{"id":17941,"date":"2015-01-09T09:43:41","date_gmt":"2015-01-09T19:43:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/?p=17941"},"modified":"2020-12-28T19:20:28","modified_gmt":"2020-12-29T05:20:28","slug":"review-subway-monterey-chicken-melt-with-subways-new-grilled-chicken-strips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2015\/01\/09\/review-subway-monterey-chicken-melt-with-subways-new-grilled-chicken-strips\/","title":{"rendered":"REVIEW: Subway Monterey Chicken Melt with Subway’s New Grilled Chicken Strips"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Subway<\/a><\/p>\n

I\u2019m told that Monterey, California is a beautiful waterfront community with awesome beaches and amazing weather, but I\u2019ve never been there so I\u2019m forced to take the propaganda from the city\u2019s website at its word. Likewise, I\u2019m told Subway\u2019s new Monterey Chicken Melt comes with improved grilled chicken strips which contain no artificial flavors or preservatives, and taste better because they are better.<\/p>\n

Whatever that means.<\/p>\n

Naturally suspicious of a chain which claims to have single-handedly <\/a>condensed one giant man into a single pants leg, this is not a claim I can submit to without a little verification.<\/p>\n

\"Subway<\/a><\/p>\n

Subway likes its slogan \u201cEat Fresh,\u201d but when your oven roasted chicken consists of a somewhat flabby and unnaturally opaque breast of what, presumably, was once a chicken, you\u2019ve earned the right to be called out on the freshness front. For those of you who enjoy the slightly chewy texture and brothy flavor notes of the roasted chicken breast, I have good news. The sandwich to the left features it in all its glory, right on down to the fake black grill marks which are apparently part of the \u201croasting\u201d process.<\/p>\n

Those marks, believe it or not, look suspiciously similar to the ones on the new grilled chicken strips.<\/p>\n

Fortunately we speak of two different breasts. <\/p>\n

\"Subway<\/a><\/p>\n

The grilled chicken strips on the Monterey Chicken Melt have a much less artificial and salty flavor, while also giving off a pleasant, albeit mild, char-grilled taste which could almost pass as smoky. The portion in a six-inch sub is modest, and the strips lack the proverbial if not injected juiciness of the \u201croasted\u201d chicken breast, but the flavor is respectable by fast food standards. <\/p>\n

While nowhere near as fresh or authentically chargrilled as <\/a>Chick-fil-A\u2019s Grilled Chicken, I enjoyed the new strips, and enjoyed them on Subway’s \u201cnew\u201d sub, which is really just a combination of cheese and protein when you think about it.<\/p>\n

\"Subway<\/a><\/p>\n

And let me be real with you here: the new chicken is an improvement, but the Monterey Cheddar makes this sub. It melts perfectly\u2014neither oozing oil nor turning elastic\u2014and adds a subtle milky tanginess, lactic sweetness, and complexity to the sandwich. The vegetables\u2014Subway\u2019s usual combination of tomato, cucumbers, spinach, peppers, and red onion\u2014are fresh and purpose serving, but the sub still tasted a little plain. <\/p>\n

I get that Subway wants to keep the attention on the chicken and the cheese, but not marketing the sub with a sauce proves a blunder. At the very least, I\u2019d recommend customizing it with your favorite from Subway\u2019s offerings.<\/p>\n

\"Subway<\/a><\/p>\n

Subway\u2019s Monterey Chicken Melt isn\u2019t very revolutionary, and can more or less be ordered with a Roasted Chicken breast\u2014fake grill marks and salty rib meat aftertaste and all\u2014at fifty cents less than the advertised sub with the new grilled chicken. I did just that, and found it tasty in its own way, the cheese playing a more profound role in offsetting the overly chicken broth flavor of the roasted breast. Still, the flavor of the two sandwiches wasn\u2019t substantially different given the toppings, and had I ordered the same sauce on both my subs, I imagine the flavors would be even more similar.<\/p>\n

So does that mean the new, \u201cexpertly\u201d prepared grilled chicken is a sham?<\/p>\n

Does that mean Monterey\u2019s beaches are actually full of shipwrecked catamarans and the weather is really a none-too-balmy -26 degrees? <\/p>\n

Probably not, but what it does mean is that if you\u2019re loading up your sub with fixings, cheese, and sauce, you probably won\u2019t notice the modest, but authentic, grilled taste of the new strips. That\u2019s ok with me. Sometimes less is more\u2014a fact I know the guy they shoved into one pants leg would agree with.<\/p>\n

