A Beginner's Guide To Eating At McAlister's Deli

In 1989, McAlister's Deli was founded by an entrepreneurial dentist named Don Newcomb in Oxford, Mississippi (via Funding Universe). Having worked in the restaurant business in various capacities through the years — including a gig at a soda fountain as a teenager and later on helming different franchise operations after earning a degree in dentistry — Newcomb had always felt drawn to the food service industry. When an old gas station in town was converted into a 1950s diner for a movie set, Newcomb pounced on the opportunity to transform it into a real restaurant, naming it in honor of his wife's parents. The investment proved successful. Today, McAlister's Deli operates more than 500 locations across the country (via McAlister's Deli).

Sandwiches are the main focus of the menu at McAlister's, but there are also a variety of soups, salads, and sides to choose from. McAlister's has some unique and exceptionally tasty offerings that set it apart from its competition — like an assortment of different baked potatoes and a popular signature sweet tea. But with more than 30 different sandwiches to choose from along with so many other options, how should you know where to start? That's where we come in. Here's a beginner's guide to eating at McAlister's Deli.

When you take a peek at McAlister's menu, you might be surprised by the amount of sandwiches and other options that are available. In the sandwich section alone, there are dozens of choices, including classic handheld fare like Italian sandwiches, Reubens, and various club sandwiches. From a French dip with Black Angus beef and melted swiss to an inventive turkey sandwich that features jalapeño chips, bacon, pepper jack cheese, and avocado, there's no shortage of tasty deli fare.

Beyond the sandwiches, there are plenty of soups to pick from, too. With tasty offerings like broccoli and cheddar and a hearty beef chili, McAlister's presents some great options when you're in the mood to get down on a warm, comforting bowl of soup. Those looking for something more veggie-based will be pleased to find nearly 10 different fresh salads on the menu, including a chopped salad with tantalizing ingredients like honey-roasted almonds, gorgonzola, cranberries, and grilled chicken. Throw in a handful of different baked potatoes and a few desserts like moist carrot cake with cream cheese frosting along with so much more, and it's clear that McAlister's has an impressively eclectic menu — and with so many tasty options to choose from, you're bound to find something you love.

As any fan of McAlister's will tell you, one of the most famous items on its menu is the sweet tea. Inspired by the South's affinity for this refreshing beverage, McAlister's classic sweet tea is made with Rainforest Alliance certified Orange Pekoe black tea leaves (via QSR Magazine). After being sweetened and poured over ice, the end result is a flavorful tea with a lovely, balanced taste. In fact, the sweet tea at McAlister's is so popular that the company took the extraordinary step of teaming up with Creamalicious to produce a limited-run of signature sweet tea flavored ice cream (via Restaurant Business).

The demand for McAlister's sweet tea has grown so much over the years that the restaurant sells it by the gallon for diners to take on the go. Plenty of diners are happy to report that it's the best tea they've ever had. McAlister's allows for some customization of the tea on its menu, so if you're trying to lay off the sugar, you can always opt for the unsweetened version. If you really want to add a tasty boost of extra flavor, you can also add some real fruit purée with options like peach, strawberry, and black cherry. If you're a tea-lover, be sure to check out some of these speciality flavors and consider scoring yourself a gallon to throw in the fridge at home.

The club sandwich is an iconic deli classic. Stacked with layers of sliced ham, turkey, and bacon — along with cheese, lettuce, and tomato — the club sandwich deliciously captures the very essence of deli fare like no other. As a purveyor of deli-style sandwiches, it makes perfect sense for McAlister's to feature the club — and the restaurant really knocks it out of the park in a few different ways.

For starters, McAllister's adds sharp cheddar, which gives the sandwich some extra bite, since sharp cheddar has such a rich, bold flavor. The club also features some swiss cheese, which introduces a more mild and nutty flavor that works in perfect harmony with the cheddar. McAlister's then adds a drizzle of honey mustard, and the subtle sweetness helps balance out the inherent saltiness of the ham, turkey, and bacon. Throw in some mayo, lettuce, and tomato, and what this all adds up to is an impressively constructed club sandwich that delivers big taste.

But McAlister's doesn't stop there. The restaurant offers different variations of club sandwiches such as a grilled chicken club and the black angus roast beef club. The hungriest among us will be pleased to hear that all of the clubs can be doubled in size and upgraded to a "king" club to create one massively delicious sandwich. If you want to cut back on the bread, they also offer the club as a wrap in a wheat tortilla.

