Al's State Street Cafe.

I've worked here in downtown for over a year now. Prior to working down here, I lived across the street for two years (from 2003 to 2005). In the time that I have had downtown Boston as part of my life, I never once knew about Al's State Street Cafe... Until last week.

Such a dilemma I face each day at work! Around 11:15am, I begin to wonder what I should get for lunch. If it's too cold out, I walk just down the street to the McDonald's for a Happy Meal. And if it's not too cold, I walk to the Asshole Convention for some soup. And if it's really not too cold out, I'll wander over to Quincy Marketplace and search for some food. However, The Husband (who apparently has been frequenting Al's for years) told me about Al's.

"You can get a sandwich, bag of chips and a soda for less than $6," he informed me.

"Why have you never shared this information with me before?" I demanded to know.

He didn't know why. But I went there last Friday to try a sandwich. I got the State Street Special... And it cost me $4.50. And it was a huge sandwich. (Here's a tip if you go there: The small sandwiches are large. Don't order a large unless you are looking to save half of it.)

Some co-workers have tried Al's now too, because I told them about it. They seemed really pleased, though they didn't appreciate the "barking service" they got.

See, if you go into Al's anytime after 11:45am, you better have your shit together. It's kind of like the Soup Nazi from Seinfeld. You go in, you tell them what you want right away. About 15 seconds later, you have your sandwich. You pay the nice lady at the register (who genuinely wishes you a "nice day") and then you get the fuck out of the joint. They like to move people in and out of there as quickly as possible. If you don't follow these instructions... Or if you pause, not knowing what you want, then they start to get mad at you.

So, if you want to go there, I recommend you look at the online menu before venturing out. The sandwiches are tasty and cheap, as well as quick.

Comments

Unknown said…
You should walk a little further to the Mediterranean Grill at 195 State sometime. Not as cheap, but the food is yummy and they're super nice.

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