Bites Nearby: Deli Depot

Nowadays, hundreds of commuters depart from the VRE depot in Old Town everyday, but nearly 150 years ago the First and Second Battles of Manassas were fought at the same location for control of the tracks during the Civil War.

But there are other trains in Manassas that have been picking up steam over the years, embedding themselves in this railroad rich town: The Mule Train, Euro Rail, Capital City Express, the Conductor's Choice and the Steam Train are just a few examples of tasty daily departures from the Deli Depot.

You don't buy tickets here, you purchase some of the finest subs and sandwiches any deli in the area has to offer.

Open since 1987 and now under new ownership the deli is kind of hard to find if you are not familiar with it's Center Street location.

The flashing orange "Open" sign located just to the left of the Old Towne Sports Pub is just about all you'll see if you're traveling down the Old Town main street. But that's all it takes according to new owner, Art McCrea.

"A guy came in awhile back and said he's driven past here for the last 20 years and never knew this place was here until he saw the sign, I put it up to attract more customers and it's payed off."

After taking over ownership May 18th of last year, Art has been "working on his railroad and rising up early in the morning" to offer up delicious deli classics and homemade specialties.

He is no stranger to the deli world having owned and operated Deli Italiano in Great Falls for eight years, but the commute to and from his Manassas home combined with 12-hour work days took its toll. So Art sold the place and used his former Army connections to land work at the Pentagon.

But it was his passion for serving great food that led him back to the deli business. He was back in the market for a store purchase, saw the Depot up for sale, and just like his military days of jumping out of airplanes, Art made the plunge and bought the deli.

Six days a week Art arrives at the Depot before the rooster crows to have the doors open by 5 a.m. He serves a variety of breakfast platters and sandwiches, biscuits & gravy, pancakes and his very own creation: The Steam Train—a breakfast sandwich stuffed with Rib Eye Steak, Virginia Baked Ham, Scrambled Egg & American Cheese.

After 11am the menu switches over to an extensive list of deli subs, garden fresh salad platters and homemade selections including the crowd favorite, The Conductor's Choice - a yummy marriage of spicy N.Y. Pastrami, Corn Beef, Melted Swiss combined with creamy homemade coleslaw and Thousand Island dressing.

"We're all about quality, we make most of our items from scratch here in the store. All of the dressings are homemade, potato salad, macaroni salad, coleslaw, beef jerky, soups—all made fresh here in the store. We even bake and slice the turkey and roast beef," Art said.

Every sub is stuffed to the brim with generous portions of deli meats, cheeses and toppings. Then there is the bread. Bread that Subway or Quizno's simply doesn't offer. Soft and fluffy on the inside with a nice crunch on the outside; the rolls are delivered fresh daily from Cardinal Bakery.

Art has also assembled a super-friendly staff; his dad delivers food and his mom works the register. Art's wife also helps out on the really busy days, Fridays and Saturdays. Then there's Joane and Sean that keep the wheels moving.

The deli is open from 5am-5pm, M-F, and 7am-3pm on Saturday. All subs are priced between $5-$6. House specials are offered everyday with the local favorite being Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese.

Other specials include a free cup of coffee with a valid VRE Pass. Also, patrons can drop their business card off for a chance to win a free sub!

Catering is also available at the Deli Depot. Check out the little deli that could on Facebook for daily specials.