Meatloaf sandwich the review

If you stumbled onto this blog posting doing a search for best meatloaf sandwich evar! Well there might be 2 things wrong with you.  A) You skipped from page 1 to page 9900 on Google OR B) Your meatloaf sandwich standards really need to be improved.  I guess it is possible for you to have clicked through via Facebook or Twitter I guess, but still who reads meatloaf sandwich reviews?  Ok, maybe I should ask myself that question as I am the one writing about a meatloaf sandwich on a site that primarily deals with riding, fixing, and restoring motorcycles.  Ok maybe we are all a little weird in our own way.  I just wish the Arlen Barn existed outside the animated world of King of the Hill.  (Geek Out!)

Annnyways... I am a sucker for meatloaf, good meatloaf that is.  My wife of The Craft Shed by Katie makes a very deluxe meatloaf that tops my list of fav's, but when I am out and about if I see meatloaf on a menu or in a package I try it.  Well here is one that I would not have believed if I hadn't seen it myself.  Great Value's (Wal-Mart's house brand) Meat Loaf sandwich.  Usually Great Value just knocks off a more known brand, but in this case I don't know what that is so I don't have a comparison, other than a homemade version.

Before: I thought that red disc was a tomato, turns out that is the ketchup or catsup which ever you prefer. They thought of everything, but they really shouldn't have.

After: 2 minutes later, the ketchup or catsup melted down nicely. HFCS and tomato paste YUM!

Lets break this down shall we?

Presentation:
Well I have to hand it to the packaging it is much better than most of Great Value's other products.  It at least looks appetizing and I like the addition of the instant mashed potatoes in the back round.

Once opened they look like something you would find at a gas station next to the 2000 watt microwaves.  "I'm so hungry I could eat a sandwich from a gas station" - National Lampoons Vacation

Taste:
Well lets put it this way.  I could assemble this entire sandwich out of other meals found in the frozen isle.  The bun is like any other cheap bread, that is frozen, the patty or "loaf" tastes like the Salisbury steak minus the gravy out of a Banquet TV dinner.  The ketchup or catsup (its a regional thing) might as well be tomato paste and a pinch of salt.  

It is edible and not the worst type of frozen food, but it could have been better.  For about $3 (for 2!) it is better than the gas station sandwiches but I still wouldn't recommend it as an alternative.

Hank Hill at the Arlen Barn, home of the meatloaf sandwich