The Real Deal
When you’re craving an amazing sandwich, an outstanding burger, or some deliciously inventive pizza, this place is The Real Deal.
With locations in West Roxbury, and this one in Jamaica Plain, The Real Deal is a sandwich and pizza shop where the food is leaps and bounds beyond what you’d find at your typical neighborhood spot.
Mike Black – Owner, The Real Deal: “What sets us apart from every other traditional sandwich shop, is we elevate the classics in a lot of ways. Sometimes we're really really pushing the envelope, some really unique sandwiches, burgers, pizza, salads, and we built a really great level of trust with our customers that if I put it on the menu they're gonna go, that's probably amazing. I got to try it.”
Owner Mike Black has a passion for great food, so serving standard sub shop fare just isn’t in his DNA.
Mike Black – Owner, The Real Deal: “You would think it'd be easy just to stick with what everybody knows, but I'm not built that way. I need to keep evolving. Keep pushing the envelope, keep it fun and fresh. And that's what drives me.”
And it’s that commitment to creativity, along with using only the best ingredients, that has made The Real Deal successful since 2005.
Mike Black – Owner, The Real Deal: “It starts with the ingredients. It's fresh dough for our pizza made every day. We make hand breaded chicken cutlets. Great bread. Great cheese. That's what makes a great sandwich.”
Like any good neighborhood spot, The Real Deal does a great job with all the classic sub shop favorites.
Mike Black – Owner, The Real Deal: “You come here, obviously you can get a great Steak and Cheese, a Chicken Parm with pan fried chicken cutlet on a nice fresh braided roll. We also do an awesome top shelf Italian, some pickled red onions on there. Hand tossed Italian pizza. I mean, we don't skimp on any of that. And it's all great. But then you take it to the next level with all of our signature items. And it's insane.”
One insanely delicious example: the Grown Up Grilled Cheese.
Mike Black – Owner, The Real Deal: “One of my favorites, and everyone else's, is our Grown Up Grilled Cheese. We take a 14-hour smoked brisket. Throw that on the grill. Barbecue sauce. You get smoked gouda on thick Italian Scali bread, caramelized onions, crispy brown, delicious, cheesy, ooey gooey, amazing. One of the best things in house. People can’t believe that they're getting like a top notch Texas brisket sliced inside a grilled cheese.”
Other stand-out sandwiches include the Buttermilk Fried Chicken with spicy slaw and dill pickles on a grilled brioche roll, and the luxurious Fig and Pig.
Mike Black – Owner, The Real Deal: “I'm all about finding sweet and savory combinations that work on a sandwich and this is quintessential. It gets a blue cheese mascarpone spread that we make here in house, then a fig jam, rounded out with shaved prosciutto, tons of it, and a little peppery arugula to kind of balance out the sweet. Then we take a fresh focaccia bread, put it on the panini press, comes out all toasty and warm. This is the ultimate sweet and savory combination for lunch, dinner, breakfast, whatever.”
There are lots of old school sandwiches that get the gourmet treatment at The Real Deal. Like the Ultimate BLT with thick-cut applewood bacon, lettuce, tomato, avocado and garlic aioli on grilled white bread, and a perfect Patty Melt, dripping with deliciousness.
Mike Black – Owner, The Real Deal: “Starts with amazing bread. Grilled rye, some Swiss cheese. Then we hit it with a signature kickin’ sauce that sets this thing over the top. Little bit spicy, creamy, and half pound smashed Angus beef patty, grilled and seared on the flat top. You get that amazing crust. That amazing bite. Best Patty Melt you'll ever have.”
And if you think the Patty Melt looks good, just wait until you get a taste of the Burger Au Poivre.
Mike Black – Owner, The Real Deal: “I am a burger fanatic. And one of my favorites right now is the Au Poivre Burger. That's the way I get my steak when I go out to eat and this is my rendition of it in burger form. Black pepper crusted, get a beautiful sear, cheddar cheese, caramelized onions, garlic aioli, arugula, on a perfectly grilled brioche bun. It's my favorite burger of all time. You gotta come try it.”
On the side, you can always get Fries, or thick cut Onion Rings. But what you really ought to order are some Tots.
Mike Black – Owner, The Real Deal: “We do amazing tater tots. We do them with Parmesan and Truffle, but also a favorite of everybody is the Street Corn Tater Tots. Roasted corn, cilantro lime aioli, cotija cheese, little bit of smoked paprika. You get those golden fried tater tots, the creaminess from that aioli, and that pop from the cotija, it is an amazing side.”
When it comes to pizza here, come hungry, because these oversized 18-inch pies are outstanding;
whether you go for something simple like Pepperoni, something sweet and smoky like the BBQ Pulled Pork Pizza, or something Southern like the Nashville Hot Chicken Pizza.
Mike Black – Owner, The Real Deal: “We take that Nashville hot chicken. We cut it up, put it on the pizza, mozzarella cheese. And then we hit it with dill pickles because that's what comes with Nashville hot chicken. And then a little bit of honey crème fresh to just balance out that heat a little bit. But it's crispy, cheesy, delicious.”
And from the creative pizzas, to the craveable sandwiches, it’s easy to see how The Real Deal has been able to keep it real for nearly two decades.
Mike Black – Owner, The Real Deal: “I think the key to The Real Deal’s success is that we're always constantly evolving. We're always taking steps to make the menu different and try new things. But it really comes down to our team. Our team is solid. They're great, and you can taste it in the food. It's fresh, it’s different, it’s delicious. And you’ve got to come try it.”
