This article originally appeared in the Hills and Heights magazine.
While November may best be known for turkey and pumpkin pie, the third day of the month celebrates another dish with National Sandwich Day. One of the best places in the neighborhood to pay tribute to the sandwich on this special day is W.D. Deli.
Off of Broadway, a little South of the Witte Museum, sits one of the best sandwich spots in town. W.D. Deli is located in an old two-story house built in the 1920s; you’ll know you’re in the right spot when you see the gigantic fork statue at the entrance (I’ve never been to a place with a giant fork that I didn’t like). There is a shaded patio at the front with purple and white umbrellas; inside the deli has a funky feel with collector’s plates and other ephemera on the walls.
Near the register is a blackboard with the different kinds of sandwiches along with seven or eight cookie jars with oversized cookies. Even though the blackboard touts that everything is good, I asked the lady behind the counter her suggestions. “I would order either the Turkey Club or the Chicken Chipotle Parmesan.”
I went for the chicken sandwich along with potato salad as my side. With my sweet tooth, I couldn’t pass up the peanut butter chocolate chip cookie that was the size of a Frisbee. My wife ordered the Italian Panini made with ham, pepperoni and provolone cheese on grilled sour dough bread.
While waiting for the sandwiches to come out, I noticed that there were containers of old Trivial Pursuit and other trivia cards. This was a nice touch that emphasized the overall atmosphere being more like your funky aunt’s houses instead of a restaurant.
The Chicken Chipotle Parmesan sandwich was tasty – it came out on two thick pieces of ciabatta bread and had tons of grated Parmesan cheese. The chipotle mayo was creamy, but I would have liked for it to be more on the spicy side. The chicken was thick cuts of white meat and overall the sandwich was very filling.
I can’t lie though, after taking a bit out of my wife’s Italian Panini I was jealous of her sandwich. The sourdough bread was nice and warm and had a good crunch to it. The good folks at W.D. Deli didn’t skimp out on the ham and pepperoni and it tasted amazing with the melted cheese. While I liked my chicken sandwich, rest assured that I know what I am ordering next time.
Regardless of what sandwich you order, you can’t leave the restaurant without getting dessert. Their cookies are enormous and will satisfy any cookie fan with flavors like peanut butter chocolate chip, cranberry orange oatmeal or any of the old standards. They also have a variety of other baked goods like brownies, lemon bars, and triple chocolate cake.
With so many options, you can celebrate National Sandwich Day throughout the entire month at W.D. Deli.
W.D. Deli, 3123 Broadway, San Antonio, TX 78209
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