Last visit: May 2008
First visit: Sometime in 2007
--- Original review
Occasionally my neighbor, Mr. SS, will join me on a weekday afternoon for a local restaurant lunch jaunt. Last week, we decided to venture on up to Roanoke. Now Roanoke is "jus' 'cross the counny liine", a short ways north of the NE Tarrant area, and into Denton County. It features a quaint old town area , and has a fair share of independent restaurants, most notable and popular being Babe's Chicken Dinner House. Roanoke is barely detached from the DFW Metroplex, and it won't be long before it's just another suburb in the sprawling mass that we call "home".
Though the old town is a slight detour off the main highway, US 377 also has a few enjoyable places to dine. And one of those is C&A Italian Family deli, sitting peacefully in a vintage 1980s depressing strip center, certain to meet a bulldozer when Roanoke becomes the next "big thing".
Finding a good sub sandwich shop, much less an authentic New York style deli, is a real challenge for us folks in NE Tarrant. Mr. SS, a former Chicago and St. Louis resident, was also bemoaning the fact that there's a dearth of good old fashioned delis. The megachains of Subway and Quizno's are in about every shopping center, and while they certainly are decent places to eat (you may not agree), it does lack for variety. Even the better, slightly less corporate chains like Jersey Mike's, don't exist anywhere close (there's one in Las Colinas, which is a bit far to get a sandwich methinks). C&A Italian Family Deli is the gem in the rough. [And no, we haven't forgotten the wonderful Cero's Heroes or Weinbergers, both of Grapevine. Reviews will follow eventually].
So up to Roanoke we went... Mr. SS had the meatball sub, and I had the one that has the most Italian meats on it... I forget what they call it. I've been going to C&A, regrettably not too often, for about 3 years now. The owners are from The Bronx, and what they provide is a simple, but absolutely delicious sandwich. They use only top quality meats, and best of all, the condiments are super. Fresh lettuce, superb oil and vinegar dressing, good peppers and onions, etc... And where else have you seen RC, diet RC, and grape and orange Nehi? At the fountain no less?
Also worth noting that C&A Family Deli now has a branch in Keller known as Tirelli's Deli. Good news for us here in NE Tarrant!
Occasionally my neighbor, Mr. SS, will join me on a weekday afternoon for a local restaurant lunch jaunt. Last week, we decided to venture on up to Roanoke. Now Roanoke is "jus' 'cross the counny liine", a short ways north of the NE Tarrant area, and into Denton County. It features a quaint old town area , and has a fair share of independent restaurants, most notable and popular being Babe's Chicken Dinner House. Roanoke is barely detached from the DFW Metroplex, and it won't be long before it's just another suburb in the sprawling mass that we call "home".
Though the old town is a slight detour off the main highway, US 377 also has a few enjoyable places to dine. And one of those is C&A Italian Family deli, sitting peacefully in a vintage 1980s depressing strip center, certain to meet a bulldozer when Roanoke becomes the next "big thing".
Finding a good sub sandwich shop, much less an authentic New York style deli, is a real challenge for us folks in NE Tarrant. Mr. SS, a former Chicago and St. Louis resident, was also bemoaning the fact that there's a dearth of good old fashioned delis. The megachains of Subway and Quizno's are in about every shopping center, and while they certainly are decent places to eat (you may not agree), it does lack for variety. Even the better, slightly less corporate chains like Jersey Mike's, don't exist anywhere close (there's one in Las Colinas, which is a bit far to get a sandwich methinks). C&A Italian Family Deli is the gem in the rough. [And no, we haven't forgotten the wonderful Cero's Heroes or Weinbergers, both of Grapevine. Reviews will follow eventually].
So up to Roanoke we went... Mr. SS had the meatball sub, and I had the one that has the most Italian meats on it... I forget what they call it. I've been going to C&A, regrettably not too often, for about 3 years now. The owners are from The Bronx, and what they provide is a simple, but absolutely delicious sandwich. They use only top quality meats, and best of all, the condiments are super. Fresh lettuce, superb oil and vinegar dressing, good peppers and onions, etc... And where else have you seen RC, diet RC, and grape and orange Nehi? At the fountain no less?
Also worth noting that C&A Family Deli now has a branch in Keller known as Tirelli's Deli. Good news for us here in NE Tarrant!
5/2/08 (new entry)
7 comments:
Well, I can't speak for the food at C&A Italian Family Deli but I can tell you that their attitude is pretty poor. Their sign said they are open till 8:00 PM and I showed up at 7:57; the guy behind the counter is watching tv, stops, looks at me, points to his wrist watch and then goes back to watching tv. what a jerk. I guess a down turn in the economy does not affect C&A because they clearly make so much money that they can turn people away at the door. I just wanted a sandwich, dude.
- Ravenous in Roanoke
I've eaten there several times and have never been treated rudely. In fact I have called to inquire when they closed and when I said I would try to make it before then, the fellow on the phone siad to just call the order ahead and they would hae it ready for me to pick up, even if it was after closing. Can't beat that service.
The food is also great. My favorite is the fried eggplant and proscutto(sp) ham sub.
Mrs. RJG used to work at a deli, and she says that's one of the hardest situations to deal with: The customer who shows up 3 minutes before close. In general, the staff has already prepared the shop for closing and are very tired and just want to go home.
It's a perspective that I'm glad she shared with me many years ago, because there was a time I would've felt like Ravenous in Roanoke. You say you're open, so you should be open! Probably the worker could've handled the situation better - but then again, I wasn't there, so who knows? Probably if it was the owner, then they would've kept the shop open.
I haven't been in awhile, but I'm very much looking forward to my next visit in the next few months!
I first went to this deli in the late 90s. Roanoke had not experienced the housing boom yet and I swear it was run by a bunch of men (and their mom) who were in witness protection. It closed and opened again as C&A. I have always loved it, but it has lost some of the "soup nazi" charm it used to have.
HaHa cd0103! Witness protection program is good... that creates an automatic RJG visit.
Thanks for the background!
I liked going to C&A until the owners daughter began working there. She has a terrible attitude, always is short with customers and looks like she is hates working there! She also dresses completely inappropriate for a "family deli." I will walk out if I see her working, and that's lost revenue for her dad's pocket! Too many other options to subject myself to that.
I don't know how much sense it makes to close your restaurant at 8pm, but regardless...if you show up right at closing time there's a good chance you won't be served. Anyone who has ever worked in the service industry knows this. That's not justification for being rude about it, but come on...put yourself in their shoes.
And complaining about someone's outfit not being right for the job? Come on ya'll, is their really cause to be this critical?
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