(Nutrition Facts \u2013 6-inch sub on Hearty Italian \u2013 360 calories, 80 calories from fat, 9 grams of fat, 4 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 65 milligrams of cholesterol, 580 milligrams of sodium, 45 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 7 grams of sugar, and 27 grams of protein.)<\/small><\/p>\n

Item:<\/b> Subway Monterey Chicken Melt with Subway’s New Grilled Chicken Strips
\nPurchased Price:<\/b> $4.75
\nSize:<\/b> 6-inch sub
\nPurchased at:<\/b> Subway
\nRating:<\/b> 6 out of 10
\nPros:<\/b> Not the same chicken as the roasted chicken. Good, authentic, and non-artificial tasting char-grilled flavor. Clean tasting chicken strips lack the enhanced chewiness of typical fast food roasted or grilled chicken. Monterey Cheddar finally getting its due. Researching possible vacation sites amidst another East Coast polar-vortex.
\nCons:<\/b> Subtle grill flavor might be a little bland for some. Still not as juicy or flavorful as Chick-fil-A\u2019s grilled chicken breast. Lack of a sauce fails to make the flavors pop. Bread-to-meat ratio lags behind premium sub chains.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I\u2019m told that Monterey, California is a beautiful waterfront community with awesome beaches and amazing weather, but I\u2019ve never been there so I\u2019m forced to take the propaganda from the city\u2019s website at its word. Likewise, I\u2019m told Subway\u2019s new Monterey Chicken Melt comes with improved grilled chicken strips which contain no artificial flavors or […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1440],"tags":[1477,21],"class_list":["post-17941","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews","tag-fast-food","tag-subway"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":17926,"url":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2015\/01\/02\/fast-food-news-subway-monterey-chicken-melt-with-subways-new-grilled-chicken-strips\/","url_meta":{"origin":17941,"position":0},"title":"FAST FOOD NEWS: Subway Monterey Chicken Melt with Subway’s New Grilled Chicken Strips","author":"Marvo","date":"January 2, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Update: Click here to read out Subway Monterey Chicken Melt review Subway has new grilled chicken strips, which should not be confused with their old oven roasted chicken. Even though, their oven roasted chicken looks like the unsliced version of these new grilled chicken strips, they are not the same.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Fast Food News"","block_context":{"text":"Fast Food News","link":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/category\/fast-food-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Subway Monterey Chicken Melt","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/Subway-Monterey-Chicken-Melt.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/Subway-Monterey-Chicken-Melt.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/Subway-Monterey-Chicken-Melt.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":18143,"url":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2015\/03\/03\/fast-food-news-subway-turkey-italiano-melt\/","url_meta":{"origin":17941,"position":1},"title":"FAST FOOD NEWS: Subway Turkey Italiano Melt","author":"Marvo","date":"March 3, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Subway has a new melt. By the way, have you noticed Subway has been calling most, if not all, their new sandwiches, Melts? Monterey Chicken Melt. Fritos Chicken Enchilada Melt. Honey Sesame Melt. Sriracha Chicken Melt. Tuscan Chicken Florentine Melt. I guess \"Melt\" sounds more appetizing than \"Sub\" or \"Sandwich.\"\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Fast Food News"","block_context":{"text":"Fast Food News","link":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/category\/fast-food-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Subway Turkey Italiano Melt","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Subway-Turkey-Italiano-Melt.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Subway-Turkey-Italiano-Melt.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Subway-Turkey-Italiano-Melt.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15782,"url":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2013\/11\/20\/review-subway-sriracha-chicken-melt\/","url_meta":{"origin":17941,"position":2},"title":"REVIEW: Subway Sriracha Chicken Melt","author":"Marvo","date":"November 20, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"\"Would you like your tomatoes toasted?\" the Subway sandwich maker asked after I told her I'd like to try their Sriracha Chicken Melt with Italian bread. \"Fancy schmancy!\" I unintentionally blurted out loud in an old woman's voice, and then followed that with a nod of my head. My excitement\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Reviews","link":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/category\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Subway Sriracha Chicken Melt","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/farm6.staticflickr.com\/5487\/10969682244_62b37f6ca4.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":45227,"url":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2020\/10\/21\/subway-franks-red-hot-buffalo-chicken-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":17941,"position":3},"title":"REVIEW: Subway Frank\u2019s Red Hot Buffalo Chicken","author":"Brandon","date":"October 21, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"To fully understand Subway\u2019s plight, first, think of the worst thing that has been written about you in the press over the past few years. I\u2019ll give it a second\u2026 okay, good. Next, compare that to the sandwich maven. 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