Barrow’s Gourmet Deli

I can’t get enough of this little sandwich shop…
I *think* Wright’s down the street might get bumped to number 2 on my Tampa deli list.
For one, there’s no line out the door, which is really a good reason for me to *not* write this review. For two, the staff here (especially Oliver) are so pleasant and happy. And three, most importantly, the sandwiches are out of this world.
Except for the «Philly cheese steak», I’ve never had a sandwich here that didn’t blow me away, including the turkey/​Swiss, the pastrami melt, the honey mustard pork, the Monte Barrow, and the turkey BLT.
I drive from Riverview to get my lunch here!

My favorite is California Chicken Curry, but I sometimes mix it up with tuna or egg salad. The bread is homemade. Oliver and Norbert are always friendly and remember my name & what I usually order every time I come in. Even when I returned from out of country 7 months later, they remembered the 3 sandwiches I usually order.

Quaint and clean! While I frequent Wright’s and a few other local establishments, the quiet and polite atmosphere is a nice change! Sandwiches are excellent in size and taste, and provided quickly!

Best chicken salad in all of Tampa! The owners are very nice and the food is amazing!!! Best sandwich shop around.

This place is really nice spot to go for lunch. Its a very simple menu very very friendly staff. The owner seems to be absolutely awesome he was extremely friendly and polite.
The food was very good. My boyfriend and I both got the seafood salad sandwiches. His was on white bread, mine was on pumpernickel. Both breads were homemade, round loaves which had a very nice & evenly crisp crust, the meat of the bread was very moist and soft, and flavorful. The seafood salad itself was very tasty, it was not over seasoned, and they give you a very good portion of it.

Boy, this place is as tiny of a free-​standing store as you’re going to find these days. (No wonder they have a refrigerated trailer in back to keep all the supplies!)
And their lunch was well-​worth being in those close quarters to get it.
While I knew what I wanted before even setting foot in the place thanks to the review of Isabelle R., I looked at the menu anyway and almost talked myself into buying multiple items just to try a few different things because I liked the combinations.
In the end, I went only with the chicken salad sandwich that I came for and thought it was very, very good. Good texture, plenty of it and served on very fresh pumpernickel round sliced bread. (As Rupert G at the Hello Deli said on one of the last Letterman shows, «Pumpernickel? We just met.»)
Also, when you add a side dish from Barrow’s like macaroni salad, pasta salad, dill potato, etc… you get a really large amount of it for only $ 1.75. They aren’t skimping on those at all.
Oh, and while I barely got in the door just past 1pm because the line was about five deep, my wait to order and receive it was surprisingly short and the employees kept things moving along nicely.
There are roughly 10 tables, some of which are pushed together, and a tiny lunch counter so the place fits my take-​out routine perfectly. However, the crowd in here sure seemed to be having a really good time as most were openly laughing and nobody seemed unhappy with food, service or this lousy weather outside.

The best sandwich shop in Tampa! This place is an institution in the Tampa Bay area. It’s been around forever, and the owners are some of the friendliest people you’ll ever meet. They really make everybody feel welcome. And the sandwiches are awesome. My favorite is a chicken salad sandwich with curry, which I’ve never tasted anywhere else, and the Monte Barrow is also incredible. I prefer the pumpernickel bread, because I think it fits well with the flavors of the sandwiches, but you can choose any bread you want. They also have all of the classics too, and the prices are very reasonable. If you haven’t been yet, it’s definitely worth a visit. We don’t live in South Tampa, but we stop by Barrow’s whenever we’re in the neighborhood. It gets crowded at lunch, so I recommend going after 1 p.m. to avoid the rush. Five stars!

Small but quaint casual sandwich shop. Had to try the California chicken salad sandwich after hearing about all the hype. It definitely lives up to it, I love the curry flavor and yellow raisins. Good place to stop by for a quick lunch. Will have to come back and try their other options!

Great little spot to grab a healthy sandwich or salad. Huge sandwiches! Really nice service and very tasty. I’ll be back soon.

Thanks Barrows I have been a customers for over 10 years and you always get my order right. The food is always fresh and my soup is always hot. I have never heard anything but how great your business is and always look foward to stopping in and picking up some lunch. Thanks… and keep doing a fabulous job.

Best lunch deal in town! Great sandwiches!

Barrows is excellent from start to beginning! The friendliest customer service you’ll find in Tampa and their sandwiches are delicious. The only knock is it’s not a huge location, but it would never deter me from going. This place is a true Tampa gem!

Ordered soup and half sandwich combo for $ 6.99. Lobster bisque was tasty and Turkey Swiss on pumpernickel was good. The bread was soft and fresh, the sandwich looked like something you would make at home… generous but not over done.
I sat at the bar since I was alone and could see behind the counter, which looked very clean and organized.
The owners were working the front and greeted several people by name. I thought that was great customer service. Great experience!

I had a pastrami melt. It was dry. I haven’t been there in probably 15 years and for a time got catering from there a couple times a month but then my work moved. It was always good. So when I was nearby for a doc appt today I decided to stop in. The cheese was good. So was the mustard. But thats all. Dry pastrami on dry toast just dont get it. Maybe I’ll try again in 15 years. Only reason for 2 stars instead of one is the place gets a point for being cute.

Ordered the turkey melt, pastrami, ham & swiss, and barley beef soup and the owner was more than friendly and willing to make anything he was out of. Very nice experience food is fresh hot everything was delicious will definitely come back!

