Damn Yankees Deli and Catering — Restaurant in Kernersville

(4.5 stars) Kernersville isn’t where you’d expect to find a legit New York-style sandwich shop, but here we are. Damn Yankees came about when a Long Island couple repurposed the former Deli on Main, revamping the menu and adding a lot of personal touches. Like many classic sandwich shops, it isn’t much to look at – blue walls, a deli case, a fridge, and a few tables – but the menu is where it really shines.

About that menu: Damn Yankees boasts more than two dozen sandwiches, and that’s excluding kid’s menu and daily special offerings. Each can be turned into a salad or paired with a side salad, and there are a few desserts as well. They even have knishes! The sandwiches range from simple classics (a BLT or a chicken salad) to glorious-sounding meat-and-gravy concoctions. While the meats are Boar’s Head, the breads and sauces are all made in-house.

For our first visit, my wife and I opted for the daily special (a Basilicole with balsamic chicken, basil pesto, tomatoes, arugula, and fresh mozzarella) and a Meat Head (pepperoni, salami, meatballs, melted mozzarella and sauce) with a side of potato salad. Earlier reviews suggested that Damn Yankees was still finding its footing – and adequate staffing – and so I anticipated a bit of a wait. Fortunately, there proved not to be much of one. For made-to-order, food was prepared fairly quickly, and co-owner Steve was a personable presence at the register.

Damn Yankees may charge more than most – both six-inch sandwiches were north of ten apiece – but you get your money’s worth here. They decidedly do not skimp on the toppings. The Meat Head lived up to its Ron Swansonesque name, offering very good meatballs and a quality tomato sauce (fresh and just slightly sweet). The soft, thick hero roll held everything together nicely. Even the potato salad exceeded expectations. The Basilicole was tasty as well though we’ll probably go in a different direction next time.

Kernersville is lucky to have Damn Yankees. As a New Jersian, I can say they make a damn...

My first visit, and sadly the Cuban sandwich I ordered was disappointing. A good Cuban should have roast pork and sliced ham in a good balance, but mine had no roast pork at all. Instead there was a much-too-thick stack of sliced ham, and a few slices of what they called porchetta, which seemed like strips of super-fatty bacon, barely cooked. The bread was a thick hero-style bun, not toasted, and there were two tiny slices of cheese. Finally, the mustard was some sort of sweet blend, rather than the usual pungent yellow mustard. A Cuban should be warm and toasty with gooey melted Swiss, but mine wasn't heated at all. Finally, we opted to sit outside after the cashier assured us they would find us when the food was ready. 15 minutes later, we went to check and found our order sitting on the counter for who knows how long. So two strikes for the food and the service. I only ate a few bites of the sandwich--it honestly felt like biting into a full pack of flavorless pre-sliced ham from the grocery store. I may return to some day to see if our experience was an anomaly, as I know getting a restaurant started is very challenging. But I'm not too excited about going back based on their Cuban recipe--it just wasn't very good.

Edit to respond to owner's comment below: Yes, I do know what porcetta is. The porchetta I've had before had a lot more lean meat--traditionally made with a whole suckling pig in Italy, but often in the US its made with pork loin and belly. No need to go into all that, other than to say it should have more lean meat, especially if you're going to put it on a Cuban. The porchetta you gave me was only a couple of paper thin slices, like prosciutto, with very little lean, and it was completely overpowered by the other ingredients. Couldn't even taste it. The point is, if you're going to use porchetta in a Cuban, put enough on there that it makes a difference and at least simulates the more traditional lean pork cuts normally...

First off let me say the Gentleman who helped me was very nice and passionate. But way in over his head. I had to repeat my order 5 times and while in the middle of ordering he told me to give him a second while he checked his Facebook. My main issue is bread to meat ratio. You can’t have 75% bread and 20% meat. I had the rancher and asked for bacon,they were out.

Buddy had a Philly cheese steak and stated he could not taste the meat due to way too much bread. I don’t know how they do it up north but us nc people love our subs meaty.

And very low on staff. He kept saying “ I only have 2 people” I would retry this place later on down the road once everything is up and running to full potential.

Update after the review:

You are sassy I see. Now you get 1 star. Take the feed and better your self. Don’t clap back. Your food is trash and your salads look like snot. Doing me a favor? $36 for bread and a slice of Walmart past due deli. Run circles around me? That’s funny you were dripping sweat from just barking orders and working the register. You won’t be in business long with that kinda attitude. Now scram

Update #2

If you put this much time in crafting your enormous hogie dry bread as you do with posting here you might have a decent sandwich. And thanks for showing everyone your real true colors. Replying back to me outside of normal business hours show that your an immature man child. And $7 for a cookie is nuts. You’re over priced. And keep your child from behind the register child labor laws are big here. Hate for them to have to give you a visit. Now stop replying and take this chastisement with...