You know those annoying Olive Garden commercials that say, “When you’re here, you’re family!”? They annoy me because, despite any wonderful service I may have received at a local Olive Garden restaurant, I can’t say I’ve ever felt like family. But there is definitely one restaurant in the city of Pittsburgh where I *do* always feel like family, and that’s the Bloomfield Sandwich Shop.
We found the Sandwich Shop back when we were living in the area (that fuzzy location that was Lawrenceville on a map but Bloomfield in zip code). I’d say we visited Ma Roz and her kids on an at-least weekly basis the entire time we lived on Mintwood Street.
But in all of those trips to the Sandwich Shop, we never once tried an actual sandwich. You see, the sandwich shop has one of the absolute BEST breakfasts in the city. This is not to say the ‘best for you,’ because I’m sure the calorie and fat count would give me a heart attack if I knew it, but there is something so comforting about the greasy plate of eggs and sausage links, home fries and toast, and that never-ending cup of coffee as you enjoy a David Bowie, Grateful Dead, or Creedence album. Add to that the fun of coming in on a freezing cold December morning, and warming up at the counter from the heat of the griddle in front of you, and this place quickly becomes your go-to breakfast joint.
So this year, we decided we were going to check out the menu item for which the shop was named.
Even though it’s been the better part of a year since we’ve been in, Ma Roz welcomed us in like we’d only been away for the weekend. (I have to admit, she was a little flabbergasted when we told her this was our first lunch at the Sandwich Shop). We took our usual place at the counter and put in our orders. I got the fish sandwich, which was gigantic, as you can see in the picture. It was soooo good. Greasy but crispy breading, and served on a fish-fry-worthy bun.
Michael got the sausage sandwich, and he thought it was excellent too. They have hot or sweet sausage, and the sandwich comes with peppers, onions, and provolone cheese.
Your sandwich comes with chips, but you can get a gigantic basket of fries instead for less than $3.00. In fact, all told, our whole meal was less than $20 – fries, two coffees, and two sandwiches for $18.00. You really can’t beat a price like that.
I’m glad we finally went out of our breakfast-comfort zone and tried the lunch at the Bloomfield Sandwich Shop. The sandwiches were awesome. And yes, I’ll probably still get breakfast most of the times we go (what can I say, I’m one of those girls who can eat breakfast food at any time of the day), but I was super pleased with my fish sandwich and fries.
Even more good news – the Sandwich Shop is now open extended hours! You can have breakfast or lunch during the day, and you can also stop in after a show or the bar and grab food from midnight until 4am most nights. Just remember, it’s cash only, and bring extra to tip Ma Roz and her staff, because they’ll definitely help you feel right at home.