This Monterey market is a church to the classic American sandwich.

How does one recognize a good deal in today’s day and age when portions of fries are getting smaller and smaller, and once respectful restaurants refill Heinz bottles with cheaper, regional ketchup wannabes? Have you noticed that napkins, once forced on clients in abundance, are now something to beg for? Not in LaSala’s BiRite Market, an 80-year-old sandwich shop that will feed your nostalgia without devastating your pocket.

“The prices have been a struggle, honestly,” says Jenny Leigh on behalf of the LaSala family. Since 2016, sandwich prices have risen from $7.50 to $10.50, which would have terrified your grandpa, but is nothing in this economy. “We portion everything and also we have wonderful staff and vendors,” Leigh adds.

The joint was established in the 1930s as a butcher shop, and today’s menu is meat-heavy: hot pastrami, meatball, Italian sausage or even more specialized delicacies, such as Monterey Italian Beef or Poor Boy (a meat version) or the crowd favorite, a BBQ Tri-Tip (a West Coast cut of beef) sandwich. However, BiRite is also a good place to have a big fresh tuna salad sandwich that will not drip from your bread, or even a veggie option with hipster ingredients like avocado and fresh sprouts.

John and Debbie LaSala, who run the store with their daughters Jenny Leigh and Gina Thomsen, keep the menu simple, with a few basic bread options (white, wheat, sourdough, ciabatta and Dutch Crunch) from Seaside’s Palermo Bakery, delivered fresh each morning. The cheese selection includes basics like Monterey Jack and Swiss. The lettuce is fresh and the tomatoes are ripe.

LaSala’s BiRite Market is less than half a mile from Del Monte Beach, as certified by surfer teens, who go there for lunch. They can be seen during lunchtime, still in their wetsuits and covered in sand, devouring the special Friday seafood sandwiches outside. With fresh seafood swimming around the corner, the menu also includes a Catholic nod, with “no meat” options on Fridays, when BiRite returns to the glory of its long-time favorite – calamari. Deep-fried calamari sandwiches served with homemade tartar sauce are what made the spot famous decades ago.

“When we were doing a grand opening in 1997 we realized it fell on a Friday,” Leigh says. “So we changed our opening special… and that’s how our breaded calamari sandwich was born.” Her other favorite sandwich is the breaded chicken sandwich (made with her grandmother’s recipe), which is a Tuesday special.

The spot has been family-owned throughout its history. John and Debbie took over in 1997, really shifting the focus of the neighborhood store and butcher shop to the deli. At the same time, they wanted to preserve the family’s reputation for sandwiches, first served and elevated to fame by the former owner, Johanna Catania-LaSala, in the late 1970s.

Inside BiRite at lunchtime, the smooth sandwich-making operation is truly impressive. There are two long, but fast-moving, lines. Behind the deli counter, there are typically three employees who are putting customized sandwiches together, and wrapping them in no time and with rare mistakes. The second line is for the counter to pay for your sandwich, chips and basic groceries. There are a few tables if you want to sit and eat right away, as well as a couple of tables outside.

The atmosphere is sort of like a community cafeteria – doors remain open at all times, and the friendly cashier seems to recognize everyone. Life hack: Some wise guys leave the deli counter immediately after placing their order and move to line two; a friendly sandwich-maker will find them and hand them their turkey and cheddar.

A clear indicator that there is something good going on in the neighborhood is a little traffic situation around the otherwise peaceful residential neighborhood. BiRite Market is surrounded by cars during lunchtime, a fact not always popular with the neighbors. But then again, those lucky enough to live nearby can get a great American sandwich, or pick up a carton of milk anytime – without getting out of their slippers.

LaSala’s BiRite Market, 250 Casa Verde Way, Monterey. 372-6824, lasalasbiritemarketca.com