Dilly's Deli: Fresh Sandwiches in Phoenix

Dilly's Deli is somewhat of a phenomenon in the growing Phoenix sprawl of sleek chain restaurants and mega stores. Dilly's, with locations in Tempe, Chandler, and Scottsdale, is one of the resilient little guys - a small, self-described "unpretentious" deli offering sandwiches, wraps, soups, and salads at reasonable prices since 1993.

I recently visited one of the Tempe locations for lunch. Blame the hot temperatures for my modest appetite and equally modest selection: a salad. As I watched some of my dining mates chomp down Dilly's sandwiches, though, I knew that I would have to return with an emptier stomach.

The Dilly's set-up fits the sandwich shop standard. You walk in the door and are confronted with the usual menu board - too many choices, too little time. You sense the pressure of hungry patrons waiting behind you; flustered, you spit out your order to the waiting cashier and hope that you have selected wisely. At Dilly's, there's a good chance that you have.

I ordered the Chef's salad, a protein fix loaded with turkey, ham, cheese, and ranch dressing. The salad arrived in a cramped plastic clamshell, much like the salads of my college cafeteria days; my fork constantly patrolled the packaging's perimeter to prevent the dreaded salad "overflow." As for the salad itself, the iceberg lettuce was crisp and fresh, and the Boar's Head brand cold cuts, a name I know and trust, were amply piled atop the lettuce. No worries about filmy, no-name deli meat here.

Sandwiches and salads all hover in $5-7 range. That price range might top the likes of Subway, but the quality of ingredients justifies the price jump. BLTs, Clubs, Reubens, and the classic tuna and chicken salad staples all have a home on the Dilly's menu. For a slightly more adventurous selection, try a Humdinger - pastrami with chipotle slaw - or the Blazing Buffalo - more or less, the buffalo wing experience sandwiched between two generous slices of homemade bread.

Any of the sandwich selections sound appealing; the salads, though not terribly innovative, are freshly prepared and utilize the same quality ingredients as the sandwiches. For the indecisive, Dilly's offers salad/soup combinations, too. Soups come with massive bread bowls; even my salad was accompanied by a large slice of buttery bread. All sandwiches include a choice of side - sweet or savory.

What Dilly's may lack in creativity it makes up for in quality. Besides, with so many over-the-top sandwiches hitting menus everywhere - honestly, a Frito's chili cheese wrap at Sonic? -a little simplicity is welcome.