Lunch Rolls

Closed??? I thought that it was supposed to be temporary.
*angrily shakes fist in the air*

Friendly service, convenient, kinda fast, but flavor is lacking. I appreciate all of the side orders, mac n cheese, potatoes, salads and soups that are vegetarian too.
The selection of sandwiches come on rolls or pitas now which are great. They have daily specials for $ 5, roll with a soda… but no side. You can get a deal with roll, soda, and side for almost $ 9 – pretty steep.
I have tried to buffalo chicken – kinda bland and has weird watery chopped celery and the chicken ceasar… where they actually put the croutons in the pita… the crunch was very odd.
I will have to try the whitefish and maybe the buffalo chicken without that celery topping in the future.
Great healthy spot for the loop though!

I’ve found my next lunch obsession. Which as any office worker in Anycity USA can attest; You walk a 10 block radius around your office building. You find a place that you love. You eat there everyday for a month. Then you get terribly sick of it and never eat there again.
Anyway,
A BBQ Beef Brisket. On Wheat Pita. I ask for light sauce. Tasty and satisfying. Lean meat, not too stringy, not fatty.
A Banana Bread Pudding. its bread, its banana, its pudding. Like Voltron, its greater than the sum of its parts.
Yeah I need to try a few other things on the menu. I’m sure I won’t be disappointed. But I think this combo is gonna do me for the next 4 weeks. Anyway, the place looks clean and well run. The staff is friendly. And as another reviewer said before «Scratch Cooking on a roll concept is gold».

My friend and I decided to make the trek north to Lunch Rolls and we were not disappointed! You have the option to order your meal in a sandwich roll, a pita bread, or a salad. I opted to get the bbq beef brisket combo which included a side order and a drink. The bbq beef brisket was delicious! The mac and cheese sucked. But overall a lot of flavor in the beef brisket which I was quite pleased with. My friend ordered the jambalaya and said it was extremely spicy but very good. Thanks to groupon for letting us know about this place!
There is a lot of seating in the restaurant, but gets quite busy at 12 noon so make sure to beat the rush if you dont want to wait!

I was thoroughly impressed with this place. I have walked by it many times. Every time I walked by, I kept telling myself that I need to try this place out. My wife and I decided to do lunch here one day.
They don’t have the larges size menu at all but I still had a very difficult time making a decision on what it is that I should have for lunch. Everything sounded really good. I finally ended up ordering the pulled pork. They gave me the wrong kind of bread but the pork was so yummy that I really didn’t even give a hoot.
The staff was super friendly and quick, the place was clean and the prices were relatively reasonable. Since I had suck a difficult time deciding on what I wanted, I am going to have to go back again and again to try more or their tasty sandwiches.

I’m a super picky eater. Probably one of the pickiest in the world. Actually I’m pretty sure I should win a spot in the Genus Book of World Records for pickiest eater.
I do not like a single one of the sandwiches that Lunch Rolls offers but I know that you can do a three side lunch so I figured I would go when a friend wanted to meet and pick three sides. Lucky me!
If there were a few more sides to pick from I may have been a littler happier. So I picked a hodge podge of sides including a cesar salad, mac and cheese, and on this particular day they had fresh green beans. The green beans were a little to greasy for me and the salad needed a little more salad dressing. I really did like the mac and cheese though. I would get that again but getting me to go back will be really difficult.
Also what’s with that watermelon lemonade? Apparently I don’t get that either. I took 3 sips and gave that to my friend immediately. Good thing she liked it.
So if anyone has a contact at Genus send them my way.

The best way to cure a hangover is with another drink. So I have visions of transforming my office into a labryinth of Mad Men decanters. While the plans are being drawn up, Lunch Rolls provides temporary relief. Their jambalaya and steak on a roll concoctions work amazing magic on headaches and fogginess. 6 reasons why:
Quick
Juicy
Hoagie-​esque (you channel Cliff Huxtable while eating them)
Affordable (cheaper and leaps better then Cosi)
Contains quality carcass
375 second jaunt from work (421 with a headwind)
This scratch cooking on a roll concept is gold.

