Walgreens Sandwich Dare: Am I Really Doing This?
Being a man of my word, I headed over to the new Walgreens in Times Square to try one of their *ahem* sandwiches. Now, let me just say this: on the walk over there, a lot of thoughts went through my mind. “How do I get out of this?” “I don’t really have to do this, do I?” ”There are good excuses I could make” But I finally settled on this… I was going to do it. Why not? Sure, daring me to eat a sandwich at Walgreens is kind of against the spirit of my initial deal to eat anything in Midtown I was dared to eat… but that’s ok. My stomach has been through worse… it could handle a crappy, pre-packaged deli sandwich from a pharmacy. Right?
That of course was before I knew what I was up against…
Let me just quick restate this… I WAS 100% GOING TO EAT ONE OF THESE SANDWICHES WHEN I STEPPED INTO THAT WALGREENS. But what nobody told me was this… the sandwiches at Walgreens are not like the sandwiches at say a 7-11. They aren’t made at Walgreens. They aren’t even made *by* Walgreens at some centrally located Walgreens owned kitchen (which I’m assuming is how it works at 7-11.) They’re made by a company called “Beantown”, and then vacuum packed in plastic, and placed in paper bags before being sold. Let me say this again… vacuum… packed… in… plastic. These aren’t just pre-packaged crappy deli sandwiches. These are cry-o-vac’d monstrosities that may or may not have been made weeks ago, before being sealed and maybe or maybe not shipped all the way from a place like Boston (that’s the only ‘Beantown’ I know.)
Fuck that. If you see something weird or gross, and think “gee, I wonder if that’s good. It may be disgusting, but it may be decent…” that’s the kind of thing you can dare me eat. $3 tripe from a cart. Why not. Banana sushi? Bring it on. (Hell, I even ate at Tad’s!) Seeing something you know is going to be gross, that you or I would never eat in a million years- well, daring me to eat that is just torture. And I will not submit myself to torture. Cop out? Maybe. But the grossness I consume on a daily basis, is reason enough for me to be mildly ashamed in front of my friends and family. I’m not adding Walgreens to that list.
In other words, the line must be drawn somewhere… and I’m drawing it here. After all, if I submit myself to be dared to eat anything, then what’s next? “Hey Zach, I took a dump in a bag, sealed it in plastic, and left it on the corner of 51st Street and 6th Ave. I dare you to eat it.” Actually, you know what… that might be more appetizing than these sandwiches. Do I like to eat poop? No. But if you held a gun to my head, and gave me a choice between the two, I’m just saying I wouldn’t automatically go for the Walgreens sandwich.
The $1 mini-bags of chocolate covered pretzels and butter toffee peanuts I spotted on my way out… now those are a different story. (I couldn’t end the post with me saying I would eat a bag of poop, right?)
Posted: 4:00 pm, January 21st, 2009 under Dare, Sandwiches.
65 Comments | RSS comments feed for this post
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65 Comments
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I need to add that to the post… thanks!
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One on the Right…that looks like the steak you had @ Tad’s…i mean the Same exact steak.
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Aww! Man@! You got me all excited, I was ready to comment wildly about how you should have gotten the egg salad with extra mayo and then this?? Nothing??
I’m disappointed…. I may have to take on this challenge for you and throw in a side by side taste test with the 7-11 ones….. er…. maybe not…. got any strip clubs I can review instead?
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@ Mamacita – Done and done! In fact, I dare anyone to eat one of these sandwiches, and then tell me I made the wrong decision.
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Gay Superman woulda done it.
Jason Perlow would of done it…..if only for the rapid weight loss that would of resulted.
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does she have to eat the whole thing? They may need to keep the remainder for testing/evidence.
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That’s so lame. Obviously someone eats those sandwiches, walgreens wouldn’t sell them if no-one at them. You’d eat at chicken house, the grimest place in midtown, and you get freaked out by a sterile sandwich? So lame. You’re going to have to go the extra mile and do something crazy to regain my respect. pffft.
