Patricia Street Deli

It was the end of a two-week vacation across Western Canada, a full loop from Prince George to Courtenay, through Kelowna, Banff to Edmonton, and back home. Edmonton was a disappointment, boasting little of interest outside of oxygen and paved roads. A planned two days in Jasper was reduced to a single afternoon after discovering the gloomy weather. Instead of taking in three restaurants, I was allowed only one. Jasper is not big, with maybe three roads worth walking down—a place I have not spent time outside of stopping for gas in the past thirty years. But with no timetable to return home, we took our time to give this little town a chance. Somewhat of a shame really, as I would’ve preferred to have spent three days here rather than in our previous destination….assuming the weather had behaved. Everything here just had more personality, with the notable exception of those half-dozen souvenir shops all selling exactly the same selection of Great Canadian Maple Syrup products. It didn’t matter, because we had a destination, a certain popular deli on Patricia Street. That’s all we had to go on, and with my iPhone Map app set to walking, we wandered around, doubling back twice in a vain effort to locate this fabled deli. After five minutes, this place was starting to feel like the Ark of the Covenant—I wouldn’t have been surprised if there were spring traps and pits on the way. Or maybe said deli changes location with each sunrise, forcing a quest to locate the Emerald Seer and tame Fire Mares in order to reach the destination in time, like the Black Fortress in Krull. Yeah, I went there. Turns out, it was nestled in an alley about fifty feet off the street. Such a shame, after that entire preamble, I was kind of hoping for a level in Tomb Raider. Anyways, those reading this should look for an alley and follow it to the sign. Inside, the deli is built more out of function than attraction with little rationed for tables. Basically, when you cross the door, you’re already partway in the kitchen. Nearby deli refrigerators buzz loudly like I’m being scanned by a tricorder. The coolest and most artistic menu blackboards ever seen beckon interpretation…and yes, they do require it somewhat. Arrows help as you combine ingredients with sauces, but I had a feeling if left to my own devices, I may accidentally order something with raisins and bones in it. It should be noted that this place only has like four prices. Delis are like food trucks in a way, keeping it simple. For a place like this, the offerings should be a soup, sandwich, or soup & sandwich. Mine was amazing, like the best. No, I’m serious; I’m forty years old and I’m making that declaration. It was like Soup-Nazi good. Like I said, I’m 40 years old and am making a joke reference proving it. What kind of sandwich did I have? I honestly don’t know. There was lettuce, tomatoes, feta I think, and some kind of curry mayo, but the finally point is that it was far and above better than anything ever offered at Subway. Damn it, now I have to stop in Jasper from now own for lunch. I can never just gas up and drive on in an effort to make Calgary before evening. I have to make an afternoon of it. Yes, Patricia Street Deli is fantastic, a bona-fide treasure, a literal hidden gem, a secret ruined by those cretins on review sites that insist on sharing their experiences with tourists. The two workers that day, one including the owner, offered small talk throughout our meal, sharing stories of themselves and their town. Both were authentic and direct without being rude. Not just a weekly lunch spot—this is the kind of place I’d walk in to get recognized, where I’d sit and just wait for whatever strange culinary chimera awaited me. By the end of the meal, I felt satisfied, a feeling shared by my fussy girlfriend. She agreed with my praise of the service and overall atmosphere. Patricia Street Deli is pure comfort food, like tapping a maple tree— wholesome unfiltered sweetness. Food: 4/5 Service: 5/5 Presentation: 2.5/5 Value: 5/5 Recommendation: 4.25/5

Absolutely awesome sandwich! I was walking down the street and stopped to look at their sandwich board ad and wondered if this is what I wanted for lunch. Another person said, "I just had one of those, and it's the best sandwich." Okay, good enough for me. I wasn't disappointed. Really good stuff, and friendly staff!

When life offers you a delicious surprise, you cherish it! Wendy and Glen's warm and caring welcome makes you feel right at home. We had the delicious beef stew and some sweets. Wish we would stay longer in Jasper to come back! Such great food served by the sweetest people!

Highly recommend this business. I have celiac disease and had the most amazing wrap since being diagnosed over 5 years ago. The staff were super attentive to cleaning and freshening their gloves before preparing the gluten free wrap and made amazing suggestions! In fact, I went back again the next day for the same wrap. I will definitely be visiting again on my next trip to Jasper! Sorry, no pictures, it disappeared too quickly.

I cannot say enough about this little gem. I stopped in to pick up lunch on a trip to Jasper. My husband was feeling under the weather so I wanted to pick up something quickly so I could get back to him. The owner/operators were incredibly kind, suggesting hikes I could safely do on my own while making me one of the BEST sandwiches I have ever had (in-house roasted chicken on an in-house baked whole wheat bun with a vast array of delicious topping choices). When I was paying, they insisted on throwing in homemade chicken noodle soup on the house for my hubby. This kind of service and level of care and attention are uncommon at best these days. We will most certainly visit Patricia Street Deli every time we visit Jasper in the future and you should too!