Louie's is a quiet, almost unassuming hole in the wall that keeps it simple, and for that reason, does it right. The menu is straightforward, the sandwiches and sides simple; this does not mean they are bad or in way lacking.
You can be in and out of here in under 20 minutes, even without ordering ahead. I wandered in, uncertain of what was really on the menu, even though I had glanced ahead. It was right after 11am- blue collar lunch hour. I really didn't know what I was doing, but for reference, you order sandwhiches at the meat counter. You won't get lost (its only a one room outfit). The interior reminds me of a mountain store, deep in the mountains, where only a small variety of the bare essentials adorn the shelves. Anywhere else it would be out of place, but if you're familiar with this part of town, you'll know tents are a common feature of the post-apocalyptic landscape.
The entire left hand side extends like a bar, but instead of a wall of booze, you're greeted by a counter of freshly cut meats. The back wall is chilled drinks, and the right side is chips and other accoutrements of a deli based lunch lifestyle.
There are tables and chairs in the middle of the room, and against the window, the cashier. The whole operation is very tight and dressed down; the interior is that of a place where a man beat down by life could should be sitting in a with an old beat up guitar, like a bard, telling the warnings and tales of woe that life has given him. It's the type of space the blues would be at home in because it would feel like home. What I'm trying to say is the place has a classic, authentic down-home feeling to it.
Anyway, the food. Let's get back to the food. The vegetables are fresh to the point that crunch beautifully and are bursting with flavor, but not to the point of being obnoxious. Fresh and light. Its just whag you want from lunch: light and tasty but not enough to put you into a coma. Again, blue collar lunch, remember?
But its that done so well that you might be suspicious. It was enough to intrigue me to explore the menu further.
They do have good, old fashioned diner-esque coffee, though, that is actually surprisingly good and robust, even sans milk or cream.i was surprised they had coffee, or any left, especially at the later hour of the morning, but there it was, right by the door, hiding in plain sight. I generally take my coffee with with milk or half and half, but this coffee was pleasant and mild, yet robust, even without either. It was fresh, just like the sandwich. This I found to be quite surprising, but really should have known that good coffee hides in good places.
In any case, this place delivered what I'd imagined, but not how I thought. The sign outside is classic and deeply photogenic. If you ever find yourself in this part of town, you may as well wander in because you won't be disappointed. Unless you're a vegetarian, but that's on you, not Louie's. And those are my words, not theirs.
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