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Brownie: “Why are you eating THAT?”
Me: “Zach told me to.”Post post-haste.
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Zach, I always knew eventually something you shouldn’t eat, you wouldn’t eat. I am proud of you.
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Wow, totally weak. Do the right thing and eat the sandwich.
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I agree Bourbon. This is the weakest sauce I’ve ever seen on ML. Its a freaking sandwich. The brits eat sandwiches this way all the time. They sell them at gas stations. They taste fine. Is vacuum sealing toxic? You’re a big baby. I’ll eat 2 of those right now. Cake walk.
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Zach, me and Blondie are going to grab one of these sandwiches, and go to an Irish Pub to down some whiskey to kill the germs.
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Pussy
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If this is barely above gas station food, it’s about on par with the shit they serve in public schools. I bet a teenager would down three of these and make all you look like wimps. Fuck it- I’ll smoke a joint and show you guys how its done.
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These are not above gas station food, they are below… gas station food has an expiration date maybe a few days out at most. These would survive a nuclear holocaust.
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I have a bad *TWITCH* habit of breathing through my open mouth while sleeping, so given the fact that I live within DocChuck’s *TWITCH* wart-infested butthole, I do tend to eat more than my share of shit. Trust me, go with the sandwich. The big steakhouses charge extra for dry-aged steaks, right? Think of it *TWITCH* as getting dry-aged on the cheap. Oh, and lest I forget….I will gladly bite your nuts off. Especially McBeagles.
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I am willing eat one of those sandwiches. I have seen people eat poop on a bet—this is not nearly as bad. If someone’s buying, I will do it…
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I find it interesting that this is where you draw the line. I have to say that I think you made the right decision, and I think the reasoning is simple: Just isn’t worth it. A crappy sandwich is a crappy sandwich, regardless of the value. (Want a cheap sandwich? Make one at home.) With zero upside, there’s no reason to take the risk, perceived or otherwise. I think by not eating the sandwich you have in fact defended the integrity of Midtown Lunch.
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You buy food from anonymous unlicensed people standing on the street selling shit illegally that they made in their home with no idea about the sanitation, storage, source ingredients or skill….people who just randomly show up on a sidewalk every now and then with a stack of styrofoam containers…..and you balk at sandwiches made by a company that is accountable to health inspectors and other governmental agencies, giant corporate customers (Walgreens in this case) not to mention shareholders/investors. ???????????? Obviously a company can screw up just as easily as an individual, but your risk/reward paradigm has gotten severely messed up.
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@Ben – Yes! Yes to all of it… that is exactly what I’m saying. In fact, I would say that is the whole premise of Midtown Lunch.
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Please don’t tell me that as a drunk kid in your late teens/early 20s you didn’t go into 7-11 and eat the hot dog that had been rotating for months? We all did – it’s a rite of passage. This is much less harmful to your health. Take a few shots, get some courage, and eat a sandwich!
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Great Post Zach.
I think one of you midtowners needs to take the bullet for Zach, go out and eat one of these things and report back. I’d like to see a photo of the sandwich opened up too.. just out of curiosity :)
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I lived on sandwiches from Tescos when I lived in Edinburgh for a year. I don’t know why, other than that they were cheap. But I would definitely say that, “The British do it all the time!” is definitely not an argument in favor of those sandwiches.
Don’t do it. It’s not that you’re denying yourself a really crappy meal. It’s taht you’re denying yourself a meal with absolutely nothing to it. It’s possible to stay alive eating those sandwiches, but that’s about it. No real taste, no real benefit, nothing really even to say after you’ve had them other than, “Well, that wasn’t very good.”
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I think your credibility is worth more than a potential case of food poisoning or death.
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i was a pledge at a fraternity at Univ of Michigan…needless to say, i have eaten much worse. just name which one you want to see eaten.
