With restaurants and food trucks popping up all over Downtown Binghamton lately, it’s hard to distinguish which places are worth your time and money and which ones aren’t. Sometimes, it just depends on what you’re looking for.
Located on 141 Washington St., College Town Deli and Convenience follows its namesake — it’s an all-in-one delicatessen and convenience store.
While this type of establishment is not innovative, it does offer something new for Washington Street, including free local delivery. The menu consists of your standard pizza orders and subs, ranging from turkey to Philly cheesesteaks for people on the go.
One thing that distinguishes College Town Deli from its competitors is the “Sloppy Bag,” a combination of a bag of chips of your choice and hot chili — a delicious mix you never thought to try in your dorm room before.
Evan Finkelstein, a senior majoring in integrative neuroscience, is not entirely impressed with the deli, but said he can see why someone would eat there.
“It’s convenient,” Finkelstein said. “The food’s decent. It’s worth a try if you’re nearby and hungry, but trying the ‘Sloppy Bag’ is a must.”
College Town Deli’s biggest competition is Binghamton Hots, a restaurant across the street known for being the drunk student haven on any given weekend. A few things Binghamton Hots has over College Town Deli are its variety of menu options, a more aesthetically appealing establishment and a seating area larger than the two little benches the deli has. It’s essentially the Downtown Night Owl.
That being said, College Town Deli is open an extra half hour after Hots closes, which can cater to the straggling drunk students still looking for somewhere to eat Friday and Saturday nights. Unlike Hots, College Town Deli is also open on Sundays.
Cristián Mendoza, a junior majoring in philosophy, politics and law, remembers Pepe’s, the establishment that used to exist in College Town Deli’s place before the big renovation.
“I just thought it didn’t seem much different from Pepe’s,” Mendoza said. “Not someplace you’d go just to hang out, or if you were running late to a meal. It’s drunk food, but the kind you get when Binghamton Hots is crowded and you can’t find the food trucks.”
College Town Deli and Convenience is not the standout establishment of Downtown Binghamton, but it is one more great, new place that Downtown has to offer.