McAlister’s Deli

Having lunch with my friends, we decided to go to McCallisters… this was my first time there as I am really not a deli type person. I was pleasantly surprised at the choices. My two friends ordered chicken&dumplings that looked really good. I ordered just a plain grilled chicken breast with a side of mashed potatoes w/gravy…it was pretty good, very flavorful. The service was a little slow, but I would go back.

This may be the last time I come to this location.
There are too many kids in here taking up space, being loud, and not ordering food. But getting free stuff from their friends. The manager is oblivious because these kids who work here are giving away food and drinks for free.
There was a bunch of staff in the kitchen not sending out food and not taking orders. Then when this young girl finally came back to the registers for the 3^rd time (the 1^st two times she was too busy talking and not working) and was asked by a coworker to take our order, she had major attitude.
I may have to start eating at home or super high end restaurants. This is not what I’m use to.

So many great sandwich choices and of course the tea. The sweet tea is perfect. The only place I like to drink tea is McAlister’s. I love trying all the different sandwiches and my wife loves the salad so it’s a win win. I love this location at the mall. Great to go to before or after a movie.

Perfect place to wait while my oil was being changed in Sears. I was happy when McAlisters opened at the mall. Love the tea, lots of tables, lots of choices to pick from. I got the pick 2 with the Pecanberry salad and the New Yorker. Both great choices. My half sandwich was still quite huge to me. I also love the seasonal salads. Salads are never the same when I make at home.
It was a busy Saturday and I love the tea bar and how easy it is to go get refills. Usually our location does it for us, but they were pretty busy. It’s nice to not wait in the awkward lines near the counter like it used to be. The tea bar was a great idea.

I liked the location at Castleton Mall. mall food isn’t that great as of late! Gotta have an Arnold Palmer.

Love this McAlister’s! They are close to work and we use them often. They are always friendly and take great care of us. The food is delicious and the restaurant is clean.

Love the tea bar with free refills! I have only had the spuds, but they’re always cooked perfectly and HUGE.

This is a great dining spot for the Castleton Square Mall. I went in on a Saturday afternoon and, even though it was crowded, the manager had the place running like a well-​oiled machine. This is important since McAlister’s semi sit-​down model requires staff to get drink refills and bus tables.
Overall, the food was pretty good too. I like that you can get fresh fruit as a side. It sure beats the mealy apples they serve at Panera.

I fell in love with the McAlister’s Deli chain of restaurants just this past October as I found myself traveling across Northern Indiana by wheelchair and trying hard to eat healthier along the way.
Given my deep love for iced tea, it’s almost unimaginable that I’d never experienced McAlister’s prior to October 2014. Founded in 1989 in Oxford, Mississippi by a retired dentist, McAlister’s Deli now has over 300 locations in 23 states and is part of what is known as the «fast casual» dining trend. The menu includes a variety of deli sandwiches (both hot and cold) along with Texas-​sized spuds (baked potatoes), soups, salads, and desserts. Of course, the chain also is famous for its sweet tea that is available both as a drink with your meal and in gallon jugs.
While McAlister’s Deli isn’t exactly hard to find in Indianapolis, I will admit that I was a little excited when it was announced that it was taking over the spot abandoned by Stir Crazy on the West end of Castleton Square Mall’s frontage strip.
During this four days off to celebrate the new year, I’ve been trying to squeeze in a few new restaurants and my day had me at Castleton Square. Perfect.
I will first stress that you should access McAlister’s from the main entrance side as the other side (which also hosts Houlihan’s) isn’t particularly wheelchair friendly. You enter a main entrance with large wooden doors and immediately to your left is a pick-​up/​to go counter separated by a wall from where diners order.
I will admit that the first time I visited McAlister’s I found the entire experience a bit confusing and it seems like there’s an assumption among employees that people know how the process works. I mean, seriously, who would actually assume that there’s an iced tea counter and you go up to it to get your drink THEN take your number to your table, post it up, then wait for your food to arrive. I suppose it’s a way to stress their iced tea, but it would be nice to actually have it explained a bit more clearly.
I can’t remember what I ordered the last time at McAlister’s, I believe the grilled chicken sandwich, but this time around I spied a pot roast sandwich that is served hot and it sounded perfect on a rainy and slightly chilly day in Indy. It came with one side, I chose Sun Chips, and then the iced tea is extra. The sandwich comes with melted provolone cheese and roasted peppers on ciabatta and is served with gravy. I will admit that I either couldn’t read these toppings on the menu or somehow completely missed them as there’s simply no way I’d have ordered the sandwich and I’d have likely stuck to something a bit more in line with my taste buds.
When it arrived, I was surprised to see the toppings and never did figure out that the gravy was gravy (looked like soup). I removed the toppings, which to me rather overwhelmed the sandwich, and enjoyed what was left of the pot roast and the great ciabatta bread. Overall, it’s definitely not a sandwich I will get again.
The main dining room was a bit confusing and I didn’t find the one small row that was wheelchair friendly. I ended up sitting in what I believe to be a private dining area that is available for rental. It was okay, but I was the only one back there and it definitely caused service to drop (though I will admit that one young female tried to be attentive).
I did get a refill of iced tea — I was asked once before I was ready and ended up having to go back up to the counter myself as no one ever came back to the table.
The McAlister’s décor is fairly typical for McAlister’s — it reflects both its Indianapolis home and the renovated garage in which the chain was founded. It’s friendly and warm, though I’m a bit disappointed with what feels like only a modest commitment to wheelchair access.
Let’s face it. Most chain experiences are fairly consistent and McAlister’s Deli as a chain is remarkably consistent in offering tasty and healthier fare along with enthusiastic and helpful employees. I found this experience to be just a notch below what I’ve come to expect from McAlister’s, but it’s still early in the restaurant’s life and this was far from a «bad» experience — it just wasn’t up to the usual McAlister’s standards. There was one employee in particular who certainly radiated the McAlister’s spirit and here’s hoping my next visit will knock this up to at least a four-​star rating.