You can get a "proper New York style" sandwich right here in Liverpool, or so I was told.
More often than not, it's a good sign when you see people queuing for food somewhere. And that's what happened when I stumbled across Derek's sandwich bar on Allerton Road.
Derek's was opened in 2021 by Ethan Woodroofe and Adam Taylor, two former students of King David High School In Wavertree. They were inspired by several trips to Brooklyn, and have since opened a new site in Crosby.
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Now I love American-style food so there were no complaints from me when my boyfriend suggested we go in to see the menu when we were walking by.
Having not long missed breakfast, we decided to grab an early lunch at 11am, and there were already a few people gathered around outside waiting for their food. Popping in to take a look, I liked how cosy it was, with a small retro game in the corner you could play while you waited.
On the New York style menu, I opted for the Furio which consisted of chipotle chicken, jalapeños, smoked cheese, lettuce, crispy onions and avocado. I was a little surprised about the price, costing £8.50 for this sandwich, but I wasn't sure what to expect.
Wondering if it would be overflowing with filling, I was presented with a fairly large sandwich sub and couldn't wait to tuck in. Despite the steep price, there was a fair amount of filling and it actually tasted really nice. It was however quite messy to eat, but no complaints here.
Because of the nice weather, and the fact it was really hot inside, we decided not to eat in but there is a small seating area inside. There isn't a huge selection of sandwiches but they do offer coffee also. I, however, opted for a homemade, still pink lemonade which was really refreshing.
I love trying new places to eat, trying to stray away from my usual lunch time orders, and I was pretty impressed with Derek's, and the lovely staff. Considering how much it filled me up and how much filling was there, I'd say the pricing could have been worse.
I also liked the look of the other subs on offer, ranging from meat filled, duck with honey garlic sauce and there was even a vegan option. I think if I'm ever passing again, I'd like to try the coffee on offer as judging from the reviews online, I won't be disappointed.
Derek's Instagram page can be visited here. The cafes are located on Allerton Road opposite the Home Bargains and on College Road in Crosby.
Speaking previously to the ECHO, Ethan said "Our best mate George lives in Brooklyn and we go over a lot to see him. We would visit a lot of those Italian American-style delis. I used to sit in them and think I'd love something like this back home.
"There's nowhere that I know of that you can get those big New-York style sandwiches. We also loved the cool atmosphere and the good music and that's what we want to bring to Derek's."
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