This is my go to lunch spot when I forget to bring my lunch to work. I am never disappointed with their assortment of salads, soups, and sandwiches. With this place being on the campus of UH it can get crazy busy during lunch time. I usually call my order in so that I can just walk in and grab it. If you're a student on campus then this is a good place to stop at. If you're not on campus it makes no sense to deal with the traffic to get here as you will have a hard time finding somewhere to park. read more

McAlister's Deli - My favorite salad on the menu...the pecanberry chicken salad - Delis Near Me - Houston, Texas

I don't like gorgonzola cheese, I didn't think I didn't like it this much until I had the Cobb club and the turkey cranberry salad. I didn't realize both had the cheese and I had to go ahead and go through each of my items and remove it. I've been to mcalisters since I've started going to UH and it's consistent, so 4 stars, the food is given to you, and the service is the same. I came after workout by myself because I wanted to eat light, but not subway (sick of it..) and the two items I found online that offered a lower calorie intake was the worst. So that is 2 stars, this isn't really healthy friendly because there's always something that makes it "good" and it's going to be fattening.. I'll come back, but not for that cheese. read more

The two stars are definitely meant for the sweet tea. The food here is overpriced and plain. The menu is way oversized which makes it hard to even decide what to order. Their food is less than satisfying, it sounds much better than it tastes. And they serve meals on semi-fancy plates to make you believe its not fast food when it really is. Eh.. I'm never too excited to have this for lunch, but the tea is delicious and the cookies are pretty good too. read more

I love McAlister's Deli. Not just for it's fresh assortment of food on a college campus but because I can purchase chipotle peach dressing by the gallon for 10.00 bucks. I love that stuff and put it on everything. I event marinate chicken and shrimp with it! Their sweet tea with lemon is grand and don't even get me started on those Big A** cookies. When they are hot and fresh out of the oven, I could literally slap everyone on duty because they are so good! read more

This company should be absolutely humiliated by the management at this location. The complete lack of professionalism here is mind boggling! Who argues with a customer who asks a question, and then proceeds to compare your company to McDonalds. If your online services provide me with contradictory information then what you are providing, it's my right to ask why. I would seriously consider who you put into management roles. read more

I just started working at University of Houston and had to go to he Welcome Center, so my colleague took me here for lunch. It was after 1:30pm, so it wasn't too crowded. This is a walk up and order and they bring it out to you restaurant an the menu is pretty extensive. I had the Spicy Southwest Chicken Griller and it was quite good-quality chicken, litte bit of a kick, and a tasty corn salsa. The staff (students) were all friendly and efficient. This is probably the best place I have eaten on campus (so far). read more

Been eating here since 2009! I absolutely LOVE this place, i can never get tired of it. My favorite is the spicy southwest chicken griller with a side of mac and cheese. The brocoli cheddar soup is also amazing, as well as their spud. Shit everything is good. It gets packed more now because the UC is closed (no Wendys, Chic-fil-a, etc) 5 Star because food is consistently good, never had a bad experience and service is also great. If you visit UH, try it. If you already go to UH, there's no reason NOT to eat there :) read more

Absolutely the best place to eat on campus. I've been going here since 2013 and both the food and service have always been exceptional. If you're not sure what to get, go for the memphian, french dip, or a broccoli and cheddar bread bowl. If you're new on campus, definitely hit this restaurant up instead of the usual dining commons or food court. read more

A little pricy for what you get, but the service is always attentive and polite. I will pay a little more money for quality service. You can expect a significant wait time during the lunch rush hours, with all students getting out around the same time, but if you plan accordingly it should not be an issue. I will commend them on their lighter option menu. Although it seems you get less food, but pay just as much as the regular menus options. Overall I rate it a three seeing as it's not hard to made/deliver a soup/sammich/salad. read more

Probably some of the best food on campus... sadly that doesn't mean it is anything earth-shattering. It's a decent sandwich joint with a variety of offerings. The mac-and-cheese may come from a box, and in general that is the feeling I'm left with after eating. Commercial deli design and execution. Nothing to write home about. However, on the rare day I don't have my lunch with me, I will take this over the even more commercial offerings located in the UC and other student areas. Side story: the woman at the counter scoffed at me when I asked for half of a muffaletta (instead of just a quarter). "Are you sure?? It's huuuge." My oh my, you have just insulted my eating capabilities young lady. I was initially worried that it would in fact be too huge for me to eat.... ah well... lunch for the next day right? Not so much. Thin layer of meat. Even thinner layer of olive paste. Just okay for a sandwich- no New Orleans muffaletta that's for sure! read more