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if you get sick from it, you can use it for a ton of good pr just like the d-bag, i mean the feedbag, josh ozersky is doing with his gout http://www.the-feedbag.com/
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come on, zach, they’re affiliated with slush puppies….how bad could it be?!
http://www.garberbros.com/programs.cfm
besides, they claim that they have the “taste to keep customers coming back for more!”
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I’m outta town for a couple of days, but when I return I will definitely buy and eat 1-2 of these sandwiches, and report back.
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I have to say…I’m a little disappointed, Zach.
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Napoleon… Waterloo
Zimmern …. Durian
Brooks …. Walgreen’s
You stand amongst legends Zach … judged only by history
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I am waiting for when I can call Dominos and get some oven baked sandwiches to feed the fat hole in DocChuck’s face. You ever see what this giant assed mofo will eat? How about someone try those out? I think having sandwiches at Walgreen’s is great thinking. When I pick up the Viagara and large cocktail of medications for the Chuckster I can grab some meaty sandwiches to slide under the door. You got to move quick you could lose your whole hand.
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I’d eat those sandwiches. But you eat a lot of places I wouldn’t like Tad’s or street food.
Not sure what this means?
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I’ll eat five of those right now. I love those things. Why does anyone think that going to a deli and talking a to an inept, harried, rude person behind a counter to get an overpriced sandwich produces better quality food?
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For 3.99 I’d eat one. I think it does go against Midtown Lunch’s premise that you won’t try it… I mean isn’t it to try new foods that are cheap that will have readers making it a regular place? Hell if it’s half way decent I might just go again in these dire of times.
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“The British do it all the time!”
That’s what i hear from Rudy!
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I’ve had the mayonnaise on bread they call sandwiches from Tesco in Britain. They are not.
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Mama!!!!
We invented the Sarnie/Butty.
Although i have seen similar products as above at outlets in Kingscross Station.And i do get a Tuna on wholewheat from the Pret girl once a week,but thats more to do with the Tyler type looks than the said sarnie.
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well my problem with this is that you didn’t eat the sandwich b/c you thought you would get sick… if you didn’t eat it out of the principles of midtown lunch that would be different – i’d totally support you if it was the latter, but since it was the former, i will join the disappointed group on this one
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@Will – where does it say I was afraid of getting sick? i wasn’t afraid of that… it was on principle.
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Zach has principles?
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@Mamacita: Email me a time. I’ve put much worse in my body than this.
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Blondie, there’s a line there…but im far too much of a gentleman….
I’ll leave it to Wayne.
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My dear wife’s first caberet act was as “Divine.” She had been decamping with a group of transsexuals (please do not ask why … we were experiencing a “rough patch” in our relationship) who convinced her it would be a good idea. Well, she agreed (during a moment of white zin-fueled weakness) and they found her a tightfitting leopard dress like “Divine” wore in Female Trouble (she still wears that dress it on occasion today!). Long story short, they insisted that the show conclude dramatically with my wife eating a handful of dog turds (apparantly “Divine” enjoyed doing this, which may be why she died at such an early age). Being young and impressionable, my wife agreed, thinking that she would be consuming the real thing. In the end, though, her friends supplied her with tootsie rolls !! Which is probably a good thing, as she had seen her share of parasites, having operated a commercial kennel for years.
The lesson for you here, Zach, is that if my wife was willing to eat dog turds to further her career, the least you can do to further yours is eat a $4 sandwich from a drugstore. Please make sure you eat it IN the Walgreens, as they have antibiotics on hand there.
Good luck young man.
Cheers,
Chuck -
I have a feeling there’s going to be a long line of true believers at Walgreen’s today.
See you there around 1:00.
And see you at New York Presbyterian around 5:00.
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Please send photos! I can’t wait to be vindicated…
“Overheard in New York” today at Walgreens: “Wow, there really is no reason to eat these sandwiches.”
Wait until you see the shrink wrap… it’s just weird. Without the shrink wrap, I would have eaten one.
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weak.
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The shrink wrap makes me feel yucky inside. Zach has a lot to live for, people! Although I’m fairly certain you wouldn’t get sick, you probably wouldn’t be all that pleased with the result anyway. Shots afterwards necessary to cleanse your mouth of that taste.
