A-OK CAFÉ

It’s easy to pass by, but one day I finally took a risk and dined below the sidewalk.

A-OK Café has its own take on street vending. They bring it below the street with a very diner-esque quality. I had to take a peek. As its name implies, everything about this food joint screams simplicity. The owner and its employees aim to bring comfort with American food classics and a semi-homey décor.

A-OK Café isn’t anything special. Its food is very deli-like, only comprising sandwiches, potato salad, soups and the like. Normally I would have been turned off – “Oh, it’s just another deli.” In this case, the bright-eyed owner was so eager to feed me, I couldn’t resist.

I somehow returned to my roots with this one sandwich, the one she named the New York Times. It was corned beef goodness – this coming from a girl who rarely eats meat.

Still, it had me reminiscing about the day my dad first gave me such a sandwich in my Jersey days. With just one bite, I could recall cherry blossom parks and my father’s favorite Newark hot dog stand.

No sandwich is perfect by itself, so I also ordered the potato salad – a craveable, worthy try. Be careful though: There are times when it doesn’t come out as scrumptious. I experienced this unfortunate consequence after my third visit for the potato salad. My advice: go early.

A-OK Café offers every American classic sandwich imaginable, named after some of the greatest newspapers to take the stands. It gives new meaning to comfort and “down-home” and exemplifies a true all-American food joint.

VERDICT: A crick-and-cranny, surprisingly peaceful find, but the potato salad is not always perfect and there is limited seating.