Earl of Sandwich, Boston, MA USA

Ordered at the Earl of Sandwich in the international section of Terminal E at Boston's Logan Airport.

I was on my way to Bonnaroo music festival and I knew having a solid meal before the trip commenced would start me off well. But at the domestic section of Terminal E that Southwest and AirTran fly out of? Hmmm… That wasn’t where I was expecting to find ample food choices. I had been to the Virgin Terminal and that had one café kiosk.

Guess I was wrong – whew.

I walked through Terminal E Domestic, down some random hallways, up flights of stairs, and came across a large food court… Empty, yearning for passengers; why was this placed here? Ah, the International section in Terminal E. I now knew I would leave Boston Logan full, but which establishment should I dine at?

The world’s greatest hot sandwich? And a self-titled club sandwich? By The Earl? Earl of Sandwich? Ok, enough with asking myself questions – my mind was glued to the Earl of Sandwich. It had all the right marketing to draw me in.

“The Earl’s Club” was a registered trademark; a giant photo of it was hanging next to the cash register. How could I pass this by? Sorry – enough with the questions. I was hungry and that banana for breakfast did not fill me up. I was beyond excited to enjoy a club sandwich before my flight!

I paid for The Earl’s Club, got some chips (boring), and reached for my sandwich as the “chef” handed me my lunch. Wow that was a hot sandwich – the Earl wasn’t lying about that! Wrapped in a tinfoil shell, I felt giddy unwrapping this hot n fresh.

“Yum!” I thought to myself as I took my first bite. Not the most healthy, but definitely tasty. But here’s a spoiler alert: the sandwich got a little repetitive and boring as I kept eating.

Lightly cheesy. Nice tomato and lettuce. Great, crispy bread. The bacon added a nice smoky flavor, albeit wasn’t crispy at all. Turkey layered well and sliced thinner, a nice grounding ingredient for this club. But overall, it lacked a bit of that extra flavor you expect. The tastes of each ingredient didn’t enhance each other either – instead they just gave the sandwich a muted flavor. Like taking too many pretty watercolors, combining them, and ending up with a muddy brown.

The Earl’s Club was a little heavy for my liking as well… as I ate, it felt like I was plowing through something unhealthy. The Earl must have been a… more sizeable man than I. I couldn’t see myself eating a club like this on a daily basis. It didn’t feel fresh and the ingredients weren’t light nor flavorful; it felt more like a great alternative to Burger King or McDonalds. Even Pret a Manger is a level up from The Earl of Sandwich. Sorry, Earl. I couldn’t really finish his club and honestly, while it tasted nice, the fun wore off after half a sandwich.

I threw the rest in the garbage and I was off to Dunkin Donuts before my flight. I was full, no doubt about it, but next time I stumble upon that great food court in Terminal E at Boston’s Logan Airport, I will be dining elsewhere.

Oh and I have no idea what the “sandwich sauce” was but it made the Earl’s Club soggy and ended up masking the flavor of the other ingredients in many of the bites. Shoulda asked for this club sandwich without it.

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