Phil’s Deli II serves families with authentic food, laughs more than 40 years after opening
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“Have you ever eaten at Phil’s Deli?” a friend texted me recently. “It’s a stupid question, I know you have,” he followed up before I could respond that I hadn’t. A few days later, I visited — and discovered why regulars have been returning, meal after meal, for years and in some cases, decades.
“I like the nova and eggs,” longtime Phil’s Deli II customer Josie Thomas told me.
“I’ve been getting it since I was young — my family has been coming here for three generations. I go with the sausage and cheese omelet with grits for breakfast, and the chef’s salad with blue cheese dressing for lunch,” Steve Burgess told CharlotteFive. “I’ve been coming here since 1994, and my son’s been coming here since he was a baby.”
The original Phil’s Deli location opened in 1980; the restaurant moved from Cotswold to the current Strawberry Hill location in 1991. Along the way, owner Phil Levine also operated two Uptown locations, including a Latta Arcade spot that closed in December 2020.
“We were the first tenant that signed here on Providence Road,” Levine told CharlotteFive. “Us, Red Rocks and Fresh Market — we’ve been here since the beginning.”
[RELATED: Juniper Grill is open in Ballantyne — just in time for patio season.]
A family affair
Levine served in the Marine Corps Reserve for five and a half years and spent 15 years in chemical sales before deciding to open a deli. “I had a friend with a deli in Raleigh,” Levine said. “And I decided I wanted to open one in Charlotte.”
He got to work sorting out the details. One of his first steps was a trip to New York City. “We went to New York to find real rye bread. We must have eaten at every deli we could find,” Levine said.
Forty years later, that same rye bread is regularly shipped to Charlotte, and the restaurant serves nearly 200 pounds of it each week. “We proof it and bake it each morning,” Levine said. “Some out-of-state customers even have us ship it to them. Folks love that stuff!”
Levine isn’t the only one keeping up with inventory — his wife, Denise, knows all the deli’s ins and outs, too. “We probably cook 80-100 pounds of chicken a week just for the chicken salad,” she told CharlotteFive. “All of our hamburger is bought from Fresh Market every day — it’s never frozen. Our egg, pasta, chicken and tuna salads — all made fresh every day. The blue cheese, Italian and ranch dressings — homemade, too.”
The two met when Denise applied for a job years ago. “They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach,” Levine joked. “Well, it worked. She’s a great cook. And she was doing such a great job, I had to marry her to keep her.”
The deli has become a family affair, so to speak. Altogether, the couple has two daughters, three sons and Denise’s sister working alongside them. Denise’s daughter, Amy, makes all the desserts, including brownies, banana pudding, cobblers and pound cakes.
Jewish influence, universal appeal
Alongside top-selling dishes like David’s Chicken Philly and chicken salad, you’ll find deli classics — burgers, hot dogs and sandwiches. You’ll also find several Jewish specialties, including bagels, Matzo ball soup and reubens.
With parents from Harlem and Staten Island, Levine carried a Jewish influence with him as he moved to Charlotte from New York while in the third grade — when Wendover Road marked the city limit.
“Growing up here, I knew just about everyone in the Jewish community,” Levine said. “We’re a Kosher-style deli, but not a strictly Kosher deli.” The deli offers Kosher bologna, hot dogs, knockwurst and salami.
The diner offers something for everyone — Big Al’s Sailor Sandwich, Dalton’s Grilled Chicken Club, Elizabeth’s Meatball Hoagie, Flash’s Fried Flounder Sandwich and Nana’s Salad Platters are a few of many options on the menu. Dishes are named after friends, family and customers. “Flash was a friend since I was 10 years old,” Levine said. “Big Al — he was big! Many dishes are named after regulars.”
Staying active, staying happy
Phil and Denise are quick to brag on their customers. “I’d say 80% of our customers are regulars,” Levine said. “On weekends, we probably know 75% of our customers by first name. During the pandemic, they kept us going with to-go orders.”
Levine is in spectacular shape, especially for a 79-year-old. The longtime Charlottean has always been active. He swam at Myers Park High School before a college career that included stints on the Clemson swim team, the UNC-Charlotte basketball team and Methodist University’s basketball team. These days, running a restaurant, golfing three times a week, keeping up with grandkids and competing in 5K races keep him busy.
Whenever at the restaurant, Levine is hustling. “I’m most fulfilled when people come in hungry and leave happy,” Levine said.
As for me? I’ve now visited twice, and I’ve tried Dalton’s Grilled Chicken Club, Tristan’s Triple Decker, chicken salad and pasta salad. Each time, I’ve left happy and full.
Phil’s Deli II
Location: 4223 Providence Rd # 6, Charlotte, NC 28211
Neighborhood: Strawberry Hill
Cuisine: American
Hours: Monday through Friday, 7 a.m.-3 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m.-3 p.m.; Sunday, 8 a.m.-2 p.m.
To order: dine in or call 704-366-8811 for takeout.
This story was originally published June 9, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
