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The Mall Deli – a longstanding Pittsburg institution. Seldom is this restaurant found without a line reaching out to the doors. But what about the food? Is it constantly packed because the food and prices are actually worth it? Or is it just because it’s the only sandwich joint in town?
First up on the menu was the classic French dip. This beef and mozzarella delight was a little slice of heaven. My recommendations are to get the onions grilled and give it a nice soak in the au jus that accompanies it. For such a well-priced sandwich in such a small town, it was almost too good.
Next up was actually not necessarily on the menu, but it is one of the primary reasons that people go to the Mall Deli – the infamous Italian dressing. Whether you eat it on crackers or chips, everybody’s practically having a bowl of it. They even have it packaged for people to buy on their way out. However, this is one of the few things in the restaurant that I would call overrated. I have high expectations when somebody tells me that Italian dressing is going to go well on chips, and I was not necessarily thrilled. Go to Mall Deli, but don’t feel bad if you don’t hop on the Italian dressing bandwagon.
After that, I was back onto the sandwiches. Still feeling saucy, I went with the Barbeque Beef Brisket. Boy was this a treat. This was another item that I had very high expectations for, and after that French dip, I was curious to see how this one would stack up. It’s messy. It’s saucy. It’s delicious. Had a long day and thinking to yourself, “Man, I want barbeque, but my friend wants sandwiches. What a pickle!”? Well, pickle no more! Pick up the barbeque beef brisket and I guarantee you will leave having gotten your BBQ fix.
The last thing on the menu was the unsung hero of mall deli – the carrot cake. If you’re not full after the heaping pound of sandwich(es) you’ve just consumed, the carrot cake and a cup of their coffee is the absolute perfect way to end a trip to “the Deli”. It’s ‘melt in your mouth’ delicious.
So, the Italian dressing may have been a minor flop, but everything else withstood the test. Mall Deli is certainly always packed for a reason.
