Lunch Review! Silverglade's (8th Street)

If there is one word to describe Silverglade's, it has to be "solid". The deli/restaurant doesn't get wild and crazy with their offerings, but they serve the classics, and they serve them well. I have never been to the sister location at Findlay Market, but the location at 8th and Sycamore holds a special place in my heart as one of the first places I went out for lunch at after starting my job downtown. Out of the handful of times I've eaten here, I don't think I have been disappointed even once. That's certainly a lot less than I can say of some other places I've tried downtown.

Since it is located on 8th and Sycamore, it's a little off the beaten path for a lot of the downtown lunchers, which means that you can usually find a table without having to wait. That's A-OK with me.

The location is a large and open, with the deli taking up one quadrant of the space. Seating is located near the front, with a small wine selection and a cooler with soft drinks and beer in the back. The deli contains all of your various sides, cheeses and meats and they offer a espresso bar and various breakfast vittles in the morning. I've never tried the breakfast there, so I can't speak for it, but considering the quality of their lunch, I'm convinced it would be good.

(Breakfast goodies)

(Wine selection)

(Typical deli stuff)

They have a very large lunch menu, which includes soups, salads, and sandwiches (gourmet sandwiches and paninis). If you can think of a classic deli sandwich, odds are it is on their menu. One of the best parts about it being a combination deli/restaurant is that if nothing on the menu sounds appetizing to you (not likely), you have the option of custom-making your own sandwich with the available meat, cheeses, bread, and toppings. They are proud to serve Boar's Head meats, which is nice because you are pretty certain to be getting some quality meat on your sandwich.

Like I said earlier, I've never had a bad meal here, so I like to vary what I order each time I visit. Their menu is large enough that odds are you will have a tough time making a decision. They had a few new sandwiches when I visited, so I decided on a Cuban and my fiancee went with a Skilly Minnie, which is thin-sliced Boar's Head buffalo chicken breast with sprouts, tomato and cucumber on whole wheat. It looked really good. At Silverglade's you order at the counter, pay, grab your seat, and they'll call your name when your food is ready.

(Skinny Minnie)

(Cuban)

The Cuban wasn't particularly authentic, but it was tasty. It featured salami and thin-sliced pork loin layered alternately, topped with Swiss cheese, pickles, and a swipe of dijon mustard. All that was tucked in a home made ciabatta bun which had been pressed to give it a crunch and get everything inside of it nice and warm. Regardless of authenticity, it was very, very good. All the ingredients went together just right, taste and texture-wise. In addition, I got the sandwich as a combo, so I had my pick of sides. I went with a bag of pesto and parmesan kettle chips. Pretty good, but I'm more of a fan of some of the other chip flavors (the chipotle for instance). My fiancee always get the same sandwich there, so there were little surprises for her. Good as usual.

This last visit has done nothing to shake my opinion that Silverglade's serves some of the best sandwiches in downtown Cincinnati. I love sandwiches, so this is big to me. Every sandwich I've ordered here I would have no problem ordering again in the future if they didn't have a menu full of items that sound equally as appetizing. I suppose there is always next time, right?

Location, hours, and menu can all be found on their web site: http://silvergladesdeli.com/. Enjoy!