Great Harvest is like the small mom and pop answer to Panera. It’s a franchise, but one that allows the owner to make the store truly unique. Take, for example, the Great Harvest that opened up in Pittsburgh’s East Liberty not too long ago. It features a bunch of local Pittsburgh food, plus sandwiches and breads chosen by the owner. And since the afternoon was ripe for a sandwich, Great Harvest seemed like a good place to be.
I ultimately decided to get the Chimichurri Roast Beef sandwich, which came with provolone cheese and a choice of breads. Looking them over, I went with the Everything Sourdough, which is like an everything bagel, except that it is bread. I also asked if it came with any surprises and was told it had lettuce, tomatoes and onion as well. These wouldn’t do, so I ordered without and awaited my sandwich.
To say I was disappointed by what I saw would be an understatement. Someone had the audacity to place a pickle right smack in between the two sides of the sandwich. I made quick work of removing it and rearranging the basket to avoid pickle juice damage, but the mental anguish was already there. After this, the sandwich was quite fine and in fact the ingredients were quite good. Well, except for the bread, which I found to be…well…boring. But as an avid eater of Great Harvest breads in the past, I know this is was more of a one-off of a bad choice of breads. After all, when breads like Popeye and Golden Cheddar exist, there is no reason to order something as simple as sourdough. You know, unless you’re in a boring mood.
So, while my sandwich may have just turned out okay, I am fortunate in knowing that Great Harvest is capable of better. And it is certainly worth checking out if you haven’t yet.
