By Alaina Loughridge - Photos by Wen Mcnally
The Café on 80 Deli & Bakery
I finally got a chance to head down to Tybee’s latest offering in the food
department and was so excited! Partners A.J. Baker and Erin Flannigan
just opened The Café on 80 Deli & Bakery and although lots of things are
in the works, I have to say they are kicking ass within a month of being
open! So, with our intrepid photographer, Wen McNally, behind the wheel,
off we went!
Just to let you know right out of the gate, do not expect to go in and
sit down for a leisurely cup of coffee and a sandwich. There is no seating.
You go in and you get out with your deliciousness in hand. Chloe and
Zoe were our counter ladies and couldn’t have been more helpful. Very
knowledgeable about the menu items and extraordinarily good milkshake
concoction makers, the girls were great! As we were waiting for our
sandwiches and eyeballing the donut scene, we saw a chocolate donut
with bacon on it! Bacon and chocolate on one round perfect pastry. I tore
my gaze away as the first sandwich hit the deck.
The Pig N’ Chick: This big, fat sandwich was stuffed between a croissant
that was so perfectly fluffy, I wiped my tears away from thinking about
the aforementioned donut. Fat full of Sundae chicken salad, crispy bacon
(and not chintzy on the bacon either), red onion, provolone, sliced apples
(which sounds weird but it isn’t at all), and alfalfa sprouts, it was a perfect
combination of flavors. I reluctantly put it down to move on to the next
sandwich.
The Low Country Cuban was just as delicious as it sounds! Served
on French bread, this bad boy is loaded with smoked pork, ham, pimento
cheese, mayo, mustard and pickles! It’s weird, but the pickles really brought
everything together for me. I’m sure it’s equally delish without the pickles,
but don’t do it. The bread was perfectly toasted and it was just a warm
yummy.
Next up was the Sausage, Egg & Cheese Bagel (Poppy seed). I went
to go take a bite out of it and literally could not put my chompers around it!
I had to squish it down with my hand just so I could get all the bits in one
bite and not miss anything. McDonald’s ain’t even in the same stratosphere
at this breakfast bagel.
The next sandwich was my personal favorite and I could not put it down.
Wen had to fight me off with her milkshake to make me put it down: The
Avocado Melt. Oh my! It was made on sourdough and just was flat out
everything Alaina loves on a sandwich: cream cheese, basil sprouts, tomato,
spinach, goat cheese, and of course Avocado. If you don’t ever do anything
in your life that I tell you, do this sandwich. I’m still thinking about it and that
sandwich was yesterday. I need to get another one … soon.
I unenthusiastically put the Avocado Melt down and in walked The
Cowboy! WHAT? Roast beef and horseradish? I’m pretty sure those two
items are my favorite ever! Throw that on toasted wheat bread, with roasted
red peppers, white cheddar and honey horse mustard and I’m thinking
Avocado who?
That wasn’t all of the sandwiches that Café on 80 has going on (also
32 TYBEE BEACHCOMBER | FEB 2018
an Italian and a Deli Club) on their usual board, but they also run a daily
sandwich special. That day was Italian Beef on French bread. Le sigh (as
Betsey would say). Next time Italian Beef. Next time.
Don’t think you have to have everything exactly as we did. You can swap
breads and ingredients. You can make endless decisions or none at all. They
offer breakfast all day and coffee. Donuts too, along with ice cream and
milkshakes. Our delicious milkshake was strawberry flavored with whip
cream and sprinkles and they shoved a cookie on top of it. I don’t know
what that cookie was made of, but I’m thinking it was made from heaven!
They also have different soups of the day. When we were there it was
Broccoli Cheddar and Tomato Basil. Not to diminish the soups, but let’s get
back to desserts: Cinnamon rolls, strudels, Danish, eclairs, cannoli’s, cream
horns, biscuits, cookies, bagels, key lime pie, pecan pie, cupcakes, oh my!!!
I want 12 of everything please!!! Oh, and eight different flavors of ice cream
that you can scoop or milkshake it up! Plus, stuff to go on top of said ice
cream: Chocolate, gummy bears, sprinkles and more.
Everything is fresh fresh fresh!!!
The Café on 80 Deli & Bakery is open six days a week (no Mondays)
from 8am to 5pm. Located on the corner of Jones and Butler (the old
pharmacy for the locals), you can stop in, order everything you need and be
walking out the door in minutes. They are still learning as they go, but lots
of new stuff is coming and I can’t wait. Call 912-472-4538 to get your own
delicious on. In the meantime, I gotta go. I see an Avocado Cowboy in my
future sandwiched around a chocolate donut with bacon on it.