich. They definitely don’t skimp when it comes to the spreads\sauces. I can’t speak on behalf of the carnivores I was with but they too seemed to enjoy their food. I’ll definitely be ordering from Jake’s again.

The big pull at Jake’s is the meat, and they deliver on it. The brisket is consistently tender and juicy; the meat falls apart as you bite into it, and is topped with some crumbled provolone and horseradish («The Mensch»). I like to throw on some spinach and mushrooms too.

I’ve got a fever. And the only prescription is… more Thanksgiving sandwiches. Luckily, the prognosis is looking good. Something about the concept of Thanksgiving on a Roll has always appealed to me. I’ve made a new goal of chasing down that perfect ThanksgivWich within the city of Philadelphia, since my beloved Capriotti’s is too far. Up first?
Jake’s Sandwich Board’s Turducken
Jake’s has always been a favorite spot of mine, mostly because it’s truly a place that reminds you how high you are on the food chain. Sandwiches topped with turkey, brisket, bacon, pulled pork, or a mix of a few… Seeded rolls, sriracha mayo, and a number of other toppings from long hots to bitter greens, avocado to cheese, roasted vegetables to pickled red onions. But I had tunnel vision.
I had heard tell of this «Turducken» Sandwich, but finally today took the 5 block stroll over to get one of my own. Seeded roll with cranberry apple sauce, sweet italian sausage, creole roasted duck, chicken and turkey topped with potato pancakes.
This sandwich was delicious… and super busy. The base of cranberry-​apple sauce, but some of the flavors might have been lost in the… well, in the other flavors.
I think a great challenge of the ThanksgivWich is to allow the multitude of ingredients to sing in harmony. And while the Turducken was tasty, it was rare to get a bite that contained more than 1 or 2 ingredients. The seeded roll, however… that was just a crusty delight.
This is a sandwich meant to be served and consumed hot, and the addition of the potato pancake was an EXCELLENT one. Unfortunately, due to the size of the medallions, only a few bites of the sandwich actually contained the potato crunch. I actually think that there could be a few more if they were smaller, and that could lead to more potato bites. Which is a good thing.
I’ll keep coming back to Jake’s. I love their charming bathroom illustrations, their creative sandwich toppings, and the casual atmosphere. The sriracha flows like water, and that’s a good thing.

I had the best sandwich I’ve ever eaten here. I built my own on grubhub and picked it up. That said, it was ready a good 15 minutes before they said it would be, so it had been sitting a bit when I picked it up.
There was not a single person inside other than the employees, which I hope is atypical.
I did turkey on wheat with black cherry spread, Mixed Baby Greens, Mild Provolone, Pickled Red Onions, BBQ Sauce, Crunchy Onions and Bacon. I think it’s dumb to charge extra for wheat bread, but ok. Also, grubhub said that the BBQ sauce would be on the side, it wasn’t. This was still the most delicious sandwich! I can’t go as often as I’d like because $ 13 for a sandwich is too much to do regularly, but it was good enough to make it on my once in a while roster.
Give ‘em a try!

I got a cheesesteak.
It wasn’t super exciting.
I feel very meh about this place.
It’s not exactly more exciting than any other sandwich place other than the décor, which is on point. I’d come back though, I would.
They also have the option to make salads and they have a lot of options in general so that’s exciting.
So, in conclusion, it’s alright. Not bad, nothing memorable. Solid lunch choice.

Pretty nice that another sandwich place opened up around Penn in addition to the food trucks around and Jimmy John’s. Jake’s is pricier, and the sandwiches are not as big but they are packed with a lot more meat.
They also offer you your choice of having your classic sammie on rolls, in a bowl, over a salad, or over fries! Pretty creative.
I ordered the Megillah, which was a big disappoint for me. The sandwich consists of slow-​roasted brisket with beef bacon, sirarcha ketchup, and sharp provolone. The sharp provolone was a little too intense for me and overwhelmed the taste of the meat. I personally thought the brisket was very bland and dry. I wanted some good, tender brisket, but sadly, I didn’t get that from Jake’s. In addition to the disappointing meat, I also felt like their rolls were a bit too chewy as well. It was quite the effort to eat the sandwich. I’m all for effort, but not when the taste and reward from a sandwich left me feeling unsatisfied.

Jake’s menu is artfully arranged, with block lettering and a style which harkens back to memories of an old Western smokehouse. But don’t be fooled by lines like «ridiculously creative sandwiches», «hand-​carved», and «house-​roasted». Jake may have some positive qualities, but he isn’t quite as awesome as he thinks he is.
My sandwich’s thin roll was somewhat tougher than I expected and didn’t taste freshly-​baked. It wasn’t sliced all the way though either, and the amount of meat was simply paltry. The pork looked good at first, but each bite was completely dry and tasted like cardboard. I’ve honestly made better in my oven with a handful of cupboard seasonings. Broccoli rabe was overcooked as well. Their sriracha spread sounds tasty, but it’s not spicy at all and pretty bland. Even Jake’s «fire sauce» is only slightly spicy. Jake’s saving grace is their french fries. When they are fresh, they are delicious! Slightly thicker than average, crispy on the outside, and full of dense potato-​y on the inside. I’ve heard only good things about the brisket though, so that’ll be the order if I ever go back.
Jake’s touts itself as a hallmark Philadelphia staple, but you’d be better off ordering from a food truck. Better yet, try Paesano’s in the Italian Market instead if you want the real deal.

