Will this ‘Steak Bomb’ blow up in Idaho? Florida chain opens new sandwich restaurant.

Alert your sandwich delivery soldiers, Jimmy John.

Prepare for a turf war, Jersey Mike.

Jon Smiths Subs just detonated a “Steak Bomb” in the Boise market.

The Florida-based chain opened its first Idaho restaurant at 150 S. Ten Mile Road last month. The new location will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony at noon Nov. 20 with the Meridian Chamber of Commerce. Founded in 1988, Jon Smith Subs has been expanding aggressively in recent years.

Why should Idaho sandwich fans care? Because Jon Smith delivers “the thrill of the grill,” man! The chain claims to unleash “the absolute highest-quality overstuffed, marinated grilled sirloin steak and real chicken breast subs.”

Chips? Who needs ‘em? Jon Smith Subs serves “piping hot” french fries. Crispy and cooked to order. And Meridian’s locally owned franchise carries fry sauce. (By the way, you can order chips instead of fries, if you prefer.)

Served warm, the Steak Bomb sub ($6.95 for a 6-inch, $10.95 for a 12-inch) is “the one that made us famous.” Loaded with steak, it’s topped with onions, peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes and provolone. Oh, and bacon, too — because every steak sandwich needs bacon.

Want something besides red meat? The Chicken Bomb and Tuna Bomb look like the bomb, too.

Jon Smith also sells Giant Deli Subs, grilled specialties such as The Gator (steak, chicken and kielbasa with “swamp sauce”) — even a Cuban Sandwich and Giant Cheeseburger. And catering is available.

Still, steak is what gets the juices flowing. (This is a chain with napkin holders that say, “Sandwiches so juicy, you’ll need a shower not a napkin.”)

“All of our steak subs are made with the highest quality meats, sliced daily and double-wrapped to ensure freshness,” Jon Smith Subs promises. “Our marinated steak is grilled to order, our farm-fresh vegetables are cut on a daily basis and our Italian-style and whole wheat sub rolls are baked fresh daily using the best ingredients possible. Every sirloin steak sub ... uses real provolone cheese. We take no shortcuts in preparing the marinated sirloin steak sub of your culinary dreams.”

There are a couple of salads on the menu, too, but let’s be honest: There’s no Subway diet happening here. Not when the menu includes a Bacon Steak ($12.95 for 12-inch), “our signature Steak and Cheese with bacon.”

As part of the grand opening celebration during November, if you purchase any 12-inch sub, you can upgrade to a combo and get a small fries and small drink for an extra $1. The 12-inch menu items range from $9.95 to $12.99. Other tantalizing steak subs include the Cajun Steak ($10.50) — grilled onions and jalapenos with spicy Cajun seasoning, hickory sauce, provolone and mayo — and the Teriyaki Steak ($10.50), which features grilled onions, mushrooms, teriyaki sauce, provolone, mayo and sesame seeds.

Requiring more face stuffing? Order your sub with extra meat, bacon or cheese. And, of course, you should definitely crush a gourmet cookie to seal the deal.

Just be careful. You don’t want that Steak Bomb to end up feeling like a gut bomb.

Online: jonsmithsubs.com.

This story was originally published November 18, 2019 at 11:55 AM.