Smiling Moose Deli

I’m trying to figure out if I have ever seen a moose smile. I know moose can be pretty rough and nasty out in the wild, and I’m pretty sure there was a Mickey Mouse cartoon where a moose almost annihilated Goofy and Donald Duck, but have you ever seen a moose smile? I bring this up before I get into my review proper because you’re going to find yourself asking a lot of questions when you go here: Do moose smile? When was the last time a place sold stuffed moose to you? How come the food is so good and yet no one seems to be coming here? Questions for the ages and we all would do well to answer that last one first.
To be fair, when we came here, it was right when they opened at 11:00. And over the course of our meal, we discovered they do a far better take-​out business than they do in-​house dining. The place is fairly large — a single dining room with this small offshoot in the back left corner for kids that has a TV, some arcade games and the bathrooms. The kitchen sits in the back and bar seating lines the right and front walls. We had time to take it all in because, since we had never been here before, we opted to look as clueless as possible and picked up a menu at the front to read what we were about to get into. You could have painted «gullible» on the ceiling and we would probably still be looking for it. Anyway…
Breakfast all day? A variety of sandwiches? Sweet looking desserts that probably would put me into a coma if I ordered one? Sign me up! We made our way to the counter and proceeded to either order food or hunt the elusive smiling moose, whichever would be easier.
This is not meant to be the brutal slam it reads like but a very «by-​the-​numbers» guy took our order. Look, I’m not saying your staff needs to be turning cartwheels and juggling flaming bowling pins, but it would help if they had a pulse. Two sandwiches and drinks later and we made our way over to the soda fountains and found a seat.
I’m a bit confused how a place that just opened for the day could have a few tables that weren’t clean. Part of me wants to think the smiling moose in the name had a midnight snack and forgot to clean up before disappearing back into the silvan woods of north Dallas. The more realistic (read: boring) part of me wants to think it was an oversight on whoever was cleaning the night before and they wanted to get out for the day. Either way, gross (day old food on the table is not really the best way to start the day).
Cardboard staff and dirty tables aside, we tore into our Liz’s Reuben and Hot Italiano. According to my dining partner, the reuben was delicious. And it looked it, too. I could tell because once I put the Hot Italiano into my mouth, I kept my head down until I devoured the thing, with the reuben across from me being the only thing in my line of vision for about eight minutes. This is a sandwich that demands chorfing from the eater, for once it is in your hands, you will not be able to put it down. I ordered a «Regular» size which looked positively gargantuan when it was delivered. I shudder to think what the next step up is and shudder even harder knowing I will make every effort humanly possible to finish it without going into cardiac arrest.
So the staff is a bit hit or miss, the setting can be in need of a mop and I overheard someone say the stuffed moose they sell in the counter look like «beavers with antlers glued to their head.» I’m coming for the food, personally, and I know I’ll be back. I figure sooner or later the titular smiling moose will make an appearance. If not, at least there will be good food to eat until he shows up.

I will wonder no longer on why I could park right in front of this place during prime time at lunch… maybe a half dozen patrons inside.
I order their soup/​sandwich combo and am told the sandwich is not on the list. I ask what is on the list. Answer, «our Signature Sandwiches». Nowhere on their menu does it show ANY Signature sandwiches, but a helpful woman (probably the manager) tells me which categories are excluded, and all other are part of the combo. The sandwich I wanted was part of the O.K. list. The manager told me the order taker must not have heard me (even though I repeated it to her). While trying to upsell me on a beverage, they suggest I take my food to go (strange), so I do as I won’t stay where I’m not welcome.
The tomato basil soup is the WORST I’ve ever had. Why did they have to add a ton of oil to it??? It will take weeks to get that awful taste out of my mouth… I’m thinking about calling Hazmat to remove it from our building.
The sourdough bread on my sandwich was clearly old as it cracked apart when I picked up what little lunch I was going to get this day. Time to nuke one of my emergency lunches!
On the plus side, the lettuce on my sandwich was fresh…

If you are looking for Deli food, this is not the place. If you
are looking for a very loud, way overpriced, really bad tasting
food, this is the place. How they stay in business is beyond me!

