Tucked beneath a strange balcony on 2nd Avenue in Belltown is Arbor Deli. A quaint, homey feeling place, Arbor Deli sports one of the most robust menus I have ever witnessed from a teriyaki restaurant. In addition to the old standby #1 chicken, rice, and salad, Arbor Deli's enormous menu ranges from hamburgers to sandwiches to all manner of breakfast items and just about everything in between. No doubt, Arbor Deli makes every effort to be all things to all people and by the looks of its loyal clientelle, it definitely seems to have its fanbase. This is definitely the kind of out-of-the-way place that is satisfying for a quick bite to soothe any craving, and with a friendly staff that'll make you feel right at home, just about anyone can walk away satisfied.

So how about Arbor Deli's teriyaki?

Don't get me wrong, Arbor Deli's chicken teriyaki is certainly adequate and hardly what I would call dissapointing, it's just that it's also easily forgettable and surely not the best option on the menu. For $7 bucks including the tax you can walk away with a #1. Add a buck and you can have the all white meat version of the same. I've seen this ploy at teriyaki joints before and like the rest, it's wise not to bite. In fact, the #1 I received was almost all white meat so I doubt there is much difference between that and its slightly more expensive brother. Whatever the case, the teriyaki I received at Arbor Deli featured lean chicken with a light grilled taste. Pretty good though there were a few pieces that had that gamey chicken taste. The sauce was standard, which is to say sweetly enjoyable, and came in a pour your own container stuffed right in the main carton. This is a nasty ploy and one I've seen before, as it takes up serious real estate which could be better utilized with more chicken. The rice, distributed as two scoops did seem as if it had been sitting around for a while before it made its way to my lunch carton. The portions of both were OK though I did leave the meal a little hungry afterward, not what one is looking for in bang-for-the-buck enjoyment. The Romaine salad was standard in all regards and came in its own separate container, odd considering there was plenty of room in the main carton still available for something.

All in all the meal was pleasant tasting though a bit skimpy for the cost. I would go back if I was in the neighborhood and had an insatiable teriyaki hankering, but I would also seriously consider better ways to spend $7 bucks than on Arbor's #1. Perhaps it's the huge menu which causes Arbor Deli's resources to be spread too thin, but whatever the case the bottom line is there just didnt' seem to be enough love put into my meal for me to recommend it. It'll do a pinch but you can, and should, do better.