DeRita Italian Deli — Restaurant in Fruit Cove

I heard good things about this place... so finally got a chance to see for myself.

I worked in a deli near Boston growing up for an Italian from Reading, MA.. I also worked at the famous Newbridge Cafe, so I'm familiar with how Italians like to eat and how it's done properly.

These are good people. The gal I met today, Saturday 3/29, couldn't have been more pleasant. No... Not pleasant, better than that. She was awesome ..

So accommodating, told me she'd make my sandwich any way I wished, and did in fact do just that.

Gave me the grand tour while my sandwich was under construction, and it was nice to see someone who cares about their business and their family... like the young lady at the register, the daughter, who I got the pleasure of meeting as well.

All good stuff... Happy customers and happy staff.

Now the food...

This is what I'm talking about! I love a good sandwich... And this delivered on a level that exceeded my expectations. I mean just the size of it alone is impressive... And it's done so well. The meats are of good quality, and they're sliced right in front of you... So thin and piled up so high I was wondering if the bread would be able to handle it without splitting. There's nothing worse than a good sandwich with terrible bread. This bread was up for the task. Taste great, fresh and held up perfectly and soaked up all the oil and vinegar, and a hint of mayo with ease. I will say I've never had sesame seeds on a sub before, and it wasn't bad at all. I didn't necessarily notice it being better, but it wasn't any worse either, if that makes sense.

All in all, I'd give it a 97 out of 100. That's pretty damn good.

I will be back .. I still need to figure out what these Philly people think a good steak sandwich actually is... We shall see.

Thanks again guys, it was very nice meeting you all. Excellent job on the sandwich.

Hope to see you again...

One of the best sandwiches I’ve ever had, hands down! Every single ingredient here is top-tier, from the insanely fresh bread to the high-quality meats and toppings. You can tell they put real care into their food, nothing feels rushed or cheap. On top of that, the customer service is amazing. Everyone is so friendly and welcoming, which makes the experience even better.

This is officially my go-to spot for a phenomenal, 10/10 sandwich. And just when I thought it couldn’t get better, they told me they serve Philly cheesesteaks on Wednesdays and Fridays. You already know I’ll be back. I’ve been searching for a good cheesesteak in Jax, and if anyone’s going to nail it, it’s definitely them.

Edit: I tried the Philly cheesesteak and this place was my last chance effort to see if either I’ve had bad phillys or I just don’t like them. I can say with confidence that I’ve only had bad Phillys in the past because the one they make at DeRita’s was so good! The cooper sharp cheese is gooey cheesy perfection and the meat is such high quality. They know exactly what they are doing here. I cannot recommend this place...

DeRita the little spot off of highway 210 with great sandwiches..I had the chicken parm.. cutlets were cooked very well a little dry but not too bad with fresh mozzarella.. my wife had the turkey sandwich with provolone cheese it was a fantastic sandwich! It's packed with a generous portion of thinly sliced turkey breast..the sesame seed hoagie rolls are fantastic although I wish they had a crunch to the outside... I gave the atmosphere just three out of five stars just because there is really no where to sit and there were no pictures on the wall.. but very well kept up and very clean .the overall the staff was fantastic very friendly also one more thing about the menu it is based off of Philadelphia so not having a Philly cheese steak on the menu kind of threw me off but over all the sandwiches that we ordered were...