Webster Street isn’t far from downtown Dayton proper, but you don’t spot a lot of other things in that part of town that bring people out during the week. In fact, though, with the Second Street Market, the Dayton Dragons, and a few other things that bring downtown folks to play. But I consider The Deli to be a very under-appreciated gem of downtown dining. Too many folks missing out on the opportunity to try some great food.
Among the dishes I’ve tried that I loved:
- The Western Burger: A barbecue burger, and a really good take on the dish, too. It’s a simple preparation, just bacon, cheddar cheese and the burger. Half a pound, served medium-well, and very juicy, which is what I like most.
- Chicken salad sandwich: The chicken salad is delicious, heavy on chicken and light on the other veggies and things. What really makes it is a little bit of bacon on the sandwich.
- Railman sandwich: A meat-lover’s paradise, the Railman sandwich is packed with pastrami, salami, bacon, turkey, cheddar cheese and a brown mustard. It’s just all the great meats wrapped together in one.
- Asian sweet chili wrap: This was a special one of the days I paid a visit. The wrap is grilled chicken with some pineapple and green pepper, along with a little bit of sweet chili sauce in a bed of cabbage and other veggies.
- Tomato basil soup: An interesting take on the beloved tomato soup recipe, because this one is very herbal and almost earthy with the basil and some other ingredients. Great stuff.
- Potato chips: These are worth a mention. The chips are coated in Parmesan cheese and a little salt. It’s a small thing to add, but it makes the sandwich absolutely delicious.
The restaurant has a nice concept; it’s set up with an open concept, you go up to the counter and order and the food is brought to you. The service is limited because of this model, but the people running the restaurant are still exceptional.
The restaurant isn’t one that a lot of folks from out of town go to visit. But it’s close to a lot of things that native Daytonians, and downtown dwellers in general, hold dear. It’s too bad to hear people haven’t heard of this place, or think it’s too far away from the other big dining scenes. But I found the food there to be excellent. And I think it’s worth a trip.
Recommendations
- There are happy hours with food and drink specials advertised. Among them are local microbrews and other favorites. Worth a taste for sure.
- Note the hours because they’re strange. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. for Monday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday and Saturday. So it’s convenient for lunch or an afternoon meal.
- Burgers and sandwiches are the best bets here, with the western burger being my favorite.
Another Food Critic 