Although I only gave it three stars, I still come here a lot. It's a good change from Subway and I enjoy the sweet tea. I'm basing most of my McAlister experiences from the one on the UH campus, although I've been to other locations as well. I think I graded them so hard is because of the prices maily. I find it difficult to pay $9 for my own sandwich and tea. For lunch that is just too much for me. The food is good, yes, but not anything to get extremely excited about. I've had a few things there that have been pretty good, but most everything on the menu is just average. I will say that they have a few good valued things on the menu, but you'll have to search for it. I've never tried their desserts, but then again I've never really eaten here for dinner. I just think of this place as a lunch spot. Overall, I'll continue coming here because it's something different and the tea is awesome. read more

Everyone stop. McAlister's is great and fine and that's all great and fine. A sandwich is a sandwich, it's not too hard to mess up. I will never miss an opportunity to come here. Why? Because they take Cougar Cash all year long, and I've somehow convinced my mother to pay for it. Free food is always on my agenda. Their sweet tea? It's Lipton. Go buy it at Kroger. read more

I love this place but for some reason everytime I have been coming to this place the spud has been getting smaller or drier or just plain disgusting. I would still come back because the bread bowl (even though the bread was cold (why?!) the soup was still good). Staff did get my order wrong though...Customer Service needs a bit improvement, but as long as they correct their mistakes without complaining, i'm fine. read more

Food was great and speed of receiving my order was fast. However it was during the summer so not a lot of students ordering food. Only thing is that their portions are small to average. read more

The food is great for me that I'm a student on the go they're very fast, and I have plenty of time to eat there and head to class after. It's very clean and the prices are great for the fraction of the food that they give you. Plates are very well presented and neat. I commend the preps :) read more

A welcomed escape from all the fast food on campus. While somewhat out of the way from all of my classes, I still find myself eating here just to remind myself that good food can be found on campus. Located at the Welcome Center, a fairly new building, McAlister's Deli is the go-to place for great food and for some, delicious tea. One thing that I like is that they offer the option to go half and half for your entree. This means you can have half of a sandwich/wrap/panini and fill the other half with a side item. For me, that side is usually their delicious spuds! They offer many flavors and my favorite being, the Spud Olé: chili, cheese and jalapeños! My mouth is drooling just thinking about it! The service here is usually spot on despite constantly being filled with hungry students and faculty. Once you place your order at the counter, you are given a number to place at your table and the food is brought out once ready. Many people seem to love their tea, as well, however, I'm not a big fan of tea so I don't really order it. I did order it one time but found it to be bland and didn't think dissolving twenty packets of sugar was the best way to enjoy my drink. Overall, for an on-campus, restaurant, this place hits every spot. The food here is amazing and they offer a wide selection which is a huge plus for me. I would come here more often if it were located closer to my classes, however, since it isn't, I usually have to settle for the god-awful fast food. read more

This spot on campus is my number one spot solely because it's one of the only places where I can get an entire meal that isn't fast food! Unfortunately, I don't exactly favor a lot of things here. First off, it's ALWAYS packed, and seating is minimum, if not rare. So good luck finding a table. Secondly, the portions are pretty small. I ordered a New Yorker because I'm a big fan of roast beef, and when I got it, I looked at my friend like '.. seriously? Where's the rest of it?' I think even my five year old nephew could eat that and still be hungry. Thirdly, the prices for the portions. I wouldn't mind the price if it was actually WORTH the portion. Which it's not so.. alas, I can't say I like spending ten bucks a day for a puny sandwich, a fourth of a pickle, and a drink. Fourthly, I ordered a side of fruits once with my meal, and every single piece of fruit was old. They were sour, mushy, and very disgusting. There goes 1/3 of my meal. The second time I went, my pickle was old and sour, as well. Very disappointing. The spuds are very plain, too. I ended up adding a load of butter and acted like a scavenger to find the one sauce of Tobasco to give my spud a kick. Sad. I keep finding myself here, though. Maybe it's for the atmosphere, which is always hyped up. Or maybe it's for the great customer service that everyone gives. Maybe it's just because, like I said, it's not fast food. Whatever the reason, even though I don't much like it here, I know I'll be back. read more