Stopped here on Saturday and had a delicious (and messy) lunch.
We split:
— the Megillah
— the Midtown Turkey
— Fried Pickles
The Megillah is a dense, sloppy, meaty heap of rich deliciousness. The meat is tender, the «beef bacon» is a great touch.
The Midtown Turkey was a nice counter-​part to the over-​the-​top Megillah. The warm moist turkey pairs nicely with the avocado purée and cheeses. The veggies and pickled onion add some nice and needed crunch to the sandwich. Because it’s not dripping with grease, it feels vaguely healthy in comparison to the Megillah.
The fried pickles were a great choice — a nice portion size with a flavorful breading. The sauce (sriracha mayo? in-​house fire sauce?) added a nice kick to the pretzels.
Service was good — but then again we were the only people in there until some hungover Penn students showed up.

1. $ 3 on the 3^rd?
2. expect some lipase action from the grease
3. hipster vibe
Consumed:
Migella
Barnyard
Farm Fries
I guess it isn’t too late that they finally open new restaurants in my last year in the city of brotherly of love. Jake’s Sandwich adds to the food selection around campus and it’s a positive addition for the most part! I honestly would give this place more of a 3.5 rating, but because I know that new places always have it’s rough spots, I rounded up. The sandwiches are tasty. I prefer the brisket over the pork and it was decently tasty. The fire sauce was not very firey and I had the hardest time getting it out of the glass bottle. After too many shakes without too much sauce coming out, I just resorted to siriracha.
It is overpriced, so I probably won’t come back too frequently though you may see me around on the 3^rd when sandwiches are apparently $ 3.

Replace the sign with «Jake’s Soda Bar» and you’d better describe the real appeal of this place.
I’m a soda junkie and this place has a delicious collection of high-​quality sodas on draft that pretty much sets if apart from every other place nearby. The birch beer is a particular standout as is the «real sugar™» cola. Couple that with the pretty decent tea and lemonade options and you’re set for all the sugary/​fizzy liquid deliciousness you could ask for.
Alas the actual sandwiches for the «Sandwich Board» are only ok. The meat isn’t bad. I’ve had the turkey and brisket and both were good, though the «cheesesteak» is pretty underwhelming. Some of the sauces and toppings are more interesting, though the «avocado sauce» one sandwich had was so thin I had to search the sandwich to find it.
The problem is, as some of the other reviews noted, the portions are pretty darn tiny for the price you pay. They should either add a small side to the sandwiches or cut a dollar or two off the prices, especially if they want to appeal to the collegiate clientele. Just not that worth it unless they start offering some kind of specials.

The brisket is pretty delicious, but the portions are tiny. I got half a pound of brisket for $ 11, expecting much more for that price. I ended up basically paying $ 11 for half a meal. I’ve heard their combinations are strange enough to ruin the tasty meat, but have yet to try them myself. People seem to have very different experiences based on what they order.
The service was nice enough. I was really excited for a new option around Penn, but I just don’t think it’s worth the price.

I’d only come here for their $ 3 on the third day of the month deal, so it was a steal for how much food I got. The lines were out the door, but usually when I pass it it’s pretty empty since it just opened.
I decided to try this place after a friend recommended it to me and ate his sandwich in front of me, which smelled amazing.
When I actually ordered my food however, the sandwiches are packed with a LOT of meat– great for some, but a taste would have been enough for me – I wanted more vegetables to round out the taste! Probably great sandwiches if you’re super into southern BBQ, but I would not eat one by itself for lunch – too greasy, needed to drink a lot of water and eat carrots afterwards.
They were giving out small bottles of Sriracha though (I didn’t get one…), which was nice of them. Seems like they are trying to really promote their business, since the location is a bit out of the way and a normal sandwich is $ 8-​$ 11, which is a bit pricey.

I tried this place for lunch with a friend, and was satisfied. They offer beef brisket, pork, turkey, and veggie sandwiches, and you can choose one of their signature sandwiches or make your own.
I decided to get the ‘classic pork’ sandwich since I thought I’d start with the basics. It has pulled pork, broccoli rabe, and sharp provolone in it. I thought the sandwich was pretty good, but it was kind of bland. I decided to put sriracha on most of it. They also have some sort of ‘fire sauce’ which I did not try, but looks like a promising hot sauce.
Next time, i will definitely try one of their more interesting sandwiches in the hope that they are more spicy. However, I think the place itself was really nice, modern, and clean. They also have a deal where every 3^rd of the month, their sandwiches are $ 3, so I look forward to trying that (their sandwiches are like $ 8-​$ 10 right now, so not cheap, but not too bad).

Jake’s Sandwich Board just opened right off of Penn’s campus.
Jake’s has a wide variety of menu options. You can choose to get your meal as a sandwich or as a bowl. There is a menu, or you can design your own. They have turkey, beef, pork, and veggies options.
I went with the «Classic Pork» sandwich for $ 8.50, which was pork, broccoli rabe, and provolone cheese. It was very tasty; the cheese was especially flavorful. It was also very filling. It should be noted that this sandwich was one of the cheapest ones on the menu.
The restaurant itself is nice. It is very casual and clean. You order at the counter and then can take any seat you want or take your meal to go. Jake’s is a good place for a casual lunch with friends between classes or on the weekend.