Red Bush Plaza is the kind of strip mall you could drive past a hundred times. Plenty of Milford people never do. At 16 Red Bush Lane, Heather and Mike Deicicchi run Mike’s Italian Deli & Grill, a husband-and-wife breakfast and lunch counter with chicken cutlets, hot grinders, paninis and a staff that customers can’t stop talking about.
The deli has a 4.9-star rating from more than 200 Google reviews. “Friendly staff” comes up in 47 of them, more than anything else, including the sandwiches. “Honestly this place is great and the food is very good, but what’s better is how friendly and awesome the staff are,” Luke wrote last week. “Will return 100 times over.”
Heather and Mike’s place
Mike is the cook. Heather is the name signed under the deli’s replies to its Google reviews. The couple have been feeding this corner of Milford for more than 15 years. The deli calls itself “a neighborhood breakfast-and-lunch spot,” where the staff will customize anything on the menu “as we want you to feel just like you’re at home here.”
Back in 2012, when Milford Patch asked Heather about her favorite thing on the menu, she couldn’t pick just one. “We absolutely love everything that Mike makes,” she said. She singled out his barbecue pulled pork (“For an Italian boy, he really makes an unbelievable BBQ!”), his eggplant and chicken parm, and the homemade meatballs he’s known for, “like Mom used to make.”
Even then, the couple were posting the day’s special on Facebook, with prices and a description, and regulars were commenting back. The deli still tells customers to check Facebook for today’s special, and it is open six days a week, from early breakfast through lunch.
Heather still answers reviews herself. When Annette, a visitor from out of state, wrote that it “was the best sandwich I’ve ever had in my life,” Heather wrote back: “I absolutely remember you! Come see us whenever you’re back!”
Annette had also noticed how the place felt. “The shop was extremely clean and the ladies behind the counter were extremely friendly and welcoming to everyone that came in,” she wrote. She planned to stop back for food for the drive home. “I’ll be thinking about this place for years to come.”
What to order
The deli’s own website names the two sandwiches customers rave about most: the chicken cutlet and the steak and cheese. On Google, the chicken cutlet sandwich, chicken parm on a roll, corned beef, the hot roast beef grinder, the broccoli rabe sandwich, the paninis and the bacon, egg and cheese all come up by name. Most sandwiches come on a roll or as a sub; prices below are from the current menu.
Chicken cutlet ($11.75 roll, $15.95 sub). The sandwich regulars name most. Fresh mozzarella or broccoli rabe is $2 extra on a roll.
Chicken Parmigiano ($11.95 roll, $16.95 sub). One of the hot sandwiches Mike is known for, alongside the meatball parm ($8.95/$13.95), made with his homemade meatballs.
Hot roast beef with cheese and gravy ($12.95/$17.95) and steak with cheese ($11.95/$16.95). Both are cold-weather sandwiches, and the steak and cheese is the other one the deli says people rave about.
Italian combo ($10.95 roll, $15.50 sub). Ham, salami and provolone with lettuce, tomato, oil and vinegar. You can also build your own from the cold case, with sopressata, cappacola, prosciutto or honey turkey, on a hard roll, Portuguese roll, sub roll, wrap or bread.
The paninis ($11.95 to $13.95). They go by number. The #1 is fresh mozzarella, broccoli rabe, sun-dried tomatoes and roasted peppers with balsamic. The #2 is pastrami with Swiss, sauerkraut and Russian dressing. The #6 is sausage, broccoli rabe and fresh mozzarella, and the #7 is grilled chicken, Swiss and ham with honey mustard.
Breakfast. The grill opens at 7:30 a.m. An egg and cheese is $4.50; add bacon, sausage or ham for $6.50 on a roll. The three-egg special with home fries and toast is $8.95, and breakfast platters are served until 10:30 a.m.
| Sponsored Partner |
 Tired of scratched, stained boards? Meet the rustproof stainless oneMulti-purpose, easy to clean, rustproof and sturdy.ChopWell · See more › |
| Milford Voice may be paid a small commission on partner offers at no cost to you. |
Dinners, salads and soup, too
Mike’s isn’t only sandwiches. The Italian dinners come in lunch and dinner sizes: chicken parm is $10.95 at lunch or $16.95 as a dinner, ziti with meatball, sausage or parm is $9.95/$12.95, and sausage and peppers is $10.95/$15.95. There’s a soup of the day ($5.95 small, $6.95 large) and cream soups ($6.95/$7.95).
For something lighter, the specialty salads run $11.95: the Feta with spinach, red onion, dried cranberries and almonds; the Gorg with candied walnuts and gorgonzola; or the Blue with candied pecans, blue cheese, fresh pears and avocado. The chicken Caesar is $15.95.
What regulars say
The reviews read like thank-you notes. “The food is delicious and reasonably priced but what makes this place the best is how friendly and warm the staff is,” Katherine wrote. “We love coming here!”
Miguel wrote that he “can’t express how nice and caring the people at this deli are,” and that “they always make sure your order is right and ready fast.” Savannah, who stopped in last week, called the food “absolutely mouth watering” and said she’ll definitely go again.
Mike’s also caters, with separate hot and cold menus for parties and office lunches, and it delivers through the big delivery apps. The deli asks customers not to send orders by email or the website’s form. Call 203-874-0060 instead.
IF YOU GO
Mike’s Italian Deli & Grill, 16 Red Bush Lane (Red Bush Plaza), Milford
Phone: 203-874-0060 (call in orders; no email or web-form orders)
Hours: Monday–Friday 7:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.; Saturday 7:30 a.m.–2 p.m.; closed Sunday
Online: mikesitaliandeligrill.com (menus and catering)
Also: daily specials posted on the deli’s Facebook page
| More from our Sponsored Partners |
| Milford Voice may be paid a small commission on partner offers at no cost to you. |
Get Milford’s best stories first — subscribe to the free Milford Voice newsletter
Have a tip? Email news@milfordvoice.com