McAlister's Deli - Delis Near Me - Houston, Texas

Not sure what the big deal is about the sweet tea, tastes exactly like what I can make at home. It's not even sweetened with anything special like honey, fructose, or simple syrup, it tastes like barely dissolved sugar. That being said, great campus option at a student price, sandwiches are decently good. I'd pick McAlister's over Subway any day. read more

Recently tried the Holiday Panini and I really enjoyed it! Only if they cut back a little on the orange cranberry sauce. pair it with the Pumpkin Stack! read more

See all

Went here for the first time yesterday. I heard a lot of good things from people. I shared two different sandwiches. The memphian was good however they left some paper in the food. The other sandwich was the French dip and it had really tough meat which wasn't what the other half of the sandwich tasted like. I brought it back and the manager took it and offered a new sandwich. I would have given the food 2 stars because of the mistakes but it really tasted good. The service was awesome! We alsomhad to wait and find a table wiphich was hard because of all the students. They also have this deal for a reusable cup ($7) they have which allows for free refills after you pay 1 dollar for it when you return back with the cup. The cup is fairly priced, the same cup costs 14 dollars at Starbucks. read more

Defiantly the best place on campus to eat. I usually come here after classes on Thursday. It's a great spot located across the street from the Rec Center. This isn't just the best spot to eat on campus. It's one of the best deli's in the area. Their french dip is amazing and beats the pants off of several other places. Their soups are delicious and the perfect companion to your sandwich during the winter months. I'm a huge fan of their mac and cheese, and the potato salad is good, though they go a little overboard with the mustard. Usually they will offer you a sweet tea to go with your meal, but I would recommend going with the Arnold Palmer as it has the perfect amount of sweetness. The staff is super friendly and despite often times having to wait in a long line to get my food they always seem to be excited to see me when I get to the front of the counter. One time the meat wasn't ready, so I had to change my order and the girl gave me a free brownie! Go grab a samich! read more

Great post-workout grub - it's right across the street from the Rec. I came here for the first time today after friends raved about it and left satisfied. The atmosphere was friendly, the service was quick, and the food was refreshing. I ordered a veggie sandwich with coleslaw, and it was excellent, especially for $5. The pita was soft and tasty, and there were just enough veggies - I often find that veggie sandwiches are too jam-packed. The Parmesan Peppercorn sauce that came with it was simple and perfect. It being summertime, the restaurant wasn't too busy or crowded, but I was told that it's usually packed (which is a good sign to me!) It's light enough for an after-workout meal without weighing you down with grease and cheese, but also fills you up. read more

Here is to one of the to go spot on campus if you are hungry :) services are always friendly and helpful. I had the southwest chicken sandwich and i thought it was good but it doesnt have that wow factor so im going to give it a solid 3. read more

McAlister's Deli - Spicy southwest chicken - Delis Near Me - Houston, Texas

food is good but probably the worst service ever. i come here pretty frequently and the staff seemingly always has issues.

I give it a three because I feel the quality f food doesn't line up with the price. Personally, I enjoy the Den's sammiches 100x's more and they're a few dollars cheaper than McAllister's. The food is alright. It's generic but it does the job. All the sandwiches taste the same and they are a tad bit bland. I always order the mashed potatoes and gravy and without fail they always serve them half mixed so I have some powered potatoes mix in my bowl. They're always packed probably because they play decent music 80% of the time. read more

I love their salads. If you add a whole bunch of extras like me it can be a bit pricey but for the price and the size this is such a great spot to grab lunch if you're on UH campus. I usually get the Savannah chopped salad with chicken and add bacon and strawberries. read more

No Dip to my French Dip, No cookie (It was on the receipt), Usually we never get a pickle but they've been adding it lately. Something is always missing every time I go threw the Pick Up. The food is very good though! I'd go eat inside if you wanted to eat here! read more

McAlister's Deli - Delis Near Me - Houston, Texas

Not sure why they ask if you would like a pickle spear with your sandwich, I said no and when I got home the sandwich stunk of pickle because it was in the bag. read more

The peach tea is the bomb and there's free refills. Honestly it's a little over price but I continue to eat it. I like the chipotle chicken sandwich. read more

McAlister's Deli - Tea tea tea tea - Delis Near Me - Houston, Texas

Congratulations. You have joined the ranks of fast food restaurants everywhere. You can't get an order right to save your life. How you mixed up a Reuben and a melted cheese is beyond me. Fun surprise on a take out order when you get home. read more

