wright’s gourmet house
mattOn Saturday we decided to pick up lunch at Wright’s Gourmet House on S. Dale Mabry. I had just received two complimentary gift certificates from Wright’s and they were already burning a hole in my pocket. Wright’s owner Jeffrey Mount graciously mailed out gift certificates to the Diploma-see volunteers (of which I was one recently) for Franklin Middle School.
Wright’s has been serving up some of the best sandwiches, salads and desserts in south Tampa for over 40 years. The restaurant was founded by Marjorie and Pete Wright in a tiny storefront and is today run by grandson Jeffrey who has significantly expanded the restaurant’s operations.
When we arrived at Wright’s on Saturday, the line was long as usual but moving at a solid pace. I ordered a turkey & pecan salad sandwich on wheat and Traci ordered a turkey breast sandwich on white. We also picked up two bags of Zapp’s potato chips. I had my fair share of Zapp’s spicy kettle-cooked chips growing up in New Orleans. If you’ve never had them, you should try them.
We were “forced” into selecting two dessert items as well since they were included with the gift certificate. We picked a brownie and a slice of chocolate cake. Wright’s registers are set up so you have no choice but to walk past the refrigerated case filled with desserts begging to be bought.
When we got home we realized that we had received two turkey breast sandwiches instead of a turkey and a turkey & pecan salad. After a few bites of the turkey sandwich I forgot all about this mistake. The brownie was solid, but not outstanding. The slice of chocolate cake, on the other hand, was knock-out. We liked the peanut butter frosting even more than the moist cake.
Wright’s remains my favorite sandwich shop in south Tampa. I’d have to give second place to Interbay Meat Market on Interbay. You really can’t compare the two, though. On my short list of sandwich shops and delis to try out next is Castellano & Pizzo Italian Foods on Henderson Blvd.
Bottom-line: If you want big delicious sandwiches and great home-made desserts, it’s hard to beat Wright’s Gourmet House. Here’s hoping they’re around for at least another 40 years.
Inspection Scorecard: Last Inspection - June 2006 - Critical (1), Non-Critical (6).
Loading ...
October 3rd, 2006 at 8:13 pm
er, um, when a restaurant comps you and you then write it up, it compromises your objectivity a bit, no? at least you disclosed the conflict. and this isnt the nyt, so…
either way, wrights never floated my boat after my first lunch visit five years ago, so i never went back. its one of those s tampa institutions that some seem to rave over for no apparent reason, at least to the outsider. then again, when it comes to real deli sandwiches, tampa is a bit lacking. i cant think of anyplace offhand that is worth a rave. the pane rustica sandwiches, maybe, but that joint is more chichi than a deli, so its not a fair comparison.
overall, ill take castellano & pizzo over wrights…
October 4th, 2006 at 1:07 pm
Ok, you caught me- a free lunch and I’m bought and sold
Tangelo’s could have given me free lunches for a week and I’d still say the food is pretty good, but the service is pretty crummy. Same goes for Wright’s or any other place.
If some place does ever pay for my meal (Wright’s is the only place I’ve reviewed that I’ve received a gift cert from, but I had already been to Wright’s and liked it several times before, can’t say what it was like 5 yrs ago), I’ll *always* disclose it.
I’ll definitely check out Castellano & Pizzo. For big cheap sandwiches, I still like Interbay Meat Market (and no I’ve never gotten sick eating there ha)
October 4th, 2006 at 5:39 pm
I get free food often from sales reps at work. Some of it is lousy, some if it is great.
When we get Wright’s, everyone in the office is fighting over the last sandwich or pastry.
December 15th, 2006 at 10:33 am
If you want a good healthy relatively inexpensive lunch, come to natures’s harvest. We have meat! We have the best soups in the world! we have the best chef in Tampa. Pizza, deli sandwiches, collard greens, muffins! come one come all. Wrights is good, but over priced. And not healthy
December 15th, 2006 at 12:33 pm
Thanks for the invitation to Nature’s Harvest. Appeciate the enthusiasm and will try to check out.
p.s. Wright’s isn’t cheap, but I wouldn’t call it overpriced either, but that’s me and I could use more healthier food.
January 14th, 2007 at 6:04 pm
What sets Wright apart is the quality of food.
And more specifically
* Brownies
* Mustard Sauce
* Garlic Butter (Try Roastbeef cooked in their Garlic Butter)
* Choclate Cake
* Beef Martini Sandwich
* Any Baked Goods
* All their Pasta Salads
Everything is Top Notch…no other deli comes close. PERIOD.
January 16th, 2007 at 9:17 am
Alex-
Well said about what makes Wright’s the top dog of local sandwich shops
The chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting is unbeatable! I think some other places can give Wright’s a run for its money, and I detest lines, but yes they’re the best out of every place I’ve tried.
Thanks for the feedback-
February 21st, 2007 at 4:05 pm
[...] my sandwich wasn’t Wright’s Gourmet House caliber (still my favorite local sandwich spot), it was very good. Traci also enjoyed her BLT (notice the bacon, no chicken!). We’ll likely [...]