What can I post about Barrows that has not been said. The sandwiches are made with care, always consistent. The soups are amazing and you will never doubt they were made 10 feet from where they are consumed, by the gentleman who took your order. The place is not only clean, but charming. It is very small, be prepared to rub elbows literally.
Sandwiches are made with an eye to the best meal. The bread choices they make always compliment the meat, and the choices of toppings can not be beat.
Service is professional, crisp, and the highest European standard we do not often see in the US.
Do not miss trying the Chicken Salad «California». People clamor to try the Lobster Bisque.

This past Friday started out much like other days. My Unilocal friend Michelle M. and I were trading messages which went something like this:
Me: Have you got any plans for lunch? I need to get away from the paperwork for a while.
Michelle: Great idea, where do you want to go?
Me: Any place south of Kennedy would be a new review for me.
Michelle: OK, let me look through your Bookmarks and I’ll give you some suggestions.
Me: OK, I’ll bring my passport and see you at 12 Noon.
And that would be how we ended up at Barrow’s Gourmet Deli on Henderson Road for lunch on Friday. Barrow’s is a classic German deli which has been serving food for about 20 years in this location just off of Dale Mabry and Henderson.
Barrow’s is in the same general part of town as Wright’s and Mott & Hester, so you know they must be a darned good place to stay in business with that type of competition near by. All three gourmet delis are within a few blocks of each other, and each has their own unique spin on classic gourmet deli sandwiches.
The sandwiches at Barrows are all made with Boar’s Head deli meats and cheeses, and freshly-​made bread. The menu has soups, green salads, deli salads, deli sandwiches, sides, and homemade cookies, brownies, and treats. The sandwiches are all huge, so you have the option of ordering a half sandwich combo or the full thing.
In my case I went for the Roast Beef Rancher which was thin slices of lean roast beef, piled high on toasted rye bread with Havarti cheese, lettuce, red onion, and a bit of Ranch dressing. Add a bag of baked chips and a soda, and I was a happy camper. Delicious sandwich — very filling, and no room for dessert!
As always it was tremendous fun catching up with Michelle and sharing some laughs over lunch. Thank you for corrupting me with another one of your favorite South Tampa hot spots!

Two words. Chicken. Salad. Aaaaaammmmaaaazzziiinnnnggggg. (That was me singing.) The food is so fresh, and the care taken preparation is clear as soon as you take your first bite.
Two more words: soup. brownies. Because I tend towards the chicken salad sandwich, I always get a soup to go with it. Don’t perceive that as small portions, in fact, I always end up with half a sammy for dinner. All of the soups are great. As for the brownies I would like to preface by saying brownies are close to my least favorite dessert, but Barrows brownies make my top three all-​time favorite desserts list.
When I worked in So. Tampa I ate at barrows at least once a week. I moved away, stopped in over a year later, and the guys remembered me! I couldn’t believe it. Great customer service!
They sell the art hanging on the walls for a local non-​profit. Great idea and wonderful way to support other local endeavors.
Get to Barrows!!!

Barrow’s is my lunch escape on days where I have to get out of my office before I say or do something I regret. Don’t act like you don’t know what that’s like; we all have days where our greatest accomplishment at work is we didn’t punch anyone, no matter how much they deserved it.
Five stars is well deserved here. On one hand, they just do soup, sammies and salads. On the other — a well-​dressed sandwich and hot cup of homemade soup is a thing of great beauty. I love the number of bread options (up with rye and pumpernickel!) and the slices always taste super fresh. Barrows also slices all their meats and cheeses when you order. Why this improves the taste, I have no idea — but it really does. I also always check their website to see the day’s homemade soups before leaving the office and usually manage to have myself ravenous by the time I arrive.
All of the usual options are here — turkey, ham, egg salad, tuna salad — but I think Barrow’s unique combinations are where they really shine. The Turkey BLT teams up turkey and crisp bacon with a delicious Russian dressing on pumpernickel and the Roast Beef Rancher is piled with homemade, freshly shaved roast beef and Havarti and paper-​thin slices of red onion for a nice bite to balance the richness of the meat. I don’t do white bread so I usually have them switch out the bread on this one.
But hands-​down, the sandwich that has soothed the savage beast and kept me from quitting via text DURING my lunch hour is the Monte Barrow. Hot pressed and piled high with turkey, ham and salami… this sandwich sends me back to work with a full and happy tummy and a smile on my face, if not a song in my heart. Thank you, Barrows, for being there on the days I just don’t think I can take one more minute of work and feeding me so well!

The owners of Barrow’s are SANDWICH GODS. I could eat here every day for lunch! All of the items on the menu are made with fresh bread and Boars Head meat and cheeses so you can’t go wrong with anything you order.
My favorite sandwich on the menu is the Monte Barrow. The sandwich consists of turkey, salami, ham, swiss cheese, dill pickles, spicy brown mustard, and mayo on toasted pumpernickle. On a rare occassion that I don’t order the Monte Barrow I may order the California Chicken Salad sandwich. The chicken salad sandwich is HUGE and I usually just order a half sandwich because it is packed with curry chicken salad. If I am watching my diet I order the Chef Salad. If you are looking for an authentic Cuban sandwich I’d advise against ordering Barrow’s. Their Cuban is tasty, but it has a German twist on it since the owners are German.
Save room for dessert — the brownies are out of this world!!! Barrow’s posts the soups of the day on their website every day: