Tuesday, 4 January, 2011 7:39
by Chris Jay
The Casino Po-Boy from Deli Casino in Shreveport, piled high with ham, salami and bologna.
The What, When and Where:
Deli Casino Sandwich Shoppe
637 E. King's Hwy.
Shreveport, LA
Phone: (318) 869-2379
Lunch Only, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Since opening in May, 1979, Sam and Dayle George's Deli Casino Sandwich Shoppe at 637 E. King's Hwy. has taken a "keep it simple" approach to satisfying their customers: Just make great sandwiches.
"We don't do spaghetti, we don't do pizza," Mr. George said. "All we want to do is make sandwiches." The fact that the George family have been making those delicious sandwiches by hand for over three decades is evident when you bite into one of their house specialties. Try their most popular sandwich, the One-Armed Bandit (a Kaiser roll with ham and salami, marinated olive mix and Provolone cheese) or the more adventurous Bleu Chip (a nine-inch roast beef sub smothered with mushrooms, melted Provolone cheese, bleu cheese dressing, lettuce and tomato). Their Italian Po-Boy features homemade meatballs, Italian sausage, bell peppers and onions topped with Mozzarella.
The very definition of a "mom and pop" business, the Georges are always behind the counter, preparing orders and chatting with customers. This, of course, is the best selling point for eating at locally-owned restaurants: the people. If you've got a moment, ask Mr. George what it was like to have the word "Casino" in the name of his business when riverboat gambling arrived in Shreveport-Bossier in the mid-90's. "People were calling night and day," he said. "All of them asking for a room!"
Deli Casino Sandwich Shoppe is one of those Shreveport-Bossier institutions where everyone seems to be a regular, where strangers still share a table when need be, and where it is simply taken for granted that the man who owns the business is going to take your order. In short, it's a little slice of Americana - or, perhaps more appropriately, several layers of toasted Americana piled high on a nine-inch roll.
Lagniappe
Deli Casino on UrbanSpoon
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