Pepperjacks Deli in Laurel

With warm nights coming, Pepperjacks Deli just south of Rte 216 is a great option for an easy dinner -- delicious sandwiches and then ice cream or a shake to enjoy outside.

My current search is for interesting sandwiches in Howard County. This is a search for basics -- good bread paired with good fillings. Personally, I like rolls with a crust to them, and I'm a fan of interesting deli or an interesting twist -- rather than huge subs covered in melted cheese. Subway and Boar's Head deli work for me, but you can get them anywhere so I'm looking for one step above.

Pepperjacks delivers. Well, actually you have to go to the shop just south of Rte 216. But Pepperjacks delivers the good bread, good fillings that I want in a sandwich. Don't be fooled by the outside, which is ramshackle enough that I had driven past until I read comments from HowICook and UhOhBadDog on an earlier post. Inside, it's a cozy takeout shop that serves up mostly sandwiches, fries and ice cream. There are a few seats and a playground outside.

My Italian sandwich was delicious. Thin-sliced meats with fresh vegetables on a roll that tasted as if it were baked on site (as they advertise) even if it wasn't the best I had ever eaten. The deli was my favorite -- tasty and flavorful, but not greasy. I knew it was good after I finished when I realized that I spread on mustard, my way to spice up any mundane sandwich. Pepperjacks offers a large menu of sandwiches, and other folks have talked up the Roast Beef Signature and the turkey rueben. They also serve Boardwalk fries, which they seemed to be frying up for each individual order. We'll go back to try more.

One great hole in the Howard County sandwich world is that lack of Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches. They're everywhere in Northern Virginia. They're a spectacular fusion of French bread with Vietnamese fillings. The Chinese takeout near the Food Lion on Rte 108 has a sign advertising them, but the folks there say that was from a prior menu (and probably a prior owner). Does anyone know where to find the closest banh mi?

Pepperjacks Deli

10919 Scaggsville Road

Laurel, MD 20723

301-490-7998

NEAR: This is just south of Rte 216 and just east of Rte 29. From Rte 216, you turn south at the light for Crest Road. Then turn right in about a block when Crest deadends into Scaggsville Road. Pepperjacks is on the left a few hundred feet from that intersection.