With a recent cultural shift in favor of small businesses, “niches” have popped up all over, begging for specialized occupants. Restaurants, food trucks, craft breweries, cafes, and markets — each one claims a role in the competitive ecosystem that is Harrisonburg’s downtown scene.
The one thing Harrisonburg did not have, at least until last fall, was a downtown deli. To fill the void, Logan “Lo” Strawderman, Lauren “La” Penrod, and Mollie “Mo” Randa stepped up, mashed their first syllables together, and opened Lola Mo’s Delicatessen on 122 South Main Street.
Delicatessen is one of those words on loan from everywhere else. English borrowed it from German, which borrowed it from French, which borrowed it from Latin, but it all means roughly the same thing: delightful little eatery, more specifically one that sells cold-cut meats, cheeses, salads, sometimes pastries, and offers selections of foreign foods. Think: deli, with a little more oomph. Lola Mo’s definitely brings the oomph.
With a light and airy atmosphere set in modern grayscale and lit naturally by floor-to-ceiling windows, this is a place with space to breathe. Seating ranges from tables for two or four, bar window seating, outdoor patio, and to-go options. Most customers seem to take their lunches to-go, as the sandwiches come wrapped in heavy white paper, easy to grab and go. This would be an ideal pre-picnic pick up, if you are into that sort of thing. It is also just a really nice space to go out for lunch.
The pricing of the sandwiches varies by the weight of the meat in ounces. “Three is your light sandwich, six will get you full, and nine is the step up from that,” Strawderman explained. They offer vegan and vegetarian options as well, in three progressing sizes.
I ordered the 6 oz. Reuben ($11) on recommendation from a friend, so my menu choice was easy. Otherwise I might have stared at the menu for half an hour, trying to decide between the specialty sandwiches, all named something interesting like Smofu and Strawdermanwich and Ham Dancer. They also have a build-your-own option, as if that helps anyone’s indecision.
My Reuben came wrapped in thick paper, its companion dill pickle spear rolled neatly on the side. The toasted marbled rye could barely hold the bursting layers of sauerkraut, melted swiss, corned beef, and dressing. The beef is soft and pink and chewy, salty like ham, and scaffolded like a canyon. The 6 oz. comes with two layers of meat, which makes sense now that I do the math. The kraut did not knock me down or drown me in vinegar, which was a relief, personally, but super-kraut fans might not get enough zing from this particular Reuben. The melted swiss cheese slipped between the salt and vinegar, stringing the whole thing together in one flavorful punch that probably goes straight to your thighs.
Lola Mo’s is not just about the sandwiches, taking the full definition of delicatessen seriously. Along the sides of the store, Lola Mo’s displays an array of unusual food treasures for purchase: mustards, honey, olives, various pastes, canned bruschetta, jams, foreign chocolate, crackers, wafers, and a whole section for wine and craft beer. In the front cases, rolls of bulk cheese and meats are showcased for sale, with a separate case for pastries homemade by Mollie “Mo” Randa.
Lola Mo’s Delicatessen populates this new niche well, and with food this good, they might as well just make themselves at home.
You can find the entrance to this delightful little eatery off Newman Ave., open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
