Overview:
The story of the invention of the sandwich is fairly well-know, but does provide the back-story for the Earl of Sandwich restaurant. John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich, was commander of the British navy, a noted explorer, and also someone who greatly enjoyed card games. As the story goes, Montagu was so busy that he had very little time for food and he came up with the idea (possibly while playing a game of cards) of putting meat between two slices of bread for a quick and easy meal that could be eaten on the run. As a result, in 1762, the sandwich was named in honor of its inventor. Now, nearly 250 years later, the Earl of Sandwich restaurant continues this tradition and boasts that it is home to “The World’s Greatest Hot Sandwich.” Earl of Sandwich is also probably the only counter service restaurant that I know of that has an official charter, and one which aptly describes its premise and objective:
Atmosphere:
Earl of Sandwich has become extremely popular and as a result is always crowded no matter what time of day you go, but especially during the peak dining times. For this reason, seating (or lack thereof) becomes a real issue. The restaurant offers both indoor and outdoor seating, but it is often very difficult to find a table. This becomes even more of a problem on extremely hot or colder days or when it is raining because then people do not want to eat outside and there is not enough space inside to handle everyone. The best piece of advice I have for when eating here is to just be patient; a table will open up eventually. Another problem is that the seating areas themselves are not very big and the tables are packed very tightly together. Combined with the large crowds, it can get a little noisy inside. If you are looking for a quieter spot to eat, it is probably best to find a table outside.
All that being said, there are several aspects of Earl of Sandwich’s atmosphere that I really like. The restaurant’s high ceilings give it a much-needed open feel (especially with the tables so close together) and the light fixtures, book shelves, faux fireplace, and fresh-cut flowers on every table give a little touch of refinement. I also thought that the classical music playing in the background was a nice added touch, even though it can be somewhat difficult to hear at times, helping to give the restaurant a little taste of 1762. If it was not so crowded, you could almost feel as though you were sitting in John Montagu’s parlor waiting to play a game of cards.
An aspect of the atmosphere that probably does not get noticed by most guests, but one that really helps give some added depth to the restaurant, is the Earl of Sandwich Historical Society. Located around the corner from the counter where you place your order, the Historical Society is a full wall that features maps, pictures, paintings, and other information about the history of John Montagu. Here you can find, among other things, a portrait of the Earl of Sandwich as well as the family coat of arms. It really helps to give the restaurant a level of detail and theming that goes beyond a regular sandwich shop.
The Menu:
One of the things that stands out most about the menu at Earl of Sandwich is the sheer number of options. In all, there are thirteen different sandwiches offered on the menu. Among my personal favorites are The Earl’s Club, which comes with roast turkey, smoked bacon, Swiss cheese, lettuce and tomato, as well as The Italian, which combines salami, capicola, roasted ham, mortadella, mozzarella cheese, roma tomato and a zesty Italian dressing. Other sandwich options include The Full Montagu, featuring roast beef and turkey with cheddar and Swiss cheese, romaine lettuce, tomato and the Earl's mustard. The All American combines roast turkey, cranberries, cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, and buttermilk ranch dressing. For vegetarians there is The Caprese, which has sliced fresh mozzarella, roma tomatos, fresh basil and drizzled balsamic vinaigrette. There is also The Veggie has feta cheese, lettuce, roma tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, roasted red peppers and a Mediterranean dressing. And these are only just a few of the sandwiches found on the menu.
The menu does not stop with sandwiches, but also includes an array of wraps and salads as well (you have the option of getting these items as either salads or wraps). The Chicken Ceasar combines grilled chicken, mixed greens, and fresh croutons, tossed in classic Caesar dressing with parmesan cheese. The Mediterranean Chicken features grilled chicken, feta cheese, field greens and romaine lettuce, roma tomatoes, cucumber, roasted red peppers, kalamata olives, red onion and a Mediterranean dressing. The Earl’s Cobb comes with grilled chicken, applewood bacon, Swiss and cheddar cheese, roma tomatoes, cucumber, cranberries and a buttermilk ranch dressing.
There are also various side items available, including potato salad, pasta salad, the Earl’s Slaw, and Potato Chips. It is really a menu that offers something for everyone, but the problem I have is that I have three sandwiches that are my favorites and I always end up ordering one of them even though I want to try something new and different.
