Having heard many good things buzzing around about 903 Mills Market, I finally decided to give it a try today. This casual spot is nestled in among houses and narrow streets just south of Colonial town. Driving through the residential area, you'll likely think you are lost (we did). Until, suddenly, you round a tree-lined corner and the giant umbrellas over picnic tables come into view, surrounded by a wrought iron fence and what looked like bougainvillea bushes.
There isn't much space at all inside, but the atmosphere on the patio is great on a mild day. The umbrellas offer sufficient shade from the sun and the residential area is quiet. The casual outdoor feel reminded me a little of the outdoor cafes and lunch spots in one of my favorite cities, Key West.
Their beer selection (all bottles) is decent. Nothing to get excited about, but you certainly won't be stuck drinking Bud here. For a lunch spot, the selection is refreshing. There were actually a couple of bottles I hadn't encountered before. I decided to try the Bison Honey Basil Ale. It was a light flavored beer with a very mild hint of basil, easy-drinking enough to ignore if you find the idea of adding traditional cooking herbs to beer an oddity.
As for the food, we tried the Grateful Bread sandwich, the 903 Club and the Tomazza side salad. The Grateful Bread is billed as "Thanksgiving in your hand," and it definitely tastes like it. They absolutely stuff wheat bread with about 100 layers of roasted turkey, cranberry mayo and blue cheese stuffing. The blue cheese flavor isn't very strong, thankfully. The sandwich itself really does taste like a big plate of thanksgiving dinner. It is gigantic, so you'll feel just as full afterward. The 903 Club is simple but mouthwatering. Ham, turkey, bacon and swiss on sourdough just can't go wrong. All of the sandwiches are a generous size, but they also offer a pick 2 option if you only want half a sandwich and some salad. Some of our companions had the salads and they looked great. I absolutely adored the Tomazza salad. It was a small side cup of mozzarella and cherry tomatoes drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with plenty of herbs. It was delicious!
Service was friendly and efficient. You order your sandwich at the counter inside and they bring your order outside to you within 10 minutes or so (just enough time to chat a bit and start enjoying your beer). The prices at 903 Mills are remarkable, considering how huge their sandwiches are. I think the most expensive sandwich on the menu was still only $7. While I might not go on a scorching hot day, I will definitely be going back to 903 Mills.
