Fresh Fresh food. Mostly salads and sandwiches. My son raved about his pastrami sandwich and I had the marinated albacore salad. Delicious and nicely seasoned. Everything was super fresh - light and reasonably priced. Awesome big brownie. Outdoor seating PLUS 100% sanitation rating And super friendly. Will be back ! read more

Neal's Deli - Albacore Salad - Delis Near Me - Carrboro, North Carolina

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It took me over a year to try this place and I have no good excuse for it. I figured it was good since it is featured on the Taste Carolina food walking tour of Chapel Hill and Carrboro, but I was never in a hurry to go since it is just a deli (read: sandwich place). If you read my other reviews, you'll see I have a complicated relationship with sandwiches. Part of me resents going out for sandwiches. I don't like paying other people to make me sandwiches. But I keep finding great places around with sandwiches that I want to return to eat. This is one of them! This also happens to be the best biscuit I've had in the area. Yes, it is better than Rise. I had the egg and cheese biscuit sandwich with avo salsa (guac) and roasted red peppers. The biscuit was perfectly soft and flaky and the other ingredients just complemented the whole ensemble so well into this soft breakfast super-treat. Watch out though - they only serve their biscuit delights til 11AM, so go early to catch one! read more

I had a bacon, egg and cheese biscuit, with wilted spinach on top. The biscuit was fresh-made and good, and the spinach was a really good addition to the sandwich. I enjoyed my biscuit (it was good, but wasn't a standout, hence 3 stars rather than 4). This is a friendly little place, and popular with the locals, and no wonder, because it's a great value. read more

An amazing local deli where one likely wouldn't expect one to be. My favorite is the turkey sub. Perfectly crafted and it's the proper portion for a human being. And the pickled green tomatoes are so good! The only negative I can think of would be the hours. Don't expect to get something at dinner time! read more

This was my first meal in North Carolina, ever! I was in the area working remotely from Boston and really wanted something that represented a local bite to eat. So friends told me Biscuits were really big in the area. Being a deli enthusiast, i was in the mood for a mean sandwich, and Neal's sounded super appetizing. I love checking out local spots, and this place looked like a local favorite. Lots of outdoor seating, and sort of limited menu centered around pastrami. I ordered a biscuit sandwich w/ pastrami Manhattan style (swiss cheese and slaw), and it was freaking delicious. Some places really mess up on pastrami, but this place delivered. Not too greasy, just the right amount of tenderness with a bit of a burnt taste, complimented well w/ the light slaw. The best part? What I ordered isn't on the menu! The gentleman taking my order said i was bold for ordering a biscuit pastrami sandwich, but that it was a good idea. It traditionally comes w/ just wheat or rye bread. Definitely must try if you're around! read more

Neal's Deli - Biscuit sandwich w/ Pastrami Manhattan style (swiss cheese and slaw) - Delis Near Me - Carrboro, North Carolina

Tucked away in a corner of Carrboro is a small deli pumping out Yummie sandwiches and soup...I have actually been here a few times and you have been warned that lines form quickly here at lunch and there is very little space to sit and eat but no worries just crash at a picnic table at open eye or venture off to weavers street! read more

Neal's Deli - Delis Near Me - Carrboro, North Carolina

Biscuits are the hot trend sweeping the nation right now, I am led to believe. Neal's does them pretty well. They have huge biscuits with creative combinations. I can highly recommend this place for breakfast or lunch. Excellent service too. Its tiny inside so I imagine it might be a squeeze sometimes but their menu is simple and they can turn your food out pretty quickly. Their biscuits are good and don't suffer from falling apart as a sandwich. They're doing it right. read more

I had the daily special- Cliff's Country Ham on a sweet potato biscuit with redeye gravy. It was to die for. Seriously, the best thing I've eaten in a very very long time. DELICIOUS! I also got a cup of the rustic applesause, it was so good. What a treasure we have here in Carrboro! read more

By far my favorite place in chapel hill. Order the pastrami ruban with spicy mustard or the muffaletta!!!