For my meal I chose one of my mainstays, The Original 1762, with fresh roast beef, cheddar, and a creamy horseradish sauce. I think the best place to start talking about the sandwiches is the bread because this is really what makes them so special. While bread alone does necessarily not make a sandwich, it can certainly break a sandwich. The bread at Earl of Sandwich, however, is a highlight unto itself. Every sandwich is made to order so you know it is always going to be fresh and hot. The bread is perfectly toasted, slightly crispy on the outside but soft and warm on the inside. The bread is so good that I could just go there, order some toasted bread, and be completely satisfied. I am a little picky when it comes to roast beef because I do not like it too rare and yet I do not want to have it overcooked. While there have been times that I ordered The Original and the roast beef was a little too rare for my liking, this time it was absolutely perfect with just the right amount of pink color. For those of you who might be scared away by the horseradish sauce, it is not too strong at all; it compliments the roast beef rather than overpowering it. The sauce really adds to the flavor of the sandwich, gives it a little bit of a kick, and makes it something more unique than your standard roast beef sandwich.
Along with my sandwich I got the potato salad, which was very refreshing and provided a perfect compliment to The Original. The potatoes were red-skinned and were cooked just right, not too soft or mushy and yet not too hard. The potato salad does have a strong mayonnaise flavor, but also a slight hint of dill. While the potato salad did not have the same “wow” factor as the sandwich, it was still a good side order for the meal.
I had never gotten dessert at Earl of Sandwich before, but this time the peanut butter-filled brownie caught my eye so I decided to try it. The one word I could come up with to describe this dessert is heavenly. It is safe to say that I will now be getting this every time I eat here. The brownie was extremely moist and also had chocolate chunks in it that gave it added texture and flavor. The peanut butter filling was extremely smooth, sweet, and creamy and the combination with the chocolate brownie was just perfect. This is a very rich and heavy dessert, but it was so good. It was big enough that it could easily be split by two people, but I ended up eating the whole thing myself.
Service:
Like with every quick service dining location, the Earl of Sandwich is able to serve a large number of guests in a small amount of time. Because the restaurant is so crowded, this efficiency takes on an even greater importance. The way it works at Earl of Sandwich is that you place your order at one end of the counter and are given a pager to let you know when your food is ready. You then make your way down to the other end of the counter where you pay. The service was so fast that by the time I had paid for my meal, my pager was already vibrating to let me know to go pick up my order (and this was in the middle of the lunchtime rush). The service at Earl of Sandwich is so quick in part because they have so many people working behind the counter. The only problem I noticed was that they sometimes resorted to yelling as a way of keeping the guests moving in line. It seemed that all they really cared about was serving as many people as possible. While this is a good thing, it was unfortunate that it came at the expense of their interaction with the guests. I have seen other quick service locations throughout Disney World that are able to provide speedy service but still be able to interact with guests in a way that is both pleasant and personable. This might be due to the fact that Earl of Sandwich is not a Disney-owned restaurant.
Dining on a Budget:
It is my opinion that Earl of Sandwich is the best value on Disney property. The prices are all very reasonable, the food is great, and the portion sizes are big. The sandwiches, wraps, and salads are all just $5.95 each, which is cheaper than most of the offerings found at other Disney quick service locations. In addition, side orders are just $1.55 each and desserts range between $2.00 and $3.00. If you want to save even more money, most of the side orders and desserts are big enough that they can be split between two people. If you are looking for an affordable meal, Earl of Sandwich is definitely the place to go.
The Overall Experience:
One of the reasons why I like Earl of Sandwich so much is consistency. All the times that I have been there I have never been disappointed. I always know my sandwich is going to be hot and fresh, the portion size is going to be big, and the price is going to be reasonable. This is the recipe for success that has made Earl of Sandwich so popular. The quality of food that you get there is definitely worth having to wait in line and deal with the hassle of trying to find a table. Even though it is a chain restaurant, for me Earl of Sandwich has become synonymous with Downtown Disney. While there are several good dining locations to choose from here, I still find myself continually returning to Earl of Sandwich. Next time you are looking for somewhere to eat at Downtown Disney and you do not feel like waiting a long time for a table at one of the full service restaurants, definitely consider giving Earl of Sandwich a try. Its cuisine may be simple (just sandwiches, salads, and wraps), but its quality is on par with any sit down restaurant and at a price that is far cheaper. After you try it once, you will want to go back again and again.
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