I don’t know where the hell we were. I still don’t know how we found it. We had crossed the border into New York and were driving around the countryside for a while. Not a restaurant or business in sight. We were both hungry and decided we would stop at the first place we saw. On the side of the road and set back a little bit was the Peach Lake Market & BBQ. Blink and you’ll miss it. We actually drove right by it. An unassuming building with a tiny sign. We saw signage for Boar’s Head Cold Cuts before the restaurant’s actual sign. We pulled up and I noticed a board by the front door reading that they sell ice, propane, and good food. Gee, we’re off to a great start.

We walked in, and lo and behold, there was a neat little cafe/deli awaiting us. I was so close to just ordering a buttered bagel to go and hitting the road, but then my friend blurted out that he wanted a pulled chicken sandwich. Alright, we’ll go that route. After pouring through their large sandwich menu, I chose the “Eggplanter” which would decidedly become one of the best sandwiches I’ve ever eaten in my life.

Peach Lake boasted of fresh, quality food and on-site barbecue. There was a smoker out front. The menu consisted of every sandwich imaginable as well as barbecue dinners and platters. I’m not a huge fan of eggplant. I hardly ever order it. It needs to be fried to a crisp and thin for me to like it. Sure enough, that’s how it came in this sandwich. I took a chance here. Layers of crunchy eggplant were coated in melted Muenster cheese and Russian dressing. Throw in some roasted red peppers and pop it on a toasted roll and you have yourself a mother of a sandwich. An odd combination, but it worked perfectly.

The eggplant stayed crisp even when immersed in the gooey cheese and dressing. It was a hell of a mess and a real napkin-churner, but it was worth it. As Hunter would say, “Gotta work through that baby with a smile”. I referred to it as a “sloppy masterpiece” on my Instagram, and posted a rare picture of the interior. Normally, I go with only nice, neat overview shots. But I wanted my readers to feel this one (pictured above). Be jealous.

His sandwich was also excellent. We shared a little bit of each other’s. His chicken was well-seasoned, had good smoke flavor, and was tender. While my roll was toasted, his was left light and fluffy. A perfect contrast of textures. On the side, we got an order of curly fries. Can never go wrong there. To make matters better, each table had four bottles of presumably homemade barbecue sauce. There was a normal kind, one with a more mustard base, another called “sweet heat”, and a fourth which I did not try. All were tasty, and a squirt per bite seemed to work out well.

I have no choice but to award this place a 4.5 out of 5 stars. Without a doubt. Did not even have to think about that. Great atmosphere of a small town, neighborhood luncheonette, outstanding food, and friendly service. Whoever is doing the cooking back there better not change a thing. I’ve had $30 entrees which did not have as much flavor and pizzazz as this $6.50 sandwich. Oh yeah, price goes without saying. These two mega sandwiches and fries came to $17. Not a bad first meal on this latest vacation. Too bad we may never find the place again! Eating here more might warrant a move to New Salem.

Peach Lake Market & BBQ is located at 1 Dingle Ridge Road in North Salem, New York.