Clayton's Cafe - Yarmouth, Maine

During our nine day quest for the perfect nursery furniture (more on that - and the 19 stores we hit later), we stopped in at Clayton's Cafe on Route One in Yarmouth for lunch. I drive by Clayton's every weekend when I do my errands, but never thought to stop in until one of my co-workers recently recommended that I give it a try.

I was surprised to find more than a dozen people in line and a full dining room when I arrived on a Saturday afternoon. Larger than it looks from the outside, Clayton's dining room is a barn like structure, with a dozen tables, a counter that seats six, and a canoe hanging from the rafters. Orders are taken at the counter and delivered to tables. Patrons standing in line have a bird's eye view of the dessert case filled with gooey looking desserts.

I quickly grabbed a table that was being vacated and my husband proceeded to the counter to order our lunch. There were three soup options available - he selected the Vegetable ($4.75/bowl) - served with a thick slice of sourdough bread and filled with chunks of yellow squash, carrots, shell pasta and tomato. While I prefer the vegetable soup at Big Sky (more spices are used in the preparation), Clayton's version was piping hot, hearty and satisfying.

I couldn't resist the unusual-sounding Thai Chicken Satay Sandwich ($6.95). Perfectly seasoned, thinly-sliced chicken that had been brushed with peanut sauce was served on grilled Borealis Sourdough bread. The spread was a sun dried tomato tapenade, topped with sauteed red & green peppers, onions, tomato slices and lettuce. There was a lot going on in this sandwich, but the flavors married well together.

My husband selected the Oven Roasted Turkey Sandwich ($6.95), customized to his specifications with Swiss cheese, pickles, honey mustard, mayonnaise, lettuce and tomato. Like all of the sandwiches at Clayton's, his sandwich was served on fresh-baked Borealis Sourdough bread. The freshness and quality of the ingredients - particularly the bread - were what made a normally humdrum turkey sandwich stand out.

Clayton's has service down to a science. We waited fewer than five minutes for our lunch to be made and delivered to our table, despite the crowds and the fact that I had ordered a grilled sandwich. Prep is obviously done in advance and they staff adequately, which is appreciated for those who want a delicious lunch on the fly.

After lunch, we wandered through the Cafe and noticed that in addition to lunch items, they sell wine, Standard bread, prepared dinner items, pre-made salads, cappuccino, coffee and tea. They also have a short breakfast menu, featuring a handful of sandwiches.

On our way out, my husband grabbed a cup of coffee, while I selected a chocolate dipped macaroon out of the dessert case. Larger than my fist, the macaroon was $3.50 and worth every penny. Moist and rich, it definitely satisfied my sweet tooth, though I've been longing for another ever since.

Every town needs a good sandwich shop. Portland has Big Sky, Falmouth has Leavitt & Sons, Scarborough has The Cheese Iron (not a full deli, but the best pre-made sandwiches around), Freeport has the Old World Deli and Yarmouth is fortunate to have Clayton's. The speed of service at Clayton's makes it a viable alternative to fast food establishments when in a hurry; the food they prepare is fresh, hearty and satisfying. I'm glad I finally stopped in, and suspect that I will be a frequent visitor at the Cafe going forward.

P.S. Feel free to share your favorite sandwich shop by posting a comment.