* Pros: Breakfast served all day; a semi-​attached Romper Room-​like corral for kids; extremely friendly staff
* Cons: Not terribly flavorful; kind of generic
We were looking for a morning meal alternative to overfilling brunch places and breakfast taco taquerias, and found this place adjacent to the magnificence that is Lenny’s Sub Shop.
The interior was clean, and we were pleased to see that they have a separate area for kids. It truly sucks to have Hangover Breakfast in a place overrun with other people’s mindless midgets, and luckily that would not be a concern today.
We opted for breakfast burritos — I the El Rancho, she the Mo Rito.
Mine was warm and abundant, stuffed with eggs, chicken, potatoes, and southwestern ranch. It was very filling for $ 5, but seemed to lack… something.
The Mo Rita consisted of eggs, chopped sirloin, salsa, potatoes and veggie cream cheese.
By virtue of description, you would think this would be a flavor explosion.
It was not.
The salsa was kind of ketchup-​y, and the chopped sirloin was flavorless and had a ground beef consistency.
It was as the 3 star ratings suggest — «A-​OK». But not great or incredibly noteworthy.
But yeah, you can enjoy a hungover feast without children screaming next to your table, and you don’t have to be concerned with a 10:30 — 11:00 breakfast cutoff.
I may return for breakfast for the Rancho, but odds are against returning for a lunch sandwich.
Why? Uh, what did I say earlier? Freakin’ Lenny’s is right next door!
Oh, and there’s a big plush moose right next to the door when you walk in. That was rad.

Ya I guess you need a bacon wrapped sandwich for this to be considered good food. I had the Cobb Salad. They should patent their secret to making a soggy, unappetizing salad. With all the choices you have in good sandwich shops (not sure why they put deli in their name) this shouldn’t be your first, second, or third choice.
If the owners read this, please visit NYC and try a real deli.

LOVE IT! They have a peach mango tea and it’s delish. I love going to not-​so-​well-​known spots, and this one is so close to my apartment, I couldn’t pass it up. I ordered the Hippie Chick P which is a cold veggie sandwhich. DELICIOUS! It had hummus, so it was an automatic win with me. Everything was very fresh and tasted amazing.

Stopped in while out in Carrollton for an appt. I NEVER go to Carrolloton and I’ve NEVER heard of Smiling Moose Deli, so I thought, «What the heck!» It’s pretty much like any other deli sandwich shop but better quality than your average Subway with more non-​sandwich options. The Hot Italian was delicious with fresh, high quality ingrediants on very fresh bread. Perfect flavor! The ambiance is generic and has a chain restaraunt feel. I’d stop in for an inexpensive but tasty lunch if I’m ever out that way again!

We stopped in for the first time during a lull, and ordered a couple of to-​go chicken salad sandwiches with chipotle mayo. They were very tasty, and the chicken was very fresh and tender. Since we were on the run, we didn’t get anything else, but I saw several menu items I’d like to try.

Disclaimer — If you are looking for some well written — non biased review this will not be the review for you. This is going to be me yelling from the mountain tops that I love Smiling Moose Deli and I don’t care who knows it!
I have eaten at the moose a few times and have tried to get something different every time. So far I have eaten the Southwest Mo, Hot Italiano, Phil E. Steak and the Rock Pile Wrap. All of these have been delicious but what we are really here to talk about is the Southwest Mo. (A spicy version of our CHEESEBURGER GRINDER… topped with lettuce, fresh red salsa, jalapenos, oil and vinegar, salt and pepper and chipotle mayo.)
I was a little skeptical of this «Cheeseburger Grinder» the first couple of times I saw it on the menu but let me tell you my friend that the skepticism is completely unwarranted. This thing is delicious. Part sub sandwich/​part burger and somehow part taco all in one!
The meat is ground up and cooked with queso in it. Let that sink in a minute. Every bite of terrifically tender meat is evenly coated with delicious queso. Genius! It is coated with the chipotle mayo then topped with lettuce, salsa and jalepenos just for that little extra kick. Every bite made me question if I could ever eat a traditional burger again? Have I ruined myself from ever being able to truly enjoy another burger? Maybe. Worth it? Oh yeah!
I experienced my first Southwest Mo on a Monday and my friendly cashier asked if I wanted the regular or large. I would normally just have gotten the regular but then she said the large was only $ 6.99 today so I had to go with the large and could just eat the leftovers later… What leftovers? Every bite was eaten without so much as an afterthought of saving some for later.
I would highly recommend the Smiling Moose to anyone looking for something a little different than your normal sub shop and even if you dont try the Southwest Mo there is definitely a little something for everyone here.

