I heard about Mister Bentley's Deli from a friend at a meeting and went straight there afterward to…read morecheck it out for myself. One look at the menu and I already knew I was in trouble, the kind of trouble where you order enough food for a small family and somehow still justify every bite.
This little hole-in-the-wall deli is tucked beside Little Caesars and a barbershop in the Food Lion plaza on West Main in Danville, Virginia. Small space, maybe six or seven tables, nothing fancy at all. But sometimes those are the places serving the best food, and Mister Bentley's absolutely falls into that category.
My first visit, I ordered the Rolls Royce combo, a small potato salad, the Bentley Salad, and a loaded baked potato with butter, sour cream, cheese, and bacon. With tip, my total came to $38.42, and that food lasted me two lunches and two dinners. That is almost unheard of these days.
The Rolls Royce sandwich was outstanding. Everything about it worked. The bread was perfectly grilled, the vegetables tasted fresh, and the Boar's Head pastrami was piled generously without turning the sandwich into a sloppy mess. I added mayonnaise because I'm different like that and usually people go with mustard on a sandwich like this. It was just a really good sandwich.
The Bentley Salad was enormous. And I mean enormous. One of the best things on the menu is that they'll turn any sandwich into a salad, so instead of tiny little strips of meat hidden under lettuce, you get real portions of freshly sliced meats and vegetables. The salad was packed with flavor and texture. The dressing tasted fresh and delicious.
The loaded baked potato was comfort food perfection. Loaded with cheese, bacon, butter, and sour cream, it could've easily been a meal all by itself. I finished the potato salad before I even left the parking lot. No shame.
As if all that wasn't enough, I got a free drink with the meal.
What impressed me just as much as the food was the service. The owner/operator, TJ, pictured here, was friendly, knowledgeable, welcoming, and genuinely proud of what he's built, as he should be. You can tell this place matters to him.
I liked it so much I went back the very next day with a friend.
That second visit sealed it for me.
I ordered the Cadillac combo for myself, their version of a Reuben with corned beef, Swiss, sauerkraut, and Thousand Island, with an optional horseradish sauce. That sandwich was excellent. Perfectly grilled bread with just the right crunch, generous layers of corned beef, and balanced flavors that didn't fight each other. It's one of those sandwiches that disappears before you realize how much you've eaten.
I also ordered a BMW sandwich to-go for a friend, their "Build My Way" option where you pick your meat, cheese, veggies, and sauce. It was in a spinach wrap and she loved it. The wrap was large enough for her to share with a friend and still feel full!
The only drawback for me was the sweet potato fries. The flavor was delicious because honestly, it's hard to ruin sweet potato fries, but they weren't crispy. They were a little floppy and softer than I prefer. Still good, just not as crisp as I wanted them to be.
Even the bathroom was clean, which always matters in a small restaurant.
Mister Bentley's Deli doesn't look flashy from the outside, but this place absolutely delivers where it counts: fresh ingredients, generous portions, friendly service, and food that actually tastes like somebody cared when they made it.
Go hungry. And maybe clear some space in your refrigerator first.
Must order: Rolls Royce combo, Cadillac combo, or any sandwich turned into a salad
Heads up: Sweet potato fries taste great, but they are soft rather than crispy
