TOMALES DELI + CAFE
27000 Shoreline Hwy. Tomales, CA
Contact: 707-878-2732
WWW.TOMALESDELI.COM
IG @tomales_deli_cafe
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Date Visited: September 18, 2019
Driving through Tomales, California, I stumbled upon Tomales Deli and Cafe. Quite the eclectic mix of colors, furniture, and signage. Walking in I was accompanied by a dozen middle schoolers hanging out after school getting ice cream and snacks. There’s another room on the side set up like a huge dining room and full of kid’s toys. I seemed to have found the happening place in this town.
I looked around, not knowing what I'd find. Smack dab behind the counter, you'll see a sign that reads "Coffee is always a good idea." Right next to that is a board with a wide array of coffee options. On the green wall is a massive list of food options that sound amazing. I wanted a recommendation from someone that worked here, this is when I met Carlos. I told him that it was too late in the day to have a fourth cup of coffee, but as far as the food he recommended "Nini's Sandwich." Full of shredded beef, mushrooms, onions, bbq sauce, swiss cheese, pickles, mayo, chipotle pesto, all in a ciabatta roll. I'm salivating just thinking about it.
A few minutes later my sandwich was ready and I grabbed a seat outside. This is where I met Eileen, a local in the area, and had a wonderful conversation with her. We talked about coffee, life, Dylan Beach, Tomales, and everything in between. She was a wonderful lady to meet and I was very jealous of the iced mocha she ordered. I told her how much I enjoyed this sandwich and she informed me that everything here is delicious.
I headed inside to let Carlos know how good it was and what I was doing traveling around. He loved the idea and thanked me for stopping in. He informed me that all the food is organic but he doesn't put any signs up advertising that because he knows that people will be able to tell how fresh his meals are after the first bite. I liked that philosophy a lot, made sense because this place is still thriving after 15 years. If you're heading up Route 1 along the coast, don't blink and miss it! And in case you were wondering, that was one of my favorite meals on this adventure so far.
The bathroom was around the side of the building. Make sure you ask for the bathroom key. It was a fine bathroom, with no complaints. I'll rank this one a 9/10.
