By Amy Ledig

If you’ve been lucky enough to partake of department lunches during your time here at Macalester, odds are you’ve come across sandwiches from Acme Deli. But where, you ask, are these delicious sandwiches coming from? They’re not on Grand, where could they be?The answer to your question lies on the corner of St. Clair and Brimhall, in a tiny storefront that might not look like much but churns out some of the cheapest, tastiest sandwiches in Mac-Groveland.

If you manage to make it to Acme during the hours they’re open (this is strictly a lunch place, people), stroll up to the counter, grab a yellow order sheet, and mix and match to your heart’s content. With the ridiculous number of options on the build-your-own sandwich list – 10 kinds of bread, 11 meats, eight kinds of cheese, 13 toppings and four dressings – it’s hard not to like the place.

The thing that really sets Acme apart from your usual sandwich joint is the quality of the ingredients. After tasting their fresh, fluffy honey wheat, I can’t think about going back to dried out Subway bread.

My friend got the pastrami on rye. Despite being so far from the coast, the pastrami was pretty good; the only complaint was that we wanted a bit more. Overall, this is a good bet. I went with a personal favorite, turkey and swiss with ham, tomato and spinach on honey wheat, tasty as always. At $3.70 for a half sandwich and $3.90 for a full veggie sandwich or $4.80 for a full sandwich with meat, the prices are hard to beat, especially since they’re serving up real food.

Another option to check out is the bowl of soup and a half sandwich for $5.70. I tried the chicken and rice soup, which was creamy and delicious.

If you’re still on the fence, they have a few extra tricks up their sleeve. For the pickle-mad among us, take advantage of the sign promising a free pickle spear if you eat in the restaurant. I’m not a pickle person, but from what I hear they make snagging one of the few tables and hanging around the no-frills joint worth it. And finally, the brownie alone potentially merits a visit. A generously sized chunk of moist, chocolatey, frosted delightfulness can be yours for $1.

Even though St Clair might seem like the ends of the Earth to you on-campus dwellers, don’t let yourself be dissuaded by the walk. Just pretend you’re going to a party. For your taste buds. They’ll thank you later.

Acme Deli is located at 1552 St. Clair Ave. Hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and delivery is available from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.