Hollingshead’s Deli has been a regular stop for locals in Orange California since 1964 
and boasts one of the biggest selection of craft beers in Orange County. With an emphasis on American, Belgian, and German microbrews, you could get full on more than just sandwiches here. The one thing that I immediately picked up about Hollingshead’s was its warmth, the guests sitting at the bar and tables were all engaged in spirited conversations with the people who were diligently working, while other employees lovingly yelled across the bar counter to familiar faces with big grins. I could already tell this just wasn’t a place to have your lunch and go back to work (although you could absolutely do that) it was a hub for people in the community to enjoy sitting around wooden tables, drink beer, and chew the fat.
The menu was unlike anything I had seen at a sandwich place before, it was a collection of individual papers with sandwiches on them, rather than a large board. It’s kind of a small detail, but I found it to be charming.
I asked the girl behind the counter what was popular and she pointed me towards the “Great Scott,” a sandwich of smoked turkey, Swiss cheese, bacon, avocado, mayo, honey mustard, lettuce, and onion on squaw bread. Simplicity is rarely a bad thing and it also said on the menu that it was “Nana and Paps favorite.” Now how can someone say no to that? I have yet to meet anyone more knowledgeable than the “Nana’s & Pap’s” of the world so I went with it.Â
It’s also kind of nice that you could order a double, then you could split the sandwich and save a couple bucks. Rather than asking your name of 
giving you some goofy number you get a laminated beer label and they call out the name of the beer, it’s a fun change from the norm and I don’t doubt that someone wished their name was “Boddington” or something. I got “Heineken Dark,” not my favorite brand, but it’s certainly better than someone yelling “Natty Ice!” when referring to me. The sandwich came out and it was exactly what I expected it to be: a simple and satisfying sandwich with no frills. The squaw bread was soft and warm, with a little sweetness to it. It was a nice change from the breads that I normally have on sandwiches and it worked surprisingly well with the sliced turkey. I’m not sure what 
kind of turkey that they use here, but you could really taste the smokiness, which was nicely balanced by the avocado and honey mustard. I’m not sure if the mayo was really necessary because it was overpowered by all the other parts of the sandwich. The one thing that I wasn’t a fan of was the bacon, it happens at a lot of sandwich places unfortunately. I think it’s the bacon that you buy precooked, the really thin strips with no structural integrity. It’s not super important unless you order a BLT, but I feel like the bacon in a sandwich like this should be an ingredient that can also rival the turkey. Overall, the sandwich was a good portion with good flavors and a really nice turkey.  The macaroni salad was damn good, and I was immediately intrigued by all the other “deli regulars” that they had in the display case.
It occurs to me that Hollingshead’s Deli is much more than just a Deli, it’s a fixture in the neighborhood that has a family charm that has been passed down 3 generations. The sandwich itself may not have been anything clever or revolutionary, but I think it embodies the spirit of a place like this: familiarity and appreciation for the little things in life (and a rather heroic selection of beer). Everyone in here was in good spirits, including the people working and it wasn’t just because of the beer (although that is a good social lubricant). I would happily suggest this place for a sandwich but more importantly for atmosphere. It’s a place for your friends to try some new beers, have a good sandwich, and some rousing conversation.
-Vy
Hollingshead’s Deli
368 S main St
Orange, CA 92868
closed on Saturdays & Sundays
Sandwiches Served
Monday – Friday
10 am – 6 pm
