LouisvilleLunch.com

Located on Dundee Road on the Douglass Loop in the Highlands, the Deli has had a kind of identity crisis. My wife and I went to this place opening week a couple years (?) ago. It’s right in our neighborhood, and we were excited to have a nice coffee shop/restaurant/waterin’ hole nearby. Within those couple of years, they’ve acquired a liquor license (beer only), gotten rid of the espresso drinks (I imagine it’s hard to compete with the 800 Lb. Gorilla that is Heine Brothers), and are now refocusing their efforts once again. With the name “Deli”, people mostly thought of it as just a place with a few sandwiches, but owner Trent Pehlke is trying to get the word out about how much more this little gem of a restaurant really is. They have recently rebranded themselves as “Side Street Grill * Pizza * Pub”, which I think will bring more people in the door to experience this diverse menu.

Jam and I paid them a visit on Tax Day (yeah, I’m a bit behind on my reviews, wanna make somethin’ of it? Huh?) and it almost made me forget how many checks I would later be writing to Uncle Sam, Mayor Jerry and Guv’ner Beshear. Jam had never experienced the enormous menu before, and had to pick his jaw up off the floor when he saw how extensive their menu was. Every sandwich you can think of, hamburgers, all-beef hot dogs, salads, soups, fish, PB&J (!), the list goes on and on.

Jam settled on the Holly On The Ranch ($6.95) which is a grilled chicken breast with applewood smokehouse bacon, provolone cheese, ranch dressing & lettuce on a bun. All I remember him saying is, “We’re coming back tomorrow.” He really liked it, I think.

I went with the most decadent thing on the menu. It hits all my weaknesses. It pains me to order this, knowing just how bad, but yet SO GOOD this thing is. Alright, I’ll just say it: Sarah’s Little Number ($6.50) – two New York style dogs topped with applewood smokehouse bacon, melted cheddar cheese & ketchup. Yeah, it’s as awesome as it sounds. Better, actually. The all-beef hot dog would be perfectly fine on it’s own, but c’mon – bacon and meltey cheese just add to the deliciousness. Jam was totally jealous.

The first time my wife and I came here, I ordered the Blue Cheese Burger ($7.95) which is also a good choice. If you’re gonna eat, better make it good, right? I can’t remember the other selections I’ve had here, but I’ve never been let down.

The new menu seems a bit more organized and is condensed a bit. They essentially just grouped a lot of sandwiches together and give you options for the type of meat, cheese, etc. that you’d like. It really is much easier to read. They have a few vegetarian items as well.

Rating: 9/10

Address: 2216 Dundee Road | Louisville, KY 40205
Phone: 502-413-5140