Is there anything more comforting than soup? There's something special about hovering over a fresh, steaming bowl of delicious soup, enjoying spoon after spoon of warm, nourishing broth. McAlister's offers up a handful of various soups on its menu, and whether you're looking for something more filling and meat-based or lighter and vegetarian, you can't go wrong. 

The broccoli and cheddar soup is especially delicious: Made with a creamy chicken broth base and livened up with hunks of broccoli and a blend of cheddar and monterey jack cheese, this soup is rich and velvety. The country potato soup is another hit — loaded with potato, onions, bacon, chives, and cheese, each spoonful brings a creamy wallop of lip-smacking flavor. 

People love the soup at McAlister's so much that the company actually sells it to customers in bulk by the quart. Since each quart is about four servings, that could easily feed a small group or just be an easy lunch for most of the week. If you find yourself at McAlister's and you're a fan of its soups, keep its bulk options in mind so that you can easily enjoy some from the comfort of home.

Once you taste how good the food is at McAlister's, there's a fair chance that you'll be looking forward to future visits to explore more of the menu. Fans of McAlister's Deli should know that the company offers a generous rewards program that puts good use to every dollar spent there. As your points accumulate, the rewards increase in value all the way up to a free entrée.

Another bonus: Getting in on the rewards program will also shake loose the added benefit of a birthday treat from the restaurant. First launched in 2018, the rewards system was dreamed up by the company as a way to thank fans of the restaurant for their patronage (via Business Insider). 

To sweeten the pot and incentivize membership, McAlister's Deli even throws in the refreshing perk of a free tea right away when you sign up and officially join the rewards program. All in all, this deal makes total sense for those of us who consider ourselves fans of McAlister's Deli — and if you dig their food too, jumping on the rewards board is a wise way to get more bang for your buck.

On certain occasions, it's often preferable to sit back and let the pros handle the food. Whether you're organizing a corporate function for colleagues at work or just setting up for a party with your crew, sometimes it's best to hire the talents of a professional kitchen rather than having to navigate the culinary complexities of feeding a large group of people. Luckily for us, there are restaurants like McAlister's Deli that can step up to the plate and provide a catering service that takes the load off our shoulders.

The catering menu at McAlister's Deli offers an assortment of delectable options that include various sandwich trays, fresh salads, soups, and food bars with baked potatoes or macaroni and cheese, among other options. Fans of McAlister's catering rave about the great service, top-notch food, and generous portions. If you're planning an event on the earlier side, you could always opt for McAlister's breakfast menu, which offers cheesy egg sandwiches on buttery croissants, wraps, fresh fruit trays, Greek yogurt, and freshly-brewed coffee. No matter what type of event you're planning or the time of day it's taking place, McAlister's has a wide range of tasty catering options that you can take advantage of.

With a menu as wide-ranging as McAlister's, sometimes it can be challenging to settle on just one dish. Should you go for the steak and pepper sandwich with seared sirloin or a hearty bowl of chicken tortilla soup with cheese and peppers? Or maybe you just can't decide between the pecanberry salad with grilled chicken or a baked potato loaded with cheesy veggies. The good news is that McAlister's Deli offers a convenient choose two option that provides half portions of select items, making it easy to mix and match to get the best of both worlds.

Diners celebrate the choose two's expansive options and generous portions — while also praising the restaurant's signature sweet tea. Whether you're in the mood to get down on some ultimate nachos or enjoy a bright and flavorful grilled chicken salad with avocado and chili lime vinaigrette, the choose two option at McAlister's makes it easy to explore the menu. If you're undecided between a couple of dishes when you're looking over the menu, this is a wise way to go.

There's something irresistible about a flavorful, well-made chicken salad. Typically made with chunks of chicken that are mixed with celery, onions, and a touch of mayonnaise along with some basic seasonings, chicken salad is delicious and easy to eat on a sandwich or enjoy scooped on top of a fresh salad. A wide variety of different ingredients can appear in the recipe — and if you ask us, the best chicken salads always incorporate some cranberries. Nothing pops better than a fruity burst of cranberry to shine through savory shreds of chicken. Luckily, McAlister's Deli offers up its harvest chicken salad sandwich, which comes with a mouthwatering blend of cranberries and pecans.

