Sandy Jack’s Deli

Ever heard of the Mandela effect? It’s where you’re sure something happened one way, but it actually happened differently. This is what it's like for the new Sandy Jack's Deli in Brigantine. It seems like the deli's been here forever but instead only opened early this year. After just two weeks in business, the family-run shop was already welcoming back a strong contingent of regular customers.

The key to their success? Good quality food, fair pricing, service with a smile, and a bit of a homegrown niche.

"We're a friendly, full-service deli and grill offering all the best of the British Isles and Ireland," Pam Hume said. "It's good quality. It's great value."

The Hume Family

Owning an eatery near the beach is a dream come true for its proprietors - Pam, her husband, Robert, and the couple's 22-year-old son and store namesake, Jack. Sandy Jack's Deli comes by its neighborly, welcoming vibe because that's exactly how the Hume family is - welcoming.

The hybrid store is half deli and grill - serving up cheesesteaks from fresh-shaved rib eye and freshly chopped chicken breast, classic hoagies and breakfast sandwiches, to name just a few menu items - and half specialty grocer, stocking imported products from the British Isles and Ireland, the latter being where Robert spent his childhood.

"I've been here 35 years" Robert said. "I came here to work for the summer and never went home."

That was in 1989, when a 19-year-old Robert landed in Ocean City and got work cooking at The Promenade on the Boardwalk - which is where he homed in on a love of cheesesteaks.

"His apprenticeship was 1,200 cheesesteaks in a weekend," Pam joked.

The couple owned a shop in Haddonfield a quarter century ago before leaving the retail world for corporate work. But the thought of being a chef and owning a little place of their own - an idea that started germinating when Robert was 14, washing dishes at a restaurant in Ireland - never went away.

"We always wanted to get back down the shore," Robert said. "My vision was to have a store where I could work eight or nine months of the year and take a month or two and go back to Ireland or travel."

There was a chance to buy a business last year, but it was too close to the summer season. "We wanted to do it right," Robert explained.) When another opportunity presented itself, the Humes bought the equipment but opted to create their own restaurant identity with Sandy Jack's Deli.

Part of this identity is using quality ingredients. Sandwiches feature Thumann's brand deli meats and cheeses. Steak sandwiches are made with fresh-shaved rib eye from a local butcher, and fresh-sliced chicken breast is used for chicken steaks.

Breakfast sandwiches are served to order on brioche, kaiser, multigrain or rye and available all day. There are fresh soups, daily specials, potato and pasta salads, and a coffee bar with cold brew, lattes, cappuccinos and more.

There are specialty sandwiches, too. Jack's favorite? The Big Jack, of course: chicken steak with pepper jack cheese and Asian sweet chili sauce. For Pam, it's The Ma: pork roll, egg and Irish cheddar on brioche. When Robert is hungry, he goes for the ribeye with onions, provolone cheese and hot peppers (because, yes, he's roasting long hots in the back).

The groceries imported from the British Isles and Ireland have been a huge draw. Products include sweets, condiments, relishes, jams, snacks and frozen meats. And if there's something missing from the shelves, they can order it.

"If you don't see something, just let us know. We can order it for you and it will be here within the week," Jack said.

Bringing that kind of happiness to customers, whether with a special grocery item or a delicious sandwich, is what Jack loves most about a business he knew he wanted to get into since he was 14 years old. He enjoys being his own boss now, and his parents are happy to start a legacy they can fully pass on to their son one day.

"That's the charm as well,' Robert said. "There's a face behind the whole operation."

Sandy Jack’s Deli

1206 W Brigantine Ave

Brigantine, NJ

609-264-5811

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