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So I finally made it to Cole’s downtown. After having had Philippe’s French dip sandwiches, I had to wind up here eventually to compare, right? Unfortunately, I haven’t been to Philippe’s in more than a year, so I can’t really accurately compare in terms of flavor. But let’s get on to Cole’s, shall we?

First off, Cole’s has a great old-school feel to it, much like other Cedd Moses establishments.  The restaurant is seat-yourself, the lighting is dark, and the floor is appropriately scuffed up — but that’s because it’s the original floor. The sandwiches are carved and assembled right in front, so you can see your food being made. It’s a fun place.

I had the turkey French dip. The meat is sliced thicker than it is at Philippe’s and the au jus is served on the roll and as a side, whereas it’s just served on the bread at Philippe’s — that much I can say about the two eateries in comparison. I’m not sure that I prefer one over the other, but let’s just say that Cole’s French dip is good. The sandwich is served with an Atomic pickle, which means it’s incredibly HOT! Eat with caution.

Turkey French dip sandwich and Atomic pickle

I also had a bite of my boyfriend’s lamb sandwich, and while I don’t usually like lamb, Cole’s was flavored so well that I didn’t mind that weird lamb taste at all. I also tried his bacon potato salad, which I have to say is delish. (I’ve been back since and had the grilled cheese and spicy garlic fries, both of which were solid. The fries really were spicy, and I wished they were cut thicker, but they were satisfying nonetheless.) I also had the bourbon pecan pie for dessert — anything with bourbon in it is a must — and it was pretty good, though I’m not really a huge fan of pecan pie in general.

Bacon potato salad

Bourbon pecan pie

While I didn’t actually step into Cole’s speakeasy, the Varnish, I did have a Pimm’s Cup. It was well-balanced and a good size served in a pint glass (the more the merrier for me!). I also appreciated the apple and cucumber slices as garnish, which I happily gobbled down after they were nice and liquor-soaked.

Pimm's Cup

All in all, I’m pleased with Cole’s. My only gripe is that it’s a tad pricey: French dips start at around $8 ($9 for lamb), and sides are $3-$4 extra. If the $8-$9 price point included a side, it would be much more palatable, excuse the pun.