Always friendly service and the food is great. My favorite is the 4 cheese griller but the French dip is pretty tasty too. Even when they're in the middle of lunch rush the food comes out fairly quickly. read more

My Friend Never Bring Her Lunch To Class So We Walked To McAllister's. She Called Her Order In And We was there shortly after. When We Arrived It Was Not Busy at all. We Were Able To Walk Right Up To The Cashier. My Friend And I Was Acting Goofy And The Cashier Was A Great Sport. Despite Ordering Via Telephone, My Friend Was Being extremely indecisive. Michael did a fantastic job at offering her suggestions to make up her mind. We Later Found Out That He Was The assistant manager. Thanks Michael For Putting up with our lunch shenanigans!!! read more

The wait is crazy long. Got their veggie wrap, it was bland. I also got their vegetarian chili, this was very very salty. Yuck. Will not be ordering here again. read more

Made me wait 30 mins and when I asked where my food was, they had somehow lost my order. Had to wait more for that, then they did not apologize or offer compensation. Poorly run establishment. read more

Orders nachos. Found a produce sticker in my food kind of threw me off and didn't finish my food

Pretty good! I mean, it's hard to REALLY mess up a sandwich or a baked potato, but even the salads are pretty good. I had a slice of their chocolate cake once. It was so dense. I was more like fudge than cake.I couldn't finish it. I do love their sweet tea. I always get a glass when I come here. Thinking about it is making me have a craving, actually.... I haven't had a bad experience and I've been here quite a lot of times! read more

This location is conviently located on the University of Houston campus and they make awesome baked potatoes and sandwichs. Best of all their Sweet Tea is freakin delicious, and a must try if you happen to go there. Lastly If it could not get any better they are applying to get a liquor license to serve on campus so all students can go get a alcoholic beverage of their choosing either between classes or before a test, your choice. read more

So I'm giving McAlister's five stars, but I want to make it clear I'm grading on a curve. There aren't a whole lot of awesome food options on the UH Campus (at least not awesome food options not covered in a layer of sweet delicious oil). If McAlister's were in a football conference, it'd be the Mountain West. They might go undefeated, but their strength of schedule would definitely keep them out of the title game. But like I said, they're the best option for those who don't want to lose their parking spot during the lunch hour. Let's cover the bad before really getting into the good: 1) It gets REALLY busy during the lunch hour. Like, get-it-to-go-and-eat-at-the-UC busy. Finding a table might involve bloodshed. Ideally not your own blood. 2) Some of the menu options are a little lackluster, let's be real. Muffaletta is way too salty (thanks, excessive olives), and the non-specialty sandwiches are just sandwiches. Subway-level sandwiches. 3) Catering's a bit pricey; for box lunches, Murphy's is generally a better call. The only thing Murphy's is better at, in my book. The good-to-great: 1) Yes, the sweet tea. Everyone talks about it. If you're into sweet tea, you'll really love it. I don't personally see the appeal but everyone I know that likes sweet tea loves it. In this way it is essentially the Megan Fox of beverages. 2) A lot of the options are really good. The sweet chipotle dressing is awesome, both on the salad and the panini. Sides are good. Potatoes are great. Even the nachos are pretty boss. 3) Healthy options! The choose-any-two 500 calories menu is as brilliant as it is essentially. It's easy to pack on 1000+ calories at a deli (WHICH IS INSANE) so having something that helps put the brakes on is fine and dandy. 4) The service. Wait staff is way more attentive and efficient than they used to be, and I almost wish it were the sort of place you tip at so I would feel better about myself. I would leave a tip on the table but I don't believe in paper money anymore; all I keep on me is my debit card and Spanish doubloons. 5) The management. The new manager, Meredith, is an angel, and has done a LOT to transform the place. If you see her, give her a high-five. She deserves it. If you were to air-drop them next door to my apartment in Montrose, would they still be five stars? Maybe not. But if you're in the middle of the desert and someone offers you a Dasani, you don't dock them because it's not Aqua Panna. read more

The last few times I've been to this location, it's been horrible. Every time I go, these people forget my order ever existed! I ordered food to go and I waited 30 MINUTES just to get it! And when I got my food, my sandwich was put together literally by a 5 year old and looked horrible. I'm so displeased with this location, don't waste your time, god forbid you have somewhere to be or a time constraint. read more

This place is amazing. Great customer service and was very good with time. I love their cheesecake and dumpling soup. The salad is delicious and just the right amount of healthy and quick. I will definitely spread the news and let other people know of this great place!! read more