Head to Vanelli's for Sandwiches and Socialization

Head to Vanelli's for Sandwiches and Socialization

For the past few years, my friend John has eaten lunch at a small Italian restaurant in Germantown called Vanelli's Deli on a weekly basis. When he suggested it for lunch yesterday, I had to go - he had told me about the sandwiches and ravioli and the friendly staff.

Hot sausage and Italian Spinach from Vanelli's, Memphis, Tenn.

Alas, they were sold out of the ravioli yesterday. Instead, I had a hot sausage sandwich in a bowl instead of on bread. All of Vanelli's hot sandwiches can be served in a bowl, but be warned - you're pretty much ordering a big bowl of meat. Whatever - my big bowl of meat was awesome. The spicy sausage chunks came covered in marinara sauce. I had a few bites of John's Italian Spinach, which was superb - not too cheesy or mushy (so often, Italian spinach seems so far removed from being a vegetable, and I loved that that wasn't the case).

Vanelli's is family owned, and chances are, if you've eaten there more than once, they probably know your family. The staff greeted John by name as soon as we walked in, and then immediately started sizing me up.

Apparently, it's the first time he's ever brought a girl (albeit, not a girlfriend) to eat there. Which means that his parents are going to hear about it, because they're there more often than he is. Which means that I now have a wee bit of a complex. Like, maybe I should have showered yesterday or answered one of the counter guy's many questions better.

But it's not often that you find a place where the people remember your name and what you like to eat. The familiarity wasn't limited to us - everyone in the restaurant seemed to know at least one other person there.

tHalf sandwich from Vanelli's in Germantown

The space is super casual (I'm pretty sure half of the tables are actually lawn furniture), and the food is fairly inexpensive, with huge half-sandwiches running about $8.

Go There:

Vanelli's Deli

7873 Farmington Boulevard
Germantown, TN 38138-2903
(901) 754-2246

Vanelli's Deli Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Comments Make Us Happy

6
Leave a Comment
The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
Charity
Vanelli's is awesome. My mother's work has been ordering catering through them for the past few years, and have become personal friends with the owners. The food is great. They have the freshest/softest bread! Yuuuum.
February 24, 2011 5:21pm
Lane
Oh, I'm SO happy you posted about Vanelli's! It's my favorite sandwich place, by far! My family has been going for about 7 years now. We probably go once a week, and now that I'm at school in Nashville, I find myself craving a sandwich from there about once a week. Next time, try their muffuletta! It's not on their menu...but it's heaven on ciabatta! LOVE it!
February 24, 2011 5:31pm
Shannon Little
This place seems amazing. I will definitely be checking it out. Italian is my favorite, and I could eat an entire gallon of Italian Spinach in one sitting.
February 24, 2011 6:28pm
Zac
My mom once locked her keys in her car there and the staff gave us a ride somewhere. Quite awesome.
February 24, 2011 6:37pm
Jeff Golightly
Their meatball sandwich is amazing!
February 28, 2011 5:53pm
Weldon Tregre
Very good article! We will be linking to this great post on our website. Keep up the good writing. http://www.streetfire.net/profile/cowweasel55.htm
July 6, 2015 5:40pm