Stopped by the Smiling Moose deli on Saturday for lunch. It was busy and seemed to be filled with soccer kids. I’m glad I was getting my food to-​go because they were all over the place. The line looked long, but it went by pretty quick.
For lunch, I ordered the large Parisian. I probably should have just gotten the regular, which would have been plenty. The sandwich consisted of toppings that on paper, sound just awesome: chicken, melted Brie, avocado, sun-​dried tomatoes and pesto mayo. Everything about the flavor combination has potential as well. My only issue on this day was that the chicken was very dry. Perhaps it was just a bad day. I’m willing to give them another shot primarily because my wife ordered the Mountain Sunrise breakfast burrito and that was tasty.
As a bonus, they gave me a free chocolate cookie because they thought I waited too long. Not bad for a free cookie.

I thought this place had really good and gourmet options for deli sandwiches. I had the Bayou chicken. It had a zesty flavor! I will be coming back to try the grilled chicken with brie and avocado as well as their breakfast burritos. The bread also tasted super fresh!

Hit and miss kind of place. Been there for a few lunch sandwiches, and some where outstanding.
I tried the Cajun chicken sandwich, absolutely amazing. Bread is thick and moist, sauce is spicy but almost sweet like softer Cajun food is. The veggies felt fresh and tasted clean.
My girlfriend had a side car. Normal sandwich, cheese was noticeably manufactured (I’m into the healthy, fresh, organic taste).
Not blowing my mind, but good to rank between normal fast food deli (subway) and below a restaurant (Jason).

After hearing mixed reviews about the place I finally decided to stop in last week and try them out. I got there signature sandwich, the Mighty Mo, and it was decent. It was basically a a chopped up cheeseburger on a sub. The meat lacked any real seasoning but the cheese and toppings made up for that in the flavor department. It was a large sandwich and easily made two meals. All in all it was good and I’ll be back to try some of the other menu items. They were busy at the time I went, so hopefully it’ll do well and gain some points by the next time I go back.

I’m a big sandwich guy so I was pumped when I saw that Smiling Moose Deli was going in by my girlfriend’s work. Unfortunately that joy was short lived.
I tried this place for lunch during the week. The place was slammed and you quickly realized that it was a new place. The manager was nice but the workers were inept. It took the cashier 10 minutes to punch in two sandwiches and then realize she over charged us. I was willing to forgive this though because the place was new and we have all been in that position.
It took a little bit to get our food but it came out hot. My girlfriend had the italian sub and I had the reuben. The italian sub was alright, maybe 3 out of 5. The reuben was pretty rough, I give it 1 out of 5. It might deserve 2 out of 5 but in my opinion the reuben is a very simple sandwich to make and I deducted an extra point for messing it up.
I might go back to try the mighty mo but who knows. The first visit was so so at best and I would rather try something new or go to an old favorite.

