After scouring the town for a new place to eat this time around, we decided on stopping by West Street Deli, 2810 West St. We’d heard nothing but good things about the place – good food, good music, nice people. Apparently it’s where all the “cool kids” hang out. That made us worry they wouldn’t even let us in.

Restaurant Atmosphere

Tim: From the outside, I had no idea what to expect from this place. The area around West Street, in case you don’t know, is in about as good condition as post-World War II Germany. The building looked ragged and old, but once we stepped inside, I realized this was part of the charm.

Zach: Yeah, you call it charm; I call it old. This definitely wasn’t the most appealing restaurant I have ever set foot in. I almost pulled the hair out of my head trying to find the menu. I would expect it to be behind the counter, just like every other eating establishment in the country. But no, it was hanging on a wall across from the counter, and it looked as if a 6-year-old kid scribbled on it with a crayon.

Tim: As difficult as it was for Zach to turn around to find the menu, which I might add was quite large and in bright letters, I certainly didn’t have a problem. The restaurant itself was actually pretty simple, and that’s a good thing. Laid-back jazz music played in the background – loud enough to hear, but soft enough to enjoy a decent conversation. Unfortunately, that conversation was with Zach. I think I may have gotten dumber just talking to him by the time I walked out.

Zach: Tim, you forgot to tell people how you made me sit in the back booth so you could whisper in my ear. It was almost scary. The mixture of you, the darkness and the jazz just gave me a bad vibe.

Tim: Yes, we did sit in the back booth. There are two full eating areas there, and we decided, since the place was completely empty, to take the booth with the TV on it. And what a TV it was – orange, vintage black and white picture with manual knobs. It was not unlike the one I had in my bedroom until I was about 12 or 13. I fully enjoyed the simplicity of the place. Thumbs up for me.

Zach: Oh, that makes me feel great, you brought me to the back of a dark restaurant because it reminded you of your bedroom. I guess when I go into a deli I expect to see all the meat and cheese and bread behind a big glass counter. Maybe with a guy in an all-white butcher’s suit with a friendly smile could cut the meat right off the slab of ham. This place just didn’t do anything for me; thumbs down.

Service

Tim: Service at West Street Deli isn’t, and shouldn’t be, a top priority. Once you decide what you want, the extent of the service is making it and handing it to you. And this place handled that difficult task just fine enough for me. Plus, the table was clean and I didn’t wait long for my food. Thumbs up for me.

Zach: The only thing I can say I didn’t like was the lack of a greeting. No one even said hello. But it is nice not having anyone bug you. Sometimes you get those waiters that come up to you every three minutes and ask if everything is OK. But not at West Street, so I am going with a thumbs up.

Food Quality

Tim: The menu was pretty impressive. The selection of breads and meats and cheeses is among the best I’ve seen in Ames. I decided on an Italian sandwich combo, which ran me only $6.50. It was a spicy sandwich with pepperoni, ham, provolone cheese, pepperoncini, black olives and onions, among other vegetables, on sourdough. They also slightly grilled it.

Zach: I selected something a bit closer to home. I ordered a ham and turkey on white with mayo, pickles and cheddar cheese. Simple, but fantastic. Mine, too, was grilled to perfection, and was accompanied by a cup of chili (we’ll touch on that later) and a soda for just $6.50.

Tim: There are specials of the day, and while Zach settled for the chili, I went ahead and decided on the tomato basil soup. This, my friends, was an excellent decision. The sandwich and the soup were great on their own, so I thought, “why not combine the two and see what culinary bliss could be concocted?” The sandwich was crisped perfectly enough for dipping, and the result was a great meal.

Zach: I don’t know about the soups. Mine tasted fine but I was a bit shaken when I discovered they put corn in the chili here. Call me a freak, but I have never thought of putting corn in chili. I must admit, though, it wasn’t half bad. As for the sandwich-dipping, I started it, plain and simple. So when Tim acts like he is inventing things, don’t buy it – it was probably me.

Tim: I was very impressed with West Street Deli, despite the company I was forced to deal with throughout the meal. There’s something about constant whining that usually deters from the eating experience, but this time West Street Deli was unfazed by Zach’s less-than-constructive rants on corn and bad menu placements. West Street Deli is definitely going to be one of my favorite places to get a sandwich from now on. Thumbs up for me.

Zach: Aside from the atmosphere, West Street was great. I would make sure to avoid company that likes the restaurants they eat at to remind them of their old junior high bedrooms. As for the food, the grub was good and inexpensive; thumbs up.