I have had one breakfast bisquit from Neil's Deli and it was very good so I decided to try lunch. I stopped by and ordered a turkey sub and the vinegar and oil potato salad to go. When I got to work I discovered that I was given a ham and salami by accident. I had to go back, luckily I had time before I had to work, and exchange it for the turkey. The sandwich was replaced quickly and my order was comped by the manager without my asking. Mistakes happen and I am happy with the way it was resolved so easily. As for the food, I could eat this potato salad 3 times a day it's so good, and the sub was fresh and very good as well. Five yummy stars for Neil's Deli! read more

I think Neal's Deli should consider a name change. I am fairly certain that Matt Neal would not want his name associated with this place. I've been away for a year, living in Mexico. I have been dreaming about a pastrami sandwich. They don't exist where we were in Mexico. I have been there twice since returning. The first time, my sandwich was so small I could barely taste the meat. Today, my brother and I, went to Neals. I had a pastrami sandwich on rye with double meat. That should have solved the problem. What I got was a hefty sandwich that was half pastrami, half fat. My brother ordered a muffaletta. REALLY stingy on the meat. That is because they used about 1/4 the size of the bread traditionally used. With a side of cole slaw and 2 sodas it cost just under $30 (plus tip). That is the last time I will eat at Neal's. Please, change the name. read more

Visited here on the recommendation of a friend. I had the veggie soup which was puréed veggies tasted like there was quite a bit of butternut squash. I ended up putting some sriracha in it which helped. The soup was quite good but I wish there was less squash. read more

My first interaction with Neal's was an Italian sub dropped directly at my desk courtesy of a colleague who made a food run. It was disappointing (Subway-like?) and left me hesitant to make an in-person visit, especially when there are plenty of long-term lunch loves in the area that I rendezvous with regularly. Enter Mari J. Who insisted I try them again for a sandwich, or better yet hit 'em up for a delicious biscuit. I work from home people. There's little chance you'll find me at a breakfast joint clear across town at 9am. BUT. As I was heading into Chapel Hill for the Shred-a-thon yesterday, and since there was just a splash about Neal's in the NYT, I decided to hop on over for a bite. So did EVERYone else. The place was packed! And I heard multiple mentions of the Times piece... kudos to these Carrboro kids for landing some big buzz. There are only 3 or 4 tables in the shop, and a few stools on the porch if you want to eat on the railing. I ended up sharing my table with three elderly folks. Note: don't try to bring your grammie here. The poor things could barely perch themselves up on the elevated bar stools. Anyway, where was I? Oh yes... so we're :packed: into this little deli together (and I thought Toast was snug!); but the food still manages to come out quickly. This time I went with the turkey sub, spicy peppers. Yummo. Not Subway for sure. But here's the thing. It seemed a little miniature to me -- like a kid's sized sandwich. Maybe America has trained me to need gigant-o super-sized portions, but this meal struck me as small. Still, I'm a converted fan for the fresh and delicious food. But I'll be doing to-go on next visit. Maybe someone can even motivate me to drag my ass out for one of their breakfasts... read more

Okay-in reality I am giving this a 3.5 but am bumping it up to 4 to account for the awesomeness of being served by a girl wearing a fedora. Woot. This place has a really nice, friendly vibe. The staff are hard working and so friendly. I expected them to break out into song and dance of Shiny Happy People they seemed so earnest about their sandwich prep. I love that old 70s funky wall paper and the coziness of the deli and the outdoor seating but it is limited so a lot of orders are to go. The wait for our sandwiches was about 15-20 for 3 hot sandwiches which seemed to be a bit long by deli standards but these people were working it and they were toasted and very fresh. I really liked that all the ingredients were shaved and thin so I could eat them daintily without a big blob falling out on my lap. So-why am I at a 3.5? The lack of vegetarian items. Again, one can get a grilled cheese type sandwich which should just be a gimme rather than a feature. The other veggie had Pureed Tuscan-style white beans with roasted carrots, wilted spinach, & pickled red onion on rye. A nice change from spout driven sammies but I would love to have more variety. It might not be a bad idea to at least have one veggie special a day or just add a cold veggie sandwich to the line up. Also-why so much rye? My husband had the rueben and liked it but said it didn't knock his socks off. He liked Sandwhich better but for me, I would rate this higher. The food is prepared with love and cool-@ss hats. read more

Food: I've been here 3 times & each time I wanted to like it but had a sub-par experience. Here's what I've had: - breakfast egg & cheese biscuit ($3.25): the biscuit was dry. If you're going to sell biscuits, then make them good. A place like Neal's, with its prices, shouldn't be serving dry, tasteless biscuits. - Turkey Reuben ($8.50): dry turkey, tasteless white bread, limp sauerkraut. That's what it looked like on my sandwich too. - Apple & Cheese Hot Dog on a Pretzel Roll: Like with the Turkey Reuben, none of the flavors gelled in the hot dog either. The apples tasted like they came from a can, and had none of the cinnamon or Christmasy flavors that you except from spiced apples. Service: The 3 separate times I've been here, the waitstaff has been incredibly rude & impatient. They act as if they are doing customers a favor. And they're slow. Value: It's over-priced for the quality of the ingredients, flavor, and experience. There's little indoor seating, and little outdoor seating. Luckily, if you happen to find yourself near Neal's, walk a few feet to Open Eye where you'll be greeted by friendly, helpful, unpretentious staff that serve good coffee that's worth your money. read more

