If you grew up in Middletown, NJ, this review may not surprise any of you. Wilson Ave Deli is your typical bodega, born before the days of a 7-11 on every corner. The vibe is still about the same. At least the last "quick service" spot I went to (QuikCheck) had the decency to make their faux PEC's to order via a touch screen. This spot simply had a heat lamp full of breakfast sandwiches akin to what you'd find in a 7-11. Look, I'm not here to shit down any place's throat (you all are aware of my affinity for 7-11 taquitos), I'm sure plenty of happy customers have cashed in hundreds of dollars of winnings from scratchies at this place, but if you're going to serve a PEC like this just maybe don't at all. There are loads of these types of bodegas that I'll get to, dotting the Sandy Hook and Raritan Bays and I'll be interested to see how they all stack up. They've been there forever, the people who live in the neighborhood likely still utilize these places for milk and cigarettes. I get it, I appreciate it, I just would never go out of my way to go here when there are literally 50 better PEC options within 5 miles. With that being said, loyal readers, tomorrow, I will be celebrating Leap Day (and I suppose my birthday) by getting to the Dublin House no later than 12pm to watch Liverpool take on Watford. This will likely turn into an all-day event of good spirits and a little bit of drinking so if you'd like to meet up with a washed-up 31-year old food blogger, I will be gallivanting the streets of Red Bank all day and you are all invited.
Bread Rating: 4.3/10 (Pretty much what you'd expect old bread that's been sitting in a heat lamp for 5 hours to be like. They likely took the rolls that they sell that are about to expire and just use them as their breakfast sandwich rolls. Honestly haven't tasted bread like that since school lunch at Fairview School.)
Pork Roll Rating: 3.8/10 (This might have not been actual meat, which means I still haven't broken any Lent rules. Joking aside, there was barely any pork roll on this, two thin slices.)
Egg Rating: 4.4/10 (a Fried egg that was fried hours ago, I mean I guess it could have been much worse.)
Cheese Rating: 5.3/10 (I guess the plus to having your sandwich under a heat lamp for hours is that the cheese will be melted? I'm grasping for positives here.)
Sandwich Composition: 1.5/10 (A shameful display. No SPK, obviously, because they made this sandwich at 4am and it was sitting under the heat lamp until their first customer not buying cigarettes and coffee (me) came in at 9. Barely any meat, bread that's been sitting out likely for days.)
Overall: 3.7/10 (As someone who's willingly eaten multiple meals from 7-11, who am I really to judge? This just gave me serious roadside 7-11 vibes, from the grab and go, to the general grittiness of the inside of the store. I mean, there's a Gem's literally 500 feet away from this place so just go there if you're in a pinch. But yeah, I'd say skip this one unless you're looking for some sort of NJ bodega experience.)
Price: $3.50, cards accepted.
In a completely WILD turn of events, I saw this place was rated a 4.6/5 on Google Maps which made me literally laugh out loud for three minutes straight. If you think this place is good, please, come with me to get a PEC, I promise you, there's better out there.
Wilson Ave Deli is located at 198 Wilson Ave, Port Monmouth, NJ 07758
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