STAFF PHOTO BY KELLY WEGEL
Menu items at the Yellow Deli include the Deli Rose, back, a specialty sandwich that includes corned beef, roast beef and two kinds of cheeses on an onion roll; a fruit plate with yogurt topping, left; and a slice of cream cheese pie with honey and strawberries.

Remember the Yellow Deli? I first experienced it on Brainerd Road in 1973 when I was 15. At the time, it was the only place of its kind in town. No other restaurants that I knew of were serving deli sandwiches. It was a rather new concept for Chattanooga.

Opened by a group known as The Twelfth Tribe at a time when anti-cult religious fever ran rampant through the United States, it lasted just a few years. Now, they’re back and have made an impression on a new generation of diners, as well as those of us who knew the Yellow Deli years back.

THE MENU

Not a lot’s changed since the 1970s. There are a few more teas and juices, but the sandwiches are the same. You choose your meat: roast beef, corned beef, turkey, chicken or pastrami; then pick your choice of bread and add cheese. And then there are the extras, such as onions and sprouts. Or you can order one of the specialty sandwiches, which, in my case, was the one I’d loved all along.

The order: One Reuben and, for dessert, one slice of sweet potato pound cake.

Generally, I like my Reuben toasted. But Yellow Deli steams theirs, and that’s just fine with me. I asked for extra sauerkraut and mustard only, no mayonnaise. What I got was a melt-in-your-mouth sandwich. Steaming makes the bread so tender.

I wouldn’t order just any pound cake, but the sweet potato pound cake is unlike any I’ve ever had. It’s very dense and moist with an incredible buttery topping. They have mini pound cakes for sale in the bakery. Try a slice first, and I guarantee you’ll be tempted to take one home.

Best bets: Hebrew National hot dog (sliced and steamed on a hamburger bun. $3.75); lamb sandwich on choice of bread (with lettuce, onions, cucumber and special sauce, $6.75); turkey and Swiss on bread choice ($6.25).

THE SERVICE

Some of the current servers worked at the original deli and are back in town waiting tables again. All are friendly and do their best to get the correct order to your table in record time.

THE SPACE

The transformation of a square brick building with little design and no landscaping is a work of art. The view begins with the beautiful wood steps at the front entrance and continues with gorgeous woodwork, colorful wall murals, hand-carved wood tables, booths and stair railings.

The old two-story building was opened up with balcony-style seating on the second floor, along with an area with a sofa and chairs where students can eat while studying. Added seating on a new deck in back, along with beautiful new landscaping on the side of the restaurant, makes this deli a gem along McCallie Avenue. The feeling is casual, and it’s the kind of place that makes you go “wow” when you walk in the door.

THE VERDICT

I’ve heard that some people think they’re going to be preached to during a meal. No, that doesn’t happen. No one tried to convert me. No one even handed me a pamphlet. They only served me good food. I think the tribe has chosen a good time to come home and introduce a new generation to the quality cuisine their parents grew up on. I’m happy to have Yellow Deli back in town.

IF YOU GO

Establishment: Yellow Deli, 737 McCallie Ave.

Phone: 386-5210.

Hours: Closed weekends (from 5 p.m. Friday until 5 p.m. Sunday); otherwise open 24 hours a day.

Alcohol: No.

Price range: $5.25 (Jacob’s Stew with bread) to $6.75 (assorted specialty sandwiches).

Payment: Cash, checks, Visa, MasterCard.