Gator Jack's Sandwich Shack

Across from Porter Park, part of Hemming Village

Gator Jacks started in Rigby, but decided to expand to Rexburg. The first time I went to Gator Jack’s, it happened to be the one in Rigby. The place (especially the Rexburg one) is designed on the inside to give a murky, Louisiana Bayou kind of feel. It’s a little dark inside, but it augments the dining experience rather than detracts from it. They installed wood decks indoors, have fake trees; it’s really a cool establishment to go into. They offer Alligator Jambalaya for the really brave. Alligator meat is fantastic – it tastes like sweet pork (not chicken), and is one of my favorites. They also offer what are called Gator Bites. Gator Bites are these delightful little potato thingies that I could eat by the barrel. Note – by delightful little potato thingies I am not talking about tater tots. I’m not talking about fries. I’m not talking about chips. They are itty bitty potatoes, boiled and somehow magically seasoned to a state of scrumtralessence. Hence, the title of delightful little potato thingies. If you still don’t understand, go and try them – they’re amazing. They also give you a cookie with your order, which is usually a chocolate chip cookie that is a little bit heavy on the chocolate. No one has ever complained of that.

Alas, there is something to complain about. With all the sandwich shops in this town (3 Subways, a Jimmy John’s, and all the sandwich places I’ve blogged about), a competing sandwich shop needs to have good sandwiches. They don’t. There are many good things about Gator Jacks, but their sandwiches aren’t one of them. For one, they are expensive - $5 get’s you a four inch sandwich. A six inch sandwich is nearly $7. In Rigby, their bread was mediocre – the kind of fluffy stuff that sort of dissolves in spit. Rexburg does better bread, but they still don’t register well. The key to a good sandwich is balance. I have also recently discovered that the other key is texture. These sandwiches though fall short. The lettuce is limp and over abundant, the other vegetables aren’t nearly as strong a presence, and the sauces (e.g. mustard) are heaped on a little much. It was one of the messiest sandwiches I’ve had.  The bread is soft, which is usually a good thing, but this resulted in a soft and unsatisfying sandwich. A crunchier pickle could make a huge difference, perhaps fresher lettuce, (that isn’t as shredded, and less of it) or onions in rings and strips instead of chunks. These are little things, and you may think I’m sandwich obsessed, but try the difference. Half the sandwich needs to be firm. The best sandwiches have crunch and resistance, as well as soft pliability.  If the bread had been toasted more, that too could have helped. But in the end, sandwiches are not the strong point here. The ambiance and the Gator Bites, and maybe the jambalaya are the factors that give Gator Jack’s a fighting chance. They also have a breakfast menu and non sandwich items – those may be worth a shot too.