This place is absolutely delicious. I can’t remember the last time I had a really good sandwich. I tried it for the first time for lunch on Wednesday, it was so good i had to go back and get another sandwich. I’ve had the Southwest Mo, the Mighty Mo and the Hot Turkey Club. It is only Sunday and I can’t wait to go try something else on the menu…
I have read the other reviews and it is disappointing seeing people give a negative rating because the bottom of there burrito broke, and they don’t give you enough napkins because there subs are messy. Learn how to eat a burrito before getting one and you won’t have the problem of it breaking and its a deli not a restaurant so get off you lazy butt and go get you some napkins!!!
Yes the subs are a bit sloppy but are very flavored. So if you are a clean freak and don’t want food to get on your hands go somewhere else. But if you are looking for a place to enjoy a great sandwich and a fun atmosphere try this place out.
I’m going right now to go try the Mo-​Rita and I can’t wait to take I bite!

First, I often don’t give out 5’s. I am very familiar with this sandwich group with my many trips to Colorado. Great entry into the Dallas market. If you want a $ 5 footlong, go to Subway. No shredded lettuce here. Great build your own salad or select from the four on the menu. I had the «David the Greek» with lite dressing and added sun dried tomatoes. It was chopped right in front of me. Everything is fresh. Real silverware and plates. Take advantage of the patio.

The atmosphere of the place is clean and pleasant enough, but it wasn’t quite clear where to begin the ordering process — register end of the counter in front of the kitchen or the other end? I started at the register end since the remaining stretch was unmanned. The employees seemed a bit disoriented and were more engaged among themselves than with the customers.
Most of the menu selections lean toward heavy comfort and perhaps a bit more cheese than your cardiologist would recommend.

Have visited twice, once ordering the Hot Italian sandwich and then a breakfast «Mo-​rito»
Both my orders arrived on a bright red rectangular serving dish accompanied by a single napkin. That didn’t work out so well as the sandwich was overdressed with olive and pepper bits stacked outside the bun — pretty but impractical. Had to choose between first eating the relish all at once (kind of looked like I might be playing a hoagie harmonica instead of eating a sandwich) or scraping it off so the sandwich could be maneuvered into a proper dining position. That single napkin lasted about five seconds with all the salad juices overwhelming the sandwich.
The Mo-​Rito was a mix of eggs, steak, cream cheese and such within a thin bread wrap (several varieties available). Served cut open on the bias, the wrap broke open at the ends spilling hot cream cheese that had to be dealt with using that single napkin again. I didn’t find anything else memorable about this selection.
OK — I admit that there were napkin dispensers here and there, but at Smiling Moose there seems to be a paper conservation vibe gone a bit overboard.
Price-​wise, Smiling Moose seems a bit high for what you receive. It’s not for folks on a tight budget.

This place is crazy. I went in with my wife cuz we wanted to try a new place. She got the breakfast bagel sandwich and I got the LARGE pastrami sandwich. I emphasize large since it was the size of my fist. It was crazy small for around 10 bucks and it was one of those sandwiches that only has a good amount of meat in the middle. Yup. A ⁷⁄₁₁ sandwich for 10 dollars. I wonder how big the «regular» sized sandwiches are.
My wife’s bagel sandwich was supposed to be toasted but it was still cold and there was a friggin hair in it. We also got the chicken noodle soup and it wasn’t even warm at best. And yup, small as crazy.
And while we were waiting for our food (there was no one else waiting) the workers stopped and slowed thier work getting our food ready to talk to each other about their Saturday nights.
I understand how ny delis can charge alot of dough for a big sandwich but I’m never gonna pay 20 bucks for service station sandwiches in Plano ever again.

The Hot Italian was terrible. Drenched in dressing til the bread was mushy. Like biting into a wet sponge. And at $ 10.00 it was expensively bad. Go next door to Lenny’s or Schlotsky’s for better sandwiches.
Service was a little haphazard also even though they had a dozen people working and only 6 – 8 customers.

Yum! Stopped here for a quick casual dinner since they just opened. Got a small «mighty Moe» which is like a cheeseburger grinder. Sounds weird but it works. Small was the exact right size for me and it was tasty. The veggies were crispy and fresh, everything was seasoned well and the bread tasted freshly baked. Staff was friendly. I’ll be back!