Perkins Is Really Genuinely Concerned That Your French Dip Sandwich Sucked
Reader Stephanie's brother recently started a blog dedicated to reviewing French Dip sandwiches. To that end, he ordered, and reviewed, a French Dip at a Perkins in Madison, WI. Unfortunately, his sandwich came on regular bread, instead of typical French Dip bread.
Stephanie says:
Mark (my brother) reviewed the sandwich at a Perkins in Madison Wisconsin. He was sorely disappointed when the sandwich looked completely different than the picture on the menu (they used regular grilled bread instead of the French baguette). He posted the negative review of the Perkins French Dip on his blog on November 1st. The next day, someone claiming to be a Perkins regional manager left a comment on the blog urging Mark to call him and let him fix the situation. He called the number and was quickly put in touch with Jon Sanborn, the Perkins regional manager. Jon investigated the bread situation, offered Mark a gift certificate, and invited him to come back and re-review the sandwich the next time he was in Madison. Equally impressive was that there was no mention of taking the review down or altering its contents.
I find it amazing that Perkins would seek out my brother and try to ascertain what went wrong with his dining experience, especially considering the blog currently has only 15 followers and I doubt a negative review would stop any of us from going to Perkins in the future.
Anyway, it turns out that the Perkins was out of the correct bread at the time and someone should have asked if regular bread was OK.
Here's how our French Dip expert describes Perkins' response:
Mr. Sanborn was apologetic for what had happened and wanted to make it up to me. So he told me that he would mail me a Perkins gift certificate! Please realize, Perkins found me out to make this situation right, I did not complain to them. If this indicative of how their franchise is run, all I can say is, "Thank you, Perkins, for putting the customer first." About how to use my compensation, fret not faithful readers, this gift certificate will only go back into purchasing more French dips for ingestion and judging, as I wish not to profit from the deeds I undertake selflessly reviewing everyone's favorite sandwiches of perfect harmony.
I informed Mr. Sanborn that in late January I would be in Madison again, and that I would love to review the same Perkins' French dip again. He told me that he doesn't really care what I do with my blog, just that he wants me to be happy.
Perkins Restaurant and Bakery at 5237 University Ave Madison, WI 53705 [The French Dip Review]
Update: The Perkins French Dip Review of November 1, 2009 and Jon Sanborn [The French Dip Review]
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Comments:
Am I the only person who loves this story JUST because somebody has a blog that focuses ONLY on reviewing French Dip Sandwiches?
I hope I'm not.
There are so many families starving in third world countries that would gladly give a limb for regular bread alone. I call big-time spoiledness on this one. Tsk.. "regular bread"..tsk tsk tsk
There's a local restaurant that serves its French dip on "Texas toast." And not just 'cause they're out of baguettes, they also serve their tuna melt on Texas toast.
I've been to one Perkins. Once. In Pennsylvania. It was like a cheaper, dirtier (!) Ruby Tuesday's - with more old people. I would certainly not order a French Dip there.
@Digitizer: He's lucky he had a chair to sit on. There are children in remote Incan villages who can't afford chairs.
@winstonthorne: I think Perkins is more like Denny's than Ruby Tuesday's. At least Perkins and Denny's acknowledges the quality of their food and prices accordingly :p
@Brazell: I love French Dip sandwiches as well, though I've yet to have a truly spectacular one. One day.
I've never had a French dip sandwich...but it looks and sounds so delicious, I definitely have to!
@Digitizer: Wait... what? Taken to its natural conclusion, we should shutdown Yelp for daring to post negative reviews of restaurants.
If I ordered a pepperoni pizza and they gave me a mushroom pizza, because they were out of pepperoni, I would surely complain - this has nothing to do with the third world.
There are certainly problems in the world, people go hungry, individuals lack healthcare. That doesn't mean someone can't register a complaint about a sandwich they received. I mean, I would assume based on your tone that you never eat out, and eat the least expensive possible options and donate the rest to the third world? I would hope you're posting from a public library, as it would simply be unjust to have a cable internet connection when so many in the third world lack basic dial-up access to the internets.
@Digitizer: You shouldn't complain if you walk to the parking lot today and your car is missing a door. There are families in third world countries who have no transportation except their legs. You're so selfish for having legs and a car.
French dip sandwiches are great if you are sick. The bread softens because of the au ju and the meat just melts in your mouth. Very delicious indeed. (Plus I made extra au ju so my son who has a horrible cold could get the nourishment from the broth. It worked and he's feeling alot better.)
