Check, Please! Arizona, a popular dining review program on PBS Eight TV, recently featured Flancer’s Incredible Sandwiches and Pizzeria in Mesa as a favorite eatery.
Mesa resident, attorney Brad Crider, nominated Flancer’s for the program. The show chooses three nominees and their favorite restaurants for each week’s segment. Then, all three participants eat at the three chosen restaurants. Afterward, they discuss their dining experiences during the half-hour program hosted by Robert McGrath, a James Beard award-winning chef.
The segment started off with an interview of Flancer’s Mesa general manager, Greg Ringel, who described the restaurant as “… family-oriented, fun and fresh. Everything is prepped fresh every day,” he said. “We make our bread from scratch … and use all the best ingredients.”
Brad agreed by adding, “The kids can get a good quality, home-cooked meal.” Brad enjoyed a Philly cheese steak with green chili mayo, “… one of the signatures Flancer’s offers on most sandwiches,” he explained. “It adds a lot of flavor, very unique.” He also liked his side of jalapeño-cheddar mashed potatoes, browned on the grill, and a half-baked cookie with ice cream and chocolate sauce, which can be shared by the whole family.
“They make you feel at home right off the bat, and you can tell it’s a good sandwich place,” said guest Winston McKellar, investment banker and world traveler. “It’s hoppin’—the locals know about it.” His party sampled the Perfect Prickly Pear Chicken and Chili Verde Birdie Turkey sandwiches, as well as goat cheese bruschetta.
Calling herself a food snob with a discerning palate, media specialist Lindsay Jacobs enjoyed the flavors in her choices—green chili mushroom phyllos, and Bad to the Boneless Wings, which, according to Lindsay, had such good flavor. She enjoyed the cheeses in the green chili chicken fondue, which she rated as very delicious. A homemade peach cobbler was selected for dessert.
“The last thing you expect is the 70s memorabilia everywhere,” Lindsay added. “I loved it, because it was a nice little surprise,” she added. “You sit down in a very comfortable booth, and you see vintage record albums everywhere.”
Asked about his reactions to Flancer’s having been chosen for the food review show, owner Jeff Flancer spoke with pride. “Any restaurant worth its salt wants publicity,” he stated. “We are quite proud to have one of our inspired customers take the time to pick us out from the rest,” he said. “We have seen so many new patrons from that show, and it’s been a fantastic boon for business.”
Jeff went on to discuss the review process. “When reviews are done this way, it is the best way, because you’re not buying or engineering what is said about you,” Jeff said. “You have very little control after you do what you do best, and then let others decide your fate. It helps that the host of the show is a well-known chef.”
The proud Flancer’s owner extended a great deal of credit for the restaurant’s success to the customers. “A big thank you to our customers,” Jeff said, “who continue to push us to be better and better, and to be constantly evolving to match their needs.”
To watch the show, go to News and Events at www.flancers.com, or visit azpbs/checkplease/. Flancer’s Mesa is located on 1902 N. Higley Road, just south of McKellips Road. Call (480) 396-0077.