Okay this is not in Seattle but as soon as you walk in you're gonna forget about the Posches, Hummers and Mercedes Benzes parked outside the street. I worked in Bellevue for about a year and I have to say it was pretty hard to grab good grub in this town sure they have Zizo Market, Byblos Deli and other Teriyaki places but sometimes you just need to have something other than Salmon Teriyaki or Whole Wheat Falafel. This is when Gilbert's on Main shows up. The deli looks pretty out of place in this part of Bellevue, all the other stores are so antiseptic and oh-so pretty I almost didn't want to get something to eat in this place.
Interiors: very quirky, the walls are covered with posters of plays, concerts and the like. The tables have mismatched seats, there are outdated magazines and newspapers stacked everywhere it's just a glorified chaos so to speak.
Food: Unbelievable menu. You want eggs, they've got eggs. You want Lox, they've got Lox. Tuna Melt? check. Veggie sandwiches? check. They even have Crepes too (only during the afternoons though, for a limited time only!)
Cons: everything is expensive. food runs from about $5-$20 although the portions are grotesquely huge, but still...
What you do is when you walk in, grab a menu because if you stand in front of the counter and stare at their big menu posted on the wall you're probably gonna get attitude from the staff or the people lined up behind you. Most of the sandwiches are made with Bagels (they have a huge selection) but they do have breads as well. If you order breakfast it comes with a tiny canister of fruit, for lunch items, a scoop of potato salad or chips if you'd like to substitute.
WARNING: if you can order half a sandwich, do so. I ordered the Tuna Melt on wheat bread and it was huge. After my first slice I couldn't eat anymore, it was just too much.
Good Stuff: The first time I went there I had a Whole Wheat Bagel with coleslaw, jack cheese, avocado and tomatoes. It was so good, to this day I still recreate that sandwich when I feel a little down. Perfect pick me up.
Another Warning: don't go there for lunch because they get attacked by a hungry crowd. Literally. But if you go there after lunch they're out of bagels. I went there at about 230 pm and they had about 4 bagels left...
I don't work in Bellevue anymore and I miss Gilbert's. It's expensive but it's good food and you can't beat the atmosphere too.
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