blues city virgin no more. normally, i'm not particularly enthused about po boys and hoagies, but the reviews and diner scores were hard for me to ignore. after missing the opportunity to trybluescity deli on my last trip, i finally went this week with my family for lunch and the sandwiches were delicious.
the menu is very organized and descriptive. i ordered a hot and juicy roast beef dipped in au jus, with a little cup of au jus on the side. my son ordered the prez pastrami reuben (two days in a row), and hubs, the italian sausage hoagie, (also two days in a row). my other son snarfed his down so fast that i don't know what he had. the beer on tap, schlafly, was the beverage of choice. they did not have the standard selection of lays chips, but st. louis originals. i bought an assortment to bring back to atlanta. overall, the prices were good, the food delish, and the place has a lot of character.
the deli is located in a hole in the wall brick storefront. there is not a lot of seating because it is a small place, but, it is in places like this, that you find gems.
be prepared to stand in line if you are going at prime time. the day after christmas, there was a line out the door, a cop car at the corner, (they were inside ordering their food), and no one was complaining. the line moved along quickly as there were two cashiers, one of them was the owner, vinnie valenza! imo, one of the hallmarks of a successful family business is when the owner is interacting with the patrons. in doing so, they impart their love for the business and attention to the high quality of their food.
lest i forget, the owner is abluesfan and books live performances on a regular basis. the performances are posted on their website. no we didn't have time to see one but i almost want to plan a trip back to eat another sandwich while watching abluesperformance.