Hip Pocket Deli

I must be a little jaded, cynical even.  I am too used to paying a lot for a little; quantity and quality.  I thought for sure I was hungry enough to go to Hip Pocket Deli in Pensacola for lunch and possibly still have room for a light snack later.  Boy, was I wrong.  I heard about Hip Pocket through the Taste Buds' Facebook page.  Someone posted I should try it out and it took me a little while but I finally got a chance to go.

Finding this place is really easy if you know your way around Pensacola.  The huge sign painted right on the side of the building helps a lot. too  I was a little surprised when I got to the front door though.  Hip Pocket Deli only takes cash.  For a girl that routinely uses her credit card for everything, this could have posed a bit of a problem.  Luckily, I had about $10 in my pocket.  I was hoping it would be enough for a decent meal.  I walked in the door and stopped right away.  Not because I was shocked or anything, but that was where the line started.  Seriously, the line was from the counter about 8 feet away to the door.  I knew then I made a good choice to stop by for lunch.

Checking out the menu, I didn't see anything spectacular.  It's your regular deli fare which includes an array of sandwiches, subs, calzones, pitas and salads.  I got up to the counter and asked Chris, who I think is the owner, what I should get.  He whips out a menu and proceeds to tell me the sizes of everything.  Most of the subs are FIVE pounds; Muffaletta was 4lbs; Calzones were 5lbs.  You get the gist.  Apparently, this place feeds giants, lumberjacks or the very hungry!  I was a little overwhelmed by the sheer number of pounds he was throwing at me and decided on a Reuben sandwich; puny compared to the others at just 2lbs.  

Reuben sandwich, chips and drink for $8

For about $8.65 with tax, I got the Reuben sandwich, chips, a pickle and a drink.  That's a very decent price compared to anywhere else.  What makes Hip Pocket better is the sheer size of the sandwich.  The Reuben spans the width of my hands.  It is composed of marble rye bread then heaped with mounds of corned beef, sauerkraut and melted Swiss.  The sandwich is served with a side of catalina dressing.  I loved it.  The bread was fresh and slightly toasted.  There was just the right amount corned beef, Swiss cheese and sauerkraut. I thought it was a very balanced sandwich.  I like the side of catalina dressing too.  It kinda of tastes like sweet and sour sauce or duck sauce, but was good with the sandwich.  I don't recall having it with any other Reuben sandwich.  Needless to say, I was stuffed after getting done with my meal.

Hip Pocket's decor is very military inspired.  The walls and even the ceiling are decorated with military pictures, medals, flags, hats and even old posters.  Considering it's located near the gate of NAS Pensacola, the decor made sense.  Hip Pocket is also very small. There are about 12 school cafeteria style booths.  I would think the dining area is about the size of a large living room.  I saw two babies and a few young children so it's not totally unfamily friendly.  The parking is pretty bad.  There's not much room and according to Hip Pocket one of the business adjacent will tow your car away if don't buy anything from them. The parking lot is also full of potholes so be careful where you drive and park.  It's well worth it though for the quality and quantity of the meal.    

Hip Pocket does not have a website but it does have a Facebook page.  Click here to check it out. Be sure to look through all the photos.  There's a photo of the menu and the huge 5lb meatball sub.  The meatballs are the size of baseballs!