As the name implies, Peanut Butter & Jelly Deli is an entire restaurant dedicated to the eponymous sandwich. I wouldn’t consider this place an everyday type of restaurant, but if you have a craving for something sweet, this is the place to go.
How it works is that you can choose among the almost 20 specialty sandwiches, or you can create your own. Either way, you get your choice of bread (e.g., sourdough, grain deli wheat), preparation (grilled, plain or toasted) and add-ons (e.g., honey, slices of apples).
My first pick was the State St. Special ($6.50). Both the honey-roasted peanut butter and raspberry jam were tasty but nothing extraordinary, and I was not given what I would call a generous smear. The sandwich also was missing the fresh blueberries. I ordered the State St. Special on Texas toast and had it toasted, but the bread wasn’t buttery or garlicky, FYI.
You’re Killin’ Me Smalls ($6.50) comes straight from the movie “The Sandlot” in the scene about S’Mores. This one has dark chocolate peanut butter, crushed graham crackers and mallow crème, so it does resemble in taste a S’More, though the dark chocolate throws it off a bit. I ordered it on grilled panini bread, which seemed to be the right choice. Overall, the sandwich was pretty dry and not worthy of a repeat order. I also asked for bacon, but none was included.
I couldn’t resist trying the peanut butter and jelly shake ($4.95). It sort of looks like a latte. They did a good job of not making it too dense, so you can drink it from a straw. I enjoyed the peanut taste, which accounted for almost all the flavor, as you can detect only a hint of jelly.
I doubt I’ll ever order from here again, but if I do, I would try either the PBJ Quesadilla ($5.75) or the Bagel PB ($5.95).
Peanut Butter & Jelly Deli is open Wednesday through Sunday.
Tags: downtown, sandwiches
