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| | By Guy Short, houston.sidewalk
 | | 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.
 | | 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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