Archie's started in Surprise in 2006, and just recently opened this location back in October. After hearing positive comments about this place from a co-worker, we gathered the troops and headed over there yesterday to give them a test drive.
The Tempe location is essentially an old Village Inn restaurant that they appear to be converting into a deli. We arrived unannounced with a party of 8 and the staff was quick to push some tables together to accommodate our group.
The staff here is friendly and the service was good. Once we got settled, our server put some pickles out on the table to snack on while she took our drink orders.
The menu options here are limitless...we had a hard time making a choice. I finally settled on Dutchy's Pastrami Deluxe - which just about put me into a culinary coma. I have not had a sandwich this good in a long time. If you are a Miracle Mile/Carnegie Deli fan, then this place is for you. The size of the sandwiches are HUGE, so unless you walk in with a big appetite, I highly suggest you order a half-sandwich unless you plan on bringing part of your lunch home in a box. I had to laugh when I saw an option on the menu to double the meat for an additional $4.50 - I don't know who could possibly put down that amount of food (unless you were attempting to imitate an episode of Man vs. Food).
The pastrami was perfectly seasoned/cooked and the bread was very fresh. You get your choice of fries or potato salad as a side - both of which received kudos from our party.
Afterwards, the manager stopped by to ensure everything was good and our server was kind enough to break our checks out individually (which she offered to do upfront without us asking).
I will be honest - I'm somewhat picky when it comes to deli's. Jason's for me is okay, but nothing special. I can make a comparable sandwich at home, so there is nothing unique to draw me there. Gandolfo's NY Deli has also left me unimpressed.
I would highly recommend Archie's to anyone for some excellent NY deli-style sandwiches...just bring a big appetite with you. Move over, Chompies...you have some competition.