The Garage Deli

What a hidden gem. Looking from the street, you’d never think hidden inside is an eatery. It looks like a vacant storefront/​motorcycle shop. The staff were welcoming and friendly. Hidden in back is an awesome patio … a nice little respite on a Tuesday afternoon from the «real» world. My husband ordered the Reuben Panini. The sandwich was stacked so high with corned beef, my husband wound up bringing half home. I had the Original Gangster. The corned beef was moist and delicious & piled high & definitely worth the price of admission. They also provided at no cost a wonderful b owl of vegetable soup & a wonderful tomato with pickled onion salad. We upgraded & got a side of their German Potato Salad … delish! The only bad thing about this restaurant is … their hours … M-​F from 11 a.m. — 5 p.m. when I’m normally working downtown.

The Garage Deli (T.G.D.) has quite a bit of problems each of which are considerable enough to be fatal. I’ll get into those one by one shortly, but I first must give them hearty applause for serving the best corned beef I have eaten in the Western New York area, bar none. The corned beef, though cold and juiceless, was perfectly cooked, wonderfully tender, somehow wonderfully flavorful despite being cut so perilously thin. I could scarf such corned beef daily and blissfully add 20 pounds to my frame. No matter the host of other terrible errors T.G.D. makes, it does at least this wonderfully, which means there’s hope for it.
THE ORDER:
So I walked into T.G.D., encountered an absolutely empty deli (devoid of even any restaurant personnel), and found myself waiting for both service and an explanation of what the heck actually comprises the menu. See, a menu is posted in chalk on the rear wall, but the sandwiches all had names such that ingredients, breads, and et cetera were indiscernible. No menus were available whatsoever, and thus the attendant who did finally arrive was stuck explaining the details of each and every sandwich. Every deli in Brooklyn creates custom sandwiches but posts details copiously. There really isn’t any excuse here. As T.G.D. has been open for quite a while now, I am absolutely baffled that any of this occurred.
In case you were wondering, the corned beef sandwich I ordered was the ‘Original Gangster.‘
THE SANDWICH:
My sandwich cost $ 9.00 and consisted of the following: Perfectly cooked corned beef, replacement-​level rye bread, smeared mustard. The sandwich was served «cold» with untoasted, unfried bread meagerly coddling unfried, unwarmed, un-​anything perfectly cooked corned beef. In other words, the level of complexity and attention to detail demonstrated in the construction of the sandwich is roughly equivalent to that of a middle school cafeteria sandwich, if that. (Most of those have lettuce.) For $ 9.00, this is terrible value.
First, the bread issue. In 2006, Massachusetts judge Richard Posner made legal history by articulating the legal definition of a sandwich, a definition that necessitates the contents contained therein be bounded by bread. Simply put, the bread is as important as whatever’s inside!!! Flavorful bread is great. Texture is absolutely necessary (even if achieved by as prosaic a process as toasting) unless otherwise luxuriously soft, tender, and fluffy (as any roll in a pulled pork sandwich should be).
The failures here in complexity and attention dramatically undermine the success of the corned beef itself. In eating my sandwich, I completely eschewed the bread altogether on the second half and just ate the meat like a caveman. For $ 9.00, absolutely unacceptable.
THE SIDES:
Sandwiches are served with thin, stale pretzels, a pickle wedge, and a pasta salad the like of which you would also find in middle school. I don’t understand why they even bother with sides at all. Again, the disparity in attention to detail between these items and the corned beef beggars belief. It’s like having a lovely rug centering broken-​down furniture in your living room. Either buy better furniture or put that rug in storage. Ugh!
THE ATMOSPHERE:
So T.G.D. has a concept. It wants to conjure «garage.» Two motorbikes stand parked in the front of the deli. A third antique sits in the back by the rear exit to the patio. A few large James Dean posters (unframed, unmounted, etc.) cling to the walls. I’m sorry, T.G.D., but your concept is woefully incomplete.
Subtract these items, and the space resembles merely a Subway. Garages in Buffalo and New York City anyway (I’m not talking about the ones you see on «Pimp My Ride») are grimy, are cluttered, certainly aren’t clean, and pristine, and nonthreateningly off-​white, staffed by mousy attendants with meek voices. I understand that grime and food don’t really go together in this country. That’s fine. But clutter is definitely doable. You brought in the bikes, so how about some wrenches? Old toolboxes as condiment/​napkin holders? Photos of various sizes, compositions, ages here and there? More everything is needed here. I’m not much of a fan of the food, drinks, or service at Mackey’s Essex Street Pub, but that establishment nails the concept that T.G.D. is only making halfhearted attempts at.
Worse, 97 Rock was playing the whole time I stayed. If you’re channeling motorbikes, and smokers, and James Dean why the heck are you playing such mundane muzak? Honestly, just Visit Mackey’s Essex Street Pub and copy everything they do.
EN FIN:
But… there is that delicious, delicious corned beef. If T.G.D. fixes itself up, refocuses their attention to detail, I absolutely will return to give it a second try. Until that point, it’s impossible for me to recommend much of anything about it.
2 stars for food
2 stars for atmosphere
1 star for a truly bizarre ordering experience
2 stars overall

Overall Great!
I ordered the smoked turkey and apple-​wood bacon sandwich. The turkey was moist and delicious the bacon was wonderful. Even the bread was incredibly soft and fresh and man did they pile it on. Don’t get me wrong I think the bun was on the small side but they definitely stuffed as much meat and deliciousness as they could.
While there I did get a free sampling of their Chicken Soup again very meaty lots of chicken and the taste was pretty good. Definitely home made. Their apple and pear tart was delicious. Just the right amount of sweet not overbearing but not tart. Their potato salad was probably the worst thing I ate and I would still give that a 7 out of 10.
The waitress was very nice and personal kept checking up on me but not annoyingly and giving me free things… I’m not complaining!
10 dollars after tax is a bit pricey for just a sandwich but again 2 free tarts and a cup of soup and a helping of potato salad definitely made it worth that Hamilton.

Disappointing. Reuben and pot roast sandwiches are both dry. A lot of meat, but rather tasteless. Truffle potatoes salad would be 100x better if served hot. And the pretzel sticks for a side? Don’t waste your money.
If you like Torches, don’t eat here.

The Garage Deli is just what you would expect when you blend torches and smoke on the water into a sandwich shop.
Awesome décor of motorcycles and flames on the chalk board make one feel at home.
I met my father, his friend, and brother. We all loved the food. Especially the TurDukin!

Watch the meat being smoked in an old car converted to a smoker. Great soups, salad, and sandwich menu. Not just your basic deli sandwiches — many specialty sandwiches. Super cute beer garden/​patio. A mustard bar — from local webers, to wasabi, hot, sweet, and more. Delicious side dishes. Can’t wait to try more from the menu. Hard to choose just one item!