Over the past few years, I’ve witnessed restaurant after restaurant come and leave the building at 2232 Wealthy Street, despite the fact that it’s right next to a busy high school. Ramona’s Table seems to have finally found the winning combination in East Grand Rapids with its deli boutique and catering service.

Immediately as I walked in I found a table and began to glance at the menu. While the restaurant was a bit cramped for the number of tables, I never saw more than one empty table during my visit. At the same time, the restaurant was clean, elegant, and relaxing, even in a tight space. After all, it’s not everyday you find a working fireplace inside a deli.

The menu has several offerings, but all are easy to understand. All sandwiches are the same price, $7.95, and come with a choice of a side. And the sides aren’t just limited to chips or fries. Instead, you can choose roasted red potatoes, potato salad, coleslaw, kettle chips or a gourmet deli salad.

My dining partner and I went up to the counter to order. After all, this is still a deli. And it is still completely hectic at lunch time.

Rudy went ahead and ordered the Black & Tan Dip, while I opted for a Turkey Jack Rabbit. Both of us chose potato salads, and waited back at our seats.

The Black & Tan Dip featured pork loin and roast beef simmered in a pork and beef au jus on a French Roll. While certainly not out of the ordinary, it seemed like a classic french dip sandwich that was presented quite well. The roll was fresh and firm enough to dip in the beef au jus sauce, but still didn’t match the pleasantness or excitement of Bistro Bella Vita, and its beef au jus sauce. My Turkey Jack Rabbit, on the other hand, featured roasted turkey, colby jack cheese and chipotle mayo, served on a San Francisco Sourdough bread. It featured just enough kick in the mayo to add a little extra flavor, in what might have been a not-so-special sandwich otherwise.

I would’ve liked to see the sandwiches a bit larger, but they were a decent size for your typical lunch.

Paired with the potato salad, the sandwiches were that much better. The potato salad wasn’t your sloppy salad that you can buy in tubs at Meijer. Instead, it featured large chunks of potatoes, fresh veggies, cheese and a light ranch dressing — all of which made for a great complementary dish.

In addition to serving breakfast and lunch, Ramona’s also offers catering services, which are paired with beverages from Martha’s Vineyard. Catering menus feature everything from a burger bar and sandwiches, to beef tenderloin and orange ginger glazed salmon.

All in all, I would recommend the deli experience at Ramona’s Table in a heartbeat. It’s a fairly quick meal with good flavors, and it’s very affordable. While I personally would’ve liked to be a bit more filled up after lunch, the sandwiches are certainly a reasonable enough size. And with its cramped setting, it would’ve been nicer if we would have been able to spread out a bit more (as a sidenote, Ramona’s does offer outside seating, when it’s not 30 degrees outside).

While it hasn’t topped Cherry Street Deli in my book, Ramona’s Table offers some really good deli options, and certainly holds its own.

Ramona’s Table (Rating: ★★★★)
Where: 2232 Wealthy St., East Grand Rapids
Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday; closed Sunday.
Ambiance: Modern, high-end deli
How much will it cost you: Sandwich and wrap combos cost $7.95, while salads average at $6.
Credit cards: All major
Alcohol: No
Smoke-free: No
Reservations: No
Wireless Internet: Yes
Contact: (616) 459-8500