Lombardi's Gourmet Deli & BBQ
3413 Petaluma Blvd. North
Petaluma, CA 94952
http://www.lombardisbbq.com/
Lombardi's is a family-run operation, opening in 1999 many years after I moved away from Sonoma County to pursue my adult life, education, career, etc. In recent years I've driven by a few times, noticed it, and hoped to give it a try. What I noticed were the big crowds eating on the lawn out front and the crowded parking lot. I figured Lombardi's must be doing something right.
So on Father's Day 2019, after spending the afternoon with Dad and starting the two hour drive home but needing a little nourishment, Mrs. TVWB and I stopped at Lombardi's to share a tri-tip sandwich. It's the thing they are known for, first item on the menu.
It's called "Tri-Tip in sauce". For many of you, that would be a non-starter. You want meat without sauce, or you want to control the amount of sauce. For me, it's fine. This sandwich is thinly sliced tri-tip mixed with a tomato-based barbecue sauce. It's reminiscent of the old "#25 Barbecued Beef" sandwich you could get at Togo's sandwich shops in Northern California, or the Arby-Q sandwich, or going way back, the barbecued beef sandwich at A&W Root Beer. It's a style of sandwich that is fine with me, and I knew what I was getting into.
The key to the execution of a "meat in sauce" sandwich is 1) quality meat, B) a good barbecue sauce, and III) the right amount of barbecue sauce. Screw up any of these and you've got a problem on your hands.
In my opinion, Lombardi's got 1 and III right. However, B was a little off for me. It wasn't horrible. It wasn't bad. I would even go so far as to say it was above average. But there was a little flavor in there that I could not identify and that I did not care for. But that did not seem to stop Lombardi's from pumping out these sandwiches to the long line of folks waiting patiently in line. I don't know, maybe it's just my tastebuds.
There's a big metal shed roof out front covering what appear to be converted tank stickburners. In addition to tri-tip, they're barbecuing baby back ribs, spareribs, beef ribs, chicken, salmon, and barbecued oysters (Fri/Sat/Sun only). They've got 19 pre-configured gourmet sandwiches or you can configure your own. They've snuck a hamburger into the sandwich menu. They've got "fresh salads" and "gourmet salads", along with a variety of other sides and extras. And since Lombardi's is kind of a little grocery store, too, they've got chips and cheeses and charcuterie and desserts and drinks to round out your meal.
We ate at one of the picnic tables out front. Great place for kids to run around on the lawn and burn off energy. Long line inside the restaurant, you order at one end of the counter and pay/pickup food at the other end. Prices weren't too bad. Lots of tempting items to grab while waiting in line. That's how Mrs. TVWB ended up picking up a slice of cheeecake. She said it was excellent, far superior to the tri-tip sandwich, in her opinion.
Mrs. TVWB and I will definitely visit Lombardi's again. We decided next time we'll try something off the sandwich menu...maybe with a few ribs as an appetizer!
Here are some photos...enjoy!
3413 Petaluma Blvd. North
Petaluma, CA 94952
http://www.lombardisbbq.com/
Lombardi's is a family-run operation, opening in 1999 many years after I moved away from Sonoma County to pursue my adult life, education, career, etc. In recent years I've driven by a few times, noticed it, and hoped to give it a try. What I noticed were the big crowds eating on the lawn out front and the crowded parking lot. I figured Lombardi's must be doing something right.
So on Father's Day 2019, after spending the afternoon with Dad and starting the two hour drive home but needing a little nourishment, Mrs. TVWB and I stopped at Lombardi's to share a tri-tip sandwich. It's the thing they are known for, first item on the menu.
It's called "Tri-Tip in sauce". For many of you, that would be a non-starter. You want meat without sauce, or you want to control the amount of sauce. For me, it's fine. This sandwich is thinly sliced tri-tip mixed with a tomato-based barbecue sauce. It's reminiscent of the old "#25 Barbecued Beef" sandwich you could get at Togo's sandwich shops in Northern California, or the Arby-Q sandwich, or going way back, the barbecued beef sandwich at A&W Root Beer. It's a style of sandwich that is fine with me, and I knew what I was getting into.
The key to the execution of a "meat in sauce" sandwich is 1) quality meat, B) a good barbecue sauce, and III) the right amount of barbecue sauce. Screw up any of these and you've got a problem on your hands.
In my opinion, Lombardi's got 1 and III right. However, B was a little off for me. It wasn't horrible. It wasn't bad. I would even go so far as to say it was above average. But there was a little flavor in there that I could not identify and that I did not care for. But that did not seem to stop Lombardi's from pumping out these sandwiches to the long line of folks waiting patiently in line. I don't know, maybe it's just my tastebuds.
There's a big metal shed roof out front covering what appear to be converted tank stickburners. In addition to tri-tip, they're barbecuing baby back ribs, spareribs, beef ribs, chicken, salmon, and barbecued oysters (Fri/Sat/Sun only). They've got 19 pre-configured gourmet sandwiches or you can configure your own. They've snuck a hamburger into the sandwich menu. They've got "fresh salads" and "gourmet salads", along with a variety of other sides and extras. And since Lombardi's is kind of a little grocery store, too, they've got chips and cheeses and charcuterie and desserts and drinks to round out your meal.
We ate at one of the picnic tables out front. Great place for kids to run around on the lawn and burn off energy. Long line inside the restaurant, you order at one end of the counter and pay/pickup food at the other end. Prices weren't too bad. Lots of tempting items to grab while waiting in line. That's how Mrs. TVWB ended up picking up a slice of cheeecake. She said it was excellent, far superior to the tri-tip sandwich, in her opinion.
Mrs. TVWB and I will definitely visit Lombardi's again. We decided next time we'll try something off the sandwich menu...maybe with a few ribs as an appetizer!
Here are some photos...enjoy!