Email this page
Print this page2-Minute Review: Pickleman's Gourmet Cafe
A new deli-style restaurant turns out to be more than just another fling for our soup-and-sandwich savant.
Pickleman’s Gourmet Cafe isn’t just another sub shop. I have my favorite sub places already; I wasn’t sure if there was room for another, but I gave it a shot, and have since been back multiple times.
I am a club sandwich kind of girl, nothing too fancy, but on my first visit to Pickleman’s (3522 S. National Ave., 417-887-7300) I got a wild hair and went for the Buffalo chicken sandwich ($5.69) instead—with a side of a pickle, of course. I got the whole pickle. Big mistake: It was huge. If you are wanting it for a side a half-slice is plenty.
I absolutely loved this lunch. The sandwich was a little messy, but in a good way. It has strips of grilled chicken tossed in Buffalo sauce with melted provolone cheese, crumbled bleu cheese, lettuce and ranch. It was a nice warm kick on an otherwise dreary day. The second time I went I actually had the same thing—I told you I liked it.
On my third visit I decided to go out on another limb and try the grilled cheese. I was a little nervous and even asked the sandwich-maker guy if it was going to be all bread. Grilled cheese on a hoagie? Who wouldn’t think that? He assured me it was great, so I took his suggestion—get both cheeses they offer, mozzarella and provolone. I got a cup of their tomato bisque to accompany my sandwich, which was my best decision by far.
The sandwich was different then any grilled cheese I’ve ever had, but it was not all bread. As I discovered, dipping it in the tomato soup was the icing on the cake.
These aren’t the only things on the menu, though. They have an array of sandwiches, soups, salads and pizza (the Buffalo chicken tastes like the sandwich has been exploded onto thin crust—very tasty).
