My lunch partner and I decided we wanted some chicken tenders and fries for lunch. I had heard about the American Deli that recently opened on South Blvd so I looked at their website and menu. We were in luck - they had chicken tenders and fries, so we decided to give them a try.
The place is clean and the ladies are friendly, but there are some points that stand out instantly once we left their online website and walked into their actual store in person. It's sparse; I mean, like stark inside. I noticed the fresh paint on the walls then my eyes fell to the booths and chairs and tables BOLTED to the floor.?. Really? My partner also noticed that there was nothing on any of the tables, not even salt & pepper?? The energy of the place was off putting, it felt weird in there to me.
I noticed a few hand written signs all stating completely obvious statements to people with any home training like "no free cups of water" and the obligatory "no public restrooms". I also couldn't help but notice printed in all caps right on the receipt "NO REFUNDS, NO RETURNS, NO EXCHANGES" which doesn't exactly give one a feeling of confidence in what they're going to get. There was also an unusual sign at the register saying that they would open and inspect every plate before leaving the counter to be certain it was prepared correctly. WOW. How many of your customers have come in, ordered, eaten most of it and then asked for a refund or tried to say it wasn't what they ordered? The answer? Clearly far too many or these types of signs wouldn't be necessary.
I watch as other orders are brought to the counter and see the ladies opening the boxes and looking at the food with the customer... no hand washing, no hair nets, no gloves, no nothing. These ladies are not cooks so aren't held to the same cleanliness standards of hair nets or gloves and they are visibly playing on their phones, touching the register and money = I do not want them putting their hands anywhere near my food!
My order number was called and I go to the counter and she inspects my food. It looked pretty enough, and there was a lot of food for the price. I opened the box at my bolted down table and took a bite of the fries. They were basic crinkle fries. Then I took a bite of one of the chicken tenders and instantly tasted that familiar fishy overtone of chicken that's been fried in the same oil as fish = YUCK! That was it for me... I drank a little of my coke, ate a few of the fries and tossed my entire meal in the trash. We then drove down the street and bought two more lunches at Showmar's that were edible.
So today's little trial was a complete fail for me and I will certainly not be back. I wish this place would change it's name because this is as far from a "deli" as you could possibly imagine. No fresh meats or cheeses here. Clearly I am not American Deli's target customer just as American Deli is not at all my target lunch spot. read more