Richie’s Deli and Pizza

Let the battle continue.  This is proving harder than I expected as most of the trucks have boarded up shop for the summer.  Richie’s is one of the most popular food stands on campus, and I have yet to figure out why.  Most of what I have ever ordered there has been mediocre and the service isn’t incredible.  How did Richie’s do in my grilled cheese battle?  Not great.

Overall appearance: 8 Not toasted quite enough–too much white
Overall taste: 6 It was quite tasteless, even with the ham added in.
Size: 8 Not too big, not too small.
Greasiness: 5 Not enough! Did they grill it without butter? It was SO dry. Dryer than E & E’s.
Cheese (quality and quantity): 6 Tasteless and not very much in there. But maybe they under-compensated because I asked for ham.
Carbohydrate Delivery System: 6 Average white bread that was barely toasted.
Price: 5 $3.75 because I ordered ham. A regular grilled cheese would have been $3 and would have been way to much for the quality.
Extras: 8 None included but I ordered ham for an extra $.75. Two slices of really cheap ham.
Service and timing: 7 Not very friendly and I had to wait a while, I think because lots of people had placed advanced orders.
Accuracy of order: 9 It was almost a lower score. They gave my sandwich to someone else but caught their mistake as she was walking away.

Total score: 68

E & E

I went back to basics this time.  Not every grilled cheese is “gourmet,” ya know.  E&E is a newer truck on the south end of campus right outside of Ritter Hall.  Let’s see how they fared:

Overall appearance: 10 Nice shape and size, good toasting on the bread.
Overall taste: 8 It tasted like a standard grilled cheese–nothing special but, as I’ve said before, it’s hard to mess up a grilled cheese.
Size: 8 Not too big, not too small.
Greasiness: 6 Not enough! Did they grill it without butter? It was dry.
Cheese (quality and quantity): 7 Ooey gooey processed sliced cheese. But it didn’t extend to the crusts, which was a disappointment.
Carbohydrate Delivery System: 8 Average white bread
Price: 7 $2.75  OK for a standard grilled cheese but $2.25 would be fairer.
Extras: 8 None included (see price)
Service and timing: 10 Quick and friendly
Accuracy of order: 10

Total score: 72

Cheese Busz

At first I was wary of the Cheese Busz, as it moved in next door to the crepe truck, blasting weird techno music over the crepe guys’ classics.  But then I realized that a little competition is good for everyone (and I don’t always want a crepe, you know).  So, they’re next in the Grilled Cheese Battle of 2012. 

Overall appearance: 9 Nice shape and size, good toasting on the bread, wrapped in paper.
Overall taste: 7 Nice flavors, just a little bland.
Size: 8 Not too big, not too small.
Greasiness: 9 Just about perfect.
Cheese (quality and quantity): 9 Ooey gooey mozzerella.
Carbohydrate Delivery System: 10 White bread, but not just any white bread. It seemed almost artisenal.
Price: 8 $4.50 Reasonable for the quality, but there are cheaper sandwiches on campus.
Extras: 9 The pesto and tomato were included.
Service and timing: 9 Cheese Busz is quick even when there are a ton of people waiting for food, but they could work a little on their congeniality.
Accuracy of order: 10

Total score: 88