Pan Casero: Now, That's a Big Sandwich

Sometimes, businesses further along Speedwell Avenue do not get the attention of their neighbors further south (Street). Of course, that may change now that the Speedwell Redevelopment Agreement has been approved, but that's for another story.

If you're driving in or away from town, it could be very easy to miss Pan Casero, a small, Latino-owned and operated bakery and cafe. Well, unless you notice the giant phone number written on the window.

That was my first experience with Pan Casero. While riding home, I saw they had just opened for business a couple months ago. Their phone number was on their sign. And, so, I made sure to update Morristown Patch's directory to reflect the new business.

But, the phone number didn't work. Oops. Soon, the working number appeared, in large font, on the window, because the sign had the wrong one. Hey, at least it grabs your attention.

Here's what grabbed my attention more recently: the size of my sandwich. Yow.

The menu at Pan Casero right now is small, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. They have some rotating specials, including things like Empanadas and certain sandwiches. Then, there is the regular menu (without prices, which is kind of odd) with items like a hamburger, hot dog and what I ordered, "The Super Sandwich di Pollo." With fries, it came to $5.50. Hey, if that's always the price they sell it for, that's a great deal.

What came out was a monster. The fries ... yuck, they're the same fries you'd get in a high school cafeteria lunch line. Skip 'em. The sandwich is a different story. On a home-baked roll rests tender chicken, what I believe was American cheese, lettuce, tomato, some sauce and a fried egg. What? Apparently, it's not so unusual in other parts of the world. In fact, I kind of liked its inclusion.

The Super Sandwich di Pollo was moist, flavorful and very filling. Pan Casero's roll (which is baked, along with many others, right there every morning) was slightly sweet, slightly chewy and very fresh. Overall, it was a top tier sandwich.

I hope Pan Casero is successful. It seems, however, they don't have all their ducks in a row yet. From the nebulous pricing, to the phone number, to the fact they keep saying they are going to start accepting credit cards but have not done so yet, tells me kinks still need to be worked out. But, based on my very satisfying lunch, as long as said kinks are addressed, Pan Casero should have a very successful run in Morristown.