I got your back, Zach. Haha… that reminds me of that Saved by the Bell episode where Zack runs for president and Max (of The Max) has an apron that says “I back Zack” … -
WTF! You’d think this was a shock TV stunt/dare. Have a bite or two of the sandwich and review. Don’t be a fucking pussy or I will stop commenting in the “your comment” box.. amen
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~Hungry Bitch~
LMFAO.
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I’d gladly eat this and post photos, but there’s no walgreens downtown. Anyway, I’m full from my incredible, can’t beat it toasty, large $4.33 prime rib and peppercorn sandwich from Quiznos. Has to be the best deal ever! MMMM toasty.
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The Walgreens Double Cheeseburger Bulkie was maybe the worst thing I’ve ever eaten. The Turkey + Cheese Sub was actually not that bad:
http://www.winedanddined.com/2009/01/walgreens-midtown-lunch-dare/
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Fantastic job, Wined & Dined! The turkey sub looks much better than the infamous Continental Airlines turkey sub which I’ve been on the wrong end of more than once. Hats off to you for going for the most challenging entree – the Bulkie.
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@ Cosilicious – now that you mention it, the turkey & sub tastes exactly like one of those pre-made sandwiches you get on an airline. good call.
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Wined & Dined = Awesome
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W&D , clicked on your link.
You Sir are a food hero.Unlike the above mentioned Brooks;whom seems to of gone somewhat gay.
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W&D,
You’re good ppl by me. That turkey sub doesn’t look bad at all. And for 4 bucks, that’s a steal. The burger looks weak, and I know you only bought it for shock value, but a job well done. We can chill anytime. You’ve got yourself a new fan.
Zach, you are on thin ice. Step up to the challenge and reclaim some dignity.
When I first saw this site, you totally transformed the way I think about midtwon lunch. I never once tried Street Meat and now I eat it 2-3 days a week. Biryani Kart and Kwik Meal are my favorite places to eat. I get Indian buffet and food from a news stand because you told me to. There were two mottos: lunch under $10 and have an open mind.
Restore our faith in you and eat a sandwich. Please, for the sake of midtown-lunchers everywhere. I’ll gladly come with you for moral support if you want.
Sincerely,
DougieC -
Thanks for the kind words Dougiec. I’m still tasting that double cheeseburger. It was abso-f’in-lutely disgusting. I’m scared to google what some of those chemicals are on the ingredients list. My wife just told me I’m sleeping on the couch…oh well, it was worth it.
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Upon closer inspection they look no worse than what you would get at 7-11 and they do have an expiration date (they’re only good for 3 days according to the wrapper). Not that scary and not that big a deal.
Weak.
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Dude, those things were frightening. I’m going to have nightmares.
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@ Vishal – you’re not exactly correct on your expiration date conclusion that the sandwiches are only good for 3 days. while it is true that the double cheeseburger bulkie had an expiration date of 1/25/09 on the wrapper, it does not mean that it was put out today (was probably sitting there for a week or two at least). if you look closer at the turkey and cheese sub wrapper you will notice that it has an expiration date of 2/5/09. you can do the math bud.
zach runs MidtownLunch, not Man vs. Food. there really is no reason to eat those sandwiches as zach says. even people on food stamps would be better served by $1 hot dogs and street card food. i ate the sandwiches for the fun of it and because i’ve eaten alot worse as a fraternity pledge.
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My girlfriend’s had a Walgreen ham and swiss but she said the worst sandwich she’s ever had was at a bachlerette party. Maybe it wasn’t catered very well, I don’t know.
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is that a meatball hero on the right? i’d try that one…looks tasty and for $3.99 you can’t beat that!!
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@ howard beale ii: are you sure that the sandwich to which your girlfriend referred at the bachelorette party was actually food?
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Wuss.
This is coming from someone who ate at Tad’s, Im little suprised Zach.