The eatery features new specials each day, including the chicken Marsala pictured above.East Ridge eatery Olive Branch has been open for less than a year on Ringgold Road, but the deli has already made a name for itself.
Owner Callie Meta, who opened the combination grocery store and deli with her family, said business has been steady since opening and she has dreams to expand within the next two years.
“When we moved here, we really could not find places to eat that we liked with fresh ingredients,” Meta said of the inspiration to open. “We couldn’t find the feta cheese that we liked. We had to go to Atlanta for it, and then for the olives we liked, the salami, the things like that.”
Meta based the eatery-and-grocery model on similar models available in New York City and her previous town in Florida.
The concept is a simple one, she said: good food for under $10, cooked fresh every day.
In addition to fresh sandwich options available through the deli, Meta’s husband prepares authentic Mediterranean dishes such as lamb stew, moussaka (an eggplant casserole in bechamel sauce), pastitsio (a noodle dish similar to lasagna), a daily vegetarian or vegan option, and more.
And each Wednesday the deli features freshly made spaghetti and meatballs which Meta promises are the best in town.
“And [the other] week we featured a black-eyed pea stew with fennel,” she added.
For those looking for sweet rather than savory, Meta and her sister also offer baklava, cannolis, limoncello mascarpone cakes and cookies.
The business is open Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
For more information, call 805-5295 or visit the Olive Branch at 3992 Ringgold Road, Suite 103.