Neals Deli is my main jam in Carrboro. Great biscuits and great sandwiches. For breakfast the decadent pimiento cheese and bacon biscuits are to die for. No really, they are probably killing me. If you really want a heart attack get a pastrami, egg, and swiss biscuit to go with the first one. The plain biscuits are delicious too (better than Sunrise). Yeah. I said it. Be warned: Neal's runs out of biscuits many mornings. For me lunch is all about the house cured pastrami. The Manhattan is my go-to sandwich, but the Reuben is also excellent. The apple cheddar dog is yummy too. I've never enjoyed their sides as much as the sandwiches. Staff is friendly and it's a locally owned business. Understandably lots of folks love Neal's as much as I do, so the wait can be pretty lengthy sometimes, especially on weekend mornings. That knowledge coupled with the tiny dining room leads me to plan to either 1) take it away or 2) plan my visit during non-peak hours. Neal's is pricey, but the fresh, quality food justifies it. Like I said, it's my jam. read more

Their egg salad sandwich is the best I've ever had! Their biscuits are so fluffy yet crispy! And, their pimento cheese with grits are amazing! They also serve Cokes in the can, which I appreciate. Their coffee is good without being too fancy and over priced. read more

My travel companion had heard that Neal's had the best pastrami ever, so he wanted to try it and he was delighted-- he lives in New York and fancies himself a deli expert. I had the chicken salad, which was a bit above average for a boring standard. I was intrigued by the house hot dog, which is served with apples and white cheddar, but I didn't try it because their house German frank is made with veal, which I cannot do. I saw that Neal was cleaning some weird green that I was unfamiliar with, so I asked him about it. They were baby beets with greens and he let me try them. He'd gotten them from a local farmer and was going to figure out what to do with them. I would go back there just because Neal was an affable chap. If they have them, get some biscuits to go. Yum. read more

If I had to pick a sandwich place to show someone that just came to town, this would be it. I've had quite a few things from there that I've liked. But i'll list the favorites, things that I would get repeatedly. 1. Marinated Beets: they're light, refreshing, served nice and cold like how things like that should be. 2. Manhattan: for me, this is the best sandwich, hands down. Their pastrami is so delicious and had the best texture between tender and slightly chewy. The accompaniments are also very fitting but without overwhelming the pastrami itself, which is really quite the star here. The slaw on there is really perfect, sweet and crunchy to offset the mustard. I'm not a mustard kind of person, but this is so balanced that I actually enjoy everything as a whole. 3. C Dog: That's all I remember about its name. The avocado is a really good addition here. The Brezel Roll is just the right kind of bread for this. I'm always really happy to have this hot dog. I do have to say I'm not a big fan of the breakfast sandwiches, though. I'd rather go to somewhere like Sunrise for breakfast. read more

I was in Carrboro recently to conduct some business over at the Open Eye Coffee House (see my review on that establishment also), and received a recommendation to give Neil's Deli a try for lunch. I sauntered the short distance next door over to the Deli which is quite small as mentioned in other reviews. There wasn't much of a crowd when I went but I probably had just avoided the lunch crowd by going at 11:30. I ordered the Italian sub which they had as a special along with chips and a drink for $8.50 I believe. The sandwich came out fast and was very enjoyable. The bread was fresh and the ingredients spicy, but not overly so. Neil's is a nice deli. I would like to go back and try their Reuben and Pastrami sandwich or biscuits which I hear are delicious also. read more

I love the food here, especially the apple cheddar dog. Pretzel roll! cheddar cheese! Baked applies! The mixture of salty and sweet and cheesy and meaty is fabulous. My boyfriend loves the Manhattan and I can attest to the excellence of the pastrami. The sides are excellent too, last time I went I had an excellent, vinegary potato salad and some wonderfully spiced roasted cauliflower. Four stars because it is really hard to find a place to sit, which is problematic when the weather blows. It would be great if there were more indoor seating options. read more

I'm writing this, intending to try to go back another day. It was crazy-busy, and after standing in line for a while, I started to place my order and the girl interrupted me to say they were on lunch now (it was 11:00), so I couldn't order biscuits. Because it was so busy (I'm guessing), she didn't offer any information about what hours breakfast IS served, and she didn't respond when I said "Oh, I didn't know that. When do you switch over?" I'm mostly writing this review before actually trying the food so that others can be warned that this isn't a breakfast all day kind of place, since it doesn't say anything about certain things only being served during certain hours on their website. read more

