Just Julie’s

Formerly a Substation II franchise but now independently owned and operated by longtime host Julie Mogy, Just Julie’s has hometown feel. With cold fluorescent lights over bare-topped tables, it first appears to be institutional, but interaction with the staff can make eating here a most personable event. “I watched customers grow up,” Mrs. Mogy told a local reporter. “I watched them be kids, and now they have kids. We’ve had people here that their kids couldn’t see over the counter, and now they are in college.”

Rolls are soft with little in the way of crust — all about tenderness without the crisp edge and rugged chew typical of Delaware Valley subs. Cold cuts and veggies are all top-shelf deli fare.

I was lucky to visit during an unusual January cold snap, when the soup of the day was Tennessee pork and cabbage. The gent taking my order said it put a big smile on his face when he had a sample earlier that morning. A hearty mix it is, with enough pepper punch to offer capsicum heat as a halo to the actual warmth of the soup. You feel real weight in the spoon when you scoop up a thick, tangled web of pork and cabbage punctuated by a bite-size disk of sausage.

Everyday desserts include cheesecake, cookies, and handsome layer cakes; but when banana pudding is on the menu, that is the way to go. Made by staff member Karen, it is scooped from a broad pan that is a good balance of cookie, fruit, and custard. It doesn’t have the leavening effect that whipped cream or meringue contributes to more elegant versions of the dish, but it is sweet-tooth balm.