There comes a time in every pickle-lover’s life when they must prove their true appreciation for pickles. For many pickle enthusiasts, this time came in October when Jimmy John’s debuted their Vito and turkey sandwiches with a twist — in between two halves of a crunchy pickle instead of a traditional sub bun.
The Picklewich took the internet by storm and quickly gained lots of attention on TikTok, where users posted videos of them trying the pickled-out sandwich for the first time and reviewing it. I tried the Picklewich for myself to see if it was worth the commotion or too good to be true.
I opted to try the turkey Picklewich, the simpler option, complete with turkey, provolone, lettuce and tomato, sandwiched in a whole sliced pickle (of course). The task of building a sandwich inside of a pickle is one I do not envy, and will surely never try to replicate. I applaud Jimmy John’s for their careful construction of this sandwich, but to no one’s surprise, the Picklewich did quickly disassemble a few bites into it.
The taste of the sandwich is reminiscent of a fresh pickle salad and has a complimentary blend of flavors. I partially expected this sandwich to be a flavorless jumble of texture, but am pleasantly surprised by how delicious the pickle tasted as a bun. I will note that the Picklewich was dripping a lot and did not facilitate a neat eating experience. I suppose there’s a reason why pickles are not standardly used as sandwich buns!
The Picklewich is relatively small for its price of $7.59 and was definitely not filling enough to make up a whole meal. In my opinion, the price is justified by the craftsmanship of the pickle bun and the sensation around the product.
Overall, I think every pickle-fanatic should try the Picklewich, which is available at Jimmy John’s until Thursday, Nov. 14, but it’s not something I would be a repeat customer for. It’s one of those quirky food experiments you try once for fun before immediately seeking out a real meal that fills you up. With the Picklewich, Jimmy John’s proves that sometimes, you just have to go against the grain (of bread).
