Fossati’s Delicatessen opened in 1882 and is the oldest deli in Texas. Fossati’s celebrated its 140th anniversary this year. The decor and atmosphere certainly look like the Old West. The location of Fossati’s is in downtown Victoria, TX at 302 South Main Street and is centrally located on a corner. Parking was easy to obtain on the street nearby. It was right across the street from a beautiful church.
One side of the restaurant is lined with a huge wood saloon bar that is original to the restaurant. The walls are decorated with Western art and memorabilia. Red and white checkered tablecloths adorn the tables scattered around the room. The floors and ceilings are polished wood adding to the Old West look and feel.
Fossati’s is only open for lunch, but they do have daily specials. On the day that we visited, they had the lasagna special that came with a large serving of lasagna, a side salad, and garlic bread. I ordered the special and was pleased that it was very good. The lasagna was cheesy with a good amount of suga rosa sauce. It came out piping hot, which is a plus in my book. Many times at a restaurant, the food comes out lukewarm, and we have to make a special request when we order to bring the food out when it is hot. We forgot to make that special request, but it came out hot anyway.
My son ordered a Muffaletta Sandwich, which came out with some BBQ chips and a pickle. It was not a traditional muffuletta as you would get in New Orleans, where the sandwich was invented; however, it did have some of the same elements. It had a variety of Italian-style deli meats and olive salad, but it came on a French roll instead of muffuletta loaf bread.
My husband ordered the Poorboy Combo with a turkey sandwich. This was not a traditional Po’Boy sandwich, usually smothered in gravy. It was a turkey sandwich on a large French roll. It was still a decent sandwich. The Poorboy Combo comes with the soup of the day.
Fossati’s is a great place to enjoy lunch and experience a piece of Texas history.