Beyond the sweet tartness that the cranberries bring, the pecans lend their own exquisite blend of buttery sweetness that adds an extra layer of texture and tasty complexity. Diners often praise the harvest chicken salad's deliciousness when it's loaded inside of a croissant, while others enjoy it dolloped on top of a garden salad. If you're in the mood for chicken, this is a solid staple on the menu that's worth a try.

Even though McAlister's Deli is well-known for its sandwiches, it still has plenty of options to satisfy those cravings when you have a sweet tooth. One of its exceptionally delicious dessert options is the brookie — a holy union that converges the distinctly saccharine worlds of the brownie and the cookie into a single, unified form. By building a perfectly delectable bridge that connects these two classic sweet treats, McAlister's captures the best of both worlds in a single bite. When the softness of the brownie batter mixes with the crispness of the chocolate chip cookie, what we're left with is a highly satisfying treat that's sure to please.

Some diners love the brookie at McAlister's Deli so much that they've considered it "the star of the show" out of the entire meal. If a brookie doesn't sound up your alley, there are a handful of other desserts to pick from, including a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting and a slice of oreo cheesecake with thin streaks of chocolate ganache. If you're looking to finish up your meal at McAlister's Deli on a sweeter note, there's plenty to choose from — and the brookie is definitely one the tastiest options on the menu.

Another thing that sets McAlister's Deli apart from the pack is the fact that it's a spud-lover's paradise. Offering a handful of different types of baked potatoes is not only a great way for McAlister's Deli to distinguish itself from other brands, but it also provides diners with another fresh and filling option on the menu. There's no doubt that sometimes a loaded baked potato really hits the spot, and McCalister's cleverly capitalizes on the baked potato's potential for diversity by offering up various styles like southwest steak spud with jalapeños and black bean relish and the hearty Black Angus roast beef spud that's stuffed with thinly-sliced beef, cheddar and jack cheeses, along with some red onions and a drizzle of au jus.

Diners love these spuds for their enormous size, proving that a baked potato shouldn't be relegated to the sidelines as merely a side dish — it's also nourishing enough to deserve the warmth of the spotlight — and McAlister's Deli is happy to showcase the deliciousness of spuds on center stage. Other interesting options include the chipotle chicken and bacon spud with cheddar cheese and ranch along with the spud max that mixes cured sandwich meats with green onions, cheese, sour cream, and olives. The bottom line: Don't sleep on the spuds and be sure to score yourself one of these tasty, dressed-up root vegetables.

It's no secret that people go bonkers for the sweet tea at McAlister's Deli. Aside from selling it by the gallon, the restaurant also offers an annual free tea day that typically takes place at the perfect time: July, right in the middle of summer. So the next time you find yourself particularly parched on a hot summer day, it might be worth checking the calendar to see if you can swing by McAlister's Deli for a free cup of sweet tea to cool off.

The good news is that the offer stands for various flavors and lemonades too, so you get the luxury of picking out your favorite from a list of different refreshments. Even better — there's no purchase necessary, so you could theoretically just pop in, grab a tea, and count your blessings as you walk out the door. But let's be honest — it's hard to resist all those sandwiches on the menu, and we certainly won't blame you if you cough up a little cash to pair with that free tea.

The French Dip is one belly buster of a sandwich. Sliced roast beef is piled high, smothered with melted cheese, and stuffed inside of a toasted baguette with a side of au jus for dipping. The au jus adds some extra moisture to the toasted baguette while also bringing a savory dose of beefy flavor. Cheesy and rich, this sandwich packs a big punch — and the version at McAlister's Deli delivers.

Made with Black Angus roast beef and swiss, the French dip at McAlister's may not be reinventing the wheel, but it sure does nail all the right notes. Hearty, beefy, and oozing with buttery, melted swiss, the French dip at McAlister's is filling, tasty, and highly satisfying. Diners tend to praise the French dip's impressive size, noting how nice and hot the sandwich is (via Villages News). Others are impressed with how tasty the French dip is considering McAlister's Deli whips it up so quickly (via Trip Advisor). If you find yourself craving some roast beef while you're perusing the menu at McAlister's Deli, the French dip should be right up your alley.