This rapidly growing chain of sandwich shops opened a store at Highway 287 and Miramonte a couple years ago. I was pretty excited, thinking we’d have a real New York style delicatessan so close by. But after visiting a couple times, I can tell you that Heidi’s is neither from Brooklyn nor a deli. I was really hoping to get stuff like Nathan’s hot dogs, chicken matzo ball soup, and omelets for breakfast. But I had their hot dog and it was a disaster – microwaved and then manhandled so badly the bun was nearly falling apart by the time it got to me. The soups look and taste like something from a Campbell’s can. And they don’t have anything really good or unique for breakfast.
Since they don’t have an actual stove or grill in the place, everything is microwaved. For a hot dog as good as a Sabrett’s or Nathan’s, microwaving is a sacrelige. And the lack of a grill means they make things like Reuben sandwiches by microwaving, and – optionally – sending it through one of those little toaster ovens with a conveyor belt. Yuck.
In all fairness, they do make decent sandwiches, on freshly sliced (but not freshly baked) bread. They’ve got a wide variety, and they make them with abundant meat and other ingredients. And they always have a small handful of sandwiches on a rotating “specials” menu. But in my view, the sandwiches are only a half step up from Subway, and not even as good as Quizno’s was in their heyday.
After the Broomfield restaurant opened up, it took me a few months to realize that this Heidi’s was in the same chain of restaurants as the Heidi’s in Highlands in Denver. I remember going to that restaurant several years ago and had a good meal, including some very tasty pie. But it looks to me like Heidi’s has given up what made them unique from all the other sandwich shops. I fear Heidi’s is on the same path as Boston Chicken – overexpand, start skimping on quality, and then implode into something far worse than the original concept.
Heidi’s Brooklyn Deli
1170 Hwy 287 Suite D 100A
Broomfield, CO 80020
(303) 404-2000