@invormation: Perkins are more common in the midwest. They are sort of a better quality Denny's. Quality does vary drastically from store to store.
@Hank Scorpio: Commie. I have yet to see it appropriately renamed so that it makes no mention of "the-country-that-shan't-be-named". Maybe Eagle-dip sandwich? Western-dip? Eh, something will come along.
@Digitizer: There's nothing here that states the OP *isn't* from a third-world country and *didn't* give a limb prior to receiving that sandwich.
Quite frankly, I assumed the OP was, and did. And it didn't make any difference - the sandwich sucked.
@invormation: Perkins has always been a bit higher imo than Denny's but that isn't really saying much.
I've ate there a few times in my time living in Madison and I can vouch it's not a bad place. At least from my experience they have a pretty decent french toast.
@katstermonster: @yentaleh: French dip sandwiches, above all else, are great if you love meat. You must, must enjoy meat because that is all there is in this sandwich. It's bread and meat. No vegetables or anything else. Meat sandwiches dipped in au jus = lovely.
@Brazell: I have to agree. I would love to be able to get grated horseradish instead of that white mayo looking horseradish sauce with my french Dip. That would put it over the top for me.
@Brazell: It's awesome!
i follow a guy's blog out of NYC who only blogs about eggs benedict in the city he eats. It is his weekend task every week. I looooove eggs benedict so I find this valuable.
Now I have a crush on French Dip.
@pecan 3.14159265: I like meat. I like meat a lot. This is how I order meat: slap the steer on the ass, walk it by the fire, and put it on my plate. Kidding, mostly...but yes. I love meat. I need to get me one of those sandwiches, but the only place I've seen them advertised is at Quiznos. Gah-ross. I better find a real restaurant that does them.
Carnivores...er, omnivores 4 lyfe!!
@katstermonster: "I've never had a French dip sandwich...but it looks and sounds so delicious..."
I remember my very first french dip sandwich. I was about 8 and my mom and grandma forced me to go to a real "grown up" restaurant, i.e., no kids' menu, heck, it didn't even have burgers, hot dogs, or fries! The closest thing to kid food was the french dip sandwich. It looked gross to me, but god did it taste awesome!
This is one situation where I'd be thrilled that the actual sandwich didn't match the picture -- I'll take grilled bread on a sandwich any day over what passes for a baguette in most of the U.S. Also, I have to admit that any time I see 'with au jus', my inner French schoolgirl twitches.
@pecan 3.14159265: Hahaha. You made my day.
@Digitizer: How right you are, sir! My, I have just been so spoiled and self-righteous to expect companies to deliver on what they advertise. Never again will I ask for cheese on my pizza, just because the picture shows it. Never again will I expect that the car I buy is blue, just because the picture shows it. Thank you for opening my eyes to my self-centered ways.
@Radi0logy:
LOL My son doesn't have the H1N1 virus.......He had a cold. If he had the H1N1 virus I would've given him Chicken noodle soup. That cures anything.
(disclaimer: Chicken Soup hasn't been proven by the FDA, CDA, and the ADA, to cure anything. This is just my opinion and my sarcasm responding to Radi0logy's comment above.)
@katstermonster: I tried the French Dip at Quiznos thinking that it can't bee that bad. WOW! They made a fool out of me. Meat was too chewy and flavorless. Give it a try anywhere else. Bread and beef (sometimes it comes with chees and I can't say no to Swiss or provolone) dipped in beef au jus. Sometimes it has horseradish sauce on the side that I remove from my plate immediately.
@Brazell: i am currently eating a french dip sandwich. i like the idea of the blog and i am going to go try to read it on my lunch break [now] while eating this [arby's] french dip sandwich.
I didn't even know "French Dip" bread existed. Is it French Bread? Is it a dippable-roll of some sort? I'm confused.
@sir_pantsalot: hmmmm swiss. I love swiss. Oh and horseradish? You're speaking my language. You get a <3 for that!
@missdona: It's a French baguette sliced and accommodates lovely and generous amounts of roasted beef. And it should always come with wonderful au jus sauce for dipping.
@Michael Belisle: I think it's funny that they call it "Texas" toast when all it is is double thick toast. I have a bread maker and I make "Texas" toast all the time because the family likes it. Any moistness doesn't turn the bread into a doughy mess.
ummm the Ruby Tuesdays that I've been may have been more expencive, but they were dirty and the food was ick. They served us a grilled cheese for the kids with large amounts of green mold all over the bread.
Hey maybe they could train their servers to actually refill a drink once in a while.