It's so hard to get any toddler out the door in the morning, but a jet-lagged 3.5 year-old? Impossible. So it was 11 o'clock when we arrived at Neal's, hungry, tired, and desperate for some good news. I had no idea that they stopped serving breakfast at 10:30 and this homesick Carolina girl probably would have wept on the spot if they hadn't had any biscuits left. But they did. We sat on the porch, enjoyed coffee from next door (Neal's was fresh out), and grubbed our biscuits. The sausage was to die for, and the egg and pastrami weren't bad either. I was salivating as I watched my kid slowly, methodically make his way through a plain biscuit with strawberry jam. Try as I might, I couldn't manage to get a single bite of it. He's getting too smart for me. I have no idea what their lunch is like, but for fresh buttermilk biscuits and sausage, this place cannot be beat. I don't think any future trip back to the home state will be complete without a visit. read more

Just went there for lunch. After the first bite, realized it's been too long since I've been by. Turkey Reuben hit the spot on a cold rainy day. Not too much dressing, the turkey sliced thin enough to impart maximum flavor with each bite but thick enough to hold together, enough sauerkraut for a little bite, but not distracting. And fantastic bread, warmed just right from guglhupf. Yeah, that was a good sandwich. I don't think they made the turkey, but it was still good. The brussel sprouts were good too. Oven roasted with some garlic. They were served up warm. Their sides change a lot, so it was nice to try while it was there. I can tell my mom I ate my veggies now. I parked in the municipal lot across from the Carrboro Century Center. It's easier to find a spot there than in front of Open Eye Cafe usually. read more

Meh. I had high expectations after reading all the great reviews, so my friend and I decided to check this place out. We went on a Friday afternoon, around 1; it wasn't too busy but there weren't any empty tables so we took our sandwiches to go. I had the Neal's Chicken Salad sandwich and my friend had the Smoked Turkey. Both were just average but we both agreed that it wasn't worth the price. They were pretty basic so there isn't much to say about them. Maybe we should've tried one of their specialty sandwiches since that's what a lot of people have been raving out. Maybe we'll give it another try. I'm thinking about going their for their breakfast because their breakfast menu looks promising. I dunno, we'll see! read more

Best sandwiches ever! Consistently good, best ingredients, friendly service. Seating area is small, but they deliver! My favorite is the smoked turkey with bacon and avocado. Sit outside and watch all of Carrboro parade past on Greensboro Street. read more

Staple of Carrboro. Just went after being away for a year and it's still just as good if not better than I remember. Pastrami Reuben is about a good a sandwich as I've ever had. Feels a little pricey when you're ordering, but comes out relatively quickly, so delicious, and doesn't fall apart at all as you're eating it. And don't get me started on their sour-pickled green tomatoes...I wish I could take a big jug of them home! Recommend to anyone visiting or a townie who somehow hasn't stumbled upon it yet. read more

As breakfast (or hell, even lunch!) goes, there is no better place in my book. I've lived in the area for the vast majority of my life (minus two years, as a wee baby, so that doesn't really count, does it?), and craving Neal's every so often has been a constant since I attended UNC Chapel Hill down the road. What, exactly, do I love about them? Here goes: 1. They seem to follow my favorite food philosophy, which is finding fresh, local, & delicious ingredients and making something simple enough that you don't mask the flavors. Things like their pimiento cheese biscuit or their turkey reuben aren't rocket science, and YET, they're better than 99.9% of every other sandwich ever (approximate estimate, y'all). They're not reinventing the wheel, but they're putting their own spin on the classics. 2. Community involvement. I work at another local business, and they're so awesome about collaborating with us on a recurring summer project. Every time I go in, there's a friendly face that greets me and makes conversation, no matter who's at the register. It's the sort of community joint that people stop into frequently just to say hi, and that's awesome. After every successful doctor's appointment, oil change, meeting, or achievement, my ideal reward is a Neal's biscuit. If my college self could get out of bed before 10 a.m. to get there, that tells you how delicious this place is! read more

iPhone Neal's deli is soon as I moved to Chapel Hill and wow all I can say is everything I've heard so far is unbelievably great the wait staff the owner everybody does a fantastic job I have owned restaurants and I know how hard they are to make successful and believe me this please is the real deal six stars read more

The next time I'm hungover, I'm getting Neal's pastrami biscuit, which may be the best $3.25 I've ever spent.