Hated the whitefish sandwich — was EXTREMELY fishy. It left an aftertaste like I bit into a gland. Tried also the chili (watery), BBQ beef brisket (pretty good), and the cajun shrimp jambalaya (just ok). The ratio of bread to innards is too high, and it just didn’t impress. I think the idea was to let the bread/​pita soak up the sauces of each sandwich, but there just isn’t a lot of sauce to begin with. $ 6.50 for such sandwiches is just meh. However, the banana bread pudding was a surprise! Soft, warm, and topped with caramel (?) and just melts with each bite you take!

What a lovely addition to my normal lunch go-to’s. It’s the sister to Salad Spinners, so you know it has to be good. They have a $ 5 lunch special which includes a sandwich of the day + drink. They have lots of good meats and vegetarian options, in additon to some fabulous sides (cheesy potatoes… yes please). I had the brisket chili today and it was perfect. A little smoky, spicy and plenty of meat. For sandwiches, the Moroccan lamb is the way to go. Tender, flavorful… mmmmmmmmmm.
Overall, the portions are good, EVERYthing is seasoned well and they’re GREEN!

I try to be open-​minded and try new menu items, so when I saw that Lunch Rolls offered a grilled veggie sandwich, I thought I’d try that. BIG mistake. I am typically a fan of grilled veggie (minus mushrooms, which I can take or leave, but are never a deal breaker), but this was the WORST grilled veggie dish I’ve ever had. The «sweet balsamic glaze» offered no flavor once so ever, and the veggies alternated between being extremely overcooked mush and undercooked in a most unappealing way. There were some veggies on the sandwich that neither of us could even identify (and tasted horrible). I felt really disappointed that I spent almost NINE dollars on a lackluster sandwich and can of sparkling water.
The other thing I must comment on is the bread. We both had the «House Roll,» which you would assume is going to be something special, considering the name of the establishment features ROLL in the name. Sadly, not. This is nothing better than a grocery store roll. Honestly, Subway has more flavorful rolls. I assume the pita would be good, and if I do venture back, that might be the route I take.
I give this place 2 stars instead of 1 based on the quite appetizing looking/​smelling meatball sub my companion had and the fact that they have an awesome selection of drinks. Instead of your typical sugary sodas and Diet Coke as your lonely calorie-​free choice, they actually have Sprite Zero and two varieties of sparkling water. That was almost enough to make me smile after that horrendous example of a veggie sandwich.
Oh, and they also might want to consider checking what «vegan» means. I am not one myself, but the last I checked there was not feta cheese on a «vegan» item…

I never had a chance to eat at Spa, but Lunch Rolls itself wasn’t spectacular or terrible. I’m quite disappointed, however, that the menus they handed out are different from the menus posted in the restaurant. Case in point, the Chicago Steakhouse sandwich, which lists its on the to-​go menu as being accompanied by caramelized onions and tomatoes is disparate with the in-​house menu which lists it with pickled vegetables (yuck) and some tomato-​salsa hybrid. The take-​out menu also lists a whole wheat roll and lettuce roll as options for your sandwiches, which are disappointingly absent from the in-​house menu as well.
At least be accurate for chrissakes.
Minus one for the lunchtime morons who eat here. There is a clear queue with stanchions situated adjacent to where orders are called, but a group of 6 ahead of me assumed that, because they were eating in the dining room, they would be served at their tables. One of them said, «Why are they calling 83? I’m sitting right here.» No, bitch, you and your five friends get up and get your food like the other 48 519 812 people standing here waiting patiently while your trays clog up the pick-​up counter.
As for the food itself, I would caution against the pita, because anything saucy or juicy will tear it up and turn it into a dripping, sticky mess. The actual steak, however, is quite excellent, (plus 1 star) but those pickled veggies kind of grossed me out.
I might try it in a salad, however, but I don’t anticipate being compelled to visit this place again anytime soon.

