Big Al’s Steaks – Coconut Creek

Big Al Costillo and his son Adam migrated from Philly to South Florida expecting to find some place that compared to their favorite local cheese-steak shop, Geno’s. But they didn’t. So they opened one in a tiny space in a strip mall between State Road 7 and the Sawgrass Expressway, intent on re-creating the famous […]

Boulevard Subs

A sub is a sandwich made on a lengthy loaf of crusted bread that is layered with cold cuts, lettuce, tomato, and numerous garnishings, splashed with olive oil and vinegar, and dashed with salt, coarse ground pepper, and, if you’re lucky, oregano. You can also call a sub a hoagie. Or a grinder. Or a […]

Charcuterie Too!

Charcuterie Too! is a charming little mom-and-pop café on the second floor of the Broward County Library’s Main Downtown Branch, a tiny cafeteria line loaded with mouthwatering daily specials: muffins and bagels for breakfast and hot, homey lunches like fresh soups, sandwiches, salads, wraps, and cheese or spinach quiche along with specials like chicken schnitzel, […]

Eten Food Co.

Eten Food Co. is hoping to fill the cheap lunch hole on Las Olas with takeout-only soups, sandwiches, and prepared foods. It’s a skinny yet trendy-looking space, with racks of wine on one wall and a glass-encased deli counter on the other. The menu is small, just soups and sandwiches, which each cost about $8. […]

Fernanda’s International Market

Fabulous Fernanda’s isn’t only the best gourmet market around; it also sells huge, deluxe sandwiches for lunch, the kind of serious fuel you need to keep you slogging through another six hours in the old cubicle. Muffelettos are made on homemade ciabatta bread, stuffed with many inches of paper-thin salami, ham, cappacola, and provolone, tarted […]

La Mia Focaccia

A longstanding establishment and lunch spot, La Mia Focaccia, has been dishing out some amazing eats for close to 20 years. The owner and her son bring a taste of authentic Italian cuisine to the area with their line of fresh-made focaccia and panini breads baked daily, and on-premise. Free of preservatives, and topped with […]

LaSpada’s Original Hoagies

Since 1973, LaSpada’s has been flinging sliced deli meats into waiting hoagie rolls with a deft touch. But meaty acrobatics are just one of the infamous sub shop’s trademarks. The other is its method of sandwich construction. A testament to flawless hoagie engineering, LaSpada’s first preps a giant, fresh-baked roll with mayo and mustard (or […]

Mr. Nick’s Sub Shoppe

Cheese steaks are one of those foods that incite furious debate, turning friends into enemies and enemies into nemeses. Folks hailing from Philadelphia claim that only sandwiches adhering to a strict code of ethics even earn the right to be labeled as such. And shouldn’t they have the right? Cheese steaks have been bastardized throughout […]

My Market & Deli

My Market is an unassuming corner store that looks like an ordinary bodega. But go inside and you find shoulder-to-shoulder crowds of construction workers, business folk, and pretty much everyone else who could squeeze in. They all know that the deli-style, made-to-order sandwiches are concocted out of Boar’s Head meats and cheeses and whatever homemade […]

Pa’ DeGennaro’s Restaurant

Pa’ Degennaro’s is the invincible old favorite of generations of pasta-craving Lauderdalians, a restaurant that through a couple of makeovers and many chefs has held onto its base clientele like a showman with a mad tiger by the tail. While over the years the interior and the chefs have changed, the food has remained much […]

Pinho’s Bakery & Deli

For 20 years, Pinho’s has serviced this blue-collar stretch of Andrews Avenue. Mechanics in their stained jumpsuits file in early for egg and cheese sandwiches served on Pinho’s home-baked croissants. That and a cup of coffee or a plate of home fries will get the day going right. For lunch, the same crowd grabs bulky […]

Pomperdale New York Style Deli

A truly transcendent deli, the ultimate comfort food, is all about trust. Some will quibble over details — the altitude of the sandwich, the sourness of the pickle, the correct brand of house mustard. Step inside the Lauderdale landmark and take a look at the grinning, crinkled mugs working the counter and you simply trust […]

Sage Bagel & Appetizer Shop

A traditional Jewish deli without any of the unnecessary schmaltz, this Hallandale bagel shop has been a neighborhood institution since the 1970s. Hand-cut lox, homemade matzo ball soup, and fist-sized piles of shaved brisket, pastrami, and corned beef piled high in overstuffed sandwiches would make any bubbe proud, while a special section of the menu […]

Sisters’ Subs

Sisters are great at many things – trading clothes, doing each others’ hair, scheming against Dad for later curfews, and, naturally, the occasional cat fight. But they may just be best at making subs. Home of the “Big Sister” – a six-foot Italian hoagie stuffed with ham, Genoa salami, cappicola, cheese, and a host of […]

Steak Shop & Deli

Moan over tempting gyros and try the Philly cheese steak, a signature item at this pleasant, Miami Dolphins-colored sandwich shop. You can get it prepared traditionally: Some sautéed onions, mushrooms, and peppers, plus lots of melted cheese. You can have it doused with marinara as a pizza steak. Or you can go upscale and have […]

The Little Mermaid Bar & Restaurant

It doesn’t advertise. Its entrance is literally hidden at the back of the gifts department on the second floor. And yet, every day at lunchtime, every seat at the twin curved counters of the Little Mermaid is occupied, and more eager patrons queue up in front of the cash register, waiting to pounce on any […]

Urban Rustic Bagel

Good bagels are hard to come by, particularly in South Florida. But it’s not hopeless. Our faith in the round, doughy delights is restored at Urban Rustic Bagel, Hollywood’s kosher caf