In September, Jimmy John’s unveiled two completely new sandwiches created in collaboration with Sweet Baby Ray’s. These offerings center on brisket as a fresh main component and pair it with distinct sauces, positioning them as ideal picks for barbecue aficionados.
Sweet and Spicy BBQ Brisket Sandwich
Honestly, this sandwich surpassed our expectations. Jimmy John’s hadn’t exactly screamed “barbecue experts” to us in the past, but perhaps it’s time to rethink that impression. They may not be true masters of smoked meats, yet a hearty helping of Sweet Baby Ray’s barbecue sauce makes a strong case for otherwise.
Not only is the sauce delicious and a key flavor driver here, but the brisket itself also left a positive impression. It carried a smoky notes and was seasoned with care. And where fast-casual attempts at producing tender, smoked brisket often stumble on texture, Jimmy John’s managed to avoid that pitfall.
What this sandwich truly excelled at was balance. It includes onions and pickled peppers that provide a sharp bite to contrast the thick, sweet barbecue glaze. That pungent acidity helped us actually want to finish the entire sandwich, something we couldn’t say about the next option in this lineup.
Hickory Brown Sugar BBQ Brisket Sandwich
Okay, maybe I got a bit carried away with the praise. It isn’t that this sandwich is so bad that we’d skip it entirely; it’s simply far from the top pick among the two we sampled today. Whereas the Sweet and Spicy version struck a balance of sweet, heat, and tang, this variant comes across as rather flat. The barbecue sauce feels heavy-handed without offering enough variety, and the brisket itself seems to be of lesser quality.
We’ve tasted better, and while there might not be a strong argument for keeping the Sweet and Spicy BBQ Brisket Sandwich off the menu given its execution on flavor, there isn’t much incentive for this Hickory Brown Sugar option to linger either. If your palate leans toward a very sweet, classic barbecue profile with little complexity, you might still enjoy this sandwich. For what it’s worth, you might consider asking for the slow-smoked brisket from the other sandwich in place of the Mesquite-smoked option.