Well, this is basically a sandwich shop. Sure they call them «rolls» but they are sandwiches. Well, you can also get a wrap, but a wrap is essentially just a sandwich in a different shape. However, they do offer salads now, which is a relatively new feature. I think they replaced the lettuce wraps, which seem like they would have been logistically challenging.
Now that we’ve established this, we know what we’re getting ourselves into. They don’t have a huge assortment. There are 9 or so standard rolls on the menu, and when I’ve gone there have been 3 special Rolls of the Day, so let’s say you have 12 sandwiches from which to choose. They also offer roughly a dozen sides, including a Side of the Day and a couple Soups of the Day. But the rolls include vegetarian/​vegan, turkey, chicken, pork (sometimes), seafood, lamb and beef, so there’s still a wide range of choices in the seemingly meager assortment. I don’t believe there is a create your own sandwich option, but I could be wrong.
You can choose from the house roll (basically a little loaf of white bread) or a wheat pita (or a salad). The pita could be good, but I have a feeling it’s actually worse for you than the house roll. I would try a salad some time. But if you get a salad, be aware that it’s basically the sandwich innards on a bed of lettuce… there is no dressing per se.
I have tried two Rolls of the Day (roasted turkey with apple and cranberry chutney; and BBQ pulled pork also with apple, I think) on house rolls. They were both very tasty and the house bread was soft and easy to eat! I’ve also had the cous cous and roasted vegetables as sides. The cous cous was good, but the veggies were delicious! I’ve also tried samples of their chili (good) and their banana bread pudding (freakin’ excellent… nom nom nom!).
Service was friendly. On my first visit I had to wait a bit for my sandwich (seemingly longer than those who ordered around the same time as me) but the second time it was ready by the time I got to the pick up counter.
The prices are reasonable for the sandwich. But the sides go for $ 2.49, making this a bit more of an occasional indulgence than a regular lunch spot. They do offer a $ 8.95 combo which includes a roll, a side and a drink which is pretty good for a full lunch, but often when I’m just getting food to take back to work I don’t want a drink. They do however, have iced tea. And that’s a good thing.

Yummy Lunch Rolls! What can I say? These Lunch Rolls are really good and their sides are to die for amazing. Today, I had the smoked whitefish on a house roll with a side of banana bread pudding. The whitefish lunch roll is light and hearty. You get a nice sized piece of whitefish along with salad greens and cherry tomatoes. It’s definitely a roll that I’ll have again. I also like the house roll. It’s soft and chewy without being too heavy. I accompanied my meal with their mango lime juice. When I first tried it, I got roped in by the hints of mango and a big dose of lime. I really, really like the mango lime juice. There’s something so different and unique about it while being so thirst quenching.
I couldn’t resist the siren call of the banana bread pudding. It’s as good as I remembered. The big chunks of banana bread soaked in caramel sauce is like bread crack. As I ordered, I noticed a basket of chocolate chip cookies. The Lunch Roller informed me that they’re homemade and looked so tempting. I really like Lunch Rolls for being a nice mix of fast casual, gourmet comfort food.

It took me all weekend to decide how I felt about Lunch Rolls. Okay, that’s a lie. But it sounds better than, «Oops, I forgot to review Lunch Rolls.»
I liked everything but the roll. That sounds snarkier than it is. I had the shrimp jambalaya sandwich, and it was very good: lots of shrimp, a little spicy, very satisfying. But I had it on the house roll, and bread just didn’t have the «oomph» to stand up to the filling. After the first couple of bites, the sandwich started falling apart, and by the end, I was glad I had a fork. The shop offers a wheat pita roll, which might have been more appropriate, or you can get your sandwich as a salad in a bowl. For some of the «looser» sandwiches, such as this one or the lamb with couscous, that might be your best option.
The staff was very friendly, even with a rush of hungry Unilocalers, and seating is plentiful. I eat everything, but if you don’t, you’ll be happy to hear there are several vegan options, including some of the soups. And while the bread pudding is not the best I’ve had, it’s mighty tasty.
If you work in the Loop, this is a great alternative to fats food or Potbelly’s. I wouldn’t make this a destination, but if I’m in the area, I’ll drop by. And be happy to have it.

