One customer showed up 15 minutes after the doors opened and found the line almost out to the parking lot. Another drove up from further south after seeing it on Instagram, ordered the mortadella on focaccia, and said it took him straight back to Italy. He compared it to All'Antico Vinaio, the Florence sandwich shop people queue around the block for. This is Monica's Italian Sandwiches, open in Suite G at Riverwalk Plaza in Boynton Beach, sitting at a perfect 5 stars on Google, and closing its doors at 6 p.m. with no Sundays at all.

What You're Actually Ordering

The focaccia is the whole point here. This is not a sub shop and it is not a New York deli. Every sandwich is built on focaccia, and the reviews that mention it keep landing on the same word: chewy. That bread is doing as much work as anything inside it.

The menu splits into hot and cold. On the cold side, The Turkey at $16.50 is the single most ordered thing they make, and The Mortadella at $17.60 is right behind it. That mortadella is the one people compare to Florence. If you want something bigger, The Colosseum runs $19.50 and The Tuscan is $18.70. The Cotto Ham at $15.40 is the cheapest sandwich on the board, and there is a Caprese at $16.50 if you want it meatless.

On the hot side, the Chicken Parm at $17.60 is the popular one, and the Genovese and Chicken Caesar match it at the same price. La Porketta is the splurge at $21.90. The sleeper is the Broccoli Rabe at $19.80, which is the kind of thing most Boynton sandwich counters do not bother making. There is also a vegetarian at $16.50.

Not eating bread? The salads are real, not an afterthought. Caesar and Arugula are $13.20 each, the Caprese salad with fresh mozzarella, tomato and balsamic glaze is $16.50, and the Carpaccio di Bresaola is $19.00. And do not skip dessert, because a small cannoli is $2.99. At that price you add one without thinking about it, which is presumably the idea.

The Insider Move

Go before noon or after 2. They open at 11 and the rush lands almost immediately, and since they close at 6 there is no dinner window to fall back on. If you are coming on your lunch break, call ahead at 561-609-1817 and have it waiting.

The other move is to eat it there. Nearly every review is glowing, and the single lukewarm one came from someone who drove their sandwiches home first and found them dry by the time they sat down. Focaccia is best about four minutes after it is wrapped. If you do have to take it to go, ask them to go heavier on the oil.

What Locals Are Saying

A perfect 5.0 across 26 Google reviews is not a normal number for a place this new, and they are running 5.0 on their delivery listing too. One reviewer who grew up in New Jersey around Italian delis on every corner said these are some of the best sandwiches he has had since. Several people mention Monica herself working the front and treating everyone like she is hosting rather than serving. A few others say they found the place on Instagram and drove up specifically to try it, which tells you the word of mouth is already outrunning the signage.

Where You're Going

Riverwalk Plaza sits on the southeast corner of Woolbright and South Federal, less than a mile east of I-95 and right up against the Intracoastal. Same plaza as the Walgreens, the Starbucks and the Chipotle, with Prime Catch behind it. From central Boca it is about 20 minutes straight up the highway. Parking is a free surface lot, and it is easiest from the Walgreens end.

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