Maceo Spice & Import Company

As far as muffulettas go, Maceo Spice & Import Company might make the best one on the Gulf Coast (but don’t tell New Orleans we said that). ‘Cause when you think of the beach, you think of classic Sicilian sandwiches. Open since 1944, the Italian deli sits just off the Strand in downtown Galveston in an old, high-ceiling brick building. And while Maceo has shelves stocked with spices, dry pasta, and canned goods as well as an entire deli counter, most people are here for lunch or brunch, and by that we mean the muffuletta. The soft, olive oil dressed bread—baked in nearby League City using Maceo's recipe—dressed in a schmear of sweet and briny olives, with a near Goldilocks ratio of sliced deli meats and cheese, is a thing of beauty. A half order sandwich plus a bowl of gumbo and a cannoli for dessert checks every box on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, probably. We like to stuff a few sammies in an ice chest for a little mortadel’ on the beach, for when the sliced deli meat craving hits—a thing everyone experiences—or to just hit up Maceo’s for a casual mid-day lunch on the island.

photo credit: Chelsea Thomas