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houston.sidewalk
thursday
october 30, 1997
Lunch Meet
Going to Doyle's of Oak Forest is like going back in time
Restaurants



Previously in Lunch Meet
Spaghetti Warehouse (Oct 22)

Ryan's (Oct 15)


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 By Guy Short, houston.sidewalk

Lunch Meet: Doyle's 
Proprietor Paul Doyle at the takeout window.
The food's fresh, but the place is ancient.

In the highly competitive, short-lived world of restaurants, where the life span of many places is measured in months, Doyle's of Oak Forest is now creeping up on a half-century.

You're smiling a bit at that name, aren't you? That's OK. It is a wee bit campy ("of Oak Forest"!?), but there's a sweet simplicity about this venerable deli-and-diner that protects it from derision. In many ways, a visit to Doyle's is a step back to a kinder, gentler era. The menu features a sandwich (ham, salami, cheese, dill slices and mayo) the name of which might well be applied to the entire operation: Old World.

Despite a sprawling parking lot, the dining room inside the white brick building is surprisingly modest, maybe two dozen or so tables, with the tidy, vaguely Germanic feel of a Hill Country cafe. The intentionally limited bill of fare, however, leans more toward the Italian — with red-sauce standards like spaghetti (including chicken and Creole versions), lasagna, ravioli, manicotti and pizza as menu bulwarks. It's hearty fare aimed at the working-class patrons from nearby warehouses and shops.

But true to its roots — Doyle's was originally just a take-away deli when it opened in Houston's northwest hinterlands back in 1954 — there's also an array of poor-boys, grinders, meatball and other such sandwiches. A Reuben arrived nicely stuffed with corned beef and enough sauerkraut to balance the sweetness of the Thousand Island dressing. But it was the toasting of the rye bread that made a favorable impression, giving this classic sandwich the structural integrity that prevented it from turning into floppy, sloppy goop. Price? A reasonable $4.45 — which includes a side order of a satisfying "white" potato salad thick with dill, mayo and crunchy celery bits. And they fill out the plate with fruit — and not just as garnish. Mine included a slice of honeydew and a cluster of plump Tokay grapes.

Lunch Meet: Doyle's 
Hearty fare and red-sauce standards.
Since a goodly number of regulars are the Ladies Who Lunch type, Doyle's provides suitable fare in the form of entree salads — Italian, Greek, chicken, shrimp — in the $5 to $6 range. They promise homemade croutons, and there's no reason to doubt it. Most everything here at Doyle's has the flavor and feel of a pretty good amateur whipping up something in his own kitchen at home. Consider it a compliment.

Adding to the folksy feel, the waitresses are not college students or aspiring actresses but, um, mature individuals who can (and do) call you "honey" without sounding affected or tip-hungry.

Along with the dining room service, Doyle's is geared up to service a fairly high-volume takeout trade, offering everything on the menu inside at a large counter window for walk-up customers who just want to drive up, grab and go. Maybe that explains the immense parking lot?

A couple of caveats: Doyle's doesn't accept credit cards and is primarily a lunchtime establishment (with evening service on Thursday and Friday only).

If you've never been to this amiable oddity, you might want to swing by some time during the next half-century.

For more information, see Doyle's.

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