By Pamela Brownstein
When I look back at all the wonderful years I have lived in Beaufort, I am proud to say that Alvin Ord’s has played an integral role in some of my fondest memories since the beginning. Ten years ago, I started my first job at a newspaper on the night shift. The first week I was there, I walked into the breakroom and saw a cute guy eating an amazing looking sandwich. I had to ask him where he got that sandwich, and our first conversation was all about the little restaurant on Ribaut Road. We did end up dating, and though that guy is long gone, I do have him to thank for my love affair with Alvin Ord’s.
I happily introduced the delicious food to my family and it became part of our ritual whenever they would visit from out of town: We would all order sandwiches from Alvin Ord’s and eat them picnic style either on the boardwalk in Port Royal or in Waterfront Park, or even on my front porch. Of course I introduced it to my husband when we first started dating and he fell in love with it too. We would both order medium roast beefs on French bread with a bag of chips and a
Cherry Coke, pretty much my favorite meal.
And that’s exactly what I ordered when the Lunch Bunch was lucky enough to eat at Alvin Ord’s last week. We joined the busy lunch crowd and even secured one of two coveted booths inside the intimate, no-frills sandwich shop that has been owned by Tom and Marie Lewis since 1983.
Elizabeth ordered a small original Salvation — cheddar, Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses toasted into a fresh whole wheat bun, then stuffed with ham, salami and spiced luncheon meat and dressed with lettuce, tomato, onions and mustard. Peggy got her usual, the French Dip, made with sliced roast beef and three cheeses and served with au jus. Buck tried the large Ham Salvation, and was surprised by the size. (He’s a novice.) A large can easily feed two adults.
I once thought that Alvin Ord’s was only in Beaufort, but my parents, who live in Texas, were driving through a little town and they spotted another one. We discovered that Alvin Ord’s is in fact a small chain with little stores scattered across Texas and the Southeast. Legend has it that the owners were once affiliated with the owners of Schlotsky’s Deli, but the two had a falling out and went their separate ways. It works out well for Beaufort, where we’d just as soon keep the fresh baked bread and tantalizing meat-and-cheese combinations as our secret.
Alvin Ord’s is located at 1415 Ribaut Road, Port Royal, and is open Monday-Friday, 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Call 843-524-8222.
