The Toasted goal is to start a sandwich revolution, with bakery fresh bread delivered every morning and high quality meats sliced daily, all topped off with one of eight original and flavorful sauces. (Zhelun Lang/The Daily Campus)
Just one bite into my “Joey 6” sandwich and I was hooked. The crispy breaded chicken, perfectly melted mozzarella and marinara sauce toasted to perfection was pretty much heaven in my mouth. My first impression of Storrs Center’s newest restaurant, Toasted, was truly pure delight.
Toasted’s mission statement addresses its goal to start a sandwich revolution, with bakery fresh bread delivered every morning and high quality meats sliced daily, all topped off with one of eight original and flavorful sauces. Toasted makes sure every sandwich has melted cheese, warm toasted bread, and delectable sauce to ensure the customer gets the best possible flavor.
What started as a couple’s food truck in Hartford in 2013 has now grown to two restaurant locations. The first restaurant was opened in 2015 and is located right by the XL Center at 188 Asylum Street in Hartford. The second ‘Toasted’ restaurant just had the grand opening of its Storrs location at 33 Wilbur Cross Way on Friday, Oct. 14th.
At Toasted, customers have the option of choosing from one of a number of Toasted original sandwiches or building their own toast, picking from a selection of meats, cheeses and sauces to meet their own desires. Toasted also offers customers the choice of eating half a sandwich and getting a salad or soup of the day in a Panera Bread-style “Pick Two” deal.
When I walked in, I personally struggled for about five minutes trying to decide whether I wanted a sweet toast sandwich, such as a s’more flavored toast or a Nutella banana toast or something more traditional like a buffalo chicken sandwich. I ultimately decided to get the ‘Joey 6’ that includes breaded chicken, mozzarella and marinara sauce as mentioned above, and I did not regret it one bit.
Toasted also sells Nora’s cupcakes in a number of cool flavors such as chocolate peanut butter explosion, which I regretfully did not get myself, but would recommend to anyone who has never had Nora’s cupcakes. Furthermore, the restaurant makes its own fresh smoothies in strawberry, mango and peach flavors for customers looking for an alternative to fountain drinks.
“I thought it was very good overall and I’ll definitely come back,” said fifth-semester actuarial science major Jake Missal. “I don’t think it’s too overpriced compared to other restaurants at Storrs Center, but I do wish you got a little more for the price. The smoothies are nice too, but not the best I’ve ever had.”
Other students who tried out the new restaurant for the first time gave it some very positive reviews.
“It looks very modern and has a friendly staff. It is definitely the best place to get sandwiches on campus.” said Keregan Schoenherr, a fifth-semester computer science major. “I was worried the sandwich might not be worth the price at $8.50 per sandwich, but it turned out to be a decent amount of food.”
Fifth semester Digital Media Design major, Matthew Bilmes agreed, “It is a little overpriced at $8.50, but it is definitely very yummy. The chili is really good too and I will definitely eat here again. I do wish that the Nora’s cupcakes were a little cheaper though, because they look really good.”
All in all, it seems like Toasted is the new place to be at Storrs Center. If you’re looking for a good sandwich, whether it’s for breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert, then Toasted is the place for you. Check it out for yourself and see if you want to join the sandwich revolution too!
Chris Hanna is a staff writer for The Daily Campus. He can be reached via email at christopher.hanna@uconn.edu.