The Bottom Line
Neal's Deli may be one of the only places in the Triangle where you can get a halfway decent pastrami sandwich, but don't expect any frills with it.
Pros
- Neal's Deli serves pastrami, muffuletta and other regional specialties that are hard to come by
- The service at Neal's Deli is friendly
- Foodies will appreciate the locally-cured meats and locally-grown vegetables served at Neal's Deli
Cons
- There is not much seating at Neal's Deli -- only four tables are in the restaurant
- Waits for food at Neal's Deli are pretty long, even when the restaurant isn't crowded
- Neals Deli servers a limited number of menu selections with only ten sandwiches on the menu
- Certain menu items are frequently out out of stock at Neal's Deli
Description
- Neal's Deli is located at 100 East Main Street in Carrboro, next to The Open Eye Café. Neal's phone number is (919)967-2185.
- Neal's is owned by Sheila and Matt Neal
- Matt is the son of the late Bill Neal, a Southern chef extraordinaire of La Residence and Crook's Corner fame
- Posted hours are 7:30am-7:00pm weekdays, 7:30 am-4:00 pm Sat. However, the menu and hours at Neal’s are subject to change.
- Call ahead to make sure they’re open and haven’t run out of your preferred menu selections before you stop by.
Guide Review - Neal's Deli Carrboro - Review of Neal's Deli Carrboro
Walking into Neal's Deli in Carrboro is like walking into a hipster foodie's version of what a deli should be. The wallpaper sports a "faux-retro" chartreuse and green design, and the menu is equally unexpected: Neal's isn't the necessarily a good place to go if you're looking for "normal" deli food. Menu selections run the gamut from veal hot dogs, to muffuletta (a New Orleans specialty), to the NY deli-style classic pastrami on rye.My dining companion and I visited Neal's on a Wednesday evening at 6:00 p.m. We were the only customers in the restaurant, but our order--a cup of roasted red pepper soup, a pastrami sandwich and a veggie "pressed sandwich" took almost fifteen minutes before it was ready.
I was surprised to see that my $6.50 pastrami sandwich had nothing but a gherkin-sized pickle to keep it company on its plate. No chips, slaw, or even a fancy toothpick to hold the sandwich together (since it wasn't anywhere near overstuffed, it didn't really need one). However, the pastrami was tender and flavorful (but not as spicy as I like), and the rye bread it came on was fresh and had a pleasantly chewy crust. For two dollars more, I could have sampled some of Neal's side dishes along with my sandwich, but the green bean salad looked old and wilted.
The roasted red pepper soup was colorful and smelled good, but had a slightly off-putting aftertaste reminiscent of overripe or bruised peppers. The veggie sandwhich, stuffed with white beans and pickled onions, was tasty and unusual. My dining companion couldn't figure out what the sandwich was filled with-- guesses ran the gamut from potato salad to a mystery tofu concoction. We had to look on the menu to figure it out.
Less adventurous vegetarians might enjoy Neal's "cheesy" sandwich but beware--it's filled with "smelly" cheeses such as gruyere and has onions in it to boot.