Neal's has everything you could possibly want in a casual neighborhood lunch spot: - friendly, competent and fast service - hearty, reasonably priced food - interesting seasonal specials: the day I was there I had the okra and tomatoes as well as the white bean salad, which was far more interesting than it might sound - sensationally good pastrami - outdoor or indoor seating - Brooklyn lager, which takes me back to the summer of '05 Neal, whoever you are, you are genius. read more

Only visited Neals for breakfast. I ordered a bacon, egg, cheese, with spinach and tomato. The biscuit itself was moist, flaky, and buttery. I was instantly hooked. It took me like 10 mins to eat it because I wanted to savor each bite. All the ingredients were very fresh. I heard that all the ingredients are locally grown/raised. I was very impressed with this establishment. Love the fact that you can eat outside on the patio and they bring you your food once its ready. Overall great breakfast and I can't wait to return. read more

Couldn't be happier to have a turkey sandwich, when you are studying in the open caffe with an empty stomach, the reason why I didn't give it full star, is that my friend doesn't like the cold tuna sandwich, who is easily satisfied with food. Hope to try other kinds of food next time. read more

Whats not to love. Breakfast is great! Every sandwich I've had here has been excellent! Tuna and the italian sub all stand out to me as the best of the best, but I also can't forget the excellent hot dogs (although they are quite hard to eat so if on date, stay away!) Problems: not much seating.... thats about it. ps: the people working there are all the nicest! read more

Hot Dogs. Once I ordered a hot dog, it's been hard to order anything else. Their hot dogs are part of the reason I moved back to Chapel Hill. The pretzel roll is buttery and toasted with a nice crunch, and the hot dog itself has a perfect snap. In my prehotdog days, my favorite items were the Manhattan and the Smoked Turkey. I do wish the menu changed a bit more, however I'm happy the hot dogs changed from a special to permanent menu item because that was always a stressor for me. I'd recommend coming right before the lunch hour and right after as seating is not plentiful. Also, they're worth following on Facebook as they post their specials or other neighborhood events. read more

Heck! Not much to say other than friendly service, good sides, great sandwiches. I have been in the Carrboro/Chapel Hill area for over 10 years and had not heard of Neal's Deli. Boy, am I pissed! I won a gift card in a raffle. They made me a veggie Manhattan Rueben without batting an eye or upcharging me. That's another thing. My sandwich was actually cheaper than the one with meat. That is something this vegetarian truly appreciates. read more

I love Neals, all year round. When it's hot out, their potato salad and a hot dog on a bretzel roll is just what the doctor ordered. When it's cold, their soups are delicious and comforting, but still with their own special details that makes it special (today's deliciousness: potato and leek soup topped with a little parsley butter, though I keep hoping for an encore of their curried lentil, and never time it right). And their Italian sub is the Platonic ideal of what an Italian sub should be, all year round (but especially when tomatoes are in season!) The atmosphere is small and friendly, but it can also get packed really quickly, because they only have 3 tables and two benches inside. The trick is to get there kind of early or late for lunch, because by 12:30? Forget it! But it's worth the wait...Neal's is delicious! read more

Y'all. Stop what you're doing right now, go to Neal's, and eat a biscuit. Seriously. They're the best in the Carrboro/Chapel Hill area. And ya girl knows her biscuits. Baked fresh every morning - and once they move from breakfast to lunch, *IF* there are biscuits still left, they sell them bagged, 4 for $4. Buy that bag. Take it home. Treat it to a nice morning - maybe a nice cup of coffee, whip up some eggs, share the crossword together... The lunch sandwiches are pretty bangin', too. The lemon dill chicken salad is just perfect. Oh, and their pickles - they make their own. They're amazing. You should drink the juice (preferably as a pickleback down at Bowbarr!) read more

The vegetarian sandwich options were lacking: a grilled Gruyre or a white bean paste with carrots; I went with the cheese sandwich. For cheese and onions on white bread I was not prepared to be set back $9, but that's how much I spent after tax and tip; no side or drink--that's purely for the sandwich, which comes with a half pickle (chips are extra). Took forever to get my food too, which was surprising since it was one of the simplest items on the menu and none of the rest of my party seemed to wait very long. It was kind of awkward waiting at the counter for so long given the small space. Overall, sandwich was fine but not at the price; I don't plan to go back since I can easily find tasty sandwiches (complete with side and prompt table service!) downtown for the same amount. read more

i'm not gonna lie, i was a little bit disappointed with the sandwhich i got from neils. i got the pimento cheese sandwhich and i am very unconvinced that the cheese was actually pimento--if it was, it was so mild or had so few pimentos i couldn't tell it was pimento cheese. additionally, the meat on the reuben that my friend ordered was unusually salty and dry. usually i really love neils but today they didn't really hit the mark. read more

Neal's Deli - Delis Near Me - Carrboro, North Carolina