Better than just OK, I’m a fan … ok, four stars it is. Not perfect yet, but it looks like someone’s new and relatively unrefined concept. I hope it works out for them!
I had the Moroccan lamb roll on the house roll, tried the bread pudding, chili and beef brisket. The lamb roll was big enough for a grown man, was that a little cous cous in there? Good call. I didn’t expect the consistency of the lamb to be slow-​cooked chafing dish meat, but it was good. A little messy to eat, but maybe that was just me. It reminded me of a place I got food from in Tikrit, Iraq (no kidding!) where «burgers» are loose spice mutton and french fries in a slit in the side of a big roll. Ah, memories of being a food fan in a war zone.
The beef brisket was average at best, but average beef brisket is better than most things. Chafing dish style again, cafeteria quality.
The bread pudding I had was just a sample, but it was excellent and I want to go back for a full-​size portion.
The two ‘house’ drinks, unsweetened ice tea or a mango-​lime juice, and I would skip the mango-​lime. The unsweetened ice tea isn’t what I usually get, I think I crave liquid candy like most middle americans, but it helped me enjoy actually tasting the food.
I would like to see a small side come with a sandwich, and maybe a paper wrap around the sandwich itself. Nothing wrong with what they do at all, it was just odd to have a sandwich dropped right onto the middle of the tray with nothing but a paper placemat in between.
Signage and build-​out of the restaurant look like it’s someone’s new concept and they aren’t going to spring for full-​on signage and an interior until the concept proves itself, and I think that’s good business sense.

This was my second time visiting Lunch Rolls and I have to say my second time around was really great. I just finished the special Turkey Sun Dried Tomato and Goat Cheese roll and finished it off with a tasty sample of warm Banana Bread pudding, both of which were delish! My friend had the veggie on Pita wrap and she loved it (think grilled zucchini, yellow squash, onions, mushrooms with Feta and a Balsamic sauce – yum)…I will definitely be back to try the Veggie sandwich and regular turkey and stuffing option… plus, warm banana bread pudding… um, more please!
P. S. Just steer clear of the Buffalo chicken sandwich if you have an aversion to celery like I do, you’ll hate it.

I ate at Lunch Rolls for the first time today and I have to say it was a very positive experience. I had the turkey roll with stuffing and gravy, with a side of cheesy potatoes, and Kristen had the vegetable lettuce wrap with a side of cous cous. Both sandwiches were delicious; mine had just the right mix of turkey and stuffing, and a generous portion of thick tasty gravy and the wrap was full of grilled squash and zucchini and feta cheese and was well put together enough that it didn’t fall apart. The cheesy potatoes were as advertised, and the cous cous was absolutely fantastic. I haven’t exactly had a lot of cous cous in my life, but it was way better here than it is at Roti.
I will definitely be back.

I think I am now addicted to that warm bread pudding with caramel sauce.
Dagnabbit that was some good stuff.
Nice free lunch, with plenty of samples of soups, chili, sandwiches and the bread pudding passed out.

A bit sad to see Spa Café go away, but happy to say that this place looks to be owned by the same person and is just their version of a face lift.
I am currently very much enjoying a Pulled Pork Sandwich with apple slaw, and grilled veggie side. YUM. In fact, all of their sandwiches sound amazing. I cant wait to try the Lamb w/​Cous Cous, or the Turkey with Mango Chutney. Sides are larger than offered when it was Spa Café, which is nice and the sandwich is VERY filling. I’m half way done and feeling stuffed!
All in all, a very nice addition to my loop lunch rotation :)

Big fan of this place. Today was my first time there and I can’t wait to go back. The menu was fantastic…8−10 «rolls» which to me are sandwiches. I ordered the BBQ Beef Brisket on the house roll and it came with a free side so that meant Mac & Cheese for me. The sandwich was outstanding… it was much better than I expected. The Mac & Cheese was okay but I’ll probably pass on it next time.
The place is pretty much Spa like the other reviews said but with a different menu and without the local art on the walls. Same friendly staff and fresh ingredients… but with lower prices. My sandwich and side cost me $ 7.01 which to me is a very respectable price for lunch in the loop.
Can’t wait to go back for the Oven Roasted Turkey with stuffing and gravy.